A multi-chamber heat-pump type air conditioner in which a plurality of room units (2, 3, 4) are connected to one heat source unit (1), cooling and heating can be effected selectively for each room unit (2, 3, 4), and cooling can be effected by one room unit and heating can be simultaneously effected by another, wherein the high-level pressure or low-level pressure is controlled from rising high as compared to the time of normal operation, and the reliability of the compressor (17) is improved. In which, a third pressure-detector (48) is provided for detecting a rise in pressure between a compressor (17) and a four-way changeover valve (18), and a control circuit (49) is provided for controlling such that, in the event that the pressure within the pipe is below a predetermined pressure, a sixth valve (45) and a seventh valve (46) are closed, while in the event that the pressure within the pipe exceeds the predetermined pressure, the sixth valve (45) and seventh valve (46) are opened.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to control of a multi-chamber heat-pump type air conditioner in which a plurality of room units are connected to one heat source unit, and cooling and heating can be effected selectively for each room unit, and cooling can be effected by one room unit and heating can be simultaneously effected by another.
2. Description of Prior Art
A description will be given hereafter of the prior art of the present invention.
FIG. 13 is an overall schematic diagram of an air conditioner in accordance with a prior art example relating to the present invention, centering on a refrigerant system. In addition, FIGS. 14 to 16 show states of operation during cooling and heating operation in accordance with the prior art example shown in FIG. 13, in which FIG. 14 is a diagram of the state of operation during only cooling or heating, while FIGS. 15 and 16 show diagrams of states of the simultaneous operation of cooling and heating, FIG. 15 being a diagram of a state of operation in which heating is mainly performed (a case where the capacity for heating operation is greater than that for cooling operation), and FIG. 16 being a diagram of a state of operation in which cooling is mainly performed (a case where the capacity for cooling operation is greater than that for heating operation).
It should be noted that in this example a description will be given of a case where three room units are connected to one heat source unit, but it also similarly applies to cases where two or more room units are connected thereto.
In FIG. 13, reference numeral 1 denotes a heat source unit, and numerals 1, 2 and 4 denote room units which are connected in parallel with each other, as will be described later, and the same arrangement is used for the respective units. Numeral 5 denotes a relay unit which incorporates a first branching section 6, a second flow-rate controller 7, a second branching section 8, a gas-liquid separator 9, heat exchanger 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, a third flow-rate controller 15, and a fourth flow-rate controller 16, as will be described later.
In addition, numeral 17 denotes a compressor; 18, a four-way changeover valve for changing over the direction of circulation of a refrigerant of the heat source unit; 19, a heat source unit-side heat exchanger; and 20, an accumulator which is connected to the compressor 17 via the four-way changeover valve 18. The heat source unit 1 is comprised of these units.
In addition, numeral 21 denotes a room unit-side heat exchanger provided for each of the three room units 2, 3, 4; 22, a large-diameter first connecting pipe for connecting together the four-way changeover valve 18 of the heat source unit 1 and the relay unit 5 via a fourth check valve 23 which will be described later; numerals 24, 25, 26 denote room unit-side first connecting pipes which respectively connect the room unit-side heat exchanger 21 of the room units 2, 3, 4 to the relay unit 5 and correspond to the first connecting pipe 22; and 27 denotes a second connecting pipe having a diameter smaller than that of the aforementioned first connecting pipe and used for connecting together heat source unit-side heat exchanger 19 of the heat source unit 1 and the relay unit 5 via a third check valve 28 which will be described later.
In addition, numerals 29, 30, 31 respectively denote room unit-side second connecting pipes for connecting together the room unit-side heat exchanger 21 of the room units 2, 3, 4 and the relay unit 5 via first flow rate controllers 36, and corresponding to the second connecting pipes 27.
Numeral 33 denotes a first valve for allowing the room unit-side first connecting pipes 24, 25, 26 to communicate with the first connecting pipe 22; 34, a second valve for allowing the room unit-side first connecting pipes 24, 25, 26 to communicate with the second connecting pipe 27; and 35, a third valve for bypassing inlet and outlet ports of the first valve 33.
Numeral 36 denotes a first flow-rate controller which is connected in the vicinity of the room unit-side heat exchanger 21 and is controlled by a superheated amount at the outlet of the room unit-side heat exchanger 21 during cooling and by a subcooled amount thereat during heating, the first flow-rate controllers 36 being connected to the room unit-side second connecting pipes 29, 30, 31.
Numeral 6 denotes the first branching section which includes the first valves 33 and the second valves 34 for selectively connecting the room unit-side first connecting pipes 24, 25, 26 to the first connecting pipe 22 or the second connecting pipe 27, as well as the third valves 35 for bypassing the inlet and outlet ports of the first valves 33.
Numeral 8 denotes the second branching section which includes the room unit-side second connecting pipes 29, 30, 31 and the second connecting pipe 27.
Numeral 9 denotes the gas-liquid separator disposed in a midway position of the second connecting pipe 27, and its vapor phase portion is connected to the second valves 34 at the first branching section, while its liquid phase portion is connected to the second branching section 8.
Numeral 7 denotes the second flow-rate controller (here, an electric expansion valve) which can be opened or closed freely and is connected between the gas-liquid separator 9 and the second branching section 8.
Numeral 37 denotes a bypass pipe for connecting together second branching section 8 and the first connecting pipe 22; 15, the third flow-rate controller (here, an electric expansion valve) disposed in a midway position of the bypass pipe 37; and 10, the second heat-exchange portion which is disposed downstream of the third flow-rate controller 15 disposed in the midway position of the bypass pipe 37 and effects heat exchange at a converging portion of the respective room unit-side second connecting pipes 29, 30, 31 in the second branching section 8.
Numerals 11, 12, 13 respectively denote the third heat-exchange portions which are disposed downstream of the third flow-rate controller 15 disposed in the midway position of the bypass pipe 37, and effect heat exchange with the respective room unit-side second connecting pipes 29, 30, 31 in the second branching section 8.
Numeral 14 denotes the first heat exchanger which is disposed downstream of the third flow-rate controller 15 of the bypass pipe 37 and downstream of the second heat-exchange portion 10, and effects heat exchange with the pipe connecting the gas-liquid separator 9 and the second flow-rate controller 7; and numeral 16 denotes the fourth flow-rate controller (here, an electric expansion valve) which can be opened or closed freely and is connected between the second branching section 8 and the first connecting pipe 22.
Meanwhile, numeral 28 denotes the third check valve which is disposed between the heat source unit-side heat exchanger 19 and the second connecting pipe 27, and allows circulation of the refrigerant only from the heat source unit-side heat exchanger 19 to the second connecting pipe 27.
Numeral 23 denotes the fourth check valve which is disposed between the four-way changeover valve 18 of the heat source unit 1 and the first connecting pipe 22, and allows circulation of the refrigerant only from the first connecting pipe 22 to the four-way changeover valve 18.
Numeral 38 denotes a fifth check valve which is disposed between the four-way changeover valve 18 of the heat source unit 1 and the second connecting pipe 27, and allows circulation of the refrigerant only from the four-way changeover valve 18 to the second connecting pipe 27.
Numeral 39 denotes a sixth check valve which is disposed between the heat source unit-side heat exchanger 19 and the first connecting pipe 22, and allows circulation of the refrigerant only from the first connecting pipe 22 to the heat source unit-side heat exchanger 19.
The aforementioned third, fourth, fifth, and sixth check valves 28, 23, 38, 39 constitute a channel-changeover device 40.
Numeral 41 denotes a first pressure-detecting means disposed between the first branching section 6 and the second flow-rate controller 7; and 42 denotes a second pressure-detecting means disposed between the second flow-rate controller 7 and the fourth flow-rate controller 16.
Next, a description will be given of the operation. First, a description will be given of the case of cooling operation only, with reference to FIG. 14. As indicated by the solid-line arrows in the drawing, a high-temperature high-pressure refrigerant gas discharged from the compressor 17 passes through the four-way changeover valve 18, undergoes heat exchange with heat source water in the heat source unit-side heat exchanger 19, and is thereby condensed. The condensed refrigerant then passes through the third check valve 28, the second connecting pipe 27, the gas-liquid separator 9, and the second flow-rate controller in that order, further passes through the second branching section 8 and the room unit-side second connecting pipes 29, 30, 31, and flows into the respective room units 2, 3, 4.
The refrigerant which has entered the room units 2, 3, 4 is made to undergo decompression to a low pressure by the first flow-rate controllers 36 controlled by the superheated amounts at the outlets of the room unit-side heat exchanger 21. The refrigerant then undergoes heat exchange with the air within the rooms by means of the room unit-side heat exchanger 21, whereupon the refrigerant evaporates and gasifies, thereby cooling the interior of the rooms.
The refrigerant in this gaseous state forms a circulation cycle in which it passes through the room unit-side first connecting pipes 24, 25, 26, the first valves 33, the third valves 35, the first connecting pipe 22, the fourth check valve 23, the four-way changeover valve 18 of the heat source unit 1, and the accumulator 20, and is then sucked by the compressor 17, so as to effect the cooling operation.
At that time, the first valves 33 and the third valves 35 are open, while the second valves 34 are closed. In addition, since the first connecting pipe 22 is held under a low pressure and the second connecting pipe 27 under a high pressure at that time, the refrigerant naturally flows to the third check valve 28 and the fourth check valve 23.
In addition, during this cycle, part of the refrigerant which has passed through the second flow-rate controller 7 enters the bypass pipe 37 and is decompressed to a low pressure by the third flow-rate controller 15. The decompressed refrigerant is then subjected to heat exchange with the room unit-side second connecting pipes 29, 30, 31 in the second branching section 8 by the third heat-exchange portions 11, 12, 13, and with the converging portion of the room unit-side second connecting pipes 29, 30, 31 in the second branching section 8 by the second heat-exchange portion 10, and further with the refrigerant flowing into the second flow-rate controller 7 by the first heat-exchange portion 14, and is thereby evaporated. The evaporated refrigerant enters the first connecting pipe 22 and the fourth check valve 23, passes through the four-way changeover valve 18 of the heat source unit 1 and the accumulator 20, and is sucked in by the compressor 17.
Meanwhile, the refrigerant at the second branching section 8, which has been cooled after being subjected to heat exchange at the first, second and third heat-exchange portions 14, 10, 11, 12, 13 and provided sufficiently with subcooling, flows into the room units 2, 3, 4 to be cooled.
Referring now to FIG. 14, a description will be given of the case of heating operation only. Namely, as indicated by the dotted-line arrows in the drawing, the high-temperature high-pressure refrigerant gas discharged from the compressor 17 passes through the four-way changeover valve 18, passes through the fifth check valve 38, the second connecting pipe 27, and the gas-liquid separator 9, passes consecutively through the second valves 34 and the room unit-side first connecting pipes 24, 25, 26, and flows into the respective room units 2, 3, 4, where the refrigerant undergoes heat exchange with the air within the rooms, and condenses and liquefies, thereby heating the interior of the rooms.
The refrigerant in this liquid state is controlled by the subcooled amounts at the outlets of the room unit-side heat exchanger 21, passes through the first flow-rate controllers 36 in the substantially open state, flows into the second branching section 8 from the room unit-side second connecting pipes 29, 30, 31 and converges, and further passes through the fourth flow-rate controller 16.
Here, the refrigerant is decompressed to a low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase state by either the first flow-rate controllers 36 or the third and fourth flow-rate controllers 15, 16.
The refrigerant decompressed to a low pressure forms a circulation cycle in which the refrigerant passes through the first connecting pipe 22, flows into the sixth check valve 39 of the heat source unit 1 and the heat source unit-side heat exchanger 19, where the refrigerant exchanges heat with the heat source water, evaporates and assumes a gaseous state, and is sucked in by the compressor 17 through the four-way changeover valve 18 of the heat source unit 1 and the accumulator 20, so as to effect the heating operation.
At that time, the second valves 34 are open, while the first valves 33 and the third valves 35 are closed. In addition, since the first connecting pipe 22 is held under a low pressure and the second connecting pipe 27 under a high pressure at that time, the refrigerant naturally flows to the fifth check valve 38 and the sixth check valve 39.
It should be noted that at that time the second flow-rate controller 7 is normally set in a state of being open by a predetermined minimum amount.
Referring now to FIG. 15, a description will be given of the case where heating is mainly carried out in the simultaneous operation of cooling and heating. As indicated by the dotted-line arrows in the drawing, the high-temperature high-pressure refrigerant gas discharged from the compressor 17 passes through the four-way changeover valve 18, passes through the fifth check valve 38 and the second connecting pipe 27, is supplied to the relay unit 5, passes through the gas-liquid separator 9, passes consecutively through the second valves 34 and the room unit-side first connecting pipes 24, 25, and flows into the respective room units 2, 3, 4 to be heated, where the refrigerant undergoes heat exchange through the room unit-side heat exchanger 21, and condenses and liquefies, thereby heating the interior of the rooms.
This condensed and liquefied refrigerant is controlled by the subcooled amounts at the outlets of the room unit-side heat exchanger 21, passes through the first flow-rate controllers 36, where it is slightly decompressed and flows into the second branching section 8.
