Currently, electronic imaging cameras use expensive array photodetectors instead of inexpensive linear photodetectors because they cannot scan linear detectors across the entire image within their exposure time and because the linear photodetectors do not capture sufficient photons to produce a high quality image. An image capture system is described that has a lens to form an image on an imaging plane, a linear detector mounted to preclude translational motion, a mirror for deflecting the image to the plane of the linear detector, and a mechanism that moves the mirror to scan the image across the linear detector.

Currently, electronic imaging cameras use two-dimensional arrays of light sensitive elements, sometimes of the type known as CCD (i.e., charged coupled devices) photodetectors, that convert light into electronic charges. There are many relatively low-priced color and black & white array CCD detectors available for video imaging, but they produce low quality images as measured by their low pixel (i.e., picture element) count and dynamic range. Array CCD photodetectors that produce images having a quality comparable to conventional 35 mm chemical photography must have a resolution of approximately 3000 by 2000 pixels . These arrays are expensive because they have low manufacturing yields.
Linear photodetectors cost much less than array detectors because they are much smaller and have higher manufacturing yields. The problem with linear photodetectors is that they* resolve only one line of pixels at a time and must scan the entire image, line by line, within the exposure time of the camera. The exposure time of hand held cameras must be less than 1/15 of a second because users cannot hold cameras still for longer than this. Ideally, the exposure time is much shorter, such as 1/125 of a second.
Previously known hand held cameras cannot use linear photodetectors because they cannot scan the linear detector across the entire image within their exposure time and because the linear photodetectors do not capture sufficient photons to produce a high quality image. If a previously known hand held camera were able to scan the linear detector across the entire image within its exposure time, the linear photodetector would be traveling at such high velocities and accelerations that it would jerk the camera out of the hands of the user.
Previously known stationary imaging systems, such as copiers and photographic scanners can improve their image quality by increasing the amount of ambient light and/or the exposure time. These techniques do not work for hand held cameras because of their short exposure time and their need to operate in a variety of light conditions.
For the reasons previously discussed, it would be advantageous to have an image capture system that scans an image across a detector very quickly without requiring the detector to move at prohibitively large velocities or accelerations. Also, it would be advantageous to have an image capture system that can increase the number of photons captured during a scan.
This invention is a system for capturing an image that has a lens to form an image on an image plane, a detector mounted to preclude translational motion, a mirror for deflecting the image to the plane of the detector, and a mechanism that moves the mirror to scan the image across the detector. The plane of the mirror "bisects" (i.e., divides into two equal parts) at 90.degree., an imaginary line between a cell on the detector that captured a portion of the image called here a "bundle of light" and a corresponding focal point on the image plane (i.e., the bundle of light that focuses on the cell of the detector has another focal point on the image plane called the corresponding focal point). If the detector has a width greater than one cell, then the detector rotates synchronously with the mirror. The image capture system can capture "images" produced by electromagnetic waves of any frequency and it is adaptable to many different devices, for example: photocopiers, hand-held still cameras, motion picture cameras, film scanners, scanners connected to printers to form copiers, fax machines, scanners connected to memory for storing images, scanners connected to computers for altering images, microscopes, telescopes, coherent optics systems, and many other systems.
This image capture system has the advantage that the motion of the detector and the motion of the mirror are minimized; and it can use inexpensive linear photodetectors, such as linear CCD photodetectors, to capture high-quality images.
The image projection system is similar to the image capture system except that it operates in reverse and has an array of light generation elements instead of a light detector. The image projection system has light generation elements mounted to preclude translational motion, a mirror for deflecting the image, and a mechanism that moves the mirror to scan the image. Again, a mirror plane bisects at 90.degree., an imaginary line between a cell on the light generation element that generates a portion of the image called the "bundle of light" and a corresponding focal point on the image plane (i.e., the bundle of light that originates from the photoemitter has another focal point on the image called the corresponding focal point).


A new and distinct variety of rose with long lasting, novel violet red flowers, and attractive foliage with excellent disease resistance. It exhibits upright to bushy growth with abundant flowers. The new variety propagates well from cuttings and by grafting. This new and distinct variety has shown to be uniform and stable in the resulting generations from asexual propagation.

The new variety of rose plant of the present invention originated from a controlled crossing in a breeding program of two distinct parents during the summer of 2003. The crossing was between an 'un-named seedling', the seed parent, and another 'un-named seedling', the pollen parent by the same inventor.
The resulting seeds were planted during the following winter. The resulting seedlings were evaluated and exhibited distinctive physical and biological characteristics. The new rose plant was selected as a single plant from the seedling beds due to its superior characteristics and asexually propagated for further evaluation. This new and distinctive rose variety is named 'KORdiagraf'.

Hybrid tea rose plant named ‘KORdiagraf’

W. Kordes' Schöne Rosenschulen GmbH & Co KG


Provided is an imaging device, including: an image acquisition unit for acquiring a plurality of images having different focal positions; an orientation acquisition unit for acquiring orientation information of the image acquisition unit; and an image processing unit for generating, from the plurality of images, an image having a depth of field which is enlarged compared to a depth of field of one of the plurality of images, in which a focal position setting value by which the focal position is determined is provided, and the focal position setting value is corrected based on the orientation information.

Imaging devices, such as a camera mounted in a mobile terminal, for example, a mobile phone, a smartphone, or a tablet terminal, and a digital camera have been widely used recently. Thus, there are more opportunities to perform photographing of a digital image for people in general.
When performing photographing by using a mobile terminal or an imaging device as described above, due to a depth of field which is determined by characteristics of an optical system and a condition for photographing, blur is caused in an object which is distant in a depth direction from a main object which is in focus. Here, the depth of field represents an object-side distance range of an object which is in focus in an image. For example, in a case where a scene including both a near view and a distant view is photographed under a condition that the depth of field is shallow, blur is caused in an object in the distant view when an object in the near view is in focus, and blur is caused in the object in the near view when the object in the distant view is in focus.
Accordingly, when a focal position is erroneously determined, an object which is desired to be photographed by a user is not in focus and blur is caused. In a mobile terminal or an imaging device as described above, an auto focus (AF) function for automatically focusing on an object is widely used, but an object is erroneously in focus by the AF in some cases. For example, there is a case where a focal position is erroneously determined in a background when photographing is performed by approaching an object at a short distance. There may also be a case where any objects which are photographed are not in focus and an image in which all of them are blurring is provided.
Thus, it is desired to acquire a high-quality image having no blur and all objects in focus without focusing on only the object in the near view or the object in the distant view.
PTL 1 described below proposes a technique of acquiring an image (hereinafter, also referred to as an "all-in-focus image") having an enlarged depth of field by focusing on all objects from a near view to a distant view. With this technique, by moving a focusing lens in an optical axis direction by a focusing lens driver, AF and focus-bracket photographing are performed. The all-in-focus image is acquired based on a plurality of images acquired by consecutively photographing an object with focus bracketing photographing while changing a focal position.


An improved document feeder flag assembly is disclosed. The improved document feeder flag assembly allows single handed, on the fly loading of a document sorter. A method for loading a document sorting machine with a single hand, while the method of operating the machine is also disclosed. The document feeder flag assembly includes a baseplate and a pivot post attached to the baseplate. Further, the assembly includes a flag arm having a first side and a second side, the first side of the flag arm is attached to the pivot post. There is also a feeder flag having a first side and a second side, the first side of the feeder flag being attached to a second side of the flag arm. The document feeder flag assembly also includes a resistance device attached between the feeder flag and the flag arm.

Modern table top sorters implement a variety of different approaches to feeding documents out of a hopper and onto a track or document path. Typical systems for feeding and transporting documents require feeding systems to feed documents in order, one at a time, from a stack in a hopper. These systems often include a nudger component to nudge the documents from the hopper into the feeder.
Many large document sorters require feeder flag assemblies, which are essentially mechanisms used to push against a stack of documents in a hopper, forcing the documents up against the feeder/roller/nudger arrangement. Typically, an operator fills a hopper by taking a stack of around 100 to 200 documents in one hand and manually moving a flag with the other free hand to provide space in the hopper to load the document. Filling hoppers in this manner is somewhat tedious, requiring two hands to complete.
Also, due to size constraints of table top sorters, the ability to use designs from the larger document sorters, which allow for on the fly loading, is impractical and far too pricey. Another area of concern in these table top machines is assembly requirements. Larger document sorter designs usually require an assembly line worker to affix components both above and below the baseplate, which slows down assembly time. Furthermore, designs requiring combined top and bottom assembly also require some form of through hole or slot for the mechanism to operate. Through holes and slots can add to document handling problems, causing documents to skew or tear and machines to slow down or hang. Because these designs require access to the bottom of the baseplate for assembly, component replacement requires extra disassembly of the sorter.
For these and other reasons, improvements are desirable.


