Oxygen-separating porous membranes comprise a complex of (a) a transition metal (II) ion, (b) a ligand, and (c) an aromatic amine, retained in the pores of a substrate.

This invention relates to oxygen-separating porous membranes to be used in oxygen-enriching processes, typically for combustion gas production, for medical treatment. More particularly, the invention concerns porous membranes which contain, as dispersed in the pores, a metal complex capable of adsorbing and desorbing oxygen rapidly and reversibly.
Oxygen is one of the chemicals most widely used on industrial scales, specifically in the manufacture of iron, steel, and other metals and glass, in chemical oxidation and combustion, and in wastewater disposal. In the field of medical care too, it has very wide applications including the therapy for lung disease patients by means of oxygen inhalation. For these reasons the development of processes for concentrating oxygen out of air is an important problem with far-reaching effects on various sectors of industry. While dominant industrial processes for atmospheric oxygen concentration today are low-temperature and adsorption techniques, membrane separation is considered promising from the energy-saving viewpoint.
Success of membrane separation depends primarily on the discovery of a membrane material that would permit selective and efficient oxygen permeation relative to nitrogen from air. Currently available membranes capable of permeating and concentrating atmospheric oxygen (known as oxygen-enriching membranes) are those of silicone, silicone polycarbonate, and the like. Some of them are in practical service. They do not have high oxygen-permeation selectivity (oxygen-permeability coefficient/nitrogen-permeability coefficient, or ratio .alpha.), the value being approximately 2, and yet exhibit high permeability coefficient (10.sup.-8 [cm.sup.3 .multidot.(STP).multidot.cm/cm.sup.2 .multidot.sec.multidot.cmHg]). With this feature the membranes are incorporated in modules, multistage processes, and other systems to obtain oxygen-enriched air, with oxygen concentrations of approximately 30%.
Gas separation by the use of microporous membranes ranging in pore size from several ten to several hundred angstroms is also extensively performed. Gas permeation through a porous mass is dictated by the ratio of the distance over which the particular gas particles impinge upon one another, or the mean free path, .lambda. to the pore diameter r, (r/.lambda.). When the pore diameter is small, being r/.lambda.<1, the mutual impingement of the gas particles is ignored. The permeation conforms to the Knudsen flow in which it is inversely proportional to the square root of the molecular weight of the gas. Gas permeation based on this permeation mechanism attains a strikingly high permeability coefficient. Nevertheless, the process is unsuitable for the oxygen separation by permeation from air, because, when separating gases of dissimilar molecular diameter, such as oxygen and nitrogen, the selectivity becomes less than 1.
It has been reported that generally gas molecules once adsorbed by the pore surface of a porous membrane will diffuse over the adsorption layer for permeation, resulting in a substantial increase in permeability. However, the phenomenon is limited to operations handling lower hydrocarbons, carbonic gas, and other gases of relatively high boiling points. The phenomenon also is observed only when membranes with pore diameters from about 30 to about 300 .ANG. are used. Oxygen permeation from air has not in the least been known in the art.
In order to obtain highly oxygen-rich air useful for industrial and medical applications by a single permeable-membrane pass, it is essential that the separating membrane have a high oxygen-permeability coefficient, of the order of 10.sup.-8, and an .alpha. of at least 5.
Polymeric membranes of silicone and the like exhibit oxygen-permeability coefficients as high as about 10.sup.-8, but their oxygen selectivities are low. The porous membranes that rely upon the Knudsen flow for gas permeation are incapable of separating oxygen and nitrogen, although they show greater permeability than polymeric membranes.
We have hitherto continued the synthesis of metal complexes capable of rapid, reversible adsorption and desorption of oxygen molecules. As a result, we clarified essential requirements of the metal complexes that can adsorb and desorb oxygen molecules selectively, rapidly, and reversibly, even in a solid-phase polymer. We successfully synthesized the novel complexes and taught their use for oxygen-separating membranes (Japanese Patent Application Public Disclosure No. 171730/1987). However, polymeric membranes incorporating such complexes, when used in air permeation, did not always achieve the object satisfactorily. Although the .alpha. value exceeded the target value of 5, the permeability coefficient was only 10.sup.-9. For the treatment of a sufficiently large volume of air for oxygen enrichment, an additional step, for example, of providing an extra thin film, was required.


