A pneumatic tire having a plurality of main grooves extending in the circumferential direction of a tread surface, and a plurality of auxiliary grooves each of which is disposed in the shape of the letter "V" and extended in one of the circumferential directions of the tread surface, the apexes of the V-shaped auxiliary grooves being distributed in left and right regions each extending from the equator of the tire as much as 5-25% of the width of a ground contacting portion of the tread surface, in such a manner that the numbers of the apexes in the left and right regions become substantially equal to each other, characterized in that quasi-main grooves each of which connects at least two circumferentially arranged auxiliary grooves together are provided in left and right regions each extending from the equator of the tire as much as 25-50% of the width of a ground contacting portion of the tread surface, in such a manner that the quasi-main grooves are inclined at an angle of 5.degree.-25.degree. with respect to the equator of the tire.

This invention relates to a pneumatic tire displaying improved drainage characteristics when the vehicle travels on a wet road surface.
In general, when a vehicle runs on a wet road surface, a coefficient of friction between a tire and the road surface decreases. Especially, when the depth of the water on a wet road surface is large, or, when the vehicle runs on a wet road surface at a high speed, a water layer is formed between a tire surface and the road surface, so that the coefficient of friction decreases greatly. This condition is called hydroplaning. When hydroplaning occurs, the steering of the vehicle becomes impossible, and an accident is liable to occur. In order to prevent the occurrence of this hydroplaning, it is necessary to improve the drainage characteristics of a tire.
In order to improve the drainage characteristics, a pneumatic tire which has heretofore been employed is provided in a tread surface thereof with V-shaped auxiliary grooves extending in the same manner in one circumferential direction of the tread surface with the opposed parts of these grooves arranged in substantially parallel with each other in addition to a main groove extending in the circumferential direction of the tread surface, the apexes of these V-shaped auxiliary grooves being positioned substantially on the center (equator) of the width of the tire. However, in a tire having such a so-called directional tread pattern, the drainage characteristics lower when the vehicle turns to cause the ground contacting center of the tread surface to be displaced toward a shoulder as a load moves toward the shoulder.
Japanese patent application Kokai publication No. 02-175304 proposes a pneumatic tire having a special tread pattern, i.e., provided with a plurality of main grooves, and V-shaped auxiliary grooves the apexes of which are distributed in regions extending from the equator of the tire to left and right to a width accounting for 5-25% of the width of a ground contacting portion of a tread surface, in such a manner that the numbers of the apexes on these left and right regions become substantially equal to each other. This tire enables the drainage efficiency during the turning of the vehicle to be improved as compared with a tire in which the apexes of V-shaped auxiliary grooves arranged on the equator.
Although the drainage efficiency of the pneumatic tire of Japanese patent application Kokai publication No. 02-175304 during the turning of a vehicle is superior, the drainage efficiency thereof during a straight travel of a vehicle still remains at the level of that of a conventional pneumatic tire in which the apexes of the V-shaped auxiliary grooves are positioned on the center of the width of the tire, and is not always satisfactorily high.


A technique for filling hollow, plated-through-hole vias in multi-layer printed circuit substrates with solder and then joining the solder filled via with a solder ball on a solder ball connectable electronic module is disclosed. The filling of the vias is accomplished by depositing solder paste on one end of the hollow via and reflowing the solder particles within the solder paste to at least partially fill the PTH via. The depositing of the solder paste and the reflowing operations may be repeated until such time as the via is substantially completely filled with solid solder. The importance of the prefilling of the vias with solder is that the reflowing operation of solder balls or solder paste when joining the multi-layer printed circuit board to the electronic module, will prevent undue wicking or pulling of molten solder from the electrical connection into the PTH via, thereby preventing the formation of solder starved or unreliable electrical connections.