A mechanical device for removing the skin from whitetail deer or other game animals of simular size. This invention is self-supporting and needs no assistance from tree limbs or other permanent overhead structures as conventional methods. With the skin holders (21) the skin is held stationary while the carcass is lifted and pulled from the skin. The carcass is pulled from the skin by mechanical means as compared to the skin being pulled from the carcass by hand with the present method.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to the skinning of Whitetail deer ie. removing the skin from the animal.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
Heretofore, the Patent Pending Skin'r Stick or some other type of gimble stick is the only device used for skinning whitetail deer. A singletree or whiffletree which is used on horse-drawn implements is still used by many people. The gambrel stick hooks are placed in the tendons of a deer's hind legs. A rope is attached to the gambrel stick and run over a overhead fulcrum and hoisted by hand until the head of the animal clears the ground. Starting at the rear of the animal the skin is pulled and cut simultaneously by hand the entire length of the animal, making it a time consuming job. This method requires substantial physical strength with the hoisting of the animal and the pulling of the skin while it is being cut. It also requires a permanent overhead structure which is not always where the hunter would prefer it to be. A deer is most often skinned at a hunting camp with several hunters present creating a safety hazard with 2 or more knives skinning the same animal. Conditions are often primitive on a hunt, soap and water for clean hands and utensils sometimes being at a minimum. So much cutting and pulling of the skin and handling of the carcass make for unsanitary conditions. Most times 2 or more people are required to hoist a whitetail off the ground for skinning. Large whitetails can weigh up to 250 lbs. or more, thus being difficult for one person to lift.


Lift-clamping device mounted on a movable base for the lifting and transporting of vertically oriented materials. A hinged arm device controlled by an operator using a jack linked to an adjustable clamp mechanism provides a means for lift and support of materials to be transported.

1. Field of the Invention
The present wall mover relates generally to the lifting and transporting of large vertically oriented crates, wall panels or other materials.
2. Related Art
A search of patent classes 280.47.13 and 280.47.34, and contemporary catalogs: Grainger, Northern Hydraulics, and Dozier Equipent Iternational, revealed no prior art.
Hand trucks and dollies for the transport of materials generally require the operator to lift the articles and place the dolly under the articles before transport is possible. Hand trucks and fork lifts usually must be placed in the side center portion of the article. Said position limits the view around the article to be moved and further requires space for transport larger than the largest dimension of the article.


An elect power steering apparatus includes a motor drive circuit for PWM-driving an electric motor to generate a steering assist torque corresponding to a steering torque. The motor drive circuit includes a bridge circuit formed by a plurality of FETs, and a predrive circuit for driving FETs at a positive potential. Series connected first and second voltage step-up circuits for stepping up a line voltage at two stages are provided in front of the predrive circuit so that the FETs are driven by the predrive circuit with an output voltage from the second voltage step-up circuit supplied to the predrive circuit.

Electric power steering apparatuses are conventionally known, which comprises a power steering unit driven by an electric motor, and a control unit including a microcomputer and a motor drive circuit. In operation, a steering torque generated when the steering wheel is turned and a vehicle velocity are detected and, based on signals corresponding to the detected steering torque and vehicle velocity, the control unit performs PWM (pulse-width modulation)-drive control of the electric motor to generate a steering assist power to thereby reduce the necessary steering power to be applied by the driver.
The motor drive circuit includes an FET (field-effect transistor) bridge circuit and a predrive circuit for applying a drive signal voltage to gates of FETs of the FET bridge circuit. The motor drive circuit performs drive control of the electric motor in accordance with a PWM drive signal supplied from the microcomputer.
In the FET bridge circuit, drains of those FETs at a positive potential are connected to a power supply or source, sources of those FETs at a negative potential are grounded, and sources of the FETs at the positive potential and drains of the FETs at the negative potential are connected together to form output terminals to which the electric motor is connected. The FETs at the positive potential are driven via a voltage step-up circuit (generally called as "booster converter" or "step-up converter") so that a smooth steering feel can be obtained. One example of such known electric power steering apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2,864,474.
FIG. 9 shows a circuit diagram of a motor controller incorporated in another conventional electric power steering apparatus. The motor controller 100 includes an interface circuit 123 having an analog to digital (A/D) converter that converts analog signals (including a steering torque signal from a steering torque detecting section 106, a vehicle velocity signal from a vehicle velocity detecting section 107 and an engine speed (r.p.m.) signal from an engine speed detecting section 124) into digital signals. The digital signals are supplied from the interface circuit 123 to a microcomputer 122.
Another interface circuit 125 converts drive currents detected by motor current sensors 118, 119 into digital signals and delivers the digital signals to the microcomputer 122. Still another interface circuit 126 delivers an exciting current from an RD (resolver digital) converter 127 to a resolver 102 and also delivers an output signal from the resolver 102 to the RD converter 127. The RD converter 127 generates, on the basis of the output signal from the resolver 102, a rotational angle signal indicative of the rotational position of a rotor of an electric motor (three phase brushless motor) 101 and supplies the rotational angle signal to the microcomputer 122. A motor drive circuit 116 is composed of a predrive section 140 and an inverter circuit 150 having six power FETs. The predrive section 140 includes a predrive circuit 128 for supplying a drive signal to FETs at a positive potential of the inverter circuit 150, and a voltage step circuit 130 that steps up a line voltage of a power supply battery) 129, for example, from 12-volts to 24-volts before the line voltage is supplied to the predrive circuit 128.
The microcomputer 122 is connected with a crystal oscillator 131 and capacitors 132, 133 that are provided externally of the microcomputer 122 so that in the microcomputer 122 an oscillating frequency of the crystal oscillator 131 is divided to generate a frequency of PWM signal (PWM frequency) that is used to for driving the brushless motor 101.
The crystal oscillator 131 and the capacitors 132, 133 are also connected to the RD converter 127 so that in the RD converter 127, the oscillating frequency of the crystal oscillator 131 is divided to generate a frequency of an exciting signal (exiting frequency) that is used for driving the resolver 102.
With the motor controller 100 thus constructed, since the FETs at a positive potential of the inverter circuit 150 are driven by the motor drive circuit 118 via the voltage step-up circuit 130 of the predrive section 140, a smooth steering tough or feel can be obtained.
However, when another in-vehicle device or unit is in motion or when the battery 129 undergoes degradation, driving of the motor 101 of the power steering apparatus will involve an additional quantity of current drawn from the battery 129, causing the line voltage of the motor vehicle to drop abruptly. In this instance, due to such abrupt drop in the line voltage (i.e., the voltage level of the battery 129 to the motor controller 100), the voltage appearing after the voltage step-up circuit 130 also dips below the normal. As a consequence, an FET gate drive signal delivered from the predrive circuit 128 involves a voltage drop, which increases ON-resistance of the FETs, tending to fluctuate the motor drive voltage. This causes the motor output to fluctuate, resulting in deterioration of the steering wheel Furthermore, since the FM with increased ON-resistance will generate heat upon conduction, the ON-resistance becomes higher, making it more difficult to obtain a smooth steering feel.
The foregoing problems will be discussed in further detail with reference to FIGS. 10–13. FIG. 10 is a graph showing the relationship between the terminal voltage of the battery (power source) and the discharge current of the battery. In the graph, a curve designated by A1 represents a terminal voltage versus discharge current characteristic curve obtained when a battery is in the initial state and hence degradation of the battery does not occur, while a curve designated by A2 represents a terminal voltage versus discharge current characteristic curve obtained when a battery is in a degraded condition.
As appears clear from the curve A1, the terminal voltages decreases as the discharge current increases. From this, it will be readily understood that when another in-vehicle device or unit is driven while the electric power steering device is operating, the discharge current increases and the terminal voltage decreases conversely. In the case where a 12V battery is used as a power source, the terminal voltage normally varies in a range of from 10V to 12V. However, when an abrupt voltage drop occurs due to driving of another in-vehicle device during operation of the electric power steering apparatus, the terminal voltage may drop to 8V or so. As is evident from the curve A2, when the battery undergoes degradation, the terminal voltage drops steeper than that of the non-degraded battery (e., the battery in the initial state represented by the curve A1) as the discharge curt increases.
FIG. 11 shows the structure of an FET used in an FET bridge circuit such as the inverter circuit 150 shown in FIG. 9. As shown in this figure, the FET has a source terminal S, a drain terminal D and a gate terminal G. In FIG. 11, the drain-source voltage, gate-source voltage and drain current are denoted by VDS, VGS and ID, respectively. The gate-source voltage will be hereinafter referred to as "gate voltage".
FIG. 12 is a graph showing current versus voltage characteristic curves of the FET shown in FIG. 11, which are plotted under the condition that Td=25° C. where TJ is the junction temperature. In the graph, the horizontal axis represents the drain source voltage VDS and the vertical axis represents the drain current ID. Furthermore, curves designated by B1, B2, B3, B4, B5 and B6 represent current versus voltage characteristics obtained when the gate voltage VGS is 10V, 9V, 8V, 7V, 6V and 5V, respectively. As is apparent from FIG. 12, gradients of the respective current versus voltage characteristic curves B1, B2, B3, B4, B5 and B6 become small as the gate voltage VGS decreases. That is, ON-resistance (internal resistance) of the FET increases with a decrease in gate voltage VGS, and the gate voltage VGS decreases with the drain current ID. Furthermore, for the gate voltage VGS of 5V, the drain current ID does not reach a value of 80A, which is necessary for driving the motor of the electric power steering apparatus, even when the source-drain voltage VSD is increased.
It appears clear from FIG. 12 that in order to obtain the necessary motor-driving drain current (ID=80A), the gate voltage VGS must be 6V or higher. For the gate voltage VGS=10V, the necessary motor-driving drain current (ID=80A) can be obtained when the drain-source voltage VDS is 0.6V. Similarly, for the gate voltage VGS=6V, the necessary motor-driving drain current (ID=80A) is obtained when VDS is 1.5V. This means that the motor drive voltage decreases with the result that the steering feel is deteriorated To deal with this problem, it has been a general practice that a voltage Step-up circuit increases the line voltage so that the FETs are driven by a gate drive signal with sufficiently high voltage value. As previously discussed, the conventional motor controller having such voltage step-up circuit still encounters a problem when another in-vehicle device or apparatus is driven while the electric power steering apparatus is in motion.
FIG. 13 is a graph showing the temperature-dependent characteristic of the FET ON-resistance observed under the condition that VGS=6V and ID=37.5A. As is apparent from FIG. 13, the ON-resistance of FETs increases with an increase in temperature.
It will be appreciated from FIGS. 10–13 that as the gate voltage VGS decreases, the ON-resistance of the FETs increases. An attempt to control the current at a constant value will increase Joule heat produced in each FET (as represented by Q=I2Rt). The temperature of the FET is thus increased, and the ON-resistance of the FET increases as previously discussed with reference to FIG. 13. With an increase in ON-resistance, the current flowing in the FET decreases with the result that the motor current is reduced In this instance, since feedback control is performed to keep the motor current constant, the duty ratio is increased to make the motor current equal a target current. This process is, however, accompanied by further generation of Joule heat and a further increase of ON-resistance. Consequently, the motor output is caused to slightly vibrate or fluctuate about a given value with the result that the steering feel is deteriorated.