A paint for forming a heat absorbing film which exhibits a good binding property for binding with a conductive reflecting film, contains a black pigment, and a compound represented by Si(OR1)nR2m, where n+m=4, n=1 to 4, m=0 to 3, each of R1 and R2 is one of an alkyl group, an alkenyl group and an aryl group, or a hydrolyzate of the compound. Also, the present invention relates to a heat absorbing film formed out of this heat absorbing film paint and a color CRT provided with this heat absorbing film.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a paint for a heat absorbing film provided on a conductive reflecting film formed on a fluorescent surface on the inner surface of a panel of a color cathode ray-tube (CRT), a heat absorbing film obtained from the paint and a color CRT provided with the heat absorbing film.
2. Description of the Related Art
A color CRT of panel structure shown in, for example, FIG. 2 has been hitherto known.
In FIG. 2, a reference symbol 21 denotes a transparent panel of a color CRT. A fluorescent surface 22, consisting of red, green and blue fluorescent stripes and carbon stripes embedded therebetween, is formed on the inner surface of this transparent panel 21. The fluorescent surface 22 is designed such that an electron beam emitted from an electron gun is selectively landed through a color selection electrode (not shown) on the respective colors of fluorescent stripes and scanned horizontally and vertically, to thereby display a color image. As the color selection electrode, an aperture grill having many slits formed at predetermined intervals or a shadow mask having many transparent holes formed in a predetermined arrangement is used.
In addition, to smooth an irregular surface formed by the fluorescent stripes, an organic intermediate film (not shown) is formed on the fluorescent surface 22. A conductive reflecting film 23 made of aluminum referred to as a metal back is formed on the organic intermediate film in a state in which the film 23 covers the fluorescent surface 22 as well as the outer periphery of the surface 22. The conductive reflecting film 23 is formed by aluminum having high light reflectance and high electron transmittance. Due to this, the film 23 functions to reflect light emitted toward the electron gun (not shown) to the transparent panel 21 side to increase display brightness and to stabilize the potential of the fluorescent surface 22 when the fluorescent surface 22 emits light.
Meanwhile, when the color selection electrode consisting of the aperture grill or the shadow mask is applied with an electron beam, the temperature of the electrode increases and the electrode is thermally expanded.
Further, aluminum which is a material for the conductive reflecting film 23 has also high heat reflectance. Due to this, when the film 23 is exposed, radiation heat from the color selection electrode which has been heated as a result of collision against the electron beam is reflected by the conductive reflecting film 23 and radiated again on the color selection electrode, with the result that the color selection electrode is further heated and further thermally expanded.
As can be seen, when the color selection electrode is heated and thermally expanded, the positions of the slits of the aperture grill or those of the transparent holes of the shadow mask are shifted and the correspondence between the color selection electrode including these slits or holes and the fluorescent stripes on the fluorescent surface 22 varies. As a result, the electron beam is erroneously landed on the fluorescent surface 22 and color slippage and the degradation of brightness and color purity disadvantageously occur.
To avoid these disadvantages, the following technique is conventionally, though partly, adopted. A heat absorbing film 24 is formed on the conductive reflecting film 23 to allow the heat absorbing film 24 to absorb heat radiated from the color selection electrode, the reflection and radiation of the heat from the conductive reflecting film 23 to the color selection electrode is suppressed to thereby prevent the thermal expansion of the color selection electrode.
As an example of such a heat absorbing film 24, there is proposed a color CRT described in the Japanese Patent Examined Application Publication No. 62-47341. In the color CRT, aluminum is deposited in a vacuum of about 0.2 to 0.3 Torr and a heat absorbing film 24 formed out of a black aluminum film is thereby formed.
Further, in a cathode ray-tube described in the Japanese Patent Unexamined Application Publication No. 51-52782, a solution obtained by dissolving carbon in a solvent essentially consisting of an alcohol group is sprayed and a carbon film which becomes a heat absorbing film 24 is formed on the conductive reflecting film 23.
In the case of the above-stated color CRT, however, the heat absorbing film 24 is formed by means of a deposition method in a vacuum of as low as 0.2 to 0.3 Torr. Due to this, the interior of a deposition unit is easily contaminated, a desired vacuum is difficult to attain and the film thickness of the heat absorbing film 24 becomes irregular and the heat absorbing effect thereof become unstable.
For these reasons, the reflection and radiation of the heat from the conductive reflecting film 23 to the color selection electrode cannot be efficiently suppressed, thus making it difficult to ensure preventing the electron beam from erroneously landing onto the fluorescent surface 22 and to manufacture a color CRT with sufficiently reduced color slippage. Furthermore, the irregular thickness of the heat absorbing film 24 causes irregularity in color purity resulting from scattered electrons.
Moreover, in the case of the above-stated CRT, the binding property for binding the carbon film serving as the heat absorbing film 24 and the conductive reflecting film is weak and the carbon film easily comes off due to external vibration. Thus, it is difficult to ensure high reliability against color slippage.
Besides, if the heat absorbing film 24 normally differs greatly in the coefficient of thermal expansion from the conductive reflecting film 23 made of aluminum and positioned under the heat absorbing film 24 and blocks the evaporation holes of the organic intermediate film formed on the conductive reflecting film 23, then the film may disadvantageously crack in the heat treatment process or float from the conductive reflecting film 23.
The present invention has been made in view of the above-stated circumstances. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a paint for forming a heat absorbing film which exhibits a good binding property for binding with a conductive reflecting film, suppresses color slippage and irregularity in color purity and is prevented from cracking and floating from a to-be-coated surface, a heat absorbing film obtained form the paint and a color CRT provided with the heat absorbing film.
To obtain the above object, a paint for a heat absorbing film provided on a conductive reflecting film formed on a fluorescent surface on an inner surface of a panel of a color CRT as claimed in claim 1 of the present invention, comprises:
a black pigment having a grain diameter of not less than 10 nm and not more than 2000 nm; and a compound represented by Si(OR1)nR2m, where n+m=4, n=1 to 4, m=0 to 3, each of R1 and R2 is one of an alkyl group, an alkenyl group and an aryl group, or a hydrolyzate of the compound.
Further, to obtain the object, a heat absorbing film for a heat absorbing film provided on a conductive reflecting film formed on a fluorescent surface on an inner surface of a panel of a color CRT as claimed in claim 5, comprises:
a black pigment; and a compound represented by Si(OR1) nR2m, where n+m=4, n=1 to 4, m=0 to 3, each of R1 and R2 is one of an alkyl group, an alkenyl group and an aryl group, the carbon number of R2 falling within a range of 1 to 10, or a hydrolyzate of the compound.
Moreover, to obtain the object, a heat absorbing film as claimed in claim 8 of the present invention is formed by being coated with the paint for a heat absorbing film as claimed in claim 1 stated above.
To obtain the object, a heat absorbing film as claimed in the thirteenth aspect is formed by being coated with the paint for a heat absorbing film as claimed in the fifth aspect stated above.
Additionally, to obtain the object, a heat absorbing film as claimed in the seventeenth aspect of the present invention includes the heat absorbing film as claimed in the eighth aspect stated above.
Furthermore, to obtain the object, a heat absorbing film as claimed in claim 22 includes the heat absorbing film as claimed in claim 13 stated above.
According to the above-stated paint for a heat absorbing film, if this paint is applied onto the conductive reflecting film and dried, then the compound represented by Si(OR1)nR2m or the hydrolyzate thereof becomes SiO2 and functions as a binder. As a result, the black pigment is strongly bound with the conductive reflecting film.
Here, a manufacturing process for the color CRT includes a heat treatment step at a temperature of not less than 350xc2x0 C. and not more than 500xc2x0 C. For that reason, it is required that the heat absorbing film obtained from this heat absorbing film paint has no color change before and after the heat treatment step.
Accordingly, as the black pigment, one which is not discolored at 500xc2x0 C. and has excellent electron beam transmittance is used. Graphite fine grains are particularly preferable due to their excellent heat resistance, high black chromaticity and high electron transmittance. In addition, a material containing at least one of, for example, C, Mn, Fe, Ni, Zn, Cr, Cu and Co, i.e., a single substance made of each element and an oxide (e.g., Coxe2x80x94Fexe2x80x94Cr composite oxide), an organic substance is used.
The grain diameter of such a black pigment is not less than 10 nm and not more than 2000 nm, preferably not more than 100 nm. If less than 10 nm, the dispersibility of the grains into the paint considerably deteriorates to make it difficult to obtain a uniformly paint dispersed solution. If it exceeds 2000 nm, the hiding power of the grains themselves weakens and sufficient tinting strength, i.e., sufficient heat absorbing effect cannot be obtained. Besides, if it is not more than 100 nm, the heat absorbing film to be obtained can be easily made uniform.
The paint for the heat absorbing film according to the present invention can contain not only the black pigment but also another colored pigment to the extent that the effect of the black pigment is not hampered. By using both the black pigment and the other colored pigment, it is possible to further improve the heat absorbing property of the film. The colored pigment should not be limited to any specific one and various types of pigments may be used.
Furthermore, the manganese compound and chromium compound or, to be specific, metal compounds such as manganese nitrate, manganese chloride, chromium nitride and chromium chloride are suitably used since they are thermally decomposed and colored in the heat treatment step during the manufacture of the color CRT. These metal compounds may be used solely or a combination of two or more types thereof may be used.
As for a dispersion medium for dispersing the black pigment and, if any, the colored pigment, about 0.1 to 100 weight parts of at least one out of anionic, cationic and non-ionic surfactants, epoxy resins, phenol resins, urethane resins, melamine resins, butyral resins, vinyl acetate resins, ionomer resins, isobutylen-maleic anhydride copolymer resins, polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinylpyrrolidone are used with respect to 100 weight parts of the black pigment. A black pigment and/or colored pigment dispersed solution is obtained by conducting a well-known dispersion method such as a homogenizer, a sand mill, a ball mill and ultrasonic wave using the dispersion medium(s).
As for the compound which serves as a binder for the paint according to the present invention and represented by Si(OR1)nR2m (where n+m=4, n=1 to 4, m=0 to 3 and R1 and R2 are alkyl groups, alkenyl groups or aryl groups), it is preferable that the number of carbons of the R2 group falls within the range of 1 to 10. To be specific, the R2 group preferably consists of one of a methyl group, a phenyl group, a vinyl group, a xcex3-methacryloxypropyl group and xcex3-glycidoxypropyl group.
Specifically, the compounds represented by the general formula of Si(OR1)nR2m may involve tetramethoxysilane, tetraethoxysilane, methyltrimethoxysilane, methyltriethoxysilane, phenyltrimethoxysilane, phenyltriethoxysilane, vinyltrimethoxysilane, vinyltriethoxysilane, xcex3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, xcex2-(3,4 epoxycyclohexyl)ethyltrimethoxysilane, xcex3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane, N-xcex2(aminoethyl ) xcex3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, xcex3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, N-phenyl-xcex3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, xcex3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane.
These compounds represented by Si(OR1)nR2m can be used solely or a combination of two or more types thereof can be used.
In the general formula Si(OR1)nR2m, it is preferable to use trifunctional silicate where n=3, m=1 and the number of carbons of R2 is 1 to 10. To be specific, it is preferable to use, for example, methyltrimethoxysilane, methyltriethoxysilane, phenyltrimethoxysilane, phenyltriethoxysilane, vinyltrimethoxysilane, vinyltriethoxysilane, xcex3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, xcex3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane and the like.
To hydrolyze and condensation-polymerize Si(OR1)nR2m, mineral acid such as hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, phosphoric acid and boric acid, organic acid such as formic acid, maleic acid, fumaric acid, propionic acid, oxalic acid, malonic acid, tartaric acid and succinic acid, or alkali such as ammonia, trimethylammonium is used as a catalyst and nitric acid is particularly suitable.
Further, the quantity of water used to hydrolyze and condensation-polymerize Si(OR1)nR2m is preferably within a range of 0.1 to 100 moles with respect to 1 mole of Si(OR1)nR2m.
Moreover, as a solvent for dispersing or dissolving a dispersed solution in which hydrolytic polycondensate of Si(OR1)nR2m and the black pigment are dispersed, alcohols, glycol derivatives, esters, ketones, ethers or the like may be used. They may be used solely or a combination of two or more types thereof may be used.
Here, as the alcohol, methanol, ethanol, n-propyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, n-butanol, 2-butanol, isobutanol, octanol or diacetone alcohol may be used.
As the glycol derivative, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, propylene glycol monomethyl ether, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, propylene glycol monoethyl ether, ethylene glycol n-propyl ether, propylene glycol n-propyl ether, ethylene glycol n-butyl ether, propylene glycol n-butyl ether or the like may be used.
As the ether, methyl acetate, ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, methyl acetoacetate, ethyl acetoacetate or the like may be used.
As the ketone, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, acetyl acetone or the like may be used.
As the ether, ethyl ether, butyl ether, methyl cellosolve, ethyl cellosolve, dioxane or the like may be used.
The hydrolytic polycondensate of the Si(OR1)nR2m, the black pigment dispersed solution and the solvent as well as, if necessary, a colored pigment dispersed solution and metal salt are mixed, thereby obtaining the paint for a heat absorbing film of the present invention.
In the heat absorbing film paint composed as stated above, the weight ratio of the hydrolytic polycondensate of Si(OR1)nR2m and the black pigment (or a mixture of the black pigment, colored pigment and metal salt) is preferably xe2x80x9c(hydrolytic polycondensate of Si(OR1)nR2m+black pigment (or mixture of black pigment, colored pigment and metal salt))/paintxe2x80x9d=0.2 to 30 wt. % and xe2x80x9cblack pigment (or mixture of black pigment, colored pigment and metal salt)/(hydrolytic polycondensate of Si(OR1)nR2+black pigment (or mixture of black pigment, colored pigment and metal salt)xe2x80x9d=20 to 95 wt. %. With these ratios, the resultant heat absorbing film paint can exhibit adhesion, reliability, heat absorbing property and film formation property in a well-balanced fashion.
It is noted that if too large amounts of the black pigment, the colored pigment and the metal salt are added to the heat absorbing film paint, film strength and adhesion may deteriorate and reliability may greatly deteriorate. Conversely, if the amount of the black pigment (or mixture of the black pigment, colored pigment and metal salt) is insufficient, the film may be colored insufficiently and the resultant paint may not provide satisfactory heat absorbing property.
To apply the heat absorbing film paint, a spin coating method, a spray method, a dip method, a brushing method or the like may be employed. If the paint is applied onto the conductive reflecting film on the inner surface of the color CRT, the spray method is considered preferable so as to make the thickness of an obtained film uniform.
A heat absorbing film obtained from such a heat absorbing film paint, that is, the heat absorbing film of the present invention preferably has a thickness of 20 to 2000 nm. This is because the resultant film cannot exhibit the heat absorbing effect, adhesion and reliability in a well-balanced fashion if the film thickness is less than 20 nm, and electron transmittance may be lowered and the brightness of the color CRT may be lowered if the film thickness exceeds 2000 nm.
The subjective brightness (L*value) of the heat absorbing film is preferably not more than 90. If the brightness (L*value) is not less than 90, the heat absorbing effect of the heat absorbing film can be hardly obtained.
This subjective brightness (L*value) of the heat absorbing film can be obtained by measuring the color of the film by using, for example, xe2x80x9cColorimeter or Chroma Meter CR-300xe2x80x9d manufactured by Minolta Co., Ltd.
Further, this heat absorbing film is used while being formed on the color CRT as shown in, for example, FIG. 1. The color CRT 1 in which this heat absorbing film is formed, serves as the color CRT of the present invention.
Namely, the color CRT 1 has a generally ampullaceous shape as a whole and has an electron gun 3 and a color selection electrode 4 having plural lines of stripe slits provided in a valve 2 having a vacuum interior. In this example, an aperture grill type is employed for the color selection electrode 4.
The valve 2 consists of a neck portion 6 in which the electron gun 3 is disposed, a funnel portion 7 formed to project from the neck portion 6, a face portion 8 which mainly forms a screen surface and a panel portion 10 which is provided by a skirt portion 9 formed to rise from the circumference of the face portion 8.
The color selection electrode 4 is provided inside the panel portion 10. After the color selection electrode 4 is provided inside the panel portion 10, the panel portion 10 and the funnel portion 7 are welded and joined to each other and a seal portion 12 is thereby formed. Consequently, the valve 2 is assembled.
A fluorescent surface 11 is formed on the inner surface of a glass surface forming the face portion 8. This fluorescent surface 11 is configured such that red, green and blue fluorescent materials printed lengthwise in a stripe manner to thereby form fluorescent stripes and that the fluorescent stripes are regularly arranged crosswise. Carbon stripes are arranged between the fluorescent stripes, whereby the contrast ratio of the fluorescent surface 11 is improved.
In addition, to smooth an uneven surface formed by the fluorescent stripes, an organic intermediate film (not shown) is formed on the fluorescent surface 11. On this organic intermediate film, a conductive reflecting film (not shown in FIG. 1) is formed by heating and depositing aluminum as in the case of FIG. 2. On this conductive reflecting film, a heat absorbing film (not shown in FIG. 1) formed out of the above-stated heat absorbing film paint of the present invention is formed as in the case of FIG. 2.
In the color CRT 1 constituted as stated above, the heat absorbing film, which is formed out of the heat absorbing film paint, has heat resistance in a temperature range of not less than 350xc2x0 C. and not more than 500xc2x0 C. Therefore, even if a heat absorbing film is formed on the conductive reflecting film of the panel portion 10 prior to an assembly step, the film is not discolored in a heat treatment step in the later assembly step and can sufficiently exhibit desired function.
Moreover, if the R2 group in the compound represented by Si(OR1)nR2m has the number of carbons of 1 to 10, it has appropriate elasticity. As a result, the heat absorbing film also exhibits elasticity, thereby making it possible to prevent the film from cracking or floating from the conductive reflecting film.
Furthermore, in this color CRT 1, if the components of the organic intermediate film provided between the fluorescent surface and the conductive reflecting film are gasified as a result of a heat treatment step during the manufacture of the CRT 1, the R2 group having the number of carbons of 1 to 10 contained in the heat absorbing film functions as evaporation holes. The heat absorbing film can be, therefore, further prevented from cracking or floating from the conductive reflecting film.
Additionally, if trifunctional silicate is used as the compound represented by Si(OR1)nR2m in the heat absorbing film paint, a resultant heat absorbing film has more excellent binding property. Accordingly, the black pigment in the film does not peel off and the heat absorbing film serves as a good film sufficiently, closely bound with the conductive reflecting film made of an aluminum deposited film.
A film containing silicon dioxide may formed on the heat absorbing film and these films may be used as a stacked film. In that case, the heat absorbing film is bound with the conductive reflecting film more strongly due to the presence of the silicon dioxide containing film.

