A projection surface gaming system for projecting video images onto a physical gaming table is described herein. The projection surface gaming system includes a video projection device, an object sensing system, and a controller including a processor. The processor is programmed to execute an algorithm including the steps of projecting a first image on a surface of the physical gaming table using the video projection device, detecting a player's interaction with an area of the physical gaming table displaying the first image using the object sensing system, and projecting a second image on the surface of the gaming table in response to detecting the player's interaction with the area of the first image.

Table games are very popular among casino customers as a form of community gaming that incorporates interaction with live dealers. However, table games players become frustrated as they are not able to utilize and interact with all the features and functions the casino loyalty program. For example, table game players are not awarded Bonuses as frequently as Electronic Gaming Machine (EGM) or Electronic Table Game (ETG) loyalty program players. Checking their loyalty program points balance, number of drawing tickets awarded, and other player loyalty features and statuses and offers is more cumbersome than their EGM/ETG player counterparts who can access this information directly on the player tracking display of the gaming machine they are playing. Typically, a table game player must leave the table game and visit the player's club or a Kiosk to check their award and membership features statuses. Interactive player loyalty Bonusing is automated in the player tracking system for EGM's and ETG's. EGM and ETG players can be automatically awarded Bonuses via the player tracking system with awards and features such as, free slot play, electronic complementary vouchers, electronic drawing tickets, and so on. Notification of Bonus awards are displayed to the EGM/ETG player through the player tracking displays installed in each EGM or ETG or via picture-in-picture directly on the EGM/ETG screen. In some cases, the Bonus award is revealed as an interactive Bonus game which the player can interact with via the player tracking touchscreen display. Whereas, table games players are often limited to receiving manually issued complementary physical vouchers for meals and other amenities in the casino by the table games staff only at the end of their gaming session. In some instances, a table game player must print out their own complementary vouchers or match play vouchers at a Kiosk prior to, or after playing at a table game.
The player tracking system can automatically monitor player wagering activities on EGM's and ETG's using the gaming machines meters such as coin-in and coin-out for each player wager (handle pull). However, tracking player wagering activity on table games is typically a manual process performed by table game supervisors or the dealers. The table games supervisor or dealer must manually enter the player's buy-in, average wager, hands played, walk-with and other wager activity measures into the player tracking system. Moreover, changes to the player's buy-in, average wager, hands played, walk-with and other wager activities measures are updated less frequently than EGM's or ETG's in the player tracking system since the process is manual. Often only when player commences play and ends their play at a table game are the player's wagering activity measures updated and recorded in the player tracking system. Over the past few years, some manufactures have made stride to automatic portions of tracking a table games player wagering activity. Theses automations include but are not limited to table games chip recognition, card recognition, hand recognition, and other innovations to automate the tracking of player wagering activity at table games. These innovations have enabled player tracking system to more effectively and accurately Bonus a table games player more frequently. However, the challenge remains how to communicate the award of the Bonus to the player or allow them to interact with the Bonus since an interactive player tracking display is not installed at each table game seat.
The present invention addresses one or more of the aforementioned challenges.

System and method for providing player services using a projection surface gaming system


This application discloses a corrosion-resistant brazing sheet package for use in manufacturing tubing. The brazing sheet package includes a core layer of aluminum-containing alloy comprising from 0.1 wt % to 0.2 wt % of titanium. The core layer has a first side and a second side. The first side of the core layer is adjacent to a first cladding layer to form a first interface. The second side of the core layer is adjacent to a second cladding layer to form a second interface. The first cladding layer and the second cladding layer each include from 2.5 wt % to 4.0 wt % of zinc.

Metal tubing used in heat exchangers is prone to exhibit corrosion over time. To address this problem, some commercially available forms of tubing are made from a zincated microport extrusion with a formed sheet product. In this process, the microport tubes are usually sprayed with pure zinc as the tubes exit the extrusion press. However, the coverage of the tubes with zinc can be inconsistent and the tubes are expensive to produce. Furthermore, these extrusions can exhibit softness in the post braze condition.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Corrosion-resistant brazing sheet package


A new kind of thermal detector and thermal imager for infrared radiation. A thermal detector/imager is a device for detecting/imaging in the infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. This produces a video image, where the video brightness is a function of the incident power. The new thermal imager consists of a thermionic thermal detector having: a substrate having a thermal insulating gap; and a reverse biased CoSi.sub.2 diode suspended over the thermal insulating gap of the substrate and which senses temperature of thermionic emission by producing an output signal with a current that changes exponentially with temperature changes. The substrate is a silicon on insulator (SOI) wafer which has said thermal insulating gap on its top surface; an oxide insulator layer that covers the top surface of the thick silicon support layer, including the thermal insulating gap; and support legs placed on the top surface of the oxide insulator layer. The support legs support the reverse biased CoSi.sub.2 diode in place.

