The present invention relates to an authorization processing method and a device. An authorization server receives an authorization update request including a first identifier of an access device; sends, to the access device, an authorization update response including signature request information, where the signature request information instructs the access device to sign verification information; receives a signature verification request sent by the access device, where the signature verification request includes the first identifier, the verification information, and a signature of the verification information; determines that the signature of the verification information in the signature verification request is valid; and updates the authorization relationship according to the first identifier.

Machine-to-Machine communication (M2M) is a network application and service whose core is intelligent machine interaction. In Machine-to-Machine communication, a wireless or wired communications module and application processing logic are embedded in a machine, so as to fulfill information-based requirements of a user for monitoring, commanding and dispatching, data collection and measurement, and the like. In an M2M system, various M2M devices such as various sensors directly access an M2M service platform using an M2M gateway, to implement various M2M services, for example, electricity meter reading and smart household. A service capability provided by the M2M service platform can be used to obtain data collected by an M2M device, or to perform control and management on an M2M device.
In an existing M2M specification, by using a RESTful (Representational State Transfer) architecture, any M2M device, M2M gateway, or M2M service platform and a service capability provided by them can be abstracted as resources and have unique resource identifiers, that is, URIs (Uniform Resource Identifier). A corresponding access right may be set for each accessed resource, and an access control policy resource such as an ACP (accessControlPolicy) resource is used, to implement an access control function of the system for an accessed resource.
When receiving a resource request message of an access device, a device to which an accessed resource belongs obtains a corresponding access control policy resource according to an access control policy identifier accessControlPolicyID of the accessed resource. Each access control rule of the access control policy resource may be considered as a 3-tuple <accessControlOriginators, accessControlContexts, accessControlOperations>, where accessControlOriginators indicates an identifier (which may be a CSE-ID, an AE-ID, or a serviceProvider domain, or may be all) of an access device that has operation permission; accessControlOperations indicates operation permission (which may include one or more of retrieve, create, update, delete, discovery, or notify) permitted by the rule; and accessControlContexts is optional and defines conditions, for example, being within a time range and being within a geographical region, for which accessControlOriginators has the operation permission specified in accessControlOperations. In an optional manner, a value of accessControlContexts may be null, that is, the conditions for the operation permission are not limited and described. The device to which the accessed resource belongs determines, according to whether the accessControlOriginators attribute in the obtained access control policy resource includes an identifier of the access device and whether the accessControlOperations attribute includes an operation requested by the access device on the accessed resource, whether the access device has a right to access the accessed resource. Only when both the two conditions are satisfied, it indicates that the access device passes an access control right check.
In the M2M system, the access device identifier is used to identify an identity of the access device. Specifically, the access device may be an application entity (AE) or a common services entity (CSE). The access device identifier is allocated by a common services entity with which the access device registers. That is, the access device identifier is allocated by a registrar CSE (which is uniformly referred to as a registrar). In a current system, when an allocated access device identifier of a same access device changes because the access device registers with different registrars, or for another reason, the access device cannot use an original access control policy configured for the access device in the M2M system. An AE is used as an example. When an AE registers with a CSE1 for a local ID, an AE-ID1 is allocated to the AE. After the AE is offline, and when the AE registers with a CSE2, an AE-ID2 is allocated to the AE. In this case, when the identifier of the AE in the M2M system changes, an original authorization relationship (for example, an ACP) associated with the AE-ID1 cannot be applied to the new AE-ID2, and an administrator needs to reset or add an ACP for the AE-ID2. This greatly affects service continuity and user experience of an M2M device. For example, in an M2M system, an ACP resource corresponding to a resource X is shown in the following table:
access-ControlOriginatorsaccessControlContextsaccessControlOperationsAE-ID1/Retrieve/Create
It can be learned from the table that an access device corresponding to the access device identifier AE-ID1 has a retrieve or create access right for the resource X. However, when the access device identifier allocated by the M2M system changes to the AE-ID2 for some reason, for example because the access device registers with another registrar, the ACP resource cannot be applied to the access device, and the access device cannot obtain the retrieve or create access right for the resource X.

Authorization processing method and device


A method and apparatus for detecting the link status of a network device in a computer system. An automatic link status detection mechanism allows a system to operate intelligently in a normal operation mode if the link status is on, or a suspend mode if the link state is down. The mechanism includes an auto link poll controller and a polling cycle generator for generating a sequence of polling cycles to query the link status of the network device. A media independent interface management frame having a preamble field is generated in a polling cycle. Because of the improved preamble field, it is to assure that an exact polling cycle is complete when a polling cycle is issued to the physical layer of the network device.

The past few years have been an exciting and challenging time of the information age and information channels will form the most important links in the most current message-based enterprises of the future. The computer network systems have become a major part of this evolution. The development of computer network systems goes further by providing message-based communication schemes.
Nowadays, as long as a computer system is powered on, users can use any function which was already installed in the computer system at any time. However, if a user has a time period without using the computer system, the system is still being with power on unless the system is powered off. This consumes system power and conflicts with environment protection. In order to save energy, it is therefore preferable that the computer system can automatically detect the current status of whole system utilization so that it can determine whether some of system components should be powered off. As a result, it greatly saves the electrical power. Moreover, if a new job to be performed is found, the system can be fully powered on automatically, and quickly enters its working state.
For a computer in a network system, if the network is disconnected, data can not be transferred through the network. Therefore, the network communication performance can be greatly improved if the data transfer of a computer is determined first by referring to the current link status of its network system.
Polling is one of conventional methods of communicating important timely message for a computer network system. Software polling is a traditional way to query the link status of a physical layer chip (PHY) for a network device. In the design of this approach, a management frame (as defined in the IEEE 802.3u standard) is transmitted to the MII (Media Independent Interface) management interface for asking a PHY the link status information. The software must fill the management frame by bit by bit. It is thus not efficient. Alternatively, automatically polling through the hardware can be an efficient way to accomplish the same functionality and reduce the loading of software.
Another traditional way to query the link status of a network device is to poll a status register inside the PHY when its polling function is enabled and the polling to the status register stops only when the polling function is disabled. The MII is thus occupied and not available to other jobs. As a result, it defers reading other registers.
From the foregoing discussions of prior arts, it can be seen that the disadvantages as pointed out earlier make the conventional approach inappropriate for a computer system to detect the status about its communications links. There exists a strong need for having a more efficient method and apparatus for a computer system to automatically detect the network link status (link on or link loss) about its communication links so that the computer system can operate in a proper mode accordingly and achieve the power saving features.

Method and apparatus for detecting the network link status of computer systems


A solvent and shatter resistant protector for glass bottles containing hazardous materials. The protector is comprised of opaque or transparent polymeric material and conforms substantially to the shape of the container to be protected. The container protector is made up of top and bottom portions each having respective cooperating means, such as a special threading arrangement, for separable engagement, which enables engagement to be maintained even in the event of experienced shocks sufficient to damage the protected glass container. The top portion has an aperture for providing access to the contents of the contents of the protected container without disengagement from the bottom portion.

This invention relates to a shatter resistant safety enclosure for glass bottles and jugs which typically contain hazardous materials such as toxic, caustic or flammable liquids.
Recent years have seen a considerable increase in the use of flammable or hazardous solvents in the laboratory. The growth of analytical techniques such as gas chromatography and liquid chromatography demand the use of these hazardous materials for sample preparation and subsequent manipulation. Since large volumes are commonly necessary, the standard container has become the one-gallon glass bottle. Although the glass container is essential to preserve the integrity of the contents, the fragility and potential hazard from accidental breakage is of great concern to most users. Breakage of a gallon container of hazardous material can lead to exposure of workers to toxic or caustic fumes or liquids as well as create a substantial possibility of fire in the case of a flammable material.
One means currently in use for the protection of laboratory reagent bottles requires an integral coating of the bottle with polyvinyl chloride applied by a dipping process. The procedure leads to a solvent soluble coating which can subsequently lead to contamination of the contents and destruction of the coating by dribbling of the contents during use.
Another integral coating process in current use features a solvent resistant material that must be applied to a heated bottle. This eliminates the advantage of applying the protection after filling the container and again can lead to internal contamination of the bottle itself during the coating process. The hot bottle process is also inapplicable to some types of bottles, for example, those that cannot stand the shock of the rapid heating and cooling demanded by the process.
A third type of protective device currently in use is a heavy, pre-molded plastic pail type container with a snap down lid. The shape and configuration of this device are such that it is heavy and ungainly, has a non-integral handle and requires considerably more space in storage than the bottle guard according to the invention described herein. It is also not designed for use during the shipment of hazardous materials.

Safety enclosure for glass bottles containing hazardous materials


An efficient truck-mounted injection system for injecting a combined aqueous or hydrocarbon-based liquid stream and a liquid carbon dioxide stream via a well into a subterranean formation.