Part of this refrigerant passes through the room unit-side second connecting pipe 31, enters the room unit 4 to be cooled, enters the first flow-rate controller 36 controlled by the superheated amount at the outlet of the room unit-side heat exchanger 21. After the refrigerant is decompressed, the refrigerant enters the room unit-side heat exchanger 21 where it undergoes heat exchange, evaporates and assumes the gaseous state to cool the interior of the room. The refrigerant then passes through the first connecting pipe 26 at the room unit-side, and flows into the first connecting pipe 22 via the first valve 33 and the third valve 35. Meanwhile, a remaining portion of the refrigerant passes through the fourth flow-rate controller 16 which is controlled such that a pressure difference between the pressure detected by the first pressure-detecting means 41 and the pressure detected by the second pressure-detecting means 42 is set in a predetermined range. The refrigerant then converges with the refrigerant which has passed through the room unit 4 to be cooled, passes through the large-diameter first connecting pipe 22, flows into the sixth check valve 39 of the heat source unit 1 and the heat source unit-side heat exchanger 19, and undergoes heat exchange with the heat source water, and thereby evaporates and assumes the gaseous state.
This refrigerant forms a circulation cycle in which the room unit passes through the four-way changeover valve 18 of the heat source unit 1 and the accumulator 20 and is sucked in by the compressor 17, so as to effect the operation in which heating is mainly performed.
At that time, the pressure difference between the low pressure of the room unit-side heat exchanger 36 of the room unit 4 for effecting cooling and the pressure of the heat source unit-side heat exchanger 19 becomes small since the line is changed over to the large-diameter first connecting pipe 22.
In addition, at that time, the second valves 34 connected to the room units 2, 3 are open, while the first valves 33 and the third valves 35 connected thereto are closed. The first valve 33 and the third valve 35 connected to the room unit 4 are open, while the second valve 34 connected thereto is closed.
In addition, since the first connecting pipe 22 is held under a low pressure and the second connecting pipe 27 under a high pressure at that time, the refrigerant naturally flows to the fifth check valve 38 and the sixth check valve 39.
During this cycle, part of the liquid refrigerant enters the bypass pipe 37 from the converging portion of the room unit-side second connecting pipes 29, 30, 31 in the second branching section 8, and is decompressed to a low pressure by the third flow-rate controller 15. The decompressed refrigerant is then subjected to heat exchange with the room unit-side second connecting pipes 29, 30, 31 in the second branching section 8 by the third heat exchanger 11, 12, 13, and with the converging portion of the room unit-side second connecting pipes 29, 30, 31 in the second branching section 8 by the second heat-exchange portion 10. The evaporated refrigerant passes through the first connecting pipe 22 and the sixth check valve 39, enters the heat source unit-side heat exchanger 19 where it undergoes heat exchange with the heat source water and is evaporated. Subsequently, the evaporated refrigerant passes through the four-way changeover valve 18 of the heat source unit 1 and the accumulator 20, and is sucked in by the compressor 17.
Meanwhile, the refrigerant at the second branching section 8, which has been cooled after being subjected to heat exchange at the second and third heat-exchange portions 10, 11, 12, 13 and provided sufficiently with subcooling, flows into the room unit 4 to be cooled.
It should be noted that at that time the second flow-rate controller 7 is normally set in a state of being open by a predetermined minimum amount.
Referring now to FIG. 16, a description will be given of the case where cooling is mainly carried out in the simultaneous operation of cooling and heating. As indicated by the dotted-line arrows in the drawing, the high-temperature high-pressure refrigerant gas discharged from the compressor 17 passes through the four-way changeover valve 18, flows into the heat source unit-side heat exchanger 19 where the refrigerant undergoes heat exchange with the heat source water, and is thereby set in a gas-liquid two-phase high-temperature high-pressure state.
Subsequently, the refrigerant in this two-phase high-temperature high-pressure state passes through the third check valve 28 and the second connecting pipe 27, and is supplied to the gas-liquid separator 9 of the relay unit 4.
Here, the refrigerant is separated into the gaseous refrigerant and the liquid refrigerant, and the separated gaseous refrigerant passes consecutively through the second valve 34 and the room unit-side first connecting pipe 26, and flows into the room unit 5 to be heated, where the refrigerant undergoes heat exchange with room air through the room unit-side heat exchanger 21, and condenses and liquefies, thereby heating the interior of the room.
This condensed and liquefied refrigerant is controlled by the subcooled amount at the outlet of the room unit-side heat exchanger 21, passes through the first flow-rate controller 36, where it is slightly decompressed and flows into the second branching section 8.
Meanwhile, a remaining portion of the liquid refrigerant passes through the second flow-rate controller 7 which is controlled the pressure detected by the first pressure-detecting means 41 and the pressure detected by the second pressure-detecting means 42. The refrigerant then converges with the refrigerant which has passed through the room unit 4 to be heated.
The refrigerant consecutively passes through the second branching section 8 and the room unit-side second connecting pipes 29, 30, and flows into the respective room units 2, 3. The refrigerant which has entered the room units 2, 3 is decompressed to a low pressure by the first flow-rate controllers 36 which is controlled by superheated amounts at the outlets of the room unit-side heat exchanger 21. The refrigerant then flows into the room unit-side heat exchanger 21, undergoes heat exchange with room air, and evaporates and gasifies, thereby cooling the interior of the rooms.
The refrigerant in this gaseous state forms a circulation cycle in which the room unit passes through the room unit-side first connecting pipes 24, 25, the first valves 33, the third valves 35, the first connecting pipe 22, the fourth check valve 23, the four-way changeover valve 18 of the heat source unit 1, and the accumulator 20, and is sucked in by the compressor 17, so as to effect the operation in which cooling is mainly performed.
In addition, at that time, the first valves 33 and the third valves 35 connected to the room units 2, 3 are open, while the second valves 34 connected thereto are closed. The second valve 34 connected to the room unit 4 is open, while the first valve 33 and the third valve 35 connected thereto are closed.
Since the first connecting pipe 22 is held under a low pressure and the second connecting pipe 27 under a high pressure at that time, the refrigerant naturally flows to the third check valve 28 and the fourth check valve 23.
During this cycle, part of the liquid refrigerant enters the bypass pipe 37 from the converging portion of the room unit-side second connecting pipes 29, 30, 31 in the second branching section 8, and is decompressed to a low pressure by the third flow-rate controller 15. The decompressed refrigerant is then subjected to heat exchange with the room unit-side second connecting pipes 29, 30, 31 in the second branching section 8 by the third heat exchanger 11, 12, 13, and with the converging portion of the room unit-side second connecting pipes 29, 30, 31 in the second branching section 8 by the second heat-exchange portion 10, and further with the refrigerant flowing into the second flow-rate controller 7 by the first heat-exchange portion 14. The evaporated refrigerant passes through the first connecting pipe 22 and the fourth check valve 23, and further passes through the four-way changeover valve 18 of the heat source unit 1 and the accumulator 20, and is sucked in by the compressor 17.
Meanwhile, the refrigerant at the second branching section 8, which has been cooled after being subjected to heat exchange at the first, second and third heat-exchange portions 14, 10, 11, 12, 13 and provided sufficiently with subcooling, flows into the room units 2, 3 to be cooled.
Since the conventional multi-chamber heat-pump type air conditioner is arranged as described above, there has been a problem in that, in the case of totally cooling operation and mainly cooling operation when the temperature of the heat source water is high, the air conditioner stops due to an abnormality in high-level pressure and an abnormality in discharge temperature as a result of an increase in the condensation pressure. In addition, there has been another problem in that, in the case of totally heating operation and mainly heating operation of a small-capacity room unit when the room air temperature is high, the air conditioner similarly stops due to an abnormality in high-level pressure and abnormality in discharge temperature as a result of an increase in the condensation pressure. Furthermore, there has been still another problem in that, in the case of totally heating operation and mainly heating operation when the heat source temperature is high, the low-level pressure deviates from an allowable range of operation of the compressor due to a rise in evaporation pressure, thereby adversely affecting the reliability of the compressor. It should be noted that Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) Hei-1-118372/(1989) is known as a similar technique.
The present invention has been devised to overcome the above-described problems, and its object is to provide a multi-chamber heat-pump type air conditioner in which a plurality of room units are connected to one heat source unit, cooling and heating can be effected selectively for each room unit, and cooling can be effected by one room unit and heating can be simultaneously effected by another, wherein the high-level pressure or low-level pressure is controlled from rising high as compared to the time of normal operation, and the reliability of the compressor is not impaired.
To attain the above object, there is provided an air conditioner wherein a heat source unit-side heat exchanger which includes a compressor, a four-way changeover valve, a plurality of heat exchanger connected in parallel with each other and each having a fourth and a fifth valve at inlet and outlet ports thereof, and an accumulator, and a plurality of room units each including a room unit-side heat exchanger, a first flow-rate controller, and a room blower, are connected to each other via a first connecting pipe and a second connecting pipe, a second flow-rate controller being interposed between, on the one hand, a first branching section having a first valve and a second valve for allowing one ends of the room unit-side heat exchanger of the plurality of room units to communicate selectively with the first connecting pipe or a gas-side output port of a gas-liquid separator disposed in a room unit-side pipe end of the second connecting pipe and, on the other, a second branching section in which other ends of the plurality of room unit-side heat exchanger are connected to the second connecting pipe via the first flow-rate controllers, the second branching section and the first connecting pipe being connected to each other via a fourth flow-rate controller, there being provided a bypass pipe having one end connected to the second branching section and another end connected to the first connecting pipe via a third flow-rate controller, there being provided a heat-exchange portion for effecting heat exchange with a pipe connecting together the second connecting pipe and the first flow-rate controller, a relay constituted by the first branching section, the second branching section, the second flow-rate controller, the third flow-rate controller, the fourth flow-rate controller, the heat-exchange portion, and the bypass pipe is interposed between the room unit and the plurality of room units, characterized in that a gas side of one of the heat exchanger of the heat source unit-side heat exchanger and a discharge side of the compressor are connected to each other via a sixth valve, that a liquid side of that heat exchanger and an inlet port of the accumulator are connected to each other via a capillary tube and a seventh valve, and that there are provided pressure-detecting means for detecting the pressure within a discharge-side pipe of the compressor and a control circuit for controlling such that when the pipe pressure is below a predetermined pressure, the sixth valve and the seventh valve are closed, and when the pipe pressure exceeds the predetermined pressure, the sixth valve and the seventh valve are opened.
Alternatively, an arrangement may be provided such that a gas side of one of the heat exchanger of the heat source unit-side heat exchanger and a discharge side of the compressor are connected to each other via a sixth valve, that a liquid side of that heat exchanger and an inlet port of the accumulator are connected to each other via a capillary tube and a seventh valve, and that there are provided temperature-detecting means for detecting the temperature of the discharge side of the compressor and a control circuit for controlling such that when the discharge temperature is below a predetermined temperature, the sixth valve and the seventh valve are closed, and when the discharge temperature exceeds the predetermined temperature, the sixth valve and the seventh valve are opened.
Alternatively, an arrangement may be provided such that a gas side of one of the heat exchanger of the heat source unit-side heat exchanger and a discharge side of the compressor are connected to each other via a sixth valve, that a liquid side of that heat exchanger and an inlet port of the accumulator are connected to each other via a capillary tube and a seventh valve, and that there are provided pressure-detecting means for detecting the pressure within an inlet port-side pipe of the accumulator and a control circuit for controlling such that when the pipe pressure is below a predetermined pressure, the sixth valve and the seventh valve are closed, and when the pipe pressure exceeds the predetermined pressure, the sixth valve and the seventh valve are opened.
Alternatively, an arrangement may be provided such that a gas side of one of the heat exchanger of the heat source unit-side heat exchanger and a discharge side of the compressor are connected to each other via a sixth valve, that a liquid side of that heat exchanger and an inlet port of the accumulator are connected to each other via a capillary tube and a seventh valve, that a liquid side of that heat source unit-side heat exchanger and an inlet port of the accumulator are connected to each other by means of an evaporation-temperature detecting circuit, and that there are provided temperature-detecting means for detecting the an evaporation temperature in the evaporation-temperature detecting means and a control circuit for controlling such that when the evaporation temperature is below a predetermined temperature, the sixth valve and the seventh valve are closed, and when the evaporation temperature exceeds the predetermined temperature, the sixth valve and the seventh valve are opened.


