This metal gasket has firmly secured to the intermediate plate through the mounting metal plates the seal members for sealing stepped portions that occur between the cylinder block and the chain case. The metal gasket comprises elastic metal plates formed with notched portions opening to the chain passage opening and an intermediate plate formed with sealing slots, mounting holes and positioning holes. The seal members are installed in the sealing slots of the intermediate plate to seal the stepped portions between the main seal portion and the sub-seal portions. The mounting metal plates attached to the seal members are provided with engagement portions. The engagement portions are folded to hold the edges of the mounting holes to secure the mounting metal plates to the intermediate plate and position the seal members in the sealing slots. Alternatively, the intermediate plates are formed with slots in which to install the seal members, and the elastic metal plates and the intermediate plates are formed with notched portions in areas where the seal members are located. The metal plates securely attached to the seal members are folded to hold the mounting portions of the intermediate plates.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a metal gasket made of a thin metal plate, which has a main seal portion formed with a hole such as a combustion chamber hole and a sub-seal portion formed with an opening such as a chain passage opening, and which is intended to seal an interface between a cylinder block with a chain case and a cylinder head.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The metal gaskets have been used to seal hermetically between a top surface of an integrally formed cylinder-block-and-chain-case assembly and a bottom surface of a cylinder head and comprise a main seal portion requiring a high sealing surface pressure and a sub-seal portion requiring only a relatively low sealing surface pressure. The sub-seal portion has a laminated structure having a base member, which is formed by extending at least one of the thin metal plates forming the main seal portion, and soft sheets, such as a beater sheet, a graphite sheet and a compressed sheet, bonded to one or both surfaces of the base member (see Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 48059/1988, for example).
Other known examples of the metal gasket include those of Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 27857/1991 and 27858/1991. In the metal gasket disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 27857/1991, a part of the thin metal plate facing a stepped portion of the top surface of the cylinder block or of the bottom surface of the cylinder head is formed with slots that cross beads formed around the chain passage opening, and a sealing material is fitted in the slots at positions opposing the stepped portions so that a part of the sealing material projects from the slots.
With the OHC and DOHC type engines, however, as shown in FIG. 17, it is general practice to fabricate a chain case 29 accommodating a cam shaft drive chain separately from a cylinder block 28 and to fix by bolts the chain case 29-which has a chain case space, i.e. a chain passage opening 33-adjacent to the cylinder block 28 having a combustion chamber 35. Metal gaskets are interposed between the cylinder head and the chain case 29 and cylinder block 28, with the chain case 29 secured to the cylinder head by bolts inserted through bolt holes 32.
For a lighter engine, the mounting side of the chain case 29 is formed open to reduce the weight of the chain case 29 and the chain passage opening 33 is defined by the inner wall of the chain case 29 and the side wall of the cylinder block 28. Because separate components are combined and fixed, even when the upper surface 34 of the cylinder block 28 and the upper surface 31 of the chain case 29 are made flush, it is unavoidable that a stepped portion 30, though small, is formed between these upper surfaces 31 and 34 at the engagement surface 36 of the cylinder block 28 and the chain case 29. This stepped portion 30 will unavoidably increase over a long period of use of the engine. If there is a stepped portion 30 between the two upper surfaces 31 and 34, lubricant, splashed onto the stepped portion 30 as the cam shaft drive chain travels through the chain case 29, may leak outside the chain case 29 or enter between the opposing surfaces of the cylinder block 28 and the cylinder head, causing troubles.
In a structure, in which a thin metal plate laminated on the cylinder block 28 side is extended as a base member, to one surface of which a soft sheet is bonded, airtightness at the stepped portion 30 cannot be maintained. Further, in a structure in which an intermediate thin metal plate is extended as a base member, to both surfaces of which soft sheets are bonded, although the airtightness can be maintained when the stepped portion 30 is very small, it is necessary, as the stepped portion 30 increases, to consider the thickness of the soft sheet in the main seal portion in designing the metal plate lamination because the soft sheet itself must be thick enough to maintain the sealing performance The beater sheet, graphite sheet or compressed sheet that forms a soft sheet generally has a thickness of at least about 0.5 mm, and because the main seal portion needs to match this thickness, it is necessary to increase the number of laminated thin metal plates to secure a high surface pressure at the main seal portion.
Further, the metal gasket has slots formed along the circumference of a through-hole, and a sealing material is installed inside the slots so that a part of the sealing material projects from the slots. The sealing capability of portions around the through-hole that oppose the stepped portions is maintained by the seal member installed inside the slots. The sealing material extends along the entire circumference of the through hole and is not fitted into the intermediate sheet.
Generally there are two types of stepped portions formed at the engagement surface between the cylinder block and the chain case. When the upper surface of the chain case is lower than the upper surface of the cylinder block, the surface pressure of the chain case is lower than that of the cylinder block and it is necessary to consider the surface pressure of the stepped portion and the chain case. When the upper surface of the chain case is higher than the upper surface of the cylinder block, the surface pressure concentrates on the chain case making the surface pressure on the cylinder block side smaller. The surface pressure around the combustion chamber of the cylinder block needs to be set high but, when a metal gasket is used, adjustment of the surface pressure becomes difficult.
The undersurface of the cylinder head in general is a flat continuous surface whereas there may be a difference in height between the top surface of the cylinder block and the top surface of the chain case. Thus the metal gasket has a challenging task of preventing oil in the chain case from entering into a stepped portion formed when there is a difference in height between the top surfaces of the cylinder block and the chain case, without resorting to increasing the number of laminated thin metal plates, a means that will increase the manufacture cost of the gasket significantly.
The inventor of this invention developed a metal gasket disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 74659/1996, in which a seal member is arranged in a region of stepped portion. With this metal gasket, however, when arranging the seal member in the region of stepped portion, there is still an unsolved problem of how to fix the seal member to the metal gasket at a predetermined location stably and firmly so that it will not be dislocated.

Metal gasket with seal members at an area between a main seal portion and a sub-seal portion


In one embodiment of the present invention, a phase generator, comprising a plurality of delay blocks, is coupled in a feedback loop with a phase detector. When in an open loop mode, the phase generator is operable as a voltage controlled delay line. The phase detector compares an input signal with a first output signal of the phase generator and generates a first control signal based thereon. The phase generator is also coupled in a feedback loop with a phase-frequency detector. When in a closed loop mode, the phase generator is operable as a voltage controlled oscillator and the phase-frequency detector compares the input signal with a second output signal of the phase generator. The phase-frequency detector then generates a second control signal based thereon.

In electronic systems, good clock distribution is very important to the overall performance of a product. Unwanted clock skew and jitter are two phenomena that may result from poor clock distribution, thus causing problems in the design and operation of the electronic systems.
Techniques have been developed using phase lock loops (PLLs) and delay lock loops (DLLs) to successfully address these problems and reduce both to manageable levels. However, conventional solutions are not without some disadvantages. One conventional solution includes the use of a PLL and another, the use of a DLL. A typical PLL circuit of the conventional art is shown in FIG. 1, and a typical DLL circuit of the conventional art is shown in FIG. 2.
FIG. 1 shows an exemplary PLL circuit 100 of the conventional art comprising a reference clock input (Refclk) 101 to a block 110 comprising a phase-frequency detector (PFD), a charge pump (CP), and a low pass filter (LPD). In FIG. 1, the output of the phase frequency detector is input to the charge pump, which in turn drives the low pass filter. The output of the PFD/CP/LPF block 110 is a voltage (vctrl) which is input to, and controls, a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) 120 comprising a plurality of delay stages. The output of VCO 120 is input to an on-chip delay element 130, comprising a buffer, a capacitor connected between the output of the buffer and ground, and an output of block 130. A feedback path 140 couples the output of on-chip delay element 130 to an input of PFD/CP/LPF block 110. The lower part of FIG. 1 shows the multiple delay stages (e.g., delay stages 121, 122, and 12N) in VCO 120. Importantly, the circuit 100 of FIG. 1 operates in closed loop fashion only.
In PLL 100, the phase frequency detector of PFD/CP/LPF block 110 compares the phase difference between the Refclk signal 105 and the output clock signal received via feedback path 140. Depending on the phase difference between the two signals, PFD/CP/LPF block 110 will change the vctrl voltage supplied to VCO 120, which modulates the frequency of the oscillator.
With regard to PLL 100, phase lock loops have certain advantages, e.g., PLLs can suppress skew in digital systems (e.g., clock to data out delay) and can generate multiple phases of output clocks. However, PLLs cannot operate over a wide frequency range or at a low supply voltage.
FIG. 2 shows an exemplary DLL circuit 200 of the conventional art comprising a reference clock input (Refclk) 201, a block 210 comprising a phase-frequency detector (PFD), a charge pump (CP), and a low pass filter (LPF). A voltage controlled delay element (VCDL) 220 comprises two inputs: one input is from Refclk 201; and the other is the output of the PFD/CP/LPF block 210. The output of VCDL 220 is coupled with an on-chip delay element 230 comprising a buffer, a capacitor connected between the output of the buffer and ground, and an output of block 230. A feedback path 240 couples the output of on-chip delay element 240 to an input of PFD/CP/LPF 210. The lower part of FIG. 1 shows the multiple delay stages (e.g., delay stages 221, 222, and 22N) in VCDL 220. As shown in FIG. 2, VCDL is a straight delay chain (e.g., open loop) and is not self-oscillatory like VCO 120 of FIG. 1.
In DLL circuit 200, the phase frequency detector of PFD/CP/LPF block 210 compares the phase difference between the Refclk signal 201 and the output clock signal received via feedback path 240. Depending on the phase difference between the two signals, PFD/CP/LPF block 210 will change the vctrl voltage supplied to VCDL 120, which modulates delay time through the delay stages 221–22N.
One DLL alone can either suppress skew in digital systems (e.g., clock to data out delay) or generate multiple phases for a limited frequency range. To achieve both of these, two DLLs must typically be used in series (in cascade), one for skew suppression and one for clock phase generation. However, when using more than one DLL in cascade, unwanted deterioration in jitter performance is exhibited as the errors introduced by each circuit are additive. Jitter may be defined as the uncertainty in the placement of the leading and trailing edges of the clock signal. Factors affecting jitter performance include process voltage, temperature, and switching condition noise. In other words, greater uncertainty in the placement of the clock edges is introduced when multiple DLLs are used achieve skew suppression and generate multiple clock phases.