In the fabrication of printed circuit cards, via holes are formed to create passages from one face or surface of the card to the opposing face or surface of the card. In passing through the card, electrically conductive lands formed within the card during the manufacture of the card, may be penetrated or cut into thus exposing a cross-section of the land to the via hole. The land may be disposed internal to the printed circuit as on a surface of a layer, which is subsequently joined with other layers to form the card or onto the external surface of the printed circuit card.
The via holes are plated, using any of several conventional plating techniques, to deposit a thin layer of metal on the interior surface of the passage or via hole. The metal layer within the via hole is in the form of a tube formed or deposited on and making contact with the cross-section of any land penetrated by the formation of the via. The formation of printed circuit cards of the type used herein is a conventional process well known in the electronics industry and as such does not form a part of this invention.
During the plating of the via hole, a flange surrounding the end or opening of the via may be formed on at least one surface of the printed circuit card. The plating of the flange may occur simultaneously to the plating of the interior tubular plated layer within the via hole.
The flange forms a pad that serves to increase the surface area, which may be wetted with solder at a later stage, in order to connect electrical components to the metal deposited by the plating. The formation of the pad alternatively may be formed as a separate plating operation or metal deposition operation together with the formation of any land extending therefrom formed on the surface of the printed circuit board.
Plated through via holes previously have been filled to enhance solder connection to the plating. U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,264, issued to Bitaillou et al., discloses filling the hollow rivet-like structure of the via hole plating with a solder flux. The solder flux filling enhances the wetting of the plated structure by the solder when heated for reflow. Then a larger than necessary solder ball of controlled volume is deposited onto the solder flux which has been filled into the via hole; a portion of the flux resides on the surface of the electronic circuit board in the region of the via hole and on the pad surrounding it.
The solder ball is larger than that which would be necessary only to fill the via hole so that when the solder ball is reflowed the via hole will fill through capillary action and leave a solder ball on the surface of the printed circuit board sufficiently large and of the desired volume that it may be used to attach another electrical component to the circuit board.
The solder ball formed on the surface of the printed circuit card may be used to connect another electronic component to the printed circuit card by any conventional technique. The Bitaillou et al. patent illustrates the affect that is a source of the problem if the via is not adequately filled with solder prior to attachment of a solder ball connected electronic module. Should there be an attempt to connect an electronic module to the printed circuit board using solder ball connection techniques and the plated through via holes have not been filled previously with solder, then whenever the solder connection between the electronic module and the printed circuit card is reflowed, the via hole will pull molten solder into the via hole thus significantly reducing the volume of solder available for the interconnection between the electronic module and the printed circuit card. Unless the volumes of the via hole and the volume of solder in the solder ball are very accurately controlled, variations in the volume of the remaining solder ball after reflow may be the source of unreliable electrical connections between the two electronic components.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,336,551 to Fujita et al., discloses forming a via hole through a glass insulation layer and then forming a pedestal for attaching solder balls on an integrated circuit. The pedestal is formed of a silver/palladium paste. Subsequent to the formation of the silver/palladium (Ag/Pd) paste pedestal, the silver/palladium paste particles are sintered to form rigid integrity into the contact pedestal and establish electrical continuity. In the attachment of solder balls onto an integrated circuit to the sintered Ag/Pd pedestal, the pedestal serves as a contact region and does not reflow.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,383,363, issued to Hayakawa et al., uses a solder paste to interconnect the conductive planes on either face of a printed circuit board through a via hole. The via hole is not plated and the solder paste is not reflowed. Conductive layers deposited on the substrate and over the via entrap the solder paste within the via hole. Electrical continuity is established through particle-to-particle contact.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,844, issued to Behun et al., discloses a solder ball connect technique where the internal metallurgy of the substrate or device being connected to the substrate, is solid conductor lands and is not via holes. The Behun et al. patent addresses the solder ball connection of electronic components, wherein the connections on each of the components are to a solid electronic land.
With solid lands, the Behun et al. structure does not present the problem presented by plated through hole vias. The Behun et al. patent with its inherently solid electrically conductive lands does not wick or pull the molten solder from the attachment point into a cavity of the via hole within the printed circuit card.
IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 20, No. 10, March 1978, page 3872, by E. Stephens, discloses a conductive epoxy which is used to fill via holes and which establishes electrical continuity between the external surfaces of the metallized ceramic body through which the via holes extend. IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 33, No. 12, May 1991, pages 144-145, discloses a machine for positioning and melting solder wire to fill via holes on a one-at-a-time basis. This process while providing a solution to the problem of prefilling via holes with solder is not a process which lends itself to high volume throughput necessary for manufacturing.

Solder ball connect pad-on-via assembly process


Applicator devices for applying a surface covering to a part and methods for applying a surface covering to a part are disclosed. Disclosed applicator devices may include an inflatable bladder and a support structure configured to position the inflatable bladder with respect to the part and/or a support surface on which the part is positioned. The inflatable bladder may be used to apply the surface covering to the part, and may be configured to apply a uniform pressure to the surface covering and part, regardless of surface topography. The inflatable bladder may include a cover material at least partially covering the external bladder surface, which may be configured to reduce friction between the inflatable bladder and the surface covering. Such applicator devices may be particularly useful for, for example, applying a decorative laminate to a honeycomb core panel.

Thin, flexible surface coverings are applied to surfaces in a wide variety of industries and applications. Such surface coverings may include, for example, wallpaper, decorative surface coverings, films, laminates, decorative laminates, and/or any other surface covering. Surface coverings may include an adhesive layer on one side, covered with a removable liner (which may also be referred to as a backing, removable backing, or backing layer) until the time of application. Surface coverings may be applied to any part, surface, or structure, such as tables, counters, walls, ceilings, floors, doors, tables, counters, and etc. Surface coverings such as decorative laminates, are often applied to metallic or composite panels, such as may be used in automotive, aerospace, or any other industrial application.
Such surface coverings are currently applied by hand, by removing the liner to expose the adhesive and applying the surface covering to the part, sweeping one's hand across the non-adhesive side of the surface covering while applying it to the part. Such application methods suffer from imperfections due to non-uniformity of pressure during the sweeping action. Thus, formation of entrapped air pockets or air bubbles between the surface covering and the underlying part is a common problem. In many applications, such trapped air may be aesthetically displeasing and/or detrimental to the performance of the laminate. In the specific example of aircraft parts covered with decorative laminates, the air bubbles may worsen with pressure changes in the aircraft cabin during flight. Repairs to an imperfectly laid surface covering are difficult and time-consuming. There thus remains a need for improved application of decorative laminates and other surface coverings to underlying parts.

Devices and methods for applying surface coverings


A smart meter includes: a power supply control unit which causes stoppage of a supply of power passing through the smart meter to an television and so on, when an RD command to stop the supply is received; a first communication unit which performs a first communication through which the RD command is received; a second communication unit which performs a second communication; and a communication control unit which: causes the performance of the first communication before the RD command is received; and prohibit the performance of the first communication and cause only the performance of the second communication, after the RD command is received.

