A composite building block with a connective structure between the inner and outer wall units is presented. The wall units can be made of cement, clay brick, or similar materials. The connective structure is made of a material different than the wall units and may be integrally formed per the requirements of a particular wall construction project. In one embodiment, the connective structure comprises a center form, and one or more arms have connectors that connect to corresponding connectors integrally formed on the wall units. The center form may partition the cavity between the inner and outer wall units into two or more cavities, which may then be partially filled with, for example, insulative material or load-bearing materials, such as concrete.

Building blocks have developed over time. Originally, solid bricks were used. These evolved into cinder blocks. These blocks are formed of concrete and have a pair of holes formed through the blocks. A typical cinder block is shown in FIG. 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 1,567,430 to Eberling. Another type of cinder block is shown in FIG. 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 2,172,052 to Robbins. The holes in the cinder blocks make the blocks considerably lighter, can be used as a better handle to help carry and position the blocks, can be used as a space within the blocks to hold reinforcing bars, and can be filled with concrete once the blocks are placed.
The basic cinder block has changed little over time. However, new blocks have been developed to make construction more flexible. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,982,544 to Smith, there are disclosed precast concrete modules for use in constructing load-bearing retaining walls—i.e., walls capable of supporting large vertical loads. The Smith precast concrete modules comprise a plurality of face walls and integrally formed connecting walls configured to form cavities in the modules. When the Smith precast concrete modules are assembled into a load-bearing wall, concrete may be poured into each cavity to finally form the load-bearing wall.
A number of blocks were developed to better insulate block walls. A normal cinder block that is filled with cement has no space for insulating material. Although the blocks do provide some insulating properties, such blocks are best known as heat absorbers. Thus, a block wall absorbs heat in the summer and holds that heat, which causes an increased cooling load. Similarly, in winter, they absorb cold, increasing the heating load. To solve this problem, several blocks have been developed to allow for insulative material to be placed within the blocks, thereby breaking the thermal flow paths. Examples of these blocks are found in the following U.S. patents. U.S. Pat. No. 3,593,480 teaches a block that has an outer appearance that is similar to an ordinary cinder block. The block is actually a plastic shell that has cavities that are filled with concrete. The block also has open areas that can be either dead air space or can be filled with insulating material. The problem with these blocks is that they must be filled with concrete, and the concrete must be cured, before they can be set into place. Once filled, these blocks become heavy and are difficult to work with.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,380,887 to Lee teaches a cinder block that is made with special slots that allow foam insulation to be inserted into the slots. The idea is to break up the thermal conductivity through the block webs. Although this design is an improvement, it still requires a full size block, with all the weight problems associated with that. Moreover, the insulating panels are designed to be inserted from both the top and the bottom of the block. This slows down the construction process, if the blocks are insulated in the field. It adds to the cost of installation if the insulation is added at the factory.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,498,266 to Perreton teaches a cinder block that has a center channel to hold blocks of insulation. U.S. Pat. No. 4,745,720 to Taylor teaches a cinder block that is cut in two lengthwise. The split block is then reassembled with a special insulating channel in the center. Special clips are provided to secure the insulation within the block. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,209,037 and 5,321,926 teach cinder blocks that have complex curves formed in them to receive insulation. Although these blocks provide improved insulating capabilities, the complex curved design increases cost and provides minimal hand holds for block placement. This makes construction more difficult and slow, which also drives up cost.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,841,707 to Nova teaches an alternative direction in block wall construction. As noted above, the problem with ordinary blocks is the transmission of cold and heat through the blocks themselves. The blocks above seek to break the transmission path. Another way to do this is to use a double wall. Such a wall has the outward appearance of an ordinary block wall, but has an outer block wall and an inner block wall that are connected by bracing. The space between the walls can be filled with insulating material to provide the best possible levels of insulation. The problem with the Nova wall is that there are no discrete blocks. Both walls are poured. Although this is an acceptable building method, it can be expensive, especially for residential type construction.
Finally, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,180,956 to Gross, there is disclosed a cavity wall structure comprising hollow panel units 2 interconnected by ties 13, and enclosing insulating elements 11. The Gross wall structure, however, appears to have limited applicability in the construction of load-bearing walls. Gross FIG. 1 shows wall panel units 2 to be much thinner than insulating elements 11. The Gross wall panel units 2 thus appear unsuited for supporting heavy loads, and it is not clear how they would conform to conventional U.S. building code structural requirements because of their relative thinness. Furthermore, components of the Gross wall structure are interconnected with ties 13 located at panel unit edges that not only tie together opposed inner and outer walls but link adjacent wall unit edges. This makes the Gross wall system inapplicable in wall construction projects where construction personnel are trained in building walls by laying discrete blocks with mortar interconnections. A person building one of Gross' walls would need to deal with several separate panel units 2 (adjacent as well as opposed) and ties 13 that would have to be assembled at the same time as the stacking of the insulating elements 11. It is not clear that one person working alone could easily perform this assembly.

Composite building block with connective structure


A valve (10) includes a first valve housing portion (12) and a second valve housing portion (14). The first valve housing portion and the second valve housing portion are separate components attached together to define a valve housing. The first valve housing portion includes an inner end surface (16) having an opening (18). The second valve housing portion includes an inner end surface (56) having a protruding annular rim (60) with an annular groove (62) and a seal (64) is received in the annular groove. The protruding annular rim including the seal is received in the opening in the inner end surface of the first valve housing portion to define a valve housing.

The present invention relates generally to a two part valve.
A valve includes a solenoid located on one side of a valve housing and a cartridge inserted into an opening in an opposing side of the valve housing. A plug is inserted into the hole to retain the cartridge in the valve housing. If the cartridge or any other internal components need to be serviced or removed, the entire valve must be removed to access the opening in the opposing side of the valve housing.
In another valve, the cartridge is positioned in the housing from a top of the valve housing. A lid is placed over the valve housing to enclose the cartridge, and the lid is secured in place by screws or a circlip.


The plugging of conduits containing a mixture of low-boiling hydrocarbons and water in inhibited by adding to the mixture an effective amount of at least one alkylated compound of the general formula formula ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 each are independently chosen from normal or branched alkyls containing a chain of at least 4 carbon atoms,. R.sub.5 is an organic moiety containing a chain of at least 4 atoms,. X is S, N--R.sub.4 or P--R.sub.4,. R.sub.4 is H or an organic substituent, suitably an alkyl or alkenyl group having from 8 to 20 carbon atoms, and. Y-- is an anion.

Low-boiling hydrocarbons, such as methane, ethane, propane, butane and iso-butane, are present in natural gas and also in crude oil. Because water may also be present in varying amounts in natural gas and crude oil, the mixture, under conditions of elevated pressure and reduced temperature, tends to form gas hydrate crystals. Gas hydrates are clathrates (inclusion compounds) of gases in a lattice consisting of water molecules. The maximum temperature at which gas hydrates can be formed strongly depends on the pressure of the system. For example, ethane at a pressure of approximately 1 MPa can form hydrates only at temperatures below 4.degree. C. whereas at a pressure of 3 MPa stable hydrates can be present at temperatures as high as 14.degree. C. With respect to this strong dependence of the hydrate melting point on pressure, hydrates markedly differ from ice.
As described by M. yon Stackelberg and H. R. Muller (Z. Electrochem., 58, 25 (1954)), methane and ethane hydrates form cubic lattices having a lattice constant of 1.2 nm (hydrate structure I). The lattice constant of the cubic propane and butane gas hydrates is 1.73 nm (hydrate structure II). However, the presence of even small amounts of propane in a mixture of low-boiling hydrocarbons will result in the formation of gas hydrates having structure II (J. H. van der Waals and J. C. Platteeuw, Adv. Chem. Phys. 2, 1 (1959)).
It has been known for a long time, that gas hydrate crystals, when allowed to form and grow inside a conduit such as a pipeline, tend to block or even damage the conduit. To prevent such blocking, the following measures are possible in principle: removal of free water; maintaining elevated temperatures; and/or reduced pressures or the addition of melting point depressants (antifreezes). In practice, antifreezes are most frequently used. However, antifreezes, such as the lower alcohols and glycols, have to be added in substantial amounts to be effective, typically several tens of percent by weight of the water present. A disadvantage of such amounts is the cost of the antifreeze, and that recovery is relatively expensive.
An attractive alternative to the anti-hydrate measures described above, particularly the antifreezes, is to use a crystal growth inhibitor. The principle of interfering with crystal growth is known.
Plants and poikilothermic animals such as insects and cold-water fish are known to protect themselves from freezing, both by antifreezes such as glycols and by special peptides and glycopeptides (termed antifreeze proteins and antifreeze glycoproteins) that interfere with ice crystal growth (A. L. de Vries, Comp. Blochem. Physiol, 73, 627 (1982)). The present applicants found such cold-water fish peptides and glycopeptides also to be effective in interfering with the growth of gas-hydrate crystals. However, their production and use for this purpose are currently considered to be uneconomical.
In EPO Patent Application No. 92,201,725.6 the use of polymers and copolymers of N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone for inhibiting the formation, growth and/or agglomeration of gas hydrate crystals is disclosed.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method to inhibit formation of hydrates in streams containing at least some light hydrocarbons and water. It is a further object to provide such a method wherein a high concentration of additive is not required.

Method for inhibiting the plugging of conduits by gas hydrates


The invention provides transgenic non-human animals and transgenic non-human mammalian cells harboring a transgene encoding an APP polypeptide comprising the Swedish mutation.