Wide frequency range DLL with dynamically determined VCDL/VCO operational states


A shin guard having a lowermost web of a generally U-shaped channel configuration is arranged for flexure about an individual's shin portion, with an associated knee guard mounted hingedly relative to a first end of the web. Parallel grooves directed through the web permits the ease of flexure of the web relative to the shin, wherein the grooves include ventilation apertures, with the positioning of the ventilation apertures within the grooves affording protection to the apertures in use.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of invention relates to shin guard structure, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved shin guard wherein the same is arranged to afford protection to an individual's shin and knee portions in a sporting event.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Shin guard structure is available in the prior art and exemplified by the U.S. Pat. No. 4,700,406 to Meistrell wherein a shin guard includes an associated knee portion interconnected by a connecting relationship.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,893,355 to Ritter is an example of a prior art knee protector.
The instant invention attempts to overcome deficiencies of the prior art by providing for a shin guard arranged for ease of flexure and accommodation of an individual's shin and knee portion and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.

Shin guard having kneeshield, accordian pleated flexure area, flexure grooves and ventilation apertures


Information on current positions of a construction machine and a service car is transmitted from terminals of the construction machine and the service car, and the information is accumulated in a construction machine position information accumulation device and a service car position information accumulation device. A service car search device searches for a service car within a predetermined radius with the current position of a construction machine requiring maintenance as the center. Because the service car search device can detect a service car near the subject construction machine, the need of searching for the service car on a map is eliminated and the service car can be easily found. Thus, construction machines and service cars can be appropriately managed.

As a management system for managing construction machines, there has been conventionally known a management system that acquires information about the construction machines from a terminal mounted on each construction machine through a communication line to manage the construction machines (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the management system, the information of each construction machine such as current position, operation state and the like transmitted to a server from the terminal of the construction machine is accumulated in the server. When a user accesses the server from a user terminal through the communication line, the information of both the construction machines and the service cars accumulated in the server is displayed on a display screen of the user terminal. Displayed on a map on the display screen of the user terminal are, for example, the current positions of both the construction machines and the service cars, an owner and an operating area, operation state such as operation time, elements of the construction machine such as engine speed, fuel quantity and the like of a specified construction machine. Based on the displayed information, the user can manage the construction machines and, when a construction machine failure is reported, find a service car near the current position of the failed construction machine on the map.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-91574 (Pages 5 to 7, FIG. 1)


A portable heating device for heating plastic tubing or pipe has a straight, hollow heating tube with an inner diameter larger than an outer diameter of the plastic tubing or pipe to be heated therein. A hot air gun directs a flow of hot air into the heating tube. A heat adjustment mechanism holds the hot air gun at an adjustable distance from the plastic tubing so that the hot air flow at the input end is at an optimum temperature range for softening the plastic tubing. The device is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to assemble, and avoids the use of expensive mechanical components. An optional heat retaining tail piece equipped with a cooling fan may be used to transfer the hot air flow air quicker through the heating tube.

The present invention relates to a device for heating plastic (PVC) tubing or pipe for the purpose of bending, shaping or forming heat-softened plastic tubing into turns, bends, and/or curved shapes.
Rigid plastic tubing, such as polyvinylchloride (PVC) tubing, is widely used in construction industries to form electrical conduits, plumbing, ducting, interior support structures, etc. The PVC tubing is typically supplied as stock material in predetermined lengths at a construction site, and commonly must be bent, shaped, or formed with turns, bends or curves to specific job layout requirements.
Various methods have been used for heating PVC tubing at a job site. Heating PVC tubing over an open flame is wasteful, can result in uneven heating, and can be dangerous. The torch method can result in burning the heated PVC pipe and is dangerous to use near combustable materials. It also creates toxic fumes while the PVC pipe is heated or burned. It also requires gas to be provided from propane cylinders that need to be refilled regularly, costing the contractor time and money.
Box heating ovens with resistance-type heating elements have been used, but are expensive, of fixed dimensions not readily adaptable to bending tubing of different lengths, and are energy inefficient and expensive. Use of box heating ovens is also very labor intensive and must be constantly monitored during the heating procedure. Examples of box heating ovens are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,971,872, 6,561,797, 5,017,760, 3,843,858, and 1,407,412, and Canadian Patent 1,007,023 issued March 1977.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,033,213 shows a tubular heating device in which hot air from an air heat gun or blower is injected into a port in the midsection of a tubular housing against a diffuser plate and directed along the PVC pipe length on both sides. However, this method can result in excessive heat at the diffuser plate and uneven heating of the outside surface of the pipe compared to its inside surface.
Other PVC pipe heating methods use flexible heater elements that are inserted into the PVC pipe itself to heat it from the inside. (PVC BEND IT) This method is very labor intensive, expensive, and only heats the pipe from the inside surface. Also, a different heating element would be needed to heat different pipe lengths and diameters.

Portable heater device for bending plastic pipe


There is provided a transformer capable of significantly reducing leakage inductance while satisfying safety standards. The transformer includes: a winding part having a plurality of coils wound on an outer peripheral surface of a cylindrically-shaped body part while being stacked thereon; and a terminal connection part extended from one end of the winding part in an outer diameter direction and having a plurality of external connection terminals coupled to a distal end thereof, wherein the terminal connection part includes at least one lead groove formed in a radial direction and at least one catching groove formed in the lead groove in a manner in which a width of the lead groove is extended in a winding direction of the coils.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transformer, and more particularly, to a transformer capable of significantly reducing leakage inductance while satisfying safety standards.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various kinds of power supplies are required in various electronic devices such as a television (TV), a monitor, a personal computer (PC), an office automation (OA) device, and the like. Therefore, these electronic devices generally include power supplies converting alternating current (AC) power supplied from the outside into power having an appropriate level for individual electronic appliances.
Among power supplies, a power supply using a switching mode (for example, a switched-mode power supply (SMPS)) has mainly been used. An SMPS includes a switching transformer.
The switching transformer generally converts AC power of 85 to 265 V into direct current (DC) power of 3 to 30 V through high frequency oscillations at 25 to 100 KHz. Therefore, in the switching transformer, a core and a bobbin may be significantly reduced in size as compared to a general transformer converting AC power of 85 to 265 V into DC current of 3 to 30 V through frequency oscillations at 50 to 60 Hz, and low voltage and low current DC power may be stably supplied to an electronic appliance. Therefore, the switching transformer has been widely used in electronic appliances that have tended to be miniaturized.
This switching transformer should be designed to have low leakage inductance in order to increase energy conversion efficiency. However, in accordance with the miniaturization of the switching transformer, it may be difficult to design a switching transformer having low leakage inductance.
In addition, in a case in which a small-sized transformer, as described above, is manufactured, since a primary coil and a secondary coil are disposed to be immediately adjacent to each other, it may be difficult to satisfy safety standards (that is, those of Underwriters Laboratories (UL)) due to the arrangement thereof.

Transformer and display device using the same


The present invention includes novel compounds of the formula (I) wherein X is absent or trans or cis CHCH, R1 is (C1-C10) alkyl unsubstituted or substituted by one to three hydroxy, (C1-C10) alkenyl unsubstituted or substituted by one to three hydroxy, (C1-C10) alkynyl unsubstituted or substituted by one to three hydroxy, or aryl unsubstituted or substituted by one to three hydroxy; R2 is hydrogen, alkyl or aryl; R3 and R4 are, independently of each other, H, halogen, or a solubilizing group, with the provisio that at least one of R3 and R4 is halogen; and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. The invention also includes pharmaceutically acceptable formulations of said compounds which exhibit antibiotic activity against a wide spectrum of microorganisms including organisms which are resistant to multiple antibiotic families and are useful as antibacterial agents for treatment or prophylaxis of bacterial infections, or their use as antiseptics, agents for sterilization or disinfection.

