A reference voltage circuit for a differential analog-to-digital converter wherein a first reference voltage source is connected to a midpoint of a resistive ladder for the analog-to-digital converter. A master module may regulate the voltage over an auxiliary resistor connected to the first reference voltage source and to a second reference voltage source. The regulated current in the auxiliary resistor may be scaled and copied into a current which is sourced into the top of the resistive ladder and also scaled and copied into a second equal current which is sinked from the bottom of the resistive ladder. Decoupling capacitors may be placed so as to improve the power supply ripple rejection to the resistive ladder.

The present application describes systems and techniques relating to reference voltage circuits for differential analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), for example, flash ADCs used in image sensors. An ADC is an electronic circuit that measures an analog signal, which typically represents some real-world phenomenon (e.g., temperature, pressure, incident light, acceleration, speed), and converts it to a digital signal by comparing the analog signal to a known reference voltage.
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram illustrating a prior art design 100 for providing a differential reference voltage for an ADC. The design 100 uses a resistive ladder 102 with a differential analog input reference that may be provided by voltage controlled current sources 104. The design includes circuits with either non-regulated or regulated high and low voltages VADCxe2x80x94HIGH, VADCxe2x80x94LOW set up around a common-mode voltage. The input references may be regulated by voltage regulators 106, 108, according to reference input voltages VREFxe2x80x94HIGH, VREFxe2x80x94LOW
FIG. 2 is a schematic illustrating an example circuit 200 implementing the prior art design 100 shown in FIG. 1. In FIG. 2, an amplifier AMP, regulates the voltage VADCxe2x80x94HIGH according to a reference input VREFxe2x80x94HIGH. An amplifier AMP2 regulates the voltage VADCxe2x80x94LOW according to a reference input VREFxe2x80x94LOW. Resistors R1, R2, R3, R4 constitute a resistive ladder 202 for the ADC. A capacitor C3 is a differentially connected decoupling capacitor for the ladder, 202. Capacitors C1 and C2 are phase compensating capacitors for regulators 206, 208, respectively.
In one aspect, a reference voltage circuit for an analog-to-digital converter includes a resistive ladder having an even number of resistors and a midpoint between the resistors and a reference voltage source coupled to the midpoint. The resistive ladder may include four, eight, or more resistors. The reference voltage source may be a regulated voltage source that will accept both input and output currents. The reference voltage source may differ from a common-mode voltage of the analog input signal to the analog-to-digital converter by a small amount, such as by less than one half a least significant bit (xc2xd LSB) of the analog-to-digital converter.
The reference voltage circuit may also include a reference resistor coupled with the reference voltage source, a voltage-controlled current source coupled with the reference resistor, a voltage regulator coupled with the first voltage-controlled current source, and a low voltage source coupled to the voltage regulator. The voltage regulator may be an amplifier coupled in a feedback loop with the voltage controlled current source. The reference voltage circuit may also include a current mirror coupled with a power supply, the voltage regulator, and the resistive ladder, wherein the current mirror scales current in the resistive ladder by a factor of eight. Resistance matching may be provided between the reference resistor and a total combined series resistance of the resistive ladder.
In another aspect, an analog-to-digital converter may be manufactured, such as on a semiconductor substrate, to include a reference voltage circuit having a resistive ladder and a reference voltage source connected with a midpoint of the resistive ladder. The analog-to-digital converter may also include a plurality of comparators coupled with the resistive ladder, and a digital output encoder.
In another aspect, a method includes forming on a substrate, a resistive ladder having an even number of resistors and a midpoint between the resistors, and connecting a reference voltage source to the midpoint. The method may further include forming a reference resistor on the substrate, forming a first voltage-controlled current source on the substrate, forming a voltage regulator on the substrate, connecting the reference resistor with the reference voltage source, connecting the first voltage-controlled current source with the reference resistor, and connecting the voltage regulator with the first voltage-controlled current source and with a low voltage source. The method may also include connecting an amplifier in a feedback loop with the first voltage-controlled current source, where the amplifier is the voltage regulator.
In another aspect, a method includes applying a reference voltage to a midpoint of a resistive ladder in a circuit to create a plurality of reference voltages for an analog-td-digital converter. The method may further include providing a power source for the circuit, and providing a ground for the circuit. The method may also include providing an analog input to a plurality of comparators coupled with the resistive ladder to generate a digital output.

Reference voltage circuit for differential analog-to-digital converter


One strategy for reducing undesirable emissions from internal combustion engines relates to finding ways to better mix fuel and air prior to combustion. One such method is commonly referred to as homogenous charge compression ignition (HCCI); however, that strategy is problematic in both controlling ignition timing and avoiding overstressing the engine at higher speeds and loads. The present invention addresses these issues by mixing air and fuel vapor within an injector instead of within the engine cylinder. The air/fuel mixture is then injected into the engine cylinder at some desired timing and over some desired duration. Such a strategy permits for lower emissions due to better mixing of air and fuel, while also permitting control over some aspects of combustion timing and duration not apparently possible with a conventional HCCI strategy. The present invention is generally applicable to all internal combustion engines, but especially applicable to diesel engines.

Engineers are constantly seeking ways to reduce undesirable emissions from engines. Over the years, engineers have come to recognize that cleaner burns tend to occur when there is a better mixing of fuel and air prior to combustion. One relatively recent strategy for improving fuel/air mixing is commonly referred to as homogenous charge compression ignition (HCCI). In an HCCI strategy, fuel is injected into the engine cylinder early in the compression stroke. The liquid fuel vaporizes in the engine cylinder and mixes with the air to produce a relatively lean homogenous mixture. As the compression stroke continues, the homogenous charge ignites when pressure and temperature in the cylinder reach the auto-ignition point. Although an HCCI strategy can produce a relatively clean burn with dramatic reductions in undesirable emissions, it remains problematic both in the ability to control ignition timing and operate a given engine in a HCCI mode at high load conditions.
One method attempting to control ignition timing in a homogenous charge compression ignition engine is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,875,743 to Dickey. Dickey appears to assert that ignition timing can be controlled by injecting a controlled amount of water into the air brought into the cylinder through the intake valve. Although the usage of water may be a viable strategy in controlling ignition timing in an HCCI engine, there remains the problem of HCCIs' general incompatibility with higher engine loads.
At higher engine loads, when the amount of fuel injected is substantially higher than that at lower loads, the very efficient HCCI burn also becomes a liability. Apparently, when a HCCI charge burns, there is little or no flame front, and the entire charge combusts almost simultaneously over a relatively brief duration. With the burn duration being relatively short, the pressure spike produced by the burn can be destructively too high at higher engine loads. Thus, in order to make HCCI viable, ignition timing needs better control, and the combustion duration must be sufficiently long as to not overstress the engine, especially at higher loads.
The present invention is directed to one or more of the problems set forth above.

Injection of fuel vapor and air mixture into an engine cylinder


A disk drive having a spindle motor and a head stack assembly. The spindle motor has a spindle motor hub having an axis of rotation. The spindle motor has a magnet radially attached about the spindle motor hub. The spindle motor has a spindle motor stator having a stator rim and a plurality of stator teeth arrayed about and internally extending from the stator rim towards the axis of rotation. The stator teeth are fit about the magnet in operable communication therewith for rotating the spindle motor hub. At least one of the stator teeth is a bare stator tooth and the head stack assembly pivots over the bare stator tooth. In another embodiment a reduced winding height stator tooth is provided with head stack assembly pivoting over the reduced winding height stator tooth.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to spindle motors for use in disk drives, and more particularly to a spindle motor having a spindle motor stator for increased head stack assembly access.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The typical hard disk drive includes a disk drive base, and a head disk assembly (HDA) and a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) attached to the disk drive base. The head disk assembly includes at least one magnetic disk, a spindle motor for rotating the disk, and a head stack assembly (HSA) that includes at least one transducer head, typically several, for reading and writing data to and from the disk. The printed circuit board assembly includes a servo control system in the form of a disk controller for generating servo control signals. The head stack assembly is controllably positioned in response to the generated servo control signals from the disk controller. In so doing, the attached heads are moved relative to tracks disposed upon the disk.
The head stack assembly includes an actuator assembly, at least one head gimbal assembly, and a flex circuit cable assembly. A conventional "rotary" or "swing-type" actuator assembly typically comprises an actuator body that rotates on a pivot assembly between limited positions, a coil portion that extends from one side of the actuator body to interact with one or more permanent magnets to form a voice coil motor, and one or more actuator arms which that extend from an opposite side of the actuator body. A head gimbal assembly includes at least one transducer head, sometimes two, which is distally attached to each of the actuator arms. The actuator assembly includes the actuator body which has a bore and a pivot bearing cartridge engaged within the bore. The at least one head gimbal assembly and the flex circuit cable assembly are attached to the actuator assembly.
The spindle motor includes a hub that is rotatably attached to the disk drive base. The hub has an outer flange that supports one of the disks. Additional disks may be stacked and separated with spacers. The spindle motor further includes an annular magnet and a spindle motor stator. Where space efficiency is of vital concern, the magnet is typically attached about the lowermost portion of the hub below the flange. The magnet consists of a predetermined number of N and S poles that are disposed alternately circumferentially about the magnet. The spindle motor stator includes an outer rim that is attached to the disk drive base and a plurality of internally facing stator teeth. The stator teeth are equally spaced and extend from the stator rim. The spindle motor stator is sized to fit about the hub and in particular the magnet. Each stator tooth includes windings which selectively conduct current to create a magnetic field that interacts with the various poles of the magnet. Such interaction results in forces applied to the hub which tend to rotate the hub. In those disk drives capable of reading both sides of the disks, the head stack assembly includes an actuator arm which extends and pivots between the vertical region between the lowermost disk and the spindle motor stator. A magnetic shield is provided between the head stack assembly in such region over the stator teeth for protecting against magnetic flux interacting with the magnetic data on the disk and the head stack assembly.
A topic of concern is the desire to reduce the overall disk drive size. Such disk drives may have a variety of applications such as in hand held or portable electronic devices. The exterior size and shape of the disk drive is often referred to as a "form factor". Reduction of such disk drive form factor has proven challenging. This is because the mere reduction of the size of the various disk drive components may result in such components being unable to conform to required specifications and standard form factors for such components, and may result in installation or assembly difficulties.
One particular area of focus is the reduction of the height of the disk drive. As mentioned above, a prior art arrangement includes a lower actuator arm that extends and pivots between the vertical region between the lowermost disk and the spindle motor stator. Such prior arrangement is contemplated to be a limited factor in the overall sizing of the disk drive height. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved spindle motor configuration in comparison to the prior art.