In the use of liquid carbon dioxide for injection with various liquid well treating materials, it has been necessary in the past to use two high-pressure pumps; one for the injection of an aqueous or hydrocarbon-based liquid stream and one for the liquid carbon dioxide stream to achieve the required injection and mixing pressures.
These high-pressure pumps, which are large pumps, are typically mounted on heavy duty trucks for movement to a well area. These pumps are typically massive, positive displacement pumps having one or multiple plungers and are used to increase the pressure of injection streams to a pressure suitable for injection into a well up to and at or exceeding fracturing conditions as required. The use of these pumps is expensive since they are subject to a substantial per diem charge as a result of the high cost of the pumps, because such pumps have relatively high maintenance costs and are typically transported separately on trucks which also incur a substantial per diem charge.
A more efficient and economical way to inject a stream of liquid carbon dioxide and a liquid stream of aqueous or hydrocarbon-based liquid treating solution into a well at a suitable pressure has been sought.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Truck-mounted pumping system for treating a subterranean formation via a well with a mixture of liquids


A display device may include a processor that may receive image data, such that the image data may include gray level data and display brightness value (DBV) data for a first pixel of a display. The processor may then determine a gain compensation factor associated with the first pixel based on a correction spatial map, a brightness adaptation lookup table (LUT), the gray level data, and the DBV data. The processor may then determine an offset compensation factor associated with the first pixel based on the correction spatial map, the brightness adaptation lookup table (LUT), the gray level data, and the DBV data. The processor may generate compensated gray level data by applying the gain compensation factor and the offset compensation factor to the gray level data and transmit the compensated gray level data to pixel driving circuitry associated with the first pixel.

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for compensating for non-uniformity properties in luminance or color of a pixel with respect to other pixels in the electronic display device.
This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present techniques, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
As electronic displays are employed in a variety of electronic devices, such as mobile phones, televisions, tablet computing devices, and the like, manufacturers of the electronic displays continuously seek ways to improve the consistency of colors depicted on the electronic display devices. For example, given variations in manufacturing, various noise sources present within a display device, or various ambient conditions in which each display device operates, different pixels within a display device might emit a different color value or gray level even when provided with the same electrical input. It is desirable, however, for the pixels to uniformly depict the same color or gray level when the pixels programmed to do so to avoid visual display artifacts, color mixing between sub-pixels, frame mura, and the like.

Applying gain and offset correction factors for pixel uniformity compensation in display panels


A stator for a brushless, electronically commutated electric motor having a stator core wound with stator windings and control electronics for controlling the stator windings. The stator core together with the stator windings are enclosed in a molded encapsulation made of a plastic material of a defined thermal conductivity (λSt). The temperature sensor is arranged on the outside at the encapsulation, and the control electronics are designed such that they calculate the temperature in the region of the stator windings on the basis of the temperature detected by the temperature sensor taking into account a specific stator temperature profile stored in a memory. Furthermore, the invention relates to a brushless, electronically commutated electric motor having a stator as described above.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stator for a brushless, electronically commutated electric motor having a ferromagnetic stator core wound with stator windings and control electronics for controlling the stator windings. The invention further also relates to a brushless electric motor having a rotor as well as a stator of the kind mentioned above.
2. Related Technology
Such electric DC motors, also frequently called EC motors (EC=electronically commutated) or BLDC motors (BLDC—brushless direct current), in practice have to be provided with a protection against excess temperature. For this purpose, it has been known to place so-called thermal protectors, i.e. temperature-dependent switching elements, e.g. PTC elements, directly on the stator in the region of the stator windings, and frequently also inside the stator slots that accommodate the windings. This results in a complex manufacturing and assembly process because, as a general rule, several, in fact at least three, thermal protectors or sensors are required, which have to be mounted and electrically connected separately, namely before the stator core with the windings encapsulated in a plastic material, in particular, injection-molded.
It is the underlying object of the present invention to provide a generic stator which has a simplified design and thus can be manufactured in a simplified and more cost-effective manner

Stator for an EC-motor and EC-motor with such a stator


A distance interpolator incorporated into a total station and a method for digitally interpolating a distance measurement from the total station to a target, such that the distance interpolator measures the distance from the total station to the target using primarily digital electronics and statistical analysis. In one embodiment, the total station transmits an energy pulse from the electronic distance measuring portion of the total station, with the energy pulse directed at the target. This embodiment then receives at the electronic distance measuring portion the energy pulse reflected from the target. This embodiment also contains a reference oscillator and digital counter, which counts the number of reference oscillator clock pulses that elapse from the time the energy pulse is transmitted to the time the reflection of the energy pulse is received. This embodiment further accumulates counts for a number of additional energy pulses, and then calculates the average value of the counts over all energy pulses transmitted. This embodiment then calculates the distance between the total station and the target using the average value of the counts, the frequency of the reference oscillator, and the speed of light in the environment in which the counts were obtained.

Modern total stations are typically required to electronically measure distances with an accuracy of five (5) mm or better. One method used to measure these distances is the time-of-flight method, where a short (<10 nano-seconds) pulse of light is emitted by the instrument, and a careful measurement is made of the time-of-flight between when the pulse leaves the instrument and when an echo pulse is received from the object to be measured.
The speed of light (which is 3.times.10 8 meters/second), coupled with the desire to measure distances to within 5 mm, leads to a requirement that the time-of-flight be measured with a precision of less than 40 pico-seconds. This, in turn, leads to a requirement in the hardware to either have a temperature-stable, precision reference oscillator with a frequency of 25 gigahertz (which is currently not practical), or a method of interpolating between the clock pulses of a slower reference oscillator.
In existing total stations using time-of-flight to measure distance, this interpolation is done by using a combination of analog and digital electronics to form time-to-voltage converters. A typical embodiment of these circuits is as follows.
Referring to Prior Art FIG. 1, the leading edge of start signal 100 activates a constant current charge cycle of a capacitor (not shown), leading to the voltage-versus-time ramp 101. The first leading edge of reference oscillator waveform 102 that occurs after this start signal terminates the charge cycle. The voltage across the capacitor is then amplified, converted using an analog-to-digital converter (not shown), and then further processed by a microprocessor (not shown). For reference purposes, the time represented by the voltage of this first ramp is called t.sub.A.
The time between the leading edge of stop signal 103 and the next leading edge of the reference oscillator waveform that occurs after stop pulse 104 is then measured using a similar circuit. For reference purposes, the time represented by the voltage by this second ramp is called t.sub.B.
The time of flight is then calculated as nT+t.sub.A -t.sub.B, where nT is defined as the number of rising edges of the reference oscillator that occurs between the rising edge of the start signal and rising edge of the stop signal multiplied by the period of the reference oscillator.
Variations of the circuit described above are possible, including (but not limited to):
using inductors rather than capacitors for the storage components, PA1 using current or voltage sources that are not constant, or otherwise generating ramps that do not increase linearly with time, or PA1 using the falling edges of the various waveforms or the center of the start and stop signals instead of their rising or falling edges. PA1 1/(Nf), PA1 N=the number of light pulses averaged; and PA1 f=the frequency of the master clock.
However, all existing total stations doing time-of-flight measurements use some variation of this analog-based timing mechanism to interpolate the intervals between the clock pulses of the reference oscillator.
Because of the temperature-dependent and inherent unit-to-unit variations of the analog electronics used, extra analog and digital circuitry must also be provided in these circuits to measure and compensate for the temperature and unit-to-unit variations of the analog electronics.
Like all commercial products, there is an ongoing need in total stations to reduce the cost and increase the reliability of the system wherever possible. Thus, there is a need to eliminate the analog electronics and the digital electronics associated with them from the interpolation circuit.

Interpolation using digital means for range findings in a total station


The invention relates to a vehicle seat with a seat pan for carrying a seat cushion of the vehicle seat, a support element adjustable along an adjustment direction relative to the seat pan for carrying an additional cushion adjustable relative to the seat cushion of the seat pan, and a seat depth adjusting means arranged on the seat pan for adjusting the support element relative to the seat pan. The seat depth adjusting means includes a guide assembly carrying the support element and an actuating assembly for actuating the seat depth adjusting means. By means of guide means the guide assembly is movably guided on the seat pan along the adjustment direction. It is provided that the guide means comprise at least one guiding device which is integrally molded into the seat pan.