This invention relates to pipe insulation useful at relatively high temperatures, e.g., 850.degree. F. Mineral fibers bonded with phenol-formaldehyde resins and conventional anti-punking liquid resin systems have been developed as a means of producing thermal insulation of relatively low density. However, sustained punking of the binders employed caused exothermic reactions whose temperatures fused the low density mineral fibers causing thermal and structural degradation of the insulation. The present invention utilizes a relatively dense layer of fiber glass having a relatively low binder content, bonded with a binder comprising an antipunk phenolic resin and high levels of silane based on the solids content in the resin. An outer layer may surround the dense layer and be constructed with a lower density and a higher binder content.

Effective heat insulating pipe coverings employing materials of relatively low density and having a capacity for resisting relatively high temperatures (for example, on the order of 650.degree. F.) have grown in importance in recent years. Such pipe coverings are exemplified by the patents to Stephens et al, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,778,759; 2,790,464; 2,946,371 dated Jan. 22, 1957, Apr. 30, 1957 and July 26, 1960 respectively.
Siliceous insulating compositions in general and particularly glass fibers, have long been noted for their insulating value. However, depending upon the end use of the insulation, there are disadvantages to be found in glass fiber insulation now in general use. It is characteristic of insulating mats typified by the Stephens et al patents, supra, that the respective fibers in the mat are bonded to one another by a suitable resin such as a phenolic resin. The use of such a binder, or of other resin binders, places a limit on the temperature the insulation can withstand without structural and chemical degradation. For example, a pipe carrying a fluid whose nominal temperature is 650.degree. F. and having a resin bonded glass fiber mat in contact therewith normally experiences a burning of the binder on the hot face of the insulation, i.e., the surface contiguous with the pipe. Sustaining punking of the binder may occur depending upon the quantity of resin employed for binding and the critical heating temperature of the resin used. Punking, of course, is a term of art used to denote the comparatively rapid flameless oxidation of the binder with generation of heat. Odors and fumes given off by such thermal decomposition are offensive and are capable of discoloring and staining adjacent materials. Furthermore, punking may be associated with exothermic reactions which increase temperatures through the thickness of the pipe covering causing a fusing or devitrification of the glass fibers and possibly creating a fire hazard. Once devitrification has occurred the insulation is usually incapable of thermally insulating its associated pipe and may warp and pull away from the very pipe it was intended to insulate. Finally, devitrification of the glass in the pipe insulation causes the product to lose its structural integrity to the extent that vibrations and impacts occurring during normal usage may cause dusting problems. In an extreme case the normal vibrations and impacts may dislodge the pipe insulation causing it to become a personal safety hazard in the working environment.
Various attempts have been made to provide high temperature pipe insulations. One such attempt is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,053,715 issued Sept. 11, 1962 to Labino which discloses an insulating unit having a combination of bonded and unbonded layers of siliceous fibers. The fibers in the inner core or the fibers adjacent the surface to be insulated are sub-micron in size so that they are self-adhering and do not require a binder. Preferably the un-bonded sub-micron fibers are leached so that they consist essentially of silica. Labino stated that a high temperature binder could be used to bond the sub-micron fibers in certain circumstances provided, of course, that the minimum punking or critical temperature of the binder is above the maximum temperature of the heat source being insulated. If any of the layers did have a binder it was found that a binder content between 10-25% based on the ignition loss was satisfactory.
While the high temperature pipe insulation disclosed by Labino can be very useful, the product is primarily disadvantageously characterized by the high cost which is incurred by the manufacturing steps of making sub-micron and/or leached glass fibers. Such high cost precludes use of the products of Labino in the area of 850.degree. F. pipe insulation.
Another illustration of an attempt to provide a high temperature insulation product useful for pipe insulation is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,846,225 issued Nov. 5, 1974 to Stalego. The glass fiber insulating materials disclosed by Stalego utilizes a nonpunking organic binder material to bond glass fibers together. The resultant bonded mass is saturated with an inorganic binder-saturant which hardens under treatment to provide a ceramic-like heat resistant coating for the glass fibers in addition to auxiliary bonding. Unfortunately, this product may be characterized as dusty and as having low mechanical or structural integrity. Possibly, the boric acid present in the inorganic-binder saturant may corrode the pipe about which the insulation may be disposed.
Other methods which heretofore have been attempted in order to increase the punk resistance of the binder systems and to more nearly align the properties of the binder system used with the properties of the glass fiber include the reaction of nitrogenous substances such as melamine, dicyandiamide, urea, thiourea, biurea, guanidine and similar compounds with phenol-aldehyde partial condensation products of the resole type. Although the incorporation of such nitrogenous compounds improves the punk resistance and overall thermal stability of the binder system, products composed of glass fibers in association with such binder systems are still not suitable for use in environments approaching the limits of the heat stability of the glass fiber itself. Other methods intended to overcome the comparatively low thermal stability of phenolic resole binder systems include the mixture thereof with other resinous systems, such as alkyds, or the use of water glass or sodium silicate as the binder system. The latter method is, however, disadvantageous in that the high sodium ion concentration in commercially available sodium silicates leads to attack of the glass fiber by the sodium ion and subsequent deterioration of the fibers, with the result that the products formed are weak and subject to many of the limitations present in the use of cementitious materials from the standpoint of strength, flexibility and brittleness.
Higginbottom in U.S. Pat. No. 3,956,204 dated May 11, 1976 demonstrated an antipunking phenolic resin binder system useful for fibrous thermal insulations of low density. However, this conventional antipunk system when used in 850.degree. to 900.degree. F. pipe insulation use environment still experiences punking or burn out and exotherms to greater than 1200.degree. F. This high temperature causes the bonded glass to soften and devitrify resulting in a separation of the glass fibers at their points of contact. In a worse case this high temperature can cause a distinct fire hazard as described above.

by Carolyn R. Loeffler, legal representative


An exhaust gas of hydrocarbon is converted to an exothermic generated gas when it is burnt with air in a burner. The exothermic generated gas which has been dehydrated, is employed as a furnace atmosphere for decarburization or carburizing heat treatment, by the addition thereto of cracked methanol gas so that CO and H.sub.2 contents of the atmosphere gas may get near 1:1.

This invention relates to a heat treatment method for metals, more particularly a heat treatment method for carburizing steels in a continuous type atmosphere heat treatment furnace.
As described in Japanese Post-Examination Publication No. 58-27323 for example,it has been known that an exhaust gas from a combustion heating circuit in a furnace is generated to an exothermic gas which is, in turn, utilized as a furnace atmosphere gas. More particularly, this kind of atmosphere gas is made by freezing and dehydrating the exothermic generated gas. The gas thus converted is generally consisted of N.sub.2 (65-88%), CO(0-13%), CO.sub.2 (7-13%), H.sub.2 (0-17%) and H.sub.2 O(0-3%). While this gas is reductive against iron, steel and so on, it can not be utilized for carburizing steels.