Spindle motor having spindle motor stator for increased head stack assembly access


A tripot constant velocity joint includes a housing defining a guide channel. A spider member is received within the housing and includes a trunnion having a functional outer surface with a convex profile defined by a first principal radius of curvature and a second principal radius of curvature different from the first principal radius of curvature. A first inner surface of a first ball member engages the functional outer surface of the trunnion. A first outer surface of the first ball member is provided with a non-symmetric piecewise continuous profile that engages the first sidewall.

The present disclosure relates to a tripot constant velocity joint.
Constant velocity joints are widely used for the transmission of rotational energy. Constant velocity joints allow a drive shaft to transmit power through a variable angle, at constant rotational speed. One type of telescoping constant velocity is referred to as a tripot joint. Tripot joints are particularly useful for automotive axial drive shafts, particularly in front-wheel-drive vehicles between the transaxle differential and the driving wheel, as well as other applications. These telescoping constant velocity joint transmit a torque at various rotational speeds, joint angles and telescopic positions between shaft members.

STEERING SOLUTIONS IP HOLDING CORPORATION


A computing device apparatus facilitates use of a deep low power mode that includes powering off the device's CPU by including a hardware implemented process to trigger storage of data from the device's volatile storage elements in non-volatile memory in response to entering the low power mode. A hardware based power management unit controls the process including interrupting a normal processing order of the CPU and triggering the storage of the data in the non-volatile memory. In response to a wake-up event, the device is triggered to restore the data stored in the non-volatile memory to the volatile memory prior to execution of a wake up process for the CPU from the low power mode. The device includes a power storage element such as a capacitor that holds sufficient energy to complete the non-volatile data storage task prior to entering the low power mode.

Electronic devices are continually facing performance pressures including providing increased computing power and providing varied control capabilities. The performance pressures also include needing ever increasing abilities to extend battery life or generally improve power efficiency of a computing device's operation. Accordingly, computing devices of various types include varying ways of enter low power modes that allow the given device to use less power. Low power modes generally include stopping use of various features or powering down certain peripherals for the device.
The lowest of the low power modes include actually removing power from a device's central processing unit ("CPU"). Entering into the lowest power modes, however, typically results in such devices not retaining the CPU's state. Therefore, the device must be reset upon wakeup to restore an operating state of the CPU and associated peripherals. A programmer of applications running on such a device is forced to handle this reset condition and manually restore the application's state to where it was before the device entered into deep low power mode, i.e., power down of the CPU. This is especially true as more complex software is used in embedded systems, such software including graphical display applications, radio frequency communications having complex protocol stacks, or real time operating systems. Such applications can require several thousand CPU cycles on device startup to initialize software variables before an intended task begins. In one example, running a C-Init and User-Init processes (initialization processes for the CPU and the user application, respectively) can require up to 101 milliseconds and 298 microseconds, respectively. In addition to the time delay, the rebooting process places a further drain on applicable battery resources as well. This is a painful process for customers using such computing or processing devices subject to interruptible power sources and/or using deep low power modes.

Compute through power loss hardware approach for processing device having nonvolatile logic memory


An air and water supplying device for an endoscope, having air supplying tubes connecting an air pump and an endoscope provided with an air and water switching valve. A water storing tank is provided with a compressed air receiving inlet and a cleaning water delivering outlet, and a water supplying tube connects the endoscope and the water supplying tank to supply air and water to the top end part of said endoscope. An inlet receives the compressed air in the air pump in a water supplying path made up of the water supplying tube and a water pumping-up tube in the water storing tank in such a manner that the particular inlet is normally closed by an operating valve mechanism provided therefore. When the particular inlet is opened by the operating valve mechanism, the compressed air introduced into the particular inlet causes to discharge the water left in the water supplying path. The air and water switching valve, in three embodiments also provides positive switching without contaminating feed back while eliminating the second valve mechanism. Selective air pressure application is achieved by means of an air regulator employed in the cylinder and adjustable by rotation of the piston. Suction control independent of operator finger position on the piston is also provided to achieve variable suction rates dependent on the amount of piston depression.

This invention relates to air and water supplying devices for endoscopes, and more particularly to an air and water supplying device capable of discharge the water left in a water supplying path connected between a cleaning water storing tank and an endoscope and in a water supplying tube within the endoscope.
An endoscope, especially an endoscope for examining the digestive organs, is used to observe a portion of the body cavity through the window at the top end part of a flexible elongated pipe of the endoscope inserted into the body cavity. It is necessary to suitably inflate the portion to be examined by supplying air in order to provide an observing distance between the body portion to be examined and the top end part of the endoscope. Furthermore, a supply of water must be provided at the portion to be examined in order to clean the lens in the window provided at the top end part of the endoscope, or to remove dirt from the window, or to clean the portion to be observed.
For this purpose, the endoscope of this type is provided with an air and water supplying mechanism in which an air supplying tube and a water supplying tube connected to the manual operating section of the endoscope are connected through a supply air and water switching valve mechanism to an air and water supplying tube. The supply tube extends through the flexible pipe of the endoscope to the top end part so that air or water can be suitably supplied to the portion to be examined while the endoscope is being operated.
If the use of such a conventional endoscope is suspended immediately after water has been supplied hereto, the cleaning water is left in the water supplying path of the water supplying system thereof after the examination. It is very difficult to remove the water left in the water supplying tube which extends from the water storing tank to the endoscope. The end portion of the air and water supplying tube opened at the top end of the endoscope is contaminated by the water which is caused to flow backwardly into the tube by the internal pressure of the body. Furthermore, the water left in the water supplying system is liable to be spoiled. Accordingly, it is not sanitary to use the endoscope again with any water remaining in the water supplying system. The water supplying system is made up of plastic tubes. Because of the water absorbing characteristic of the plastic tube and the corrosion of the connections of the water supplying system, water may also leak out of the water supplying system.
In order to observe a portion of the body cavity to be examined with an endoscope, it is necessary to inflate the portion to be examined to a certain extent. For this purpose, the air pump is provided for the endoscope. The air supplying pressure of the air pump is relatively high, because it is utilized also for supplying water to clean the observing window of the endoscope.
With a conventional air supplying means, the period of time during which air is supplied into the body cavity by the air pump is controlled to adjust the quantity of air supplied into the body cavity. However, in such an air supplying quantity controlling method, air is supplied under a pressure much higher than the pressure which a portion of the body cavity to be examined can withstand. Therefore, the excessively high pressure may cause extreme discomfort to a patient and may rupture the body cavity.
Depending on portions of the body cavities to be examined such as the stomach, the esophagus and the duodenum, the necessary quantity of air to be supplied thereinto is different. However, in conventional methods, the same quantity of air is supplied thereinto. As a result, the observing conditions of these portions having different conditions of walls thereof are varied, and the images formed by the endoscope are therefore varied, which may result in errors in the diagnoses.
In the diagnosis by observing a portion to be examined with an endoscope for a correct diagnosis it is essential to variously change the condition of expansion of the portion to dynamically observe it. However, with air supplying means of the conventional device, it is very difficult to control the air supplying quantity for dynamically observing the conditions of expansion of the portion to be examined.
The operation of an endoscope is carried out by delivery of cleaning water to a portion of the body cavity to be examined to remove mucus, etc. from the observing window of the endoscope or to clean the portion to be examined so that the portion to be examined can be sufficiently observed. The cleaning water used in this operation and the mucus in the body cavity should be forcibly discharged out of the body by using a suction mechanism.
For this purpose, heretofore, the suctions mechanism of this type comprises a suction pump which is operated by a power device and is connected to a suction pipe opened in the top end part of the endoscope. The suction operation of the suction mechanism is carried out intermittently during observation. Since the suction pump cannot start instantaneously, the power device is maintained in operation during the observation so that the suction pump operates instantaneously to meet the requirement of suction. During the ordinary operating time, the suction pressure of the suction pump is reduced or eliminated by suction air from an air passing pipe which is opened in the finger placing surface of a piston protruding from the manual operating section body of the endoscope. When suction is required, the finger is placed on the finger placing surface of the piston to depress the latter. In this operation, the air passing pipe opened in the finger placing surface is closed by the finger, and therefore the suction pressure of the suction pump is increased. As a result, the cleaning water or the like is discharged through the sucking pipe.
The conventional device as described above is advantageous in that the suction is effected instantaneously merely by placing the finger on the top of the piston. However, it is still disadvantageous for the following reasons. If, during the operation of the endoscope, the operator is enthusiastic for the observation or the operation of the endoscope, he may inadvertently place his finger on the top of the piston to close the air passing pipe to unnecessarily suck out matter in the body cavity. Furthermore, in order to avoid this unnecessary suction, he has to keep his finger off the top of the piston intentionally, which leads to fatigue.
As mentioned, in observing for instance a portion of the stomach with an endoscope, it is necessary to send air thereinto to provide an observing distance between the endoscope and the portion to be examined, or to inflate the body cavity. With an endoscope provided with the above-described prior art air supplying device and suction device, the conditions of a portion to be examined can be dynamically observed during the process in which, after air is supplied into the body cavity by the air supplying device to excessively expand the portion to be examined and the air is gradually removed from the body cavity by the suction device. The conventional suction device is operated by closing the end of the air passing pipe with the finger, but it is difficult to suitably adjust the degree of suction with the sensual operation of the finger. Thus, the conventional device is not practical.