Paint for heat absorbing film, heat absorbing film and color CRT


A method, executed by at least one processor, includes receiving a migration request for a plurality of files, assigning files of the plurality of files that are smaller than a selected size to one or more small-file secondary storage devices, assigning files of the plurality of files that are larger than the selected size to one or more large-file secondary storage devices, and initiating migration of the plurality of files from one or more primary storage devices to the secondary storage devices to which they are assigned. A corresponding computer program product and computer system are also disclosed herein.

The present invention relates generally to storage systems and specifically to file migration in hierarchical storage systems.
Hierarchical storage systems support migration operations that transfer data from a primary storage device to a secondary storage device and recall operations that transfer data from a secondary storage device to a primary storage device. While migration operations may be conducted as a background process well after a client writes the data to the primary storage device, recall operations are preferably conducted immediately in order to provide a timely response to the client that needs to access the data.

File migration in a hierarchical storage system

International Business Machines Corporation


A rotary shutter for a motion picture camera consists of two sector blades which are rotatable about the same shaft. The angular relative position of one sector blade to the other is fixed to have a fixed open angle thereby when a smaller open angle is desired. When a larger open angle is desired, one sector blade is fixed in the camera at a position to open an exposure aperture and only other blade is rotated. One sector blade is selectively engaged with the other sector blade or fixed in the camera by axial movement thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a shutter mechanism for a motion picture camera, and more particularly to a rotary shutter for a motion picture camera the open angle of which can be changed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a rotary shutter comprising a rotatable sector which closes the aperture of the camera when the film is fed and opens the aperture when the film is stopped to expose the film to the light incident through the taking lens of the camera, the angle of the open portion of the sector determines the exposure time. The angle of the open portion of the sector (hereinafter referred to simply as "open angle") is usually about 160.degree. in the conventional motion picture camera using a film of 8 mm wide. Recently, motion picture cameras having a rotary shutter which has an open angle of as large as 230.degree. have been developed to enable taking a motion picture in the dark.
This kind of motion picture cameras having a rotary shutter of large open angle are advantageous in taking motion pictures in the dark, but are disadvantageous when used in the presence of large amount of light since it is difficult to accurately control the exposure with a small diaphragm. When the scene is bright, the aperture must be stopped down to a great extent to make a proper exposure of the film with the large open angle of the rotary shutter. The control of the exposure is very difficult when the aperture size is substantially small. In addition, if the open angle is very large, the shutter speed is very slow and accordingly the image is apt to be blurred.
It has also been known in the art to continuously vary the open angle of a rotatable shutter to effect a fade-in and fade-out operations. This type of rotatable shutter is, however, very complicated in structure and considerably expensive, accordingly.

Shutter mechanism for motion picture cameras


An improved efficiency flow enhancement method and system is provided for a duct system downstream of blading in a turbomachine, the system comprising the blading, a duct leading from the blading, two or more passages defined at least in part by partitions which take flow from within the duct, or from across its outlet, or from within four duct widths downstream of its outlet, the partitions defining at least partially separated flow passages intended for flows leaving the expanding duct of generally different mechanical energy, one or more zones of significant pressure drop for the flows of higher energy, one or more passages of comparatively less pressure drop for the passages with flows of lower mechanical energy, one or more zones where the flows are rejoined, and an outlet.