An interactive diagnostic schematic generator illustrates diagnostic test procedures for diagnosing failure modes of a vehicle. The schematic generator reads a schematic data file such as a wiring diagram from a computer memory, indicates a test subject in the schematic or illustrates a location where test equipment is to be connected, and formats the schematic for display on a display device. The schematic generator also receives feedback from a vehicle onboard computer, test equipment or user input indicating that the action has been performed, and removes the indication of the test subject in the schematic. The schematic generator further marks the test subject to indicate that the action has been performed with a marking style that is visually distinct from the indicating style, optionally indicating that the result has validated or invalidated the test subject.

Diagnostic systems are used by technicians and professionals in virtually all industries to perform basic and advanced system testing functions. For example, in the automotive, trucking, heavy equipment and aircraft industries, diagnostic test systems provide for vehicle onboard computer fault or trouble code display, interactive diagnostics, multiscope and multimeter functions, and electronic service manuals. In the medical industry, diagnostic systems provide for monitoring body functions and diagnosis of medical conditions, as well as system diagnostics to detect anomalies in the medical equipment.
In many industries, diagnostic systems play an increasingly important role in manufacturing processes, as well as in maintenance and repair throughout the lifetime of the equipment or product. Some diagnostic systems are based on personal computer technology and feature user-friendly, menu-driven diagnostic applications. These systems assist technicians and professionals at all levels in performing system diagnostics on a real-time basis.
A typical diagnostic system includes a display on which instructions for diagnostic procedures are displayed. The system also includes a system interface that allows the operator to view real-time operational feedback and diagnostic information. Thus, the operator may view, for example, vehicle engine speed in revolutions per minute, or battery voltage during start cranking; or a patient's heartbeat rate or blood pressure. With such a system, a relatively inexperienced operator may perform advanced diagnostic procedures and diagnose complex operational or medical problems.
The diagnostic procedures for diagnostic systems of this sort are typically developed by experienced technical experts or professionals. The technical expert or professional provides the technical experience and knowledge required to develop complex diagnostic procedures. Thus, the efficacy of the diagnostic procedures, in particular the sequence in which the diagnostic procedures are performed, is highly dependent on the expertise of the technical expert or professional authoring the procedures.
However, existing diagnostic systems have a disadvantage in that the textual instructions can seem tedious or difficult to understand or interpret. Vehicle technicians often prefer visual aids that illustrate the diagnostic test procedures or steps. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a method and apparatus for dynamically generating interactive diagnostic schematics to illustrate diagnostic test procedures for a vehicle in a format that can be executed on PC-based diagnostic systems.

Interactive schematic generating method and apparatus for a vehicle diagnostic procedure


A method of producing a replaceable one piece annular outer race having an axial bore, an uninterrupted inner annular concave raceway facing into the bore and an outer surface. The method comprises the steps of applying an overlayment of filaments onto a cylindrical axially split mold assembly to form a one piece outer race substrate. The mold assembly includes first and second separable semi-cylindrical mold halves each having a semi-cylindrical convex outer mold surface, a mounting bore extending axially through the mold assembly, a removal axis normal to the mounting bore axis and a support removably mounted in the mold assembly mounting bore. A coat of hardenable liquid resin is applied to penetrate the filament overlayment substrate, after which the coated substrate is cured to form a hardened one piece outer race on the mold assembly. The cylindrical mold halves are removed from the hardened outer race to yield a single piece annular outer race. The support is removed axially from the mold mounting bore.

This invention relates to a method for producing a replaceable outer race for a ball and socket bearing, and more particularly, to an improved method for producing a filament wound one piece annular replaceable outer race for use on wide spherical balls.
Ball and socket bearings are designed for applications where both misaligning and oscillatory motions are present. These bearings are sometimes referred to as self-aligning bearings, and typically comprise a bearing with a spherical outer diameter, referred to as the ball, mounted within an opening, or the socket of a housing, thus forming the ball and socket bearing. The housing is frequently referred to as an outer race because the ball is mounted to rotate therein. In some installations the outer race is mounted within a separate outer housing such as a pillow block. In such outer race installations the outer race is in an intermediate position between the ball and the pillow block and thus may be referred to as an intermediate race instead of an outer race. However, for convenient reference, the term "outer race" will be used even though in some bearing assemblies the race may be located in an intermediate position. The outer race has an internal annular raceway integral therewith that is concave when viewed in section to mate with the outer surface of the spherical ball. The internal raceway and the outer spherical diameter of the ball must have a predetermined close tolerance fit to assure consistent bearing performance and long life.
It is known in the ball and socket bearing art to non-separably assemble the outer race to form an integral ball and socket bearing assembly. In integral ball and socket bearings the outer race is formed over a preformed spherical ball by molding, casting, filament winding or the like to complete the bearing assembly or the outer race may be first partially preformed, then placed on the spherical ball and finally forged, swaged or coined to complete the integral bearing assembly. When one element of an integral ball and socket bearing assembly fails the entire assembly is discarded.
It is also known to make a separable ball and socket bearing to permit replacement of either the spherical ball or the outer race. British Patent 554,879 issued Jul. 22, 1943 to Phillips and Power Aircraft Limited provides insertion flats on the spherical ball which allows it to be removably installed in the outer race. U.S. Pat. No. 3,116,539 issued Jan. 7, 1964 to Evans et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,934 issued Jul. 18, 1989 to Blakely et al. provide insertion slots in the outer race to permit installation and removal of the spherical ball. U.S. Pat. No. 3,888,554 issued Jun. 10, 1975 to McCloskey discloses a replacable spherical ball that includes at least three spherical interlocked segments to permit its removal and installation in the outer race.
Annular outer races for use in ball and socket bearings are normally produced by casting machining, or permanently fabricated on the ball in some way, for example, by filament winding, forging or swaging, which makes their production expensive. Requirements for lining a concave internal raceway of an outer race with a self-lubricating material adds to manufacturing costs and to the difficulty of producing an annular outer race wherein the integrity of the bond between the outer race and self-lubricating material is strong enough to insure that the outer race is durable under heavy duty rough service.

Method for producing a replaceable outer race for ball and socket bearing


A rotary pipe cutting apparatus for removing sections of broken pipe from the bore of an outer pipe. The invention includes a cylindrical body with a longitudinal slot that is angularly offset from the rotational axis of the body and which is tapered in depth and width from top to bottom. A blade is included on the body adjacent the slot and the lower end of the body, with the blade having cutting edges which extend both downward and radially outward from the body. A guide member which centers the apparatus is included on the lower end of the body which includes resilient rounded projections. A stopping member is included on the upper end of the body. A shank on the upper end of the body allows attachment of the apparatus to a rotary power tool.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains generally to devices and methods for cutting, boring and reaming pipes or tubes, and more particularly to a rotary pipe cutting apparatus for removing portions of broken plastic pipe from the bore of an outer pipe or fitting.
2. Description of the Background Art
The use of plastic pipe for irrigation and landscape sprinkler systems has become widespread due to the lower cost of plastic pipe compared to galvanized metal pipe. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) plastics are the most widely utilized materials for fabrication of plastic pipes. One drawback associated with plastic pipe, however, is that it provides lower strength than galvanized metal pipe, and thus irrigation and sprinkler systems employing plastic pipe can be more prone to breakage and require more frequent repair. A common example of this problem is provided by a standard lawn sprinkler system wherein a sub-ground plastic pipe network includes several "T" fittings which extend upward towards the ground surface for attachment of sprinklers. The sprinklers are generally attached to the "T" fittings by means of a plastic riser pipe sized to fit within the inner diameter of the "T" fittings and which are glued into the "T" fittings. If a sprinkler is inadvertently kicked or struck by a lawn mower or bicycle, the plastic riser pipe may break off and leave a broken portion glued within the "T" fitting. The broken portion of riser pipe prevents attachment of a new riser and sprinkler to the "T" fitting. To repair the break and replace the sprinkler, one must dig around the "T" fitting, cut the pipe around the "T" fitting, and then install couplings, a short length of pipe, and a new "T" fitting. This procedure is expensive, time consuming, and inconvenient. The use of threaded risers and "T" fittings has been introduced to facilitate the replacement of broken risers, but the broken threaded portions of such risers often cannot be successfully removed from the threaded "T" fitting without damaging the "T" fitting, and thus the above-described inefficient procedure must still be used.
Several cutting, reaming, boring and chamfering tools have been developed to aid in removal of broken sections of plastic pipe from the bore of an outer pipe or pipe fitting. Typically, such tools are rotary in nature and employ one or more blades which cut or grind away the inner, broken pipe portion from the outer pipe. The currently available cutting devices, however, have proven deficient for various reasons. Particularly, the presently used devices are difficult to guide and control during cutting, and can damage the outer pipe or fitting during removal of the broken inner pipe. Another problem is that the individual devices are usually configured to remove an internal broken pipe portion of only a certain wall thickness or size, and cannot effectively remove inner pipe with a different wall thickness. Still another problem experienced with currently used cutting devices is that the shavings or turnings produced during cutting are not directed away from the cutting site but, instead, tend to be retained adjacent the blade or blades, and thus the device must periodically be withdrawn from the outer pipe during a cutting operation to clean the blade or blades and remove shavings.
Yet another problem experienced by currently used cutting devices is that the depth that the device extends into the bore of the pipe or fitting can not be accurately limited thereby causing damage to the interior surfaces of the fitting or pipe.
Accordingly, there is a need for a rotary pipe cutting apparatus which provides for removal of broken plastic pipe from an outer pipe or fitting, which does not damage the outer pipe, which can be used to remove broken pipe of different wall thickness, and which does not cause buildup of shavings adjacent to the cutting blade or require periodic removal of shavings during a cutting operation. The present invention satisfies those, needs, as well as others, and generally overcomes the deficiencies found in the background art.