A developing apparatus provided with a developer holding container (16a) which holds a mono-component developer and an electroconductive elastic development roller (16b ) which is provided inside the developer holding container in a manner enabling it to be driven to rotate. The electroconductive elastic development roller is disposed so that a portion of it is exposed from the developer holding container and contacts the image carrier. The mono-component developer is made to deposit on its rotating surface and form a mono-component developer layer. By the rotation of this, the developer is transferred to the region of contact with the image carrier. The developing apparatus includes an electroconductive leaf spring member (16c) for regulating the thickness of the mono-component developer layer of the electroconductive elastic development roller. This electroconductive leaf spring member is supported integrally at one end by a rotatable rigid support member (16d) and is made to elastically press against and contact the electroconductive elastic development roller for regulating the thickness of the mono-component developer layer of the electroconductive elastic development roller at the other end. The center of rotation of the rigid support member is substantially positioned on the tangent of the electroconductive leaf spring member and the electroconductive elastic development roller.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a developing apparatus which develops an electrostatic latent image held on an image carrier such as a photosensitive material or a dielectric by a mono-component developer.
2. Description of the Related Art
In electronic photocopying machines, electronic photoprinters, and other electrostatic recording apparatuses, an electrostatic latent image is drawn on an image carrier such as a photosensitive material or a dielectric, that electrostatic latent image is developed electrostatically as a charged toner image by a developer, then the charged toner image is electrostatically transferred to a recording medium such as recording paper, then is fixed on the recording medium by heat, pressure, light, etc.
As a developer used in the development process, in general two-component developers comprised of a toner component (fine particles of a coloring resin) and a magnetic component (fine magnetic carrier) are widely known. A developing apparatus using a two-component developer is provided with a developer holding container, an agitator for agitating the two-component developer in the developer holding container and causing frictional charging between the toner particles and the magnetic carrier, and a magnetic roller for attracting part of the magnetic carrier by magnetic force and forming a magnetic brush, that is, a development roller. Part of the development roller is made to be exposed from the developer holding container and face the image carrier. Toner particles electrostatically deposit on the magnetic brush formed on the circumference of the development roller. By the rotation of the development roller, the toner particles are transported to the region facing the image carrier along with the magnetic brush, that is, the development region, where the electrostatic latent image is developed. In short, the magnetic carrier in the two-component developer is given two functions: the function of causing charging friction of the toner and the function of transporting the toner to the development region.
In such a developing apparatus for a two-component developer, there is the advantage that the transportability of the toner particles, which governs the quality of the developed toner image, that is, the quality of the recorded toner image, is relatively excellent, but to maintain that excellent toner transportability, the ratio of the components of the toner particles and the magnetic carrier has to be maintained within a predetermined range and the magnetic carrier has to be periodically replaced. That is, the toner component is consumed by the development, so the toner component must be suitably resupplied. Also, the magnetic carrier must be replaced when degraded.
Therefore, attention has been focused on a developing apparatus using a mono-component developer comprised of only fine particles of a coloring resin, that is, the toner component, as a developing apparatus which does not require the troublesome maintenance as in the case of a two-component developer. In the case of a mono-component developer, especially a nonmagnetic type mono-component developer, however, how the toner particles are charged and how they are transported to the development region become important issues. This is to say that the quality of the developed toner image, that is, the quality of the recorded toner image, is largely governed by the charging characteristic of the toner component and the transportability of the toner component.
In a conventional developing apparatus using a mono-component developer, as the transporter of the developer for transporting the toner to the development region, use is made of an elastic development roller formed from an electroconductive synthetic rubber material, an electroconductive porous synthetic rubber material, etc. The elastic development roller is placed inside the toner holding container and part of it is exposed from the toner holding container and placed in contact with the image carrier. When the elastic development roller is made to rotate, toner particles deposit on the rotating circumferential surface by the frictional force, whereby a toner layer is formed. The toner particles are transported to the development region by this. To develop the electrostatic latent image with a uniform development density, however, the thickness of the toner layer must be kept uniform.
Therefore, use has been made of a blade, roller, or other thickness-regulating member for the elastic development roller. This removes the excess toner from the toner layer and helps make the toner layer uniform. On the other hand, regarding the charging of the toner, use is made of the frictional static electricity on the elastic development roller or thickness-regulating member, but this frictional static electricity is easily affected by changes in the environment, such as the temperature and humidity, so one practice is to form the thickness-regulating member from a conductive material and apply a voltage of a predetermined polarity so as to positively implant a charge to the individual toner particles at the time of regulating the thickness of the toner layer. Of course, when the frictional static electricity is used, the material of the toner component, the material of the elastic development roller, and the material of the thickness-regulating member are selected so as to give a predetermined charge of the desired polarity to the toner particles. Further, when charge implantation is used, the material of the thickness-regulating member is limited to an electroconductive material.
A problem with the developing apparatus for a mono-component developer such as the one explained above, however, it has been pointed out, is that it is difficult to maintain the uniformity of the thickness of the toner layer by the thickness-regulating member stably over a long period. For example, it has been proposed to use, as the thickness-regulating member able to perform charge implantation, for example, a metal rigid blade having a sharp edge and to engage the edge portion elastically with the elastic development roller to remove the excess toner particles and thereby make the toner layer uniform in thickness. In this case, to ensure the uniformity of the thickness of the toner layer, it is necessary to make the processing precision of the sharp edge portion of the metal rigid blade 2 .mu.m or less. That is, this is because the size of individual toner particles is generally from about 5 to about 10 .mu.m, so if the processing precision of the edge portion is more than 2 .mu.m, uneven streaks will be left on the surface of the toner layer. These streaks will appear as white streaks or black streaks in the recorded toner image. For example, even if it were possible to make the processing precision of the sharp edge portion of the metal rigid blade 2 .mu.m or less, such an edge portion would be susceptible to damage and also the processing cost would become extremely high, so it would be extremely difficult to commercialize this.
It has also been proposed to bring the flat surface of a metal rigid blade or the rotational surface of a metal roller into press-contact with the elastic development roller and regulate the pressure on the toner layer. In this case, it is possible to process the flat surface or the rotational surface at a relatively low cost and a high precision, but the pressure of the metal blade or metal roller applied to the elastic development roller to regulate the thickness of the toner layer to a predetermined thickness must be made considerably large. Therefore, the toner particles are crushed and can physically become fixed to the flat surface or the rotational surface. Of course, even if the toner particles become fixed on the flat surface of the metal rigid plate or the rotational surface of the metal roller, uneven streaks will remain on the surface of the toner layer and those streaks will appear in the recorded toner image in the same way as in the above case. Note that when a hard polymer material etc. is used as the material of the thickness-regulating member, it is not possible to control the charging of the toner particles by charge implantation.
It has been also proposed to use a leaf spring member as a metal thickness-regulating member which is able to stably regulate the thickness of the toner layer over a long period and which can be processed at a relatively low cost and a high precision. This leaf spring member is chamfered at its front edge to give it roundness. The rounded front edge is elastically pressed against the elastic development roller by the spring force of the leaf spring member itself. By this, the thickness of the toner layer is regulated. When such a leaf spring member is used as the toner layer thickness-regulating member, the majority of the excess toner is removed from the toner layer formed on the circumference of the elastic development roller by the rounded front edge of the leaf spring member, then the flat surface of the leaf spring member is used to regulate the thickness of the toner layer, so the pressing force of the flat surface on the elastic development roller can be made relatively small and thus it is possible to prevent the toner particles from fixing on the flat surface. Further, the high precision processing of the flat surface of the leaf spring member and the high precision processing of the rounded front edge of the same can be performed at a relatively low cost. In addition, the rounded front edge is far less susceptible to damage compared with the edge portion of the metal rigid blade mentioned above.
A problem with the leaf spring member explained above, however, it has been pointed out, is the ease of vibration of the leaf spring member L and therefore cyclic fluctuation of the thickness of the toner layer at the time of regulation of the thickness of the toner layer. Of course, if the leaf spring member vibrates and the thickness of the toner layer fluctuates, not only will the development density of the electrostatic latent image be affected, but also at areas where the toner layer has become thicker, the charge of the toner particles will become insufficient and thus there will be contamination of the background region of the electrostatic latent image by the toner particles, i.e., so-called fogging.
On the other hand, even with a leaf spring member, when regulating the thickness of the toner layer and charging the toner particles by charge implantation, the thickness must be made equal to the diameter of the toner particles. In other words, the toner layer should be formed as a single layer of the toner particles. This is because when the thickness of the toner layer is greater than the diameter of the toner particles, the toner layer will include toner particles not able to directly contact the leaf spring member. Such toner particles will not be sufficiently implanted with charges and the amount of charge will become insufficient. Of course, toner particles with insufficient charging become a factor causing fogging.