The invention relates to a method and device for producing an unusually efficient flow in those portions of turbo machines downstream of blading sections, with particular application to gas turbine and jet engine compressor outlets and turbine exhaust outlets.
Turbo machinery is becoming more widely applied to new and different applications as their performance improves with the utilization of new materials and better design analysis methods. For example, gas turbines and jet engines are becoming more powerful, more compact, and lighter, thereby having broader uses than ever before.
Turbo machinery efficiency depends on both achieving higher turbine inlet temperatures and on reducing various mechanical and flow losses. The flow losses are particularly large for flow in diverging sections of ducts, which are found in most gas turbines and jet engines downstream of the compressor and downstream of the turbine. In these ducts, the flow is intended to expand in area and decelerate, exchanging kinetic energy for pressure energy. Typically, only 40 to 60 percent of the kinetic energy is recovered to become useful pressure energy. The remainder is converted either to heat, mostly by friction within the wall flow boundary layer, or exits the expanding area duct as unrecovered kinetic energy to become heat in a collector or receiver volume. However, the amount of area expansion practical, and therefore pressure recovery, is severely limited by flow separations or aerodynamic stalls that may develop if the expansion exceeds an area ratio of about 1.7 to 1, and will often develop at an area ratio of 2 to 1 unless the duct wall total divergence angle is kept small, usually below about 8 degrees. These small divergence angles mean that the expanding area duct will be long, however, and will not be compact or light. Even a tendency of momentary stalls or roughness, often of no concern if only efficiency is considered, will possibly result in more noise and vibration, an increase in compressor outlet pressure and a resultant possibility of aerodynamic stall of the compressor, which can be quite destructive. Accordingly, an expansion ratio of 2:1 or less is accepted practice for most turbo machines.
Because these blading outlet losses may total two percent of the compressor power input, or three percent of the turbine power output, these losses significantly affect fuel economy and power. In an industry where a performance difference of several percent in fuel economy is important, a 2 to 5 percent improvement is very significant, particularly for airline and electric power generation users who purchase enormous quantities of fuel.
Two specific examples of turbo machinery, a gas turbine exhaust outlet with both a divergent duct and a bend, and a divergent compressor outlet that may include a bend are discussed below.
Gas turbine engines are used in a variety of applications for the production of shaft power. In most gas turbine installations the turbine exhaust vents into an enclosure, often called a receiver or collector box, which is used to collect flow, then to direct the exhaust flow away from the axis of the turbine system. The typical gas turbine collector box is an enclosure which surrounds the outlet end of the turbine tailpipe and collects the exhaust gas to direct it away from the gas turbine tailpipe. Most often, the tailpipe is a divergent duct, such as a cone. Most collector boxes turn the exhaust gas 90 degrees from the gas turbine centerline, although exhaust paths from zero degrees to 160 degrees from the gas turbine centerline are used.
In small gas turbines, the collector box typically has a large width in relation to the diameter of the turbine last stage. The size of most collector boxes, however, does not increase proportionately with gas turbine capacity due to constraints such as maximum shipping dimensions, cost, or available installation space.
As the relative size of the collector box decreases with respect to the turbine outlet diameter, gas velocities in the collector box increase. Any turbulence in the collector box is therefore likely to cause large velocity differentials within the collector box as well as in the downstream ducts. These velocity differentials may induce destructive vibrations in the turbine, collector box or downstream ducts. The velocity differentials may also create steady or transient flow reversals or stalls in the exhaust gas flow which can increase vibrations levels, overall noise levels, and system back pressure. An increase in system back pressure will lower the turbine efficiency.
The turbine tailpipe typically protrudes into the collector box from the turbine outlet. The tailpipe may be either straight or divergent (usually conical) and is often called a "tailcone". Because it maintains high exhaust gas velocities, the straight (non-expanding area) tailpipe design is less likely to experience stalls or flow reversals in the tailpipe. The straight design, however, maintains high back pressure which reduces the overall engine efficiency. The divergent tailpipe design slows the flow in a diffuser effect, exchanging kinetic energy for pressure, which improves engine performance. This exhaust flow expansion, however, also increases the risk of aerodynamic stalls or flow pattern switching in the tailpipe which can cause destructive vibrations forces and noise.
There are two ways to extract output shaft power from a gas turbine. The first is route the power output shaft through the engine and out the compressor end. This design allows a clean collector box interior which contains only the exit of the tailpipe, but no shaft. The second design, which is found more often in industrial turbines, has the output shaft passing through the exhaust collector box. Depending on the power shaft coupling and turbine rear bearing cooling design, the power output shaft housing may be small or large in relation to the size of the collector box. In large gas turbines where the collector box size is restricted for shipping, cost, or other reasons, the power output shaft housing can occupy a large percentage of the available volume of the collector box which in turn increases local velocities in some areas and blocks exhaust gas in others. This arrangement may increase the velocity differentials in the collector box, promote destructive vibrational and acoustical forces, and increase back pressure.
Prior to the invention disclosed below, the most efficient collector box designs utilized large volume, divergent conical tailpipes, and in the case of gas turbines with power output shafts in the collector box, divergent power output shaft housings. These collector boxes are found in smaller or mid-range gas turbines where the collector box can be large in relation to the last stage of turbine diameter so the maximum tailpipe outlet exhaust velocities can be reduced, thereby lowering the differential exhaust velocities within the collector box and making any stalls or turbulence less likely to cause destructive vibration. This design also recovers spin energy, if any, in the exhaust flow.
For a few turbines the most efficient collector box designs have radial turning vanes to straighten the spinning flow in the tailpipe. However, these radial vanes may result in tailpipe stalls when the tailpipe is divergent. This design is typically found in smaller units, particularly those with a radial turbine element in the power turbine.
For reference, in all succeeding discussions, the turbine axis is deemed horizontal and the exhaust outlet is upward. One prior art approach for improving turbine exhaust collector box flow efficiency is to install a streamlined fairing on the bottom and top of the power output shaft housing to streamline the flow over the housing, sometimes in combination with conventional turning vanes in a rack. (The bottom is the side away from the collector box exit.) This system is effective when the power output shaft housing has a small diameter in relation to the width of the collector box, but is not used for practicality and cost reasons. In larger turbines, where the collector box is relatively smaller compared to the shaft housing, the fairings have been shown to be far less-effective and are generally ineffective.
Another approach to improving collector box flow efficiency is to add turning vanes, of various designs but usually ring-shaped and in a rack, to improve the flow distribution inside the tailcone and collector box. These have been partially successful where the collector box has large size compared to the last stage turbine outlet. However, they do not solve the specific problem of stalls in all the identified problem areas. They also are under high mechanical stress, constant vibration, and thermal stresses which can cause them to fail, sometimes over a short period of time. Successful turning vanes are expensive, but still allow large scale turbulence that often causes noise and destruction of wall insulation and coverings.
To reduce roughness and flow separations in the divergent engine tailpipe, obstructions and fillers have been installed in the lower half of the tailpipe (on the side opposite the collector box exit) to increase the flow velocity in this area. This velocity increase reduces the probability of stall formation in the tailpipe. Although this arrangement improves flow stability, the increased velocity also reduces the expansion effects of the tailpipe and thereby reduces the pressure and power recovery compared to a stall-free exhaust expansion. Also, smaller transient stalls or roughnesses may still form in the tailcone or collector box, and there is relatively high velocity collector box turbulence, which indicates that the basic problem has not been completely solved.
In most turbo machines, including radial, axial, and mixed flow compressors, the compressor section ends in a duct of expanding area, most often of generally annular shape for axial flows and of axially divergent shape for mixed or radial flows.
In both cases, there also may be one or more bends. Some radial or mixed flow compressors also include a volute shape. This duct of expanding area decelerates flow, converting some kinetic energy to pressure energy. Sources of flow losses are as discussed previously.
The typical 1 to 1.8 expansion ratio duct would, by previous technology, terminate in a receiving volume that also contains the fuel combustion can. The addition of a bypass passage leading from each side of the expansion duct near its outlet and downstream of struts and releasing flow into the tail end of the combustor and into the turbine area where it rejoins the main flow allows the inlet duct expansion ration to be increased to 2.5 to 1 or 3.5 to 1 with excellent stability and flow smoothness. In terms of efficiency, improvements will vary from one turbine to another, but 1.0 to 4 percent compressor efficiency improvements are estimated.

Method and apparatus for enhancing gas turbo machinery flow


The invention concerns a combustion chamber for turbojet engines. The comtion chamber is of the annular type and consists of two coaxial flame tubes opening into a common dilution and mixing zone. The inner tube is designed for low operating ratings of the engine, the outer tube for high ratings. Air is injected as far upstream as possible into the dilution zone, to enhance the homogenization of the gaseous flow issuing from the two tubes prior to their passage into the turbine and to assure the optimum radial distribution of temperatures. The combustion chamber according to the invention finds application in a particularly advantageous manner in turbojet engines used in aircraft propulsion because of the reduced emission of pollutants it affords.