Conventionally, electrical devices used at home, such as televisions, and so on, operate using power supplied from a power distribution board, and the power consumed is measured by a meter. Furthermore, in recent years, smart meters which allow remote meter reading have been put into use.
When a smart meter is used, power from a power grid (commercial power) is supplied to the power distribution board via the smart meter, and then supplied to electrical devices (an electrical device group composed of one or more electrical devices).
Many smart meters comply with remote disconnect (RD) commands. An RD command is a command which, when received by a smart meter, causes the smart meter to stop the supply of power to the electrical devices.
The RD command is, for example, transmitted from a server of a power company supplying the power via the power grid, to the smart meter via a network such as the Internet, and the like.
In addition, in recent years, it has been pointed out in Non-Patent Literature (NPL 1) and so on that there is the possibility for unauthorized transmission of RD commands by hackers and the like.

Smart meter, supply control method, operating method, integrated circuit, system, and program

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.


Techniques for related to retail transaction are disclosed. The techniques involve various uses of a mobile device, such as a cell phone, in authorizing payment for a retail transaction and/or receiving and/or transmitting data to/from the mobile device.

Generally, retail establishments currently allow a customer to shop for items or goods, place the items in a cart or basket, check-out and pay for items by using a traditional cashier who scans each item and then receives tender from the customer for payment of the items. Historically, tender or payment for the items or goods was in the form of cash or a check or some form of credit, e.g., through use of a credit card. Use of such forms of tender raise security issues, as well, in practice may be cumbersome.
More recently, attempts of making the payment for goods or services automatic and secure through use of a customer's cell phone. For instance, in one system, the customer's cell must include a fingerprint reader and a Near Field Communications (NFC) transmitter and antenna. Furthermore, the point of sale (POS) terminal must also include a NFC transmitter and reader. When tender is to be made, the cell phone must be placed in a suitable distance from the POS NFC reader. Simultaneously, the user must hold their finger on the cell phone's fingerprint sensor. Communication between the POS and the cell phone over the NFC network, along with the user's fingerprint confirms the customer's identity. A method of payment stored on a remote server may then be used to pay for the goods or services
However, this type of system requires that the cell phone includes both a fingerprint reader and the NFC transmitter. In addition, the system requires that each POS terminal has specialized hardware, i.e., the NFC wireless reader/transmitter.
The present invention is aimed at one or more of the problems identified above.

System, method, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media related to transactions using a mobile device


Some embodiments provide a novel method for managing hardware forwarding elements (MHFEs) that facilitate the creation of multiple logical networks on a set of shared physical forwarding elements. The method uses a set of logical controllers that generate data that defines a set of logical networks, and a set physical controllers to distribute the generated data to the hardware forwarding elements. In some embodiments, each MHFE can serve as either a master MHFE or a slave MHFE for one set of computing end nodes (e.g., VMs, containers, etc.) in a logical network. To ensure proper routing of data packets to the computing end nodes, each MHFE sends to its physical controller an inventory (e.g., a table, a list, etc.) of the set of computing end nodes for which it serves as the master MHFE or the slave MHFE. Each physical controller forwards the inventory for each logical network to the logical controller for the logical network. Each logical controller maintains the master inventory of the MHFEs that are masters (and slaves if applicable) of the various compute end nodes of each logical network managed by the logical controller. After receiving a new inventory from a physical controller, the logical controller updates its records, resolves any conflicts while it is updating its records, and distributes one or more master/slave inventories for one or more logical networks that it manages to the physical controllers, which, in turn, pass this information to the MHFEs that they manage.

Several solutions have been proposed to date to allow controllers to manage standalone network hardware devices. For instance, VMware's NSX for Multi-Hypervisor controllers manage hardware VTEP (virtual tunnel end point) devices through the OVSDB protocol. The hardware_vtep OVSDB schema that NSX uses to integrate with the VTEP devices is described at the openvswitch website. This schema uses the table Ucast_Macs_Remote to provide the MAC addresses of end-points in various logical switches, and their corresponding locators (VTEP IPs where the devices terminate VXLAN tunnels).
Two hardware VTEP devices can be two routers operating in Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP) configuration. These two routers can be like an L3 switch or a switch-router, which has both switch and routing capabilities. During normal operations, only one VTEP device (i.e., VTEP1 or VTEP2) would be the active VTEP device for the VRRP solution: one of them would report the MAC address of the VRRP router through Ucast_Macs_Local. The NSX controller would propagate this MAC address and the VTEP IP (of the active VTEP device, VTEP1 or VTEP2) to all other VTEP devices connected to the logical switch that has the given VRRP router. The NSX controller would propagate this information through the Ucast_Macs_Remote table.
During failover or other error conditions, both VTEP devices (i.e., VTEP1 and VTEP2) may report the MAC address of the router. In that case, the NSX controller needs to decide which VTEP device is the active one, in order to update the Ucast_Macs_Remote table of all other VTEP devices correctly. Therefore, there is a need for a method for the controller to support such VRRP solutions.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Managing tunnel endpoints for facilitating creation of logical networks


A lithium-ion secondary battery (100A) includes a positive electrode current collector (221A) and a positive electrode active material layer (223A) retained on the positive electrode current collector (221A). The positive electrode active material layer (223A) contains positive electrode active material particles, a conductive agent, and a binder. The positive electrode active material particles (610A) each include a shell portion (612) made of primary particles (800) of a layered lithium-transition metal oxide, a hollow portion (614) formed inside the shell portion (612), and a through-hole (616) penetrating through the shell portion (612). The primary particles (800) of the lithium-transition metal oxide have a major axis length of less than or equal to 0.8 μm in average of the positive electrode active material layer (223A).