Developing apparatus having leaf spring member for regulating mono-component developer layer


A heat exchanger for cooling a flow of media, comprising a plurality of pipes. The pipes are each received in a respective pipe base at the ends, and the pipes are received in a housing between the two pipe bases, the housing being connected to the pipe bases in a fluid-tight manner. A coolant channel is formed by a shaped region oriented outwards along an outer wall which delimits the housing. The coolant channel has an opening oriented in the direction of the inner volume of the housing, and the coolant channel is in fluidic communication with the inner volume of the housing via the opening. The opening is at least partly covered by a panel, and the panel is arranged on the housing outer wall surface oriented inwards, the outer wall having the coolant channel. A gap is formed between an edge, which delimits the opening, and the panel.

Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a heat exchanger for cooling a media flow, comprising a plurality of tubes, whereby the tubes are received at the ends in a respective tube sheet, whereby the tubes between the two tube sheets are received in a housing, which is connected to the tube sheet in a fluid-tight manner, whereby a coolant channel is formed by an outwardly directed shaped region along an outer wall delimiting the housing, whereby the coolant channel has an opening which is directed in the direction of the inner volume of the housing and via which the coolant channel is in fluid communication with the inner volume of the housing.
Description of the Background Art
The charge air, which is used in modern internal combustion engines to increase performance by means of a turbocharger, can be cooled by so-called charge air coolers so as to enable as great an increase in performance as possible. For this purpose, a heat transfer can be produced between the charge air and a coolant in a charge air cooler.
The charge air can be conveyed for cooling, for example, through tubes around which cooling air flows. An alternative design of a charge air cooler provides that the charge air is flowed through a plurality of tubes, while a liquid coolant flows around the tubes. The coolant itself can preferably be cooled again in a further heat exchanger to remove from the coolant the amount of heat that it has taken up from the charge air during the heat transfer.
DE 10 2006 043 526 A1 shows a charge air cooler comprising a plurality of tubes, which run between two collecting tanks and fluidically connect the collecting tanks to one another. The charge air to be cooled can be flowed through the collecting tanks and tubes. The tubes lead totally or partially through a chamber through which a coolant can flow. A heat transfer between the charge air and the coolant can be produced in this way, as a result of which cooling of the charge air can be achieved.
It is disadvantageous in the devices in the prior art that the through-flow of the heat exchanger with the coolant is not optimally designed, as a result of which so-called dead zones can occur which are characterized in that the coolant does not flow through them or flows only to a very small extent. Therefore, stagnation of the coolant can occur.
In particular due to the increasing charge air temperature in modern internal combustion engines at the inlet side of the heat exchanger, boiling of the coolant can occur, which has a disadvantageous effect on the cooling performance of the heat exchanger. This disadvantage arises especially often and markedly in charge air coolers in which the charge air and the coolant are conveyed in countercurrent to one another.

Heat exchanger with coolant channel and panel


A method of chromatographic isolation for non-glyceride components (squalenes, carotenes, vitamin E, sterols and/or the like) from a non-glyceride components-comprising compound by the steps of

The invention relates to a method of chromatographic isolation for non-glyceride components particularly squalenes, carotenes, vitamin E (sometimes abbreviated as Vit. E) sterols and/or the like, from crude palm oil, palm oils products and/or by-products, vegetable oils and/or the like non-glyceride components-comprising compounds.
Crude palm oil contains about 5% of xe2x80x9cnon-glyceride componentsxe2x80x9d which include carotenoids, tocols (tocopherols and tocotrienols), sterols and squalene. The carotenoids, present at 500-700 ppm and comprising mainly xcex1 and xcex2 carotenes, are important constituents with pro-vitamin A activity, possible antitumor formation properties, and other physiological activities. The tocols which are Vitamin E and also natural anti-oxidants, are present at approximately 600 to 1000 ppm in crude palm oil; the major component being the gamma-tocotrienol which has recently been found to have anti-cancer properties besides its known anti-oxidant activity. Tocotrienol has been found to lower blood cholesterol. The sterols consisting mainly of xcex2-sitosterol, stigmasterol and campesterol, provide raw materials for steroid intermediates and drugs. xcex2-Sitosterol also possesses hypocholesterolemic effect. Squalene is an important ingredient for cosmetics. It also shows beneficial physiological properties.
Several methods have been developed to extract these valuable compounds. In the case of the carotenoids, the known methods can be classified as follows:
(i) Extraction by saponification e.g. British Patent 567,682; U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,460,796; 2,440,029; 2,572,467; 2,652,433.
(ii) Iodine method
(iii) Urea process
(iv) Extraction using Fuller""s earth or activated carbon, e.g. British Patent 691,924; British Patent 1,562,794; U.S. Pat. No. 2,484,040.
(v) Extraction by selective solvents e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 2,432,021.
(vi) Molecular Distillation.
In the saponification method (i) the oil is saponified to give soap, glycerol and a non-saponifiable fraction containing carotenes.
In the iodine method (ii), the iodine is added to a solution of palm oil in petroleum ether, an insoluble precipitate of carotene di-iodide is formed. The iodo-compound when treated with sodium thiosulphate however yields iso-carotene or dehydro-carotene which has no biological activity.
With the urea method (iii), the triglycerides are broken down to fatty acids and methyl esters which then form insoluble compounds with urea and thiourea, leaving the carotenoids in the remaining liquid.
Extraction of carotenes using adsorbents has been carried out using Fuller""s earth and activated carbon (method iv). However, the extraction of the carotenes from the earth gives oxidised or isomerised products of carotenes. Carotene is concentrated six times in the extract.
Extraction of carotenes by selective solvents (method v) has been carried out using propane or furfural. The carotene is concentrated (three times that of the original oil) in the furfural phase.
By method (vi) carotenes can also be obtained by molecular distillation (10xe2x88x923-10xe2x88x924 mm Hg). Fractions collected at 230xc2x0 C. have a carotene content of about five times that of the original oil.
To-date, there has not been any method which discloses the use of supercritical fluid in the adsorption/desorption chromatography isolation/separation of the non-glyceride components (i.e. carotenoids, tocols, sterols and squalene) from plant source such as CPO (crude palm oil), palm oil products and/or by-products, vegetable oils and fats and/or the like non-glyceride components-comprising compounds.
All known method previously disclosed in the adsorption/desorption cromatographic separation solely involve the use of solvents (which are costly and hazardous). Thus, there is a need to provide a separation and/or an isolation process, which avoids or discourages the sole use of solvents and consequently rendering it xe2x80x9cnon-hazardousxe2x80x9d for recovering these non-glyceride components.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method of chromatographic isolation for non-glyceride components (carotenes, vitamin E [sometimes abbreviated as Vit. E], sterols, squalene) from natural oils and fats, wherein the method comprises the use of supercritical fluid (such as SC-CO2) in combination with adsorbents (such as silica gel or C18 reverse phase silica gel). The present invention may be subjected directly and/or indirectly to
(a) crude vegetable oil esters (via catalytic alcoholic esterification/transesterification of vegetable oils) or
(b) concentrate (through removal of the bulk of the esters from (a) via vacuum distillation including molecular distillation) or
(c) the unsaponifiable matters of the concentrate in (b) (through saponification process)
High concentration of carotenes, vitamin E, sterols and squalene can be obtained by monitoring supercritical fluid process conditions such as temperature between 30xc2x0 C.-100xc2x0 C., pressure from 50 kg/cm2 to 600 kg/cm2, with and without an to entrainer (co-solvent such as alcohols).
A main advantage of the invention lies in the use of liquified gas at supercritical conditions, hence avoiding or reducing the prior requirements for hazardous solvents.
According to the present invention there is provided a method of chromatographic isolation for xe2x80x9cminor non-glyceride componentsxe2x80x9d (including carotenoids, tocols, sterols and squalene) from CPO (crude palm oil), palm oil products and/or by-products, vegetable oil and/.or the like non-glyceride components-comprising compounds, said method comprising the following steps for three different routes as described below:
Route (a)
(i) Esterifying the free fatty acid component of the non-glyceride components-comprising compounds with one or more monohydric alcohols to form an esterified compound with a very low free fatty acid content;
(ii) Trans-esterifying the glyceride components with one or more monohydirc alcohols to convert into monoesters;
(iii) Introducing the non-glyceride components-comprising compounds (i.e. esters from steps (i) and (ii) above) to allow the adsorption of non-glyceride components (carotenoids, tocols, sterols and squalene) onto a selective adsorbent; and subsequently
(iv) Desorbing the non-glyceride components from the adsorbent, wherein the adsorption/desorption of the non-glyceride components in steps (iii)-(iv) is carried out under a supercritical fluid environment.
Route (b)
(i) Esterifying the free fatty acid components of the non-glyceride components-comprising compounds with one or more monohydric alcohols to form an esterified compound with a very low free fatty acid content;
(ii) Trans-esterifying the glyceride components with one or more monohydirc alcohols to convert into monoesters;
(iii) Removing bulk of the esters in step (i) and (ii) by vacuum distillation including molecular distillation to yield carotene concentrate of 1-8%;
(iv) Introducing the non-glyceride components-comprsing compounds (i.e. the carotene concentrate from step (iii) above) to allow the adsorption of non-glyceride components (carotenoids, tocols, sterols and squalene) onto a selective adsorbent; and subsequently
(v) Desorbing the non-glyceride components from the adsorbent, wherein the adsorption/desortion of the non-glyceride components in steps (iv)-(v) is carried out under a supercritical fluid environment.
Route (c)
(i) Esterfying the free fatty acid component of the non-glyceride components-comprising compounds with one or more monohydirc alcohols to form an esterifed compound with a very low free fatty acid content;
(ii) Trans-esterdifying the glyceride components with one or more monohydric alcohols to convert into monoesters;
(iii) Removing bulk of the esters in step (i) and (ii) by vacuum distillation including molecular distillation to yield carotene concentrate of 1-8%.
(iv) Saponifying the carotene concentrate in step (iii) to yield unsaponifiable matters;
(v) Introducing the non-glyceride components-comprising compounds to allow the adsorption of non-glyceride components (carotenoids, tocols, sterols and squalene) onto a selective adsorbent; and subsequently
(vi) Desorbing the non-glyceride components from the adsorbent, wherein the adsorption/desorption of the non-glyceride components in steps (v)-(vi) is carried out under a supercritical fluid environment.
Preferably, the esterification of step (i) above is carried out employing
(a) a solid alkali metal bisulphate or
(b) a sulphate acid strongly-acidic ion-exchange resin.
Preferably, the transesterification of step (ii) is carried out employing a basic catalyst.
Alternatively, both the esterification and transesterification are carried out using an enzyme; for example candida rugosa and lipase. 1 to 20% by weight of catalyst may be employed depending upon the weight of the free fatty carboxylic to acid moiety present in the non-glyceride components-comprising compounds.
Preferably, the monohydric alcohols used in the esterification of step (i) or transesterification of step (ii) comprise one or more C1 to C8 alcohols, most preferably methanol.
Preferably, the selective adsorbent for the adsorption of the non-glyceride components comprise silica gel and/or C18 reverse phase silica gel. The adsorbents may be subjected to adsorption of the non-glyceride components present within any one of the following;
(i) the esterified palm oil; or
(ii) the carotene concentrate (1-8%) wherein bulk of the esters have been removed through vacuum distillation or molecular distillation (short path distillation); or
(iii) the unsaponifiable materials by saponifying the carotene concentrate of (ii).
The solvents employed for the present method comprises;
(i) Supercritical fluid, e.g. SC-CO2 (100%), and/or
(ii) Supercritical fluid (e.g. SC-CO2) in combination with an entrainer (solvent such as alcohol)
Carotene, tocols, sterols and squalene can be isolated with  greater than 50% purity in a single run by varying pressure from 50 kg/cm2-600 kg/cm2 at temperatures 30xc2x0 C.-100xc2x0 C.
It shall therefore be illustrated, by means of the following examples, that supercritical fluid, applied to solid adsorbents such as silica gel and/or C18 reverse phase silica gel, provides a very satisfactory means for isolating non-glyceride components (including carotenoids, tocols, sterols and squalene) from CPO (crude palm oil), palm oil products and/or by-products, vegetable oil and/or the like non-glyceride components-comprising compounds.