The invention relates generally to infrared radiation detectors, and more specifically, it relates to a new kind of thermal detector and imager for high sensitivity thermal imaging.
The themionic thermal detector (TTD) array is similar to both the PtSi Schottky diode infrared detector array that is widely used in the cryogenic infrared community, and vanadium oxide based microbolometer detector array that is widely used in the uncooled infrared community. However, although both the TTD and PtSi detectors are Schottky diodes, the TTD signal detection mechanism is different from that of the PtSi Schottky Infrared detector in that the detector senses temperature via the dark current rather than directly detecting the photoexcited electrons. In addition, the TTD multiplexor is different from that of the PtSi Schottky array. The TTD multiplexor is similar to the vanadium oxide based microbolometer multiplexor, however, the sensing element is a reverse biased diode rather than a resistor.
The task of providing infrared thermal detection using thermionic detector technology is alleviated by the following U.S. Patents, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference:
U.S. Pat. No 5,010,251 issued to Grinberg et al; PA1 U.S. Pat. No 4,922,116 issued to Grinberg et al; PA1 U.S. Pat. No 5,589,688 issued to Kimura et al; PA1 U.S. Pat. No 4,203,726 issued to Patterson; PA1 U.S. Pat. No 4,533,933 issued to Pellegrini et al; and PA1 U.S. Pat. No 5,163,179 issued to Pellegrini.
The first four references disclose alternative thermionic detector arrays that use radiation sensitive bridges. The last two patents disclose Schottky diode detector arrays. Schottky barrier infrared detector arrays have reached an advanced state of development. There is current production of platinum silicide (PtSi) arrays with more than 300,000 detectors and experimental arrays with more than 1,000,000 detectors. The pixel dimensions of these arrays range from 17 .mu.m to 25 .mu.m. The infrared photoemission efficiency of detectors has a balancing concern: if the detector current is too high, the detector will heat up and require more cooling, but if the detector current is too low noise will obscure the signal of interest. The Grinberg et al patents represent the best known art, but this system can be improved by a selection of detector metals in conjunction with the anticipated temperature of operation of the detector. Using cobalt disilicide, the detector operation will be optimized for operation at 300 K and Pd.sub.2 Si will be better for 250 kelvin with a 0.4 volt barrier height. The present invention is based upon an idea of selection of detector substances based upon the anticipated temperature of the operation.

Thermionic thermal detector and detector array

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force


A device for administering injections includes a housing having an upper end, a lower end including a bottom surface with an injection needle opening, and an axis extending between the upper and lower ends. The device includes an injection needle disposed within the housing for moving between a retracted position and an extended position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present application generally relates to injections, and more specifically relates to medical devices for administering multiple injections.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many patients are required to receive injections whereby the injected substance includes two or more components. In many instances, the two or more components must be stored separate from one another, but are mixed together immediately prior to injecting the combined components into a tissue. For example, diabetic patients often receive injections having two different components that must be separated prior to injection. More specifically, it is known that fibrinogen and thrombin may be injected to form a fibrin polymer in-situ so as to induce angiogenesis. Due to the fact that fibrinogen and thrombin will rapidly polymerize upon interaction, it is critical that the two components be maintained apart from one another until applied at the application site.
Providing injections having two or more components are further complicated by the fact that the dosage requirements vary from patient to patient, or even for the same patient. Attempts to combine the separate components into a final, injectable solution often result in contamination of one or more of the individual components. In addition, attempts to address the administration of two or more medications in liquid form may require administering multiple injections into a patient in order to reach the recommended dose, a first injection for the first component and simultaneously a second injection for the second component. Administering multiple injections every time an injection is required is time consuming, may result in improper mixing of components, and may cause tissue damage.
A number of devices have been developed for maintaining at least two substances apart from one another before being injected. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,359,049 to Redl et al. teaches a device that holds two syringes together in a support having a common actuator. The dispensing end of each of the syringes is inserted into a collection manifold where the two separate substances are mixed together. The mixed substances are then dispensed through a common needle inserted into an application site.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,609,371 to Pizzino discloses a device including a dual syringe that provides for the simultaneous or sequential injection of two different injectable liquids. The dual syringe includes two barrels, each having a plunger for the injection of a liquid, and a manually operable three-position rotary valve that controls the filling of the syringe and the outflow of the liquid from the syringe. The valve has three different positions for enabling the liquid to be dispensed either from the first barrel only, the second barrel only, or both barrels simultaneously.
Commonly assigned EP 1 845 860, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein, teaches an applicator device for applying a multi-component fluid, especially a multi-component tissue glue, including a plurality of substantially cylindrical supply containers for respectively one component of the fluid to be applied. Each supply container has a front end with an out-let opening, a rear end opposite to the front end, and a slidably displaceable piston arranged within the supply container and having a piston rod extending out of the rear end for operating the piston. The applicator device includes a manifold having terminal ends with a first port for fluid connection with the front ends of the supply containers. The manifold also has internal channels extending from the first ports of the terminal ends to an outlet site. The applicator device includes a holding element for holding the supply containers, and a coupling element extending from the holding element and having a connection end connected to the manifold, whereby the connection end of the coupling element is bonded to the manifold.
Other attempts to provide injectors that mix two substances include devices that provide two hollow injection needles that are bonded together side-by-side. The relatively large thickness of the composite needle provides an enlarged distal aperture that may damage tissue upon insertion. In addition, adequate mixing of the two individual components is not guaranteed because the components emerge laterally, side-by-side from the distal end of the injection needles.
WO0069488A2 discloses an injector device for containers with an opening for an injection needle. The injector includes a housing, a seat or a carrier arranged to hold the needle and for allowing movement thereof in relation to the housing between a rear, needle-covering, position and a forward, needle exposing position. The injector has a penetration arrangement operable to move the needle from the rear position to the forward position, a return arrangement to move the needle in the rearward direction, and an injection arrangement to expel container content through the needle. The injector has a control button arranged on the housing that triggers the penetration arrangement and injection arrangement.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,288 discloses a syringe injecting device having a body with a slideway therein that receives a syringe carriage biased into one position by a spring and reciprocal in the slideway. A handle extends from the body and there is a communication between the carriage for the syringe and a gear in the handle. The gear is controlled by a latch having a detent which may be released by a trigger from permitting the carriage to be impelled forward under spring action to insert the needle of the syringe into a body.
In spite of the above advances, there remains a need for an applicator device that provides for the efficient administration of multiple and sequential injections of a substance including at least two components. There also remains a need for an applicator device for administering injections that enables a single puncture of a patient's skin to properly inject the two or more components that are mixed together. There is also a need for an applicator device that enables medical personnel to cover a broad area of tissue using multiple and sequential injections. In addition, there remains a need for an applicator device that may be easily re-filled with additional quantities of the two or more components. Moreover, there remains a need for an applicator device that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, safe, and easy to use. There also remains a need for an applicator device having an injection needle that may be automatically extracted from the patient's skin without the need for the administrator to lift the device upward from the injected surface so that the device allows for multiple injections on a 2-D surface of a tissue while moving the device.