The following review of the background of the invention is merely provided to aid in the understanding of the present invention and neither it nor any of the references cited within it are admitted to be prior art to the present invention.
Management of nosocomial or community-acquired bacterial infections is becoming very difficult due to the emergence of bacteria resistant to one or multiple families of antibiotics. Unfortunately, the widespread and indiscriminant use of antibiotics has led to a rapid increase in the number of bacterial strains which are resistant to antibiotics. Most importantly, resistance has emerged among clinically important microorganisms which threaten the utility of the currently available arsenal of antibiotics. A global trend of increasing resistance to antibiotics, with wide variations according to geographical areas, is well documented by the World Health Organization and in the scientific literature.
There is a need for novel and effective antibiotics that are particularly active against microorganisms which are resistant to currently available drugs. For example, resistance of bacteria causing urinary tract infections to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, β-lactams and fluoroquinolones is becoming a major factor in the management of such infections. Despite the use of nitrofuran antibiotics for several decades, mainly for the treatment of urinary tract infections, resistance to agents of this family has remained low (0-2%) in microorganisms most commonly encountered (Gupta K. Addressing antibiotic resistance. Dis Mon. 2003 February; 49(2):99-110; Nicolle LE. Urinary Tract Infection: Traditional pharmacologic therapies. 2003. February; 49(2):111-128).
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,970,648, 3,973,021 and 3,974,277 disclose nitrofurans of the following formulae: 2-[2-(5-nitro-2-furyl)vinyl]-4-(anilino)quinazoline, 2-[2-(5-nitro-2-furyl)vinyl]-4-(p-hydroxyanilino)-quinazoline, 2-[2-(5-nitro-2-furyl)vinyl]-4-(o-hydroxyanilino)-quinazoline, and 2-[2-(5-nitro-2-furyl)vinyl]-4-(m-hydroxyanilino)-quinazoline. These patents teach the use of these compounds as pesticides and animal growth promotants for improving feed efficiency in animals such as poultry, swine and cattle. Although these molecules gained the property of being adequate edible feed additives for animal growth promotion compared to quinazoline molecules having the nitrofuran group directly attached to it (U.S. Pat. No. 3,542,784), a drawback of the compounds from the above patents (U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,970,648, 3,973,021 and 3,974,277) is that the patents teach that they are now devoid of activity against important pathogens such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella. It would be desirable to obtain nitrofurans which provide significant improvement of potency and expand the antimicrobial spectrum of activity. This means that lower amounts of compounds are required for in vitro and in vivo (in animals) antimicrobial action against a wider variety of pathogens affecting animals and humans.
Besides, there are only a few nitrofuran antibiotics currently used in humans for the treatment of infectious diseases and one is known by the generic name nitrofurantoin (commercial names include: Macrobid, Macrodantin, Furadantin). It is used in adults and children to treat acute urinary tract infections and to prevent recurrent urinary tract infections. A drawback of nitrofurantoin is that it does not have good potency (i.e., relatively high amounts are required to exert its antibacterial activity) and it does not have a wide spectrum of antimicrobial activity, which limits the use of this compound in treating bacterial infections.
Novel nitrofurans with superior antimicrobial potency and improved pharmacological properties, would provide an alternative for the treatment of severe infections caused by antibiotic-susceptible and -resistant microorganisms.

Halogenated Quinazolinyl nitrofurans as antibacterial agents


Arrangement for understoichiometric gasification of spent liquor from chemical pulp production, comprising an upper reactor part (2), which upper reactor part is provided with a burner (5) for the spent liquor and with an internally clad reactor jacket (4), and lower separating part (8) for separating a phase of solid and/or molten material, formed on gasification, from a phase of combustible gaseous material. According to the invention, at least the upper reactor part (2), with its clad reactor jacket, is surrounded by an outer vessel (1), with a gap (13) being present between the reactor jacket (4) and the outer vessel (1). Connected to the said gap (13) there are one or more inlets (14) and at least one outlet (21) for a coolant medium.

The present invention relates to an arrangement for understoichiometric gasification of spent liquor from chemical pulp production, comprising an upper reactor part, which upper reactor part is provided with a burner for the spent liquor and with an internally clad reactor jacket, and a lower separating part for separating a phase of solid and/or molten material, formed on gasification, from a phase of combustible gaseous material. The arrangement is principally intended for use in conjunction with the recovery of energy and chemicals from an expended cooking liquor from production of chemical paper pulp from a material containing lignocellulose.
For many years, the commercially dominant process for recovering energy and chemicals from so-called black liquor, which has been obtained in paper pulp production by the sulphate method, has generally been the so-called Tomlinson process, also called a recovery boiler.
A more modern process is described in Swedish Patent SE-C-448,173, which process is based on understoichiometric gasification/pyrolysis (i.e. with an oxygen deficit) of the black liquor in a reactor. The products are in this case a phase of solid and/or molten material, essentially comprising sodium carbonate, potassium hydroxide and sodium sulphide, and an energy-rich, combustible gas phase, essentially comprising carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane, hydrogen gas and hydrogen sulphide. The mixture of solid/molten phase and gas phase is cooled and separated in a separating part connected to the reactor by means of direct contact with green liquor, the solid/molten phase dissolving in the green liquor. The green liquor is then conveyed for conventional causticizing for production of white liquor. The gas phase is used as fuel for generating steam and/or electrical power.
The reactor in the process/arrangement according to abovementioned SE-C-448,173 consists of a vessel which is internally clad/lined with a ceramic material. Other known reactors of the same construction type are shown, for example, in WO94/20677, WO93/02249 and WO93/24704. The separating part is usually arranged so that its outer walls constitute a continuation of the vessel for the reactor, the ceramic cladding of the reactor being arranged to present a cone-shaped constriction between the reactor and the separating part.
A problem with this known construction type for reactors is that in the event of uncontrolled expansion of the ceramic lining, for example caused by thermal expansion or diffusion of materials, these forces are transmitted to the walls of the pressure vessel. The ceramic lining has an ability to absorb inorganic material in the form of very small molten particles. These particles have been found to be able to reach through the reactor lining and then crystallize in an outer layer thereof, whereupon the lining is expanded. Uncontrolled expansion causes stresses in, and shortens the lifetime of, both the pressure vessel and the ceramic lining. Another problem is that changing the ceramic lining when it becomes worn is difficult because the ceramic material has to be removed without damaging the pressure vessel.
Further disadvantages/problems with the known construction type are heat losses from the reactor via the ceramic lining and the vessel walls, which losses are not used in the process.
CH 585,371 discloses a combustion arrangement or complete combustion of spent liquids, comprising a reactor part and a quench. The reactor part is in this case surrounded by an outer vessel, and there is a gap between the reactor part and the outer vessel, in which gap a coolant liquid is circulated in a closed circulation. The coolant liquid consists of a liquid which is entirely separate from the rest of the system, i.e. without direct contact with either gas phase or liquid phase in reactor and quench.
WO97/37944 also discloses a combustion arrangement for complete combustion of spent liquids, comprising a reactor part and a quench, and with a gap between the reactor part and an outer vessel. A coolant liquid is circulated in the gap, which coolant liquid is entirely separate from the rest of the system and is in part evaporated. It is also noted that the reactor in this embodiment is not lined.
The object of the present invention is to reduce or eliminate the abovementioned problems by making available an arrangement for understoichiometric gasification of spent liquor from chemical pulp production, where the reactor part constitutes an exchangeable prefabricated unit and where a favourable temperature profile in the reactor wall is obtained. At the same time, the heat losses are reduced and the heat transmission which takes place in the reactor part is utilized and increases the partial steam pressure of the water. This means that steam generation is improved, by about 5 to 10%, in subsequent condensation stages for gas cooling, which improves the economics of the process.
The arrangement according to the invention is defined in Patent claim 1.
According to the invention, the internally clad reactor part is surrounded by an outer vessel, with a gap between the said reactor jacket and the said outer vessel. Connected to the gap there are one or more inlets for a coolant medium, preferably a coolant liquid which preferably consists of a condensate which, in the process, is in direct contact with at least the gas phase of combustible material formed in the process.
As there is direct contact and direct connection between gas phase and condensate used as coolant medium, this means that essentially the same pressure is present inside the reactor as in the gap between the reactor and the outer vessel. By this means, the reactor part does not need to be designed as a pressure vessel, and it is sufficient for the outer vessel to be designed as a pressure vessel. The reactor part is thus comparatively simple and can be easily replaced on operational shutdown by means of the fact that the outer vessel can be opened so that the reactor part can be lifted out of this and replaced with a prefabricated unit.
In the gap, the temperature is preferably the saturation temperature at the prevailing pressure, the coolant liquid being partially evaporated. The heat taken up in the coolant liquid can be utilized for production of steam, preferably low-pressure or medium-pressure steam.
The upper reactor part with ceramic lining is connected to a lower separating part cooled by a film of liquid, in which separating part smelt and combustion gas are separated. However, a considerable number of the reactions also take place in the separating part, which affords an extended reaction space. However, in the following description, this lower part is referred to only with respect to the separating stage.
By virtue of the fact that the ceramic lining is cooled by the coolant liquid, a favourable temperature gradient is obtained between the inner surface of the reactor jacket and its outer surface, and inorganic material which has migrated into the ceramic will crystallize/freeze before it reaches the outer surface of the lining. A temperature corresponding to the freezing point of alkali will be present in the reactor lining at a predetermined depth.
By means of the continuous external sprinkling of coolant liquid, the positioning of this freezing point can be controlled in an optimum and controlled manner over the whole of the reactor vessel.
According to one aspect of the invention, the reactor operates at a pressure of 1.5-150 bar (abs.), preferably 1.5-50 bar, although atmospheric pressure is also conceivable. The temperature in the reactor can be 500-1600xc2x0 C., preferably 700-1300xc2x0 C., and the temperature gradient over the reactor jacket will thus range from the reactor temperature on the inside to the saturation temperature at the prevailing pressure.