This invention relates to a vehicle seat and to a method for assembly of a vehicle seat.
Such vehicle seat includes a seat pan for carrying a seat cushion of the vehicle seat, a support element adjustable along an adjustment direction relative to the seat pan for carrying an additional cushion adjustable relative to the seat cushion of the seat pan, and a seat depth adjusting means arranged on the seat pan for adjusting the support element relative to the seat pan. The seat depth adjusting means comprises a guide assembly carrying the support element and an actuating assembly for actuating the seat depth adjusting means. The guide assembly of the seat depth adjusting means, which carries the support element, is movably guided along the adjustment direction by means of guiding means at the seat pan.
In a vehicle seat known from DE 103 41 176 B3, a guide assembly in the form of a cross-member and rails arranged thereon is guided on sliding guideways, which are arranged below a frame element of the vehicle seat. On the cross-member of the guide assembly, an actuating assembly is arranged in the form of a mechanical lock comprising latching elements and counter-latching elements, which can be actuated for adjusting a support element arranged on the guide assembly, so that the guide assembly can be shifted with its rails relative to the frame element.
In a seat depth adjuster known from DE 10 2005 029 665 A1, a support element is guided on a base element via different guiding devices, wherein the support element is guided not indirectly via a guide assembly carrying the support element, but directly via longitudinal guideways on the base element.
In known vehicle seats with a seat depth adjusting means, guide means are provided in the form of separate components such as guide rails or the like and arranged on a seat pan. As a result, the construction and assembly of such vehicle seats on the one hand become more complicated and on the other hand the weight is increased. In addition, a high variety of parts possibly exists—i.e. for vehicle seats, independent of whether or not a seat depth adjusting means should be provided—different components, in particular a specially adapted seat pan, must be used.

Vehicle seat with a seat depth adjusting device

Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KG, Coburg


A TPA variant with replacement of amino acids is provided. In a typical embodiment, the variant has an amino acid sequence with replacement of the amino acid group consisting of asparagine at the 37th position, serine at the 38th position, glycine at the 39th position, arginine at the 40th position, alanine at the 41st position, and glutamine at the 42nd position from the N-terminus of the amino acid sequence of mature human tissue plasminogen activator.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a human tissue plasminogen activator variant which is useful in the treatment of thrombosis; a DNA sequence encoding the said plasminogen activator; an expression vector comprising the said DNA sequence; a transformant into which the said vector has been introduced; and a method for producing the said plasminogen activator.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Concerning mature human tissue plasminogen activator (hereinafter, referred to as TPA), particularly detailed research has been devoted to TPA secreted by human melanoma (i.e., Bowes melanoma) cells, and TPA is known to be a glycoprotein comprising 572 amino acid residues [Pennica, D., et al., Nature, 301, 214 (1983)].
TPA is an enzyme which acts upon the plasminogen which is present in the blood and converts this plasminogen into plasmin. The plasmin dissolves the fibrin which causes thrombi. TPA possesses strong affinity with fibrin, moreover, the activity of TPA is fibrin-dependent, hence, TPA is regarded as acting specifically upon thrombi. Therefore, TPA is used therapeutically for the treatment of various types of thrombosis [Grossbard, E. B., Pharmaceutical Research, 4, 375 (1987)]. However, when TPA is administered into the blood stream for the treatment of thrombosis, long-sustained effect is not obtained, and the TPA rapidly clears from the circulation, which constitutes a problem in therapeutic applications. TPA is believed to be metabolized principally in the liver [Fuchs, H. E., et al., Blood, 65, 539 (1985)]. The half-life of TPA in the blood is only about 2 minutes [Collen, D., et al., Circulation, 72, 384 (1985)]. Therefore, rather large quantities of protein are currently administered by continuous infusion to maintain therapeutic plasma levels. A TPA with longer in vivo half-life might permit a single bolus injection, the use of lower doses, and thereby, lower cost for the treatment.
With a view to solving these problems, various types of TPA variants, with longer half-life in vivo obtained by chemical or enzymatic modification or by genetic engineering methods, have been reported in the literature [Browne, M. J., et al., J. Biol. Chem., 263, 1599 (1988); Dodd, I., et al., Thrombosis and Haemostasis, 59, 523 (1988); Kayan, N. K., et al., J. Biol. Chem., 263, 3971 (1988)]. However, although greatly improved with respect to plasma half-life in vivo, the TPA variants described in these reports have proved to be extremely inferior to the TPA with regard to the affinity with fibrin that is one of the characteristic properties of TPA [Larsen, G. R., et al., J. Biol. Chem., 263, 1023 (1988)]. Furthermore, in some case, these TPA variants also display a pronounced decrease in fibrinolytic ability [Hansen, L., et al., J. Biol. Chem., 263, 15713 (1988)].
Thus, TPA variants with superior therapeutic efficacy have not yet been obtained. Therefore, there has existed a need for the development of TPA variants which permit effective treatment of thrombosis with small doses by virtue of slow clearance; retain the original biochemical characteristics of TPA to the greatest possible extent; and cause no significant increases in hemorrhagic or other adverse side effects.
TPA is composed of five regions, i.e., a finger region, a growth factor region, a kringle 1 region, a kringle 2 region, and a region possessing serine protease activity. These regions are aligned in the above-mentioned order from the N-terminus of the amino acid sequence of TPA (Pennica, D., et. al., Nature, 301, 214, supra ). Many of the TPA variants with longer half-life in vivo created thus far, lack the finger region alone, or lack an extensive region including finger region and other regions [Hansen, L., et al., J. Biol. Chem., 263, 15713, supra; Larsen, G. R., et al., J. Biol. Chem., 263, 1023, supra; and Collen, D. , et al. , Blood, 71, 219 (1988)]. These types of TPA variants, lacking the finger region, are improved with respect to persistence in the blood, but display markedly decreased thrombolytic ability. Therefore, plasminogen activation and fibrolytic properties are believed to arise from the finger region.
The aforesaid kringle regions have also been studied. The kringle 2 region is said to be concerned in the affinity of TPA for fibrin and the property of activation of TPA by fibrin. On the other hand, although derivatives lacking the kringle 1 region have been created and studied, the function of this region has not yet been adequately clarified [Zonneveld, A. J. V., et al., Journal of Biological Chemistry, 261, 14214 (1986); Proc. N. A. S., 83, 169 (1986) ].

Human plasminogen activator variants having amino acids 37-42 substituted and a method for their manufacture

Kanegafuchi Kagaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha


A light guide plate includes a light guide layer and a metal reflective layer. The light guide layer has a light emitting surface, a bottom surface and a light incident surface. The light incident surface is located between the light emitting surface and the bottom surface. The metal reflective layer is coated on the bottom surface of the light guide layer. Additionally, an average reflectance of the metal reflective layer for light in a wavelength range of 400 to 550 nanometers is greater than an average reflectance of the metal reflective layer for light in a wavelength range of 550 to 700 nanometers.

Technical Field
The disclosure relates to a light guide plate and a back light module having the light guide plate. More particularly, the disclosure relates to a light guide plate comprising a metal reflective layer and a back light module comprising the light guide plate.
Background
With the development of technology, liquid crystal display (LCD) devices have been utilized for electronic products, such as notebooks, digital cameras or mobile phones. Since display panels do not have luminescence characteristics, which means the display panel cannot laminate by themselves, the LCD devices need to combine with certain light sources (such as back light modules) that are adapted to emit sufficient and uniform light. The back light modules can be distinguished into edge-lighting back light modules and bottom-lighting back light modules according to where the light sources are disposed. Generally speaking, the edge-lighting back light module comprises a light guide plate, a reflective sheet, a light source and a frame. The light guide plate is disposed upon the reflective sheet, the light source is disposed at a side of the light guide plate, and all of the light guide plate, the reflective sheet, and the light source are disposed within an accommodation space enclosed by the frame.
Generally speaking, the light guide plate is made of an optical glass material. However, the optical glass has a higher absorptivity for short-wavelength light. With the increment of the distance between an exit surface of the light guide plate and the light source, the quantity of the short-wavelength light which emitted from the exit surface of the light guide plate will be decreased due to the absorption of the short-wavelength light by the light guide plate made of the optical glass material. Accordingly, light colors of the lights will become more uneven for the back light module.

Light guide plate and back light module having the same


A nanocomposite magnet according to the present invention has a composition represented by the general formula: RxQyMz(Fe1-mTm)bal, where R is at least one rare-earth element, Q is at least one element selected from the group consisting of B and C, M is at least one metal element that is selected from the group consisting of Al, Si, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Cu, Zn, Ga, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ag, Hf, Ta, W, Pt, Au and Pb and that always includes Ti, and T is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Co and Ni. The mole fractions x, y, z and m satisfy the inequalities of 6 at %≦x<10 at %, 10 at %≦y≦17 at %, 0.5 at %≦z≦6 at % and 0≦m≦0.5, respectively. The nanocomposite magnet includes a hard magnetic phase and a soft magnetic phase that are magnetically coupled together. The hard magnetic phase is made of an R2Fe14B-type compound, and the soft magnetic phase includes an α-Fe phase and a crystalline phase with a Curie temperature of 610° C. to 700° C. (ω phase) as its main phases.