Devices for injecting a substance and methods therefor


A pedicle screw with reverse spiral cut that allows for increased loading on a bone and increased osteointegration through automatic and self-managed expansion after the bone screw is inserted into the bone. The bone screw may be a fixation device comprising an elongated body having proximal and distal ends, said elongated body including an outer surface adapted to penetrate and anchor within a bone, and a head affixed to the distal end of the elongated body and adapted to receive a drive component, wherein the outer surface of the elongated body comprises threads extending from the outer surface in a first direction, and further wherein at least a portion of the outer surface of the elongated body comprises a reverse spiral cut into the outer surface in a second direction.

The bones and connective tissue of an adult human spinal column include more than twenty vertebrae coupled sequentially to one another by a tri-joint complex. The complex includes an anterior disc and two posterior facet joints. The anterior discs of adjacent bones are cushioned by cartilage spacers referred to as intervertebral discs. The vertebrae are each anatomically categorized into one of four classifications: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral. The cervical portion of the spine, which comprises the top of the spine up to the base of the skull, includes the first seven vertebrae. The intermediate twelve vertebrae are thoracic vertebrae, and connect to the lower spine comprising five lumbar vertebrae. The base of the spine includes the sacral bones (including the coccyx).
The spinal column is highly complex in that it includes over twenty vertebrae coupled to one another for housing and protecting critical elements of the nervous system. These elements of the nervous system include numerous peripheral nerves and circulatory bodies in close proximity to each other. Despite its complexity, the spine is a highly flexible structure, capable of a high degree of curvature and twisting in many different directions.
Spinal pathologies can arise that either limit the range of motion, or threaten the critical elements of the nervous system protected by the spinal column. These pathologies can arise from genetic or developmental irregularities, trauma, chronic stress, tumors and/or disease. A variety of systems are known in the art that provide some degree of immobilization of the spine by implanting artificial assemblies in or onto the spinal column. These assemblies include anterior, posterior, and lateral assemblies. Lateral and anterior assemblies can be coupled to the anterior portion of the spine, typically between vertebral bodies. Posterior spinal fixation systems generally include a pair of rods, which can be aligned along an axis to which the bones are to be disposed, and which are then attached to the spinal column by spinal fixation bone anchors, such as pedicle hooks and/or pedicle screws. Hooks can be coupled to the lamina or attached to transverse processes, while screws can be inserted through pedicles. In order to provide enhanced torsional rigidity, these structures can include cross-connecting devices for coupling the rods together in a direction that is generally transverse with respect to the axis of the rods. These cross-connecting devices can be coupled directly to the rods themselves, or can be attached to the bone anchors. Spinal fixation devices may be surgically implanted in the body to effect a desired relationship between adjacent vertebral bodies. Such devices typically include a rigid stabilizing rod coupled to one or more devices for anchoring the rod to the vertebral bodies. The stabilizing rod must be contoured to accommodate variations in patient anatomy and/or accomplish the desired therapeutic benefits. Since each vertebral body varies in size and shape, a variety of anchoring devices have been developed, including pedicle screws. Pedicle screws have a shape and size appropriate for engaging pedicle bone and may be used to attach external hardware such as rods and plates to the vertebrae.
Traditional pedicle screws are rigid bone screws that, after installation, absorb significant loading in the vertebrate body. Compared with loading the bone itself, loading of the screw weakens the vertebrate bone structure in the vertebrate body and hinders proper load transfer over time due to stress shielding. In some extreme cases, the bone screw may even fracture within the bone, causing pain and discomfort for the patient while also reducing the overall strength of the spinal fixation device.
Although it is undesirable, failure can occur in pedicle screws and such may jeopardize spinal alignment and fixation stability and may lead to severe complications. Loosening of a pedicle screw can occur in a small minority of patients, particularly in osteoporotic spines. It is believed that screw loosening is related to the low pull-off strength of a screw, which measures a screw's purchase power in bone. A screw with a higher pull-off strength generally has a smaller chance of loosening, and thus lead to higher success rate of surgery. In addition, most pedicle screws are rigid and have a very high structural or bending stiffness compared to the surrounding bone. Due to its high structural stiffness, a rigid metal pedicle screw will absorb most of the external loads and unloads the vertebrate bone, a phenomenon called "stress shielding." According to Wolf's law, a bone with less loading will eventually become weaker. This unnatural loading pattern may cause further degradation of the spinal column.
Accordingly, a bone screw that allows for increased loading on the bone in order to promote bone fusion and prevent adjacent level degradation is desired. In addition, a bone screw that allows for increased osteointegration through automatic and self-managed expansion after insertion into the bone is desired.

