An apparatus including an interface and a processor. The interface may be configured to receive pixel data generated by a capture device. The processor may be configured to generate video frames in response to the pixel data, perform computer vision operations on the video frames to detect objects, perform a classification of the objects detected based on characteristics of the objects, determine whether the classification of the objects corresponds to a user-defined event and a user-defined identity and generate encoded video frames from the video frames. The encoded video frames may comprise a first sample of the video frames selected at a first rate when the user-defined event is not detected and a second sample of the video frames selected at a second rate while the user-defined event is detected. The video frames comprising the user-defined identity without a second person may be excluded from the encoded video frames.

A timelapse video mode for conventional internet-connected/cloud-enabled cameras is usually implemented by software operated on a cloud server. The software relies on using the resources of distributed processing of the cloud server (i.e., scalable computing). Timelapse video clips are displayed at a fixed frame rate for a fast-forward effect. For example, video frames are selected at fixed intervals to create the timelapse video (i.e., every thirtieth frame is selected from a thirty frames per second video to create the timelapse video).
Internet-connected/cloud-enabled cameras encode video data and then communicate the encoded video streams to the cloud servers. In order to transcode the encoded video streams into a timelapse video, the cloud server has to first decode the encoded video stream. The cloud servers spend lots of CPU cycles to decode the conventional video streams (i.e., compressed video using AVC or HEVC encoding), extract the video frames at fixed frame intervals, then transcode these frames into a timelapse video. Meanwhile, even with a timelapse video, users have difficulty finding important details captured by the internet-connected/cloud-enabled cameras. Since a timelapse video always uses a fixed frame rate that does not use all the video data originally captured by the internet-connected/cloud-enabled, video frames at a normal display speed are not available for the entire duration of time that something of interest to the user is in the original video captured. For example, when a security camera observes a potential event of interest, such as a person on the premises, the timelapse will be the same as when the security camera observes nothing of particular interest.
Conventional internet-connected/cloud-enabled cameras upload full video content to the cloud for easy access from a mobile phone. The video can be preserved for security purposes (i.e., used as evidence) or the cloud service provider might not delete uploaded content. Videos uploaded can remain available indefinitely. The uploaded video content can be a privacy concern. Uploaded video content can include video clips of family members. Uploaded video content can indicate behavioral patterns of people. Even if a user desired to upload the video when it was uploaded, the user might later regret having the video available. The privacy concern can make end-users uncomfortable or the video content could be used by hackers.
It would be desirable to implement a person-of-interest centric timelapse video with AI input on home security camera to protect privacy.

Person-of-interest centric timelapse video with AI input on home security camera to protect privacy


A removable, three quarters length, innersole for an article of footwear, adapted to provide cushioning and/or support to a foot. Said innersole comprises a forward toe portion having a radius edge, a rear heel portion having a radius edge and an intermediate arch cushion portion between said toe and heel portions. The forward toe portion, the rear heel portion and said intermediate arch cushion portion are one-piece. The innersole being resilient. The innersole including a first flat bottom surface, a second upper surface having an intermediate arch portion whose contour is generally convex-shaped and a third concave-shaped surface extending from said bottom surface to said upper surface to define with said upper surface an arched projection extending upwardly from said bottom surface and outwardly at a distance about equal to or greater than the tangent of said toe radius edge and said heel radius edge. The arched projection defining a space beneath said third surface. The innersole permits said projection to resiliently deform into the space defined by said projection upon application of a load to said innersole to provide cushioning and/or support to an arch.

Innersoles, especially those containing arch supports, have been used historically to relieve foot and leg discomfort due to flat or low arches, high arches, over-pronation, over-supination, valgus, varus, and a variety of other conditions. The function of the longitudinal arch is to provide a flexible, shock absorption mechanism for the body while standing, walking, running, etc. When this mechanism is not functioning properly, several disorders can develop.
Pronation is the tendency for the longitundinal arch to depress and roll inward. This action is usually accompanied with a rolling inward and downward of the medial side of the foot and ankle, an outward rotation of the heel and an outswing of the forefoot. Some people with flat or low arches experience excessive pronation, also known as overpronation. Discomfort in the arch of the foot is common in persons with over pronation because excessive repetitive stress is placed on joints and ligaments in the midpart and hind-part of the foot. Leg fatigue and discomfort is also common because there is an overuse of leg muscles which resist the repetitive depression of the arch. In some instances, arch supports are prescribed after bunion surgery because overpronation can lead to a recurrence of bunion deformities. These devices typically help by realigning the foot to achieve a neutral positioning of the bone structures. Some of these devices employ subtle or passive methods of cushioning to achieve a comforting effect while others use rigid or force-fit methods of realigning the foot. Many innersoles require fitting to a shoe size that is larger than the user would typically wear. This indicates that most innersoles are too bulky to provide a comfortable, non-restrictive fit in properly sized shoes when both the foot and the arch support occupy the same space. Others are trimmed to fit the shoe. Other devices are constructed with laminated foams and then thermoformed or compression molded to achieve a contoured effect. Laminated articles have the potential for delaminating over time, with use. These devices typically blend a heel cup with the arch cushion to stabilize the rear foot in addition to supporting the longitudinal arch. Full length shoe inserts, which utilize polyurethane foam molding technology, are shaped similarly to the formed foam devices in that a contoured heel cup and blended arch cushion are predominant structures in the device. Most of these devices employ some type of topcover for visual and performance reasons. They also tend to crowd the foot due to the toe area having a full thickness of cushioning material as well as an over cushioning of the heel which tends to raise the ankle, thereby losing the support of the shoe itself.
By way of example, U.S Pat. No. 4,823,420 discloses a contour molded insole for footwear including an insole blank shaped to include an upwardly concave surface portion which, under pressure, is caused to invert to form a convex surface. U.S. Pat. No. 4,756,096 discloses a custom molded insole for supporting the foot in a ski boot made of a thin, formed blank of semi-rigid, bendable resilient material molded to the contour of the plantar surface/sole of a human foot, wherein the blank extends along the full length and width of the foot. U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,177 discloses a footwear insole member made of a first portion in which the area of the upper surface approximately underlies the area of the longitudinal arch and a second portion the area of the upper surface of which underlies at least about 10% of the medial area of the heel and from 0 to about 50% of the lateral area of the heel. U.S. Pat. No. 4,619,056 discloses an insole with integrally molded ridges to provided enhanced support for the foot in the region of the arch. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,627,178 and 4,694,589 disclose an elastomeric shoe innersole made of a molded, elastomeric polyurethane foam material of low compression set, the heel and arch sections directly bonded in the molding process to a full-sole material composed either of foam or a solid, flexible sheet material. U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,204 discloses a shock absorbing innersole similar to that of U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,589, and also containing a solid, shock-absorbing heel insert. U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,273 discloses a shoe insert for reducing impact to the foot made of a base layer of a relatively resilient material, a foam layer disposed over the base layer and the means for integrally forming the base layer, foam layer and fabric into a sheet tri-laminate. U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,356 discloses a removable insole for shoes, the original profile of which is flat or curved, and which due to different grooves, gradually becomes permanently deformed on contact with the foot and finally adopts the profile thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 4,513,518 discloses an inner sole with a cushioning layer of polyurethane foam, with compression set less than 10%, laminated to a thinner layer of thermoformable polyethylene foam, which serves primarily as a vehicle for shaping the polyurethane. U.S. Pat. No. 4,338,734 discloses a universal orthotic which includes a monolithic shell, which may include a heel post, a navicular flange and a metatarsal raise, all formed monolithically to facilitate its manufacture. U.S. Pat. No. 2,034,563 discloses a longitudinal arch supporting shoe element composed of an inner sole split from its heel end into its ball portion, the split portion includes a relatively thick bottom layer and a thinner top layer. U.S. Pat. No. 2,965,984 discloses an arch supporting insole having a top sheet of plastic film, a thicker sheet of plastic foam beneath the top sheet, a partial bottom sheet of plastic film beneath the foam sheet, a heat seal seam joining all of the sheets and defining the bounding edge of the insole. U.S. Pat. No. 2,803,895 discloses a protective innersole made of a plurality of stacked laminates including a top laminate, a bottom laminate, each of said laminates having a pair of ends and an area substantially coextensive with the sole. U.S. Pat. No. 1,466,386 discloses a foot support adapted to be worn inside a boot or shoe, an insole, an uncovered semi-circular pad of sponge rubber cemented to the underface of the insole at the longitudinal arch, and an attaching strip secured to the pad and insole for holding the pad more firmly in position. Most of these innersoles are too bulky to fit within a normal shoe, causing the foot to be overly restricted within the shoe.
There is a need to provide a thin, removable, non-slip innersole that provides arch support through material resilience and yet has structural resilience to allow for a comfortable fit for both the feet and the innersole in a shoe. There is also a need to provide a three dimensionally contoured, wholly molded innersole which can provide cushioning and/or support and which takes up less space in the shoe than other known innersole and which will allow the foot to move normally within the shoe. It would also be desirable to provide an innersole which is durable, i.e. retains its original shape, resiliency, and remain as one piece. It would also be desirable to provide a lightweight, flexible innersole that can fit most footwear styles, with little or no trimming needed.

Schering-Plough HealthCare Products, Inc.