Apparatus for gasification of spent liquor


A channel system that includes a first channel section, a second channel section, and a hinge joint between the first and second channel sections is disclosed. The hinge joint allows the first channel section to fold against the second channel section for storage and shipping of the channel system. In one embodiment, the hinge joint itself includes a hinge member that extends between the two channel sections and bends hingedly to allow movement and two intermediate endcaps, which cap the channel sections on either side of the hinge joint. The hinge joint may be designed to “snap back” to a fully extended position. Mechanical securement structure may be added to the first channel section and the second channel section to improve force and retention during the “snap back” movement.

Linear lighting is a class of lighting based on light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in which an elongate, narrow printed circuit board (PCB) is populated with a plurality of LED light engines, typically spaced from one another at a regular pitch or spacing. In much of the linear lighting on the market, the LED light engines are surface-mounted on the PCB, along with other components. The PCB itself may be either rigid or flexible.
Connected to power, a strip of linear lighting may be considered a luminaire in its own right, and linear lighting is also used as a raw material in the construction of more complex luminaires. The most common way to make a strip of linear lighting into a finished luminaire is to place it in a channel and cover it with a cover. The channel allows for installation in various locations, depending on its features, and both the cover and the channel serve to protect the linear lighting, to dissipate heat and, generally, to ensure its longevity. The cover may also include light-diffusing or light-directing features.
Channels are most commonly elongate with a constant cross-section, made by extruding a metal or plastic. The most common material for channels is anodized, extruded aluminum, although extruded plastic channels are used for some applications. Especially for shorter lengths or specialty applications, channels may also be machined or cast from either metallic or polymeric materials. U.S. Pat. No. 9,239,136 describes a number of metal channels and mechanisms for mounting them in various locations. U.S. Pat. No. 10,753,596 describes resin-casting methods that can be used to produce channels. The contents of both of those patents are incorporated herein in their entireties.
The difficulty with traditional channels is their typical manufactured length. Channels for the U.S. market are usually made in 8-foot (2.4-meter) lengths. This long length makes shipping and storage more complicated, and generally raises shipping and handling costs. It may also necessitate special machinery or supports in the manufacturing plant in order to effectively process and cut the 8-foot lengths of channel into desired lengths.

Hinged channel system for linear lighting


This invention is a process for producing diisobutylene from isobutylene. The process comprises first forming dry sulfonic acid resin by contacting water wet sulfonic acid resin catalyst with a first reaction feed comprising isobutylene under conditions effective to produce tertiary butyl alcohol from the reaction of isobutylene and water, and then contacting the dry sulfonic acid resin with a second reaction feed comprising isobutylene under conditions effective to oligomerize isobutylene to produce diisobutylene.

The oligomerization of olefins such as isobutylene using a sulfonic acid-type ion exchange resin catalyst is well-known in the art. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,100,220 describes isobutylene oligomerization using a sulfonic acid resin catalyst and tertiary butyl alcohol selectivity enhancing modifier. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 4,447,668 discloses isobutylene oligomerization using sulfonic acid resin catalyst A-15 with methyl t-butyl ether as solvent. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,877,372 describes the selective oligomerization of isobutylene using a sulfonic acid resin catalyst, tertiary butyl alcohol selectivity enhancing modifier and isooctane diluent. Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,376,731 discloses the oligomerization of isobutylene in the presence of a C3-C4 alkane diluent to enhance oligomerization selectivity and tertiary butyl alcohol to promote selectivity to diisobutylene.
The diisobutylene product may be used as such or may be hydrogenated to isooctane as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,877,372 and 6,376,731. Diisobutylene and isooctane are potential fuel blending compositions.
Sulfonic acid ion exchange resins for isobutylene oligomerization are typically supplied as water wet resins containing greater than 50 wt. % water. Unfortunately, the presence of water hinders the oligomerization reaction. In order for the sulfonic acid resin to be active in isobutylene oligomerization, the sulfonic acid resin must be dried. Typically, the resin is dried by vacuum or by heat to remove the water from the resin or the resin may be contacted with a solvent to remove the water from the resin. The solvent contact is performed using an organic liquid or reactant feed and is performed under ambient conditions. The vacuum or heat drying method adds unwanted cost to the process and the solvent contact method requires an inordinate amount of time to dry the resin.
In sum, new methods to produce diisobutylene by oligomerization of isobutylene over a sulfonic acid-type ion exchange resin catalyst are needed. Particularly needed are processes for drying the sulfonic acid resin catalyst prior to the oligomerization step.


A die size is reduced in a semiconductor device which has a gate electrode formed on a first gate insulation film and a second gate insulation film, source and drain regions (Nxe2x88x92 layers and N+ layers) formed adjacent to the gate electrode and a channel region, wherein at least the gate electrode, the channel region and the source and drain regions are polygonal in shape.

This invention relates to a semiconductor device, specifically to a semiconductor device preventing a weak inversion leakage current while minimizing a die size.
FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are a cross-sectional view and a top view illustrating a prior art device.
A gate electrode 55 is disposed on a first gate insulation film 53 and a second gate insulation film 54, which is thicker than the first gate insulation film 53, formed in areas other than areas of a device isolation film 52 on a semiconductor substrate 51 of a first conductivity e.g. P-type, as shown in the figures.
Low impurity concentration N-type source and drain regions (Nxe2x88x92 layers, drift layers) 56 and 57 are disposed adjacent to the gate electrode 55 through the second gate insulation film 54.
High impurity concentration N-type source and drain regions (N+ layers) 58 and 59 are disposed between the second gate insulation film 54 and the device isolation film 52.
Together with a channel region 60, which is a surface region of the semiconductor substrate 51 between the source and drain regions 56 and 57 under the first gate insulation film 53, the structure described above makes a so-called LOCOS offset-type semiconductor device.
A conventional transistor is basically shaped like a rectangle. It requires convex regions (shaded regions in FIG. 4) protruding from the N-layers 56 and 57 as shown in FIG. 4, in order to suppress a weak inversion leakage current.
A width S2 of a minimum transistor of the prior art is increased by a width of the convex regions required to suppress the weak inversion leakage current.
Thus, the size of a transistor in a high voltage logic circuitry becomes larger than that required for a driving capacity, resulting in an increased die size.
A semiconductor device of this invention is directed to solve the problem addressed above. A gate electrode formed on a substrate of a first conductivity through a gate insulation film and source and drain regions of an opposite conductivity formed adjacent to the gate electrode are polygonal in shape.
The gate electrode and the source and drain regions can also be octagonal in shape.


A thermoelectric material including: a thermoelectric matrix including grains with a composition of Formula 1:(BixSb1-x)a(TeySe1-y)b  Formula 1wherein 1.8≦a≦2.2, 2.8≦b≦3.2, 0≦x≦1, and 0≦y≦1, and wherein a plurality of dislocations is present along a grain boundary between adjacent grains of the composition of Formula 1.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a high efficiency thermoelectric material, and a thermoelectric device and thermoelectric module including the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, the thermoelectric effect, which directly converts a temperature difference into electricity and vice-versa, is a key technology for renewable energy harvesting and solid-state refrigeration. It is a phenomenon occurring as a result of phonon transfer due to the movement of electrons and holes inside a material. The thermoelectric effect includes the Peltier effect, which utilizes a temperature gradient established across opposite ends of a material by current applied from outside to provide cooling, and the Seebeck effect, which utilizes electromotive force generated by a temperature gradient at opposite ends of a material for power generation.
Thermoelectric energy conversion technology offers an energy generation technology to harvest waste heat from many industries, as well as a next-generation solid-state cooling technology to replace inefficient vapor-compression cycle technologies.
Thermoelectric cooling using a thermoelectric material is an environmentally-friendly cooling technology with zero vibration and low noise, and is achieved without using a refrigerant gas, which can be harmful to the environment. In addition, the improvement in cooling efficiency provided by high efficiency thermoelectric cooling may be expanded to residential or commercial cooling applications, such as with refrigerators, air conditioners, and the like. Further, the use of a thermoelectric generation material in a heat sink in vehicle engines, or industrial plants would enable the generation of electrical power from a temperature gradient occurring across opposite ends of the thermoelectric material, and thus would be applicable as a renewable energy source.
Thus it would be desirable to have a more efficient thermoelectric material suitable for use at ambient temperatures.

Thermoelectric material having reduced thermal conductivity, and thermoelectric device and module including the same


A method is provided for synthesizing a polymer that has highly-functionalized chain-end moieties. The method functionalizes liquid rubber to terminate a metallic or organometallic initiated living polymer. After the living polymer has been terminated with the functionalized liquid rubber, the functionalities on the residue of the liquid rubber are preferably modified to yield more advantageous functionalities.

Liquid rubbers are not a new class of materials: they are low molecular weight elastomers. Liquid rubbers can be prepared by a variety of polymerization mechanisms involving anionic, cationic, coordination, or free radical initiator systems and also by depolymerization of a high-molecular-weight polymer. Typical liquid rubbers have Mn of about 1,000 to about 10,000.
For a liquid diene rubber, e.g. liquid polybutadiene rubber (BR), a high level of unsaturation is present. Thus, it can be chemically modified in a variety of ways. The microstructure, molecular weight, and architecture of the liquid BR can affect its reactivity to certain types of chemical modification, the ability to introduce functional groups into the polymer, and potential application. In terms of commercial significance, maleinization, epoxidation, chlorination, and hydrosilation are probably the most important reactions.
Conventional techniques for terminating and thereby end functionalizing living polymers generally produce a single functional group per polymeric-chain end. And polymers with a limited number of chain-end functionalities are problematic in applications that are better served by polymers having chain ends with multiple functionalities. For instance, applications such as surface modification, coating and painting, adhesives, additives for polymer blends, and dispersing aids for fillers are better served by polymers having multiple functionalities per chain end. There is therefore a need in the art to provide polymers with chain-end moieties having multiple functional groups as well as a method for synthesizing such polymers.