The present invention concerns a combustion device usable in gas turbines and is applicable particularly to aircraft turbojets because of the reduction in the proportions of pollutants said turbojet engines are permitted to emit, both at reduced and at higher ratings.
A combustion device for a gas turbine consists in a known manner of a housing, the upstream part of which forms a diffuser insuring the slowing of the air issuing from a compressor to an optimum value, and a combustion chamber or flame tube, placed within said housing. The invention more particularly concerns devices in which the flame tubes are of the annular type. Combustion reactions take place in the flame tubes and their essential role is to divide the airflow into at least three fractions; the combustion air, the dilution air and the air necessary to cool the walls of said flame tubes, the latter not participating in the combustion process. This division of the airflow leads to the definition in the flame tube, from upstream to downstream, of a primary zone or combustion zone and a secondary zone, designated the dilution zone, located downstream from the first zone.
The fuel is supplied to the chamber by injectors mounted at its base, i.e. upstream from the primary zone, said injectors insuring the atomization of the fuel by mechanical or aerodynamic means or its vaporization. Injectors of the aerodynamic type are for example represented by embodiments described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,915,387 and 3,937,011 in the name of the present applicant. With reference to the vaporizing device, please see U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,757,522 and 3,869,865, in the names of the present applicants.
The primary air supplied to the combustion chamber is introduced into said chamber in part through its base, and possibly the injectors, and in part transversely through orifices drilled through its walls.
Secondary air is introduced transversely, further downstream in the flame tube. It is generally introduced in a stepped manner by means of one or several series of holes distributed over its walls. The stepped introduction of secondary air prevents the overly rapid cooling of hot gases, which would prematurely block the reactions in progress.
In the combustion chambers the primary airflow is controlled so as to have the chamber operate at a given rating. The latter may consist of the maximum continuous rating, corresponding to the conditions of the cruising flight of a certain aircraft; it may also be the maximum rating attained at takeoff. The adjustment actually corresponds to the attainment of stoichiometric conditions in the combustion zone for the design rating, i.e. that the ratio of the mass flows of the fuel and of air be stoichiometric at this rating. The fact that the velocity of the reaction is at a maximum under stoichiometric conditions favors the attainment of complete combustion, with the exhaust gases containing only negligible quantities of pollutants, such as carbon monoxide (CO) or of partially burned hydrocarbons. It should be noted, however, that combustion under stoichiometric conditions favors the formation of nitrogen oxides (NO.sub.x) because of the elevated temperatures attained.
Because of their design, combustion chambers used at the present time do not readily permit the achievement of a good compromise between the constraints of NO.sub.x -CO pollution at low and high ratings; adaptation to a high rating results in a substantial emission of nitrogen oxides at this rating and leads to poor combustion conditions at low ratings, particularly when rolling on the ground, with the added consequence of substantial emissions of carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbons.
Designers are thus led to the adoption of compromise solutions in order to meet the standards imposed concerning maximum amounts of pollutants emitted during a standard cycle, of the type defined by the regulations presently elaborated, comprising various phases of the operation of the engine. It should be noted, however, that the pivoted regulations tend to impose even more severe limits, which cannot be satisfied by any of the engines currently in service. The engine manufacturers thus are searching for new solutions new chambers, designs which would meet the forthcoming requirements in the matter of maximum pollutant emissions. Various dispositions have been proposed and particularly the use of annular combustion chambers comprising two superposed modules, such as described in French Pat. No. 73.08819 issued to the present applicant and corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 3,934,409. In this embodiment, one of the modules is a classic flame tube adapted to low ratings, while the other constitutes a chamber of the premixing type, functioning in the manner of a post-combustion chamber for high ratings. This type of chamber, however, requires delicate adjustment, first because of the risk of the flame ascending upstream of the high rating module and also then because of the problems of the mixing of the flows issuing from the two modules.

Societe Nationale d'Etude et de Construction de Moteurs d'Aviation


A system for managing vehicles on a road network includes a processor that performs operations including accessing a matrix of vehicle parameters of a plurality of communicating vehicles on the road network, and representing the plurality of communicating vehicles in a graph with a plurality of nodes corresponding to the plurality of communicating vehicles and with a plurality of edges corresponding to the vehicle parameters. The system can include partitioning, with the processor, the graph to reduce disruptions to the road network below a threshold level to support safe and efficient traffic flow, and assigning one or more exclusion zones within the road network to each partition of the graph by associating the vehicle parameters for each vehicle.

The present invention generally relates to road access, and more particularly relates to a system and method for managing vehicles on a road network.
The future of autonomous automobiles has begun, but with many roadblocks. As newer vehicles take the road, their ability to interact with existing cars and infrastructure as well as interact with other newer vehicles will leave a jumble of fragmented solutions for efficient traffic flow. Communication and control among and between vehicles is virtually non-existent in current vehicles and in roadways hosting such vehicles.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Adhesive tape with adhesive front side and non-adhesive rear side and two long edges for a flying reel change, having

The invention relates to an adhesive tape for a flying reel change and to a splice method using such an adhesive tape, especially in paper converting machines, printing machines and the like.
The flying reel change is a common method, in paper mills or the like, to replace an old paper reel which has almost been unwound by a new one without having to stop the high-speed machines. In this case, double-sided self-adhesive tapes, so-called tabs, are used, which on the one hand are highly sticky and tacky but, on the other hand, because of their water-soluble self-adhesive compounds and paper carriers are not disruptive when the paper waste is reused in the papermaking machine. These tabs are stuck in an elaborate way in zig-zag form at the web start, a procedure which demands experienced specialist personnel, there remaining only about 4-5 minutes for the entire operation because of the high-speed machine.
Although this technology is tried and tested, it has some disadvantages. Thus, specialist personnel are needed, there is always frantic activity, and the bonds are also relatively thick, since in each case two paper layers and the adhesive tab between them are the result: a result which is not desired in the paper industry.
For this xe2x80x9cpointed bondingxe2x80x9d during a flying reel change, there are diverse products on the market, so-called tabs, which, in addition to a paper carrier, have a water-soluble self-adhesive compound coated on both sides. Such adhesive tapes are on the market, inter alia under the designation tesafix (Beiersdorf).
Numerous adhesive tapes for such purposes are described in the prior art. Thus, EP 418 527 A2 discloses a method of preparing a reel of web-like printing material for automatic reel changes and an adhesive strip suitable for this purpose. DE 40 33 900 A1 also describes an adhesive tape suitable for a splice point. However, adhesive areas which are exposed after a splicing method has been carried out are disadvantageous.
The non-adhesive covering of otherwise exposed adhesive areas is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,555 for more static loadings while securing a reel start, while DE 196 32 689 A2 discloses such an adhesive tape for dynamic loading during a splicing method, whose paper carrier cleaves and, with its remains, covers the adhesive compounds.
Also of this type is an adhesive tape according to DE 196 28 317 A1, likewise for a splicing method. This adhesive tape bears, on its non-adhesive rear side, a double-sided adhesive tape (6), which has a paper carrier (7) which is suitable for splicing and which cleaves (7a, 7b, FIG. 3) during the splicing method and covers the respective adhesives. This double-sided adhesive tape (6) ends at one side with one side of the paper carrier (2), is therefore arranged along one of the long edges of the adhesive tape.
In practice, these adhesive tapes also exhibit disadvantages, primarily because a splice does not succeed, but rather ends as a break, without any reason for this being visible.
The object of the invention was to provide a remedy here.
This is achieved by an adhesive tape and a splicing method as is characterized in more detail in the claims. In order to avoid repetitions, reference is expressly made to the claims, especially also to relevant preferred embodiments.
According to the invention, splices succeed without breaks, the central feature constituting the offset or the distance V provided of the double-sided adhesive tape DO from the long edge LK of the adhesive tape. This success by comparison with the prior art is shown by reference by comparative trials, which are presented in the table.
Cleavable Paper
The cleavable paper advantageously has a distinctly lower cleavage resistance than the paper carrier which has to accommodate the tensile forces. An adequate difference is helpful for the functional principle of the product according to the invention.
The cleavable papers considered are, for example, the following papers or paper composite systems:
Duplex papers: These papers are commercially available and are used, for example, in the manufacture of filter materials and wall coverings.
Easily cleavable papers: The adjustment of the cleavage work is carried out via the consolidation of the paper fibre structure. The lower the consolidation, the lower the cleavage work.
Suitable paper types are, for example, machine-finished papers calendered on one side or else highly-calendered kraft papers.
Sized paper systems: The cleavage work is adjusted via the chemistry of the adhesive size. The size should have penetrated into the paper only to an insignificant extent.
Clean cut edges are also helpful for the aims of the present invention. During the cutting operation, no compound should be squeezed out. In particular, the cleavable attachment area of the cleavable material should not be covered by contact adhesive compound.
The amount by which the cleavable material is set back, or the distance V, should be 0.5-15 mm according to the invention, especially 1-7 mm and quite particularly 1.5 mm-3.5 mm.
Diverse cleavable paper systems are considered for the cleavable paper, such as
Duplex papers (papers laminated together in a defined manner), the cleavage process proceeds extremely homogeneously, no stress peaks are produced, for example as a result of inhomogeneous consolidation. These papers are used for the manufacture of wall coverings and filters.
Easily cleavable paper systems
Highly consolidated papers sized together in a defined way ( papers with a high cleavage strength). Sizing can be carried out, for example, with starch, starch-containing derivatives, wall covering adhesives based on methylcellulose (Methylan (copyright), Henkel KGaA, Dxc3xcsseldorf) or else based on polyvinyl alcohol derivatives.
The width of the carrier of the cleavable paper is preferably 3-20 mm, especially 6-12mm.
The invention relates in one embodiment to an adhesive tape, characterized in that a slit (SC) is arranged at a distance of 20 to 40 mm from that of a long edge (LK 2) of the adhesive tape which is opposite a long edge (LK1) close to which the doublesided adhesive tape (DO) is arranged. The double-sided adhesive tape (DO) is 3 to 20 mm wide, especially 6 to 12 mm wide.
All basic types of contact adhesive compound are considered as the self-adhesive compounds, especially
acrylates (water-soluble and non-water-soluble)
natural rubber compounds, synthetic rubber compounds
The invention relates in one embodiment to a splicing method, in which an adhesive tape is partly stuck behind the top paper web of a reel of paper, while the double-sided adhesive-tape on the rear side of the adhesive tape is for its part stuck to the paper web beneath it and therefore secures the top paper web, firstly only part of the release material possibly located on the self-adhesive compound being pulled off, so that that part of the self-adhesive compound needed for the splicing method is still covered by release material and, in this state, the paper reel has no free adhesive area, after which, in order to prepare the splicing method finally, any remaining release material still present is removed, whereupon the new paper reel equipped in this way is placed beside an old paper reel which has been almost completely unwound and is to be replaced, and is accelerated to the same peripheral speed as tbe said old reel, is then pressed against the old paper web, the exposed self-adhesive compound of the adhesive tape sticking to the old paper web at essentially equal speeds of the paper webs, while at the same time the paper carrier of cleavable paper cleaves and, with its remains, covers both self-adhesive compounds which were coated on the said paper carrier, so that they are non-adhesive.
The splicing method, here the sticking using the splicing tape, can in particular be carried out in such a way that the adhesive tape is stuck to the running web at right angles (disadvantage: the cleavable paper system must cleave completely into secondary fractions), but also at an acute angle (advantage: the cleaving process runs as a wave through the adhesive tape), especially up to 25xc2x0, above all up to 15xc2x0.