A solid-state imaging apparatus wherein pixels have same color filter in a same row, and have different color filters in different rows; and a color selecting unit selects and outputs, in an order of colors, the signals held by the plurality of holding units, to meet: y=ax+(b/c−d)x, wherein the pixels are arranged at a pitch “x” in a same row direction, and arranged at a pitch “y” in a same column direction, the “a” is a first coefficient equal to or larger than 1, the “b” is a shift of a charge accumulation period of the pixels in one row from a charge accumulation period of the pixels in a row adjacent to the one row, the “c” is a period of outputting the signals from the selecting unit, the signals generated by the plurality of pixels and the “d” is a second coefficient that is equal to or larger than 0 and equal to or less than 0.15.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solid-state imaging apparatus and an imaging system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, because of cost competition in a copying machine industry, a reader unit which reads out a manuscript is also required to reduce its cost. As a measure for reducing the cost of an image sensor provided in the reader unit, there exists a technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-199710. In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-199710, a plurality of color signals are output sequentially on each color to one common output line, thereby the number of elements such as a selecting switch is reduced, and a chip size is reduced. In addition, a technique is also disclosed which combines the apparatus with a gain-switching function for each of the colors, thereby eliminates a gain-adjusting circuit in a subsequent stage, and achieves the cost reduction in a system level.

Solid-state imaging apparatus and imaging system


A filler device for filling flexible bags including a table, a container gripper assembly, a fill valve and a evacuation facilitating assembly. The table has a top surface configured for receipt of a flexible bag. The container gripper assembly is configured for receipt of a spout of a flexible bag positioned on the table. The fill valve is positionable in fluid communication with the flexible bag. The evacuation facilitating assembly comprises a frame, a leg member and displacing assembly. The frame is spaced apart from the table. The leg member is associated with the frame. The displacing assembly displaces the leg member relative to the frame to, in turn, direct the leg member between a first position wherein the leg member is spaced apart from the table to a second position wherein the flexible bag is sandwiched between the leg member and the table.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to filler devices, and more particularly to a filler device for filling flexible bags wherein the filler device further includes a system for minimizing/evacuating air that would otherwise become trapped within the filled container.
2. Background Art
One inevitable consequence of filling flexible bags is that a residual quantity of air remains trapped in the flexible container when filled. This can be detrimental as the air that remains can be contaminated, or, it may have an undesirable effect on the flowable material contained within the flexible bag.
One method by which to preclude this air from entering or remaining the flexible bag after filling is to utilize a pad positioned below the table which can be raised selectively so as to force the underside of the flexible bag against the bottom of the spout before and after filling. While this solution minimizes the quantity of air that enters into the flexible bag, such mechanisms are relatively complicated. Moreover, these devices must be positioned below the table, thereby limiting the use of different table structures (such as bomb-bay tables and the like).
Another solution comprises the tilting of the table upon which the flexible bag is positioned. Such a solution likewise limits the entry of air into the flexible bag after filling. However, this solution may be disruptive to the flexible container. Moreover, the use of a tilting table is relatively complicated and is likewise difficult to implement in a number of filler device applications.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to minimize air that inadvertently enters a flexible bag during filling thereof.
It is another object of the present invention to provide for a filler device which effectively limits the introduction of air during the filling of a flexible bag.
It is another object of the present invention to provide for a filler device that effectively limits the introduction of air during the filling of a flexible bag while facilitating the use of a number of differently configured tables.
These objects as well as other objects of the present invention will become apparent in light of the present specification, claims, and drawings.


A thin film piezoelectric actuator comprises a driving part at least one end of which is supported by an anchor portion. The driving part includes: a piezoelectric film, a first lower electrode provided under a first region of the piezoelectric film, a second lower electrode provided under a second region different from the first region of the piezoelectric film, a first upper electrode provided opposite to the first lower electrode on the piezoelectric film, a second upper electrode provided opposite to the second lower electrode on the piezoelectric film, a first connection part that electrically connects the first lower electrode and the second upper electrode via a first via hole formed in the piezoelectric film, and a second connection part that electrically connects the second lower electrode and the first upper electrode via a second via hole formed in the piezoelectric film.

The present invention relates to a thin film piezoelectric actuator and more particularly to a thin film piezoelectric actuator which can be favorably applied to a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS), can be easily controlled, and uses a piezoelectric thin film driven at a low voltage over a wide range.
In a microswitch or a variable capacitor by a conventional MEMS art, electrostatic force is mainly used as driving force. The MEMS actuator using the electrostatic force has an advantage that a very simple operation mechanism only applying a driving voltage to a pair of electrodes across a space is preferably used (for example, "Smart Structure and Materials 2002: Smart Electronics, MEMS and Nanotechnology", V. K. Varadan, Editor, Proceedings of SPIE Vol. 4700 (2002), pp. 40-49).
On the other hand, from the nature that electrostatic force is inversely proportional to the square of a distance, when the spacing is up to about ⅔ of the initial spacing where the relation of the applied voltage and the movement distance of electrons is non-linear, a phenomenon called "pull-in" that the spacing is discontinuously closed is generated. Therefore, the driving range is narrow and to drive at a distance of longer than 1 μm, a driving voltage of higher than 20 V is generally necessary. At present, from the problem that the driving voltage is high, it is not easily applied to general consumer appliances.
In the conventional piezoelectric actuator, as piezoelectric ceramics, a PZT series (lead zirconate titanate) material having a very high piezoelectric property can be used, so that piezoelectric actuators in various shapes can be produced. However, to produce a highly efficient piezoelectric thin film of PZT series by the thin film art, problem arise that in a lead series material, the melting point thereof is low and the vapor pressure thereof is high, and the composition control in the film deposition process is difficult, and the lead series material cannot be used in a general semiconductor manufacturing line.
Therefore, the inventors of the present invention variously examined piezoelectric thin films which can be produced by the thin film deposition method and found that a film of aluminum nitride (AlN) or zinc oxide (ZnO) orientated in the c-axis having a wurtzite crystal structure is suitable. However, AlN and ZnO, compared with the aforementioned PZT family, have very low piezoelectric properties such as less than 1/10. Therefore, when preparing a piezoelectric actuator structure, to increase the displacement amount, it is necessary to thin and lengthen the actuator, that is, increase the aspect ratio. When a thin film having a structure of such a high aspect ratio is prepared, the cantilever beam structure often used in a piezoelectric actuator using piezoelectric ceramics is unstable structurally. Therefore, a double-clamped beam structure is more suitable.
FIG. 42 is a schematic view showing the sectional structure of a thin film piezoelectric actuator having the double-clamped beam structure examined by the inventors in the process of the present invention. The actuator includes a driving part 605 composed of a piezoelectric body 604 which is in contact with anchors 601 on both sides and is held by two sets of upper and lower electrodes 602 and 603 and a support film 606 forming a bimorph structure. In this concrete example, the device is applied to a capacitive microswitch and at a central part 607 held by the two driving parts 606, switching electrode contacts 608 and 609 are provided.
The operation of the thin film piezoelectric actuator having a double-clamped beam structure is displayed in FIG. 43. The actuator applies a driving voltage to the two driving parts 605 prepared on both sides in the same direction, deforms them in a convex shape, and drive them. At this time, the central part 607 is inversely deformed in a concave shape and the switching electrode makes contact with it to set a switch ON state. At this time, in order to deform the central part 607, an excessive driving voltage is needed to be applied (first problem).
When the thin film piezoelectric actuator having the double-clamped beam structure is applied to a variable capacitor, at the central part 607, a first electrode of the variable capacitor and a second electrode opposite to it are provided. Also in a case of the variable capacitor, similarly to the capacitive microswitch, the thin film piezoelectric actuator is operated as shown in FIG. 43 and changes the spacing between the capacitor electrodes and changes the capacity. However, in a case of the variable capacitor, the central part is bent, so that it is difficult to vertically move the substrate and flat electrodes in a state that they are kept parallel with each other (second problem).
As explained above, in the conventional MEMS actuator, a problem arises that in the applied device, the driving voltage is high and the operation is not linear, and in the device designed to solve the problem, another structural problem is imposed.


The wheel side of a drive axle with wheel member steering having a drop center rim, preferably made of steel, is provided on the wheel hub and is combined with a disc brake, which is axially inwardly offset relative to the wheel plane and which preferably has compressed an actuation. The necessary space for the disc brake arrangement is guaranteed by the sufficiently low diameter of the wheel hub in the region of the brake disc and by a comparatively large axial space for the brake system, which is created by an axially narrow design of the wheel hub transmission and a by a new design of the steering knuckle bearing and of the pertaining axle guard.

Field of the Invention
The invention relates to steerable wheel sides of a drive axle for heavy crane vehicles or the like, having a knuckle support which is arranged in a steerable manner at an axle guard of a middle axle section and which has a knuckle axially passed through by a drive shaft part, at which a wheel hub and/or a hub carrier having a wheel hub gear is rotatably supported, with the wheel hub gear being drive-connected to the drive shaft part at an input side.
Description of the Prior Art
Axles which are configured as drive axles and which have Ackermann steering for heavy freight vehicles and/or special-purpose vehicles regularly have steerable wheel sides of the initially named kind.
Such axles are inter alia used for heavy vehicles, for example for crane vehicles, usually with 25 inch tires. In this respect, multi-part rims have so far been required its order to be able to mount the tires typical of such vehicles, on the one hand, and to be able to provide sufficient construction space for the brake system, on the other hand. Since the axle loads which are permissible in road traffic are limited, powertrains, with a small weight are generally aimed for. Having regard to weight-critical cases of application, expensive, dismantlable aluminum rims are customary in this connection. This is where the invention comes in, in that it is proposed not to replace the customary multi-part steel rims with multi-part aluminum rims in case of weight problems, but rather with integrally formed drop center rims which can also be composed of steel in cases that are weight-critical. In addition to a substantial cost advantage, such rims provide the advantage of a particularly high robustness which is desirable above all in rough conditions of use.
However, the use of drop center steel rims has previously failed in that the spatial conditions at a drive axle having Ackermann steering does not permit the use of disk brakes (preferably actuated by compressed air). This is because in contrast to the multi-part dismantlable rims which can have a very flat rim base due to their dismantling capability, a sufficient accommodation space for disk brakes dimensioned in accordance with the conditions of use of the respective vehicles is not available radially within the drop center steel rims, with the additional difficulty that the customary 25 inch tires require a particularly deep drop center for their mounting.