The invention provides transgenic non-human animals and transgenic non-human mammalian cells harboring a transgene encoding an amyloid precursor protein (APP) comprising the Swedish mutation (lysine595-methionine596 mutated to asparagine595-leucine596); the invention also provides non-human animals and cells comprising a transgene encoding an APP comprising the Swedish mutation and further comprising functionally disrupted endogenous APP gene loci, transgenes and targeting constructs used to produce such transgenic cells and animals, transgenes encoding human Swedish mutation APP polypeptide sequences, and methods for using the transgenic animals in pharmaceutical screening and as commercial research animals for modeling neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer""s disease) and APP biochemistry in vivo.
Alzheimer""s disease (AD) is a progressive disease known generally as senile dementia. Broadly speaking the disease falls into two categories, namely late onset and early onset. Late onset, which occurs in old age (65+years), may be caused by the natural atrophy of the brain occurring at a faster rate and to a more severe degree than normal. Early onset AD is much more infrequent but shows a pathologically identical dementia with brain atrophy which develops well before the senile period, i.e., between the ages of 35 and 60 years.
Alzheimer""s disease is characterized by the presence of numerous amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (highly insoluble protein aggregates) present in the brains of AD patients, particularly in those regions involved with memory and cognition. While in the past there was significant scientific debate over whether the plaques and tangles are a cause or are merely the result of AD, recent discoveries indicate that amyloid plaque is a causative precursor or factor. In particular, it has been discovered that the production of xcex2-amyloid peptide, a major constituent of the amyloid plaque, can result from mutations in the gene encoding amyloid precursor protein, a protein which when normally processed will not produce the xcex2-amyloid peptide. It is presently believed that a normal (non-pathogenic) processing of the xcex2-amyloid precursor protein occurs via cleavage by a putative xe2x80x9cxcex1-secretasexe2x80x9d which cleaves between amino acids 16 and 17 of the protein. It is further believed that pathogenic processing occurs via a putative xe2x80x9cxcex2-secretasexe2x80x9d at the amino-terminus of the xcex2-amyloid peptide within the precursor protein. Moreover, xcex2-amyloid peptide appears to be toxic to brain neurons, and neuronal cell death is associated with the disease.
xcex2-amyloid peptide (also referred to as A4, xcex2AP, Axcex2, or Axcex2P; see, U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,829 and Glenner and Wong (1984) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 120: 1131) is derived from xcex2-amyloid precursor protein (xcex2APP), which is expressed in differently spliced forms of 695, 751, and 770 amino acids. See, Kang et al. (1987) Nature 325: 773; Ponte et al. (1988) Nature 331: 525; and Kitaguchi et al. (1988) Nature 331: 530. Normal processing of amyloid precursor protein involves proteolytic cleavage at a site between residues Lys16 and Leu17 (as numbered for the xcexdAP region where Asp597 is residue 1 in Kang et al. (1987)), supra, near the transmembrane domain, resulting in the constitutive secretion of an extracellular domain which retains the remaining portion of the xcex2-amyloia peptide sequence (Esch et al. (1990) Science 248:1122-1124). This pathway appears to be widely conserved among species and present in many cell types. See, Weidemann et al. (1989) Cell 57:115-126 and Oltersdorf et al. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265:4492-4497. This normal pathway cleaves within the region of the precursor protein which corresponds to the xcex2-amyloid peptide, thus apparently precluding its formation. Another constitutively secreted form of xcex2APP has been noted (Robakis et al. Soc. Neurosci. Oct. 26, 1993, Abstract No. 15.4, Anaheim, Calif.) which contains more of the xcex2AP sequence carboxy terminal to that form described by Esch et al. supra.
Golde et al. (1992) Science 255:728-730, prepared a series of deletion mutants of amyloid precursor protein and observed a single cleavage site within the xcex2-amyloid peptide region. Based on this observation, it was postulated that xcex2-amyloid peptide formation does not involve a secretory pathway. Estus et al. (1992) Science 255:726-728, teaches that the two largest carboxy terminal proteolytic fragments of amyloid precursor protein found in brain cells contain the entire xcex2-amyloid peptide region.
Recent reports show that soluble xcex2-amyloid peptide is produced by healthy cells into culture media (Haass et al. (1992) Nature 359:322-325) and in human and animal CSF (Seubert et al. (1992) Nature 359:325-327). Palmert et al. (1989) Biochm. Biophys. Res. Comm. 165:182-188, describes three possible cleavage mechanisms for xcex2APP and presents evidence that xcex2APP cleavage does not occur at methionine596 in the production of soluble derivatives of xcex2APP. U.S. Pat. No. 5,200,339, discusses the existence of certain proteolytic factor(s) which are putatively capable of cleaving xcex2APP at a site near the xcex2APP amino-terminus.
The APP gene is known to be located on human chromosome 21. A locus segregating with familial Alzheimer""s disease has been mapped to chromosome 21 (St. George Hyslop et al (1987) Science 235: 885) close to the APP gene. Recombinants between the APP gene and the AD locus have been previously reported (Schellenberg et al. (1988) Science 241: 1507; Schellenberg et al. (1991) Am. J. Hum. Genetics 48: 563; Schellenberg et al. (1991) Am. J. Hum. Genetics 49: 511, incorporated herein by reference).
The identification of mutations in the amyloid precursor protein gene which cause familial, early onset Alzheimer""s disease is evidence that amyloid metabolism is the central event in the pathogenic process underlying the disease. Four reported disease-causing mutations include with respect to the 770 isoform, valine717 to isoleucine (Goate et al. (1991) Nature 349: 704), valine717 to glycine (Chartier Harlan et al. (1991) Nature 353: 844), valine717 to phenylalanine (Murrell et al. (1991) Science 254: 97) and with respect to the 695 isoform, a double mutation changing lysine595-methionine596 to asparagine595-leucine596 (Mullan et al. (1992) Nature Genet 1: 345; Citron et al. (1992) Nature 360: 672) referred to as the Swedish mutation. APP alleles which are positively correlated with AD are termed xe2x80x9cdisease-associated allelesxe2x80x9d.
The development of experimental models of Alzheimer""s disease that can be used to define further the underlying biochemical events involved in AD pathogenesis would be highly desirable. Such models could presumably be employed, in one application, to screen for agents that alter the degenerative course of Alzheimer""s disease. For example, a model system of Alzheimer""s disease could be used to screen for environmental factors that induce or accelerate the pathogenesis of AD. In contradistinction, an experimental model could be used to screen for agents that inhibit, prevent, or reverse the progression of AD. Presumably, such models could be employed to develop pharmaceuticals that are effective in preventing, arresting, or reversing AD.
Unfortunately, only humans and aged non-human primates develop any of the pathological features of AD; the expense and difficulty of using primates and the length of time required for developing the AD pathology makes extensive research on such animals prohibitive. Rodents do not develop AD, even at an extreme age. It has been reported that the injection of amyloid protein (xcex2AP) or cytotoxic xcex2AP fragments into rodent brain results in cell loss and induces an antigenic marker for neurofibrillary tangle components (Kowall et al. (1991) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (U.S.A.) 88: 7247). Mice which carry an extra copy of the APP gene as a result of partial trisomy of chromosome 16 die before birth (Coyle et al. (1988) Trends in Neurosci. 11: 390). Since the cloning of the APP gene, there have been several attempts to produce a mouse model for AD using transgenes that include all or part of the APP gene, unfortunately much of the work remains unpublished since the mice were nonviable or failed to show AD-like pathology. At least two published reports were retracted because of irregularities in reported results (Marx J Science 255: 1200; Wirak et al. (1991) Science 253: 323; Kawabata et al. (1991) Nature 354: 476; Kawabata et al. Nature 356: 23; Quon et al. (1991) Nature 352: 239; Marx Science 259: 457).
Thus, there is a need in the art for transgenic nonhuman animals harboring an intact disease-associated APP gene, either a human disease-associated allele such as a polynucleotide encoding a human APP protein comprising the Swedish mutation, or a complete genomic copy (or minigene) of the Swedish mutation APP gene.
Alternatively, a mutated rodent (e.g., murine) allele which comprises sequence modifications which correspond to a human APP sequence comprising the Swedish mutation can be substituted. Cell strains and cell lines (e.g., astroglial cells) derived from such transgenic animals would also find wide application in the art as experimental models for developing AD therapeutics and as a convenient source of APP protein comprising the Swedish mutation. Moreover, transgenic non-human animals comprising a transgene encoding a Swedish mutation APP protein and lacking functional endogenous APP gene loci (i.e., having an APP xe2x80x9cknockoutxe2x80x9d background) would be a convenient source of Swedish mutation APP protein in a background lacking other APP proteins that do not comprise the Swedish mutation.
Based on the foregoing, it is clear that a need exists for nonhuman cells and nonhuman animals harboring one or more transgenes encoding an APP gene comprising the Swedish mutation. Thus, it is an object of the invention herein to provide methods and compositions for transferring transgenes and homologous recombination constructs into mammalian cells, especially into embryonic stem cells. It is also an object of the invention to provide transgenic nonhuman cells and transgenic nonhuman animals harboring one or more Swedish mutation APP transgenes of the invention. Of further interest to the present invention are the application of such transgenic animals as in vivo systems for screening candidate drugs for the ability to inhibit or prevent the production of pathogenic xcex2-amyloid plaque. It would be desirable to provide methods and systems for screening test compounds for the ability to inhibit or prevent the conversion of amyloid precursor protein to pathogenic xcex2-amyloid peptide. In particular, it would be desirable to base such methods and systems on metabolic pathways which have been found to be involved in such conversion, where the test compound would be able to interrupt or interfere with the metabolic pathway which leads to conversion. Such methods and transgenic animals should provide rapid, economical, and suitable for screening large numbers of test compounds.
The references discussed herein are provided solely for their disclosure prior to the filing date of the present application. Nothing herein is to be construed as an admission that the inventors are not entitled to antedate such disclosure by virtue of prior invention.
In accordance with the foregoing objects, in one aspect of the invention are provided nonhuman animals harboring at least one copy of a transgene comprising a polynucleotide sequence which encodes a heterologous APP polypeptide comprising the Swedish mutation (asparagine595-leucine596) operably linked to a transcription regulatory sequence capable of producing expression of the heterologous APP polypeptide in the transgenic nonhuman animal. Said heterologous APP polypeptide comprising the Swedish mutation generally is expressed in cells which normally express the naturally-occurring endogenous APP gene (if present). Typically, the nonhuman animal is a mouse and the heterologous APP gene is a human Swedisch mutation APP gene. Such transgenes typically comprise a Swedish mutation APP expression cassette, wherein a linked promoter and, preferably, an enhancer drive expression of structural sequences encoding a heterologous APP polypeptide comprising the Swedish mutation.
The invention also provides transgenes comprising a gene encoding a Swedish mutation APP, said gene operably linked to a transcription regulatory sequence functional in the host transgenic animal (e.g., a neural-specific promoter). Such transgenes are typically integrated into a host chromosomal location by nonhomologous integration. The transgenes may further comprise a selectable marker, such as a neo or gpt gene operably linked to a constitutive promoter, such as a phosphoglycerate kinase (pgk) promoter or HSV tk gene. promoter linked to an enhancer (e.g., SV40 enhancer).
The invention further provides nonhuman transgenic animals, typically nonhuman mammals such as mice, which harbor at least one copy of a transgene or targeting construct of the invention, either homologously or nonhomologously integrated into an endogenous chromosomal location so as to encode a Swedish mutation APP polypeptide. Such transgenic animals are usually produced by introducing the transgene or targeting construct into a fertilized egg or embryonic stem (ES) cell, typically by microinjection, electroporation, lipofection, or biolistics. The transgenic animals express the Swedish mutation APP gene of the transgene (or homologously recombined targeting construct), typically in brain tissue. Such animals are suitable for use in a variety of disease model and drug screening uses, as well as other applications.
The invention also provides nonhuman animals and cells which harbor at least one integrated targeting construct that functionally disrupts an endogenous APP gene locus, typically by deleting or mutating a genetic element (e.g., exon sequence, splicing signal, promoter, enhancer) that is required for efficient functional expression of a complete gene product.
The invention also provides transgenic nonhuman animals, such as a non-primate mammal, that have at least one inactivated endogenous APP allele, and preferably are homozygous for inactivated APP alleles, and which are substantially incapable of directing the efficient expression of endogenous (i.e., wildtype) APP. For example, In a preferred embodiment, a transgenic mouse is homozygous for inactivated endogenous APP alleles and is substantially incapable of producing murine APP encoded by a endogenous (i.e., naturally-occurring) APP gene. Such a transgenic mouse, naving inactivated endogenous APP genes, is a preferred host recipient for a transgene encoding a heterologous APP polypeptide, preferably a human Swedish mutation APP polypeptide. For example, human APP comprising the Swedish mutation may be encoded and expressed from a heterologous transgene(s) in such transgenic mice. Such heterologous transgenes may be integrated in a nonhomologous location in a chromosome of the nonhuman animal, or may be integrated by homologous recombination or gene conversion into a nonhuman APP gene locus, thereby effecting simultaneous knockout of the endogenous APP gene (or segment thereof) and replacement with the human APP gene (or segment. thereof).