Abstract: a) a paper carrier (P1), which is coated on one sidexe2x80x94the front sidexe2x80x94with a self-adhesive compound (N1),

Abstract: b) part of the non-adhesive rear side of the paper carrier (P1) being equipped with a double-sided adhesive tape (DO) which has, on one side, a paper carrier (P2) of cleavable paper coated on both sides with self-adhesive compound (N2, N3), characterized in that

Abstract: c) the double-sided adhesive tape (DO) is arranged at a distance (V) of 0.5 to 15 mm from one long edge (LK) of the adhesive tape.


A hand-written character recognition apparatus with a personal dictionary preparation function has a character recognition unit for comparing an input hand-written character data with a registered standard dictionary to recognize a most similar character pattern, and a display unit for selecting and displaying a display font corresponding to the recognized character pattern, so that a personal peculiar character or simplified character inputted can be recognized. When a personal dictionary is to be registered, the character to be registered is inputted by hand-writing, the character recognition unit compares the input hand-written character data with the standard dictionary to recognize a similar character pattern, and the recognized character code of the standard dictionary is selected as the character code to be registered. When the personal dictionary is to be prepared, a personal pattern input frame which permits simultaneous input of a plurality of personal hand-written character patterns is provided, and the input personal patterns are allotted to one character code to be registered. When the personal character pattern is to be prepared and registered, similarity between the input personal pattern and the registered dictionary pattern is checked, a stability index indicating a degree of stability of recognition of the personal pattern is calculated based on the similarity, and the stability index is displayed.

The present invention relates to a hand-written character recognition apparatus, and more particularly to a hand-written character recognition apparatus having a personal dictionary preparation function.
In a hand-written character recognition apparatus, in order to process personalized characters or "peculiar characters", a personal dictionary is provided to improve the recognition factor.
JP-A-55-135973 discloses a hand-written character recognition apparatus having a function to on-line provide a personal dictionary by directly inputting character codes.
In this system, however, a user must examine a code table for character codes of characters to be registered, and enter them through a keyboard or key menu. Accordingly, interactivity is poor.
JP-A-55-135973 discloses a method of inputting a personal pattern after designation of a registration mode and then inputting a code to be registered to complete the registration. Thus, the entry of the personal pattern and the entry of the code to be registered are paired. JP-A-58-23887 discloses a method for comparing font dictionaries of a plurality of persons which have been previously prepared with a personal font which is being prepared, selecting a similar font as an initial personal dictionary, updating the initial personal dictionary as it is used, and finally preparing a personal dictionary.
However, the prior art-methods do not pay attention to the preparation of a personal dictionary for stroke sequence, number of strokes and simplified characters. As a result, it is not simple to prepare the personal dictionary.
In the former prior art method, the entry of the personal pattern and the entry of the code are paired. Therefore, if a plurality of personal patterns are to be registered for one code, the entry of code must be carried out a number of times.
On the other hand, in the latter prior art method, no attention is paid to the processing of stroke sequence, number of strokes and simplified characters because the initially set dictionary is updated.
JP-A-59-106085 discloses a method of entering a character by hand-writing, and if a recognition result is in error, registering an additional dictionary pattern, managing numbers of times of normal reading and error reading, and deleting or adding a dictionary pattern when the number of times of normal reading and error reading exceed predetermined values to update the personal dictionary.
This method, however, does not pay attention to error recognition when the personal dictionary is additionally registered. Since an operator does not feed back the similarity-of the existing dictionary pattern when the personal dictionary is additionally registered, similar personal dictionary patterns are prepared from time to time.

Hand-written character recognition apparatus with a personal dictionary preparation function


A three-dimensional dosimetry system and method for calibrating and mapping the expected radiation dose to be applied to a particular volume of tissue. In one embodiment, a stack of film is positioned within a radiation generation apparatus and is exposed to radiation. The film is scanned by a scanner and the scanner output is sent to a computer where it is compared to reference data of the desired dose distribution.

The use of stereotaxic radiosurgery to render tissue, and particularly tumorous tissue, necrotic is well known. While the radiosurgical principle of confining radiation as much as possible only to a particular volume is particularly attractive, problems regarding the precision of stereotaxic surgery remain an issue. With a risk that is proportional to both dose and the volume irradiated, radiation necrosis of tissue adjacent to a treated lesion remains the major complication of stereotaxic radiosurgery. Particularly, concerns remain as to whether particular volumes of tissue receive too much or too little radiation according to the prescription for treatment.
In stereotaxic radiosurgery, an accurate three-dimensional model of the skull or other tumor bearing portion of the body is generated from thin-cut CT scans, thus the volume requiring treatment can be visualized in three dimensions. A collimated radiation source is positioned in a sequence calculated to localize the energy deposition into a volume that as closely as possible conforms to that requiring treatment, while avoiding exposure of nearby healthy tissue. A system and method for performing stereotaxic surgery is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,223 issued to Adler on May 4, 1993 which is incorporated by reference herein. While this reference describes stereotaxic radiosurgery in which the treatment volume is accurately defined by moving the gamma beam in precisely defined arcs about the center of that volume, under that systems, the dose distribution is not defined or calibrated.
The dose distribution is an important parameter in stereotaxic surgery. If a radiation dose were too low due to unforeseen conditions at a point intended to receive the maximum radiation, then the surgery could be ineffective. If a radiation dose were too high at a particular point in the tissue, the surgery might have negative effects. Whether fixed or frameless stereotaxic radiosurgery is used, in order to determine if a particular scheme for the application of radiation beams to the tissue will result in a dose distribution within the prescribed limits and thereby optimize the treatment and minimize damage to healthy tissue, a system and method for such a determination is necessary. Thus, a system and method of calibrating and mapping the expected three-dimensional dose distribution that will be delivered by the collimated beam is desirable.


Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common human neurodegenerative disease of the CNS resulting in progressive neuronal death and memory loss. Despite intense investigations, no effective therapy is available to stop its onset or halt its progression. It was discovered that antisense oligonucleotide against neutral sphingomyelinase and GW4869, a chemical inhibitor of neutral sphingomyelinase, inhibit activation of glial cells and protect neurons in AD cell culture and animal models. These results suggest the following new treatment options for AD patients: Antisense oligonucleotide against neutral sphingomyelinase and GW4869.

1. Technical Field
This disclosure related to the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common human neurodegenerative disease of the CNS resulting in progressive neuronal death and memory loss. More specifically, an antisense oligonucleotide against neutral sphingomyelinase and GW4869, a chemical inhibitor of neutral sphingomyelinase, are shown to inhibit activation of glial cells and protect neurons in AD cell culture and animal models. As a result, new treatment options for AD patients are disclosed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder resulting in progressive neuronal death and memory loss. Neuropathologically, the disease is characterized by neurofibrillary tangles and neuritic plaques. Neurofibrillary tangles are composed of the hyperphosphorylated tau protein. On the other hand, neuritic plaques are mainly composed of aggregates of amyloid-β (Aβ) protein, a 40-43 amino acid proteolytic fragment derived from the amyloid precursor protein (APP) that is over-expressed in AD (Martin, 1999). Histopathologically, this disease is characterized by infiltration of inflammatory cells into the CNS, gliosis, and neuronal apoptosis.
Although deposition of Aβ peptides is one of the primary causes of neuronal loss in AD, mechanisms by which Aβ causes neuronal loss are largely unknown. Several lines of evidence suggest that neurons are killed through neurotoxic molecules elaborated from glial activation. Consequently, activated astrocytes and microglia are characteristically found in abundance near amyloid plaques in AD and in mouse models of AD, and amyloid peptides have been reported as glial activators in the presence of an immunological co-factor. Activated glia are also found to increase substantially in the hippocampus and neocortex of the aging brain. Consistently, microinjection of pre-aggregated Aβ1-42 peptides into the nucleus basalis of the rat produces a congophylic deposit followed by microglial and astrocyte activation and a strong inflammatory reaction surrounding the dystrophic neuritis.
Therefore, controlling glial activation and hence inflammation are of great therapeutic interest in mitigating neuronal cell death in different neurological disorders including AD. Because ceramide, the lipid second messenger molecule, produced from the degradation of sphingomyelin by sphingomyelinases (neutral and acidic) induces apoptosis and cell death in various cell types, including glial and neuronal cells. It was decided to investigate the N-SMase-ceramide pathway in Aβ-activated glia-mediated neuronal death. Here, the evidence that (A+IL-i)-activated astrocytes induce the activation of sphingomyelinases and the production of ceramide in human primary neurons is presented. The activation of neutral, but not acidic, sphingomyelinase plays a key role in neuronal apoptosis in response to neurotoxins released from activated astrocytes is shown. Further, blocking of astroglial activation by N-SMase inhibition prevented the release of neurotoxic substances. Subsequently, inhibition of astroglial N-SMase suppressed NF-κB activation in activated astroglia. The in vitro data were further substantiated by in vivo findings where it has been found that antisense oligonucleotides against N-SMase prevented astrogliosis and microgliosis and protected neurons in the cortex of Aβ-injected C57/BL6 mice.