Recently, it has become more and more necessary to further enhance the performance of, and further reduce the size and weight of, consumer electronic appliances, office automation appliances and various other types of electric equipment. For these purposes, a permanent magnet for use in each of these appliances is required to maximize its performance to weight ratio when operated as a magnetic circuit. For example, a permanent magnet with a remanence Br of 0.5 T (tesla) or more is now in high demand. Hard ferrite magnets have been used widely because magnets of this type are relatively inexpensive. However, the hard ferrite magnets cannot have that high remanence Br of 0.5 T or more.
An Sm—Co based magnet, produced by a powder metallurgical process, is currently known as a typical permanent magnet with that high remanence Br of 0.5 T or more. Examples of other high-Br magnets include an Nd—Fe—B based sintered magnet produced by a powder metallurgical process and an Nd—Fe—B based quenched magnet produced by a melt quenching process. An Nd—Fe—B based sintered magnet of the former type is disclosed in Patent Document No. 1, for example, and an Nd—Fe—B based quenched magnet of the latter type is disclosed in Patent Document No. 2, for instance.
However, the Sm—Co based magnet is expensive, because its materials Sm and Co are both expensive.
As for the Nd—Fe—B based magnet on the other hand, the magnet is mainly composed of relatively inexpensive Fe (typically accounting for about 60 wt % to about 70 wt % of the overall magnet), and is much less expensive than the Sm—Co based magnet. Nevertheless, it is still expensive to produce the Nd—Fe—B based magnet. This is partly because huge equipment and a great number of process steps are needed to separate and purify, or to obtain by reduction reaction, Nd, which usually accounts for about 10 at % to about 15 at % of the magnet. Also, a powder metallurgical process normally requires a relatively large number of process steps by its nature.
In contrast, the Nd—Fe—B based quenched magnet produced by a melt quenching process can be obtained through relatively simple process steps of melting, melt quenching and heat-treating. Thus, compared to an Nd—Fe—B based magnet formed by a powder metallurgical process, an Nd—Fe—B based quenched magnet can be produced at a lower process cost. However, to obtain a permanent magnet in bulk by a melt quenching process, a bonded magnet should be formed by compounding a magnet powder, made from a rapidly solidified alloy, with a resin binder. Accordingly, the magnet powder normally accounts for at most about 80 volume % of the molded bonded magnet. Also, a rapidly solidified alloy, formed by a melt quenching process, is magnetically isotropic.
For these reasons, an Nd—Fe—B based quenched magnet produced by a melt quenching process has a lower Br than an anisotropic Nd—Fe—B based sintered magnet produced by a powder metallurgical process.
As disclosed in Patent Document No. 3, a technique of adding at least one element selected from the group consisting of Zr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W and at least one more element selected from the group consisting of Ti, V and Cr in combination effectively improves the properties of an Nd—Fe—B based quenched magnet. When these elements are added, the magnet can have its coercivity HcJ and anticorrosiveness increased. However, the only known effective technique of improving the remanence Br is increasing the density of a bonded magnet. Also, if the Nd—Fe—B based quenched magnet includes at least 6 at % of rare-earth element, a melt spinning process, in which a melt is ejected through a nozzle against a chill roller, has often been used in the prior art to quench the melt at an increased rate.
As for an Nd—Fe—B based quenched magnet, an alternative magnet material was proposed in Non-Patent Document No. 1. The magnet material has a composition including a rare-earth element at a relatively low mole fraction (i.e., around Nd3.8Fe77.2B19, where the subscripts are indicated in atomic percentages); and an Fe3B type compound phase as its main phase. This permanent magnet material is obtained by heating and crystallizing an amorphous alloy that has been prepared by a melt quenching process. Also, the crystallized material has a metastable structure in which soft magnetic Fe3B and hard magnetic Nd2Fe14B phases coexist and in which crystal grains of very small sizes are distributed finely and uniformly as a composite of these two crystalline phases. Therefore, a magnet made from such a material is called a "nanocomposite magnet". It was reported that such a nanocomposite magnet has a remanence Br as high as 1 T or more. But the coercivity HcJ thereof is relatively low, i.e., in the range of 160 kA/m to 240 kA/m. Accordingly, this permanent magnet material is applicable only when the operating point of the magnet is 1 or more.
It has been proposed that various metal elements be added to the material alloy of a nanocomposite magnet to improve the magnetic properties thereof. See Patent Documents Nos. 4, 5, 6 and 7, for example. However, none of these proposed techniques are reliable enough to always realize a sufficient "characteristic value per cost". More specifically, none of the nanocomposite magnets produced by these techniques realizes a coercivity that is high enough to actually use it in various applications. Thus, none of these magnets can exhibit reasonably good magnetic properties in practice.
Also, a technique of obtaining Nd2Fe14B and α-Fe phases with grain sizes on the order of several tens nm was reported. According to this technique, an amorphous former La is added to a material alloy. Next, the melt of the material alloy is quenched to obtain a rapidly solidified alloy mainly composed of amorphous phases. And then the alloy is heated and crystallized to nucleate and grow both the Nd2Fe14B and α-Fe phases simultaneously. See Non-Patent Document No. 2. This article also teaches that adding a refractory metal element such as Ti in a very small amount (e.g., 2 at %) improves the magnet performance and that the mole fraction of Nd, rare-earth element, is preferably increased from 9.5 at % to 11.0 at % to reduce the grain sizes of the Nd2Fe14B and α-Fe phases. The refractory metal is added to reduce the nucleation of borides such as R2Fe23B3 and Fe3B and to make a magnet consisting essentially of Nd2Fe14B and α-Fe phases only. According to this technique, the rapidly solidified alloy to make a nanocomposite magnet is prepared by a melt spinning process in which a molten alloy is ejected through a nozzle onto the surface of a chill roller that is rotating at a high velocity. The melt spinning process can be used effectively to make an amorphous rapidly solidified alloy because a process of this type ensures an extremely high quenching rate.
In order to overcome these problems, the applicant of the present application developed a nanocomposite magnet, in which Ti is added to a composition range, including less than 10 at % of rare-earth element and more than 10 at % of boron, such that the nucleation of α-Fe is reduced during the melt-quenching process and that the volume percentage of a compound with an R2Fe14B-type crystal structure is increased, and disclosed in Patent Document No. 8.
Furthermore, Patent Documents Nos. 9 and 10 cite a number of elements, including Al, Si, V, Cr, Mn, Ga, Zr, Mb, Mo, Ag, Hf, Ta, W, Pt, Au and Pb, which can be added to a nanocomposite magnet.                Patent Document No. 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 59-46008        Patent Document No. 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 60-9852        Patent Document No. 3: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 1-7502        Patent Document No. 4: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 3-261104        Patent Document No. 5: Japanese Patent No. 2727505        Patent Document No. 6: Japanese Patent No. 2727506        Patent Document No. 7: PCT International Publication No. WO 00/03403        Patent Document No. 8: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-175908        Patent Document No. 9: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-285301        Patent Document No. 10: Japanese Patent No. 3297676        Non-Patent Document No. 1: R. Coehoorn et al., J. de Phys, C8, 1988, pp. 669-670        Non-Patent Document No. 2: W. C. Chan et. al., "The Effects of Refractory Metals on the Magnetic Properties of α-Fe/R2Fe14B-type Nanocomposites", IEEE Trans. Magn. No. 5, INTERMAG. 99, Kyongiu, Korea, pp. 3265-3267, 1999.