Regarding a lithium-ion secondary battery, JP 2004-253174 A, for example, discloses the use of, as a positive electrode active material, a layered lithium-transition metal oxide comprising a hollow particle having an outer shell portion and a space portion inside the outer shell portion. The lithium-transition metal compound oxide proposed therein is such that, when it is cross-sectioned, the proportion of the area of the space portion with respect to the total of the areas of the outer shell portion and the space portion is greater than 0% but less than 20%. The publication states that the use of such a lithium-transition metal oxide for the positive electrode active material makes it possible to provide a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery that shows excellent battery performance even under more severe use environments.
The manufacturing method of the layered lithium-transition metal oxide is disclosed in paragraphs 0026 to 0042 of the publication. The manufacturing method disclosed therein roughly includes the following procedures. First, an aqueous solution containing cobalt ions and nickel ions in a predetermined composition ratio is dropped in pure water that is being agitated. Next, sodium hydroxide is dropped therein so that the pH will be 8 to 11, and cobalt and nickel are coprecipitated at a temperature of 40° C. to 80° C. at a number of revolution of 500 rpm to 1500 rpm, to obtain a coprecipitated substance. Next, the obtained coprecipitated substance is filtered, washed with water, and thereafter dried, and then mixed with lithium hydroxide. The mixture is then baked at a temperature of 650° C. to 1100° C. for 1 hour to 24 hours in an atmosphere in which the oxygen partial pressure is controlled, to synthesize a lithium-transition metal oxide.
JP 2011-119092 A discloses active material particles for a lithium secondary battery. The active material particles disclosed therein constitute a hollow structure having a secondary particle, in which a plurality of primary particles of a lithium-transition metal oxide are aggregated, and a hollow portion formed therein. It is also proposed that the secondary particle has a through-hole penetrating from the outside into the hollow portion, and that the BET specific surface area thereof is set to from 0.5 m2/g to 1.9 m2/g. The publication states that such a hollow active material particle can achieve an improvement in high-rate performance, an improvement in durability, prevention of resistance increase, and an improvement in capacity retention ratio at the same time.
JP 3032757 B discloses the use of, as a positive electrode active material, a composite oxide represented by the general formula LixM1-yAyFzO2n-z, (where 0.9≦x≦1.1, 0≦y≦0.5, 0≦z≦0.25, 1≦n≦2, M is at least one transition element selected from the group consisting of Co, Ni, and Mn, and A is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Co, Ni, Mn, B, and Al), although it is unclear whether the positive electrode active material contains such a hollow particle as described above. The just-mentioned patent states that the positive electrode active material forms secondary particles each made of primary particles having a crystal structure with C-axis orientation tendency, and that the ratio (D50/r) of the particle size D50, at which the cumulative volume of the secondary particles reaches 50% in particle size distribution, to the average shorter axis length r of the primary particles is 10≦(D50/r)≦50. According to the patent, it provides a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery that shows high discharge voltage, excellent charge-discharge characteristics at high current, and excellent cycle performance.