Embodiments generally relate to a machine-implemented method of automatically adjusting the range of a depth data recording executed by at least one processing device. The method comprises determining, by the at least one processing device, at least one position of a subject to be recorded; determining, by the at least one processing device, at least one spatial range based on the position of the subject; receiving depth information; and constructing, by the at least one processing device, a depth data recording based on the received depth information limited by the at least one spatial range.

In three dimensional modelling, many hours of highly skilled labour are required to produce content that is appealing and engaging, particularly to obtain realistic results. In the area of commercial three dimensional graphics, this cost and complexity is often a major focus and expense.
Automated modelling systems exist which attempt to process images through the application of image and feature recognition algorithms. Such techniques frequently exhibit processor intensive behaviours, and may be hampered by the need to clean up the automated results. Typically methods are targeted towards desktop playback, and are unsuited for mobile or embedded processors.
Capture techniques are generally judged by comparing production time, effort, data size, viewing platform demands and visual fidelity.
It is desired to address or ameliorate one or more shortcomings or disadvantages associated with prior systems for the production of real-time three dimensional content, or to at least provide a useful alternative to existing methods and systems.
Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in the present specification is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present disclosure as it existed before the priority date of each claim of this application.
Throughout this specification the word "comprise", or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.

Volumetric depth video recording and playback


An optical sensor and optical system are disclosed. The optical sensor is disclosed to include a light source, a photodetector having a proximity sensing portion and an ambient light sensing portion, and a controller configured to implement a proximity sensing phase where the proximity sensing portion of the photodetector is utilized to obtain an incident light reading when the light source is ON and then implement an ambient light sensing phase where the ambient light sensing portion of the photodetector is utilized to obtain an incident light reading when the light source is OFF.

There are many different types of sensors on the market, with each having specific capabilities, uses, and shortcomings. Two types of sensors that utilize optical components for sensing purposes are ambient light sensors and proximity sensors.
Ambient light sensors normally use a relatively small number of photosensitive pixels. In other words, the photosensitive area of an ambient light sensor is usually relatively small. Ambient light sensors are used in a number of applications such as mobile communication devices, laptops, Personal Digital Assistants, web cameras, imaging, photography, etc. As the name suggests, ambient light sensors are primarily used to measure or detect ambient light.
Proximity sensors, as compared to ambient light sensors, typically include a light source and a corresponding photodetector. The photodetector of a proximity sensor, not unlike the ambient light sensor, includes a number of photosensitive pixels. Proximity sensing (e.g., detecting a presence or proximity of an object near the sensor) involves transmitting light via the light source and then receiving light that reflects off an object-to-be-detected at the photodetector. The types of applications in which proximity sensors are used include mobile communication devices, industrial equipment, manufacturing equipment, touchless/sanitary devices, etc.