Nano-composite magnet, quenched alloy for nano-composite magnet, and method for producing them and method for distinguishing them


Shaping sheets of heat-softenable material while suspended from cable means.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the shaping of heat-softenable materials such as glass and plastic materials that are used as substitutes for glass in aircraft transparencies where light weight is an important factor in addition to good optical properties. Typical organic compositions include acrylic plastics, polycarbonates, polyester resins and certain polyurethanes.
Aircraft transparencies include both windows and closings for pilot cockpits. The latter are generally in the form of a complicated bubble whose cross-section at different portions along its length defines arcs of different curvature and whose curve extends transversely around more than 180 degrees of arc of a circle, ellipse or other rounded shape. In addition, the longitudinal dimension of the bubble is curved about an axis extending transverse to its length. Such shapes are needed in aircraft so that the contour of the transparencies follows the shape of the aircraft fuselage in order to make the aircraft as streamlined as possible. In addition, it is necessary that a pilot sitting in the cockpit have good visibility through the cockpit transparency so as to have a good view in all directions from the aircraft.
When glass or lightweight plastic sheets having the requisite transparency are shaped by pressing them against solid molds having the desired curvature and configuration, the major surfaces of the sheets that ultimately form the transparency are likely to become marked. When sheets are formed by sagging due to gravity to conform to the shape of an outline mold, it is difficult to maintain the shape of the glass within the outline that conforms to the outline mold. Other means of forming glass or plastic sheets while heat-softened, such as blow forming and vacuum forming, have their limitations in the complexity to which the sheets can be shaped.
During blow forming, the thickness of the glass sheet that results from such shaping is non-uniform and the degree of non-uniformity varies considerably with the size of the sheet and the degree of curvature to which the sheet is to be shaped.
At the time of the present invention, the sheet shaping art required a technique for shaping sheets of glass or transparent plastic materials to complicated shapes needed for various aircraft transparencies in such a manner that the sheets would avoid problems due to inadequate shaping and/or the marking of the major surfaces and/or the development of non-uniform thickness during the shaping operation.
Some of the recent shapes required involve the F-16 aircraft canopy and also transparencies for the F-15 aircraft. One of the complicated parts that the present invention can produce has a complicated shape that includes a semi-cylindrical shape at one end and a bend of varying radius extending well over 180 degrees of arc around the circumference of a rounded shape at the other end. The patents available in the prior art were not capable of producing such complicated bends without introducing optical deficiencies and/or causing non-uniform thickness in the workpiece.
2. Description of Patents of Interest
U.S. Pat. No. 2,123,552 to Helwig discloses the blow forming of plastic sheeting against a so-called negative mold having a three dimensional curved surface allegedly without marring the surface of the sheet undergoing shaping. The plastic sheet is blow formed against a mold having a convex shaping surface by the application of fluid pressure. When the fluid pressure exceeds a predetermined amount, which is associated with the completion of the shaping, the pressure lifts the mold. This actuates a solenoid valve circuit which stops the application of pressure so as to produce a shaped plastic sheet that does not come into contact with the mold shaping surface and which, as a consequence, has optically clear surfaces.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,218,654 to Paddock discloses a two-step method for shaping glass sheets to deep bends. The first step is an over bend where the glass, while supported on pipes between its ends and on additional pipes at its ends is heated to a glass softening temperature. The end supporting pipes are removed to permit the glass sheet to sag into a convexly elevated shape. The glass sheet is then turned upside-down and shaped additionally by gravity sagging through the application of heat while the upside-down glass sheet is supported over a gravity bending mold having a shaping surface of concave elevation.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,377,849 to Binkert and Jendrisak discloses a process of bending a stack of glass sheets by prebending them by gravity to conform to the shape of a first mold followed by shaping the glass sheets by a combination of gravity and suction to conform to a second mold of compound curvature.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,420,119 to Boehm and Ladon discloses a method of shaping sheet material by applying rollers over one surface of a sheet that is rolled to conform to the outer shape of a male mold. The rollers are not capable of providing the optical quality needed for aircraft transparencies, because they roll against the vision area of the sheet during shaping.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,474,652 to Block discloses a method that uses a hinged bending mold to form a sheet comprising composite laminated structures of metal and wood. The final shape of the contour is defined only by a clamping rail and a center hold down member. Since the center hold down member forming part of the apparatus of this patent engages the entire length of the composite to be shaped, a composite composed of a transparent material would have a line of optical defect extending across the center of the fabricated article.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,510,304 to Ames relates to centrifugally forming canopies. This technique is entirely different from the technique of the present invention and would result in optical defects when the canopy contacts the mold.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,518,896 to Jendrisak discloses a technique of bending a pair of glass sheets supported in an oblique orientation over an outline shaping mold. A pivotable frame member of complemental shape rests on the upper shaping surface of the glass sheet when the latter is heat-softened to pressure form the glass to a shape conforming to that of the upwardly facing outline shaping surface of the mold beneath the glass sheet.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,020,596 to Clapp and Jameson forms a heat softened sheet to a cylindrical shape by draping it over a male mold of convex elevation. Since gravity is the only force and depends on the weight of the plastic sheet, it is quite possible that gravity alone will be insufficient to pull the weight of the heat softened sheet to the exact configuration of the male mold. Such a technique cannot produce any complicated shape that includes a reverse sag and cannot form parts that are shaped to a contour that extends more than 180 degrees of arc around a circumference.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,574,807 to Heavener discloses a method of molding plastic sheets to a V-type bend using an angulated cavity form as a bending mold. A pair of metal bars are used to provide rigidity in the direction perpendicular to the bending axis in order to ensure that the sheet to be shaped bends about a single axis.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,607,188 to Stilley and Eilenfeld covers a method and apparatus for shaping a glass sheet to a hemispherical shape by first applying a plunger to the upper surface of the heated glass sheet while the latter is spaced above a mold to accelerate the initial sagging of the sheet. The downward movement of the plunger is limited so that the sheet sags away from the plunger and toward the mold. This patent minimizes surface damage by avoiding simultaneous engagement of both major surfaces of the sheet to be shaped in its viewing area. However, this patented apparatus does not teach one skilled in the art how to bend a sheet to a shape having a cross-section of arcuate shape extending more than 180 degrees.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,002,417 to Vecchiotti and Goldberg discloses apparatus for folding a sheet of plastic material along a fold line using a mechanical linkage mechanism. This patent is incapable of producing complicated shapes presently required in aircraft transparencies.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18,964 of Comperatore, Wise, and Black, filed Mar. 9, 1979, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,233,050 covers shaping glass sheets to complicated shape by first preliminarily shaping said sheets to a prebent shape within a thin flexible blanket of fiber glass cloth and converting the prebent shape to a final complicated shape during final shaping by blow forming. This application also covers a technique of cradling glass sheets in a flexible fiber glass blanket that is wrapped over the margin of the glass sheet to be shaped by blow forming. The margin of the blanket is reversely wrapped over a frame-like ring that prevents the marginal edge from curling and maintains the cradle in tension against the lower major surface of the glass sheet during final shaping by blow forming.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 25,137 of Comperatore, Black and Wise, filed Mar. 29, 1979, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,229,201 covers apparatus for shaping a glass sheet to a complicated shape including a pair of sharply bent areas extending across its transverse dimension and a substantially spherically sagged portion intermediate the areas of sharp bending by a combination of gravity sag bending and localized intense line heating.


An integrated Vehicle Electrical Design and analysis System (VEDS) which is adapted to accommodate data interchanged between multiple vendor-independent Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) tools. The system includes a Vehicle Database (VDB) which is operative as a central repository to store all design, analysis and library information. The VDB is interfaced and data is exchanged with the CAE tools through an interface which is predominantly object-oriented using Common Lisp Object System (CLOS). For each tool, an outbound translator is operative to translate the tool's internal data structures into a standard interchange format. Similarly, for each tool, an inbound translator is operative to translate a standard or tool specific interchange format into the tool's internal data structures. The VDB also includes an inbound and an outbound translator. The inbound translator is operative to load data structures from each of the CAE tools into the VDB. The outbound translator is operative to extract selected design data from the VDB and translate it into the standard interchange format or a tool specific interchange format. A Design Manager and an Integration Mechanism are also provided to assist the user in accessing the VDB, launching selected CAE tools, initiating VDB translations, and invoking and controlling data flow to and from selected CAE tools.

System designers must currently re-enter data in order to use different Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) tools. For instance, the "net list" as the term is used by those skilled in the art, once obtained from a schematic must be re-entered during module definition in a 2-D layout process. This process is manual, slow and highly prone to error.
With current technology, any changes made in advanced portions of a design process must also be manually reflected in earlier designed tools. For instance, connectivity changes made in a layout tool must be re-drawn in a schematic tool. This again is a manual process, but also a non-value added process which often leads to inconsistent versions of data. As a result, it is difficult to achieve any significant benefits in design by modeling since at every stage data must be re-entered into new design tools as a design passes through its various stages.
As those skilled in the art will recognize, computer aided engineering tool technology is in a state of rapid change. It is thus unrealistic to expect a single vendor, let alone an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), to provide a single solution to the complex vehicle specific engineering process. To truly engineer a vehicle, unexpected combinations of data must be available for analysis without resorting to reproducing data already designed. If properly analyzed, fewer prototypes would be needed to find all unexpected interactions.
There have been previous attempts to integrate into one system a variety of computer aided product design tools. None of these systems, however, addresses the problems identified and solved by the present invention.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,922,432 to Kobayshi et al. discloses a CAD system for designing Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs). The system allows engineers to use a simulator to develop flow charts defining a functional specification for an ASIC. The designated specification is then entered into a knowledge-based silicon compiler which generates from the flow chart a net list which can be input into any existing VLSI CAD tool for generating a chip topological information required to produce the ASIC. The system includes a knowledge base for storing ASIC design data and a database (cell library) for storing previously-designed, tested and proven hardware cells. The system may be implemented on a computer such as a Sun or a VAX running a view NIX operating system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,162 to Ferriter et al. similarly discloses a method for interfacing a project management tool with a conceptual design tool used for building and modifying the structure of a product such as a lawnmower. In operation, the project management tool interface prompts a user to define various items concerning the product structure. This design data is put into a database and a hierarchical tree of the structure is generated on a computer screen. The user may then access this information from manufacturing data gathered by the conceptual design tool. The data accessed is formatted in a file of the project management tool and then imported into the project management tool. This data can then be modified by the project management tool and can be reformatted for export to the conceptual design tool so as to allow the design process to continue with updated project data.
Consequently, a need has developed for an integration strategy which will support vendor and tool independence. More specifically, a need has developed for an integrated vehicle electrical design and analysis system and method which are adapted to accommodate data interchange between multiple vendor-independent Computer Aided Engineering tools. Such a method and system should be operable in a dynamic and responsive environment. Moreover, such a method and system should have the ability to postpone and determine when and what translations of data are needed so as to ensure that the designer has the most current version of the data in the correct format with the minimal amount of processing.