A DC-link charging arrangement is described having a DC-link capacitor, rectifier means, and contactor means arranged between supply voltage ports and the rectifier means and having at least one contactor. Such a charging arrangement should enable charging of a DC-link capacitor in a simple way with low losses. To this end a charging capacitor is arranged bridging the at least one contactor.

A DC-link is used to smooth a voltage produced by the rectifier means. In other words, a DC-link capacitor is used to maintain a voltage which is as constant as possible.
When the DC-link capacitor is uncharged, there is no charge in the capacitor to produce the voltage. In other words, the voltage over the DC-link capacitor is zero or almost zero. If the DC-link would be directly connected to the grid, this would cause a large current which would overload the remaining components.
It is therefore known to limit the charging current by means of charging resistors. However, the resistor charging has very poor efficiency. A large amount of the charging energy is dissipated as heat in the charging resistor.

DC-link charging arrangement and method for charging a DC-link capacitor


A mop cleaning device with an adjustable cleaning tub includes a water wiper, a big container, a small container, and a lifting mechanism arranged between the big container and the small container. The small container is able to rise and fall with respect to the big container by means of the lifting mechanism. When the small container is located at a low position, the water level in the big container is higher than water inlets of the small container. When the small container is located at a high position, the water level in the big container is lower than the water inlets of the small container. The water wiper is arranged in the big container and/or the small container.

Chinese Invention Patent Publication No. CN107456180A discloses a squeezing-type flat mop cleaning tool, which comprises a mop tub and a flat mop, wherein the flat mop comprises a mop rod and a flat mop head movably connected to the mop rod, and a wiper is arranged on the flat mop head; the mop tub has a separated water squeezing area and a separated cleaning area, and the water squeezing area and the cleaning area are respectively located at two different positions; an open squeezing device is mounted on the mop tub; during cleaning and water squeezing, the flat mop head can be rotated to be in a cleaning and water-squeezing state and is maintained in the cleaning and water-squeezing state by means of a positioning device between the flat mop head and the mop rod; and during moping, the flat mop head gets rid of control of the positioning device to be rotated to be in a mopping state.
When the squeezing-type flat mop cleaning device in the abovementioned technical solution is used to clean the mop, the mop needs to be transferred from the cleaning area to the water squeezing area, and in this process, water may splash out, thus causing secondary pollution to the floor.

Mop cleaning device with cleaning tub capable of rising and falling

JIAXING JACKSON TRAVEL PRODUCTS CO., LTD.


A printer comprising a cover, and a stacker that is attached to the cover, the stacker being supported pivotably about a pivot axis on the cover between a protruding position where the stacker receives paper discharged from the printer, and a retracted position rotated a predetermined angle from the protruding position.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a printer that has an operable cover that, for example, opens and closes to access a storage compartment for storing printing paper, and relates more particularly to a printer having disposed on this cover a stacker for accumulating printing paper discharged from inside the printer.
2. Description of Related Art
With printers that print to continuous paper such as roll paper, a cover (a "roll paper cover" below) on the printer body that opens and closes is set to the position where the roll paper storage compartment is open so that the roll paper can be easily loaded or replaced. Japanese Unexamined Patent Appl. Pub. JP-A-2001-213552 teaches a printer that has an opening at the front of the printer body and a roll paper cover that closes this opening, and enables loading or replacing roll paper by lowering the roll paper cover forward to open the roll paper storage compartment to the outside.
The printer taught in JP-A-2001-213552 has a paper discharge table at the top end side of the roll paper cover. Support members for the discharge table extend inside the printer body from the paper exit above the roll paper cover, and are disposed to rotate freely on a support shaft that extends widthwise between the sides of the printer from the end sides of the platen inside the printer body. Because the roll paper cover is linked to the platen by a bracket, if the paper discharge table is pulled forward, the platen moves forward and up, and the roll paper cover located in front of the platen swings down.
In the printer taught in JP-A-2001-213552, the paper exit and a discharge table onto which the printed paper is discharged are positioned above the roll paper cover. However, because the support member for the discharge table extends from the platen side, and a protective plate, for example, that engages the top end part of the roll paper cover is disposed on the bottom of the discharge table, the construction of the discharge table and the support structure is complicated.
Printers that have a discharge tray or stacker attached directly to the front of the roll paper cover in order to catch paper that drops from the paper exit above the roll paper cover are also known. When the roll paper cover is opened forward on a printer of this construction, however, the discharge tray or stacker contacts and catches the surface between the roll paper cover and the printer (the surface extending from the surface on which the bottom of the printer rests to the front of the printer), thus preventing the roll paper cover from opening completely. As a result, the discharge tray or stacker must be removed every time the roll paper cover is opened, thus complicating replacing or loading the roll paper.
Printers that have a window formed in the roll paper cover for checking how much roll paper is left are also known, but if the discharge tray or stacker is installed to the front of the roll paper cover, this window becomes blocked and how much paper is left therefore cannot be confirmed.


This particulate filter 200 has a columnar ceramic honeycomb structure 201 including first flow channels 210 and second flow channels 220. Adjacently to each of the first flow channels 210, the second flow channel 220 and the other first flow channel 210 are arranged through a partition wall portion forming each of the first flow channels 210. A sum total of areas of the inner faces of the first flow channels 210 per apparent unit volume of the ceramic honeycomb structure 201 is 1.5 to 2.5 m2/L; a number density of a total of the first flow channels 210 and the second flow channels 220 is 150 to 350 per unit square inch in a cross section perpendicular to an axis of the ceramic honeycomb structure 201; and a hydraulic diameter of each of the first flow channels 210 is 0.5 to 1.0 mm.

A particulate filter such as a diesel particulate filter is used as a ceramic filter for removing a substance to be collected from a fluid containing the substance to be collected, and is used, for instance, as an exhaust gas filter for purifying an exhaust gas which is exhausted from an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine and a gasoline engine. Such a particulate filter has a large number of inlet-side flow channels and outlet-side flow channels, which are partitioned from each other by a porous partition wall and are parallel to each other (for instance, see following Patent Literature 1).