Pedicle screw with reverse spiral cut and methods thereof


An end prep tool with a pneumatically driven tool slide assembly comprises a mandrel mountable to the internal diameter of a tubular work piece. Mounted on the mandrel are a rotational head assembly and a rotatable housing that are longitudinally displaceable along the mandrel. The rotational head assembly carries either one or two tool feed assemblies thereon for orbital movement around the work piece. The tool slide assemblies are driven by a pneumatic motor to provide a true phonographic finish with no tripper marks.

I. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to tools for refinishing a work piece and more particularly, to an internally mounted end prep tool that can be rapidly set up and used in the field to accurately machine flat or beveled surfaces on pipe flanges, valves, fittings and pipe ends within close tolerance ranges.
II. Discussion of the Prior Art
Portable end prep tools are generally known in the art. Industrial tubing is found in refineries, pipelines, steam plants or the like. End prep tools are used to prepare industrial tubing for welding by cutting, machining and/or beveling the end of the tube. Prior art end prep machines mount or clamp to the inside surface of the work piece with an adjustable mandrel. Mounted on the mandrel is an annular housing supporting a gear ring carrying either one or two tool feed assemblies thereon for orbital and radial movement of the cutting tool relative to the work piece. In the U.S. Pat. No. 4,799,409, a drive mechanism is operatively coupled between the gear ring and the feed tool assembly. The drive means included a gear box assembly having a forward, reverse and neutral position, as well as a mechanism for varying the speed of rotation of the feed screw in the tool slide assembly.
While the prior art end prep lathes are useful for refurbishing work pieces, reliance on tripper mechanisms to advance the cutting tool does not always lead to a true phonographic finish to the work piece. A need therefore exists for an end prep tool that results in safe, rigid and accurate on-site machining. The present invention is an improvement over the prior art by providing a feed tool assembly capable of providing a true photographic finish to a work piece.