Vendor-neutral integrated vehicle electrical design and analysis system and method


An apparatus and method for detecting the presence of water in a non-conductive medium such as liquid or solid grease are described. The apparatus utilizes the electrochemical potential difference of two metals, and includes an integral grounding element.

Detecting the presence of water in media which are substantially electrically non-conductive such as grease and oil is a difficult problem, and particularly to the food, the petrochemical and rendering industries. In the rendering industry, a prime source of raw materials is grease and oils produced as by-products by other industries such as the grease produced by restaurants. This grease is often contaminated with water, sometimes intentionally added. It is important to determine how much water is in the grease so that renderer does not pay unnecessarily for a valueless raw material, namely water.
The technique most commonly used by the rendering industry for detecting the presence of water in grease is insertion of a "trier", a hollow sampling tube, into a container of the grease. The trier is withdrawn from the container, bringing with it layers of grease and water. With a trier, continuous layers and sometimes pockets of water can be detected. However, it is very difficult to accurately determine the thickness of water layers and to locate small pockets of water with a trier.
Therefore, there is a need for an easy-to-use, accurate, and inexpensive water-in-grease detector and measuring device. It is important that the device be inexpensive because it is desirable that the apparatus be used as a replacement for the trier on practically every grease collection truck in the nation, which includes thousands of trucks.


A general set of timing constraints, along with methods for computing the "critical" elements of the set, i.e., the elements of the set that, if satisfied, are sufficient to guarantee proper circuit timing, enables retiming of VLSI systems incorporating gated clock signals and/or precharged circuit structures without changing the input/output behavior of the system. In one method, either the clock signal used by a system component is changed or alternatively, a new clock signal is generated for use in the system. In another method, a system component is retimed by retiming other system components. In a further method, multiple critical paths for each pair of components comprising the system are computed. The most critical path for each pair of components is selected and if the most critical path for a pair of components is not properly timed, one component of the pair is retimed in order to properly time the pair of components. If the most critical path is properly timed, or is properly timed after retiming, the procedure is repeated for another pair of components until each pair of components is properly timed so that the VLSI system is, in turn, retimed.

The present invention relates to methods for retiming VLSI systems and specifically VLSI systems which contain precharged circuit structures and/or gated clock signals.
Due to the tangible speed, power, and area benefits of circuit structures that utilize precharging techniques and/or gated clock signals, both are common in high-performance VLSI designs. Prior methods of achieving retiming (i.e. optimizing the placement of latches) have not addressed the peculiarities of precharged circuit structures and gated clock signals and therefore, have not been applicable to many non-ASIC VLSI systems.
The present invention concerns a method which is capable of use with precharged circuit structures and gated clock signals and is applicable to the retiming of "full custom" VLSI designs. While the invention is described in conjunction with retiming, the methods are also applicable to solving the problem of timing verification. That is, the results are based upon a general set of "timing" constraints which is directly applicable to circuits containing precharged circuit structures and gated clock signals.
The fabrication of digital MOS/VLSI designs whose area and power dissipation are as low as possible often results in the use of "precharged" circuit structures and "gated" clock signals. For example, savings in area and power dissipation can frequently be realized by replacing combinational logic blocks with precharged circuit structures, such as domino logic. Savings can also be realized by using combinational logic blocks to selectively prevent clock pulses from reaching particular clocked storage elements. Due to the importance of minimizing area and power dissipation, many full-custom VLSI systems, such as microprocessors, make extensive use of such precharged structures and gated clock signals.
Retiming is the process of optimizing the placement of latches with respect to some performance parameter, generally clock period. Previous retiming techniques are not directly applicable to circuits that utilize gated-clock signals and/or precharged circuit structures because these techniques do not consider the additional timing constraints that such structures impose. This inability to handle gated clocks and precharged circuit structures prevents previous methods for retiming circuits from being applied to a variety of high-performance designs.

Retiming gated-clocks and precharged circuit structures


A coin-shaped lithium battery is disclosed. The coin-shaped lithium battery comprises a battery can containing therein an anode pellet composed of lithium or lithium alloy and a cathode pellet which are arranged to face each other with a separator provided between the pellets. At least one of the anode pellet and the cathode pellet has its central part swollen to form a curved surface. The battery can is elastically deformed to be aligned with the curved surface. In the coin-shaped lithium battery, total height of the anode pellet and the cathode pellet in outer rim part is smaller than total height in central part by 4 to 12%.

This invention relates to a coin-shaped lithium battery constituted by a battery can containing therein an anode pellet composed of lithium or lithium alloy and a cathode pellet which are arranged to face each other with a separator provided between them.
In the coin-shaped lithium battery constituted by a battery can containing therein an anode pellet composed of lithium or lithium alloy and a cathode pellet which are arranged to face each other with a separator provided between them, such as a coin-shaped lithium manganese battery, the anode material, that is, the anode pellet composed of lithium or lithium alloy decreases in volume, and the cathode material, that is, the cathode pellet increases in volume as the battery discharges. The decrease in height of the anode pellet and the increase in height of the cathode pellet are not equal, reducing the total height of the anode pellet and the cathode pellet. Consequently, contact of the battery can, the anode pellet and the cathode pellet with one another, that is, contact between anode and cathode cannot be maintained satisfactorily in the latter half of discharge, and hence the unsatisfactory contact causes a significant increase in internal pressure and discharge failure.
In a conventional coin-shaped lithium manganese battery constituted by a battery can 44 containing therein parallel disc-shaped anode pellet 41 and cathode pellet 42 facing each other with a separator 43 between them, an anode cap 45 and a cathode can 46 forming the battery can 44 are caulked with an insulation sealing gasket 47 provided between them, and the anode cap 45 is elastically deformed, as shown in FIG. 1. In the coin-shaped lithium manganese battery of this structure, hereinafter referred to as Conventional Example 1, the decrease in height of the active material in the course of discharge causes the anode cap 45 to elastically deform, so that satisfactory contact between anode and cathode is maintained.
In another conventional coin-shaped lithium manganese battery constituted by a battery can 54 containing therein an anode pellet 51 and a cathode pellet 52 facing each other with a separator 53 between them, the cathode pellet 52 is fitted into a cathode ring 55, as shown in FIG. 2. In the coin-shaped lithium manganese battery of this structure, hereinafter referred to as Conventional Example 2, the cathode ring 55 limits the change in volume of the cathode pellet 52 in the course of discharge, to the vertical direction. Thus, the reduction in the total height of the anode pellet 51 and the cathode pellet 52 during discharge is prevented.
In addition, another coin-shaped lithium manganese battery, hereinafter referred to Conventional Example 3, has been proposed. This coin-shaped lithium manganese battery of Conventional Example 3 has a thinner battery can 64 which contains therein an anode pellet 61 of greater diameter than that of Conventional Example 1 and a cathode pellet 62 facing each other with a separator 63 between them, as shown in FIG. 3.
With above-described conventional coin-shaped lithium manganese batteries, internal resistance R1 prior to discharge and internal resistance R2 after discharge of 80% of nominal capacity were measured. The results are shown in Table 1.
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ Internal Internal Nominal Discharge Resistance Resistance Battery Capacity Capacity R1 R2 ______________________________________ Conventional 190 mAh 191 mAh 8 .OMEGA. 63 .OMEGA. Example 1 Conventional 190 mAh 193 mAh 8 .OMEGA. 20 .OMEGA. Example 2 Conventional 220 mAh 228 mAh 7 .OMEGA. 101 .OMEGA. Example 3 ______________________________________
The coin-shaped lithium manganese battery of Conventional Example 1 has a problem such that internal resistance increases in the latter half of discharge, as shown in Table 1. This increase in internal resistance in the latter half of discharge indicates that the battery in practical use has its discharge voltage reduced when heavy load which deteriorates battery properties particularly at low temperatures is imposed on the battery. Consequently, equipments using this battery may not operate normally.
The coin-shaped lithium manganese battery of Conventional Example 2 requires the cathode ring 55, and thus has problems of increase in the number of component parts and hence increase in costs.
The coin-shaped lithium manganese battery of Conventional Example 3, though having a greater capacity than in Conventional Example 1, has problems of larger increase in internal resistance in the latter half of discharge and deterioration of performance by heavy load particularly at low temperatures.