The invention relates to a setting gauge (21) for setting a depth stop (6) on a handpiece (1), which has a connection device (3) for the releasable connection of a pin-shaped tool (4) with the handpiece (1), in particular for setting a depth stop (6) on a handpiece (1) for a working of a root canal (W2) in a tooth (Z). So that the setting of the depth stop can be effected more simply and with little manual effort, the setting gauge (21) has a connection element for connecting and positioning the setting gauge (21) on the handpiece (1) and at least one scale (27a, 27b, 27c) on the setting gauge body (22) which, in the position of the setting gauge (21) connected with the handpiece (1), extends parallel to the depth stop (6) and its setting path.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a setting gauge for setting a depth stop on a handpiece for medical purposes, in particular a handpiece for treating a root canal in a tooth.
2. Description of the Related Art
An above-mentioned handpiece serves, with a tool at its forward end that is effective to remove material, to produce or to prepare drilled holes or cavities in a body, whereby the body may be a part of a human or animal body, or a model for the human or animal body. In the first mentioned case, the handpiece is a medical or dental handpiece. In the second case, there is involved a handpiece for a medical, in particular dental, laboratory in which models or prostheses for parts for a human or animal body, e.g. dental prostheses, are produced.
In many treatment procedures with a handpiece of the present kind, it is of significance that a particular depth of a drilled hole or a cavity is not exceeded, in order e.g. not to penetrate through the wall of the body containing the drilled hole or the cavity. The present problem is of significance in particular in the preparation of root canals in teeth. On the one hand it is possible that a root canal is very strongly curved; that is, that an associated root canal tool does not follow the curvature and therefore requires a restriction of the working depth, so that the root canal tool does not penetrate through the wall of the root canal. A comparable problematic situation arises in the preparation of a conventional root canal which is to be worked with an associated root canal tool up to the so-called apex, whereby however the root canal tool should not be pushed in beyond the apex, since on the one hand this is painful for the patient and on the other hand adversely affects the jaw.
With a known procedure, the depth of the cavity of the drilled hole, or of the root canal, is determined e.g. with the aid of an X-ray image, and a depth stop arranged on the handpiece is so set that it bears against the body to be worked when the tool has reached its maximum working in depth. For the purpose of setting the depth stop on the handpiece there have already been developed setting gauges of various configurations. In accordance with one proposal, the setting gauge is formed by means of a rod-shaped measurement or setting body, on the peripheral surface of which there is provided an axially extending scale. With this setting gauge, a depth stop on the handpiece can be set or checked, in the presence of the tool mounted in the handpiece, in that the setting gauge with its stop surface is manually so applied in the axial direction of the tool or of the scale to the depth stop of the handpiece, and thereby manually held, that the tool extends parallel to the scale, so that its length can be read by means of the comparison of the tool tip with the measuring rod, and can be set by means of an alteration of the depth stop. In the employment of this setting gauge, handling is difficult because both the handpiece and the setting gauge are to be manually held and moved with respect to one another, which is not simple, whereby furthermore a manual alteration of the depth stop is to be effected, which even with the use of two hands of the operating person is difficult.
The object of the invention is to so configure a setting gauge of the kind concerned that a checking or setting of the depth stop can be effected with slight manual effort and more simply.
This object is achieved, according to one aspect of the invention, by means of a handpiece in which a driven end of a tool can be releasably attached so as to extend along an axis to a working end thereof, a stop device mounted on the handpiece for adjustable movement in a direction parallel to the axis and a setting gauge configured to bear against a reference surface on the handpiece and to be removable therefrom and having measures arranged thereon to indicate the position of the stop device along the axis.
According to other aspects, the invention involves a novel setting gauge for setting a moveable depth stop on a handpiece which has a connection device for the releasable connection of a pin-shaped tool for working of a root canal in a tooth, wherein the tool extends in the direction of movement of the depth stop. This novel setting gauge comprises a surface which is bearable against a corresponding surface of the handpiece, a mounting means for mounting the setting gauge on the handpiece to extend parallel to the depth stop, with the bearing surface bearing against a corresponding surface of the handpiece, and at least one scale having markings which represent increasing values in a direction toward s an end of the gauge which corresponds to the handpiece when the gauge is mounted thereon. In one of these other aspects the scale values correspond to the length of the tool which project beyond the depth stop. In another of these other aspects, further scales are provided which have markings corresponding to the lengths of other tools which project beyond the depth stop, those other tools being of different lengths. Advantageous further developments of the invention are described and claimed herein.
The setting gauge in accordance with the invention according to a particular aspect of the invention has a connection element for connecting and positioning the setting gauge on the handpiece in its functional disposition, in which the depth stop can be set on the scale. By this means, the setting gauge can be held on the handpiece so that no special manual grasping and holding of the setting gauge is needed; it can be held together with the handpiece in one hand or can be used in a disposition with the handpiece laid on a supporting surface. Further, in the disposition mounted on the handpiece, the scale on the base body is located in the vicinity of the depth stop, so that this can e.g. be set or pushed out or pushed in, in simple manner with sufficient exactitude.
The configuration according to the invention in accordance with a further aspect of the invention makes possible a setting of the penetration depth of the tool without consideration of the position of the tool or a tip, whereby the depth stop can be set directly on the scale. It is thus not necessary to connect the tool with the handpiece before the setting of the depth. The tool can also be connected with the handpiece after the setting of the depth. By this means, the setting gauge can be positioned on the handpiece more simply and more readily, whereby sufficient space for the setting gauge is also present since the space that the tool would occupy in the vicinity of the depth stop can be taken up by the setting gauge. By these means, a substantial simplification of the manipulation and setting of the depth stop is attained.
Within the scope of the invention it is possible, for determining the scale value which is to be set, to employ an assisting tool with which at least a part of the depth of the cavity to be worked, or of the root canal to be worked, can be measured and transferred to the scale. Thereby, the entire depth does not need to be measured; rather, it is also possible that only a part of the depth is measured, whereby the remaining depth can be determined in another manner, e.g. by means of an X-ray image. These steps lead to the advantage that depths which develop in a curved manner, as is often the case with a root canal, can be more exactly determined.
With both configurations in accordance with the invention it is advantageous to arrange on the base body of the setting gauge a plurality of scales neighbouring one another, which are each associated with a particular tool length. Thereby, the setting of the depth stop is to be carried out on the scale which corresponds to the length of the tool located in the handpiece. In each case the scales are correspondingly positioned and distributed on the base body.
The setting and reading of the scale or scales is simple and reliable, in particular if the at least one scale is formed as a measure and is in particular provided with numbering, whereby the scale may have mm divisions formed by marks, at steps of 1 or 1.5 mm.
In its more specific aspects, the invention leads to simple and economically manufacturable configurations of compact construction, which can be manually handled simply and further improve the visual observation and the handling and holding of the setting gauge on the handpiece.

Setting gauge for setting a depth stop on a handpiece for medical purposes


In a communication device having a transmission device connected to first and second transmission paths, and an exchange connected to the transmission device, the transmission device includes a codec and a switching part. When a speech signal received from the first transmission path terminates at a terminal accommodated in the exchange, the speech signal having a low bit rate is converted, by the codec, into a bit rate which can be processed by the exchange, and then sent to the exchange. Meanwhile, when the speech signal received from the first transmission path is relayed to the second transmission path, the speech signal having the low bit rate is sent to the second transmission path via the switching part without passing it through the codec while the bit rate of the speech signal is maintained.

Recently, there has been in practical use a communication system which sends to a high-bit-rate digital line a signal obtained by compressing and multiplexing speech signals. Conventionally, speech signals are multiplexed at a bit rate of 64 Kbps, and a multiplexed signal thus obtained is sent to a high-bit-rate digital line. Further, recently there has also been provided a system in which speech signals have been multiplexed at a bit rate of 32 Kbps.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional communication system having a function of compressing and multiplexing speech signals in order to send these signals to a high-bit-rate digital line. The communication system shown in FIG. 1 functions as a WAN (Wide Area Network), and comprises exchanges 10A, 10B and 10C, such as PBXs (Private Branch Exchanges), transmission devices 20A, 20B and 20C, and transmission paths L1 and L2 which are high-bit-rate digital lines. The transmission path L1 connects the transmission devices 20A and 20B to each other, and the transmission line L2 connects the transmission devices 20B and 20C to each other.
Each of the exchanges 10A, 10B and 10C accommodates terminals T1, T2 and T3, such as telephone sets, and terminals other than telephone sets, such as data terminals and facsimile machines A circuit of a communication path system of each of the exchanges 10A, 10B and 10C switches 64 Kbps signals. Hence, each of the exchanges 10A, 10B and 10C has a PCM (Pulse Code Modlation) converter which converts analog signals from the terminals T1, T2 and T3 into a PCM speech signal having a bit rate of 64 Kbps and executes the reverse operation. It may be possible to provide the above PCM converter for each analog terminal.
The transmission device 20A connected to the exchange 10A comprises a compressor 21, an expander 22 and a multiplexing circuit 23. The compressor 21 converts the 64 Kbps PCM speech signal into an ADPCM (Adaptive Differential Pulse Code Modulation) signal having a bit rate of 32 Kbps. As shown, the compressor 21 is comprised of an adaptive quantizer 21a, a predictor 21b and a difference device 21c. Generally, a plurality of compressors 21 are provided. The multiplexing circuit 23 multiplexes the 32 Kbps ADPCM signals with other digital signals (image signals and data signals), and sends a multiplexed signal to the transmission path L1. Further, the multiplexing circuit 23 separates a plurality of digital signals from a multiplexed signal received from the transmission line L1. The expander 22 demodulates the received 32 Kbps ADPCM signal to generate a 64 Kbps PCM speech signal. The demodulated PCM speech signal is sent to the exchange 10A. The compressor 21 and the expander 22 form a speech codec. The transmission device 20C and the exchange 10C connected thereto are respectively configured in the same manner as the above transmission device 20A and the exchange 10A.
The transmission device 20B comprises a multiplexing circuit 24 connected to the transmission line L1, and a speech codec 25 connected thereto. Further, the transmission device 20B comprises a multiplexing circuit 27 connected to the transmission line L2, and a speech codec 26 connected thereto. Each of the speech codecs 25 and 26 has the functions of both the compressor 21 and the expander 22.
It will now be assumed that the terminal T1 accommodated in the exchange 10A generates a call requesting to communicate with the terminal accommodated in the exchange 10B, a speech signal from the terminal T1 being converted into a 64 Kbps PCM speech signal in the exchange 10A, which is then converted into a 32 Kbps ADPCM speech signal by the compressor 21 of the transmission device 20A. The ADPCM signal is multiplexed with other signals, and then sent to the transmission path L1. The multiplexing device of the transmission device 20B demultiplexes the received multiplexed signal to generate separate signals. The codec 25 converts the 32 Kbps ADPCM signal into the 64 Kbps PCM speech signal. The exchange 10B discriminates a dial signal in a control channel received via the multiplexing device 24, and recognizes that the call from the terminal T1 should terminate at the terminal T2. The exchange 10B specifies a channel coupling the terminals T1 and T2 to each other, and then they become connected to each other.
In a case where the terminal T1 calls the terminal T3 accommodated in the exchange 10C, the exchange 10B analyzes a dial signal from the terminal T1 and recognizes that the call should be sent to the exchange 10C. In this case, the exchange 10C sets a channel connecting the transmission paths L1 and L2 to each other. A signal received from the transmission path L1 via the multiplexing circuit 24 and the speech codec 25 is sent to the transmission path L2 via the exchange 10B, the speech codec 26 and the multiplexing circuit 27. During this time, the 64 Kbps PCM speech signal from the exchange 10B is converted into the 32 Kbps ADPCM signal by the speech codec 26. Then, the speech signal from the terminal T1 is supplied to the terminal via the transmission device 20C and the exchange 10C. A speech signal from the terminal T3 is transmitted to the terminal T1 in a route the reverse of the above route
As described above, in the communication system, the compression and expansion processes are repeatedly carried out. The above bit-rate conversion (64 Kbps.fwdarw.32 Kbps) does not cause a deterioration of speech in terms of the principle. The compression and expansion process using the ADPCM is particularly called transcoding. That is, on the transmission side, the next sampling value is predicted from a sampling value, and only the difference between the predicted value and the real value is quantized and transmitted. On the receiving side, a predicted value is added to the transmitted residual signal to reproduce the real value. On the transmission side, the quantizing step is changed so that the difference between the predicted value and the real value becomes smaller. By using the above transcoding technique, the quality of the 32 Kbps speech signal on the transmission path L1 is theoretically the same as that of the 32 Kbps speech signal on the transmission path L2 even when the above compression and expansion processes are repeatedly carried out. As a result, there is no deterioration of speech even when the speech signal is repeatedly relayed and transmitted.
However, a problem will occur when the transmission paths L1 and L2 transmit further compressed signals, such as 16 Kbps or 8 Kbps signals. Generally, in a speech signal up to a low bit rate lower than or equal to 16 Kbps, it is very difficult to apply the transcoding technique used in the 32 Kbps ADPCM. That is, the quality of speech will greatly deteriorate if the low-bit-rate signals having a bit rate lower than or equal to 16 Kbps are processed by the transcoding technique.
In a conventional technique, a process shown in FIG. 2 is used in order to transmit the speech signal at a low bit rate lower than or equal to 16 Kbps. In the transmission device 20B, surplus bits (dummy bits) amounting to 48 Kbps (56 Kbps) are added to the 16 Kbps (8 Kbps) speech signal received from the transmission path L1, so that a 64 Kbps signal is generated a shown in FIG. 2). The 64 Kbps signal containing the dummy bits is switched via a time switch TS without being changed, and sent to the transmission device 20B b in FIG. 2). The transmission device 20B removes the dummy bits from the received 64 Kbps signal and reproduces the 16 Kbps (8 Kbps) speech signal. When the 16 Kbps (8 Kbps) signal should be only switched for relay, it is sent to an objective path (transmission path L2 in this case) c in FIG. 2). On the other hand, when the 16 Kbps (8 Kbps) signal is a call requested to terminate at the terminal T2, the 16 Kbps (8 Kbps) speech signal is output to the speech codec having the 16 Kbps.fwdarw.64 Kbps conversion function in the transmission device 20B (c in FIG. 2). The codec converts only the 16 Kbps speech signal into a 64 Kbps speech signal, and outputs the 64 Kbps speech signal to a line switch LS in the exchange 10B (d in FIG. 2). The line switch LS outputs the 64 Kbps speech signal to the terminal T2.
However, the structure shown in FIG. 2 has a disadvantage in that the efficiency of processing is poor and it takes a long time to process the signals because irrespective of whether or not each call should be relayed to the transmission path L2 or terminate at a terminal accommodated in the exchange 10B, the dummy bits are added to all input speech signals and removed there from and thereafter the 16 Kbps (8 Kbps) speech signals are converted into the 64 Kbps signals which can be processed by the exchange 10B.