A temperature warning system for a heavy-duty vehicle, having at least one axle formed with an inner diameter. The axle includes a pair of spindle ends, and a wheel end assembly rotatably mounted on each spindle end. A thermal switch is disposed in the inner diameter of at least one of the axle spindle ends. The switch is electrically connected to a control module to form a closed electrical circuit, and the control module is electrically connected to an indicator device. When the temperature of the switch reaches a predetermined minimum temperature, such as from undesirable increased temperature in the axle spindle end and/or the wheel end assembly, the switch opens, breaking the closed electrical circuit, and causing the control module to activate the indicator device. The indicator device is viewable by the vehicle operator during its operation, thus warning the operator of the undesirable high temperature condition.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the art of temperature warning systems for vehicles, and in particular to temperature warning systems for heavy-duty vehicles, such as tractor-trailers or semi-trailers, and straight trucks, which can function during vehicle operation. More particularly, the invention relates to high-temperature warning systems that are mountable in an axle spindle end of such heavy-duty vehicles for indicating an undesirable high temperature in the axle spindle end and/or associated wheel components during vehicle operation.
2. Background Art
Reference herein is made to tractor-trailers by way of example, with the understanding that such reference applies to other heavy-duty vehicles, such as straight trucks. All tractor-trailers include at least one trailer, and sometimes two or three trailers, all of which are pulled by a single tractor. Each trailer includes a frame, from which at least one axle is suspended. A wheel end assembly is rotatably mounted on each end of the axle. More specifically, each wheel end assembly includes bearing assemblies that are mounted on a respective axle spindle end, and a wheel hub which in turn is mounted on the bearing assemblies. In this manner, the bearing assemblies enable the wheel hub to rotate about the axle spindle end.
To facilitate smooth rotation of each wheel hub about its respective axle spindle end, the bearing assemblies typically include a lubricant. A bearing seal formed of a relatively flexible material, such as rubber, is disposed on the inboard end of the wheel hub to isolate the bearing assemblies for preventing contaminants from passing into the bearings, and to contain the lubricant within the bearings. Repeated excessive speed or excessive braking of the vehicle often generates a large amount of heat in components of the wheel end assembly and/or the axle spindle end, in turn heating the bearing lubricant and/or the bearing seal, which may cause degradation of the lubricant or the bearing seal. If the lubricant degrades, rotation of the wheel hub about the axle spindle end may become impaired and can result in damage to or failure of the wheel end assembly and/or the axle spindle end.
Alternatively, if the seal degrades, the lubricant may escape, or external contaminants may pass into the bearing assemblies, which can also impair the rotation of the wheel hub about the axle spindle end and may potentially damage the wheel end assembly or the axle spindle end. Similar potential damage may be caused by installation problems which detrimentally affect the lubricant and/or bearing assemblies, and thus allow excessive heat to be generated in the wheel end components or the axle spindle end. Such installation problems include situations in which the lubricant accidentally may have been omitted from the bearing assemblies, and/or over-tightening of the bearing retaining nuts, which can overload the bearing assemblies.
In addition, in some applications, sealed bearing assemblies are used. Sealed bearing assemblies are self-contained units that are packed with lubricant and include a seal that is built into the bearing assembly. Such sealed bearing assemblies are known in the art as being non-serviceable, and thus typically cannot readily be opened up in order to replace or add lubricant if the lubricant escapes the assembly or degrades. Rather, sealed bearing assemblies are typically removed from service and replaced if such a problem occurs. Since it is desirable to remove a sealed bearing from service in the event that such a problem does occur, it is advantageous to attempt to monitor conditions that may indicate a potential problem, such as the generation of excessive heat, as described above.
Because multiple trailers, each possibly having multiple axles and multiple wheel ends, may be pulled by a single tractor, the chance that a given wheel end assembly and/or axle spindle end may become impaired from the above-described conditions without detection by the vehicle operator increases. Since the potential damage resulting from an undetected high temperature is undesirable, it is advantageous to attempt to monitor the components of the axle, including the spindle ends, and/or the wheel end assemblies for high-temperature conditions. Such conditions may indicate degradation of or a lack of the proper amount of lubricant in the bearing assemblies, degradation of the bearing seals, contamination in the bearing assemblies, an overloading of the bearings, or the breaking down of the bearing itself. It is also advantageous to alert the operator of the vehicle when a high-temperature condition is detected, which enables the operator to remove the vehicle from service to reduce the potential damage that may result from such high-temperature conditions.
In the prior art, attempts to monitor conditions at the wheel end assembly and/or in the axle spindle end have been made. However, early attempts resulted in systems that are inconvenient to check or that can only be checked when the vehicle is not moving, such as the use of a mechanical indicator on the wheel hub. In an attempt to improve such systems, more sophisticated approaches have been developed. These more sophisticated systems use circuits that employ resistance elements such as a resistor or a thermistor, which create an open electrical circuit at normal operating temperature. When the temperature increases, the resistance element closes the electrical circuit, which generates an alarm. Such open-circuit systems, however, cannot be easily diagnosed for broken wires or other potential problems at normal operating temperatures, since electrical current cannot pass through the open circuit. In addition, a resistance element typically closes a circuit gradually, which may create a delay in the alarm, or may create uncertainty as to the exact temperature at which the alarm is triggered.
Other prior art approaches to such temperature measurement are relatively elaborate, and typically utilize a programmable microprocessor to control the system. The microprocessor interprets incoming data from a sensor and executes a pre-programmed decision-making process to determine when an alarm should be activated. These microprocessors, however, undesirably add to the complexity and expense of a temperature warning system. Moreover, some of these prior art systems also utilize transmitters and batteries, which have limited life spans, necessitating frequent diagnosis and repair.
As a result, the temperature warning systems of the prior art include significant disadvantages, including inconvenience, lack of self-diagnosis, lack of rapid and accurate alarm generation, and high cost due to system complexities. Therefore, a longstanding need has existed in the art for a temperature warning system that is easy to use and convenient, which activates quickly and accurately, which is capable of self-diagnosis, and is economical to purchase and maintain. The present invention provides such a temperature warning system.