Synthetic polymers with highly-functionalized liquid-rubber chain-end moieties


It is an object to obtain a highly efficient and low-cost single-phase motor by producing the motor in a form that allows a proper material layout, with securing a magnetic path of a coreback of a stator iron core. A stator iron core 1 formed by laminating a plurality of electromagnetic steel sheets and provided with N slots, where N/2 is odd, a part of which are large slots 4 and others are small slots 3 having a shallower depth in a radial direction; a main winding 6 of 2-pole single-phase concentric winding arrangement inserted to the large slots 4 or the small slots 3; and an auxiliary winding 7 of 2-pole single-phase concentric winding arrangement inserted to the large slots 4 or the small slots 3 and arranged at a location which is dislocated by other than 90 degrees in electrical angle from the main winding 6 are included, and among the N slots, slots of which the occupying rate of winding is made smaller than others by arranging the auxiliary winding 7 at a location which is dislocated by other than 90 degrees in electrical angle from the main winding 6 are made the small slots 3, and other slots are made the large slots 4.

In a conventional 2-pole single-phase induction motor, a main winding and an auxiliary winding are arranged concentrically and inserted in slots of a stator iron core formed by laminating steel sheets. The main winding and the auxiliary winding are wound with a mechanical angle (hereinafter, a winding inserting angle) which is an inserting angle of 90 degrees or other than 90 degrees according to the required characteristics.
Even if all of the slots have the same cross section area or if at least two kinds of cross section area of the slots are included, when the arrangement of the slots has an axis of symmetry, the number of windings in the slots results in large differences. Consequently, there is a problem that occupying rate of winding (a rate of cross section area of winding occupied in a slot area) of each slot results in large differences.
Then, in a motor of which the winding inserting angle is other than 90 degrees, a stator iron core of a 2-pole single-phase induction motor has been proposed, which is structured to have a group of plural slots having at least three kinds of cross section areas and further the arrangement of the group of slots does not have an axis of symmetry in order to provide a 2-pole single-phase induction motor in which the cross section areas of the slots are effectively utilized to improve its characteristics (see the Patent Document 1, for example).    Patent Document 1: JP03-265448

Single-phase 2-pole electric motor in which main windings and auxiliary windings are mutually offset by other than 90 degrees and mounted in different size slots


An expandable intervertebral implant having an external member and an internal member. The implant includes a locking arrangement having a first interlocking teeth structure formed on the external member and a second interlocking teeth structure formed on the internal member. The interlocking teeth structures of the external and internal members have engagement surfaces arranged in a non-perpendicular orientation relative to the direction of implant expansion. The locking arrangement is configured such that walls of the internal member are pulled or flexed toward the walls of the external member when compressive forces are applied to the implant.

A wide variety of configurations of intervertebral implants have been utilized for stabilizing adjacent vertebral elements and facilitating the development of bone union between the vertebral elements. In some configurations, the intervertebral implants are not adjustable by the surgeon during the surgical procedure. Therefore, the surgeon must choose the size that most closely matches the desired height, length and width dimensions, and then make the implant fit. Because these implants are of a predetermined size and shape, the implant site must correspond to the implant configuration. This can require extensive site preparation to complete implantation. Extensive site preparation can compromise the success of the implantation procedure by causing excessive damage to the receiving vertebral elements. In addition, procedures requiring extensive site preparation can result in relatively long surgeries that may increase patient risk.
To address this problem more recent invertebral implants have been designed to expand from a first height to a second height. One such invertebral implant is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,174,334. This implant includes a pair of shells that when assembled form an implant assembly. Teeth are formed on each shell so that the shells can be unidirectionally spread apart. Each tooth has a ramping surface that is oblique to the line of relative movement of the shells. The ramping surface meets an abutment surface that is perpendicular to the line of relative movement. In other words, each of the teeth formed on the shells has a surface that is 90 degrees relative to the direction in which the shells are spread apart from one another.
It can be understood that as the implant is spread apart, the teeth of the shells ratchet against one another. This ratcheting action causes the lateral walls of the shells to displace laterally. This lateral displacement can cause mechanical stress to a degree at which the shell can experience plastic deformation. If plastic deformation occurs, the two shells of the implant assembly will not interact optimally.
In general, improvement has been sought with respect to such assemblies and systems, generally to provide an expandable implant assembly while maintaining the structural integrity and function of the implant assembly in the event plastic deformation occurs.


Embodiments of the present invention provide a magnetic recording apparatus capable of generating RRO compensation information that can expand the disturbance frequency range in which to compensate for RRO. Embodiments of the present invention describe a magnetic recording apparatus that uses a plurality of repetitive control systems to detect repeatable runout during the rotation of a magnetic recording medium for a frequency characteristic of each of the repetitive control systems. The magnetic recording apparatus further generates compensation information to compensate for each of the detected repeatable runout. The magnetic recording apparatus still further writes the compensation information generated for each of the repetitive control systems to a servo signal, thus suppressing and controlling the repeatable runout.

In a magnetic recording apparatus such as a hard disk apparatus, a plurality of tracks are formed in a concentric manner on a disk-shaped magnetic recording medium so as to record data on the tracks. In this case, a servo signal is formed on each of the tracks to specify the center of the track so as to control the position of a magnetic head adapted to read and write data.
Techniques are capable of reducing repeatable runout (hereinafter referred to as "RRO") caused by the rotation of a magnetic recording medium by using information adapted to compensate for RRO (RRO compensation information) that has been written in advance to part of the servo signal.
This RRO compensation information varies from one cylinder to another and from one head to another, thus resulting in an enormous amount of such information to be produced for the entire magnetic recording medium. Therefore, a method is desired for determining the RRO compensation information quickly and with high accuracy.
Conventionally, two methods are known to generate the RRO compensation information, namely, a method operable to estimate the RRO compensation information using a control target model and another using repetitive control. Of these, the method using a control target model requires designing a highly accurate model for each hard disk drive, thus resulting in a low productivity due to the need to perform calibration for each hard disk drive.
On the other hand, the method using repetitive control leads to a wider disturbance frequency range in which to compensate for RROs. This requires designing a phase-stable repetitive control system suitable for the characteristics of a servo system over a wide frequency range. However, it's not been developed yet that a theoretical method to get such a repetitive control system.

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.


A sound-absorbing building panel for lining of the inside walls and ceilings, in particular ceiling tile, consists of a carrier panel to be arranged spaced from a wall, which carrier panel is advantageously a perforated sheet metal and to which on at least one side a sound-absorbing, microporous layer is applied. Such a building panel, which does not require an insulation layer as a backing and can, moreover, be manufactured inexpensively, has a sound-absorbing layer of granules which are surrounded on all sides by an adhesive coating. The granules are essentially designed ball-shaped and are adhesively connected together at point-like connections and to the carrier panel. The granules also have a diameter between 0.1 to 0.9 times of the hole diameter of the carrier panel.

Such a sound-absorbing building panel is known, for example, from the EP-B-0 023 618. The sound-absorbing building panel consists of a carrier panel made of a perforated sheet metal, wherein a sound-absorbing layer is applied to one side of the carrier panel. This sound-absorbing layer is constructed microporously, wherein a lacquer coating is applied to the outside of the microporous layer. The sound-absorbing layer consists either of a microporous foil or, however, of organic or inorganic fibers, which are connected with one another through a binding agent. Such a building panel has the advantage that with its very good sound-absorbing characteristics a backing of this building panel with additional insulating material is unnecessary. However, this known building panel is relatively expensive to manufacture, in particular with respect to the adjustment of the demanded microporosity.


A connector comprising a header connector 20 and a socket connector 25. The connector 25 includes a fixed section 272 that is continuously formed at the tip of one end 2711 of a contact section 271 so that a part 2721 of the section 272 is arranged in parallel with the one end. A housing 26 of the connector 25 sandwiches and retains both sides of the part 2721 between a pair of facing retention grooves, and also sandwiches and receives both sides of the one end 2711 between a pair of facing guiding grooves so that the one end 2711 can move only along facing surfaces including the above each groove.