Matrix arrangement of photodetector for use as a proximity sensor and ambient light sensor

AVAGO TECHNOLOGIES GENERAL IP (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.


In a method for high-resolution scanning microscopy of a sample, provision is made of focusing of illumination radiation into an illumination spot in or on the sample and stimulating the emission of detection radiation at a sample spot that coincides with the illumination spot. The sample spot is imaged into an image that is static on a spatially resolving surface detector having pixels of a size that spatially resolve the image, wherein the imaging has a an optical imaging resolution limit. The entire sample is captured by performing a scanning movement of the illumination spot and of the coinciding sample spot over the sample in a scanning operation. An image of the sample having a resolution that is increased beyond the optical imaging resolution limit of the imaging is produced from the data of the pixels for each scanning position.

A high-resolution microscopy method of this type is known from the publication C. Miller and J. Enderlein, Physical Review Letters, 104, 198101 (2010), or from EP 2317362 A1, which also includes further evidence relating to the prior art. It images the coinciding sample spot in a diffraction-limited fashion and scans the structure thereof. Such overscanning of the sample in combination with image reconstruction produces a high resolution (i.e., increased beyond the resolution limit of the optical imaging).
DE 10 2013 015 933 A1 aims to accelerate this method. In the section "Lateral speed-optimized illumination PSF," DE 10 2013 015 933 A1 describes an exemplary embodiment which aims to increase the image recording speed by way of scanning which is actually too coarse for overscanning. The image information that is missing due to the coarse scanning is to be reconstructed from the data of the detector pixels. However, the publication makes no reference at all as to how this reconstruction is to be performed. Possible reconstruction approaches such as spatially assigning the signals of the detector array into the target image result in disturbing artifacts.
The invention is based on the object of specifying an accelerated high-resolution microscopy method that avoids artifacts and in this way achieves better reconstruction of the image.
The invention is defined in the independent claims. The dependent claims relate to advantageous developments.

Method for accelerated high-resolution scanning microscopy


A photoactive component has an electrode and an opposing electrode. The electrodes have at least one organic layer system arranged between them, also having at least two photoactive layer systems and, between the photoactive layer systems, at least two different transport layer systems have the same charge carrier type. In this case, one transport layer system matches one of the two photoactive layer systems in energy terms, while the other transport layer system is of transparent design.