Vehicle temperature warning system and method


A cabinet locking device includes a cabinet body, a plurality of movable storage devices, a plurality of locking devices, and a driving device. The driving device is interlocked with the locking devices via a plurality of drawstrings. Each locking device includes a sliding member, an interference member disposed on the sliding member, and a restriction mechanism for guiding the sliding member. The driving device can drive the sliding member to move to an engaging portion or a released position. When the sliding member is moved to the engaged position, the interference member interferes with an engaging portion of the corresponding movable storage device such that the movable storage device cannot be opened. When the sliding member is moved to the released position, the interference member does not interfere with the engaging portion such that the movable storage device can be opened.

To avoid being arbitrarily opened, in a conventional cabinet, such as a chest of drawers or an information cabinet, a locking device is usually arranged to control the opening and closing of the drawer or the cabinet. The locking device generally includes a lock core, a plurality of latching mechanisms, and a transmission mechanism. However, the configuration of the latching mechanism of the locking device is quite complicated, and the transmission mechanism of the locking device is bulky, thus occupying the accommodation space inside the cabinet and complicating the configuration of the cabinet.
The above drawbacks cause various inconveniences in the use of the locking device of the conventional cabinet. In this regard, the present disclosure provides a cabinet locking device that can overcome the aforementioned drawbacks.


The compounds of the formula: ##STR1## wherein the substituents are herein below defined; are plant fungicides, insecticides, and miticides.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention provides new compounds that have excellent plant fungicide activity. Some of the compounds have also demonstrated insecticidal and miticidal activity. The invention also provides compositions and combination products that contain a compound of the invention as active ingredient. The invention also provides fungicidal, miticidal, and insecticidal methods.
There is an acute need for new fungicides, insecticides, and miticides, because target pathogens are rapidly developing resistance to currently used pesticides. Widespread failure of N-substituted azole fungicides to control barley mildew was observed in 1983, and has been attributed to the development of resistance. At least 50 species of fungi have developed resistance to the benzimidazole fungicides. The field performance of DMI (demethylation inhibitor) fungicides, which are now widely relied on to protect cereal crops from powdery mildew, has declined since they were introduced in the 1970's. Even recent fungicides, like the acylalanines, which initially exhibited excellent control of potato late blight and grape downy mildew in the field, have become less effective because of widespread resistance. Similarly, mites and insects are developing resistance to the miticides and insecticides in current use. Resistance to insecticides in arthropods is widespread, with at least 400 species resistant to one or more insecticides. The development of resistance to some of the older insecticides, such as DDT, the carbamates, and the organophosphates, is well known. But resistance has even developed to some of the newer pyrethroid insecticides and miticides. Therefore a need exists for new fungicides, insecticides, and miticides.


An automated command assistance tool is provided for a browser-enabled command line interface of a cloud service. The automated command assistance tool provides examples illustrating the correct syntax for commands used to manage the resources of a cloud service. The command assistance tool learns the syntax of a command from usage patterns found in telemetric data, scripts and user documentation and forms templates containing a command's usage pattern and related information. The templates are used to generate examples that respond to a user query for assistance with usage of a particular command.

A command line interface is a user interface in which a user enters commands in the form of a string of text characters. The command line interface is a text-based interface in which the commands are manually typed. The command line interface accepts commands in a designated input field which are then executed by a command line interpreter. This type of user interface is advantageous over a graphical user interface (GUI) where a user uses a mouse or fingers to click images of icons to access files or programs and/or to execute various operations. The command line interface is faster and more efficient than a GUI since it is composable, that is several tasks can be specified in a single text string thereby eliminating numerous interactions with the GUI.
The use of a command line interface requires a user to be familiar with the commands supported by the command line interface and the correct syntax of the commands. The availability of good reference documentation for the commands may be limited. This is often a problem where there are a large number of commands with various sub-commands and parameters which may be used in numerous ways.

Automated command assistance for a cloud service


A vacuum cleaner comprising: a cleaner body 3; an elongate handle 5 connected to the cleaner body, the elongate handle being movable between an extended position, extending outwardly from the cleaner body, and a stowed position, in which the elongate handle is positioned substantially adjacent to the cleaner body; wherein the vacuum cleaner further comprises a carry handle 11 which becomes accessible for use when the elongate handle is moved from the extended to the stowed position.

So-called stick vacuum cleaners are well known. They have an elongate structure comprising a floor-engaging nozzle or tool, a housing enclosing a separating device, typically a filter bag and a motor-fan unit, and an elongate handle with which the cleaner is propelled and guided over the surface being cleaned. Stick cleaners can be excessively long, some examples being as long as 150 cm, which can render handling and storage of the cleaner difficult.
EP 1033101 discloses an electric cleaner appliance with a foldaway handle which can be fully extended or stowed away. The electric cleaner also has a laterally placed handle situated substantially at the centre of gravity of the appliance. The laterally placed handle is described as being more convenient to hold the appliance when the foldaway handle is stowed. However as the laterally placed handle is situated substantially at the centre of gravity of the appliance and is fixed in position it is inconvenient for picking up and moving the appliance when the foldaway handle is stowed.