Communication device having relaying and switching function


A hard disk drive, having a removable hard disk stack or assembly in which one or more hard disks are bonded by a compliant bonding agent to a circular hub. Bonding of the hard disk(s) to the hub is the sole support of the hard disks. The circular hub has a center section which is secured by screw threaded attachment to a rotatable member of a motor for rotation at constant speed. The hub center section is of sufficient strength not to deflect in the presence of securing forces. The integrated hard disk(s) and hub provide a hard disk assembly or hard disk stack which, when the hub is attached to the rotatable member, functions as a fixed hard disk assembly providing a fixed, hard disk drive function, while affording ease of removal of the integrated, hard disk assembly for replacement or repair. The hard disk assembly is ideally suited for application in small form factor hard disk drives, less than the 31/2 inch form factor, for example, in the one to two inch form factor range.

Conventional fixed, hard memory disk stacks employ clamping arrangements in which one or more hard disks are clamped between a flange at one end of a disk bearing hub and a clamp attached as by screws, to the other end of the disk bearing hub. Such an arrangement, referenced as prior art, appears in FIG. 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,945,432, to Matsudaira et al in which the disks are concentrically disposed of the axis of rotation of a disk bearing hub and are axially spaced by spacer rings in a stack between a bottom flange on the hub and a top clamp which is attached to the hub. The application of clamping forces to the top disk of the disk stack, or to a single disk, in the case where only one disk is used, often distorts the plane of the disk(s), resulting in axial displacement of portions of the disk surface which curves the disk surface in a circumferential direction. Clamping forces on the disk also cause disk runout, i.e., radial displacement from concentricity. In a fixed, hard disk stack structure of multiple disks, such disk clamping frequently causes relative circumferential displacement among the disks.
In prior art hard disk stacks of the type described, stresses from mechanical shock and stresses from thermal cycling are also frequent causes of disk displacement relative to the hub and to one another. Stresses at joints between the engaged faces of the disks and hub and the disks and spacer rings, resulting from either mechanical shock or differing thermal dimensional responses, result in slip at the interfaces causing unacceptable misregistration.
While such fixed hard disk stack assemblies have found extensive use in disk drives where, for the storage density, the described displacements were within acceptable limits, they are not usable in smaller drives, or, more generally, in any disk drive of higher track and bit densities, in which misregistration tolerances are less than the described displacements.
The invention described in the patent to Matsudaira et al employs a compliant adhesive or compliant washers or O rings in conjunction with metal spacers for the purpose of mounting glass or ceramic disks in a disk stack. The purpose being to provide an axially yielding, variable disk clamping dimension between the ends of the disk bearing hub, to provide axial compliance in a degree to avoid breaking or loosening of the fragile disks in the presence of varying environmental temperatures. The prior art disk clamping structure for clamping the disk stack between a flange at one end of the disk bearing hub and a clamp at the other end, while also employed by Matsudaira et al to integrate the disk stack and the hub, does not fracture the disks as the clamping dimension changes with changes in temperature, since the compliant washers, O-rings, or adhesive, or combinations thereof, are stated to compress or expand in the degree required to hold disk clamping pressures within acceptable functional limits.
The thrust of the Matsudaira et al disclosure resides in the provision of disk stack structures which have axial compliance. This assembly poses problems, however, since the disk stack, i.e., disks and spacer rings must be unclamped from the hub to be removed for repairs or replacement. This destroys the structural integrity of the memory disk structure. Thus Matsudaira et al, present no teaching of a disk stack structure in which there is no clamping pressure or force on the disks when installed.
Further, in the teaching of Matsudaira et al, there is no thought given to the use of an adhesive as the sole means for attaching the disks to a rotatable body to form an integrated memory disk structure, or of providing such a disk stack structure which is detachable as an assembled unit from a disk spindle or bearing housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,062 to Joseph A. Wood et al, like Matsudaira et al, employs an adhesive in a disk stack assembly but for a different purpose. Wood et al are concerned with reapplying of the disk surface under clamping pressure and for this reason employs a flowable filler material, preferably an adhesive, which "reduces any differences in the surface topography of the disk and the accompanying clamping-related parts." The adhesive is applied to a spacer ring which spaces the disks on the hub and are stacked on the hub with the spacer therebetween after which clamping pressure is applied by a clamp ring. Here again there is no teaching presented of a disk stack structure in which there is no clamping pressure or force on the disks when installed.
In rigid or hard disk drives in which the disk assembly is provided as a disk cartridge, the cartridge may be inserted and removed from the drive. Such disk cartridge structures, whether employing single or multiple disks, while affording ease of insertion and removal of the disks, lack the overall structural integrity of a fixed hard disk drive and are not functionally adaptable to small form factor disk drives, such as those smaller than the 31/2 inch form factor.
Flexible disks, also known as floppy disks, are provided in protective covers or jackets and are commercially available in single disk packages. Typical structures are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,704,181 (Kubo), U.S. Pat. No. 4,670,803 (DeMoss et al), U.S. Pat. No. 4,794,480 (Jones et al) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,562,505 (Mroz). These are insertable and removable floppy disk structures which function as data storage units in computers and data processors. The jackets have openings for admitting at least a drive spindle to the disk and a read/write head. The undesirable wear of the disks where they are engaged by the spindle, is noted by the patentee Mroz together with prior art attempts to avoid such wear, describing the use of adhesives to attach reinforcing members, mechanical clamps for attaching reinforcing members and the use of microscopic spot welding for reinforcements.
The shortcomings of such prior art approaches are noted. Such shortcomings are said to be overcome by the patented arrangement of Mroz, in which a plastic disk is positioned concentrically between a metallic hub and a metallic ring. The hub and the ring are joined by laser welds which extend between the hub and the rings through the disk.
In all instances such reinforcements are independent of reinforcements on other disks. There is no integration of disks in a disk stack in these assemblies.

Fixed hard disk drive having a removable integrated disc stack structure


Disclosed are a system and method for controlling a water supply system having at least one pump and at least one storage facility. Also disclosed are a system and method of establishing a pumping schedule for a water supply system having at least one pump and at least one storage facility. The systems and methods are adapted to minimize the economic cost associated with operating the pump(s) of the water supply system. Another aspect of the systems and methods includes meeting operational constraints of the water supply system.

In a municipal or privately operated water system, one or more pumps may be used to move water into or out of one or more storage facilities, such as a container, an elevated tank (e.g., a water tower) or reservoir. The conventional approach to operating the system is to run at least one of the pumps when an amount of water in any one of the storage facilities reaches or drops below a predetermined threshold. The conventional approach is relatively inefficient and can lead to excessive economic operating costs for the water system.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an enhanced system and method for managing a utility, such as a water system.


A lash for a spa having a lid, wherein the lash includes an elongate flexible member having opposite first and second ends and at least two layers of webbing having a flexible metal cable interleaved between the layers of webbing. A releasably lockable latch is mounted or mountable on the first end of the flexible member for locking the first end of the flexible member to a corresponding first exterior wall of the spa. An anchor is mounted or mountable on the second end of the flexile member for irremovably anchoring the second end of the flexible member to a second exterior wall of the spa, opposite the first exterior wall of the spa.