A security keyboard is disclosed with a contacting circuit board, a plurality of keys and a switching foil, where the contacting circuit board comprises contact elements necessary for the security keyboard and which is substantially completely enveloped in a security film and in operating the plurality of keys the keyboard pressure is transmitted through the security film to the contacts of the contacting circuit board. In accordance with the invention, the plurality of keys are held in the switching foil in such a way that on operating the plurality of keys a tactile feedback is produced. This permits a positive switching of the security keyboard since, because of the tactile feedback, an `automatic` backpressure of the keys results through a force inflection point, after which an operating force necessary for the operation of the keys, increases again as a consequence, in part, of the security film lying between the key and the contacting means of the security keyboard.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a security keyboard with contacting means, a plurality of keys and a switching foil, where the contacting means has contact elements required for the security keyboard and is substantially completely enclosed in a security film and the keyboard pressure on operating the plurality of keys is transmitted through the security film to the contact elements of the contacting means.
2. Description of the Related Art
At the present time a range of equipment is employed for electronic funds transfer (EFT or electronic cash) for data entry or output. Certain security provisions are associated with this equipment in order to be able to avoid any possible undesired manipulation. The security of confidential information and the protection of data input and output from possible influences or manipulation is generally effected by means of electronic or mechanical security measures, such as, for example, the physical incorporation of various security-relevant components into one security module. Particularly security-sensitive components or modules are, in particular, data displays for data output, data input keyboards, key memory for storing confidential keys, e.g. for coding data transfer and security circuits for electronic protection of security-relevant components. Thus, keyboards in particular, have to be protected against simultaneous disclosure of input data, such as a personal identification number (PIN).
A security module for an electronic funds transfer system is known from European Patent Application EP A-0186981. The security module is located in an impact-resistant housing. The module has a PIN entry block and can key confidential data, such as, for example, the PIN, and thus offers access to these data to other equipment.
An extensive study of the physical security of systems for an electronic funds transfer is known from the IBM document "Physical Security for the IBM Transaction Security System", IBM Charlotte, North Carolina, 28257, 6th May 1991 by G. P. Double. This document proposes various test methods and possible protective measures. In particular, this document teaches the use of a so-called Intrusion Detection Screen for the electronic detection of mechanical penetration of the film. The intrusion detection screen comprises a flexible circuit board with thin meandering conductor paths. If the conductor paths are short-circuited or destroyed by mechanical action, such as, for example, penetration or tearing, this will be recognized by one of the in-built security switches. A monitoring logic connected to the intrusion detection screen recognizes changes in the resistance network of the protective film and sets off a suitable alarm which can lead, for example, to the deletion of security-relevant data.
To make manipulations at keyboards, which are intended, for example, for use in electronic funds transfer, more difficult, a range of measures is known which will enhance data security. A known method for this is to encapsulate the electronics to be protected, including the keyboard.
Apart from the encapsulation method, it is also usual to embed the security logic with data memory and the keyboard required for data input, in a housing and to wrap the housing in a security film. The security film is here designed in such a way that removal of or damage to the security film will lead to a corresponding alarm.
Apart from the data memory, which contains any security-relevant data, the keyboard must be protected so as to prevent or make more difficult the unauthorized `theft` of the information input, such as, for example, a personal identification number (PIN). Total encapsulation of the keyboard, however, is not possible, since the keyboard must be at least partially accessible for input.
An arrangement is known from the IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol.33, No.9, February 1991, pp. 448-449, in which the contact portions of the keyboard are disposed within a region protected by a security film while the keys themselves remain outside the protected region and are thus accessible to the user. It is a problem with this arrangement, however, that the security film opposes the pressure from the keyboard keys, so that the keys require increased pressure. This can, however, place greater mechanical demands on the security film. With repeated operation of the keys, the effects of wear are so marked that the working life of the equipment may be severely reduced. Positive operation of the keyboard can frequently not be ensured because of the greater force required.
In order to be able to avoid the aforementioned disadvantage of the greater force required on the keys of the keyboard brought about by the security film, there are arrangements in which the switches within the security film are operated through an opening in the security film by means of a plastic plunger. FIG. 1 shows an arrangement of this type in accordance with the state of the art. Such a keyboard has a circuit board 1 and a key 2. The circuit board 1 contains the necessary electronics for the keyboard while the key 2 acts on the circuit board to produce the signals. The circuit board 1 is completely within a housing 3 and underneath a security film 4. The key 2 partly juts out above the housing 3 and is returned to a defined starting position by means of a return spring 5. Within the security film 4 there is an aperture 6 through which a plunger 7 from the key 2 can act on the circuit board 1. After operation of the key 2, the latter is returned by means of the return spring 5 to the starting position.
It is, however, a disadvantage of this arrangement that the security film must have a plurality of openings, one for each key. As a consequence, the degree of security is significantly reduced, since penetration is possible into the security region through the apertures 6. This again requires expensive security measures to minimize the danger of possible intrusion through the security film.