A method of tracking and identifying a plurality of items using a label containing an electronic article surveillance (EAS) device such as an RFID tag. An EAS device-containing label is attached to at least one, but less than all, of the items. At least one identifying indicium is stored on the EAS device pertaining to the plurality items. Apparatus for in-line production and application of EAS device-label composites is also described.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed toward a method of identifying a plurality of items using labels containing electronic article surveillance (EAS) devices. More specifically, the method pertains to forming a packaging unit comprising a plurality of items, at least one but less than all of which have a label containing an EAS device applied thereto. In another aspect, the invention is directed to methods and apparatus for efficient in-line production and product application of EAS (preferably RFID) bearing labels.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The tracking and identification of products from the manufacturer to the retailer is an important and vital business operation. In the context of large retailers, knowing exact quantities of inventory and where it is located at any given time is essential to the proper distribution of goods throughout its retail network. Furthermore, tight inventory control has the added benefit of deterring theft of goods during the distribution process.
EAS devices have been employed to assist in theft prevention at the retail level for many years. EAS devices are applied to individual items and are then removed or deactivated upon purchase of a particular item. If the consumer attempts to remove the item from the store while the EAS device is active, sensing equipment usually located proximate the store exit detects the active EAS device and sounds an alarm. This method of product monitoring has the disadvantages in that the EAS device is oftentimes visible to the potential thief who may remove it from the product prior to exiting the store thereby circumventing the EAS security system. Furthermore, application of the EAS devices to the product can damage the overall aesthetics of the product.
Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags have the capability to store information related to a product on an integrated circuit. The information is retrieved through an RFID interrogation device. Applying RFID tags to individual devices has the drawback of being relatively expensive in that the tags themselves can be costly and numerous checks must be performed through the manufacturing and tag application process to prevent application of a defective tag to a product.
Methods and apparatus for the production of RFID-bearing labels have been previously described. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,451,154; 6,334,921; 5,897,741; 6,281,795; 6,162,550; 5,867,102; and 6,527,888, as well as U.S. Published Applications 2002/0195194, 2002/0195195, and 2003/0136503 are exemplary references of this character. However, these references do not teach or suggest methods wherein RFID-bearing labels are created in-line and then immediately applied to products, which limits the utility and commercial desirability of these prior proposals.
There is a real an unfulfilled need in the art for a method of tracking and identifying items which is less expensive than application of RFID tags to each individual product and less susceptible to circumvention by would-be thieves. Additionally, the art fails to teach commercially optimum techniques for the production and immediate application of EAS or RFID-bearing labels.


A method and apparatus for moving yarn in a selected pattern to form a braided article. The apparatus includes a segmented grid of stationary support elements and a plurality of shuttles configured to carry yarn. The shuttles are supported for movement on the grid assembly and each shuttle includes a retractable plunger for engaging a reciprocating shuttle plate that moves below the grid assembly. Such engagement at selected times causes the shuttles to move about the grid assembly in a selected pattern to form a braided article of a particular geometry.

The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for moving yarn in a selected pattern, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for moving yarn in a selected pattern to generate braided articles of various configurations. The present invention improves upon weaving techniques currently known for generating complex forms such as the pre-form structures used in producing composite materials. Currently known three dimensional braiding devices are either limited in flexibility with respect to the braiding patterns obtainable, or obtain flexibility at the expense of complexity of the device. A number of known braiding device produce braid patterns that are intrinsic to the particular device being used, and do not allow for various braiding patterns on a single device. Other known braiding methods allow flexibility in braiding patterns, but are extremely complex in operation, such complexity making practical implementation and operation difficult and expensive.


A system and method to synchronize OSGi bundle inventories between an OSGi bundle server and a client are presented. When a server detects that a client requires a bundle update, the server and client proceed through a data synchronization process prior to invoking in a device management session to provide bundles from the server to the client. During the data synchronization process, the client provides manifest information to the server that allows the server to store an up-to-date client manifest. The server uses the locally stored client manifest to select bundles, along with dependent bundles, to provide to the client. After synchronization, the client enters into a device management session with the server, at which time the server provides the selected bundles to the client based upon the locally stored client manifest.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a system and method to synchronize OSGi (Open Services Gateway initiative) bundle inventories between an OSGi bundle server and a client. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method for synchronizing a client manifest stored at a server and, once synchronized, using the client manifest to identify bundles, along with dependent bundles, to provide to the client.
2. Description of the Related Art
The OSGi specification, along with a management agent, provides a mechanism for a server to provide software to clients over a network. In an end-to-end client-server architecture, the server provides applications to clients in "bundles," which are applications packages in a standard JAVA archive (JAR) file.
Occasionally, the server sends bundle updates to a client. Before sending a bundle update, however, the server must first determine which bundles are already installed on the client because the bundle update may require other bundles (dependent bundles) to also be installed on the client. A challenge found is that existing art requires the server to acquire a bundle inventory from the client each time that the server wishes to send updated bundles to the client. Unfortunately, the acquisition process requires a significant amount of network traffic, thus consuming a significant amount of network bandwidth.
What is needed, therefore, is a system and method for a server to provide bundle updates to a client without consuming significant network bandwidth prior to providing the bundle update to the client.