A connection element includes first and second retaining elements adapted to be connected to be freely rotated relative to each other about 360°. The first retaining element has a first outer annular portion and a first inner annular portion concentric to the first outer annular portion. The first outer annular portion has an inner locking portion of limited length in the circumferential direction. The second retaining element has a second outer annular portion and a second inner annular portion concentric to the second outer annular portion. The second inner annular portion is matingly accommodated by the first inner annular portion. An annular circumferentially extending locking portion of the second outer annular portion is within the first outer annular portion gripping behind the inner locking portion when the retaining elements are plugged together.

In many cases, there is a need to connect two parts with each other and to permit a rotation of these parts with respect to each other, for instance, retainers for lines or cables must be rotatable in order to permit an adaptation to the course of the line or the cable. Also, two lines or pipes can be connected with each other via a rotational connection.


A method of manufacturing a transistor may include: forming a first well over a silicon substrate; forming a first mask pattern over the silicon substrate and using the formed first mask pattern to form a second well; removing the first mask pattern; forming a second mask pattern over the silicon substrate and using the formed second mask pattern to form a first drift region; removing the second mask pattern; forming a third mask pattern and using the formed third mask pattern to form a second drift region; removing the third mask pattern; forming a field oxide film over the silicon substrate; and introducing first conductive impurity ions into an upper surface of the silicon substrate by channel ion implantation.

A high power MOS Field Effect Transistor (MOSFET), which is a unipolar device, may have relatively high input impedance compared to a bipolar transistor, so that it can have a great power gain and simple gate driver ICs. The high power MOSFET also has an advantage of no substantial time delay due to minority carrier accumulation and/or recombination when the device is turned-off. Accordingly, use of such a MOSFET has recently increased in various applications including, for example, production of a switching mode power supply, (open) lamp regulation, production of a motor driver IC, etc. Such a power MOSFET may include, for example, a double diffused MOSFET (DMOSFET) structure which uses a planar diffusion technique. Among high voltage semiconductor devices, a lateral diffusion MOS (LDMOS) having a specific structure suitable for high voltage applications, in which a channel region and a drain electrode are separated from each other by interposing a drift region therebetween and are controlled by a gate electrode, is an example of a DMOSFET.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating each transistor of a low voltage (LV) MOS gate driver and a high voltage (HV) MOS gate driver. Referring to FIG. 1, the gate driver may include LV PMOS, LV NMOS, HV NMOS and/or HV PMOS. In manufacturing such a gate driver, a channel ion implantation for targeting threshold voltages of HV NMOS and HV PMOS transistors needs an ion implantation mask so as to separately control the above HV NMOS and HV PMOS transistors, thereby causing an increase in production costs of the gate driver.


Circuits, integrated circuits, apparatuses, and methods, such as those for protecting circuits against electrostatic discharge events are disclosed. An example apparatus comprises a thyristor coupled to a node and configured to limit the voltage and discharge the current associated with an over-voltage event at the node. The over-voltage event includes a negative voltage having a magnitude that exceeds a trigger voltage of the thyristor. The example apparatus further comprising a transistor coupled to the thyristor and configured to adjust the magnitude of the trigger voltage.

Integrated circuits are connectable to external circuitry through input nodes, output nodes, or input/output nodes such as bond pads, input pads, input/output pins, die terminals, die pads, contact pads, and so forth. The integrated circuitry often includes operational circuitry that includes circuit components, such as transistors, that are susceptible to damage caused by over-limit electrical events, for example, voltages caused by electrostatic discharge (ESD) during handling, testing and operation of the integrated circuit. An over-limit electrical event (e.g., an ESD event) that may cause damage to the circuitry of the integrated circuit unless adequately protected. Typically, the susceptible circuit components may be protected from over-limit electrical events via an ESD protection circuit to prevent damage caused by an over-limit electrical event. Typically, an ESD protection circuit is associated with one of the above-mentioned nodes.
ESD protection circuits may include circuitry that provides a conductive path to a reference voltage such as ground and/or to a voltage supply such as VCC, to limit or clamp the voltage (e.g., by discharging or shunting the current) associated with the over-limit electrical event before operational circuitry of the integrated circuit is damaged. Although some circuit components may be capable of limiting some transient ESD voltage without some circuit components may be capable of limiting some transient ESD voltage without damaging circuit components, other circuit components may be damaged as a result of any ESD voltage. For example, high-speed input or output circuits (or other specialized circuit components) may tolerate little to no transient ESD voltage or current. In other words, some circuits may not be self-protecting. Also, as semiconductor devices continue to shrink, the circuit components become more prone to and less tolerant of over-limit electrical events. And, even if the circuit components can tolerate a small level of transient ESD voltage or current, the ESD protection circuit's breakdown voltage may be lower than the breakdown voltage of for example, the circuit components. In this case, dedicated ESD circuits may be added to help clamp the ESD voltage level below the breakdown voltage of the transistors.
Some dedicated ESD circuits include circuit components that exhibit a "snap-back" characteristic. Generally, a snap-back characteristic provides a trigger condition which, when exceeded, causes the circuit to enter a low-impedance state. The low-impedance state is maintained while the electrical condition on the node exceeds a minimum hold condition (e.g., minimum holding voltage and/or current levels). Examples of conventional circuits having snapback characteristics include overdriven metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistors.
In designing an adequate protection circuit using a snapback circuit, the trigger condition must be sufficiently low to provide protection before a breakdown condition occurs for operational circuitry. Examples of conventional protection circuit for operational circuitry coupled to a negative potential node may include an ESD clamp formed using large p-type field-effect transistors (PFETs). In this case, for example, should a large negative voltage (with respect to a reference voltage, such as ground) from an over-limit electrical event be provided to the node, the transient ESD voltages may be limited and the ESD current may be discharged through the large ESD clamp to ground. However, the large ESD clamp requires a large footprint to implement. An ESD voltage protection circuit is capable of protecting the operation circuitry, yet requiring a smaller footprint is desirable.

Apparatuses and method for over-voltage event protection


An elevatable building including a foundation (18) set into a ground surface and a platform (15) that, in the event of a flood, is to be elevated by a lifting mechanism (19). The building includes lightweight walls (14) and a roof assembled on the platform (15) to form a house. An adaptable connection (28) for utility services is provided which adjusts to the height from ground level of the platform when it is raised or lowered by the lifting mechanism so that vital service to the house can remain uninterrupted.

It is a common problem that land in particular regions, e.g. close to a waterway or beach, can be prone to flooding on a regular, intermittent or unpredictable basis. Furthermore, climate change and extreme weather events potentially increases the probability of flooding in a given area and/or introduces risk to places where there had never previously been a problem. This issue has particular significance in the UK and will be an ever increasing problem as population density increases.
Real estate in flood prone areas is often desirable for aesthetic reasons but can be uninsurable due to the high probability of damage to conventional building structures. Conversely, land in flood prone areas can be obtained at lower cost, such that it is attractive for social housing, but presents a high risk as a building project.
It is clear that the ever increasing likelihood of flood events has created a need for housing which can resist and/or otherwise survive periods of flood.
The most common strategy for reacting to a flood situation is to build barriers, e.g. of sandbags, that deflect water around a home or larger collection of buildings. Such solutions must be deployed rapidly which presents significant challenges and, in any event, the degree of protection is limited by height of such barriers which, in turn, is limited by resources and other practical considerations.
In countries that have large regions under constant threat of inundation, such as The Netherlands, other approaches to the problem of flooding have been explored. A popular approach is to utilise floating structures/foundations upon which to build a house. Indeed, such technology is often used to produce permanently floating houses which can be located on a river or canal, etc.
Known types of floating house system include a hull type and a raft type. The hull type excludes water in the same way a boat does and, at a certain depth of water, becomes buoyant. The raft type incorporates buoyancy into a deep supporting foundation slab. The completed building is typically moored to a post, e.g. by steel arms, and can rise and fall with flood waters or tide. These types of design are appropriate for water fronts or controlled flooding locations; however, they are not suited for situations where there are high flow flood waters and where flood debris is likely. It is also noteworthy that the UK Housing Act gives security of tenure to people living legally on land, but floating dwellings such as house boats do not have the same security of tenure. Furthermore, with regard to hull and raft types of floating house, there is a lack of control when returning the property to ground level after flood waters recede.
Another form of floating home is an amphibious house type which is secured on thick steel posts. Such designs can be more resilient to flood because of the more secure structure. An amphibious house uses a passive lifting system based on buoyancy where it may have a hollow concrete basement and telescopic piles allowing the house to rise with water level. One problem associated with such designs is that there is no way to control the lowering of the house when waters recede which could lead to debris being trapped underneath the base, resulting in an uneven resting position. Similarly, these solutions are not suited to occasionally flooded land because of the high build price (roughly twice a traditional house).
WO98/22663 describes a floatation system for a building that includes a watertight basement that can rise and fall in relation to guideposts located at the corners. The guideposts have a ratchet system to maintain the building at a desired height, by virtue of rising water. The preferred embodiment also envisages the use of pressurised cylinders for lifting the building prior to a surge of flood water. Nevertheless, such an elaborate system is very expensive to build and unsuited for social housing projects intended to be erected on low cost land.
WO2006/100698, DE10234049, WO96/30602 and US2005/092218 describe buildings that are generally retractable into the ground for the purposes of storm, i.e. high wind, damage prevention. These constructions are not suitable for flood risk mitigation and, in fact, increase the likelihood of damage.