International Business Machines Corporation


The present invention is directed to a method of producing a container such as a catalytic converter for holding a fragile substrate in a cylindrical housing with a shock absorbent member wrapped around the substrate, with an appropriate holding force determined on the basis of frictional force between the shock absorbent member and the one with the smaller coefficient of friction out of the substrate and the cylindrical housing. The method comprises the steps of (1) inserting the substrate with the shock absorbent member wrapped around the substrate, into the cylindrical housing loosely, (2) applying an axial load to the substrate so as to move the substrate along a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical housing by a predetermined distance, monitoring the axial load applied to the substrate, and (3) reducing a diameter of at least a part of the cylindrical housing with the substrate held therein along the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical housing, with the shock absorbent member being compressed, to such an extent that the axial load equals a predetermined value.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a method of producing a container for holding a fragile substrate in a cylindrical housing, with a shock absorbent member wrapped around the substrate, for use in a fluid treatment device, and more particularly to a method of producing a catalytic converter for holding a catalyst substrate of a honeycomb structure, with a shock absorbent mat wrapped around it in a cylindrical housing.
2. Description of Related Arts
In recent automotive vehicles, a catalytic converter, a diesel particulate filter (abbreviated as DPF) and the like have been equipped. In order to produce them, generally employed is such a method for wrapping a shock absorbent member around a fragile ceramic catalyst substrate (or, filter), and stuffing them into a cylindrical housing (casing), with the shock absorbent member being compressed.
For example, Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2001-355438 proposes a method of producing a catalytic converter, by measuring the outer diameter of a catalyst substrate, when the catalyst substrate with a holding material mounted around its periphery is stuffed (pressed) into a holding cylinder, and then stuffing the catalyst substrate with the holding material mounted thereon into the holding cylinder with its inner diameter adapted for the measured outer diameter. Also, it is proposed to measure the outer diameter of the holding material mounted on the catalyst substrate, and stuff the catalyst substrate with the holding material mounted thereon into the holding cylinder with its inner diameter adapted for the measured outer diameter. Furthermore, it is proposed to measure the outer diameter of the holding material in such a state that a certain pressure is applied to the holding material. It is also proposed to select a holding cylinder having a proper inner diameter, out of a plurality of holding cylinders with various inner diameters different from one another, which were provided in advance.
In contrast, it is proposed such a method called as "sizing" or "calibrating", wherein after the catalyst substrate and a shock absorbent mat mounted thereon were inserted into a cylindrical member, the diameter of the cylindrical member is reduced until the shock absorbent mat will be compressed to the most appropriate compressed amount, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication Nos. 64-60711, 8-42333, 9-170424, 9-234377, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,329,698, 5,755,025, 6,389,693, and European Patent Publication No. EP0982480A2 and so on. Among them, in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 9-234377, it is proposed to reduce a casing along its entire longitudinal length, in order to solve a problem in its prior art as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2-268834. In the former Publication, it is stated about the latter Publication that there is disclosed a catalytic converter with a central portion of a tubular body reduced in diameter to form a compressed portion, and compress a support mat to support a ceramic honeycomb body in the casing. And, it is stated in the former Publication that the above problem will be caused, as a clearance between the outer circumference of the honeycomb body and the inner circumference of the casing is large in a direction from an end of the compressed portion toward cone portions which are not reduced in diameter.
According to the conventional method by the stuffing process as described above, on the basis of density of a shock absorbent mat served as the shock absorbent member, which is called as GBD (abbreviation of gap bulk density), an annular clearance between the outer diameter of the catalyst substrate and the inner diameter of the cylindrical housing is determined, in general. The GBD is the value obtained from [weight per unit area/bulk gap]. According to the bulk density of the shock absorbent mat, pressure (Pascal) is created to hold the catalyst substrate. The pressure has to be adjusted to a value which will not exceed the strength of the catalyst substrate, and to a value which is capable of holding the catalyst substrate applied with vibration and exhaust gas pressure not to be moved in the cylindrical housing. Therefore, the shock absorbent member (shock absorbent mat) is required to be stuffed to create the GBD within a predetermined design range, and the GBD is required to be maintained for a life cycle of the product.
According to the conventional method by the stuffing process as described above, however, an error in the outer diameter of the catalyst substrate necessarily caused when producing it, an error in the inner diameter of the cylindrical housing, and an error in weight per unit area of the shock absorbent mat disposed between them are added to create an error in GBD. Therefore, it can not be a practical solution for mass-production to find a combination of each member adapted to minimize the error in GBD. Furthermore, the GBD itself is varied depending upon the property or individual difference of the shock absorbent mat. And, the GBD relies on the value measured on a flat plane, so that it does not indicate the value measured in the case where the shock absorbent mat is tightly wrapped around the catalyst substrate. Accordingly, it has been desired to stuff the catalyst substrate properly into the cylindrical housing, without relying on the GBD.