Transgenic rodents harboring APP allele having Swedish mutation


A self-supporting collapsible ladder comprising a plurality of ladder sections with pin-locking mechanisms which secure adjacent ladder sections into an extended position. The ladder has a mechanism for self-supporting the ladder assembly by the use of braces attached to the ladder which are rotated and held in place by support rails which can be extended when in use.

There have been many previous attempts to invent ladders which can be collapsed for easy storage and elongated for use. Many of these ladders, including U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,884,659, 4,442,920, 4,678,060, 4,852,688, and 4,595,075, present collapsible ladders but their principle function is limited to emergency use as escape ladders. Most of the ladders in the prior art do not contain the structural support necessary for general household or industrial use.
Moreover, the prior art does not disclose any collapsible ladder which can be adjusted to any specific height depending on the purpose for which the ladder is to be used. In addition, no existing collapsible ladder discloses a convenient pin-locking mechanism used to adjust the height of the ladder similar to the present invention. Furthermore, no other collapsible ladder has a means for self-support such as the instant invention. As a result, the present invention possesses versatility not previously seen in a ladder of any type.


A hanger including a connector member, a strap member, a hanger arm, and an adjustable support arm is provided. The connecting member has a surface configured to substantially conform to at least a portion of an upright support member. The strap member is connected to the connector member for holding the connector member against the support member. The hanger arm has a first end pivotally connected to the connector member and a free second end adapted to suspend an item therefrom. The adjustable support arm has a first end pivotally connected to the hanger arm and a second end matingly engageable against selective portions of the connector member to support the hanger arm in a selected angular relationship with respect to the upright support member.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to multi-purpose hangers and apparatus for hanging objects, and the like, and the methods of using same.
2. Background Information
Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98
Devices for hanging objects have been developed and used for years. Most objects, such as clothing hangers, utilize a hook apparatus, as well as an outer framework. The hook apparatus connects to a reciprocal apparatus which permits the hanger to hang, while the outer framework holds the object, such as clothing. In the case of an apparatus of hanging plants or lanterns, a hook-type apparatus is usually supplied at one end, again, with a reciprocal apparatus which permits the hanger to hang, while extending therefrom is a framework which permits objects, such as a container containing a plant, or a lantern, to be disposed in the framework.
In some instances, it can be difficult, or inconvenient, to find a reciprocating apparatus in which to "hook" the hanger. In doors, the reciprocating apparatus must be installed in ceilings or walls. Outside, it can be difficult to find an acceptable "natural" reciprocating apparatus, such as a tree limb, at either the right height or the right location.
Therefore, there is a need felt within the art for a multi-purpose hanger which would permit a number of different objects to be hung from such a hanger, and in which it is easier to find and/or utilize an artificial or natural reciprocating apparatus in which to connect the multi-purpose hanger.
Further, there is a need felt in the art to provide an easy to use, adjustable hanger for indoor or outdoor use. Moreover, there is a need felt in the art to provide an easy to use, adjustable hanger for hanging objects outdoors, such as, but not by way of limitation, a plant in a container, birdseed, backpacks, lanterns, food, trash, party decorations, and the like. Such a device would be economical to manufacture and supply, easy for a user to use, relatively light weight, and would provide ease of control in raising and lowering the item being hung by a user.


To provide space division multiple access in a wireless network, plural beams are transmitted within a cell segment. Different information sets are sent in the corresponding plural beams, where one or more of the information sets are detectable by a mobile station depending upon a location of the mobile station in the cell segment. An indication responsive to which of the different information sets is detected by the mobile station is received, and beam selection from among the plural beams is performed according to the received indication.

Various wireless access technologies have been proposed or implemented to enable mobile stations to perform communications with other mobile stations or with wired terminals coupled to wired networks. Examples of wireless access technologies include GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) or UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) technologies, defined by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP); CDMA 2000 (Code Division Multiple Access 2000) technologies, defined by 3GPP2; or other wireless access technologies.
As part of the continuing evolution of wireless access technologies to improve spectral efficiency, to improve services, to lower costs, and so forth, new standards have been proposed. One such new standard is the Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard from 3GPP, which seeks to enhance the UMTS wireless network.
The 3GPP LTE standards have not yet developed efficient space division multiple access (SDMA) solutions. SDMA refers to a technique in which radio frequency (RF) resources (e.g., frequencies, time slots, etc.) can be reused in different geographic regions by transmitting different beams into the different geographic regions using multi-beam antennas. Because of inadequate SDMA solutions in the LTE standards, efficiencies associated with SDMA are not available in conventional LTE wireless networks.

Providing space division multiple access in a wireless network


The invention provides a high flow rate standing valve for oil wells of the type employing a plurality of check valve units disposed in parallel between inlet and outlet passages, the flow area of the inlet or outlet passage each being not in excess of the total flow areas of the individual check valves so that no significant pressure drop is produced by fluid flow through the check valves in their open position. Specifically, the invention provides an improved configuration for such standing valves permitting the convenient manufacture and assembly of the valve components. In a modification of the invention, the standing valve housing is constructed so that its lower end is mounted on and co-operates with a conventional well safety valve.