This sort of connector is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-55463. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, this connector 1 comprises a header connector 10 and a socket connector 15.
The header connector 10 is constructed with a header housing 11 formed of electrically insulating material such as synthetic resins or the like and header contacts 12 each of which is made of a metal plate. The housing 11 is formed into a slender box shape with a base, and four walls (sides) along an insert direction. The contacts 12 are arranged and fixed at specified intervals on lengthwise walls 111 and 112 of the housing 11. That is, each contact 12 is bent so that both faces of a lengthwise wall are sandwiched between the bent two parts of the contact 12, and then is fixed on the wall. In the example of FIGS. 1A and 1B, the housing 11 retains P-shaped contacts 12 each of which foot section 123 as, for example, a lead connected to a printed circuit board sticks out sideways via a through hole of the housing 11.
The socket connector 15 is constructed with a socket housing 16 formed of electrically insulating material such as synthetic resins or the like and resilient socket contacts 17 each of which is made of a metal plate. The housing 16 is formed into a slender box shape of which four walls surround the walls of the housing 11 and of which base closes the opening of the housing 11. The contacts 17 are arranged and fixed at the above specified intervals on lengthwise walls 161 and 162 of the housing 16. Concretely, the housing 16 includes connection cavities 165 and 166 formed so that the walls 111 and 112 fixing the contacts 12 are inserted into the cavities 165 and 166 and pulled out thereof along the insert direction, respectively. Each contact 17 is formed to include a contact section 171, a fixed section 172 and a lead section 173. The contact section 171 is bent so that the contact 12 inserted into a corresponding connection cavity is sandwiched between both ends of the section 171 and the ends come in contact with the contact 12. Therefore, when the connectors 10 and 15 are combined with each other as shown in FIG. 1B, each resilient contact section 171 is elastically deformed to sandwich a corresponding contact 12 between both ends of the section 171 to come in contact therewith, while adding restoring force of the elastic deformation. The fixed section 172 is continuously formed at the tip of one end 1711 of the contact section 171 so that a part (one end) 1721 of the section 172 is arranged in parallel with the one end 1711. The lead section 173 is continuously formed at the tip of the part 1721 of the fixed section 172 so as to stick out sideways, and is connected to, for example, a printed circuit board. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2A, the housing 16 has channels (cf. a channel 161a in FIG. 2A) at intervals corresponding to the above specified intervals around each lengthwise wall (cf. 161 in FIG. 2A), and the channels individually receive the contacts 17. Accordingly, each contact 17 can be prohibited from moving lengthwise.
However, as shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C, each contact 17 cannot be prohibited from rotating around the direction perpendicular to the lengthwise walls in the structure that each contact 17 sandwiches a lengthwise wall between the one end 1711 of the contact section 171 and the part 1721 of the fixed section 172, and projections 1725 and 1726 formed at the part 1721 are pressed into the corresponding channel (cf. 161a in FIG. 2B). When at least a contact 17 tilts as shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C, the lead section 173 can not be properly soldered to a printed circuit board. Moreover, contact condition between the contact 17 and a corresponding contact 12 becomes unstable as well, and also unwanted load is added to the contact 17 when inserted into the connection cavity.

Connector with header connector and socket connector that are mechanically and electrically connected with each other


A method for automatically determining at least one modal value of non-numeric data includes selecting a data subset of a dataset, the data subset comprising at least a portion of the dataset and including at least one non-numeric value. At least one modal value is determined based on the selected data subset.

Traditional automated statistical measures, such as average and median, typically operate on numeric values. But a mode, or modal function, is a statistical measure of central tendency that could be valid for qualitative data or text values that is currently performed manually. The modal function normally identifies one or more modal values that are repeated most frequently in a dataset. An employee may use the modal function to manually determine a mode from sets of non-numeric data, such as strings or dates. For example, a person may use the modal function to determine one or more surnames occurring most often in a report, a day of the week during which more orders were placed, and other non-numeric uses.

System and method for automatically determining modal value of non-numeric data


Processes for producing conjugated linoleic acid are described which comprise: (a) isomerizing a linoleic acid lower alkyl ester in the presence of an alkali metal alcoholate to form a conjugated linoleic acid lower alkyl ester; (b) saponifying the conjugated linoleic acid lower alkyl ester in the presence of an aqueous lye to form a saponification product; and (c) neutralizing the saponification product with phosphoric acid.

Polyunsaturated linoleic acids with conjugated double bonds, which are commercially available as "CLA" (conjugated linoleic acids), belong to the essential fatty acids for human beings and animals and are therefore used as food additives. Conjugated linoleic acid is normally produced from triglycerides which have a high percentage content of—normally unconjugated—linoleic acid, such as thistle or sunflower oil for example. The triglycerides are isomerized in the presence of basic catalysts and then saponified. A disadvantage in this regard is that, on the one hand, the saponification step yields many unwanted waste materials and, on the other hand, large quantities of alkalis are required, which can quickly result in corrosion in the reactors used. To avoid this, linoleic acid alkyl esters have more recently been used as preferred starting materials and, in a first step, are isomerized to the CLA esters and then saponified. In this process, however, utilization of reactor capacity is often very poor. The profitability of the process is seriously restricted by large volumes of water, poor yields and unwanted secondary products.
Accordingly, the problem addressed by the present invention was to provide a process for the production of conjugated linoleic acid which would be distinguished by very high profitability and which would lead to an end product in high yields and purity.


The present invention provides a process for dissociating Fc-containing molecules from complexes of Protein A/Fc-containing molecules or mixtures containing Fc-containing molecules and Protein A. The association, e.g., by hydrophobic interactions, between the Fc-containing molecules and Protein A can be reduced or inhibited by raising the pH of dissociation. The pH of dissociation can be raised by addition of agents capable of inhibiting hydrophobic interactions, including buffers containing arginine and/or ethylene glycol, to the mixture, either prior to adding the mixture to the column chromatography substrate, after adding the mixture to the column chromatography substrate, or both prior to and after adding the mixture to the column chromatography substrate. Separation of Fc-containing molecules from Protein A can be performed on a number of different column chromatographic substrates, including column chromatographic substrates contained in Q columns (Q column chromatography substrate), HIC columns (hydrophobic interaction column chromatography substrate), and IMAC columns (metal chelate column chromatography substrate).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to methods for dissociating Fc containing molecules from complexes of Protein A/Fc containing molecules in mixtures.
2. Related Background Art
Purification of target proteins is often encumbered by poor DNA removal due to DNA/protein interactions. DNA/protein interactions are more problematic in the purification of highly anionic target proteins, e.g., sulfated proteins. Purification of proteins, e.g., proteins containing immunoglobulin domains, is also often difficult based on the low pH of dissociation required to separate Fc containing molecules from Protein A. The identification of methods useful in removing DNA from target proteins and the identification of methods for removing Protein A from target proteins would be of great benefit in the purification of various proteins.
International Publication No. WO 01/72769 describes methods for isolating and purifying highly anionic target proteins and target proteins comprising immunoglobulin domains, for example, sulfated proteins. Anionic proteins are proteins which have a net negative charge. Sulfated proteins are proteins in which the net negative charge is due to at least about one (1) sulfated residue. Sulfation of a target protein refers to the substitution of at least one hydroxyl group (—OH) with —SO4H on or between amino acid(s) contained within the target protein. In a preferred embodiment, the sulfated protein has at least about one (1) sulfate group. Sulfated proteins containing at least about two (2), three (3), four (4), five (5), six (6) or more sulfate groups are also encompassed by the present methods, e.g., six sulfate groups on the N-terminal tyrosines as embodied in PSGL-1 (P-Selectin Glycoprotein Ligand-1).
In particular, International Publication No. WO 01/72769 discloses, in one aspect, a method for purifying highly anionic target proteins comprising the steps of ion exchange chromatography under appropriate conditions for the purification of the target proteins. As an example, the disclosed method provides for (1) contacting the sample with a substrate capable of reversibly binding charged molecules whereby the target proteins bind to the substrate, (2) washing the substrate with a first wash solution under appropriate conditions whereby a plurality of proteinaceous and non-proteinaceous impurities in the sample either do not bind or are washed off the substrate while the highly anionic target proteins remain bound, (3) eluting the sample with a first elution solution wherein the first elution solution comprises a salt solution at a high molar concentration, and (4) collecting the eluted sample containing the purified anionic target proteins.
In one embodiment, it is disclosed that the pH of the first wash solution is about 4.0 to 8.0. In another embodiment, it is disclosed that the pH of the first wash solution is about 6.5.
In a preferred embodiment, it is disclosed that the highly anionic target protein is a sulfated protein and the impurities include a sulfated form of the target protein.
International Publication No. WO 01/72769 also discloses that the eluted sample from the ion exchange chromatography purification which contains the purified target proteins can be further purified. This further purification, for example, comprises the steps of hydrophobic interaction and/or metal chelate chromatography under appropriate conditions for the purification of the highly anionic target proteins. For example, this further purification provides for the steps of (1) passing the eluted sample containing the target proteins through a metal chelate chromatography column or a hydrophobic interaction chromatography column whereby the eluted sample is captured on the column, (2) washing the column with a second wash solution under appropriate conditions whereby DNA/histone complexes contained in the sample are dissociated, (3) eluting the sample with a second elution solution, and (4) collecting the eluted sample containing the purified highly anionic target proteins.
In one disclosed embodiment, the second wash solution comprises a high salt concentration and the second elution solution comprises a lower salt concentration than the second wash solution. For example, under hydrophobic interaction chromatographic conditions, the concentration of the salt in the second wash solution is about 4M, and the concentration of the salt in the second elution solution is about 0.48M. Alternatively, under hydrophobic interaction chromatography the second wash solution is selected from the group consisting of (a) a solution comprising NaCl at about 4M and Tris at about 20 mM and a pH of about 7.4, (b) a solution comprising isopropanol at about 5% and ammonium sulfate at about 1.2M, (c) a solution of ethanol at about 5% and ammonium sulfate at about 1.2M, and (d) a solution of ethanol of about 5% and NaCl at about 4M.
It is further disclosed that under iron chelation chromatographic conditions, for example, the second wash solution comprises a salt concentration of about 2M, and the second elution solution comprises a salt concentration of about 200 mM to 1M. Alternatively, under iron chelation chromatographic conditions, the second wash solution comprises MES at about 40 mM, NaCl at about 2M, and imidazole at about 5 mM, and the second elution solution comprises a solution of MES at about 40 mM, NaCl at about 1M, and imidazole at about 35 mM.
International Publication No. WO 01/72769 discloses that the target proteins have at least about one (1) sulfation(s). Anionic target proteins having at least about two (2), three (3), four (4), five (5), six (6), or more sulfations are also disclosed, e.g., PSGL-1 proteins. Anionic proteins capable of being purified by the disclosed methods can be naturally occurring or recombinant proteins.
Also disclosed in International Publication No. WO 01/72769 is a method for the purification of highly anionic proteins comprising an immunoglobulin domain (e.g., an immunoglobulin Fc domain), for example, a PSGL-Ig fusion protein. This disclosed method comprises the steps of (1) contacting the sample with a substrate capable of binding the Fc portion of the target protein comprising an immunoglobulin domain whereby the target molecules bind to the substrate, (2) washing the substrate with a first wash solution under appropriate conditions to wash away contaminants contained in the sample, (3) eluting the sample with a first elution solution wherein the pH of the first elution solution is low, e.g., about 4.0, preferably about 3.7, and (4) collecting the eluted sample containing the purified anionic target proteins.
It is further disclosed that the eluted sample from the Fc binding substrate which contains the purified highly anionic target proteins comprising an immunoglobulin domain may be further purified. For example, further purification comprises the steps of (1) contacting the eluted sample containing the purified anionic target proteins comprising an immunoglobulin domain with a substrate capable of reversibly binding charged molecules whereby a plurality of proteinaceous and non-proteinaceous impurities in the sample either do not bind or are washed off the substrate while the target proteins remain bound to the substrate, (2) washing the substrate with a second wash solution wherein the pH of the second wash solution is low, e.g., about 4.0, preferably about 3.8, (3) eluting the sample with a second elution solution, and (4) collecting the eluted sample containing the purified anionic target proteins comprising an immunoglobulin domain.
In one aspect, it is disclosed that the target proteins comprising an immunoglobulin domain have at least about one (1) sulfation(s). Immunoglobulins comprising proteins with at least two (2), three (3), four (4), five (5), six (6), or more sulfations are also disclosed by International Publication No. WO 01/2769, e.g., PSGL-Ig.
In a preferred embodiment, the purification methods disclosed provide purified highly anionic target proteins and purified highly anionic proteins comprising an immunoglobulin domain (e.g., PSGL-Ig) at least about 99.9% pure of contaminating proteins.
In another disclosed embodiment, the purification methods of the invention removes at least about 95% or 2.5 log10 removal value (LRV) of the contaminating DNA from the highly anionic target proteins and the highly anionic proteins comprising an immunoglobulin domain.
A method, however, for dissociating Fc containing molecules from complexes of Protein A/Fc containing molecules in mixtures would be highly desirable.
This application is related to prior-filed provisional patent application No. 60/193,351, filed on Mar. 27, 2000, prior-filed U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/819,157, filed on Mar. 27, 2001 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,933,370), and prior-filed international application No. PCT/US01/09815, filed Mar. 27, 2001. The entire contents of each of the above-referenced applications are incorporated herein by this reference.