A quick survey of spas and hot tubs will show that they typically are not well secured from unintentional use. Some spa covers have straps with quick release cargo snaps, or in some cases a simple plastic lock, which is easily defeated.
More than 4,400 people drowned in the United States in 1998. Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children ages 14 and under, and the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 1 to 4. Most drownings occur in residential swimming pools and hot tubs. There has been significant publicity on securing swimming pools from unintentional use by children, but very little focus on securing hot tubs.
A 26-year survey of drownings in hot tubs, spas, and whirlpools in California 1960-85 suggests a person- and site-specific profile. The identified 74 deaths occurred mostly in White children, under two years of age, in Southern California, during the late afternoons, from May through August. From 1967 to 1985, the drowning rate increased tenfold. The deaths were associated with access to the water, lack of supervision, neuromotor handicaps, and entrapment by suction. Educational and environmental control efforts are required to reduce the incidence. Reference: Shinaberger C S, Anderson C L, Kraus J F. Department of Epidemiology, UCLA School of Public Health 90024-1772. PMID: 2327545 [PubMed—indexed for MEDLINE]
Hot tub covers are not adequate barriers to entry, and the straps provided with or for the covers are easily defeated. People have been known to use their neighbor's hot tubs without permission at ski hill condominiums, often cutting the conventional hot tub cover straps with a knife to gain access.
Applicant is aware of patents regarding devices which arc used to secure a variety of objects using reinforced webbing and locking mechanisms such as,
U.S. Pat. No. 6,206,138 issued to Yerger on Mar. 27, 2001 teaches about a safety belt for climbing tree stands in which a chain is layered between two strips of webbing to form the belt.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,199,412 issued to Kennedy on Mar. 13, 2001 teaches about a lockable tie down strap that has one loose end that is secured in a key-operated locking member to prevent theft, and is preferably constructed of a tubular webbing with steel cables running through the body of the webbing to prevent cutting of the strap, and thereby more securely hold a load by the strap.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,324 issued to Meier on Jun. 5, 1990 teaches about a center-release buckle with a rotatable lock to secure a cover or belt, which lock is mounted in the buckle against a flexible flap in the buckle housing and is secured therein by mounting the housing on a base or frame.


A unit is described that is configured to control detonation of a munition such that the munition is detonated at a desired altitude. The unit includes a radar transmitter, a radar receiver that includes a radar range gate, and a sequencer. The sequencer is configured to receive a detonation altitude and set the range gate based on the received detonation altitude. The unit is also configured to output a detonation signal when radar return pulses received by the receiver aligned with gate delay pulses from the range gate.

This invention relates generally to controlling detonation of weapons, and more specifically, to methods and systems for controlling a height, or altitude, of munition detonation.
Conventional munitions dropped or launched from aircraft is either released with a high accuracy, or in large numbers, in order to effectively destroy a desired target. To achieve a high accuracy, it is frequently necessary to drop such munitions from an undesirably low altitude. However, dropping conventional munitions from a low altitude exposes the aircraft and crew to air defenses, for example, anti-aircraft artillery and surface-to-air missiles since. Alternatively, to deliver munitions in high numbers, it is frequently necessary fly an undesirably large number of missions which is expensive, time consuming, and exposes more aircraft and crew to air defenses.
To overcome these problems, smart munitions have been developed. Some smart munitions utilize a guidance and flight control system to accurately maneuver the munition to the desired target. The guidance system provides a control signal to control surfaces of the munition based upon the present position of the munition and the position of the target, so that the control surfaces cause the munition to maneuver toward the target. Such guidance systems typically utilize technologies such as laser guidance, infrared guidance, radar guidance, and/or satellite (GPS) guidance. However these systems are typically related to guiding the munition to a desired location, and are not typically related to detonation of the munition. Furthermore, such guidance systems are expensive and cannot affordably be incorporated into smaller munitions.
Ensuring that launched or dropped munitions detonate (e.g., explode) at the proper time is critical to success of a mission. Munitions meant for an underground target that detonate before penetrating the ground are less likely to destroy an intended target, and more likely to destroy or cause damage to unintended targets. Munitions that detonate at less than an intended detonation altitude is not likely to inflict the intended widespread, and possibly limited, damage. Rather, such a detonation is likely to result in severe damage to a smaller area. A detonation altitude is sometimes referred to as a height of burst.

Methods and systems for controlling a height of munition detonation


Wet performance and partial wear resistance of a tire are improved, and a noise generated during running of the tire is reduced.

In a tire for a heavy load such as a truck and a bus, a plurality of blocks is defined by circumferential main grooves extending in the tire circumferential direction and lug grooves, and the blocks are arranged on the whole of a tread portion so as to ensure required tire performances. However, with a tread pattern composed of the blocks, with running, a difference is caused in a wear amount between both end portions in the tire circumferential direction of the block, and heel-and-toe wear might occur in each block. This heel-and-toe wear is partial wear caused by a motion and deformation of the block during tire load rolling, in which a wear amount at a step-in end (portion contacting the ground first) of the block is smaller, while a wear amount at a kick-out end (portion contacting the ground last) is larger.
In order to cope with this problem, there is known a prior-art tire in which a block is formed into a hexagonal shape in planar view to reduce unevenness in slip in the tire circumferential direction and the tire width direction of each part in the block and a difference in the wear amount, thereby suppressing occurrence of the heel-and-toe wear (See Patent Document 1).
However, with this prior-art tire, the plurality of blocks is arranged independently in the tire width direction relatively uniformly, and there is a concern that a motion may easily occur in the block depending on the condition of use or running of the tire. Thus, securing of sufficient block rigidity and further improvement of an effect of suppressing partial wear are in demand from the viewpoint of further improvement of partial wear resistance through suppression of the motion of the block.
Moreover, in the tire having the blocks as above, the block is generally defined by arranging the lug grooves all having a certain angle and a certain width so that wet performances (traction performance and braking performance on a wet road surface, for example) are improved while an edge component is increased by the plurality of lug grooves. However, in this case, since the block rigidity tends to be lower, the partial wear resistance might be affected, and further improvement of both the wet performances and the partial wear resistance is difficult. With the prior-art tires, reduction of a noise generated during tire running is also in demand in addition to these performances.

Abstract: At a tread portion 2, a plurality of land portions 20, 30, and 40 is defined by circumferential main grooves 10 and 11 extending in a zig-zag manner in a tire circumferential direction. In the center land portion 20 and the second land portion 30, a plurality of hexagonal blocks 21B, 22B, 23B, and 30B is provided, each gradually expanding to the both sides in the tire width direction from the both end portions in the tire circumferential direction toward the center. In the center land portion 20, the plurality of hexagonal blocks 21B, 22B, and 23B is arranged so as to be brought close to each other in the tire width direction while sandwiching a circumferential thin groove 24 extending in a zig-zag manner in the tire circumferential direction and to be defined by lug grooves 25, 26, and 27 in the tire circumferential direction. In the second land portion 30, the plurality of hexagonal blocks 30B is arranged so as to continue in the tire circumferential direction while sandwiching a sipe 31, and formed in a rib shape continuous in a ground-contacting surface.