1. Field of the Invention:
The invention relates to standing valves of the type employed in the bottom of a submersible pumping apparatus for an oil well which prevents reverse fluid flow from the production casing back into the well whenever the pumping operation is interrupted or the pumping apparatus is removed from the well for servicing.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
This invention constitutes an improvement over the standing valve construction disclosed and claimed in co-pending application Ser. No. 50,921, filed June 21, 1979, entitled "High Flow Check Valve Apparatus" assigned to the same assignee as this application. Such co-pending application discloses a standing valve for oil wells wherein a plurality of check valve units are provided between two laterally spaced, parallel inlet and outlet passages. While the construction disclosed in said aforementioned co-pending application is completely functional to minimize the pressure drop involved in a standing valve when the check valves are in their open or flowing position, the disclosed construction required relatively complicated components which would only be produced by castings and complex machining operations. To reduce the manufacturing cost of this type of standing valve apparatus, and to simplify the assembly and servicing of the valve, it is desirable that the great majority of components of the standing valve be capable of being produced by simple machining operations. For example, it is desirable that all of the major fluid flow passages in the standing valve be defined by drilled holes in the main housing element, rather than by cast apertures.
Additionally, it is desirable that the standing valve be capable of being mounted directly adjacent to a tubing controlled sub-surface safety valve, which is now being required for installation in many wells, particularly oil wells drilled in the ocean floor.


The heat storage material of the present invention is a heat storage material comprising a substance that induces an electronic phase transition, wherein the electronic phase transition is a phase transition of multiple degrees (associated) with freedom including a spin degree of freedom and an orbital degree of freedom, which are internal degrees of freedom of electrons, and the substance is V(1−x)CrxO2 (0<X≦0.23).

The term "heat storage" denotes storing of heat in a substance, and substances that are used for heat storage are referred to as heat storage materials. By heat storage, the temperature of a heat storage material itself, the temperature of the interior of the space in which the heat storage material is disposed, or the like can be maintained substantially constant. For instance, by using heat storage (technologies), solar energy or waste heat can be stored in a substance as heat, and this heat can be used for heating. Furthermore, ice can be generated during the nighttime when power consumption is low, and the produced ice (and heat of fusion of ice) can be used for cooling during the daytime. Thus, through storage of heat, various kinds of energy can be converted into heat and stored, and then re-used. Heat storage technologies therefore play a part in energy conservation being currently advocated. Accordingly, heat storage technologies urgently require further developments.
Heat storage mechanisms can be divided into sensible heat storage and latent heat storage. Sensible heat storage exploits the large specific heat of certain substances. For instance, hot water bottles rely on the large specific heat of water. Latent heat storage exploits the enthalpy of phase transitions. For instance, cooling of drinks using ice water relies on the heat of fusion (enthalpy of fusion) of ice.
In latent heat storage, the enthalpy of a phase transition in a substance is resorted to; as a result, the temperature of the substance can be kept substantially constant, and heat can be added to the substance, and taken from the substance, at a substantially constant temperature of the substance (in sensible heat storage, although temperature changes of the substance with respect to the outside world temperature are small, the temperature of the substance does change gradually nevertheless). Accordingly, technical developments are currently focused on latent heat storage.
Materials for latent heat storage having been developed so far include inorganic salt hydrates, organic materials, molten salts and the like. All the foregoing are heat storage materials that rely on the large enthalpy of solid-liquid phase transitions.
Although large enthalpy changes due to solid-liquid phase transitions are certainly an important factor in heat storage materials, other characteristics, aside from large enthalpy changes, are likewise required from heat storage materials. For instance, it is important that the temperature in the surface of the heat storage material be kept substantially constant over long periods of time; accordingly, heat storage materials are required to exhibit high thermal conductivity. In substances of low thermal conductivity, a large temperature difference arises between the temperature of the surface and the temperature of the interior, and thus the temperature of the surface cannot be kept substantially constant (paraffin, which is an organic material, has low thermal conductivity). When relying on solid-liquid phase transitions in substances that exhibit large volume changes (expansion/contraction) elicited by phase transitions liquid leakage maybe caused. Accordingly, changes in volume derived from phase transitions have to be accordingly small (i.e. in cases where the volume changes are large, a container that withstands the volume changes must be selected as the container of the heat storage material). Further, the heat storage effect is impaired when phase separation or decomposition occurs during phase transitions (in the worst case, the material can no longer be used as a heat storage material). Accordingly, such material s are required not to undergo phase separation or decomposition during phase transitions.


A technique is provided that can suppress leakage of a liquid from a tank. When an ink tank is in a reference orientation in which ink is injected into the ink tank, an atmospheric air introducing inlet of an atmospheric air communication path is located on an upper end side of the ink containing portion. Also, when the ink tank is in the reference orientation, when the ink tank is in a second orientation in which the ink tank has been rotated by 90° from the reference orientation, and when the ink tank is in a third orientation in which the ink tank has been rotated by 180°, at least a portion of the atmospheric air communication path is located at a height position of an upper end portion of the ink containing portion.

As a type of liquid ejection system, an inkjet printer (hereinafter also referred to simply as "printer") is known that forms an image by discharging ink onto print paper. Some printers include an ink tank that is attached thereto and into which ink can be injected via an injection inlet (for example, Patent Literatures 1 and 2 listed below, and the like).

Tank, tank unit, and liquid ejection system


An article and TBC coating system thereon that in combination exhibit significantly improved spallation resistance. The article comprises a substrate formed of a metal alloy containing ruthenium and one or more refractory elements (e.g., tantalum, tungsten, molybdenum, rhenium, hafnium, etc.). The substrate is protected by a coating system comprising an aluminum-containing bond coat on the surface of the substrate and a ceramic coating bonded to the substrate by the bond coat. The bond coat, preferably an aluminide, is deposited so as to be substantially free of ruthenium, though ruthenium is present in the bond coat as a result of diffusion from the substrate into the bond coat.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to protective coating systems for components exposed to high temperatures, such as the hostile thermal environment of a gas turbine engine. More particularly, this invention relates to a combination of a superalloy substrate composition and coating system that exhibits improved spallation resistance of the coating system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Environmental coatings and TBC bond coats are often formed of an oxidation-resistant aluminum-containing alloy or intermetallic. An example of the former is MCrAlX (where M is iron, cobalt and/or nickel, and X is yttrium or another rare earth element), which is deposited as an overlay coating. An example of the latter includes diffusion coatings, particularly diffusion aluminides and platinum-aluminides (PtAl) that contain aluminum intermetallics (e.g., NiAl and PtAl). Other types of environmental coatings and bond coats that have been proposed include beta-phase nickel aluminide (NiAl) overlay coatings. In contrast to the aforementioned MCrAlX overlay coatings, which are metallic solid solutions containing intermetallic phases, the NiAl beta phase is an intermetallic compound that exists for nickel-aluminum compositions containing about 30 to about 60 atomic percent aluminum. Notable examples of beta-phase NiAl coating materials are disclosed in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,975,852 to Nagaraj et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,153,313 to Rigney et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,255,001 to Darolia, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,291,084 to Darolia et al. These NiAl compositions, which preferably contain a reactive element (such as zirconium and/or hafnium) and/or other alloying constituents (such as chromium), have been shown to improve the adhesion of a ceramic TBC, thereby increasing the spallation resistance of the TBC. These same compositions can also be used alone as environmental coatings for superalloy components that do not require the thermal protection of a TBC.
Environmental coatings and TBC bond coats are often formed of an oxidation-resistant aluminum-containing alloy or intermetallic. An example of the former is MCrAlX (where M is iron, cobalt and/or nickel, and X is yttrium or another rare earth element), which is deposited as an overlay coating. An example of the latter includes diffusion coatings, particular diffusion aluminides and platinum-aluminides (PtAl) that contain aluminum intermetallics (e.g., NiAl and PtAl). Other types of environmental coatings and bond coats that have been proposed include beta-phase nickel aluminide (NiAl) overlay coatings. In contrast to the aforementioned MCrAlX overlay coatings, which are metallic solid solutions containing intermetallic phases, the NiAl beta phase is an intermetallic compound that exists for nickel-aluminum compositions containing about 30 to about 60 atomic percent aluminum. Notable examples of beta-phase NiAl coating materials are disclosed in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,975,852 to Nagaraj et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,153,313 to Rigney et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,255,001 to Darolia, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,291,084 to Darolia et al. These NiAl compositions, which preferably contain a reactive element (such as zirconium and/or hafnium) and/or other alloying constituents (such as chromium), have been shown to improve the adhesion of a ceramic TBC, thereby increasing the spallation resistance of the TBC. These same compositions can also be used alone as environmental coatings for superalloy components that do not require the thermal protection of a TBC.
TBC systems and environmental coatings are being used in an increasing number of turbine applications (e.g., combustors, augmentors, turbine blades, turbine vanes, etc.). The material systems used for most turbine airfoil applications comprise a nickel-base superalloy as the substrate material, a diffusion platinum aluminide (PtAl) as the bond coat, and a zirconia-based ceramic as the thermally-insulating TBC material. Notable substrate materials include directionally-solidified (DS) alloys such as René 142 and single-crystal (SX) alloys such as René N5. A notable example of a PtAl bond coat composition is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,066,405 to Schaeffer. Finally, a preferred TBC material is yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ), with a suitable composition being about 3 to about 20 weight percent yttria. Improved spallation resistance can be achieved by depositing the TBC by electron-beam physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD) to have a columnar grain structure.
Approaches proposed for further improving the spallation resistance of TBC's are complicated in part by the compositions of the underlying superalloy and interdiffusion that occurs between the superalloy and the bond coat. For example, the above-noted bond coat materials contain relatively high amounts of aluminum relative to the superalloys they protect, while superalloys contain various elements that are not present or are present in relatively small amounts in these coatings. During bond coat deposition, a primary diffusion zone of chemical mixing occurs to some degree between the coating and the superalloy substrate as a result of the concentration gradients of the constituents. At elevated temperatures, further interdiffusion occurs as a result of solid-state diffusion across the substrate/coating interface. The migration of elements across this interface alters the chemical composition and microstructure of both the bond coat and the substrate in the vicinity of the interface, generally with deleterious results. For example, migration of aluminum out of the bond coat reduces its oxidation resistance, while the accumulation of aluminum in the substrate beneath the bond coat can result in the formation of topologically close-packed (TCP) phases that, if present at sufficiently high levels, can drastically reduce the load-carrying capability of the alloy.
Certain high strength superalloys contain significant amounts of refractory elements, such as rhenium, tungsten, tantalum, hafnium, molybdenum, niobium, and zirconium. If present in sufficient amounts or combinations, these elements can reduce the intrinsic oxidation resistance of a superalloy and, following deposition of a diffusion aluminide coating, promote the formation of a secondary reaction zone (SRZ) that contains deleterious TCP phases. A notable example of such a superalloy is commercially known as MX4, a fourth generation single-crystal superalloy disclosed in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,789. There has been an ongoing effort to develop coating systems that substantially reduce or eliminate the formation of SRZ in high-refractory alloys coated with diffusion aluminide and overlay coatings. For example, ruthenium-containing diffusion barrier layers are disclosed in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,306,524 to Spitsberg et al. and commonly-assigned and copending U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 09/681,821, 09/683,700, and 10/605,860 to Zhao et al.
In addition to issues attributable to the superalloy composition, all TBC systems exhibit a temperature-thermal-cycle-time capability that limits the useful life of the TBC system. More particularly, all TBC coating systems are limited by the occurrence of oxide spallation, which results in the loss of a portion of TBC followed by thermal degradation of the bond coat and environmental and thermal degradation of the underlying substrate. Coating system performance has been determined to be dependent on a number of factors, including stresses arising from the growth of a thermally-grown oxide (TGO) that develops at the interface between the TBC and bond coat, stresses due to the thermal expansion mismatch between the ceramic TBC and the metallic bond coat, the fracture resistance of the TGO interface (affected by segregation of impurities, roughness, oxide type and others), and time-dependent and time-independent plastic deformation of the bond coat that leads to rumpling of the bond coat/TGO interface. Therefore, advancements in TBC coating system are concerned with delaying the first instance of oxide spallation, affected by the above factors.