Method of chromatographic isolation for non-glyceride components

Abstract: a. introducing the non-glyceride components-comprising compound onto a selective adsorbent to allow an adsorption of the non-glyceride components, and subsequently

Abstract: b. desorbing the non-glyceride components from the adsorbent, wherein

Abstract: the adsorption and/or desorption of the non-glyceride components is carried out under a supercritical fluid environment.

6, Persiaran Institusi, Bandar Baru Bangi


A multiwire unit having a plurality of wire sections which are formed in one piece from a tubular piece whose tubular jacket is subdivided in at least an axial subsection by a plurality of axial slots. The wire pieces remain interlinked at a front end section at a distance to a front tube face, and assume a bent functional state downstream of the wire linking area in a defined functional state of the multiwire unit. The front wire linking area, in the functional state of the multiwire unit, is shaped to an essentially tipless front end closure. For this purpose, the axial slots end at an appropriate small axial distance to the front tube face. The multiwire unit may be formed as, for example, a wire basket unit or a wire filter unit for medical instruments.

The invention relates to a multiwire unit particularly for a medical instrument, and to a method of producing such a multiwire unit.
Multiwire units of this type are used, for example, as wire basket units, which may also be called wire cage or catching basket units, for medical instruments for catching and removing stones or other concretions from human or animal tissue canals. In the present context, the term "wire basket" means that several wire sections are arranged around a longitudinal axis of the wire basket unit at a distance from one another extending essentially axially in the circumferential direction. In a basket-forming condition, they extend from a forward end area of the wire basket unit, while forming the wire basket, first expanding radially toward the outside and then narrowing again radially toward the inside. The wire sections consist of a sufficiently elastic, not necessarily metallic material, frequently superelastic metal alloys being used.
Typically, the wire sections are guided in a rearward end area through a receiving sleeve into which they can be pulled while the wire basket shrinks radially. In the pulled-out basket-forming condition, a stone or the like can move into the widened wire basket through the spaces between the wire sections, after which, by a pulling of the wire sections into the receiving sleeve, the wire basket is drawn together and the stone can be retained for the removal.
Medical instruments of this type are used in various designs, for example, as endoscopes, such as stone catching basket instruments and balloon catheter instruments. For this and other applications, a forward end closure of the wire basket which is as short of possible is frequently desirable. In constructions, as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Patent Document U.S. Pat. No. 6,013,086, the forward wire section ends or forward end bows of wire loops are held in a cylindrical end sleeve which therefore remains disposed in front of the actual wire basket area.
German Published Patent Application DE 197 22 429 A1 discloses a device for catching and/or crushing objects in hollow organs, particularly gallstones or kidney stones, which is constructed as a multiwire unit of the above-mentioned type; that is, it contains several wire sections, which are formed in one piece from a tubular piece whose tubular jacket is subdivided in an axial partial area into the wire sections by several axial slots spaced in the circumferential direction. In this case, the wire sections remain mutually linked at a forward end area in that the axial slots end there while leaving a forward wire linkage area at a distance in front of a forward tube front end, and in a predefinable functional state of the multiwire unit following the wire linkage area, assume a bent small-basket forming functional state. In the case of this known multiwire unit, the axial slots end at a relatively large distance in front of the forward tube front end, so that a tip-forming forward end stub of the tubular piece remains which forms the wire linkage area. The distance of the axial slots from the forward tube front end is clearly greater than the diameter of the tubular piece and the width as well as the thickness of the wire sections. The tubular piece, which consists, for example, of nickel titanium wire and has the inserted wire sections, is used as a pull cord of this catching basket device. The axial slots are made, for example, by laser beam cutting. The forward tip end of the catching device may be equipped with a hemispherical end element and/or with a bordering ring visible by x-ray.
In contrast, so-called "tipless" wire basket units have been suggested. Thus, International Published Patent Application WO 98/36694 A1 describes wire basket units, where the basket-forming wire bows on the forward wire basket end, while forming narrower loops, are mutually linked loosely and thereby in an articulated manner. In German Patent Document DE 101 17 836 C1, it is suggested that the wire sections be held at the forward end in an articulated manner on a fixing body which may be designed such that, in the basket-forming condition, a virtually tipless forward end of the wire basket unit is obtained.
Furthermore, multiwire units are also used in medical instruments as wire filters, such as coronary filters, for catching deposits or clumping in tissue ducts, for example, for preventing emboli.
The invention is based on the technical problem of providing a multiwire unit of the initially mentioned type, which can be implemented in a tipless manner at comparatively low expenditures, and of providing a pertaining production method.
The multiwire unit according to the invention can be formed in one piece from a tubular piece in that several axial slots spaced in the circumferential direction are placed in its tubular jacket, which axial slots, while leaving a wire linkage area, end at a distance in front of a tube front end. As a result, the tubular jacket is divided into several wire sections which, in a section adjoining the wire linkage area, are bent to the shape desirable for a corresponding functional state of the multiwire unit, characteristically, the wire linkage area also deforming, so that an essentially tipless end closure is formed.
The invention therefore permits the production of a tipless multiwire unit made of only a single piece, that is, the tubular piece. The forward wire linkage area, by way of which the wire sections remain cohesively mutually connected at the forward end area, corresponding to the requirements, can be designed such that, when the wire sections are bent open or bent over correspondingly, for example, a virtually tipless wire basket or a virtually tipless wire filter with a desired maximal filtering width is obtained. For this purpose, the axial slots extend to a relatively narrow distance from the forward tube front end, so that, when the wire sections are bent open or over, the wire linkage area is also deformed and no noticeable axial tubular piece end stub remains; that is, in its functional state, the multiwire unit ends essentially in a tipless manner in that also the wire linkage area itself bends while the material is deformed.
As a person skilled in the art will understand, the term tipless indicates a forward end closure design of the multiwire unit which either has no axial end stub originating from the basic tubular piece or has only a very small end stub whose dimensioning and particularly whose axial length is negligibly small in comparison to the dimensions of the adjoining functional part formed by the wire sections, such as a wire basket or a wire filter; for example, only has an axial length which is by one or more orders of magnitude smaller than the maximal diameter of an adjoining wire basket. In particular, the term "tipless" or "essentially tipless" means that no remaining axial end stub projects abruptly toward the front from the adjoining functional unit formed by the wire sections, but the multiwire unit changes as early as from its forward end in a course bent open with respect to the tubular piece blank from the wire linkage area into the bent course of the wire sections in the functional unit.
In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the tubular piece and thus the multiwire unit consists of a superelastic material. As a rule, such materials also have a shape memory. The latter can be utilized for selecting the functional state of the wire sections as the dimensionally stable state, so that the wire sections assume their functional state on their own when they are not prevented therefrom by outside forces, for example, by a sliding into a receiving sleeve, or are changed into a different state.
In a further development of the invention, the wire sections at the wire linkage area are bent by at least approximately 60°, as required by approximately 90° or more, relative to their axial tubular jacket position into the functional state. Thus, for example, a bending-open by approximately 90° permits the implementation of a completely bluntly ending wire basket which, at the forward end, with an at most slight axial component, expands essentially radially toward the outside, which is frequently desirable particularly for medical instruments, or of a wire filter which can also be used in medical instruments. For providing corresponding multiwire units, a bending-over of the wire sections by more than 90° may also be provided; that is, virtually, at least in areas, a turning-over of the tubular piece divided into the wire sections.
An embodiment of the invention provides an advantageous flexibility of the wire linkage area for forming the functional state of the multiwire unit in that the axial distance of the axial slots from the forward tube front end is selected to be smaller than an outside diameter and/or an inside diameter and/or to be approximately equally large as a or smaller than a wall thickness of the tubular piece and/or approximately equally large as or smaller than a width of the wire sections. Depending on the concrete other shaping of the wire linkage area, this permits a deforming of the end-side wire linkage area such that no noticeable axial end stub of the tubular piece remains; that is, a tipless end closure of the multiwire unit is achieved in a desired shaping of the wire linkage area.