Highly asymmetric polyethersulfone membranes prepared from a stable, clear, homogeneous solution or stable colloidal dispersion of polyethersulfone are described. The membranes have a porous skin possessing a high density of skin pores with an average diameter of from about 0.001 micron to about 20 microns. In addition, the membrane has a porous support with an asymmetric region of gradually increasing pore diameters so that the opposite face of the membrane has an average pore diameter that is from about 50 to about 10,000 times the diameter of the skin pores.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to filtration membranes. More specifically, the present invention relates to polyethersulfone filtration membranes that possess a highly asymmetric pore structure.
2. Background of the Technology
Many types of filtration membranes are available for filtering gases and liquids. Most polymeric membranes are generally made by first preparing a casting solution made up of the chosen polymer in a suitable solvent. The casting dope is then formed into a thin sheet and the polymer is precipitated into a solid phase. Precipitating the polymer into a solid membrane is normally carried out by evaporating the solvent or contacting the polymer with a non-solvent liquid in a quench bath. In many cases, the casting solution also includes a specific concentration of a non-solvent which can affect the porosity of the membrane
Some filtration membranes have a layer of very small pores (termed herein a "skin") on one side, while other membranes do not contain this type of layer (termed herein "skinless"). A skinned membrane is created by quenching a polymeric casting solution of sufficient polymer concentration in a strong non-solvent. The resultant membrane has considerably smaller pores on the "skin" face than on the opposite face.
The casting conditions not only affect whether a skin is produced, but they can also determine the asymmetry of pores within the membrane. For example, a perfectly symmetrical membrane would have pores of the same diameter on both faces and throughout the support structure between the faces. However, a highly asymmetric membrane may have pores that change in diameter by 10,000:1 or more from one face to the other. Asymmetric microfiltration membranes are useful in many applications. For example, such membranes can be used for a variety of filtration applications for purification and testing in the food and beverage industry, water treatment, pharmaceuticals, and in medical laboratories. The membranes are useful in a variety of forms, including, for example, disks and cartridges. Such membranes have become increasingly relevant to the testing industry for uses as diverse as trace metals analysis and medical diagnostics.
Highly asymmetric membrane structures are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,629,563 (Re-examination Certificate No.: B1 4,629,563) and 4,774,039 to Wrasidlo. In these disclosures, the degree of asymmetry from the skin face to the opposite face within the support structure is gradual, rather than abrupt. This allows the membrane support structure to act as a prefilter (or more accurately, as several prefilters of different sizes), and enhances the life and dirt-holding capacity of the membrane by retaining particles that are much larger than the skin pores well before they come into proximity with the skin layer.
The manufacture of the Wrasidlo microfiltration membranes is based on the properties of an unstable dispersion of a membrane casting solution within the binodal or spinodal curves of a phase diagram. With an unstable casting solution, such as that described in Wrasidlo, the membranes are normally produced with constant agitation prior to casting. If the casting solution was not constantly agitated, the polymer-rich phase and polymer-poor phase would separate leading to an undesirable membrane, In addition, during unstable casting, special film exposure conditions are usually required. Furthermore, it is sometimes necessary to provide additional polymers in the casting solution or a heating step to induce the proper phase separation prior to the quenching step.
In addition, polysulfone membrane compositions based on the Wrasidlo patents do not stand up to repeated heating, such as by an autoclave, because they are made of polymers with low glass transition temperatures. Although others have experimented with various polymers in an attempt to overcome some of the disadvantages of prior membranes, they have met with limited success. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos.: 4,933,081 and 4,840,733 to Sasaki ("Sasaki Patents") disclose asymmetric polyethersulfone filtration membranes.
As is known, polyethersulfone can withstand heating and cooling procedures more readily than polysulfone. However, the methods disclosed in the Sasaki patents produce an hourglass-shaped membrane with maximum pore diameters on both surface faces and minimum pore diameters on the inside of the membrane. However, this type of membrane structure is, for many applications, not advantageous because of the internal location of the minimum pore. As disclosed in the Sasaki patents, the position of the minimum diameter pores within the membrane is related to the surface size of the pores. For example, as the layer of minimum pores is positioned deeper and deeper within the membrane, the pore diameters on the surface begin to get larger. For this reason, it is more difficult to manufacture a membrane with a particular external surface pore diameter.
In addition, to provide a 1000:1 asymmetry between the maximum and minimum pore diameters, the internal minimum pores must constrict 1000-fold from the exterior of the membrane to the middle of the membrane. The rapid constriction from the outer surface of the membrane to the inner pore can lead this type of membrane to have lower flow rates and clog more easily than a membrane with a more gradual slope from the largest pore diameter to the smallest pore diameter.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a highly asymmetric polyethersulfone porous membrane having a high degree of water permeability, sufficient strength and rigidity, and that operates efficiently in separations and testing applications, wherein such a membrane could be produced from a more simplified casting process than the prior art.

Highly asymmetric polyethersulfone filtration membranes


A method is described of regulating the instantaneous electromagnetic torque of a polyphase rotating electrical machine equipped with stator and/or rotor windings supplied by a voltage and a current generated by an inverter formed of switches whose switching is controllable. The method comprises a step of commanding the switching of the switches of the inverter using the fundamental frequency of the voltage generated by the inverter and a form of synchronous pulse width modulation configured as a function of an input set point, and a step of calculating the input set point from an instantaneous torque set point at each regulation time. The method further comprises a step of determining the time interval between two successive regulation times so that the time interval corresponds to an integer multiple of the period of oscillation of the instantaneous torque of the machine.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method and a system for regulating the instantaneous electromagnetic torque of a polyphase rotating electrical machine and an information storage medium for implementing this method.
2. Description of the Prior Art
To be more precise, the invention relates to a regulation method in which the rotating electrical machine is equipped with stator and/or rotor windings supplied by a voltage and a current generated by an inverter formed of switches whose switching is controllable, said method comprising:                a step of commanding the switching of the switches of the inverter using the fundamental frequency of the voltage generated by the inverter and a form of synchronous pulse width modulation configured as a function of an input set point, and        a step of calculating the input set point from an instantaneous torque set point at each regulation time.
In the remainder of the description, the terms "motor" and "torque" respectively denote a polyphase rotating electrical machine and the electromagnetic torque of this kind of machine. Moreover, the terms "fundamental" and "harmonic" respectively denote the sinusoidal component with the lowest frequency and the harmonics of second or higher order of a signal.
Thus the term harmonic as used herein refers only to harmonics of the second or higher order.
Methods of regulating the instantaneous torque of a motor are used in many fields, for example to control rolling mill drive motors.
There are many methods of using an inverter to chop a direct current voltage to create a polyphase alternating current voltage. Of such methods, those using pulse width modulation (PWM) are the most widely used. Pulse width modulation is divided into two families, respectively denoted "asynchronous" and "synchronous".
Asynchronous pulse width modulation determines the switching times of the switches of the inverter from the intersection of a high-frequency carrier that is asynchronous with respect to the frequency of the fundamental of the voltage generated by the inverter and a modulating sinusoid at the required stator frequency.
Synchronous pulse width modulation, on the other hand, is synchronized to the fundamental frequency of the voltage generated by the inverter, and is defined by angles defining the times of occurrence and the number of switching operations during each fundamental period of the generated voltage. Typically, since each form of synchronous pulse width modulation corresponds to a particular voltage generated by the inverter, the control unit is adapted to employ several forms of synchronous pulse width modulation. In the present context, each form of synchronous pulse width modulation is defined by the particular value of the angles used to construct it. Thus in the remainder of this description two forms of synchronous pulse width modulation having different angle values each correspond to a different form of pulse width modulation.
During the regulation process, the control unit selects the form of pulse width modulation to use as a function of the amplitude of the voltage that the inverter must generate, for example.
For each form of modulation, the value of the angles used is generally precalculated to eliminate certain predefined harmonics, which is one advantage of synchronous pulse width modulation.
In the case of methods of regulating the instantaneous torque of a motor, the form of modulation is selected as a function in particular of the instantaneous torque set point. It has been found that control methods of this kind can achieve the advantages associated with the use of synchronous pulse width modulation only partially, if at all. This is because, although each form of modulation is constructed to eliminate certain harmonics, this occurs only partially, if at all.
The invention therefore aims to remedy this problem by proposing a method of regulating the instantaneous torque of a motor that uses synchronous pulse width modulation control and retains the advantages associated with using asynchronous pulse width modulation.

Method and system for regulating instantaneous electromagnetic torque and storage medium for implementing the method