Ni-base superalloy having a thermal barrier coating system


A hygienic spray bottle dispenses liquid through a discharge tube. The spray bottle includes an electrically powered pump for pressurizing the liquid; a discharge tube having a nozzle; a valve for dispensing the pressurized liquid; and a pickup tube extending to the bottom of the bottle. A rechargeable battery powers the pump. The discharge tube is configured to cooperate with a toilet bowl wall to allow the spray bottle to function as a portable bidet. The discharge tube has a sliding sleeve for selectively covering and uncovering liquid spray holes to vary the spray pattern or location. Alternatively, the discharge tube includes a flexible section to vary the orientation of the nozzle for douching. The hygienic spray bottle is capable of being used in the absence of an external plumbing system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a spray bottle for dispensing a spray upon demand.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There exists a need for a portable hygienic device for rectal or vaginal douching, or other cleaning by spray. Most known bidets are self-contained units, which are large and heavy, and are not of a portable nature. To meet this need, and to take advantage of preexisting toilets or water closets, bidet accessories have been developed for attachment to preexisting toilets or plumbing systems. Certain devices, both of the bidet type and for other purposes, are capable of holding liquid and dispensing the same under pressure.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,609,125, issued to M. Waldron Pitt on Nov. 30, 1926, discloses a fountain spray having a reservoir of liquid and a hand pump for building up the pressure within the reservoir. The pressurized liquid is dispensed from the reservoir to an applicator when a valve is opened. The reservoir includes indicia marking the level of the remaining liquid.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,602,921, issued to Harry M. Umann et al. on Sep. 7, 1971, discloses a portable bidet having a reservoir for holding a douching liquid and a hand pump for dispensing liquid. The pump expels that amount of liquid contained therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,808,608, issued to David Caplan on May 7, 1974, discloses a portable bidet which has a powered water pump, and which sits on an adjacent environmental surface. The liquid discharge nozzle is attach to the toilet.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,914,804, issued to Clarence O. Schrader et al. on Oct. 28, 1975, discloses a bidet accessory mountable on a toilet bowl, and features electrically powered water pressurization and heating. Different functions, such as for douching or for an enema, can be accommodated by changing water discharge tubes which support a nozzle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,178,931, issued to Gene C. Lind on Dec. 18, 1979, discloses a portable bidet with an electrically driven pump. Lind has a thin walled housing assembly including two rectangular halves arranged in a telescoping fashion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,259,754, issued to Jacob Bader et al. on Apr. 7, 1981, disclosing a bidet accessory having a liquid reservoir. A spring biased piston bears on the reservoir, thereby pressurizing the liquid. The reservoir is filled by attachment to a plumbing system with sufficient pressure to fill the reservoir while pushing the piston back against the force of the spring. A manually operated valve releases liquid for spraying.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,097,540, issued to Harold B. Lovitt on Mar. 24, 1992, describes a self-contained, hand-held bidet which may be pressurized by a hand pump.
Great Britain Patent Application No. 2,133,055 A for Albert McInally published Jul. 18, 1984; Great Britain Patent Application No. 2,233,553 A for Douglass G. McCandish published Jan. 16, 1991; and German Patent Application 3546,176 A1 for Josef Nemecek published on Jul. 2, 1987, all describe bidet devices of varying construction.
Several patents disclose electric heaters for heating the water before washing. U.S. Pat. No. 3,947,899, issued to Joseph D. Robinson et al. on Apr. 6, 1976, discloses a warm water supply kit with a pressure regulating valve. The device employs electric heating elements and a pneumatic control switch. U.S. Pat. No. 4,092,744, issued to Aristotel Butoi on Jun. 6, 1978, discloses an apparatus mountable on a toilet for washing a person's private parts. U.S. Pat. No. 4,622,704, issued to Jing-Yau Chung on Nov. 18, 1986, discloses a portable sanitary device with an electric heating element.
Separate rechargeable battery packs for powering a variety of electric devices are known. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,782,814 and 5,122,427, issued to Louis W. Greenblatt and Dale M. Flowers et al., respectively, both disclose rechargeable battery packs.
None of the above patent references, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.


A conductor carrier provides, separately manufactured, conductive pathways, on a wafer level, which may be coupled to a wafer of fully fabricated integrated circuits. Such conductor carriers include an insulating body having two major surfaces with conductors disposed on each of those surfaces, and conductors disposed within the insulating body so as to provide signal continuity between various conductors on each of the two surfaces. An assembly can be formed by permanently or removably attaching the conductor carrier to the wafer. Conductor carriers may include an evacuation pathway suitable for removing air, or other gases, from between the conductor and the wafer so as to create a pressure differential that urges the conductor carrier into contact with the wafer. Conductor carriers may include a groove which is suitable for receiving a sealing ring; and may include a street map which is suitable for providing guidance to a wafer sawing operation.

Integrated circuit manufacturing provides a substantial portion of the electronic components in use today. Although there are many different manufacturing processes for producing a finished integrated circuit, almost all of these processes have certain aspects in common. For example, it is common to fabricate integrated circuits on roughly circular semiconductor substrates, or wafers. Further, it is common to form such integrated circuits so that conductive regions disposed on, or close to, the uppermost layers of the integrated circuits are available to act as terminals for connection to various electrical elements disposed in, or on, the lower layers of those integrated circuits.
In conventional integrated circuit manufacturing processes it is common for terminals, such as those mentioned above to be brought into contact with probes for testing, and further to be contacted with bond wires or solder bumps for connection of the integrated circuit to a package, board, or similar environment.
Conventional integrated circuit manufacturing processes, typically produce fixed electrically conductive pathways, in the form of lines of metal, metal alloys, or metal laminate stacks. Generally these metal lines unchangeable by the time a wafer is ready for testing and assembly. Although, it is noted that, it is known to make minor changes to the fixed interconnect pattern subsequent to the conventional manufacturing process by means such as laser editing, fuse blowing, or focused ion beam cutting or deposition. However, these methods are not suitable for making any large scale changes to the fixed interconnect pathways of individual integrated circuits, and certainly are not suitable for making such changes to a large number of integrated circuits as would be found in a manufacturing environment.

Methods and apparatus for addition of electrical conductors to previously fabricated device


A housing and clamp assembly for mounting a circuit condition monitoring device on a monitored electrical cable includes a body member for housing device circuitry, a first relatively non-resilient clamp arm, and a second relatively resilient clamp arm. The clamp arms are biased closed around the conductor without pre-configuration of the clamp arms by parallel-spaced helical springs, which also serve to hold the cable against an indexing surface on the first clamp arm to minimize the effect of cable diameter on the spacing between the cable and the condition monitoring device and hence the calibration of the monitoring device.