A thermally stable ceramic coated carbonaceous fiber batting, fiber tow, yarn or fabric which maintains loft, has some degree of resiliency and some degree of stability in the presence of various concentrations of oxygen at elevated temperatures said fibers having a reversible deflection ratio of greater than 1.2:1 and an aspect ratio greater than 10:1.

Many high temperature applications require a material that is not only processable into a fibrous structure but is also capable of withstanding severe end-use temperatures. In some instances, these temperatures may be as high as 1000 degrees C to 2000 degrees C. The existing engineering plastics cannot be used in such applications because most plastics decompose below 1000 degrees C. Moreover, such plastics suffer dramatic losses in mechanical properties such as tensile strength and tenacity at temperatures as low as 250-400 degrees C. For example, KEVLAR 29 (a trademark of DuPont), when heated to 250 degrees C in air can lose 60% of its tenacity and 60% of its tensile strength. At 425 degrees C Kevlar irreversible degradation and at 500 degrees C KEVLAR decomposes. NOMEX (a trademark of DuPont) decomposes at 370 degrees C and polybenzyimidazole (PBI) decomposes at 480 degrees C. At 520 degrees C, the carbonaceous fibers of the present invention, retain 90% of their original weight.
Heretofore, ceramic graphite fiber and quartz battings and fabrics have been used for high temperature thermal insulation and high temperature protection. All of these prior art materials are very brittle and tend to pack with time and lose loft, thus losing performance with time. The quartz and ceramic materials are air stable at high temperatures such as greater than 450 degrees C. However, they are very difficult for workers to handle and present health risks to the workers similar to those problems created by handling asbestos. A significant amount of research has been conducted by industry to find fibrous materials which can be readily processed into textile batting structures or fabrics and which will withstand temperatures of 400 degrees C or greater in air without loss of mechanical properties. These fibers include Celanese's PBI and Oxidized Polyacrylonitrile Fiber. While these materials are readily processable and have a high degree of resiliency, they lack the requisite thermal stability to withstand temperatures of greater than 400 degrees C and still maintain good mechanical properties.

Carbonaceous fiber or fiber assembly with inorganic coating


A reconfigurable device for terahertz (THz) or infrared (IR) ranges that includes a base substrate, a lower array attached to the base substrate, and an upper array attached to the base substrate and at least partially suspended over the lower array. Activation of the reconfigurable device causes the upper array to mechanically flex towards the lower array so that electrical contact is made therebetween. Methods of fabricating and operating the reconfigurable device are also provided.

Despite much progress in terahertz (THz) technology, existing THz modulators have not yet offered the modulation specifications oftentimes required for high-performance THz imaging, spectroscopy, and communication systems. More specifically, there is a lack of high-performance THz modulators offering large modulation depths over a broad range of THz frequencies.
Modulation schemes and techniques in the visible and infrared regime—such as, for example, those based on carrier injection/depilation in solid-state devices, Mach-Zehnder interferometers, Fabry-Perot filters, liquid crystals, magneto-optic effects, deformable mirrors, and beam deflectors—can have difficulty meeting high-performance modulation specifications at THz frequencies due to the lack of materials with the desired properties at THz frequencies, as well as the practical challenges associated with scaling device dimensions to operate efficiently in the THz regime. Thus, existing modulation schemes and techniques typically offer a tradeoff in terms of modulation depth, modulation bandwidth, modulation speed, modulation voltage, signal attenuation, or some combination thereof, when adapted for operation in the THz regime.
Other modulation schemes and techniques involve the use of metamaterials, which have a spectral response that can be engineered by their geometry, rather than being limited by the characteristics of natural materials at THz frequencies. However, the modulation bandwidth of the demonstrated metamaterial-based terahertz modulators have been somewhat limited by the resonant nature of the device configurations being employed.

Reconfigurable device for terahertz (THz) and infrared (IR) filtering and modulation

The Regents of the University of Michigan


A pneumatic collet control system has a pneumatic cylinder subassembly with an internal shuttle subassembly with a central cylinder portion having an internal surface and a plurality of passageway holes on opposite ends of the cylinder communicating with the internal surface. The internal shuttle subassembly having a ram and a piston. A collet arm coupler is threadedly received into the external end of the ram. A valve body subassembly has a pair of valves and a pair of passageways for the valves for allowing and controlling the flow of actuating fluid into the cylinder with the passageways aligning with and coupling to the passageway holes of the cylinder. A central actuating fluid passageway connects with the two valves. A rotatable flow direction arm with a pivotable operator controlled handle controls the flow of actuating fluid into the cylinder.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pneumatic collet control system and more particularly pertains to opening and closing of collet of an automatic screw machine in a safe and convenient manner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of collet opening and closing mechanisms of known designs and configurations is known in the prior art. More specifically, collet opening and closing mechanisms of known designs and configurations previously devised and utilized for the purpose of operating automatic screw machines through known methods and apparatuses are known to consist basically of familiar, expected, and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which has been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,558 to Brinkman discloses a chuck-closing mechanism for automatic screw machine. U.S. Pat. No. 5,002,291 to Reed et al. discloses a hydraulically operated check closing mechanism. Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,799,696 to Reed et al. discloses a chuck closing mechanism for automatic screw machine.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a pneumatic collet control system that allows opening and closing of collet of an automatic screw machine in a safe and convenient manner.
In this respect, the pneumatic collet control system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of opening and closing of collet of an automatic screw machine in a safe and convenient manner.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved pneumatic collet control system which can be used for opening and closing of collet of an automatic screw machine in a safe and convenient manner. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of collet opening and closing mechanisms of known designs and configurations now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved pneumatic collet control system. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved pneumatic collet control system and method which has all the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.
To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a mounting bracket. The mounting bracket is fabricated of a rigid material and has a generally L-shaped configuration. A mounting leg has two bolt holes a 90 degree second leg terminating in a transverse mounting pin. A pneumatic cylinder subassembly is next provided. The pneumatic cylinder subassembly is coupled to the recipient sides. The subassembly is fabricated of a rigid material and has a mounting bracket portion and a central cylinder portion. The pneumatic cylinder subassembly also has an end cap and an internal shuttle subassembly. The mounting bracket portion has two protruding legs forming a clevis with holes for rotatably receiving the pin. The central cylinder portion has an internal surface forming a round internal cylindrically-shaped hole through its length. A retaining clip groove is provided on the end cap end of the cylinder. The central cylinder portion also has an external surface. The central cylinder portion has a wall between the external and internal surfaces. The external surface has a plurality of reinforcing bosses running lengthwise the length of the cylinder portion. The external cylinder has a plurality of passageway holes on opposite ends of the cylinder communicating with the internal surface and a plurality of threaded bolt recesses into the wall of the cylinder. The end cap has a round flat cylindrical shape with a central hole. The cap is sized to fit securely within the internal diameter of the cylinder. The internal shuttle subassembly has a ram and a piston. The ram has an internal end and an external end. The internal end couples with the piston. The external end has a threaded recess. Next provided is a fastener. The fastener functions to hold the end cap within the internal diameter of the cylinder. Next provided is a collet arm coupler. The collet arm coupler has a flat outer portion and a round threaded inner portion. The outer portion has a central oval slot and a round shaft sized to be received within the central slot. The threaded inner portion is threadedly received into the threaded recess of the external end of the ram. A valve body subassembly is next provided. The valve body subassembly is fabricated of rigid material. The valve body subassembly has a valve housing. The valve housing has a generally rectilinear configuration. The valve body subassembly has a pair of valves and a pair of passageways for the valves for allowing and controlling the flow of actuating fluid into the cylinder. Coil spring urge the valves upwardly when pressure is relieved. The passageways align with and couple to the passageway holes of the cylinder. A central actuating fluid passageway connects with the two valves and a rotatable flow direction arm with a pivotable operator controlled handle for controlling the flow of actuating fluid into the cylinder. Rocker arms sequentially move the valves in response to shifting of the handle and rotation of the flow directing arm. The valve housing has a plurality of holes with bolts for threadedly mounting the valve subassembly onto the external wall of the cylinder. Finally, a coupler is next provided. The coupler securely couples the central actuating passageway to a source of actuating fluid.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims attached.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved pneumatic collet control system which has all of the advantages of the prior art collet opening and closing mechanisms of known designs and configurations and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved pneumatic collet control system which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved pneumatic collet control system which is of durable and reliable constructions.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved pneumatic collet control system which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such pneumatic collet control system economically available to the buying public.
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic collet control system for opening and closing of collet of an automatic screw machine in a safe and convenient manner.
Lastly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved pneumatic collet control system having a pneumatic cylinder subassembly with an internal shuttle subassembly with a central cylinder portion having an internal surface and a plurality of passageway holes on opposite ends of the cylinder communicating with the internal surface. The internal shuttle subassembly having a ram and a piston. A collet arm coupler is threadedly received into the external end of the ram. A valve body subassembly has a pair of valves and a pair of passageways for the valves for allowing and controlling the flow of actuating fluid into the cylinder with the passageways aligning with and coupling to the passageway holes of the in cylinder. A central actuating fluid passageway connects with the two valves. A rotatable flow direction arm with a pivotable operator controlled handle controls the flow of actuating fluid into the cylinder.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.