A new method for the semi-continuous detection of heavy metals and metalloids including mercury in gaseous streams. The method entails mass measurement of heavy metal oxides and metalloid oxides with a surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor having an uncoated substrate. An array of surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors can be used where each sensor is for the semi-continuous emission monitoring of a particular heavy metal or metalloid.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the quantitative detection of heavy metals and metalloids in effluent gases, and more specifically, this invention relates to a method for the quantitative detection of heavy metals such as mercury (Hg) in high temperature gases generated from sources such as coal gasifiers, coal-fired electrical generating plants, ore smelters, and waste incinerators.
2. Background of the Invention
Coal-burning power plants, incinerators, oil-burning boilers and power plants, refuse-derived fuel power plants, and gasification systems are sources of effluent streams with mercury and other heavy metals. These metals are toxic. The combustion of low-rank coals such as Powder River Basin sub-bituminous coal and lignites have been shown to form flue gases where the mercury is primarily in the elemental form. In the gasification of coal, mercury is primarily in the elemental form.
Elemental mercury is difficult to capture from a gas stream. For example, elemental mercury is a semi-noble metal, insoluble in water, and is not efficiently captured by carbon. Much of the mercury contained in power plant flue gas is in the elemental form.
In 2005 the U.S. Environmental Agency (EPA) announced the Clean Air Mercury Rule (CAMR) which places permanent limits on mercury emissions from coal-fired utility boilers and establishes a mercury cap-and-trade program. CAMR will be implemented in two phases, with a first phase annual limit of 38 tons in 2010 followed by a final annual limit of 15 tons to be in effect in 2018. The final limit requires an approximately 70% reduction from 1999 emission levels.
The EPA prefers continuous emission monitoring (CEM) for mercury. CEM monitors for mercury often utilize methods to oxidize all of the mercury present within a slipstream of flue gas in order to facilitate the capture and detection of the mercury. Coal-burning power plants have an electrical power capability of 300 GigaWatts (GW) and constitute a potential market of approximately $100,000,000 for CEM. Other markets include incinerators, natural gas pipelines, gasification systems, chemical process plants, and research and health/safety (air monitoring).
Many technologies are being developed for the control of mercury emissions from flue gases. These methods employ sorbents, catalysts, scrubbing liquors, flue gas or coal additives, combustion modification, barrier discharges, and ultraviolet (UV) radiation for the removal of mercury. These removal methods need support in the form of reliable and inexpensive CEM.
There are commercial devices currently available which offer CEM. These devices often include a gold or sorbent trap with subsequent determination of Hg concentration via UV spectrophotometry. Other methods that involve pretreatment of the stream to be analyzed include real time atomic absorption and X-ray fluorescence. See D. S. Zanzow, S. J. Bajic, D. E. Eckels, and D. P. Baldwin, "Real-Time Atomic Absorption Mercury Continuous Emission Monitor," Review of Scientific Instruments, 74 (8):3774-3783 (2003); K. J. Hay, B. E. Johnson, P. R. Ginochio, and J. A. Cooper, "Relative Accuracy Testing of An X-Ray Fluorescence-Based Mercury Monitor at Coal-Fired Boilers," J. Air & Waste Manage. Assoc. 56 (May):657-665 (2006); and S. Kellie, Y. Duan, Y. Cao, P. Chu, A. Mehta, R. Carty, K. Liu, W. P. Pan, and J. T. Riley, "Mercury Emissions From a 100-MW Wall-Fired Boiler as Measured by Semicontinuous mercury Monitor and Ontario Hydro Method," Fuel Processing Technology, 85 487-499 (2004).
The aforementioned methods are often labor intensive, can be slow, and are often costly. In addition, the methods are often prone to numerous interferences. For example, ozone (O3), which may be found in effluent gas streams, absorbs UV, therefore interfering with those processes using UV light to measure and to transform elemental mercury into ions. This phenomenon is described in Y. Li, S. R. Lee, and C. Y. Wu, "UV-Absorption-Based Measurements of Ozone and Mercury: An Investigation on Their Mutual Interferences," Aerosol and Air Quality Research, 6 (4), 418-429 (2006). Other quenching agents such as O2, HCl, H2O, CO2, SOx, and NOx also must be removed before UV measurements can be carried out.
Surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors with a gold-coated substrate are used to develop a continuous emission monitoring system for mercury. This is described in "Semi-Annual Technical Progress Report: Surface Acoustic Wave Mercury Vapor Sensor," Document Number: DE-AR26-97FT34316-002.12 (Jun. 2, 1998), submitted by Sensor Research and Development Corporation, Orono, Maine to U.S. DOE, Morgantown Energy Technology Center, Morgantown, W. Va. However, the gold on gold-coated substrates in SAW sensors can dissolve moieties other than mercury and become contaminated and thus give inaccurate results. The same problem exists with gold used as a trap supra for mercury. Gold is attacked by aqua regia (HCl+HNO3) and hot sulfuric acid (H2SO4), and reacts with ozone to form gold oxide.
Removal of elemental mercury from effluent gas streams via irradiation with UV light is described in C. R. McLamon, E. J. Granite, and H. W. Pennline, "The PCO Process For Photochemical Removal of Mercury From Flue Gas," Fuel Processing Technology, 87 85-89 (2005); E. J. Granite and H. W. Pennline, "Photochemical Removal of Mercury From Flue Gas," Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 41 5470-5476 (2002); E. J. Granite, H. W. Pennline, and J. S. Hoffman, Effects of Photochemical Formation of Mercuric Oxide, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 38 5034-5037 (1999); and in U.S. Pat. No. 6,576,092 awarded to Granite et al., on Jun. 10, 2003. The aforementioned McLamon et al. article and the Granite et al. patent are incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,033,419 awarded to Granite, et al. on Apr. 25, 2006 discloses a process to facilitate mercury extraction from high temperature flue/fuel gas via the use of metal sorbents which capture mercury at high and ambient temperatures.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,690,462 awarded to Seltzer on Feb. 10, 2004 discloses a process, system and apparatus to calibrate a continuous emission mercury monitoring system based on plasma emission spectrometry.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,521,021 awarded to Pennline, et al. on Feb. 18, 2003 discloses a process to facilitate mercury extraction from high temperature flue/fuel gas by adsorption onto a thermally activated sorbent produced in situ at the power plant.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,679,957 awarded to Durham, et al. on Oct. 21, 1997 discloses a process to monitor mercury emissions by UV spectrophotometry.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,713,547 awarded to Grossman on Dec. 15, 1987 discloses a process to monitor mercury emissions by UV spectrophotometry.
None of the aforementioned articles or patents discloses an inexpensive and reliable method for semi-continuous monitoring of pollutants in effluent gas streams.
None of the aforementioned articles or patents discloses a method for semi-continuous monitoring of mercury and other heavy metals and metalloids which is free from interferences from moieties such as aqua regia (HCl+HNO3) and, independently, ozone.
A need exists in the art for a reliable and interference-free semi-continuous detection method for mercury and other heavy metals and metalloids in effluent gas streams.

Semi-continuous detection of mercury in gases

The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy


The invention discloses an herbal extract of treating lung tumor. The herbal extract comprises Antrodia cinnamomea and Cordyceps militaris, and the herbal extract is manufactured as following: mingling Antrodia cinnamomea and Cordyceps militaris with a weight ratio being between 1:5 and 5:1 to obtain a mixture; blending the mixture with a solvent with a weight-volume percentage being 50%, followed by extracting at 40-90° C. to obtain a herbal solution; and concentrating the herbal solution to obtain the herbal extract.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an herbal extract and, more particularly, to an herbal extract for inhibiting lung tumor proliferation. The present invention further relates to a method of treating lung tumor.
2. Description of the Related Art
In Taiwan, tumor is the most common cause of death in men and women, and among tumor, lung tumor is the most serious disease. In Western medicine, conventional lung tumor treatment includes surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. However, surgery is ineffective. Radiation therapy and chemotherapy unduly damage normal cells neighboring tumor tissues and consequently induce side effects. Moreover, after radiation therapy and chemotherapy, the risk of metastasis into nearby tissue or other parts of the body still exist.
In traditional Chinese medicine, Antrodia cinnamomea, belonging Fungi, grows only on inner rotten walls of hollow materials from an endemic Cinnamomum kanehirai. Antrodia cinnamomea. Antrodia cinnamomea contains abundant active ingredients, such as superoxide dismulase, steroids polysaccharides and triterpenoids with anti-tumor activities.
Antrodia cinnamomea belongs to herbs with cold property. Although a short-term administration of Antrodia cinnamomea has a significant effect on removing free radicals, a long-term administration may decrease the concentration of free radicals in human body, resulting in a cold constitution with reduced immunity. For patients undergoing radiation therapy or chemotherapy, administration of Antrodia cinnamomea can decrease side effects caused by radiation therapy or chemotherapy at the beginning. However, a long-term administration of high dose of Antrodia cinnamomea may cause immunity reduction, such as a increasing possibility of blood infection.
Cordyceps militaris, belonging to herbs with warm property, is rich in cordycepin, proteins, superoxide dismulase, amino acids and micronutrients. Cordyceps militaris is used to relieve asthma, suppress cough and reinforce kidney. Furthermore, cordycepin can suppress tumor proliferation by activating adenosine receptors A3 of mouse melanoma and lung tumor cells.

Method for treating a lung tumor in a subject in need thereof


A bootstrapped dual-gate Class E amplifier circuit includes a first MOSFET and a second MOSFET connected in series and coupled between a dc voltage source terminal and a common terminal. An rf input signal terminal is coupled to a gate electrode of the first MOSFET and a dc control voltage terminal is coupled to a gate electrode of the second MOSFET, with a unidirectionally-conducting element such as a diode-connected MOSFET being coupled between a drain electrode and the gate electrode of the second MOSFET. The output of the amplifier circuit is taken from the drain electrode of the second MOSFET. This circuit configuration permits the first and second MOSFETs to withstand a larger output voltage swing, thus permitting the use of a higher supply voltage and resulting in a substantially increased maximum output power capability for a given load value.

The invention is in the field of transistor amplifier circuits, and relates more particularly to power amplifier circuits suitable for use in high-frequency applications.
One type of amplifier circuit used in high-frequency applications is the Class E power amplifier, in which the active component is used as a switch which turns on and off at the carrier frequency. Class E power amplifiers have been used in wireless communications apparatus and have been designed in both GaAs MESFET and deep-submicron CMOS technology.
In Class E power amplifiers, the signal swing at the drain of the output transistor can typically be three or more times the power supply voltage. This imposes a limitation on the maximum supply voltage that can be used to avoid gate-drain breakdown in MOS transistors. Thus, for example, in a 0.25 micron CMOS process, the nominal supply voltage is 2.5 volts. However, a 2.5 volt Class E amplifier cannot be designed in this process, as the gate breakdown voltage is 6 volts. Taking into account the signal swing at the gate, which is in opposite phase to the signal swing at the drain, conventional techniques limit the maximum allowable power supply voltage in Class E in this process to 1.5 volts. Since the output power in Class E operation is proportional to the square of the power supply voltage, using 1.5 volts instead of 2.5 volts reduces the maximum power output by a factor of 2.7 for a given load value.
Although various prior-art techniques exist for improving circuit performance using series-connected transistors and bootstrapping techniques, as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,268,827; 4,100,438; 4,284,905; and 4,317,055, these references do not address the issue of how to maximize usable power supply voltage in a Class E amplifier circuit. Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a Class E amplifier circuit in which power output is not limited by operating the output stage at less than the nominal supply voltage due to component breakdown restraints.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a Class E amplifier circuit in which the useable power supply voltage is maximized, so that power output is not limited by voltage constraints imposed by component breakdown characteristics.
In accordance with the invention, this object is achieved by a new Class E amplifier circuit in a bootstrapped dual-gate configuration in which a first MOSFET and a second MOSFET are connected in series and coupled between a dc voltage source terminal and a common terminal, with an rf input signal terminal being coupled to a gate electrode of the first MOSFET and a dc control voltage terminal being coupled to a gate electrode of the second MOSFET. In order to provide a bootstrapping effect, a unidirectionally-conducting element is coupled between a drain electrode and the gate electrode of the second MOSFET, and an output of the amplifier circuit is taken from the drain electrode of the second MOSFET.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the dc control voltage source terminal is coupled to the gate electrode of the second MOSFET by a resistor, and the rf input signal terminal is coupled to the gate electrode of the first MOSFET by a capacitor.
In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the unidirectionally-conducting element is a diode-connected MOSFET, which implements the bootstrapping effect.
A bootstrapped dual-gate Class E amplifier circuit in accordance with the present invention offers a significant improvement over prior-art Class E amplifiers in that the useable power supply voltage is maximized to achieve substantially increased power output.
These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.

Bootstrapped dual-gate class E amplifier circuit