The present invention relates generally to circuit condition monitoring devices for use in electrical power distribution systems, and in particular to a clamp mechanism and housing for mounting such devices to cables of such distribution systems.
Electrical power distribution systems may require the use of a variety of circuit condition monitoring devices to facilitate the detection and location of system malfunctions. Such devices include manually and automatically reset current fault indicators, such as those manufactured by E. 0. Schweitzer Manufacturing Co., and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,288,743, 4,086,529 and 3,676,740 of the present inventor, as well as voltage monitoring devices, such as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,251,770, 4,152,643, 4,263,350 and 4,550,288 of the present inventor. The devices may be either of the test point mounted type for mounting on a system test point, or of the clamp-on type, for clamping directly onto a cable of the system.
Clamp-on type devices typically include a housing containing monitoring circuitry, a circuit condition indicator, and some form of clamp mechanism affixed to the housing for mounting the housing on a cable. Frequently, the clamp mechanism serves the additional function of establishing either magnetic or electrostatic communication, or both, between the electrical conductor in the cable and appropriate sensing components of the monitoring apparatus.
Some clamp mechanisms previously known in the art for mounting distribution system monitoring devices typically required the use of both hands as well as a pair of live-line handling tools such as lineman's hotsticks during installation on a system cable. Consequently, such clamp mechanisms were undesirably difficult and time consuming to install.
In other previously known clamp mechanisms the spacing between the conductor and the sensing element varied substantially as a function of cable diameter, causing the calibration of the monitoring device to undesirably vary with cable diameter. Thus, the user was required to calibrate the device for use with a particular diameter cable.
In one prior clamp mechanism, which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,873 of the present inventor, a plurality of flexible metallic strips are combined to form a generally square-shaped magnetic core for use with a circuit condition monitoring device. One end of the core is affixed to the device housing, and the opposite end is detachably received within an aperture in the housing opposite the first end. In use, the free end of the core is displaced from the device housing, allowing the core to be passed around a cable. The free end is then inserted in the aperture to lock the device to the cable. A similiar core structure is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,725,832 of the present inventor.
In another prior clamp mechanism described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,288,743 two insulated metallic members project from the rear surface of the monitoring device. A third spring-biased member normally occupies a position engaging the two projecting members, but can be displaced from the members to allow a cable to be introduced between the two members. The spring-biased member is then allowed to return to its normal position to clamp the device to the cable. In another prior clamp mechanism described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,006 two inwardly biased wire clamps are pre-configured to a spaced-apart condition by a spring under compression prior to receiving the cable. The mechanism is maneuvered with a single hotstick so that the cable deforms the pre-configured spring to cause the clamp to engage the cable.
The present invention is directed to a clamping mechanism and housing whereby a monitoring device can be installed on an electrical cable using a single lineman's hotstick and the calibration of the monitoring circuit does not vary appreciably with cable diameter. The one-hand installation contributes to safety, particularly where it is necessary for the lineman to ascend a ladder in order to install the device, or where the monitored cable is closely spaced to other cables and can only be approached from one direction. Moreover, the mechanism and housing of the invention do not have to be pre-configured to an open condition to receive the cable, since the unique geometry of the clamp members allow the cable to be readily engaged at any time with only an applied force.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a new and improved clamp mechanism and housing for circuit monitoring devices.
It is a more specific object of the present invention to provide a clamp mechanism and housing for installing a circuit condition monitoring device on the cable of a power distribution system which requires the use of only one hand during installation.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a clamp mechanism and housing for a cable-mounted condition monitoring device wherein the calibration of the monitoring device is substantially independent of cable diameter.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a clamp mechanism and housing which does not require pre-configuration prior to installation on an electrical cable.

Housing including biasing springs extending between clamp arms for cable mounted power line monitoring device


An automotive internal engine 8 is provided which includes an engine controller 70 cognizant of a desired deceleration condition for a vehicle and a combustion chamber 12 with a reciprocating piston 15 mounted therein. The piston has a top dead center and a bottom dead center position. A cam driven exhaust valve 14 is provided which can be selectively disabled to a closed position to deactivate the combustion chamber 12 in response to a signal given by the engine controller 70. A variable phase cam driven intake poppet valve 16 responsive to a signal given by the engine controller 70 is provided to selectively set the opening and closing operation of the intake poppet valve 16 to be generally symmetrical about one of the center positions during the first combustion chamber 12 deactivation during vehicle deceleration.

The field of the present invention is that of automotive engines, in particularly automotive engines having deceleration fuel shut off.
Deceleration fuel shut off (DFSO) can lead up to four percent fuel savings on the combined Federal Test Procedure cycle. Even greater fuel savings are possible with drive cycles which include more deceleration time. However, in the past there have been particular technical problems in implementing DFSO. One of the problems in implementing DFSO is transient fuel behavior in the intake system. Transient fuel behavior can be alleviated with direct in-cylinder fuel injection or more advanced port fuel injection systems with less wall wetting. A second problem in implementing DFSO is the more intense vehicle deceleration due to increased braking by the engine. The problem of increased braking by the engine can be resolved by increased driver acclimation and by acknowledgement of the benefit of less stress and wear upon the vehicle braking system. The third issue and the hardest technical challenge to overcome is the issue of excessive air being pumped to the engine exhaust system. Excessive air causes cooling and oxygen loading of the exhaust system catalyst under normal DFSO conditions.
It is desirable to provide an internal combustion engine and a method of operation thereof which allows DFSO. It is also desirable to provide an arrangement of an internal combustion engine and a method of operation thereof which allows DFSO without causing cooling or excessive oxygen loading of the vehicle catalyst in order to avoid degrading the NOx conversion efficiency of the catalyst upon subsequent engine operation. It is further desirable to provide an internal combustion engine and a method of operation thereof with the above-noted features which can also be utilized to provide engine braking when high levels of vehicle deceleration are desired.
To make manifest the above-delineated and other desires the revelation of the present invention is brought forth. In the arrangement of the internal combustion engine of the present invention, the intake event of the cylindrical combustion chamber intake poppet valves is phased to be symmetric about the top dead center (phase advanced) or preferably the bottom dead center (phase retarded) position. Equal amounts of airflow are pulled into the combustion chamber via the intake valve opening during the intake stroke and expelled through the intake valve opening from the combustion chamber during the first part of the compression stroke minimizing pumping work. The exhaust poppet valve is deactivated. Accordingly, during this period of deceleration, the fuel can be shut off from the vehicle. If additional braking is required, the intake cam can be advanced to standard timing. The advancement of the intake cam to standard timing increases pumping work and engine braking.
It is a feature of the present invention to provide a four-cycle internal combustion engine arrangement that has DFSO by disabling the exhaust valve on the deactivated cylinder(s) to a closed position and phase varying the operation of the intake poppet valve.
The above noted object and other features of the present invention will become better known to one skilled in the art from a review of the accompanying drawings and detailed description of the invention.

Exhaust valve deactivation and intake valve phasing to enable deceleration fuel shut off and engine braking


Apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes an estimating or controlling unit to determine an oil-diluting fuel quantity of an engine oil-diluting fuel which is fuel leaking out through a clearance between a piston and a cylinder of the engine and diluting an engine oil. The unit calculates a variation of the engine oil-diluting fuel quantity, and determines the oil-diluting fuel quantity in accordance with the variation.

The present invention relates to technique for estimating an oil-diluting fuel quantity of an internal combustion engine and/or technique for controlling an internal combustion engine with an estimated oil-diluting fuel quantity.
In an internal combustion engine, fuel may leak out through the clearance between a piston and a cylinder, and dilutes oil.
U.S. Patent Application Publication US2002/0007817A1 (corresponding to Published Japanese Patent Application Kokai Publication No. 2002-13428) shows an incylinder direct fuel injection type internal combustion engine arranged to adjust a fuel injection start timing in accordance with a parameter representing adhesiveness of fuel in fuel injection on intake stroke.

Estimation of oil-diluting fuel quantity of engine


A bucket having a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction includes: a first extension in the longitudinal direction; a second extension in the transverse direction, the first extension being greater than the second extension; two longitudinal sides; a front transverse side; a rear transverse side; and at least one substantially bow-shaped handle. The at least one handle extends in the longitudinal direction and is pivotable in the transverse direction. A spout of the bucket includes a self-contained through-hole and is arranged in the front transverse side.

Such a bucket is generally known and is used as a household cleaning bucket, for example.
The longitudinal sides and the transverse sides transition into one another and delimit the interior of the bucket in the circumferential direction.
In the known bucket, the handle extends in the transverse direction and can pivot in the longitudinal direction. The handle is hinged to the two longitudinal sides of the bucket that are opposite one another in the transverse direction.
The upper rim of the bucket forms a spout, for example having a beak-shaped drip projection, it being possible for the contents of the bucket to be poured out over this upper rim when required.
However, it should be noted here that such a known bucket is often less than satisfactory to handle, in particular when the bucket has a large capacity and is filled to its maximum, and is therefore also very heavy. When carrying the bucket, the user has to rotate the hand being used to carry the bucket by 90° with respect to the natural hand position, in order to be able to securely grip the handle that extends in the transverse direction.
However, the natural hand position is when the palms of the hands face one another and the body of the user, with the thumbs of each hand thus pointing substantially forward.
In practice, there are two possible ways of carrying the known bucket. Either the back of the hand has to be rotated to the front and the palm has to be rotated to the back in order to be able to grip the bucket, or vice versa, such that the palm faces forward and the back of the hand faces backward. Both are ergonomically disadvantageous and can impair the user's health by causing tension in the shoulder and/or arm and/or hand, for example, particularly when the bucket is used regularly.
Carrying the bucket in front of the body also leads to tension, in particular in the back, and is extremely uncomfortable for the user.
If the contents of the bucket are poured out over the upper rim of the bucket, too powerful and/or too wide a stream is often created, which is difficult to handle, especially in private households.
In private households, buckets are usually emptied into small, conventional household sinks or toilet bowls. A too powerful and/or too wide stream is difficult to control and direct. When the bucket is emptied, some of the contents may be spilled, making the area around the sink or toilet bowl undesirably dirty.