In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, one or more slot-shaped recesses are placed in the tubular jacket from the front side of the tubular piece or adjacent thereto, which slot-shaped recesses are situated in the circumferential direction of the tubular piece at angular positions between the angular positions of the axial slots. By means of these slot-shaped recesses, the bending behavior of the wire sections in the wire linkage area and the shape of the wire linkage area in the functional state of the multiwire unit can be influenced in the respectively desired manner.
In an advantageous further development, the slot-shaped recesses extend axially into the area between the axial slots. In a further development, the axial slots are tapered in their area overlapping with the slot-shaped recesses; that is, they have a smaller width there than in their rearward portion outside this overlapping area. Advantageous shapes of the axial slots and of the slot-shaped recesses in the overlapping area are, for example, those with an essentially uniform width of the axial slots and of the slot-shaped recesses or those with axial slots oppositely tapering in a wedge-shaped manner and with slot-shaped recesses. Another advantageous shaping variant provides several rows of slot-shaped recesses following one another in the circumferential direction, these rows being offset in the axial direction and axially overlapping or not overlapping with one another.
In a further advantageous development of the invention, the tube front end is provided with an outer surrounding profiling, such as a wave-shaped profile. Also this measure can influence the shape of the wire linkage area in the functional state of the multiwire unit as well as the bending behavior of the wire sections in this area in a desired manner.
Objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Multiwire unit and method for producing the same


A power control circuit for improved charging of a battery. The circuit includes a rectifying device to provide rectified alternating current when receiving an input from an electrical power source; a comparator device; circuitry for providing a predetermined voltage to the inverting input of the comparator device; circuitry for providing a predetermined voltage to the non-inverting input of the comparator device; regulator circuitry whose output is connected to the battery; switching circuitry connected between the regulator circuitry and the rectifying device; and control circuitry which is coupled between the switching circuitry and the output of the comparator device. The control circuitry activates the switching circuitry for a predetermined time, determined by the output from the comparator device, to allow the rectified alternating current to reach a desired voltage across the regulator circuitry, at which time the control circuitry deactivates the switching circuitry, wherein the value of the desired voltage is determined by the voltage inputs to the comparator device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to DC power supplies, and more particularly, but not byway of limitation, to a power supply and control circuit incorporating an improved design for supplying a variable DC voltage to a device.
2. History of the Prior Art
Power supplies are widely used in industrial and commercial applications to provide DC potentials for electrical and electronic equipment. Power supplies are generally included as an integral part of equipment which requires DC potentials, but also exist as self-contained units. The primary function of any power supply is to convert AC power to useful DC potentials. This conversion process requires at least two and usually three operations which include rectification, filtering and regulation or control.
Many present designs use high-frequency switching power supplies or use transformers to supply the appropriate voltage or voltages. Switching power supplies tend to be expensive and run at a high frequencies possibly causing electro-magnetic interference or leakage current problems. Transformers tend to be heavy, bulky and expensive. In many applications, special transformers must be designed which increases the cost.
Two applications, among others, of the present invention include providing power to and control of the speed of DC motors, providing power for the charging of batteries, etc. DC motors would benefit from the present invention through more efficient power application, lighter weight, lower cost and the absence of the need for high frequency pulse width modulation (PWM) control. A variable voltage output would be provided to the DC motor depending on the voltage needed to acquire the desired motor speed.
Batteries and the charging thereof would benefit because the present invention would provide a smaller, lighter weight and reduced cost alternative to transformer-based linear power supplies or high frequency switching power supplies. Current capabilities of more than ten amps DC can be achieved for charging by the present invention without the cost and weight required by a transformer rated as such a high current. In addition, the efficiency of the present invention is greater than that obtained using a transformer.
The present invention provides an improvement over the prior art by providing a smooth DC voltage for use with DC motors and the charging of batteries and eliminates the use of bulky inductors or transformers, does not operate at high frequencies typical of switching power supplies and maintains a low part count.

Power control circuit for a battery charger


A method for reducing the blocking properties of polyolefins by incorporating into the polyolefin an effective amount of a lactamide having the formula: ##STR1## wherein R is alkyl having from about 14 to 22 carbon atoms. Optionally, there can be included with the lactamide a finely divided inorganic material. Also disclosed are compositions of matter comprising a polyolefin, such as homopolymers and copolymers of ethylene and propylene, the aforedescribed lactamide and optionally a finely divided inorganic material.

This invention relates to polyolefinic polymers having improved properties. In particular this invention relates to reducing the blocking properties of polyolefinic compositions. An important aspect of this invention is a polyolefinic composition containing lactamides having saturated substituents.
Olefin homopolymers and copolymers are of commercial importance for the manufacture of numerous articles such as films and other items. In order to be useful for many of these functions it is desirable that the polyolefinic composition have good slip characteristics. This can be determined by measuring the coefficient of friction of the polyolefin. It is also important that the polyolefinic composition have good antiblock property.
In order to obtain a satisfactorily low block, often antiblock agents are added to the polyolefin to lower its blocking characteristic. Many antiblock agents and other additives for polyolefins are disclosed in the literature. These additives will lower the blocking force of the polyolefin to desired levels, permitting ready handling of shaped articles and films prepared from the polyolefinic material. Polyolefinic polymers having poor slip and poor antiblock characteristics are difficult to handle when the polymer is manufactured in the customary manner of large rolls. During storage and subsequent processing, the low slip and high block films tend to adhere layer to layer. Also such films can encounter large frictional forces in processing equipment that often cause distortions and even tearing of the film, especially when using thin film.
Rowland et al U.S. Pat. No. 2,956,979 discloses inhibiting the blocking tendencies of polyethylene by introducing into the composition a small amount of an alkylol amide of the structural formula: ##STR2## wherein R is a saturated aliphatic acyl radical of from about 18 to about 30 carbon atoms and R' is an alkyl radical group of 1 to 6 carbon atoms. Toy et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,028,355 discloses the use of diatomaceous earth to reduce the tendency of polyethylene to block. Haeske et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,266,924 discloses the blending of a mixture of finely divided siliceous material and a fatty acid amide slip agent into polyethylene to enhance its slip and antiblocking properties. Ross et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,326,840 discloses the incorporation of a small amount of a mono-N-substituted saturated carboxylic acid amide of the formula: ##STR3## wherein R is an aliphatic acyl radical having from 12 to 30 carbon atoms and R' is an aliphatic group having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, especially an alkylol group, into a copolymer of ethylene and an aliphatic ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic ester to improve its resistance to blocking and improve its slip properties.
Foster U.S. Pat. No. 3,647,738 discloses blending an amide having the formula: ##STR4## wherein R is an alkenyl radical having 18 to about 22 carbon atoms and R' is a divalent hydrocarbon radical containing 3 to 15 carbon atoms with an alpha-olefin polymer composition to provide compositions having low blocking and no bloom characteristics and high slip properties.
The foregoing patents and other literature disclose a variety of additives that improve the slip and/or blocking properties of polyolefins. It is important that the polyolefinic compositions containing the agents have reduced blocking properties so that films and other products made from the polyolefin can be stacked or otherwise piled together.
Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to reduce the blocking properties of polyolefins.
Also an object of the present invention is the prevention of polyolefin films from adhering to each other during storage.
Another object of the present invention is to reduce the blocking to polyolefin compositions without adversely affecting the optical properties of the polyolefin.
Other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description.