Hereinafter, the term "layer system" is defined as follows: a layer system consists of one or more layers, wherein the respective layers can be individual layers or mixed layers. The layer system can thus be an arbitrary combination of individual and mixed layers.
Hereinafter, the term "transport layer system" is defined as follows: a transport layer system is a layer system which transports preferably one type of charge carrier (electrons: n-type transport layer system; holes: p-type transport layer system). In a solar cell, through absorption of light, a transport layer system contributes less than 5% to the short-circuit photocurrent, preferably less than 2%.
Furthermore, the term "different transport layer systems" is defined as follows: two transport layer systems are different if at least one material is contained only in one of the two transport layer systems. If said material is a dopant, then the transport layer systems are different when each transport layer system contains a different dopant.
The term "charge carrier type" is defined as follows: a charge carrier type relates to electrons and holes. In this sense, two transport layer systems are of the same charge carrier type if they both preferably conduct electrons or both preferably conduct holes.
The term "transparent" is defined as a material or a material film or a transport layer system is transparent if at least one of the following conditions is applicable:
The energetic separation between LUMO and HOMO of the material or of the material film or of the transport layer system is >2.5 eV, preferably >3.0 eV.
A 50 nm thick film of the material or of the transport layer system has a transparency of >70% in the wavelength range of 400 nm to 900 nm, preferably >80% or >90%, very preferably >95%.
The material or the material film or the transport layer system has an extinction coefficient ε which does not exceed the value of 0.5×105 cm−1 in the wavelength range of between 450 nm and 800 nm, and/or the material or the material film or the transport layer system has an absorption index k which does not exceed the value 0.1 in the wavelength range of between 450 nm and 800 nm (another term for k is also optical constant: the two optical constants are usually designated by n and k).
The material or the material film or the transport layer system has a larger optical band gap than the photoactive layer system (within the meaning of DE 10 2004 014 046).
Transparent organic materials are also designated as wide-gap materials in the literature.
The terms "HOMO" and "LUMO" are understood as highest occupied molecular orbital and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital, as usual in chemistry. The term in this case relates both to individual molecules and to solids or material films. In this case, the energy positions of HOMO and LUMO can be determined, as known to the person skilled in the art, e.g., by means of cyclic voltammetry (CV) or ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (ultraviolet photon spectroscopy UPS).
The term "transport energy level position" is defined as follows: the transport energy level position of a transport layer system is the energetic position of the HOMO if a p-type transport layer system is involved, and is the energetic position of the LUMO if an n-type transport layer system is involved.
Furthermore, the term "energetically adapted" is defined as follows: a transport layer system which preferably conducts electrons (n-type conductor) is energetically adapted to a photoactive layer system if the energy level of the LUMO of the transport layer system differs by less than 0.5 eV from the energy level of the LUMO of the acceptor material of the photoactive layer system. In this case, the energy level of the LUMO of the transport layer system can be either a maximum of 0.5 eV above the energy level of the LUMO of the acceptor material of the photoactive layer system or a maximum of 0.5 eV below. If the photoactive layer system contains a plurality of acceptors, then that acceptor material which has the energetically lowest LUMO is decisive. Preferably, the energy level positions of the LUMOs can also differ only by 0.3 eV, particularly preferably also only by 0.2 eV or only by 0.1 eV, or they can be virtually identical.
Analogously, a transport layer system which preferably conducts holes (p-type conductor) is energetically adapted to a photoactive layer system if the energy level of the HOMO of the transport layer system differs by less than 0.5 eV from the energy level of the HOMO of the donor material of the photoactive layer system. In this case, the energy level of the HOMO of the transport layer system can be either a maximum of 0.5 eV above the energy level of the HOMO of the donor material of the photoactive layer system or a maximum of 0.5 eV below. If the photoactive layer system contains a plurality of donors, then that donor material which has the energetically highest HOMO is decisive. Preferably, the energy level positions of the HOMOs can also differ only by 0.3 eV, very preferably also only by 0.2 eV or only by 0.1 eV, or can be virtually or exactly identical.
Possibilities for adapting the LUMO levels or the HOMO levels are known to the person skilled in the art, wherein very many organic materials having different positions of the energy levels of the HOMOs and LUMOs are known. The adaptation is therefore effected in such a way that a material which has the desired position of the energy levels of the HOMO and LUMO is selected and used. Furthermore, e.g., by incorporating electron-attracting or electron-repelling groups, the HOMO and LUMO levels of organic materials can be decreased or increased and a material can thus be adapted in accordance with the requirements.
In the context of this application, the term "readily dopable" is defined as follows: a hole transport material (p-type transport material) or a hole transport layer system (p-type transport layer system) is designated as readily dopable if the energy level of its HOMO is greater than or equal to −5.5 eV. The term "greater" (or else "higher") here relates to the numerical value, i.e., −5.4 eV is greater (higher) than −5.5 eV. Preferably, the energy level of the HOMO is in the range of −5.2 eV to −4.9 eV. Analogously, an electron transport material (n-type transport material) or an electron transport layer system (n-type transport layer system) is designated as readily dopable if the energy level of the LUMO is less than or equal to −3.0 eV. The term "less" (or else "lower") here relates to the numerical value, i.e., −3.1 eV is less (lower) than −3.0 eV. Preferably, the energy level of the LUMO is in the range of −3.5 eV to −4.5 eV.
Since the demonstration of the first organic solar cell having an efficiency in the percent range by Tang, et al., 1986 [C. W. Tang, et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 48, 183 (1986)], organic materials have been investigated intensively for various electronic and optoelectronic components. Organic solar cells consist of a sequence of thin layers (typically 1 nm to 1 μm) composed of organic materials, which are preferably applied by vapor deposition in a vacuum or by spin-coating from a solution. The electrical contact-connection can be effected by metal layers, transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) and/or transparent conductive polymers (PEDOT-PSS, PANI).
A solar cell converts light energy into electrical energy. In this case, the term photoactive likewise denotes the conversion of light energy into electrical energy. In contrast to inorganic solar cells, in organic solar cells the light does not directly generate free charge carriers, rather excitons initially form, that is to say electrically neutral excitation states (bound electron-hole pairs). It is only in a second step that these excitons are separated into free charge carriers which then contribute to the electric current flow.
The advantage of such organic-based components over the conventional inorganic-based components (semiconductors such as silicon, gallium arsenide) are the in some instances extremely high optical absorption coefficients (up to 2×105 cm−1), thus affording the possibility of producing very thin solar cells with little outlay in terms of material and energy. Further technological aspects include the low costs, the possibility of producing flexible large-area components on plastic films, and the virtually unlimited possibilities for variation and the unlimited availability of organic chemistry.
One possibility for the realization of an organic solar cell that has already been proposed in the literature consists in a pin diode [Martin Pfeiffer, "Controlled doping of organic vacuum deposited dye layers: basics and applications," PhD thesis TU-Dresden, 1999] having the following layer construction:
0. carrier, substrate,
1. bottom contact, normally transparent,
2. p-layer(s),
3. i-layer(s),
4. n-layer(s),
5. top contact.
In this case, n and p denote an n-type and p-type doping, respectively, which lead to an increase in the density of free electrons and holes, respectively, in the thermal equilibrium state. However, it is also possible for the n-layer(s) and p-layer(s) to be at least in part nominally undoped and to have preferably n-conducting and preferably p-conducting properties, respectively, only on account of the material properties (e.g., different mobilities), on account of unknown impurities (e.g., residual residues from the synthesis, decomposition or reaction products during the layer production) or on account of influences of the surroundings (e.g., adjacent layers, indiffusion of metals or other organic materials, gas doping from the surrounding atmosphere). In this sense, layers of this type should primarily be understood as transport layers. By contrast, the designation i-layer denotes a nominally undoped layer (intrinsic layer). In this case, one or a plurality of i-layers can consist either of one material, or of a mixture composed of two materials (so-called interpenetrating networks or bulk heterojunctions; M. Hiramoto, et al., Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst., 2006, 444, pp. 33-40). The light incident through the transparent bottom contact generates excitons (bound electron-hole pairs) in the i-layer or in the n-/p-layer. Said excitons can only be separated by very high electric fields or at suitable interfaces. Sufficiently high fields are not available in organic solar cells, with the result that all promising concepts for organic solar cells are based on the separation of excitons at photoactive interfaces. The excitons pass by diffusion to such an active interface, where electrons and holes are separated from one another. In this case, the material which takes up the electrons is designated as acceptor, and the material which takes up the hole is designated as donor. The separating interface can lie between the p-(n-) layer and the i-layer or between two i-layers. In the built-up electric field of the solar cell, the electrons are then transported away to the n-region and the holes to the p-region. Preferably, the transport layers are transparent or largely transparent materials having a large band gap (wide-gap) such as are described, e.g., in WO 2004/083958. In this case, the term wide-gap materials denotes materials whose absorption maximum lies in the wavelength range of <450 nm, and is preferably <400 nm.
Since the light always generates excitons first, and does not yet generate free charge carriers, the diffusion of excitons to the active interface with little recombination plays a critical part in organic solar cells. In order to make a contribution to the photocurrent, it is necessary, therefore, in a good organic solar cell, for the exciton diffusion length to distinctly exceed the typical penetration depth of the light, in order that the predominant part of the light can be utilized. Organic crystals or thin layers that are perfect structurally and with regard to chemical purity do indeed fulfill this criterion. For large-area applications, however, the use of monocrystalline organic materials is not possible and the production of multilayers with sufficient structural perfection is still very difficult to date.
If the i-layer is a mixed layer, then the task of light absorption is undertaken by either only one of the components or else both. The advantage of mixed layers is that the excitons generated only have to cover a very short path until they reach a domain boundary, where they are separated. The electrons and holes are respectively transported away separately in the respective materials. Since the materials are in contact everywhere with one another in the mixed layer, what is crucial in the case of this concept is that the separated charges have a long lifetime on the respective material and closed percolation paths for both types of charge carriers toward the respective contact are present from every location.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,093,698 discloses the doping of organic materials. By admixing an acceptor-like or donor-like doping substance, the equilibrium charge carrier concentration in the layer is increased and the conductivity is increased. According to U.S. Pat. No. 5,093,698, the doped layers are used as injection layers at the interface with respect to the contact materials in electroluminescent components. Similar doping approaches are analogously expedient for solar cells as well.
The literature discloses various possibilities for realization for the photoactive i-layer. Thus, the latter can be a double layer (EP 0000829) or a mixed layer (Hiramoto, Appl. Phys. Lett. 58, 1062 (1991)). A combination of double and mixed layers is also known (Hiramoto, Appl. Phys. Lett. 58, 1062 (1991); U.S. Pat. No. 6,559,375). It is likewise known that the mixing ratio differs in different regions of the mixed layer (U.S. 2005/0110005), or the mixing ratio has a gradient.
Furthermore, the construction and the formation of tandem and multiple solar cells are known from the literature (Hiramoto, Chem. Lett., 1990, 327 (1990); DE 10 2004 014 046). Specifically, the construction and the function of the recombination region in the tandem cells is also described in DE 10 2004 014 046.
Furthermore, the literature discloses organic pin-tandem cells (DE 10 2004 014 046): the structure of such a tandem cell consists of two pin single cells, wherein the layer sequence "pin" describes the succession of a p-doped layer system, an undoped photoactive layer system and an n-doped layer system. The doped layer systems preferably consist of transparent materials, so-called wide-gap materials/layers, and in this case they can also be partly or wholly undoped or else have in a location-dependent manner different doping concentrations or have a continuous gradient in the doping concentration. Especially even very lightly doped or highly doped regions in the boundary region at the electrodes, in the boundary region with respect to some other doped or undoped transport layer, in the boundary region with respect to the active layers or in the case of tandem or multiple cells in the boundary region with respect to the adjacent pin- or nip-subcell, i.e., in the region of the recombination zone, are possible. Any desired combination of all these features is also possible. Of course, such a tandem cell can also be a so-called inverted structure (e.g., nip-tandem cell). All these possible forms of realization for tandem cells are designated by the term pin-tandem cells hereinafter.
Within the meaning of the present invention, small molecules are understood to be non-polymeric organic molecules having monodisperse molar masses of between 100 and 2000 which are present in a solid phase under normal pressure (air pressure of the atmosphere surrounding us) and at room temperature. In particular, these small molecules can also be photoactive, wherein photoactive is understood to mean that the molecules change their charge state under light incidence.
The problem of organic solar cells at the present time is that even the highest efficiencies of 7-8% achieved hitherto in the laboratory are still too low. For most applications, especially large-area applications, an efficiency of approximately 10% is deemed to be necessary. On account of the poorer transport properties of organic semiconductors (in comparison with inorganic semiconductors) and the associated limited layer thicknesses of the absorbers that can be used in organic solar cells, it is generally assumed that such efficiencies can most likely be realized with the aid of tandem cells (Tayebeh Ameri, et al., Organic tandem solar cells: A review, Energy Environ. Sci., 2009, 2, 347-363; DE 10 2004 014 046). Especially efficiencies of up to 15% will in the future probably only be possible with the aid of tandem cells.
The disadvantage of the previously known tandem cells is that only one transport layer system of one charge carrier type is used between two photoactive layer systems (also designated hereinafter as absorber systems or absorber layer systems). The disadvantage in this respect is that this one transport layer system has to be energetically well adapted to an absorber system (in order to enable an efficient extraction of the charge carriers from the absorber system and, e.g., not to form an energy barrier for the charge carriers) and, on the other hand, is intended to be transparent as well as possible (in order not to form parasitic absorption) and is intended to have the best possible charge carrier transport properties. The previously known materials normally fulfill only one of these properties actually satisfactorily and use is often made of a compromise material which fulfills both properties reasonably well to satisfactorily. If a thick transport layer system is required for optical reasons, there is additionally often the problem that the material used does not have a sufficient conductivity and, consequently, the component is limited in terms of its properties (efficiency, filling factor, voltage) on account of the series resistance formed. In some instances, this problem is attempted to be solved by choosing a higher doping concentration. However, these attempted solutions have only a limited success and, as a result of the higher use of dopant materials, the production process for the components is made more expensive, which impedes commercial utilization.
The use of two different transport layer systems instead of the one transport layer system used previously is of great technical importance. The entire transport layer region between the photoactive layer systems has to fulfill a number of functions, namely to achieve a good to as far as possible virtually perfect energetic adaptation, to have as far as possible very good transport properties, to be as far as possible completely transparent and, furthermore, also to be thermally and mechanically stable. Perfectly combining all these properties in only one material for one charge carrier type is virtually impossible. In the previous prior development of organic solar cells, this problem has evidently not yet become clear, since the previous solar cells have been able to be realized with an efficiency of 6-8% even with a material which does not fulfill all properties well to very well. For commercial utilization, however, efficiencies of 10-12% and beyond are absolutely necessary. In order to achieve these high efficiencies, all loss mechanisms within the solar cell structure must be eliminated. One very important building block in this regard is that the transport layer region between the photoactive layer systems in tandem or multiple cells virtually perfectly satisfies the requirements imposed. As explained above, this is practically and technically achievable only if at least two different transport layer systems of the same charge carrier type are used.

Photoactive component having a plurality of transport layer systems


A turbofan and a mold used to manufacture the same, which enables the turbofan to be integrally molded by a single molding process. The turbofan has a rotating plate coupled to a shaft of a driving motor at its center, a plurality of blades radially disposed at and integrally formed with a periphery of the rotating plate, and a ring-shaped shroud integrally formed with front ends of the blades to face the rotating plate. The mold has a first mold part having a rear molding member to shape a rear portion of the rotating plate; a second mold part to be combined with the first mold part and having a front molding member to shape a front portion of the turbofan at an area corresponding to the rear molding member; a plurality of slide cores adapted to be radially moved to shape an inner surface of the shroud, outer portions of a front surface of the rotating plate, and outer surfaces of the blades; and a plurality of auxiliary cores extending to the inner surface of the shroud from the rear molding member of the first mold part to shape undercut portions of inner surfaces of the blades.