Antisense oligonucleotides against neutral sphingomyelinase and neutral sphingomyelinase inhibitor GW4869 for degenerative neurological disorders


A recording apparatus includes a recording unit recording moving image data on a recording medium, a management information generation unit generating management information for first moving image data in response to recording the first moving image data on the recording medium, a consecutive reproduction information generation unit configured to generate first consecutive reproduction information indicating second moving image data to be reproduced consecutively after the first moving image data in response to recording the second moving image data on the recording medium, and a control unit, in response to recording the second moving image data on the recording medium, controlling the recording unit to add the first consecutive reproduction information to the management information for the first moving image data and to record the management information added with the first consecutive reproduction information on the recording medium.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus configured to record moving image data.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, an apparatus capable of recording moving image data on a disc-like shaped recording medium, such as a digital versatile disk (DVD), has been marketed. Furthermore, an apparatus has been recently marketed which is capable of recording high-quality moving image data on a very high-capacity disk medium, such as a Blu-ray Disc or a High Definition-DVD (HD-DVD), for a long period of time.
Such an apparatus encodes moving image data according to Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG)-2 or MPEG-4 Part 10 Advanced Video Coding (AVC) (H.264) to compress the data amount and records the compressed data on a recording medium. In reproducing moving image data recorded in the above-described manner, it is necessary to decode the moving image data read from a disk medium to decompress the data. In decoding moving image data, it is necessary for an apparatus to verify a content of the moving image data read from a disk medium. That is, it is necessary, in this case, for an apparatus to refer to information about a temporal length, the number of pixels, and an aspect ratio of the moving image data.
In this regard, there is known a conventional method for separately recording information necessary for decoding moving image data as management information for the moving image data. With such a method, information necessary for decoding moving image data can be obtained without verifying the content of the moving image data. Accordingly, an apparatus using such conventional method can perform optimum processing for reproducing moving image data.
For example, in a case where moving image data is coded according to the MPEG coding method, the management information includes information about a position on a recording medium of an I picture in the moving image data. Accordingly, for example, a fast-forward reproduction can be implemented by consecutively reading only I pictures from the recording medium, decoding the read I pictures, and displaying the decoded pictures.
Such a conventional method is generally employed in a format for recording moving image data on a disk medium, such as DVD-Video format, DVD Video Recording (VR) format, and Blu-ray disk-read only memory (BD-ROM) format.
In reproducing a plurality of moving image data recorded on a disk medium, it is necessary to move an optical pickup unit to an address (track) of the disk medium on which moving image data to be reproduced is recorded. Such an operation for moving the optical pickup unit is referred to as a "seeking operation".
If a plurality of moving image data to be consecutively reproduced exists at mutually distant positions on a disk medium, a reproduction operation may be interrupted by a seeking operation. It is useful to seamlessly reproduce moving image data even when a plurality of moving image data to be consecutively reproduced exists at mutually distant positions on a disk medium.
In this regard, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-4850 discusses a method in which identification information for identifying moving image data to be subsequently reproduced is included in management information as seamless information (consecutive reproduction information) in order to enable seamlessly reproducing moving image data.
The method discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-4850 is directed to address problems associated with reproduction only. Accordingly, in the case of recording moving image data in real time with a recording apparatus (e.g., a digital video camera) employing such a conventional method discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-4850, the following problems arise in recording management information on a recording medium.
That is, seamless information including identification information for identifying moving image data to be subsequently reproduced cannot be generated before recording the moving image data. Accordingly, in recording moving image data in real time, management information is recorded after moving image data to be subsequently reproduced is completely recorded.
In generating management information, if all moving image data to be recorded on a disk medium has been previously and completely captured and recorded, management information for seamless reproduction can be generated separately from the moving image data, and thus the generated management information can be recorded in association with the moving image data.
On the other hand, in recording moving image data in real time with a digital video camera, it is necessary to generate management information each time and at the same time as moving image data is recorded. However, the above-mentioned seamless information cannot be generated before completely recording subsequent moving image data. Thus, in recording moving image data in real time, management information cannot be generated before subsequent moving image data is completely recorded.
Accordingly, in the case of recording moving image data in real time, seamless information cannot be recorded on a recording medium at the same time as recording the moving image data.


When the accelerator is actuated at startup of the engine, a value for target fuel-injection amount at startup Qst is output by a device for electing a target fuel-injection amount at startup 45, this value being selected by minimum value selecting means 44 as the smaller of two values that are an additional fuel injection amount at startup Qsa, which is calculated, on the basis of the previous target fuel-injection amount at startup Qst(xe2x88x921), by a device for calculating an additional fuel injection amount at startup 42, and a limit fuel-injection amount at startup Qsl, which is calculated, on the basis of accelerator pedal depression amount Ac, by a device for calculating a limit fuel-injection amount at startup 43. Addition to the fuel-injection amount can thus be limited in accordance with the accelerator actuation amount, and the generation of smoke suppressed.