Compositions and method for reducing the blocking properties of polyolefins


An air input structure includes an air input lip and a front reinforcement frame placed inside the air input lip. The front part of the air input lip has a plurality of segments distributed angularly along the leading edge of the air input lip, two adjacent segments being separated by an intermediate part having an excess thickness. Each segment has four edges, each having an excess thickness relative to the rest of the segment.

An aircraft engine comprises a nacelle in which the engine itself is housed. The nacelle, which takes an annular form, has, at the front, an air input structure.
By convention, the terms "front" and "rear" are used throughout the text by taking the front and the rear of the engine as reference.
The air input structure globally comprises an internal face and an external face in contact with the outside air, while the internal face delimits a jet which constitutes the fan case ducting.
The function of the air input structure is, in particular, to ensure the aerodynamic flow of the air, on the one hand, to the fan case ducting, and, on the other hand, to the outside of the nacelle.
The air input structure comprises an air input lip, a front reinforcement frame, an acoustic panel and an external panel.
The air input lip has a U-shaped section open to the rear. It forms the outer jacket of the front part of the air input structure and it ensures the distribution of the air between the part which penetrates into the fan case ducting and the part which flows around the nacelle.
The external panel extends the air input lip on the external side and constitutes a part of the external face.
The front reinforcement frame also has a U-shaped section open to the rear and it is placed inside and to the rear of the air input lip. The front reinforcement frame ensures the mechanical strength of the front part of the nacelle and assists in preserving the shape and the dimensioning thereof.
The acoustic panel forms the internal jacket of the nacelle, behind the air input lip, on the side of the fan case ducting. The acoustic panel therefore constitutes a part of the internal face. The acoustic panel has a structure designed to attenuate the noises and is of composite sandwich type.
It may be that the air input lip is subjected to impacts that can damage it.
Repairing the air input lip then consists in cutting the part of the air input lip which is around the damaged zone, in conforming a plate for it to take the form of the cut part, then in fixing the plate using splices.
The splices are placed inside the air input lip straddling the conformed plate and the skin of the air input lip remaining in place. Each splice is then fixed by screwing or riveting from the outside.
To ensure that the screw or rivet heads are flush with the outer surface of the skin of the air input lip, it is necessary to produce a countersinking in the skin of the air input lip from the outside. The depth of the countersinking is conventionally of the order of 1.3 mm and the thickness of the skin of the air input lip must therefore be greater and is conventionally between 1.6 mm and 2 mm.
Although such a repair procedure gives satisfactory results, it is necessary to provide a relatively great skin thickness all along the leading edge of the air input lip, which is detrimental from the point of view of weight and therefore of fuel consumption.

Air input structure for an aircraft nacelle


An animal waste collection device. An exemplary embodiment includes an elongated chassis defining a collection chamber having an open end, and a user-actuated pick up device with a movable shovel assembly mounted at the open end. The shovel assembly has a closed position for closing the open end, and an open position. A trap door is movable by the user between an opened position and a closed position located inside the collection chamber, to close the collection chamber in the closed position, and to open the collection chamber to entry of an animal waste specimen collected through the open end with the shovel assembly in the open position. Once the specimen is collected, the device may be inverted, the waste proceeding by gravity from the pick-up device, past the open trap door and into the collection chamber.

People love to take their dogs with them on long walks, hikes in the country or just to the mall for an outing. This is a wonderful experience for both dog and human, except for one thing. Dogs cannot be toilet trained! To date, the only means available to clean up an unexpected pet mess does not protect a person from the bacteria and aromas that come along with pet waste.
Aside from pretending your dog did not do it and walk away quickly, there is no expedient and sanitary solution for collection of the waste or for odor-free storage until it can be disposed of in an appropriate waste receptacle. Pet owners are required to carry the excrement, smelling its contents, until they can locate a trash receptacle. In some cases, that could be a very long walk.

Self-contained portable device to collect animal waste


Dynamic movement of a specimen in a pressing direction and in directions intersecting the pressing direction is effectively suppressed, while maintaining the viability of the specimen. A stabilizer for in vivo examination that is placed in contact with a biological specimen during examination of the specimen to suppress movement thereof includes a contact-area increasing portion that is provided on a contact surface with the biological specimen and that is configured to increase the contact area with the biological specimen by virtue of a pressure applied during the contact.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stabilizer for in vivo examination that is in contact with a biological specimen to suppress movement of the biological specimen during examination of thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
A known stabilizer for in vivo examination is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2005-338631.
This stabilizer for in vivo examination includes a tip having a round shape or a U shape. Dynamic movement of a specimen, such as pulsing, can be suppressed during examination by pressing the specimen with the tip or by applying negative pressure to a suction hole provided on the surface that contacts the specimen to suck the specimen by the resulting suction force. A microscope examination system including this stabilizer for in vivo examination is advantageous in that microscope examination can be performed while suppressing pulsing of the specimen, thereby providing sharp blur-free images.
However, since the stabilizer for in vivo examination disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2005-338631 merely presses a specimen or sucks the specimen by a suction force, the following problems occur. In a stabilizer that merely presses a specimen, although movement of the specimen in the pressing direction can be suppressed by increasing the pressure, this stabilizer suffers from the problem that it is difficult to effectively suppress movement of the specimen in directions intersecting the pressing direction. In a stabilizer that sucks a specimen by a suction force, movement of the specimen not only in the direction parallel to the sucking direction but also in directions intersecting the sucking direction can be suppressed by increasing the suction force. However, as the negative pressure applied to the suction hole is increased, the surface of the specimen at the suction hole is sucked inside the suction hole. Consequently, blood stasis may occur in the sucked part or the specimen may be damaged. In addition, when the specimen is sucked while the tip of the stabilizer is in contact with the surface of the specimen, and if the specimen bleeds, the blood is also sucked into the suction hole. In such a case, there is a problem in that the suction hole may become clogged with the blood while using the stabilizer.


A conveyor mat built up of plastic intermediate modules and end modules, each module is made up of a plurality of equally spaced-apart hinge plates having hinge loops at the two ends thereof, the hinge plates of a module being coupled to each other by means of a rib asymmetrically located between the hinge loop openings which are located opposite each other, the ends of the hinge plates on a longitudinal side of a module being located between the ends of the hinge plates of a module adjacent in the longitudinal direction of the mat, the hinge loops of the two modules being coupled to each other by way of a hinge pin extending through the hinge loop openings. In operation, when the conveyor mat is driven in a first and second, opposite, direction, a sprocket wheel meshes with a side face of the rib and, respectively, the opposite hinge loop of a module. Through these measures, a conveyor mat is obtained whose modules can have an extremely slight length, up to 0.5".