This application claims the benefit of Korean Application No. 2002-21440, filed on Jul. 9, 2002, in the Korean Industrial Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a turbofan and a mold used to manfacture the same, and more particularly to a turbofan and a mold used to manfacture the same, which enables the turbofan to be integrally molded by a single molding process.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, a turbofan is a type of centrifugal fan, which is adapted to blow air by centrifugal force of the air generated from rotating blades. As illustrated in FIG. 1, such a turbofan comprises a circular rotating plate 1 having a central hub 1a to which a rotating shaft of a driving motor (not shown) is coupled, a plurality of blades 2 which are radially disposed at a periphery of the circular rotating plate 1 with regular intervals therebetween such that the blades 2 are positioned to be perpendicular to the rotating plate 1, and a ring-shaped shroud 3 coupled to free ends of the blades 2 to support the blades 2. In the turbofan, the plurality of blades 2 are orientated to be inclined by a certain angle with respect to respective tangential lines on the periphery of the rotating plate 1.
The turbofan is usually produced by a plastic injection molding process. Because the turbofan is provided with a number of undercuts at its blades 2, which cause separation of a mold therefrom to be difficult, the turbofan is hard to integrally mold by only one molding process. To overcome this disadvantage, a conventional turbofan is produced in such a way that a component xe2x80x9cAxe2x80x9d, in which a rotating plate 1 and blades 2 are integrally molded, and a shroud 3 are first molded by separate molds, and the component xe2x80x9cAxe2x80x9d and the shroud 3 are combined to each other by ultrasonic fusion or heat fusion in a subsequent procedure, as illustrated in FIG. 2.
However, since such conventional turbofans are produced by a process of molding a plurality of components in separate molds and joining the components together, productivity of the conventional turbofans is decreased due to the complicated manufacturing process. Furthermore, since the conventional process of manufacturing turbofans requires a plurality of molds for separate components, manufacturing cost is considerably increased due to production of the molds. In addition, since a plurality of components are joined to one another afterward, defective fraction of products is increased by poor assembly.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a turbofan and a mold used to manfacture the same which enables the turbofan to be integrally produced by only one molding process so as to improve productivity, to reduce manufacturing cost and to improve quality of products.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.
The foregoing and other objects of the present invention are achieved by providing a turbofan comprising: a rotating plate coupled to a shaft of a driving motor at its center; a plurality of blades which are radially disposed at and integrally formed with a periphery of the rotating plate; a ring-shaped shroud integrally formed with front ends of the blades to face the rotating plate; and a plurality of core holes formed at the rotating plate at an area corresponding to the shroud to allow cores to shape undercut portions of the blades to pass therethrough.
A radial width of each of the core holes may be equal to a radial width of the shroud, and each of the core holes may be shaped to have a triangular form.
An external diameter of the rotating plate may be larger than an external diameter of the shroud.
The foregoing and other objects of the present invention are also achieved by providing a mold used to manfacture a turbofan including a rotating plate coupled to a shaft of a driving motor at its center, a plurality of blades which are radially disposed at and integrally formed with a periphery of the rotating plate, and a ring-shaped shroud integrally formed with front ends of the blades to face the rotating plate, the mold comprising: a first mold part having a rear molding member to shape a rear portion of the rotating plate; a second mold part to be combined with the first mold part and having a front molding member to shape a front portion of the turbofan at an area corresponding to the rear molding member; a plurality of slide cores adapted to be radially moved to shape an inner surface of the shroud, outer portions of a front surface of the rotating plate, and outer surfaces of the blades; and a plurality of auxiliary cores extending to the inner surface of the shroud from the rear molding member of the first mold part to shape undercut portions of inner surfaces of the blades.
The front molding member of the second mold part may include an outer molding portion to shape a front surface of the shroud, a mediate molding portion to shape an inner edge of the shroud, and an inner molding portion to shape a front surface of the rotating plate, defined by an inner edge of the shroud.
The inner molding portion of the second mold part may be provided with a plurality of blade molding slits, which inwardly extend from its peripheral surface to shape the leading ends of the blades.
Each of the slide cores may be provided at its molding surface with a plurality of blade molding portions at its molding surface to shape outer surfaces of a plurality of adjacent blades concurrently.
The slide cores may be provided at either of the first and second mold parts to be radially moved, and the other of the first and second mold parts may be provided with a slanted pin inclined with respect to a moving direction of the second mold part to radially move the slide cores, one of the slide cores being provided with a slanted hole corresponding to the slanted pin.
Each of the auxiliary cores may be shaped to have a triangular form in section.

Turbofan and mold used to manufacture the same


The invention provides a rapid, sensitive immunoassay capable of detecting and quantitating pathogenic protein to a level of 3 to 5 logs. The preferred immunoassay utilized is a chemiluminescent endpoint for a Western blot immunoassay. The invention has been successfully applied to track the clearance of pathogenic protein during production of proteins derived from plasma. It is particularly applicable and has been confirmed by bioassay to relate TSE infectivity to quantitative results on prion protein.

The Cohn-Oncley purification of therapeutic proteins from blood plasma, referred to herein in general as the Cohn process or scheme, employs a series ethanol additions and pH adjustments to purify or enrich for proteins which may be used in human therapies. Commonly purified proteins include immunoglobulins, anti-hemophiliac factors and albumin. While many manufacturers of such products utilize the basic Cohn scheme, frequently established steps may be modified or additional steps are implemented to increase either the purity and/or yield for a given product. Such steps are typically proprietary for a given manufacturer.
Since the discovery that HIV could be carried and transmitted through the use of blood products, the interest and concern about the presence of such pathogenic agents in biological products derived from blood has increased. Most recently, there has been concern that CJD, Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, could be transmitted through the use of blood-derived products. CJD is one of the human transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE), a collection of neurodegenerative diseases that are debilitating and fatal. Infectivity associated with CJD appears to be either associated with or caused by the prion protein (PrP). Although new disease carrying viruses may be generated at any time, manufacturers of blood-based products take precautions to obtain a blood product that is free of known transmissible diseases, to the extent for which these can be tested. Unfortunately, the primary test for possible TSE infectivity is a biological assay in which rodents are injected with the material of interest to see if infectivity develops. The results of such assays require nine months to a year to develop, frequently too long to hold a manufactured lot of plasma product prior to release for use.
Therefore, a method of detecting a protein associated with a pathogen suspected of carrying infectivity such as the prion or viral surface (coat) protein is important for the blood fractionation industry. A rapid, sensitive method capable of determining the removal of virus or pathogenic prion protein would provide the blood fractionation industry with a useful tool for determining what danger of infectivity exists after a particular manufacturing process step. The decrease in viral or prion protein relative to a given product associated with a manufacturing process step is referred to herein as "clearance". Because of the importance of such a test for TSE infectivity to the safety of plasma products, the method of this invention was described generally at the Blood Safety and Screening conference held in McClean, Va. on Feb. 23, 1998.

Detection of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) protein employing a highly sensitive Western blot assay and chemiluminescent detection system


A processing system includes a resource that is accessible by a processor and resource partitioning software executable by the processor. The resource partitioning software may be executed to establish a resource partition for the resource. The resource partition defines a set of rules that are used to control access to the resource when a request for the resource is received from a software application and/or process.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to the field of computer resource management, and in particular, to a system that manages resources in a processing system.
2. Related Art
Computers, embedded controllers, and other processing systems may include a number of finite resources. Such resources may include communication bandwidth resources, interrupt handling resources, mutexes, semaphores and other resources. The management of such allocatable resources may have an impact on the operation and/or efficiency of the processing system.
Some resource management approaches may implement a rigid partitioning scheme. In a rigid partitioning scheme, a resource may be divided into fixed-size chunks. A finite amount of the resource may be reserved to make that finite amount unavailable to other entities in a processing system. For example, processes may reserve portions of memory that they never use, at the same time causing a lack of free memory that blocks or delays other processes. A process may reserve access to all or a portion of an I/O device and thereby block access of the I/O device to other processes.
Other resource management techniques are clumsy and inefficient, solely reserving resources on a first-come, first-served basis without any regard for the effective operation of the processing system. Therefore, there is a need for an alternative system for managing system resources.

Processing system having a partitioning component for resource partitioning


Described herein are analyte monitoring systems including a receiver or data processing component that is configured to automatically issue a first alert notification when a first predetermined number of consecutive data packets are not received from the sensor/sensor electronics, and automatically issue a second alert notification when a second predetermined number of consecutive data packets are not received by the sensor/sensor electronics. The receiver may also be configured to enable a user to disenable alert or alarm notifications that are triggered based on detected events.