Elevatable building for preventing flood damage


A waterjet cutting head assembly is provided which includes an orifice unit to generate a high-pressure waterjet, a nozzle body and a nozzle component coupled to the nozzle body with the orifice unit positioned therebetween. The nozzle component may include a waterjet passage, at least one jet alteration passage and at least one environment control passage. The jet alteration passage may intersect with the waterjet passage to enable selective alteration of the waterjet during operation via the introduction of a secondary fluid or application of a vacuum. The environment control passage may include one or more downstream portions aligned relative to the fluid jet passage so that gas passed through the environment control passage during operation is directed to impinge on an exposed surface of a workpiece at or adjacent to a location where the waterjet is cutting the workpiece. Other high-pressure waterjet cutting systems, components and related methods are also provided.

Technical Field
This disclosure is related to high-pressure waterjet cutting systems, components thereof and related methods, and, in particular, to nozzle components of high-pressure waterjet cutting heads and related methods that are well suited for cutting workpieces with high precision using a pure waterjet or abrasive waterjet.
Description of the Related Art
Waterjet or abrasive waterjet systems are used for cutting a wide variety of materials, including stone, glass, ceramics and metals. In a typical waterjet system, high-pressure water flows through a cutting head having a nozzle which directs a cutting jet onto a workpiece. The system may draw or feed abrasive media into the high-pressure waterjet to form a high-pressure abrasive waterjet. The cutting head may then be controllably moved across the workpiece to cut the workpiece as desired, or the workpiece may be controllably moved beneath the waterjet or abrasive waterjet. Systems for generating high-pressure waterjets are currently available, such as, for example, the Mach 4™ five-axis waterjet system manufactured by Flow International Corporation, the assignee of the present application. Other examples of waterjet systems are shown and described in Flow's U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,058, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Abrasive waterjet cutting systems are advantageously used when cutting workpieces made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic or other composite materials to meet exacting standards; however, the use of abrasives introduces complexities and abrasive systems can suffer from other drawbacks, including containment and management of spent abrasives. Although pure waterjet systems may solve some of the drawbacks and avoid some of the complexities of abrasive waterjet systems, known systems that use pure waterjets unladen with abrasives are generally insufficient for cutting workpieces made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic or other similar composite materials to exacting standards.

High-pressure waterjet cutting head systems, components and related methods


After the etching away of copper to selectively expose surface areas of insulating material in a printed circuit process based upon copper foil-clad insulating substrate material, the exposed surface areas of insulating material are contacted with an aqueous alkaline permanganate solution to remove from the areas residual metal species associated therewith so as to improve the electrical resistance afforded by those areas in the printed circuit.

The present invention relates to the manufacture of printed circuits and, more particularly, to a process for improving the insulation resistance of printed circuit boards.
In the manufacture of printed circuits, a fundamental starting material is a planar insulating substrate material, typically composed of an epoxy resin and more typically a glass-reinforced epoxy resin, having a thin layer of copper foil adherently bonded to one or both of its surfaces. From this printed circuit board starting material, a variety of different types of processes can be carried out to selectively define on the surfaces those areas which will constitute the conductive circuitry of the printed circuit and those areas which will be non-conductive, and the hallmark of all such processes is an eventual etching of copper, including the original thin layer of copper foil, in selected areas to there expose the underlying insulating substrate.
In a typical process, for example, double-sided printed circuits are manufactured from a board comprised of an insulating substrate having a thin layer of copper foil adherently laminated to both its surfaces. Through-holes for conductive interconnection of circuitry on both sides of the board are drilled through the board and the board is electrolessly plated with copper to metallize the through-hole surfaces and provide additional copper over the copper foil. An organic plating resist (e.g., from the application, imaging and development of a photoresist) is then applied to board surfaces to provide a plating resist pattern in the negative of the desired circuitry pattern, and additional copper is selectively built up on the non-resist areas via electroplating. Thereafter, an etch-resistant material (e.g., tin-lead) is selectively electroplated onto the exposed copper areas not covered by the plating resist, and thereafter the plating resist is removed. The board is then treated with a copper etchant to etch away the copper areas which were previously covered by the plating resist, thereby arriving at a selective pattern of conductive circuitry and insulating substrate areas on the board surfaces. Typical processing steps thereafter may include reflow and fusing of the tin-lead, followed by selective application of a solder mask.
Critical to the functionality of printed circuits is the electrical integrity of the selective conductive paths and areas, as provided by the selective areas of insulating material which separates them on the planar board surface. To this end, the insulating material used in producing the copper foil clad substrates as the starting material in printed circuit manufacture is chosen to have a high electrical resistance. The surface of insulating material exposed after selective etching during the printed circuit manufacturing process generally exhibits somewhat less resistivity than the original insulating material itself, sometimes as a consequence of incomplete etching away of copper, but more commonly as a consequence of the presence on the surface of metal species from compounds (e.g., zinc and/or chrome compounds) employed by board manufacturers in the process of adhering the copper foil to the insulating substrate, which metal species are apparently so intimately associated with the board surface as to resist complete removal in the copper etching process.
The decreased resistivity of the insulating material surface brought about by the presence of these metal species can be tolerated in certain printed circuits where relatively large insulating areas separate conductive areas. However, the trend today is toward much more complex and dense circuitry patterns, and as a consequence poor resistivity of the insulating surface areas, and particularly latent conductive paths thereon resulting from retained metal species, can readily lead to undesired cross-talk and shorting between closely-spaced conductive areas.

Method for improving insulation resistance of printed circuits


A tubular door lock includes a dead bolt and a follower slidably received in a housing and coupled together. The follower included a groove formed between two levers, two actuators are rotatably received in the housing and each includes one or more actuating fingers engageable with the levers of the follower, for selectively actuating the levers of the follower to move the dead bolt relative to the housing, when the actuators are rotated relative to the housing. The provision of the actuators in different positions relative to the housing allows the lock device or the knob to engage with either of actuators, for allowing the lock device and the knob to be secured into the door panel at different positions.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tubular door lock, and more particularly to a tubular door lock having selective actuators for fitting to different door panels.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typical tubular door locks comprise a pair of extensions extended from a cylindrical housing and coupled to dead bolts, and an actuator wheel rotatably attached to the cylindrical housing and having one or more actuator teeth for engaging with the extensions of the cylindrical housing, and actuating or moving the dead bolts into the cylindrical housing.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. Re. 34,240 to Lin, U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,838 to Lin, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,354,109 to Lin disclose three of the typical tubular door locks comprise an actuator wheel rotatably attached to a pair of plates of the cylindrical housing, and slidable or adjustable relative to the plates of the cylindrical housing, for allowing the typical tubular door locks to be attached to different positions of the door panels.
Normally, the plates of the cylindrical housing include two oblong holes formed therein, to slidably receive the actuator wheel, and one or more spring members are required to be attached to the plates, for retaining the actuator wheel in either of two positions in the plates.
However, the spring members may not solidly retain the actuator wheel to the plates, and may have a good chance to be moved relative to the plates in advertently.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional tubular door locks.

Tubular door lock having selective actuators


A printed circuit board (10) including a layered transformer (1) has a stack of layers of a first magnetic layer (2), a first transformer coil (4), an insulating body (7), a second transformer coil (5) and a second magnetic layer (3), wherein each of the transformer coils (4, 5) is embodied as a two-dimensional pattern of conductive tracks. The insulating body may comprise one of more channels (8, 18, 28) containing a magnetic material. Instead of one printed circuit board (10), the transformer (1) may be embodied in two printed circuit boards (60) as well, each comprising a magnetic layer (2) and a transformer coil (4). Said printed circuit boards may be included in a charger device (71) and a user device (72).