A tire tread may be formed by simultaneously extruding a tread cap formed of a first material and a tread base formed of a second material having a substantially different stiffness property than the first material. One tread element may have a strip of the second material extending from the tread base into the tread cap and, a second tread element may also have a strip of the second material extending from the tread base into the tread cap.

A. Field of Invention
This invention generally relates to methods and apparatuses concerning pneumatic tires and more specifically to methods and apparatuses concerning a pneumatic tire having a tread with strips of tread base material having a higher stiffness property that extend into the tread cap material having a lower stiffness property.
B. Description of the Related Art
It is known to those of skill in the art that the overall performance of a pneumatic tire's tread pattern (including performance criteria such as wet handling, dry handling and stopping) may be compromised by the stiffness characteristics of the tread elements. Known methods of increasing the stiffness of a tread element include using relatively stiffer tread base materials and using relatively stiffer tread cap materials. These methods typically have the disadvantage, however, of compromising other tread performance criteria.
It is also known, as taught in International Publication No. WO 2005/063509, to provide a tire tread having sectors formed with a first material having a first modulus of elasticity and other sectors formed with a second material having a second modulus of elasticity. A problem with this method, however, is that the tire carcass must be moved sequentially from a first station where the first material is applied and then to a second station where the second material is applied. This method thus has disadvantages of increased complexity and increased cost.
What is needed is a method of increasing the stiffness characteristics of tire tread elements while minimizing the known disadvantages.


Undesirable color change in freshly manufactured cumene hydroperoxide is inhibited by treatment comprising adding sodium hydroxide in an effective amount up to about 120 ppm and holding the treated cumene hydroperoxide at a temperature of about 50.degree. C. to about 70.degree. C. for 0.5 to two hours; optionally the cumene hydroperoxide so treated in the higher end of this caustic range is further treated with a wiped-film evaporator.

Persons skilled in the art of manufacturing cumene hydroperoxide will recognize undesirable color of the product as a significant problem. The chemical mechanism by which undesirable color forms in the product is not well understood; the color bodies which cause the undesirable color are not readily identified and the factors which cause their formation have not been clearly recognized. It has been difficult to attack the problem without a clear understanding of its nature.
Moreover, the partial successes achieved empirically for color removal, after it has formed, seem to have no application to the prevention of color formation. Color formation can be accelerated by exposure to light and by heat; however, in industrial situations exposure to heat is the main cause of color formation, as light exposure is precluded by normal storage and handling procedures. Heat exposure is relatively commonplace; the ideal solution to the problem therefore is to provide a built-in mechanism to prevent or at least inhibit the formation of color under normal conditions of shipment and storage. The vagaries of the marketplace require protection over a wide range of conditions.

Inhibiting color change in cumene hydroperoxide


A novel water-soluble basic antibiotic complex designated herein as Bu-2349 is produced by fermentation of Bu-2349-producing strains of the genus Bacillus. Complex Bu-2349 and its bioactive components designated as Bu-2349A and B are found to possess marked inhibitory activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria including various types of aminoglycoside-resistant bacteria.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a new antibiotic complex and to its production, recovery and separation into two bioactive components.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various aminoglycoside antiobiotics such as kanamycin, gentamicin, streptomycin, neomycin, tobramycin, amikacin and paromomycin are known in the art. There exists a need, however, for additional new broad-spectrum antibiotics, particularly those having activity against aminoglycoside-resistant organisms.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,007,167 discloses the antibiotics BM-123.gamma..sub.1 and BM-123.gamma..sub.2 having the structures ##STR1##

Process for producing antibacterial agents


A system for the non-invasive monitoring of the hydration state of a plant comprising the elements:. a timing capacitor comprising a plurality of conductive elements adapted for mounting on a plant part to sense the hydration state capacitance of the plant part; PA0 a capacitance-to-frequency converter electrically connected to the timing capacitor comprising an oscillator circuit having a frequency dependent upon the value of the timing capacitor and independent of the electrical losses in said timing capacitor; PA0 means for supplying electrical power to the capacitance-to-frequency converter; PA0 means for measuring the frequency generated by the capacitance-to-frequency converter, the frequency bearing a known relationship to the dielectric constant and, hence, the water content of the plant part; and PA0 devices for electrically guarding the circuit generated by the elements from capacitance extraneous to the plant part comprising means for surrounding the elements with shields of electrical potential substantially equal to that of the timing capacitor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel device and system for the non-invasive monitoring of the water content of a living plant.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many fruit crops, particularly citrus, show a correlation between their resistance to frost damage in winter and their hydration states of the previous summer. Devices which would be used to monitor commercial orchards to provide the farmer with information, particularly during times of drought, with an instant reading on the hydration state of the trees would be extremely valuable to the industry. Such information would not only allow the farmer to schedule irrigation to conserve water and use it more efficiently, but would allow the farmer to "tune" the hydration state of his orchard in summer to produce the desired frost-resistance for the following winter.
Information concerning the water content of large trees is also invaluable to commercial companies that specialize in transplanting large trees. These companies usually warrant the transplanted tree for periods ranging up to one year after the transplant. The act of transplanting a large tree creates considerable stress on the tree due to the injury or removal of large portions of the tree's root system. This usually hinders the tree's ability to remove water out of the soil, thus making the tree very susceptible to drying out. Therefore, an inexpensive and easy way of monitoring the tree's hydration state can allow the caretakers to give a greater amount of attention to those trees in need and would provide an economical way of verifying that the customer did not neglect the trees during the warranty period.
Although knowledge of the moisture status of the soil-plant system is essential for the study of plant water relations, techniques for the determination of the water content of both soils and plant tissues continue to be questioned [Gardner, "Water content: an overview," Int. Conf. on Measurement of Soil and Plant Water Status, Utah State Univ., Logan, Utah, 1:7-9 (1987); and Kramer, "Plant relative water content and related methods: Historical perspectives and current concerns," Int. Conf. on Measurement of Soil and Plant Water Status, Utah State Univ., Logan, Utah, 2:1-8 (1987). Existing techniques for the measurement of plant moisture content can be criticized as insensitive, inaccurate or indirect. What is required is an inexpensive, readily automated, portable technique that is sensitive to changes in water content while being insensitive to the character of the matrix [Gardner, supra].
Stem water contents are difficult to determine because of high levels of hydration, geometrical constraints and potentially deleterious effects of intrusions into living tissues. Changes in stem diameter [Hinckley et al, "Temporal and spatial variations in the water status of forest trees," Forest Science Monograph 20 (1978)], extraction of tissue cores [Waring et al, "Sapwood water storage: its contribution to transpiration and effect upon water conductance through the stems of old-growth Douglas-fir," Plant, Cell and Environment, Vol. 1, pages 131-140 (1978); and Waring et al, "The contribution of stored water to transpiration in Scots pine," Plant, Cell and Environment, Vol. 2, pages 309-317 (1979)], tissue water potential [Goldstein et al, "Influence of insulating dead leaves and low temperatures on water balance in an Andean giant rosette plant," Plant, Cell and Environment, Vol. 6, pages 649-656 (1983); and Nobel et al, "Transpiration stream of desert species: resistances and capacitances for a C.sub.3, a C.sub.4 and a CAM plant," Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol. 34, pages 1379-1391 (1983)], and gamma ray attenuation [Edwards et al, "A method for measuring radial differences in water content of intact tree stems by attenuation of gamma radiation," Plant, Cell and Environment, Vol. 6, pages 255-260 (1983); and Brough et al, "Diurnal changes in water content of the stems of apple trees, as influenced by irrigation," Plant, Cell and Environment, Vol. 9, pages 1-7 (1986)] have all been used to monitor changes in stem moisture content. Dimensional changes are both easily automated and non-destructive, but are sensitive only to water content changes in the extracambial elastic region of the stem. In the case of palms, the existence of a relatively stiff outer layer surrounding the living, elastic tissues [Tomlinson, "Anatomy of the Monocotyledons: I. Palmae" (1961)] renders this technique unsatisfactory. Stem tissue, extracted using an increment borer, samples the entire cross-section, but the technique is destructive and may alter the water content of the sample due to tissue compression [Holbrook, "The role of stem water storage in the arborescent palm, Sabal palmetto," M. Sc. Thesis, University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla. (1989)]. Psychrometers inserted into stems have several disadvantages, including local tissue damage, release of cell contents into the apoplast during insertion, temperature fluctuations and calibration difficulties. Gamma ray attenuation avoids many of these problems, but its application is complicated by safety considerations.
Another approach to monitoring tissue moisture status is to measure the dielectric constant. The dielectric constant (.epsilon.) is an intrinsic property of a material and relates to the ability of a material to store electrical energy reversibly. The dielectric constant (.epsilon.) is defined as: EQU .epsilon.=1+X (1)
where X is the electrical susceptibility--the proportionality constant between the electric field and the degree of polarization [Jackson, Classical Electrodynamics, John Wiley & Sons, New York (1975)]. Because of its large dipole moment and ability to form hydrogen bonds, water has an extremely high dielectric constant (78.3 at 25.degree. C.) compared to most solids and liquids (3 to 10) [Wheast, Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, CRC Press, Cleveland, OH (1975)]. Furthermore, the dielectric properties of pure water are fairly insensitive to temperature (approximately -0.37.degree. C..sup.-1 from 10.degree. to 30.degree. C.) [Wheast, supra] and independent of frequency up to 10.sup.10 Hz [Jackson, supra]. Although solutes do affect the dielectric properties of an aqueous medium, at low concentrations and high frequencies this influence is thought to be small [Hasted, Aqueous Dielectrics, Chapman and Hall, London (1973)]. Changes in the apparent dielectric constant of a water-permeated medium, therefore, may result from primarily changes in the moisture content [Sheriff, "An apparatus for the measurement of leaf dielectric properties in the high frequency region," Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol. 27, pages 645-650 (1976); Topp et al, "Electromagnetic determination of soil water content: measurements in coaxial transmission lines," Water Resources Research, Vol. 16, pages 574-582 (1980); and Pissis et al, "A dielectric study of the state of water in plant stems," Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol. 38, pages 1528-1540 (1987)].
Dielectric measurements can be made in both the frequency and time-domain [Hasted, supra]. Both approaches have been used to determine plant and soil moisture with varying degrees of success [Sheriff, supra; Dalton et al, "Time-domain reflectometry: simultaneous measurement of soil water content and electrical conductivity with a single probe," Science, Vol. 224, pages 989-990 (1984); Halbertsma et al, "Application and accuracy of a dielectric soil water content meter," Proc. Int. Conf. Measurement Soil Plant Water Status, 1:11-15 (1987): Topp, "The application of time-domain reflectometry (TDR) to soil water content measurement," Proc. Int. Conf. Soil Plant Water Status, 1:85-93 (1987); and Harbinson et al, "The use of microwaves to monitor the freezing and thawing of water in plants," Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol. 38, pages 1325-1335 (1987)].
Sheriff [supra] uses a primitive radio-frequency oscillator (about 25 MHz) to measure the capacitance of a capacitor formed by two plates with a leaf and some remaining air forming a dielectric layer. He then measured the effective dielectric constant of this layered system and calculated (knowing the textbook value for air being 1) the dielectric constant of his leaf. Sheriff's apparatus uses two plates of fixed position as opposed to plates designed to be completely in contact with the plant. The apparatus measures the total capacitance of the capacitor plates. This includes their capacitance coupling to objects outside the plates. This means that zeroing the apparatus is necessary before use and not altering the local environment (e.g., placement of nearby laboratory objects) during measurements is critical. For example, the movement of a hand near the apparatus while taking a measurement would result in the apparatus "seeing" the hand as well as the leaf under study. This has been a nuisance that has restricted the wide application of this technique.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,090 to Poskitt does form a type of dielectric capacitor with the sample (in this case, tobacco leaves) forming the dielectric between the capacitor plates. This capacitor forms part of an oscillator circuit whose frequency depends on the capacitance of the capacitor (10) and on the value of the resistors (11 and 12). However, since the patent does not describe how the oscillator works, one cannot assess whether the device will, in addition to responding to the dielectric constant of the leaves (assumed to be due to moisture), give erroneous readings due to changes in the conductivity of the leaves. Actually, the aforementioned patents are either obviously susceptible to giving erroneous readings due to conductivity changes in the materials under test or the patent does not give enough details to determine whether the circuit will give erroneous readings. Conductivity changes would usually come about in the materials due to changes in ion concentrations ("saltiness" ) due to evaporation of water, due to the chemistry of the material, or due to its history. For example, sponge soaked in salt water has a high conductivity (about 10.sup.-1 mhos/cm), one soaked in distilled water a low conductivity (about 10.sup.-6 mhos/cm) Yet they have the same dielectric constant and so all devices using dielectric measurements to read moisture content should give the same reading. A truly valuable device would be one that is not fooled by the conductivity difference.
Sheriff and Poskitt were using dielectric sensing which is susceptible to errors due to influences of objects near, but not in, the "sensing" region of the capacitor sensors due to fringe fields. This has been another traditional problem associated with all types of capacitance sensors.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a non-invasive system for monitoring the hydration state of plants which is not subject to the above-noted prior art disadvantages.
More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide such a system which is able to actively suppress the fringe fields for the inner "sensing" region of the sensors, i.e., a system which would ensure that external influences such as people or animals in contact with the plant would not give false readings.