Diabetes Mellitus is an incurable chronic disease in which the body does not produce or properly utilize insulin. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates blood glucose. In particular, when blood glucose levels rise, e.g., after a meal, insulin lowers the blood glucose levels by facilitating blood glucose to move from the blood into the body cells. Thus, when the pancreas does not produce sufficient insulin (a condition known as Type 1 Diabetes) or does not properly utilize insulin (a condition known as Type II Diabetes), the blood glucose remains in the blood resulting in hyperglycemia or abnormally high blood sugar levels.
People suffering from diabetes often experience long-term complications. Some of these complications include blindness, kidney failure, and nerve damage. Additionally, diabetes is a factor in accelerating cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), which often leads to stroke, coronary heart disease, and other diseases, which can be life threatening.
The severity of the complications caused by both persistent high glucose levels and blood glucose level fluctuations has provided the impetus to develop diabetes management systems and treatment plans. In this regard, diabetes management plans historically included multiple daily testing of blood glucose levels typically by a finger-stick to draw and test blood. The disadvantage with finger-stick management of diabetes is that the user becomes aware of his blood glucose level only when he performs the finger-stick. Thus, blood glucose trends and blood glucose snapshots over a period of time is unknowable.
More recently, diabetes management has included the implementation of glucose monitoring systems. Glucose monitoring systems have the capability to continuously monitor a user's blood glucose levels. Thus, such systems have the ability to illustrate not only present blood glucose levels but a snapshot of blood glucose levels and blood glucose fluctuations over a period of time. Further, when monitoring the blood glucose levels, the glucose monitoring systems have the capability to output an alert notification to notify the user of an event, such as a hyperglycemic or hypoglycemic event. Although the alert features are a big advantage to managing diabetes, sometimes an alert, such as the loud sounding of an audible alarm, can occur at an inopportune time.
Additionally, the accuracy of continuous glucose monitoring systems depend on the proper and prompt relay of data information about minute to minute glucose levels from a sensor to a receiver component of the system. When the data information fails to reach the receiver, the lack of glucose data can not only affect the displayed glucose readings to the user, but also provide the user with a false sense of security.
Therefore, a need exists for a user to have the capability to selectively disenable and re-enable alert notification features of a glucose monitoring system for a predetermined period of time and for the analyte monitoring system to sound an alarm or otherwise alert the user to missed data packets so that the user can intervene.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Analyte monitoring system having an alert


An enhanced toner area coverage (ETAC) sensor may be calibrated to adjust for changes in LED intensity by determining a functional relationship between specular developed mass per unit area (DMA) values and diffuse readings obtained from the sensor. Specular and diffuse readings are obtained from an ETAC sensor that senses reflected light from toner patches generated with incrementally increasing densities on the photoreceptor belt. The specular readings in a particular range and their corresponding diffuse readings are selected for the calibration computations. Reflected ratios are computed from the specular readings and used to determine specular DMAs. The specular DMAs and selected diffuse readings define a set of points for which a functional relationship is determined.

Digital document reproduction systems are well-known. These systems typically include a digital document generator that may be coupled to the reproduction system directly or through a computer network. Digital document generators include computers, scanners, or other devices that store or permit a user to define content for a digital document. The digital data are provided to a print engine so the controller of the engine may control the process. The reproduction system also includes a photoreceptor belt or drum that provides a rotating surface for the development and transfer of a latent image that corresponds to the digital document.
The latent image development begins with the charging of a portion of the photoreceptor belt at a charging station. The charged portion of the belt is advanced through an imaging/exposure station, where the data digital is provided as a signal to a raster output scanner. The raster output scanner selectively discharges the charged portion of the photoreceptor belt to form the latent image in correspondence with the document digital data. The photoreceptor belt then advances to a development station where toner is attracted to the latent image. More than one development station may be used for the development of color images so that different color toner materials may be applied to the latent image. Once the latent image is developed, the belt rotates to a transfer station where the toner on the latent image contacts a support sheet material, such as a sheet of paper. Typically, a corona generating device generates a charge on the backside of the support material so the toner particles are attracted to the support material and migrate from the latent image to the support material. A detack unit removes the support material from the photoreceptor belt and the belt moves through a cleaning station to remove the residual toner particles so that portion of the belt may be used for development of another latent image. The support sheet impregnated with toner particles moves to a fuser station where fuser and pressure rollers permanently fuse the toner particles to the support material. The support material sheet is then directed to a catch tray for the accumulation of support sheets bearing the images of the digital documents sent to the reproduction system.
To provide data for the control of this reproduction process, one or more densitometers or enhanced toner area coverage (ETAC) sensors may be provided after the development station(s) to measure the developed mass of toner applied to a unit area, sometimes called developed mass per unit area (DMA), on the photoreceptor belt or drum. The ETAC sensor includes one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) for emitting light at a particular wavelength, which is preferably in the infrared range. The LEDs of the ETAC sensor are oriented at a particular angle with respect to the photoreceptor belt so that the emitted light is reflected by the toner on the photoreceptor belt and one or more photodetectors are located at the reflection angle to receive the light reflected from the photoreceptor belt. Typically, the latent image includes a toner control patch so the emitted light impinges on an area having toner to produce the toner density measurements. The voltage signal generated by a photodetector may be used to determine the DMA for the application of toner to the photoreceptor belt or drum.
The photodetectors are located in the area of reflected light so that one or more of the photodetectors receive specular light reflected from the photoreceptor. Other photodetectors are located so that they receive diffuse light reflected from the applied toner. The photodetectors generate a voltage signal that corresponds to the amount of light received by the photodetector. Thus, the photodetectors provide a specular measurement and a diffuse measurement. The specular measurement refers to light reflected by bare photoreceptor within the toner patch that presents a mirror surface to the emitted light, while the diffuse measurement refers to light reflected by the toner patch that is uneven and diffuses the emitted light from the LEDs. Both signals are important for reproduction control because the specular measurement is self-calibrating with LED intensity variations but saturates at typical solid area masses while the diffuse measurement remains sensitive to toner mass as it increases but is altered by LED intensity variations. Consequently, the specular signal has good signal to noise ratio characteristics for low DMA levels, while the diffuse signal has good signal to noise ratio characteristics for high DMA levels.
The controller of a digital reproduction system uses the specular and diffuse measurements received from the ETAC sensors to maintain image quality. In response to the detection of small amounts of toner dirt on the lens of a LED in an ETAC sensor or reflectance changes in the photoreceptor belt, the controller may increase the intensity of the LED in an ETAC sensor. However, the increase in LED intensity alters the diffuse signals and the DMA measurements obtained from an ETAC sensor. Because DMA measurements are critical for maintaining image quality, adjustments to the intensity of a LED in an ETAC sensor alter the DMA measurements derived from the ETAC sensor signals. Thus, the controller's regulation of DMA may become too inaccurate for acceptable image quality.

Method and system for calibrating a reflection infrared densitometer in a digital image reproduction machine


A routing control method in software defined networking and an OpenFlow controller are provided. The method includes: receiving, by an OFC, a data packet reported by an OFS; determining, by the OFC according to a key value stored in a cache, whether the data packet is a repeated packet; and if the data packet is a repeated packet, delivering, by the OFC, the data packet to the OFS, and instructing the OFS to match a stored flow table to process the data packet or transmit the data packet through a corresponding port; or if the data packet is not a repeated packet, calculating, by the OFC, a routing policy for the data packet, and delivering a flow entry to the OFS according to the routing policy. In this way, for repeated packets, the OFC may calculate a routing policy only once, thereby reducing a calculation amount of the OFC.

In software defined networking (SDN), a control plane is separated from a forwarding plane. The control plane defines a routing policy based on an entire network, and the forwarding plane processes a data packet according to the received routing policy. In a process in which a host initiates a request, the host requests an OpenFlow switch (OFS) to report a data packet to an OpenFlow controlled (OFCr). After completing corresponding logic, the OFC delivers flow entries to N OFSs on corresponding path in response to the request.
Two problems may occur in the process. First, in a time period from a time when the host initiates the request to a time when a corresponding flow entry takes effect in the first OFS connected to the host, M repeated requests may be reported. An OFC end processes the M repeated requests with no difference, performs calculation M times, and delivers M repeated flow entries to the N OFSs on the path. Second, in a process in which the OFC delivers flow entries to the N OFSs on the path, because a time of network transmission from the OFC to each OFS and a time when an instruction of the flow entry takes effect on each OFS are inconsistent, a problem of repeatedly reporting a data packet on different OFSs on the path still occurs after the OFC delivers the flow entry to the OFSs on the path, and the OFC still performs repeated calculation one or more times.
A current solution is that, a cache is set at an OFS end. For repeated packets in a period of time, a switch reports and processes only the first repeated packet; when an OFC delivers a flow entry, the switch then forwards corresponding same batch of data packets in the cache. This solution is applicable only to a repeated packet reported by the first OFS on a routing policy path, and is not applicable to a repeated packet reported by another OFS on the routing policy path, which still results in an increase in an amount of repeated calculation of the OFC and delivery of a large quantity of repeated flow entries.

Routing control method in software defined networking and OpenFlow controller


The baby formula preparation device includes a powder hopper and a distributor operably associated with the powder hopper for dispensing powdered baby formula into a baby bottle. The device also includes a water dispensing system having a water storage tank and a water heater that dispenses heated water into the baby bottle. A load cell measures the weight of the bottle and a controller coupled to the load cell regulates the quantity by weight of heated water and powdered baby formula dispensed into the baby bottle.