This application corresponds to Japanese Patent Application No.11-337502 filed in JPO on Nov. 29, 1999, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an engine fuel-injection control device for controlling the amount of fuel that is injected at startup of an engine.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, control of fuel injection at startup of an engine, such as a diesel engine, is performed according to the fuel injection amount at startup, which is determined on the basis of the cooling water temperature, rotation speed of the engine and so forth. However, when startup problems arise, it has been proposed to add a predetermined fuel injection amount stepwise to the fuel injection amount at startup according to the amount of time that has elapsed since startup was initiated.
Control of the kind described above, of a fuel injection amount through stepwise addition to the fuel injection amount at startup, is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. S58-162738. The control of a fuel injection amount that is disclosed in this publication previous, during startup of an engine, of a startup supply amount that is added stepwise or linearly according to time or the engine speed, within a predetermined range for the engine speed. If the fuel injection amount is added to on a continuous basis, the fuel injection amount becomes excessive with respect to the amount of air intake by the engine, and there is a risk of smoke generation and an increased amount thereof, as a result of incomplete combustion of fuel. An excessive fuel-injection amount is linked to an adverse impact on fuel economy, and, since the discharge of smoke is environmentally unfavorable, the continuous addition of a fuel-injection amount is unfavorable even at startup.
Also in the fuel injection control disclosed in the above-mentioned publication, when the engine speed (or supplied fuel amount) becomes larger than a predetermined value, at least a limit value corresponding to the engine speed is provided, and a target value for the supplied fuel amount is controlled such that the fuel injection amount added does not exceed the limit value. However, the conventional constitution is such that, at engine startup, since instability of the engine rotation speed leads to abrupt fluctuations thereof, even when addition to the fuel-injection amount is regulated, the limit value itself, for this regulation, fluctuates considerably, which results in the fuel injection amount becoming unstable.
Therefore, problems to be resolved by the present invention are as follows. When the engine is starting up, an addition must not always be made to the fuel injection amount, conditions for the time when the accelerator is actuated are to be set for the addition of fuel, an increase in the amount of smoke is to be suppressed, and engine startup efficiency is to be improved.
An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems by providing an engine fuel-injection control device that, when the engine is starting up performs control of the addition to the fuel injection amount by making accelerator actuation a condition therefore, such that, when the accelerator is not actuated, no such addition to the fuel injection amount is performed, an increase in the amount of smoke is suppressed, and engine startup efficiency is improved.
The present invention relates to an engine fuel-injection control device that comprises means for calculating a base fuel-injection amount at startup, which calculates a base fuel injection amount at startup, at startup of the engine; means for calculating an additional fuel injection amount at startup, which calculates an additional fuel injection amount at startup by adding a predetermined additional fuel injection amount to the previous target fuel-injection amount at startup; means for calculating a limit fuel-injection amount at startup, which calculates, on the basis of the accelerator actuation amount an injectable limit fuel-injection amount at startup that is limited by a boundary value at which smoke generation occurs at the above-mentioned engine startup; and means for electing a target fuel-injection amount at startup that elects the above-mentioned base fuel-injection amount at startup, which is calculated by the above-mentioned means for calculating a base fuel-injection amount at startup as the current above-mentioned target fuel-injection amount at startup if the accelerator is not actuated at the above-mentioned engine startup, or that elects the smaller of two values that are the above-mentioned additional fuel injection amount at startup and the above-mentioned limit fuel-injection amount at startup, as the current above-mentioned target fuel-injection amount at startup, if the accelerator is actuated at the above-mentioned engine startup.
By means of this engine fuel-injection control device, when the accelerator is not actuated at engine startup, the base fuel-injection amount at startup, which is calculated on the basis of the cooling water temperature and the engine rotation speed, is elected as the current target fuel-injection amount at startup; or, when the accelerator is actuated at engine startup, the smaller of two values that are the additional fuel injection amount at startup, which is calculated on the basis of the previous target fuel-injection amount at startup, and a limit fuel-injection amount at startup, is elected as the current target fuel-injection amount at startup. Consequently, addition to the fuel injection amount is only performed when the accelerator is actuated, for example by the accelerator pedal being depressed. Further, the target fuel-injection amount at startup, which is added, is elected such that the added target fuel-injection amount at startup does not exceed the limit fuel-injection amount at startup calculated on the basis of the accelerator actuation amount.
By electing the above-mentioned target fuel-injection amount at startup, consideration to whether the accelerator has been actuated having been taken as a condition for the addition of fuel, and the limit fuel-injection amount at startup having been determined in accordance with the magnitude of the accelerator actuation amount, no addition to the fuel injection amount is made if the accelerator is not actuated; furthermore, since the addition to the fuel injection amount at startup is suppressed in accordance with the magnitude of the accelerator actuation amount, the problems of smoke generation and an unfavorable impact on fuel economy can be resolved. Further, since the accelerator actuation amount does not generate abrupt fluctuations of the rotation speed of the engine at startup, the limit fuel-injection amount at startup is also stabilized.
In this engine fuel-injection control device, the above-mentioned means for calculating the limit fuel-injection amount at startup calculates the above-mentioned limit fuel-injection amount at startup in accordance with the above-mentioned engine cooling water temperature. Since it is known that, typically, the startup characteristics fluctuates considerably according to the engine cooling water temperature, it is possible to take startup efficiency and smoke suppression to a higher level while making both possible, through modification of the limit fuel-injection amount at startup in accordance with the cooling water temperature.
The above-mentioned engine fuel-injection control device preferably comprises minimum value selecting means that select the smaller of two values that are the above-mentioned additional fuel injection amount at startup, which is calculated by the above-mentioned means for calculating the additional fuel injection amount at startup; and the above-mentioned limit fuel-injection amount at startup, which is calculated by the above-mentioned means for calculating the limit fuel-injection amount at startup.
The above-mentioned means for electing a target fuel-injection amount at startup preferably elects the above-mentioned base fuel-injection amount at startup, which is calculated by the above-mentioned means for calculating a base fuel-injection amount at startup, as the current above-mentioned target, fuel-injection amount at startup, irrespective of whether the accelerator has been actuated or not, until a predetermined time has elapsed since the initiation of engine startup.
The above-mentioned means for calculating a base fuel-injection amount at startup preferably calculates the above-mentioned base fuel-injection amount at startup on the basis of the above-mentioned engine water temperature and rotation speed.
The engine fuel-injection control device relating to the present invention is preferably applied to a common-rail type diesel engine comprising: a high-pressure supply pump; a common rail for retaining fuel that is conveyed under pressure from this high-pressure supply pump; injectors for injecting the fuel supplied from the above-mentioned common rail into engine combustion chambers when an electromagnetic actuator is driven; and a controller for providing the above-mentioned electromagnetic actuator, at a predetermined time and over a predetermined duration with a control current for driving the above-mentioned electromagnetic actuator.
The above-mentioned means for calculating a base fuel-injection amount at startup, the above-mentioned means for calculating an additional fuel injection amount at startup, the above-mentioned means for calculating a limit fuel-injection amount at startup and the above-mentioned means for electing a target fuel-injection amount at startup are preferably comprised by the above-mentioned controller.
The engine fuel-injection control device relating to the present invention comprises a device for calculating a base fuel-injection amount at startup, which calculates a base fuel-injection amount at startup, at startup of the engine; a device for calculating an additional fuel injection amount at startup, which calculates an additional fuel injection amount at startup by adding a predetermined additional fuel injection amount to the previous target fuel-injection amount at startup; a device for calculating a limit fuel-injection amount at startup, which calculates, on the basis of the accelerator actuation amount, an injectable limit fuel-injection amount at startup that is a boundary value at which smoke generation occurs at the above-mentioned engine startup; and a device for electing a target fuel-injection amount at startup that elects the above-mentioned base fuel-injection amount at startup, which is calculated by the above-mentioned device for calculating a base fuel-injection amount at startup, as the current above-mentioned target fuel-injection amount at startup if the accelerator is not actuated at the above-mentioned engine startup; or that elects the smaller of two values that are the above-mentioned additional fuel injection amount at startup and the above-mentioned limit fuel-injection amount at startup, as the current above-mentioned target fuel-injection amount at startup if the accelerator is actuated at the above-mentioned engine startup.
The above-mentioned device for calculating a limit fuel-injection amount at startup is preferably constructed so as to calculate the above-mentioned limit fuel-injection amount at startup in accordance with the above-mentioned engine cooling water temperature.
The above-mentioned engine fuel-injection control device preferably comprises a minimum value selecting device that selects the smaller of two values that are the above-mentioned additional fuel injection amount at startup, which is calculated by the above-mentioned device for calculating the additional fuel injection amount at startup; and the above-mentioned limit fuel-injection amount at startup, which is calculated by the above-mentioned device for calculating the limit fuel-injection amount at startup.
The above-mentioned device for electing a target fuel-injection amount at startup preferably elects the above-mentioned base fuel-injection amount at startup, which is calculated by the above-mentioned device for calculating a base fuel-injection amount at startup, as the current above-mentioned target fuel-injection amount at startup, irrespective of whether the accelerator has been actuated or not, until a predetermined time has elapsed since the initiation of engine startup.
The above-mentioned device for calculating a base fuel-injection amount at startup preferably calculates the above-mentioned base fuel-injection amount at startup on the basis of the above-mentioned engine water temperature and rotation speed.
The engine fuel-injection control device relating to the present invention is preferably applied to a common-rail type diesel engine comprising: a high-pressure supply pump; a common rail for retaining fuel that is conveyed under pressure from this high-pressure supply pump; injectors for injecting the fuel supplied from the above-mentioned common rail into engine combustion chambers when an electromagnetic actuator is driven; and a controller for providing the above-mentioned electromagnetic actuator, at a predetermined time and over a predetermined duration, with a control current for driving the electromagnetic actuator.
The above-mentioned device for calculating a base fuel-injection amount at startup, the above-mentioned device for calculating an additional fuel injection amount at startup, the above-mentioned device for calculating a limit fuel injection amount at startup and the above-mentioned device for electing a target fuel-injection amount at startup are preferably constituted by the above-mentioned controller.
The engine fuel-injection control method relating to the present invention comprises: a step of calculating a base fuel-injection amount at startup, in which a base fuel-injection amount at startup is calculated at startup of the engine; a step of calculating an additional fuel injection amount at startup, in which an additional fuel injection amount at startup is calculated by adding a predetermined additional fuel injection amount to the previous target fuel-injection amount at startup; a step of calculating a limit fuel-injection amount at startup, in which, on the basis of the accelerator actuation amount, an injectable limit fuel-injection amount at startup is calculated that is a boundary value at which smoke generation occurs at the above-mentioned engine startup; and a step of electing a target fuel-injection amount at startup, in which the above-mentioned base fuel-injection amount at startup, which is calculated in the above-mentioned step of calculating a base fuel-injection amount at startup, is elected as the current above-mentioned target fuel-injection amount at startup if the accelerator is not actuated at the above-mentioned engine startup; or in which the smaller of two values that are the above-mentioned additional fuel injection amount at startup and the above-mentioned limit fuel-injection amount at startup, is elected as the current above-mentioned target fuel-injection amount at startup, if the accelerator is actuated at the above-mentioned engine startup.
The above-mentioned step of calculating a limit fuel-injection amount at startup is preferably constructed such that the above-mentioned limit fuel-injection amount at startup is calculated in accordance with the above-mentioned engine cooling water temperature.
The above-mentioned engine fuel-injection control method relating to the present invention preferably comprises a step of selecting a minimum value, in which the smaller of two values is selected that are the above-mentioned additional fuel binjection amount at startup, which is calculated by the above-mentioned step of calculating the additional fuel injection amount at startup, and the above-mentioned limit fuel-injection amount at startup, which is calculated in the above-mentioned step of calculating the limit fuel-injection amount at startup.
The above-mentioned step of electing a target fuel-injection amount at startup preferably elects the above-mentioned base fuel-injection amount at startup, which is calculated in the above-mentioned step of calculating a base fuel-injection amount at startup, as the current above-mentioned target fuel-injection amount at startup, irrespective of whether the accelerator has been actuated or not, until a predetermined time has elapsed since the initiation of engine startup.
The above-mentioned step of calculating a base fuel-injection amount at startup preferably calculates the above-mentioned base fuel-injection amount at startup on the basis of the above-mentioned engine water temperature and rotation speed.
The engine fuel-injection control method relating to the present invention is preferably applied to a common-rail type diesel engine comprising: a high-pressure supply pump; a common rail for retaining fuel that is conveyed under pressure from this high-pressure supply pump; injectors for injecting the fuel supplied from the above-mentioned common rail into engine combustion chambers when an electromagnetic actuator is driven; and a controller for providing the above-mentioned electromagnetic actuator, at a predetermined time and over a predetermined duration, with a control current for driving the electromagnetic actuator.
The above-mentioned step of calculating a base fuel-injection amount at startup, the above-mentioned step of calculating an additional fuel injection amount at startup, the above-mentioned step of calculating a limit fuel-injection amount at startup, and the above-mentioned step of electing a target fuel-injection amount at startup are preferably executed by the above-mentioned controller.