Methods for purifying Fc-containing proteins


A panel mounting assembly includes an elongated holder defining a track with a floor having inwardly projecting opposed facing flanges spaced above said floor for captively receiving legs of an inverted generally V-shaped clip. The track flanges include a plurality of opposed aligned slots for receiving flanges at the ends of the clip legs, thereby locking the clip in place along the track. The holder comprises a thermoplastic polymeric material having a plurality of projections which are melted to fuse the holder to the surface of the panel facing the underlying support structure. In another embodiment of the invention, a resilient polymeric mounting clip for a vehicle panel is made of a thermoplastic material having support panel engaging means extending therefrom in a first direction and a plurality of projections extending therefrom in an opposite direction for fusibly bonding the projections to a decorative panel.

The present invention relates to a vehicle panel mounting clip for attachment of a decorative panel for a vehicle to the underlying sheet metal support.
There exists a variety of fasteners for use in connection with the mounting of vehicle decorative panels, such as door panels, headliners and the like, to the underlying support members, typically sheet metal beams with apertures for receiving such fasteners. Fasteners have included Christmas tree-type fasteners attached to the decorative panel and including an outwardly projecting shank with a plurality of ribs which snap-fit within a circular aperture in the sheet metal support. Other fasteners have included polymeric members with arrowhead-shaped tips which deflect and snap-fit within apertures in the underlying supports. These fasteners frequently include pins for wedging legs of the fastener outwardly once inserted into the underlying sheet metal. Although such systems provide adequate fastening of a panel to underlying support structure, they do not provide the flexibility of adjustment of the panel with respect to mating apertures formed in the underlying support structure and in some instances can be relatively expensive and difficult to attach to the panel.
There exists, therefore, a need for a relatively inexpensive adjustable fastener which can be attached to a vehicle panel at selected locations and preferably coupled to the panel during assembly of the panel onto the underlying support structure where the final mating of the decorative panel to the vehicle support structure is achieved.


A radio system has a number of fixed transceivers (12-18) serving a number of radio coverage sites (28-34). A multisite controller (10) has a memory (42) including mobile radio station identifications and site associations, associating mobile radio station identifications with sites. A processor (40) computes a site loading parameter for each site, dependent on the resources at the site and the number of mobile radio stations associated with the site. A request is received from a mobile radio station to form a new association between the given site and the identification of the mobile radio station sending the request and a response to the request is selected dependent on the site loading parameters in the different sites. For example in response to a first class of acknowledgment, the first site is treated as the registered site and, in response to a second class of acknowledgment, an attempt is made to register at a second site and if no acknowledgment is received from the second site, the first site is treated as the registered site.

In a multisite trunked radio communication system a radio can roam from site to site. The radio tries to operate at a site with the best received radio frequency (RF) level, or at a site which is specified as a preferred site for this radio (programmed to the radio on individual identity (ID) or talkgroup basis).
Normally more than one site can be received at different frequencies and the radio may select any of these sites according to a predetermined selection algorithm. The radio has to register at a site before it is allowed to operate there. Once registered the radio user may request services, such as dispatch calls, phone interconnect calls, etc., from the system.
This registration is done with a multisite controller that controls the whole trunked system. Such a multisite controller is available under the name "Smartzone Controller" from Motorola, Inc. The multisite controller maintains a database for each radio in the network. A radio (or talkgroup) may be permanently denied to operate at a site (individual or talkgroup disabled at that site). Some services may be selectively disabled for a radio for a site (e.g. interconnect calls, talkgroup calls, announcement calls, etc.).
Whenever a radio locks to a new site, it tries to register at that site by sending its individual ID and current talkgroup. The multisite controller checks if both an individual ID and a present talkgroup are disabled at that site for denying access and, if not, it grants the registration. If the registration request is denied the radio searches for another site. If the registration request is granted the radio remains operating at that site. When the user wishes to initiate any service request the radio sends its individual ID and the required service. The multisite controller checks if the requested service is enabled to that individual ID at that site. If the kind of service is allowed and there are resources available for that request (e.g. voice channels, interconnect channels, data channels, etc.) the service is granted.
In the event that the kind of service is allowed and there are no resources immediately available the user enters a busy queue, to be served when the resources become available. If the service is disabled a "service reject" code is sent. A new identical request from the radio will be handled by the multisite controller in the same way again. There may be cases in which radios will concentrate operating at some of the sites thereby overloading these site resources while other sites will be loaded only lightly. This may happen when the selected sites have strong transmission power (or their antennae are located high), or simply due to random selection which occasionally can yield uneven distribution. Once a radio operates at a site, the RF level of the adjacent sites needs to be significantly stronger to force an attempt to switch site (in order to prevent frequent site switching as the RF level is temporarily faded). This means that the duration of uneven site load condition may last a relatively long time. In the field of handover methods for cellular radiotelephones it is known to consider not only the received field strengths but also the actual traffic loading in each cell, for example in considering whether to hand over from a micro-cell to a macro-cell. These methods teach only about traffic distribution and not about registration distribution.
Previous multisite controllers have been somewhat rigid in operation, either totally accepting or rejecting registration requests and either totally accepting or rejecting requests for service (with service requests being put in a busy queue and granted later if not immediately granted). There is a need for an improved method of operation of a trunked, cellular or other radio system.

Radio system and method of control for efficient site load distribution


A method of manufacturing high-temperature-resistant shaped parts of an iron-chromium-aluminum alloy containing 2-10 wt % aluminum, 10-40 wt % chromium, and the balance basically iron is provided. According to this method, the composition in powdered form is hot isostatically pressed to a predetermined shape to form a product. Optionally, the product may be pre-oxidized to form a protective layer of aluminum oxide on a surface thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is for a method of manufacturing high temperature resistant shaped parts made of a metal alloy.
2. Description of the Related Art
Metallic alloys can, when properly selected with regard to alloy composition, be used at high temperatures. High temperature is in this respect considered to be 1100.degree. C. and higher. Alloys of iron-chromium-aluminum, i.e. FeCrAl alloys, can be used at temperatures as high as 1200-1400.degree. C. and also somewhat higher temperatures. Such alloys have the advantage of being extremely resistant to oxidizing and corrosive environments at high temperatures. On the other hand the use of these alloys has been restricted due to difficulties in shaping parts of more intricate design.