On the contrary, according to the conventional sizing method, it is proposed to measure the outer diameter of the catalyst substrate and the inner diameter of the cylindrical housing in advance, to determine an appropriate compression amount for the shock absorbent member, and then reduce the diameter by the determined compression amount. However, it is difficult to determine whether the final compression amount is appropriate or not. This is because when reducing the diameter of the metallic cylindrical member, it is required to reduce the diameter slightly smaller than a target diameter (so called overshooting), in view of a spring back of the cylindrical member. As a result, excessive compression force might be created. Also, a further difficulty is resulted from the fact that when reducing the diameter of the metallic cylindrical member, unavoidable change in thickness of its wall is caused.
In order to solve the problem caused by the overshooting or the like as described above, such a method for measuring the outer diameter of the catalyst substrate in advance, and reducing the diameter of the housing on the basis of the compression amount or target thickness of the shock absorbent mat has been proposed, in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,755,025, 6,389,693 and European Patent Publication No. EP0982480A2 as cited before. However, nothing is considered about the various errors caused with respect to the shock absorbent mat including the error in weight per unit area of the shock absorbent mat as described before. Therefore, the ultimate problem about the error in pressure applied to the catalyst substrate can not be avoided.
With respect to a holding force for holding the catalyst substrate in a predetermined position within the cylindrical housing, the holding force in a radial direction of the cylindrical housing corresponds to the pressure reproduction force of the shock absorbent mat acting on the outer surface of the catalyst substrate and the inner surface of the cylindrical housing, in a direction perpendicular to those surfaces. On the other hand, with respect to the cylindrical housing fixed to the exhaust system for the automotive vehicle, for example, the catalyst substrate and shock absorbent mat are applied with force in their axial directions, due to vibration or exhaust gas pressure. In opposition to the axial force, a holding force is required for them in the axial (longitudinal) direction of the cylindrical housing, which holding force is created by first frictional force between the shock absorbent mat and the catalyst substrate, and second frictional force between the shock absorbent mat and the cylindrical housing.
The first and second frictional forces are indicated by the product of multiplying the pressure reproduction force of the shock absorbent mat and the coefficient of static friction between the shock absorbent mat and the outer surface of the catalyst substrate, and the product of multiplying the pressure reproduction force of the shock absorbent mat and the coefficient of static friction between the shock absorbent mat and the inner surface of the cylindrical housing, respectively. In this respect, as for the holding force in the axial (longitudinal) direction of the cylindrical housing, the frictional force between the shock absorbent mat and the remaining one with the smaller coefficient of friction is dominant. With respect to the catalyst substrate and cylindrical housing with known coefficients of static friction, therefore, frictional forces are made clear. In order to ensure the requisite frictional forces, it is required to increase the pressure applied to the shock absorbent mat. In the case where the catalyst substrate is fragile, it is required to ensure the axial holding force within the pressure limit to the shock absorbent mat, to avoid excessive radial load applied to the catalyst substrate.
Accordingly, it is preferable to determine the pressure applied to the shock absorbent mat, on the basis of the one with the smaller coefficient of static friction, out of the coefficient of static friction of the outer surface of the catalyst substrate and the coefficient of static friction of the inner surface of the cylindrical housing, and reduce the diameter of the cylindrical housing in accordance with the determined pressure. In the prior methods, however, generally employed is a control on the basis of the GBD of shock absorbent mat as described before, so that a control through an estimation on the basis of a substituted value has been employed. Therefore, those estimated factors are added together to cause the unavoidable error. Also, the holding force that is caused by the frictional force between the shock absorbent mat and catalyst substrate, and the holding force that is caused by the frictional force between the shock absorbent mat and cylindrical housing, are eventually confused with each other, to determine the dimensions of each parts.
As a result, when holding the catalyst substrate in the cylindrical housing with the shock absorbent mat disposed between them, most appropriate parameter is the pressure (Pascal) applied to the substrate (catalyst substrate, or filter) through the shock absorbent mat (shock absorbent mat). If it is possible to measure the pressure directly, or measure a value directly corresponding to or similar to the pressure, and reduce the diameter of the cylindrical housing on the basis of one of the measured results, then it is possible to reduce the diameter of the cylindrical housing by a sizing process, with satisfactory accuracy.
However, it is very difficult to measure the above-described pressure itself directly. Especially in the case where the shock absorbent mat and catalyst substrate have been accommodated in the cylindrical housing, with the pressure created by the reaction force of the shock absorbent mat, it is required to insert a measuring device into the cylindrical housing so as to measure the pressure, and then remove the measuring device out of the cylindrical housing after measurement, which is too difficult to provide a realistic solution. Alternatively, it could be proposed to measure strain or the like created on the cylindrical housing, and use it as a factor indicative of the pressure. However, a sufficient accuracy required for the measured pressure could not be obtained.