The present invention generally relates to a baby formula preparation device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a baby formula preparation device capable of automatically dispensing any one of a plurality of powdered baby formulae.
New parents must take on new responsibilities and expenses after a child is born. These responsibilities and expenses often did not exist before the child was born. One particularly important responsibility is maintaining a regular feeding schedule. Feeding schedules for babies typically ranges from intervals of a minimum of three hours to a maximum of about four hours. The majority of babies naturally adapt to the feeding schedule within a few weeks. Naturally, the feeding schedule intervals may shift depending on the schedule most convenient for the parents and the baby. Night-time feeding is mandatory for the baby regardless of the feeding schedule.
Many parents endeavor to lower expenses by purchasing less expensive powdered baby formula versus more expensive pre-mixed liquid baby formula. The main problem with powdered baby formula is that there are many inconvenient and time-consuming procedures required to manually prepare the formula for consumption. Powdered baby formula requires many preparation steps and is particularly painstaking when compared to pre-mixed liquid baby formula. Although, pre-mixed liquid baby formula even requires transferring the baby formula to a bottle and warming the liquid to a pre-determined temperature before serving. Listening to the baby cry during formula preparation, whether powdered baby formula or pre-mixed liquid baby formula, is often frustrating, especially for new parents. Late-night and early morning feeding especially exacerbates the preparation, particularly when the baby is crying.
Thus, late-night or early morning feedings are ideally quick and easy. Reducing the preparation time increases the potential amount of sleep parents receive as a result of expedient feeding. Ideally, the sleep schedule of the parents is not adversely impacted by the feeding schedule of the baby. Babies are also more inclined to return to sleep when receiving baby formula in a timely manner. Otherwise, the baby may become agitated from hunger when the baby formula is not immediately forthcoming. Consequently, the baby may not return to sleep as quickly after feeding is complete.
Preparation time may be shortened by microwaving either mixed powdered baby formula or pre-mixed liquid baby formula. But, many essential vitamins and minerals are removed from the baby formula during the microwaving process. Additionally, microwaving might generate hot spots within the bottle that could harm the baby during feeding. An additional inconvenience is that the microwave is usually not located near where the baby feeding occurs. Parents must leave the baby alone and go to the kitchen to prepare the baby formula for consumption.
U.S. Publication No. 2005/230,343 discloses a baby formula preparation device that may be conveniently located crib side and is capable of automatically preparing liquid baby formula from powdered baby formula and water. The device has a motor-driven auger in a hopper for dispensing a desired quantity of powdered baby formula from the hopper. A mixing wheel in the hopper rotates and stirs the formula as the auger is rotated. Water is gravity fed from a water storage tank to a reservoir where it is heated to a desired temperature. A discharge nozzle receives and mixes the heated water and a corresponding amount of powdered baby formula for delivery to a baby bottle. While this baby formula preparation device is capable of automatically preparing liquid baby formula from powdered baby formula and heated water, the device is unable to accurately measure the amount of baby formula mixed and dispensed into the baby bottle. This is particularly disadvantageous for changing between different types or serving sizes of powdered baby formula. The quantity of powdered baby formula required to make a single serving size of liquid baby formula varies among manufacturers and types of baby formulae. Moreover, the auger is unable to entirely dispense the powdered baby formula from within the hopper. Hence, the hopper must be cleaned when the user decides to switch between powdered baby formula brands or types.
Accordingly, there is a need for a baby formula preparation device that can automatically prepare powdered baby formula for consumption based on the type of baby formula and desired serving size. Such a baby formula preparation device should include a distribution unit for dispensing loaded powdered baby formula into a baby bottle, should include a selectively operable water heater, should include a water dispensing system, and should include a controller for regulating the amount by weight of powdered baby formula and water dispensed into the baby bottle measured by a corresponding load cell. Furthermore, the baby formula preparation device should be locatable conveniently next to the baby crib and should be capable of being activated remotely. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides other related advantages.


An optical filter which minimizes color shift, increases brightness and improves visibility and an organic light-emitting display having the same. The optical filter includes a micro pattern film disposed on an organic light-emitting panel. The micro pattern film includes a base material and a micro pattern engraved from the surface of the base material that adjoins the organic light-emitting panel. The micro pattern has a plurality of engraved shapes with a non-circular cross-section which has a depth greater than a width.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an organic light-emitting display, and more particularly, to an organic light-emitting display which minimizes color shift, increases brightness and improves visibility.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) includes an anode, an organic light-emitting layer and a cathode. When a voltage is applied between the anode and the cathode, holes are injected from the anode into the organic light-emitting layer, and electrons are injected from the cathode into the organic light-emitting layer. Holes and electrons that are injected into the organic light-emitting layer recombine with each other in the organic light-emitting layer, thereby generating excitons. When such excitons transit from the excited state to the ground state, light is emitted.
Organic light-emitting displays including an OLED are divided into a passive matrix type and an active matrix type depending on a mechanism that drives an N×M number of pixels which are arranged in the shape of a matrix.
In the active matrix type, a pixel electrode which defines a light-emitting area and a unit pixel driving circuit which applies a current or voltage to the pixel electrode are positioned in a unit pixel area. The unit pixel driving circuit has at least one thin-film transistor (TFT). Due to the TFT, the unit pixel driving circuit can supply a constant current irrespective of the number of pixels, thereby realizing uniform brightness. The active matrix type organic light-emitting display consumes little power, and thus can be advantageously applied to high definition displays and large displays.
However, the organic light-emitting display has a low out-coupling efficiency, which is problematic. For example, in the case of an organic light-emitting display which has not undergone separate processing, about 20% of light emitted from the organic light-emitting layer exits the display.
Here, the light efficiency of the organic light-emitting display is determined by the refractive indices of individual component layers of the organic light-emitting display, including the organic light-emitting layer to the outer portion thereof. One of the factors that reduce the light efficiency is that a portion of light travels in an unnecessary direction when exiting from a substrate having a higher refractive index to the air having a lower refractive index and, when incident on the interface between the substrate and the air at an angle greater than a critical angle, totally reflects from the interface, thereby reducing the amount of light that exits to the outside.
In order to overcome the light efficiency problem of the organic light-emitting display, a micro cavity structure was proposed. In the micro cavity structure, the distance between the anode and the cathode is designed to match the representative wavelength of each of red (R), green (G) and blue (B) light such that only the light corresponding to the distance resonates and exits but the other light is weakened. Consequently, the exiting light is increased in intensity and becomes sharper, so that its brightness is advantageously increased. The increased brightness results in low power consumption, which leads to increased longevity. Here, the fact that the emitting light becomes sharper indicates that color reproducibility is increased with improved color purity.
Although the organic light-emitting display having the micro cavity structure exhibits the foregoing advantages, it also has the drawback of a limited color viewing angle that is caused by color shift. This is because the optical path is changed at a side, or a high angle, thereby varying the wavelength of light that can resonate. Therefore, since the optical path is increased at the side, the light that resonates and exits is more shifted toward a short wavelength, which is problematic.
Furthermore, since the organic light-emitting display uses the OLED that is a self-luminous light source, the anode is made of a high-reflectivity material in order to effectively send emitted light only toward the front. Consequently, in external light conditions, the visibility of the organic light-emitting display is decreased due to very high reflectivity.
The information disclosed in the Background of the Invention section is only for the enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention, and should not be taken as an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that this information forms a prior art that would already be known to a person skilled in the art.

Organic light emitting display having improved color shift and visibility

Samsung Corning Precision Materials Co., Ltd.


A key-cutting device includes a holder which holds the key blank. The holder is movable between initial and cutting positions. When the holder is in a cutting position, a cutter is moved to cut one or more notches in the key blank. An actuator is connected with the base to move the holder from the initial position to the cutting position. The actuator includes an improved saddle assembly in which a leaf spring is connected with a force transmitting member. A body of polymeric material is disposed between the leaf spring and the force transmitting member. Force is applied to a free end of the leaf spring to move the holder from the initial position to the cutting position. Upon continued operation of the actuator, the leaf spring is deflected about a fulcrum which is at least partially formed by the body of polymeric material. As the leaf spring is deflected, the body of polymeric material is resiliently compressed. The fulcrum extends across the width of the leaf spring to enable force to be transmitted between the fulcrum and the leaf spring across substantially the entire width of the leaf spring.

The present invention relates to a new and improved key-cutting device which is used to cut one or more notches in a key blank
A key cutting device for cutting one or more notches in a key blank is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,633 451 issued Jan. 11, 1972 and entitled "Key-Cutting Machine With Coordinated Positioning and Cutting Movements". The key-cutting device disclosed in this patent includes a holder for holding a key blank in which notches are to be cut. The holder is movable between initial and cutting positions. A cutter is moved relative to the holder to cut notches in the key blank held by the holder when the holder is in a cutting position. An actuator performs the dual functions of first moving the holder to a cutting position and then moving the cutter to notch the key blank.
The actuator includes a saddle assembly having a saddle or member which pivots relative to a base of the key-cutting device to move the holder from the initial position to the cutting position. One end of a leaf spring is connected to the saddle member. A set screw extends through the saddle member and engages the leaf spring. After the key blank holder has been moved to a cutting position, continued operation of the actuator deflects the leaf spring about the end of the set screw.
During storage and/or use of the key-cutting device disclosed in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,633,451, the leaf spring weakens. As the leaf spring weakens, the depths of cut by the punch may become shallow and erratic. The leaf spring will eventually weaken to a point where a key formed by notching a key blank will no longer open a lock. At this time, the saddle tension must be reset by turning the adjusting screw on top of the saddle member.
After the reset adjustment has been done several times, the saddle spring will break and a replacement is needed. If the set screw is turned too far in, that is, over-adjusted, a trigger on the key-cutting device will stick. The weakening of the saddle spring greatly increases the tolerances to which notches can be cut in a key blank. The operating life of the saddle assembly in a heavily used key-cutting device is approximately one month.