Method of manufacturing high temperature resistant shaped parts


A method for processing audio signal that includes receiving a plurality of digital audio signals and calculating signal levels of them. The next step is calculating smooth attenuation signal for each one of the input audio signals. The smooth attenuation signals are calculated according to the signal levels and smoothing criteria, such that the mixing of signals that include the input audio signals multiplied by their respective smooth attenuation signals is peak limited by a given threshold level.

Peak-limiting of audio signals is a very common practice is the audio industry throughout the process of recording, mixing, mastering, production, and distribution of audio content. Unprocessed audio content has a wide dynamic range, while all the common distribution media for audio content available today, including radio broadcasting, internet broadcasting, audio CD, DVD, and more, have a limited dynamic range. Further more, production requirements, and different listening-environment conditions, often require limiting the dynamic range of audio content.
Audio peak-limiters reduce the dynamic range of the audio signal, more specifically, peak-limiters reduce the dynamic range by ensuring the signal will not exceed a certain threshold, while maximizing the RMS of the resulted audio signal, and minimizing audible distortions.
Audio peak-limiters are very common in the audio industry, and are available for decades, ranging from the simplest analog audio 'clipper' to sophisticated digital-domain peak limiters. The technology of peak-limiters has improved since its beginning, allowing for better and deeper peak-limiting, with fewer unwanted audible artifacts. Since 1990 peak-limiters became a must tool in every commercial music production and radio broadcasting, as they were used to maximize the RMS output possible for the given limitations of the distribution media. As a result, there is constantly a strong demand to further improve the technology and achieve deeper peak-limiting, with fewer unwanted audible artifacts.
Smooth Attenuation Signal
The design goal for a peak limiter is to prevent the signal from ever exceeding a given threshold, while maximizing the output signal RMS, and minimizing unwanted audible side effects. While simple signal clipping can achieve peak-limiting, it has severe unacceptable audible distortions. To avoid these severe distortions typical to signal clipping, peak limiters apply a smooth attenuation signal to the audio signal. The smooth attenuation signal is derived such that peak-limiting is achieved, while the control signal is smooth enough to minimize unwanted audible distortions. Thus, deriving the smooth attenuation signal is an essential part of a good peak limiter. FIG. 1A to C show the difference between a clipped signal and a peak-limited signal, in this example the peak-limited signal uses look-ahead smoothing. In FIG. 1.A. the original sine wave is shown. In FIG. 1.B. two control signals are shown, one that will result in clipping, and a smoothed version of it. In FIG. 1.C. the resulting clipped and peak-limited signals are shown.
Prior art techniques to derive the smooth attenuation signal include proper selection of the attack and release attenuation signal smoothing time constants, look-ahead techniques, and the peak-limiter's input-output curve shape. A peak limiter should have very fast response for signal attacks; otherwise peak-limiting will not be achieved. One prior art technique for increasing the attack time while achieving peak-limiting, is the use of look-ahead. Look-ahead peak limiters use delay lines on the input signal, so that they can anticipate the peaks before they reach the output. By aligning the attack smoothing to the look-ahead time, improved peak-limiting can be achieved, with slower attack times. Typical attack time constants used in peak limiters are instant attack when no look-ahead is used, and few milliseconds when look-ahead is used. The release smoothing of a peak limiter has no effect on the peak-limiting itself, rather on the RMS of the resulting peak limited signal. Longer release times will sound less distorted, but will also have lesser RMS, because signal attenuation stays for longer times after the peaks. In order to optimize the tradeoff between RMS and amount of perceived distortions, some prior art peak limiters use adaptive release time technologies, where the release time is dynamically adjusted according to the signal being processed. Typical release time constants used in peak limiters are between few milliseconds to several hundred milliseconds, depending on the type of signal being limited, and the amount of limiting applied. It is to be noted that release time constants are typically much longer than attack time constants.
Inter-Modulation Distortions in Prior Art Peak Limiters
While considerably reducing audible distortions through proper attenuation signal smoothing, prior art wide band peak limiters are subjected to inter-modulation distortions between different instruments and different frequency bands in the audio mix.
Multi Bands Peak Limiters
One prior art technique to reduce inter modulations is multi bands peak limiter. In a multi bands peak limiter the input audio signal is split into several frequency bands, and each band is limited individually before mixing them back. Usually another wide band peak limiter is applied to the signal after mixing to ensure precise peak-limiting. This approach is sub-optimal since it either peak limits each band separately before mixing while ignoring information from the other bands (in the individual bands peak limiters), or peak limits the signal after mixing, while ignoring information from the individual bands (in the peak limiter after mixing).
Multi Tracks Peak Limiters
Similarly another common prior art technique in multi track audio mixing, is to peak limit each audio track individually before mixing, and to apply yet another peak limiter to the mixed signal. This approach is also sub-optimal for similar reasons to prior art multi bands peak limiters.
In the prior art invention described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,501,717 both the signals of the tracks before mixing and the prediction of the resulted mix are analyzed in conjunction, and attenuation is applies to each track before mixing so as to prevent the mix from overflowing. U.S. Pat. No. 6,501,717 concerns Level detectors that detect levels of digital audio signals of individual channels. A controller predicts whether or not an overflow will take place corresponding to detected signals. When the controller predicts an occurrence of an overflow, attenuators attenuate a signal level of at least one channel. In addition, when variable length delaying devices vary the phases of signals, an overflow can be prevented.
While this system offers a potential improvement over its prior art, it can only achieve sub optimal results for peak-limiting. One limitation of the '717 patent is that it does not relate to the effects of the smooth attenuation signal, which is essential for high quality peak-limiting. As shown in the '717 patent, this system relates only to the signals before mixing, but not to the attenuated signals, or to the smooth attenuation gain signals themselves. In the context of a peak limiter, failing to relate to the prediction of the smooth attenuation gain will lead to suboptimal results. This can be understood by noticing that if at some instant a certain track should anyhow be attenuated, regardless of its value, due to attenuation signal smoothing considerations, than attenuation of other tracks may be relieved proportionally, while still achieving peak-limiting of the mixed signal. Thus failing to relate to the attenuation imposed by the smoothing considerations will lead to sub optimal (too much) attenuation overall. Note that the '717 patent discloses that the level attenuation process is of the order of several seconds. For certain applications such as peak limiting, much shorter time constants should be used, in order to maximize the RMS of the peak limited signal, see for example the L1-UltraMaximizer and L2-UltraMaximizer products commercially available from Waves Audio Ltd.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,402,500 discloses an improved audio mixing system. The system is not limited to one type of microphone and does not depend on separate sensing microphones to determine the background noise level. In addition, the active signal is not amplitude modulated by extraneous noise inputted through inactive microphones. The mixing system divides the system gain between a plurality of input channels. The mixing system periodically samples the channels and determines which channel is the dominant channel. In response to this determination, the gain of the dominant channel is increased and that of the other channels decreased.
There is a need in the art for improved peak-limiting, while still processing the individual tracks before being mixed.
Terms and Definitions
There follows a list of known terms. The definitions are provided for clarity only and are by no means binding    Clipping includes: Clipping a signal S(t) to a threshold T can be formulated as follows: CS(t)=min(T, max(-T,S(t))). Normally, clipping of audio signals that exceed T by more than 1 or 2 dBs results in unacceptable distortions for high quality audio applications.    Peak-limiting includes: Peak-limiting a signal S(t) to a threshold T is done by attenuating the signal S(t), locally around points where its absolute value exceeds a threshold T, such that the absolute value of the resulting signal will not exceed T. Clipping is one way to implement peak-limiting, but in general peak limiting refers to more sophisticated processing applying smooth attenuation, that significantly reduces distortions compared with simple clipping.    Peak limiter includes: a signal processing device or algorithm that applies peak-limiting to its input signal, to provide a peak limited output signal.    Smooth attenuation includes: a common implementation of a peak limiter is to compute a smooth attenuation signal, and multiply it by the input signal to produce the peak limited output. In general, the smooth attenuation signal will be <1.0 around locations where the input signal exceeds the threshold. Smoother attenuation signals will keep being <1.0 further away from the locations where the input signal exceeds the threshold.    Audio Track includes: reference to mono audio signal, but also to the more general case of multi-channels audio track. A multi-channels audio track may be a stereo track, consisting of two channels, or a surround track, consisting of 5.1 or more channels.    Mixing includes: Summing of multiple audio signals together.    Multi Channels Mixing includes: mixing of multiple audio tracks, where each track consists of multiple channels and respective channels from each track are mixed to one respective channel of the output. Multi channels mixing differs from independent multiple monophonic mixers in that the amplitude relations between channels of the same input track should be maintained also in the output mix.    Down Mixing includes: down mixing is common when there is a need to play back multi-channels audio such as stereo or surround, trough a system with fewer output channels. For example, playing 5.1 surround recording through a stereo system. In the context of this invention reference is made to the fact that information from several channels has to be mixed in order to form the fewer output channels, and thus there is a risk of overflow in the output.    Frequency Bands Splitting includes: splitting the audio signal into multiple frequency bands, process them and mix back to form the output signal.

Peak-limiting mixer for multiple audio tracks