Method of producing a fragile substrate container


A device includes a car-mounted transmitter-receiver and a portable transmitter-receiver. The car-mounted transmitter-receiver includes a first memory that stores the ID of the portable transmitter-receiver and a second memory that stores the ID of the car-mounted transmitter-receiver. The portable transmitter-receiver includes a first memory that stores the ID of the car-mounted transmitter-receiver and a second memory that stores the ID of the portable transmitter-receiver. The transmission and reception of radio signals between the car-mounted transmitter-receiver and the portable transmitter-receiver are made in one of an active entry mode and a passive entry mode, in whichever entry mode the transmitted signal contains the ID of the car-mounted transmitter-receiver and the ID of the portable transmitter-receiver, and in the active entry mode, the signal transmitted by the portable transmitter-receiver further contains an instruction signal that controls a device being controlled disposed in the car.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a keyless entry device including a car-mounted transmitter-receiver and a portable transmitter-receiver, and in particular, it relates to a key entry device in which one portable transmitter-receiver can be used only for one car-mounted transmitter-receiver even when one portable transmitter-receiver ID is registered for two car-mounted transmitter-receivers in a car manufacturing process.
2. Description of the Related Art
Vehicles such as cars generally have locks for doors to prevent theft or intrusion and breakage when not used. Doors have been locked or unlocked by inserting a key for starting an engine into a keyhole. However, so-called active keyless entry devices have come into use for convenience in which doors are locked or unlocked by operating the switch of a portable transmitter-receiver without inserting a key into a keyhole. Furthermore, so-called passive keyless entry devices have come into use in recent years in which doors can be locked or unlocked automatically without operating the switch but with a specified portable transmitter-receiver and in position. The passive keyless entry devices are generally given the function of the active keyless entry devices, or the function of the active entry, and some devices are given an electrical identifying function for engine startup to prevent the engine from starting until identification is made between a car and a portable transmitter-receiver, thereby increasing security.
This type of passive keyless entry devices having the function of the active keyless entry devices include an active keyless entry device in which an operation switch is disposed on the portable transmitter-receiver, wherein when a user operates the operation switch of the portable transmitter-receiver, the portable transmitter-receiver generates an instruction signal corresponding to the operation mode and transmits the generated instruction signal to a car-mounted transmitter-receiver by radio, and a passive keyless entry device in which the car-mounted transmitter-receiver generates a low-frequency signal including a wakeup signal and a data signal at regular intervals, transmits the generated low-frequency signal to the portable transmitter-receiver by radio, wherein when the portable transmitter-receiver has received the low-frequency signal, the portable transmitter-receiver generates a radio-frequency signal including an instruction signal and transmits the generated radio-frequency signal by radio (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-320212).
In this case, the active keyless entry devices transmit an instruction signal to the car-mounted transmitter-receiver by radio by the user operating the operation switch of the portable transmitter-receiver and as such, devices disposed in the vehicle cannot be operated unless the user etc. operates the operation switch of the portable transmitter-receiver, so that the door-locked state of the vehicle does not change to an unlock state by mistake.
On the other hand, for the passive keyless entry devices, radio signals are transmitted or received between the portable transmitter-receiver and the car-mounted transmitter-receiver without operating the operation switch of the portable transmitter-receiver to allow automatic operation of the devices disposed in the vehicle, thus having higher functionality than that of the active keyless entry devices.
In such keyless entry devices, the ID of the portable transmitter-receiver is registered in the car-mounted transmitter-receiver so as to bring the car-mounted transmitter-receivers mounted on a vehicle into correspondence with a portable transmitter-receiver used therefor. In this case, a portable transmitter-receiver in which an ID unique to the portable transmitter-receiver is written to its ROM is first prepared. In registration of the ID of the portable transmitter-receiver to the car-mounted transmitter-receiver, the car-mounted transmitter-receiver is set in a registration mode in which the ID of the portable transmitter-receiver is registered, and then a switch disposed on the portable transmitter-receiver is operated, as in the active entry mode, to transmit a signal containing the ID from the portable transmitter-receiver. When the car-mounted transmitter-receiver has received the signal, the ID of the portable transmitter-receiver contained in the signal is written to an RAM provided in the car-mounted transmitter-receiver. Then a signal containing the ID of the portable transmitter-receiver and an instruction is transmitted by switch operation to identify the ID of the portable transmitter-receiver, which is registered in the car-mounted transmitter-receiver, wherein when identification has been made, the door is locked or unlocked according to the specified instruction signal. While the registration of the ID of the portable transmitter-receiver is generally made by vehicle manufacturers during a vehicle manufacturing process, it is sometimes made by vehicle dealers or rarely by a user who bought the vehicle, for example, when the portable transmitter-receiver was lost or when an additional portable transmitter-receiver is used.
Since the registration of the ID of the portable transmitter-receiver to the car-mounted transmitter-receiver is made to specify a portable transmitter-receiver used for the car-mounted transmitter-receiver as described above, duplicate registration of the ID of one portable transmitter-receiver to two or more car-mounted transmitter-receivers is not generally intended. However, for registration of the ID by a vehicle dealer, when the car-mounted transmitter-receivers of multiple vehicles are set in a portable transmitter-receiver registration mode, the ID of one portable transmitter-receiver will be registered in the car-mounted transmitter-receivers of the multiple vehicles at the transmission by the portable transmitter-receiver.
When the ID of one portable transmitter-receiver is registered in two or more car-mounted transmitter-receivers, two or more car-mounted transmitter-receivers can be controlled in normal service condition by using one portable transmitter-receiver, or in other words, the door lock of vehicles that mount the car-mounted transmitter-receivers can freely be controlled, which is not desirable for the purpose of keyless entry devices.
With another structure in which the ID of the car-mounted transmitter-receiver is written manually to individual portable transmitter-receiver using an additional writing device, and a signal containing the IDs of the portable transmitter-receiver and the car-mounted transmitter-receiver is sent at the transmission of a request signal by a passive entry, wherein when the IDs agree with each other in the portable transmitter-receiver, an answer signal is generated to unlock the door, the ID of the car-mounted transmitter-receiver is different from that, so that no identification is made to prevent unlock. On the other hand, for active entry, the identification is made only with the ID of the portable transmitter-receiver to allow door lock, thus posing the problem of difficulty in determining whether the malfunction is caused by failure or misregistration of the ID, because many vehicle dealers do not generally know the details of identification method.

Keyless entry device with passive and active entry modes


A charging cable housing apparatus includes a winding core having a charging cable wound around an outer peripheral surface thereof, an end plate provided with a first slit extending from the winding core in a radial direction and having a predetermined width, and a side plate disposed to connect the base plate and the end plate and provided with a second slit having the same width as that of the first slit. One end of the charging cable wound around the winding core is being pulled out through the first slit or the second slit.

In recent years, owing to environmental concerns, attention is being paid to a vehicle that utilizes electric power charged in a battery as motive power for driving wheels. In particular, a vehicle on which a battery for driving is mounted, such as a plug-in hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle, is drawing much attention. Such a vehicle has a charging inlet that is provided in external charging equipment and through which a charging connector can be connected.
Owing to the increased attention being paid to the vehicle as described above, the development of charging cable housing apparatuses, each including a charging connector, is also ongoing.
The charging apparatus for an electric vehicle described in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 8-33121 (PTL 1) includes an operation box connected to a power supply cable, a charging cable connected to the power supply cable with this operation box being interposed therebetween, a charging connector connected to an end of the charging cable and can be joined to a vehicle-side connector, and a charging cable housing device for housing the charging cable.
This charging cable housing device is a reel-type housing device wherein the charging cable is wound for housing. At the time of charging, the charging cable is pulled out of the charging cable housing device.
In the coil-wound wire and the adaptor for feeding the same described in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 11-335000 (PTL 2), ring-shaped flat plates are provided on opposing end surfaces of cylindrically wound multiple layers of a wire (cable), and each of these flat plates is provided with notches extending from the central axis to edges of the flat plate.
With regard to the method of taking up a cable with a terminal device and the take-up drum described in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 7-137938 (PTL 3), the take-up drum for the cable has a partition, which is provided with a slit.
With regard to the apparatus for taking up a wire harness described in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2001-218350 (PTL 4), a take-up barrel perpendicular to the axis of the drum of a drum main body for taking up a harness is provided with a hole through which the harness is passed, and this hole is provided with a guide roller.