Method and device for non-invasive monitoring of hydration state of plants


A DRAM having an output control circuit for preventing undesired data from being outputted from the DRAM when an address is transited before a column address strobe signal is latched during DRAM read operation, and allowing desired data to be outputted from the DRAM when a global input/output data signal is precharged after the column address strobe signal is latched.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dynamic random access memory (hereinafter referred to as "DRAM"), and particularly to a DRAM having an output control circuit for preventing undesired data from being outputted from the DRAM when an address is transited before a column address strobe signal is latched during DRAM read operation, and allowing desired data to be outputted from the DRAM when a global input/output data signal is precharged after the column address strobe signal is latched.
2. Description of the Conventional Art
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional DRAM includes a row address buffer 10 for outputting a row address signal RADS in accordance with a row address strobe signal /RAS and an address signal ADS; a column address buffer 20 for outputting a column address signal CADS and an address transition detecting signal ATD in accordance with the address signal ADS, the row address strobe signal/RAS and a column address strobe signal/CAS; a row decoder 30 for outputting word line selection signals WLo to WLn by decoding the row address signal RADS outputted from the row address buffer 10; a column decoder 40 for outputting column selection signals YSELo to YSELm in accordance with the column address signal CADS and address transition detecting signal ATD outputted from the column address buffer 20; a memory cell 50 for outputting the stored data in accordance with the word line selection signals WL0 to WLn; first and second sense amplifiers 51 and 52 for amplifying the data outputted from the memory cell array 50, and outputting the amplified data in accordance with the column selection signals YSEL0 to YSELm outputted from the column decoder 40; a data bus sense amplifier 60 for amplifying the data outputted from the first and second sense amplifiers 51 and 52, and outputting the signals of the amplified data, i.e., first and second global input/output data signals GIO and GIO*; and an output buffer 70 for latching the first and second global input/output data signals GIO and GIO* outputted from the data bus sense amplifier 60, and outputting the latched signals from the DRAM in accordance with an output enable signal /OE.
Here, the DRAM is referred to only in case where the data stored in the memory cell array 50 is outputted. The memory cell array 50 includes a plurality of cells each storing the digital data.
The operations of the conventional DRAM are explained, referring to the drawings.
When an address signal ADS is commonly inputted to the row address buffer 10 and the column address buffer 30 as shown in FIG. 2C, and the row address strobe signal /RAS is transited from high level to low level, and becomes in active state, as shown in FIG. 2A, the row address signal RADS is latched by the row address buffer 10 and outputted to the row decoder 30. Next, the row address signal RADS is decoded by the row decoder 30, and word line selection signals WL0 to WLn corresponding to the decoded row address signals are outputted to the memory cell array 50, thereby the data of the memory cells are amplified in the first and second sense amplifiers 51 and 52.
Here, when a predetermined time tRAD elapses after the row address strobe signal /RAS is transited from high level to low level, the address signal ADS is regarded as the column address signal CADS by the column address buffer 20.
Accordingly, when the address signal ADS is transited after the lapse of a predetermined time, where the address strobe signal CAS is not in active state, the column address signal CADS and the address transition detecting signal ATD transited from high level to low level, as shown in FIG. 2D, are outputted to the column decoder 40, respectively.
Afterwards, the column address signal CADS is decoded by the column decoder 40, and the column selection signal YSELi (where, i=0, 1, . . . , m) corresponding to the decoded column address signal is outputted to the first sense amplifier 51 or the second sense amplifier 52, as shown in FIG. 2E, thereby data amplified by the first sense amplifier 51 or the second amplifier 52 is outputted to the data bus sense amplifier 60.
The data bus sense amplifier 60 amplifies the inputted data, and outputs to the output buffer 70 the first and second global input/output data signals GIO and GIO* of low level, as shown in FIG. 2F. Here, in a state precharged to high level, when the data outputted from the data bus sense amplifier 60 is "1", the first global input/output data signal GIO is transited to low level, whereas, the data outputted from the data bus sense amplifier 60 is "0", the second global input/output data signal GIO* is transited to low level.
At this time, when the output enable signal /OE is transited to low level, as shown in FIG. 2G, a signal Dout1 of undesired data latched in the output buffer 70 is outputted from the DRAM, as shown in FIG. 2H.
On the other hand, when the address signal ADS is transited again, as shown in FIG. 2C, and the column address strobe signal /CAS is transited to low level and in active state, as shown in FIG. 2B, the column address signal CADS latched by the column address buffer 20 and the address transition detecting signal ATD, i.e., pulse signal of high level are outputted to the column decoder 30, respectively.
When the address transition detecting signal ATD is transited to low level, the column selection signal YSELi (where, i=0, 1, . . . , m) corresponding to the decoded value of the column address signal CADS is outputted to the first sense amplifier 51 or the second sense amplifier 52, as shown in FIG. 2E, and the data amplified by the first sense amplifier 51 or the second sense amplifier 52 is outputted to the data bus sense amplifier 60.
Next, the data bus sense amplifier 60 amplifies the inputted data, and outputs to the output buffer 70 the first and second global input/output data signals GIO and GIO* of low level, as shown in FIG. 2F.
At this time, as shown in FIG. 2G, since the output enable signal /OE is maintained in low level, a signal Dout2 of desired data latched in the output buffer 70 is outputted from the DRAM, as shown in FIG. 2H.
Here, when the row address strobe signal /RAS and the column address strobe signal /CAS are transited to high level, the address transition detecting signal ATD is transited to high level.
However, the conventional DRAM has a problem in that undesired data is outputted from the DRAM when an address is transited before a column address strobe signal is in active state. Further, since the undesired data is outputted, there occurs a problem of waste of electric power.