The invention relates to a system comprising a transformer which has a first and a second transformer winding and a first magnetic layer, which first magnetic layer is laminated in a multilayer printed circuit board, said printed circuit board being provided with a first and a second, opposed outer surface with a pattern of conductor tracks on the first outer surface.
The invention also relates to a printed circuit board provided with a first and a second, opposed outer surface, with a pattern of conductor tracks on said first outer surface, printed circuit board which comprises a first transformer winding and a first magnetic layer.
The invention further relates to a charger device, a user device, and an apparatus, all suitable for use in the system.
Such a system and such a printed circuit board are known from O. Dezuari et al., Sensors and Actuators A, 76(1999), pp. 349-355. The known printed circuit board comprises a magnetic layer with an alloy of CoFeMo as the magnetic material. This alloy is provided on a substrate of epoxy resin by means of a liquid epoxy or acrylic acid glue. The magnetic layer is patterned so as to form a rectangular or toroidal magnetic core. Between the substrate with the alloy and the outer surfaces of the printed circuit board there are epoxy resin boards which are provided with conductor track patterns at the outer surfaces. Conductor tracks at the first outer surface and at the second outer surface are interconnected with electrical conduction by means of vias. A turn of a transformer winding is formed by a conductor track on the first outer surface, a conductor track on the second outer surface, and the two vias between these conductor tracks. The turn thus lies in a plane which is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the first magnetic layer. If the magnetic layer is patterned so as to have a rectangular shape, the turns, and also the first and the second transformer winding, will be mutually parallel. The transformer windings thus form three-dimensional patterns which are coiled around the magnetic core or around a portion of the magnetic core which is constructed as a layer.
A disadvantage of the known system is that the transformer has a self-inductance of no more than 1 to 10 microHenries and is useful up to 30 kHz. The known printed circuit board is accordingly not suitable for the transfer of powers in switch mode power supplies.
It is a first object of the invention to provide a system of the kind mentioned in the opening paragraph which is suitable for the transfer of power in switch mode power supplies.
It is a second object of the invention to provide a printed circuit board of the kind mentioned in the opening paragraph which is suitable for the system according to the invention.
Further objects of the invention are the provision of a user device, a charger device, and an apparatus suitable for the system according to the invention.
The first object is achieved in that
the transformer comprises a primary part, a secondary part, and an insulation layer, which insulation layer lies between the primary and the secondary part,
the primary part comprises the first transformer winding and the first magnetic layer, which first transformer winding is constructed as a two-dimensional pattern of conductor tracks, is laminated in the printed circuit board between the first magnetic layer and the insulation layer, and is electrically connected to the pattern of conductor tracks at the first outer surface, and
the secondary part comprises the second transformer winding and a second magnetic layer, which second transformer winding lies between the second magnetic layer and the insulation layer.
The transformer in the system according to the invention differs constructionally from the transformer in the known system. Thus a second magnetic layer is present besides the first in the system according to the invention. Furthermore, the first and the second transformer winding lie in a plane which is substantially parallel to the magnetic layers. In addition, the first and the second transformer winding are present between the first and the second magnetic layer.
It is found that the transformer in the system according to the invention is capable of generating a sufficiently strong magnetic field. The self-inductance of the transformer in the system according to the invention is 1 to 10 milliHenries, i.e. a factor 1000 better than in the transformer in the known system. In addition, the transformer in the system according to the invention can be used with frequencies up to a few hundreds of kHz. A coupling of 0.95 or higher is realized with lateral dimensions of a few square centimeters, with a Q-factor of the order of 10 to 40. Accordingly, the system according to the invention is highly suitable for power transfer in switch mode power supplies.
The system according to the invention may comprise a printed circuit board in which both the primary and the secondary part have been laminated. The transformer in the system, however, also operates if the primary and the secondary part are kept at some distance from one another, highly preferably substantially parallel to one another. The primary part may thus be integrated into a charger device, and the secondary part may be integrated into a user device. The user device may be charged by means of the charger device in a contactless manner in the system according to the invention.
Such a system for contactless charging is used inter alia in electric tooth brushes. This known system comprises, besides an electric tooth brush in which a battery and a coil are present, also a charger device with a coil. The charger device is provided with a ring in which the user device can be placed. The contactless charging operation takes place by the air coil principle; when the user device is placed in the ring of the charger device, the coils are concentric and transfer of energy can take place through the air. It is a disadvantage of the known system that dissipation of energy takes place also when the user device is not placed in the ring. This is undesirable for economic and environmental reasons. This disadvantage is obviated in the system according to the invention. Whereas the known system for contactless charging achieves a coupling of no more than 38%, the system according to the invention is capable of realizing a coupling of 95% or higher. When the user device is not present on the charger device, the power dissipated by the first transformer winding is small. The surface area of a turn in the transformer winding is in fact comparatively small, and the turns are preferably thin. In addition, the construction with transformer windings and magnetic layers which are mutually substantially parallel leads to a transformer which is more efficient than the transformer in the known system.
It is not necessary in the system according to the invention for a printed circuit board to be present both in the charger device and in the user device, in which printed circuit board a layered magnetic layer and a transformer winding constructed as a two-dimensional pattern of conductor tracks have been integrated. In a favorable embodiment, the magnetic layer in the user device is constructed as a component which is placed on the printed circuit board, and the transformer winding is present at the outer surface of the printed circuit board. The charger device then may have a larger surface area than the user device; several user devices may be charged with one and the same charger device contactlessly and simultaneously in this manner. In addition, the charger device may be integrated in an object such as, for example, a fruit bowl or a shelf in a bathroom cabinet. A charger device is regarded as an untidy item by many consumers. The integration of the charger device in an object such as a fruit bowl renders the charger device invisible while at the same time making it readily available for use.
Examples of user devices according to the invention are inter alia an electric tooth brush, an electric shaver, a mobile telephone, a portable computer, portable kitchen equipment, an electric thermometer, a watch, and an electric alarm clock.
If the transformer forms part of a supply circuit, at least two topologies are known for the construction of the circuit, i.e. a flyback topology and a resonant topology. It was found in experiments that the transformer may be used both in a circuit with flyback topology and in a circuit with resonant topology, also known to those skilled in the art as a resonant switch mode power supply. Preferably, the transformer forms part of a circuit which is designed as a resonant topology such as, for example, a half bridge. Less power dissipation takes place because the power which would be dissipated owing to the scattering self-induction is utilized by a capacitor for generating the resonant, sinusoidal current curve, as is familiar to those skilled in the art. The transformer in the system according to the invention may thus also be used at higher powers, of more than approximately 50 W.
The second object of the invention is achieved in that the first magnetic layer, the first transformer winding constructed as a two-dimensional pattern of conductor tracks, and an insulating layer are laminated between the first and the second outer surface, while the first transformer winding is connected with electrical conduction to the pattern of conductor tracks at the first outer surface. The object is achieved thereby, i.e. that the printed circuit board is suitable for use in the system as claimed in claim 1 or 2. It is to be understood, that the term xe2x80x9cprinted circuit boardxe2x80x9d also includes any other type of multilayer substrate, such as a low-temperature cofiring ceramic (LTCC) substrate.
Preferably, a second transformer winding constructed as a two-dimensional pattern of conductor tracks and a second magnetic layer are present between the insulating layer and the second outer surface, and the second transformer winding and the second magnetic layer are laminated together with the insulating layer, the first transformer winding, and the first magnetic layer.
The transformer in this embodiment is of a completely layered construction. As a result, it can be manufactured in a simple manner. An advantage of the printed circuit board according to the invention over a printed circuit board on which a plurality of components have been provided is that the former is very thin. To achieve a minimum thickness, preferably, other components are also integrated in the printed circuit board, i.e. between the magnetic layers and the outer surfaces. The two-dimensional pattern of the transformer windings is preferably spiraling in shape.
The first magnetic layer comprises a magnetic material. This material may be, inter alia, ferrite, iron, or an iron alloy, or some other magnetic alloy, and may take the form of, inter alia, a layer or a distributed powder. Among the examples of alloys are NiFe, CoFe, MnFe, and CoFeMo.
In an advantageous embodiment, the first magnetic layer comprises a composite of a matrix of organic material and a filler of magnetic material. The properties of the transformer are found to be good in spite of the relative magnetic permeability of the composite being no more than 20. It was found in addition that the transformer also operates satisfactorily if an insulating layer is chosen which complies with the European standards for mains separation layers and no interconnections of magnetic material are present in the insulating layer.
The composite has a number of advantages here: it can be manufactured in a separate process and has a low cost price. The composite can be very well laminated together with other layers in the printed circuit board according to the invention. Furthermore, a layer of the composite may serve as a substrate for a pattern of conductor tracks. Preferred materials for the matrix are epoxides and polyesters, as well as other materials which are used for printed circuit boards. In principle, the magnetic materials known to those skilled in the art are suitable as fillers for the composite. If the transformer is used at lower frequencies of up to approximately 5 MHz, ferrite is preferably used as the filler. Iron or iron-containing particles are preferred for higher frequencies. By further preference, the filler is used in a density of more than 50% by volume. It is particularly favorable when not only the first magnetic layer, but also the second magnetic layer comprises the composite of a matrix with a filler of magnetic material.
In an alternative embodiment, a screening layer of electrically conducting material and an intermediate layer of electrically insulating material are present at the first outer surface between the first magnetic layer and the pattern of conductor tracks. The screening layer of electrically conducting material screens off the conductor tracks at the surface and components placed on the surface or integrated in the printed circuit board from the magnetic field of the transformer. Several materials may be chosen as the electrically conducting material, such as copper, aluminum, silver, a metal-filled epoxy resin, and an electrically conducting oligomer or polymer. Examples of suitable oligomers or polymers are inter alia doped polyaniline and doped polythiophene, which may possibly be substituted with optional cyclic C1-C10-alkyl or alkoxy substituents. Preferably, the electrically conducting material has a conductivity of at least 100 S/cm.
It is particularly favorable when a screening layer of electrically conducting material and an intermediate layer of electrically insulating material are also present between the second magnetic layer and the second outer surface of the printed circuit board. Conductor tracks and components may thus be present at the second outer surface or be integrated in the printed circuit board without an accompanying interference from the magnetic field. The entire secondary circuit may be present in or on the printed circuit board.
Preferably, the insulating layer in the printed circuit board according to the invention is very thin. Transformer losses owing to a parasitic magnetic flux through the insulating layer, only around the first or the second transformer winding, are limited as much as possible then. Alternatively, the insulating layer may have a thickness of at least 0.4 mm and projects at least 2.5 mm beyond the magnetic layers. This complies with the European requirements as regards mains separation layers between a primary and a secondary circuit, especially if the first transformer winding is directly or indirectly connected to the mains. These requirements stipulate that a creepage path over solid surfaces of at least 5 microns is required, and an air path of at least 5 mm. These requirements are complied with in this embodiment of the printed circuit board without the dimensions of the transformer or of the printed circuit board being appreciably increased. Alternatively, further electrically insulating layers may be present in addition to the insulating layer, for example a total of three layers. The total thickness of the insulating layer may be limited, for example to 0.15 mm, provided two layers together comply with a test voltage of 4240 Vdc.
It is an advantage of the use of several insulating layers that they are highly suitable for providing patterns of conductor tracks thereon. If a pattern of conductor tracks is to be provided on either side of the insulating layer, two printed circuit boards each provided with a pattern of conductor tracks on one side only may be laminated. It is also favorable to use several insulating layers if the printed circuit board is to be detachable, i.e. is to be separable into two parts.
In an alternative embodiment, the insulating layer is provided with channels (or through holes), which channels are filled with a composite comprising a matrix of organic material and a filler of magnetic material. The presence of such filled channels leads to a transformer which is not separated from the mains. Losses owing to the parasitic magnetic fluxes are further reduced thereby. Moreover, the channels may be filled with magnetic material without an air path of less than 5 mm arising. Holes are provided in the insulating layer for this purpose, which layer comprises, for example, a cured epoxy resin. Then a layer of the composite is provided, which is not yet cured. When subsequently the printed circuit board is laminated under pressure, the holes are filled through the flow of the composite.
If the voltage is to be sufficiently transformed with a single transformer, it is necessary for the number of turns in the primary circuit to be large compared with the number in the secondary circuit, or vice versa in the case of transformation to a higher voltage. In a further embodiment, therefore, a third transformer winding in the form of a two-dimensional pattern of conductor tracks is present between the first transformer winding and the insulating layer, which third transformer winding is electrically connected to the first transformer winding. Since the first and the third transformer winding are interconnected and arranged in parallel, the number of turns in the primary circuit is doubled. Obviously, a fourth and a fifth transformer winding may also be provided and connected to the first transformer winding so as to increase the number of turns still further. The manufacture of an electrically conducting connection or via through a layer of the printed circuit board is known to those skilled in the art of printed circuit boards.
Thanks to its small thickness, the printed circuit board according to the invention may be used to advantage in a plurality of domestic and electronic devices. Furthermore, it is highly suitable for use in displays, such as liquid crystal displays, flat panel displays, and other displays in which a voltage is to be transformed in upward direction, on account of its very small thickness.