In the process of permanently waving human hair with a thioglycolic acid or other mercaptan acid solution and rebonding the hair with an oxidizing rebonding agent, the present invention is the improvement comprising contacting the hair with a dye or tint after the reforming solution has been removed from the hair but before the oxidation rebonding is complete. In addition, the improvement preferably comprises admixing a tint or dye into all or a portion of the oxidizing rebonding agent to enable the application of most or all of the rebonding agent and the tint to the hair simultaneously. The oxidizing rebonding agent containing the tint or dye is also claimed.

Repeated attempts have been made to wave and tint hair simultaneously by adding dye or tint to a permanent-waving ("reforming") preparation. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,368,941 to Boosen discloses substituted aminobenzene dyes applied to the hair in the form of a neutral to slightly alkaline cream, into which may also be added shampoos, permanent waving agents, perfumes and admixtures thereof. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 3,399,682 to Isaji discloses the admixture of a mercaptan acid waving solution and a coal tar or certified coloring (food coloring) agent for use as a reforming solution in the ordinary permanent wave process. The dye-containing mercaptan composition is iltimately neutralized with a hydrogen peroxide or potassium bromate neutralizer.
Unfortunately, controlled tests and salon trials have consistently shown that when dyes and reforming solutions are admixed and applied to the hair, the admixture reforms the hair but does not give a satisfactory tint. More particlarly, dyes admixed with reforming solutions either yield a much lighter shade than desired, even when very high concentrations of the dye are used, or do not tint the hair at all. The reason for this failure has, moreover, gone unexplained. As a result, a widespread market demand remains for an effective method of, and composition for, simultaneously permanently waving and dyeing human hair.

Method and composition for simultaneously permanently waving and dyeing human hair


A paddle toy comprised of a ball and string and having an elongated passage of length greater than the combined length of the ball and string. The string is attached at one end to a cross bar located in the upper portion of the paddle and is attached to a ball at the other end. The elongated passage formed within the paddle structure is shaped to permit the ball and string to swing through the paddle and in a preferred form has generally a key hole shape. In alternate embodiments, the invention is provided with means for varying the size of the elongated passage to regulate the skill required. The object of the toy is to impart a centrifugal force to the ball to keep it rotating about the cross bar and through the elongated passage in the paddle.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a paddle toy comprised of a paddle and a ball attached to one end of a string, the other end of which string is attached to the paddle, the paddle being provided with an elongated aperture permitting passage of the ball and string therethrough.
The invention relates to a paddle toy wherein the vertical length traversed by the elongated aperture is substantially equal to the length of the ball and string.
The present invention further relates to a paddle toy having an elongated aperture comprised of three sections, continuous and contiguous with one another, namely an upper aperture, a lower intermediate constriction aperture of the same or narrower width and yet a lower target aperture of sufficient size to permit passage of the ball therethrough.
The present invention further relates to a means for manually adjusting the size of the intermediate constriction aperture and means for manually altering the size and shape of the target aperture.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art discloses a number of game paddle toys comprised of a ball and string attached to a paddle and target openings within the paddle structure for passage of the ball. For example, the references U.S. Pat. No. 883,860 and U.S. Pat. No. 964,473 disclose such a toy apparatus. However, the prior art as illustrated by the foregoing references discloses only singular apertures for a passage of the ball and string, whereas the present invention has enhanced the challenge of the toy by providing an aperture comprised of multiple channels continuous and contiguous to one another. Namely, in order to successfully pass the ball through a target aperture, the user of the present invention must be able to guide the string portion through a constriction aperture while simultaneously directing the ball through a target aperture by imparting a centrifugal force to the ball. Furthermore, the prior art paddle toys, for example, as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 964,473, do not permit continuous revolution of the ball and string around a common support means axis, but rather only allow the user to make dis-jointed attempts to pass the ball through the target aperture. Continuous revolution of the string and ball around a common axis in the manner disclosed in the present invention permits the user to attempt to direct the ball through the target aperture by continually rotating the ball and string in complete revolution around a string support means common axis of a type not disclosed by the prior art.
Furthermore, alternate embodiments of the present invention are provided employing novel means for manually adjusting the constriction aperture width at the will of the user, as well as means for manually altering the size of the target aperture. Therefore, the difficulty and challenge of use of the present invention may be manually regulated by the individual user, thus, enhancing his interest in the toy. The prior art does not disclose means for manually adjusting the size of said apertures in the novel manner disclosed by applicant's invention.


A geophone testing apparatus includes a plurality of force detectors upon each of which is mounted a corresponding geophone. An electrical step function is applied to the active elements of the geophones to generate mechanical output transients. The mechanical output transients are detected by the force detectors which generate corresponding electrical signals. The signals are analyzed to determine the sensitivity, damping and natural frequency of each of the geophones under test. A multiplexer is provided so that all of the geophones may be tested at the same time.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention is concerned with a method and apparatus for measuring desired geophone parameters such as sensitivity, damping and natural frequency.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
A seismometer is a device for detecting and measuring mechanical vibratory motion. Essentially, a seismometer consists of a mass, suspended from a spring secured to a support. A sensing element measures the relative motion between the support and the stationary mass. Seismometers are used in earthquake studies, geophysical exploration for oil, for foundation studies in engineering work, for intruder detection, for monitoring the movements of vibrating machinery and for many other applications. The design parameters of a seismometer are tailored to fit the technology involved.
Various types of sensing elements are known. One common type consists of a spring from which is suspended a coil of wire, that constitutes the mass and moves relative to a magnetic field. In most instruments, the coil and the form upon which it is wound constitute the mass. Relative movement of the coil with respect to the magnetic field generates an electrical signal indicative of the amplitude and frequency of the mechanical vibration. The moving-coil element is widely used with seismometers, also known as geophones, that are used for geophysical exploration for oil. Other types of sensing elemets are based upon magnetostrictive or variable reluctance principles. The sensing elements have in common the ability to convert mechanical input motion into electrical output signals. Conversely, an electrical signal applied to the sensing element will induce a mechanical motion to that element.
For purposes of this disclosure, by way of example but not by way of restriction, moving-coil elements, as used in geophones, will be the subject of the ensuing discussion. A typical moving-coil geophone is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,159,464, assigned to the assignee of this invention. That patent is incorporated herein by reference as a showing of a typical geophone.
Geophones are manufactured to close tolerances. In the factory, they must be tested to assure uniformity of the output-signal characteristics. In the field, they must be tested to detect a change in parametric tolerances due to use and abuse.
Parameters of interest are sensitivity, damping, natural or reasonant frequency, coil resistance and phase shift.
In one form of test, a geophone to be tested is mounted on a shaking table next to a standard geophone. The two geophones are excited at various frequencies and their outputs are compared. If the output signals match within predetermined limits, the geophone under test is accepted.
Another type of test may be conducted wherein a geophone is driven by a steady-state oscillatory electrical signal. The back EMF of the coil is compared with the driving signal and is expected to meet preset standards.
Both of the above tests are qualitative but not necessarily diagnostic of specific parameters.
A somewhat more analytical test involves applying a mechanical or electrical step function to the geophone being tested. A transient output signal, or signature, results from the step-function output. By use of equations well known in the art, the first four parameters listed above can be calculated. See for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,043,175 and 4,015,202.
All of the above test procedures must be performed upon individual geophones, one at a time. Clearly such tests are slow and cumbersome for production testing in a factory as well as for field testing.
As is well known in geophysical exploration, for purposes of signal enhancement, a plurality of geophones may be employed in an array. The geophones of the array are permanently electrically wired together as a single string. The individual output signals of the repsective geophones, being electrically combined, produce a single composite output signal. A diagnostic test of the individual geophones of such an array is simply not possible using prior-art methods, without violating the electrical integrity of the array as a whole.

Method and means for measuring geophone parameters