The invention relates to a conveyor mat built up of intermediate modules and end modules, made in one piece of synthetic material, the width of the intermediate modules being substantially twice the width of the end modules, with the modules, viewed in the longitudinal direction of the mat, being staggered, each module consisting of a plurality of substantially equally spaced-apart hinge plates, each extending over substantially the entire length of the module and each having hinge loops at the two ends thereof, the hinge plates of a module being coupled to each other by means of a rib located between the two ends, the ends of the hinge plates on a longitudinal side of a module being located between the ends of the hinge plates of a module adjacent in the longitudinal direction of the mat, the hinge loops of the two modules being substantially in alignment and coupled to each other by means of a hinge pin extending through the openings of the hinge loops, there being provided means for locking the hinge pin relative to the modules.
Such a conveyor mat, built up of modules, is disclosed in European Patent Document 380201 and is for instance used in the packaging industry, in bottling plants and the like, wherein the mat may have a relatively large width, up to some meters, and is designed as an endless conveyor mat, which at the beginning and the end of a conveying path is guided over sprocket wheels arranged across the width of the conveyor. The modules of which the mats are built up exist in various length dimensions; for instance, a length of 1 inch and of 2 inches is very conventional. For a module having a length of 1 inch, it has already been proposed in the above-mentioned European patent application to drive the module at the connecting rib of the hinge plates, for which purpose the teeth of the sprocket wheels are provided with a slot-shaped opening, in operation meshing with the rib on two sides. For particular applications, it is desirable that mats can be used whose modules have a length which is even slighter than that of the known modules, for instance a length of 0.5 inch. Such very short modules have the advantage that the modules at the end of the mat, where they are passed around a sprocket wheel, are only slightly inclined to raise from the plane of the mat due to the sprocket wheel meshing with the module, the so-called polygon effect. This polygon effect is disadvantageous, because it may cause the articles conveyed over the mat to fall down or at least obtain an unstable position. A further advantage of using very short modules is that the diameter of the sprocket wheels can be very small, which at the transition between two adjacent mats necessitates only a short "dead plate", the plate over which the articles are moved from one mat to the other. It is desired that a short dead plate has, in the conveying path, as few portions as possible that do not actively contribute to the conveyance.
To provide such modules of a slight length with sufficient strength, it is obvious that a minimal material thickness around the hinge loops, a minimal thickness of the rib and a minimal diameter of the hinge pin and hence of the hinge loops are required. It has been found that it is impossible to construct a module having such minimal material thicknesses and at the same time a length of, for instance, 0.5 inch in the same manner as the modules known from European Patent Document 380201, because the free space remaining between the rib of a module and the hinge loop located opposite thereto is too small for the drive tooth of a sprocket wheel to mesh therewith.
It is observed that a person skilled in the relevant field of expertise does not define the length of a module as the length of a single, separate module, but as the distance between the centers of the hinge pins which couple a module to adjacent modules. This is only logical, because for modules coupled with each other this distance determines the characteristics of the mat. In the case of oval hinge loops, this distance may slightly differ from the distance between the centers of the hinge loops of one module.
The object of the invention is to provide a chain mat whose modules are of such configuration that in spite of the very slight length of the modules it is still possible to move the chain mat forward and backward by means of a sprocket wheel.

Conveyor mat built up of synthetic modules and modules for such conveyor mat


A fuel injector of the type in which a valve hole is opened and closed by a valve so as to intermittently inject pressurized fuel from the valve hole includes a distributing adapter fixedly attached to a front end of the valve hole, and an air adapter fixedly attached to a front end of the distributing adapter. The air adapter is formed with a plurality of guide holes directed to a plurality of intake ports of the engine, respectively, and assist air passages each communicating laterally with a corresponding one of the guide holes. The distributing adapter is formed with distributing holes of the same number as the guide holes, each of the distributing holes extending between the valve hole and a corresponding one of the guide holes.

1. Field of the Invention
Recently, in order to obtain higher output of an engine, a plurality of intake ports are provided for each of the cylinders in the engine. For use in such an engine, an injector has been proposed having a plurality of guide holes through which fuel is guided into the respective intake ports.
The present invention relates to a multi-hole injector having a plurality of guide holes, and more specifically to a multi-hole injector with improved atomization and distribution.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An example of an injector having a plurality of guide holes is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,982,716. FIG. 5 shows the construction of the prior art injector. In FIG. 5, the injector includes a valve 126 for opening and closing a valve hole 118, and when the valve 126 is pulled upwardly, the valve hole 118 is opened and fuel Fp is injected from the valve hole 118. An adapter 145 is attached to a front end of the valve hole 118, and has a receiving hole 124 for receiving the injected fuel, the receiving hole 124 being divided downstream in a plurality of guide holes 137 through which the fuel is guided. The guide holes 137 are formed so as to be directed to corresponding intake ports (not shown). Assist air passages 138 are provided through side walls of the guide holes 137 so as to blow assist air into the guide holes 137.
In the injector thus constructed, fuel Fp injected from the valve hole 118 is introduced into the receiving hole 124 and then divided to be fed into the guide holes 137, where the fuel is atomized by assist air blown therein through the assist air passages 138 and is blown out toward the respective intake ports (not shown).
Another example of such a multi-hole injector is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,573. The construction of the injector is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. The injector includes an adapter 145 formed with a receiving hole 124 which is divided downstream in three guide holes 137. The adapter 145 includes an atomization plate 130 disposed between the receiving hole 124 and the guide holes 137. As shown in FIG. 7, the atomization plate 130 includes an impactor 132 against which fuel injected from the valve hole 118 impacts to be atomized and three openings 136 through which the atomized fuel is introduced into the guide holes 137.
In the injector as disclosed in either of the above mentioned U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,982,716 and 5,062,573, the fuel injected from the valve hole 118 is received in the receiving hole 124 and then divided to be introduced into the guide holes 137. If there is any deviation in the positional relationship between the valve hole 118 and the guide holes 137, a larger amount of fuel will flow into one of the guide holes 137, while a smaller amount of fuel will flow into another one. This causes difficulty in achieving good distribution of fuel.

Multi-hole injector with improved atomization and distribution


A glass sheet is suspended from a series of tongs which grip the upper margin of the sheet and apply individual forces at the gripping locations at least some of which have components acting out of the plane of the sheet. The magnitude and direction of each of said forces is selected to ensure that the suspended sheet, when at forming temperature, adapts towards a predetermined curved shape. The sheet may be bent with the forces acting at the gripping points before and/or after bending, and the sheet adopts the required curved shape when it is sufficiently stiffened to be influenced by the remanent forces applied at the gripping points.

This invention relates to the production of curved glass sheets. In particular the invention relates to the production of glass sheets having a curved shape of a vehicle window such as a windscreen or rear window. Such curved sheets may be toughened and used singly as a window, or either toughened or annealed and then used as a component of a laminated window such as a windscreen. Other uses for the curved glass sheets are for architectural purposes for example.
It is customary to cut a flat glass sheet for a vehicle window to a required shape, dictated by the styling of the vehicle in which the window is to be fitted, to smooth the cut edges of the sheet, and then suspend the sheet from a tong bar by means of tongs whose tong points grip the upper margin of the sheet at a series of gripping points which are spaced apart along the upper margin of the sheet. The flat glass sheets are heated and then bent and/or toughened while suspended from the tongs.
When the suspended sheet is bent, usually by closing horizontally moving bending dies on to the sheet, there are problems when the tongs move to follow the change of shape of the upper margin of the sheet. When the bending dies open the tongs which have been displaced are liable to exert forces on the sheet tending to distort its shape.
There is also a tendency for a suspended bent glass to change shape after the dies have opened, mainly due to temperature changes, with the result that after cooling by toughening or annealing, the shape of the sheet has changed from the shape imposed on the sheet by the bending dies. This is allowed for in the design of the shape of the die surfaces which close on to the sheet, in order to ensure that the bent sheet has a required shape when it has cooled to ambient temperature.
United Kingdom Patent Specification No. 473,604 describes a way of suspending a flat glass sheet from a series of tongs. The suspension for some of the tongs may be balanced by means of balance weights so that the tongs exercise an endwise or sideways pull on the flat glass sheet acting in the plane of the glass in order to keep the sheet flat.
An arrangement of tongs for suspending a glass sheet for bending is the subject of United Kingdom Patent Specification No. 1,185,355, in which the tongs are suspended in pairs from horizontal bars which can swivel in such a way that when the bending dies close on to the sheet the horizontal bars rotate about vertical axes to keep the suspension points for the tongs vertically above the top edge of the glass sheet, thereby avoiding horizontal force components exerted on the glass by the tongs during and after bending.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,888,635 describes a process in which bending dies are maintained at the same temperature as the glass temperature to which the glass is heated before bending, and the glass is supported by near-vertical rollers while it is heated and being transported to the bending dies. When the glass has been bent the upper edge of the glass is gripped by tongs so that the bent glass sheet is freely suspended when the dies open. This process produces curved glass sheets, both toughened and annealed, for inclusion in laminated assemblies.
There are problems associated with distortions introduced into the glass due to forces exerted on the glass sheet, particularly when the glass is released from the dies and becomes freely suspended from the series of tongs.
There are other glass bending and toughening plants in operation known as intermittent or multistage die bending plants, in which flat glass sheets are suspended on tongs throughout bending and toughening. The products from such plants are not used for laminating.
The current trend is to use thinner glass sheets in the production of motor-vehicle windows, and thinner glass is more vulnerable to distortion introduced by forces exerted on the glass by the tongs while the glass is still hot and deformable.
It is a main object of the present invention to provide a new method and apparatus for producing a curved glass sheet in which, either throughout the processing of the sheet, or at certain stages of the processing, the sheet is suspended from a series of tongs and the forces acting on the suspended glass sheet constitute a dynamic force system which acts on the sheet in such a way as to tend to change the shape of the sheet towards a desired shape, and/or applies forces to a bent glass sheet in such a way as to assist in maintaining that bent shape during further processing of the sheet, for example toughening or annealing.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method and an apparatus for producing toughened glass sheets and annealed glass sheets on a conventional intermittent die bending plant, the shapes of which sheets are sufficiently precise to enable them to be used on a commercial scale for the production of laminated glass windows.

Producing glass sheets of required curved shape