System, printed circuit board, charger device, user device, and apparatus


In a control system of an AC motor fed from a frequency converter including a thyristor rectifier and a thyristor inverter, the speed of the motor is controlled by a current control system comprising a speed control circuit responsive to a reference speed signal and an actual speed signal, and a current control circuit which produces a pulse signal supplied to the rectifier. The inverter is controlled by another pulse signal corresponding to the angular position of the rotor of the motor. An additional current instruction circuit is provided which in response to the two pulse signals described above controls the current control circuit.

This invention relates to a system for controlling the speed of an alternating current motor, more particularly, a system for controlling an AC motor capable of preventing current beats when the load frequency of the inverter approaches the frequency of an AC power source.
As will be described later in more detail, the conventional commutatorless AC motor is fed from a polyphase AC source of commercial frequency through a thyristor rectifier and a thyristor inverter which comprises a frequency converter. In the operation of such frequency converter, due to overlap angle and phase lag of ignition pulses supplied to respective thyristors, it is inevitable that the DC component contains a certain amount of AC components superposed thereon. Where the load frequency is close to the source frequency the ripple frequencies of the rectifier and inverter are close enough and the difference of these two frequencies is small. This causes a beat phenomenon of ripple voltage. Considering a current control system of such frequency converter, such phenomenon can be considered as a type of an external disturbance and causes a current beat and speed variation of the motor. Although various solutions have been proposed they are not efficient from the standpoint of performance and economy.

System for controlling alternating current motors


An infrared headphone with supplemental microphones to aid the hearing impaired allowing the user to hear the significant sounds from the ambient surroundings. In order to suppress the sound intensity of the user's own voice the invention provides for microphones arranged at a distance from each other on a supporting elbow in such a way that when they are mounted on the head of the user they are symmetrically arranged with respect to a median plane of the user's head and the signals emitted from the microphones are conducted in counter-phase with respect to each other.

The invention relates to an infrared headphone which consists of two sound reproducers which are preferably connected to each other mechanically by means of a flexible elbow.
Infrared headphones of this type are known. See, e.g. German Pat. No. 2431937. In general infrared headphones are used for wireless sound transmission, for example from a television receiver or high-fidelity system to the listener. A further area of use is in classrooms for students with impaired hearing or at conferences involving many participants. Moreover, the use of infrared installations in theaters and cinemas has become popular. In particular, these installations are used to accommodate patrons with impaired hearing.
Known systems have the disadvantage that users with impaired hearing find a sense of isolation from the surrounding environment since the acoustic events in the immediate vicinity are difficult to perceive when the infrared headphones are used. For this reason, in accordance with the above-identified German Pat. No. 2431937, infrared headphones have been equipped with supplemental microphones and amplifiers which allow the user to selectively mix sound information received from the infrared transmission with sound information received from the microphones.
When using such a supplemental microphone with an infrared headphone device a significant drawback has been observed. Despite the infrared headphone being so equipped there are severe limitations regarding the amount of amplification of the signal supplied by the supplemental microphones. This is because the microphones are close to the mouth of the user so that his own voice is amplified. Since the microphones are also close to the sound reproducing elements of the headphone feedback is also a problem.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved arrangement for an infrared headphone with supplemental microphones such that the amplification of the microphone signals is not so limited, thus allowing the user to hear important sound events in his proximate environment while at the same time filtering out unimportant sounds and the user's own voice.

Infrared headphones for the hearing impaired


A ball valve having a one-piece seat member is disclosed. The one-piece seat member is cylindrically shaped to engage a valve chamber within the valve body, and includes an internal cavity for receiving a ball member, a first axial opening for receiving an operating stem engaged to the ball member, and first and second radial openings that align with inlet and outlet passages in the valve body. The one-piece seat member can be machined from such materials as polytetrafluoroethylene, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, fluorinated ethylene propylene, or perfluoroalkoxy. To make the ball valve, the one-piece seat member is formed with the internal cavity, the first axial opening, a second axial opening opposite the first axial opening, and the first and second radial openings, and is caused to be in a deformable state. The ball member is then inserted into the internal cavity such that the operating stem extends out of the first axial opening, and the seat member with the inserted ball member is adjusted to engage the valve chamber.

The present invention relates generally to ball valves, and more particularly, to a ball valve having a one-piece machined seat member such that the incidence of leakage is reduced and the ball valve is highly reliable.
Typically, in a ball valve, a seat member is positioned within a valve chamber to seal and selectively isolate two or more ports leading to the valve chamber. The seat member substantially surrounds a metal or plastic ball member, and an operating stem extends from the ball member. The valve is operated by rotating the stem to selectively align two or more of the ports with corresponding passages in the ball member.
It is known to form the seat member around the ball member by positioning the ball member between upper and lower seat member pieces and then welding, fusing, or otherwise joining the upper and lower seat member pieces to each other. However, a recurring problem with a ball valve having such a two-piece seat member is that leakage occurs at the juncture of the pieces.
It also is known to employ injection molding techniques to form a one-piece seat member around the ball member. However, the injection molding results in a joining line on the external surface of the seat member, and the joining line is susceptible to damage from pressure, temperature, use, and chemicals sealed by the valve, among other things. When damaged, the joining line breaks down and allows leakage in the ball valve.
A need exists, then, for a ball valve with a seat member that reduces the likelihood of leakage at the joining line. More particularly, a need exists for a ball valve with a one-piece seat member that does not have a joining line.

Ball valve having one-piece machined seat member