System and method to synchronize OSGi bundle inventories between an OSGi bundle server and a client

International Business Machines Corporation


Coated porous materials that exhibit air permeability and repellency to liquids having a surface tension at least equal to or greater than 20 dynes/cm which are suitable for making ileostomy vent filters, transdermal drug substrates, agricultural and medical apparel, as well as paint and chemical protective garments. The coating for the porous material is applied as a curable composition containing fluorocarbon urethane precursors which are cross-linked in situ.

This invention relates to coated porous materials that exhibit air permeability and repellency to liquids having a surface tension at least equal to or greater than 20 dynes/cm.
Films, fabrics, and fibrous substrates including textiles have been treated with fluorochemical uncrosslinked urethanes to impart water and soil repellency.
Microporous films prepared by thermally-induced phase separation (TIPS) methods are known. U.S. Pat. No. 4,539,256 (Shipman), U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,726,989 and 5,120,594 (Mrozinski) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,260,360 (Mrozinski et al.) describe such films containing a multiplicity of spaced, randomly dispersed, equiaxed, nonuniform shaped particles of a thermoplastic polymer, optionally coated with a liquid that is immiscible with the polymer at the crystallization temperature of the polymer. Micropores allow permeability to gases, including moisture vapor, but can be impermeable to high surface tension liquids such as water.
Microporous membranes have been coated with a urethane such that the pores are filled and the membrane is impervious to passage of gases. On the other hand, U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,279 describes a gas permeable membrane coated with a fluorochemical urethane wherein the urethane is prepared from either 1,4-cyclohexane diisocyanate or methane 4,4,xe2x80x2-diphenyl diisocyanate.
The present invention fills a need by employing a precursor fluorocarbon urethane composition or curable coating composition to coat a porous material, e.g. a microporous polyolefin membrane. The urethane precursors are crosslinked in situ, upon drying, in such a way that the pathways through the membrane are not blocked or plugged with a coating. As a result, resistance to airflow and bubble point pore size values are retained after coating. Because the coated membrane is highly breathable, durable, and has a low surface energy, it is useful for making ileostomy vent filters, transdermal drug substrates, agricultural and medical apparel, as well as paint and chemical protective garments.
Accordingly, the present invention in its first aspect is a curable coating composition for a porous material containing fluorocarbon urethane precursors including:
(a) a polyisocyanate;
(b) a polyhydric alcohol; wherein at least one member of (a) or (b) has a functionality of greater than 2, and
(c) a perfluoroalkyl alcohol of the formula
Rxe2x80x94(CH2)xxe2x80x94OH,xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(I)
in which R is CnF2n+1 or
where x is 1-12; n is 3-20, and R1 is H, alkyl of 1-4 carbon atoms or xe2x80x94(CH2)xxe2x80x94OH, wherein said composition is capable of crosslinking.
A second aspect of the present invention is a coated porous material which includes a porous material and a curable coating composition applied to said material which includes the following fluorocarbon urethane precursors:
(i) a polyisocyanate;
(ii) a polyhydric alcohol; wherein at least one member of (i) or (ii) has a functionality of greater than 2, and
(iii) a perfluoroalkyl alcohol of the formula
Rxe2x80x94(CH2)xxe2x80x94OH,xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(I)
in which R is CnF2n+1 or
where x is 1-12; n is 3-20, and R1 is H, alkyl of 1-4 carbon atoms or xe2x80x94(CH2)xxe2x80x94OH.
Another aspect of the present invention is a process or method of making a coated porous material which includes the following steps:
applying a curable coating composition which includes the above defined fluorocarbon urethane precursor on an organic solvent, on a porous material to cover the material, and
drying the resulting coating sufficiently to remove the solvent and promote cross-linking or curing, to produce the coated membrane which exhibits air permeability and repellency to liquid having a surface tension at least equal to or greater than 20 dynes/cm.
The inventive porous materials having a cured coating, which include non-woven, woven materials, perforated films and microporous membranes retain their liquid repellency and moisture vapor permeability properties for extended periods in all types of applications.
The microporous polyolefin materials may contain a compatible liquid or diluent such as mineral oil along with the fluorocarbon urethane coated material and are referred to as (oil-in) materials. Such a fluorocarbon urethane coating on an oil-in polyolefin membrane provides the membrane the ability to resist wetting by fluids like alcohols, toluene, mineral oil, water-surfactant solutions and ethylene glycol even though the membrane""s pore walls are coated with approximately 35-40 wt-% mineral oil or another diluent. The same coating on a polyolefin membrane having no diluent (oil-out) or on other membranes or materials not prepared by thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) provides materials displaying even more repellency such that the coated materials resist wetting by all of the above-mentioned fluids as well as chlorohydrocarbons such as trichloroethane, and hydrocarbons such as decane, octane, heptane and hexane.
The present coated porous materials having a cured coating are repellent to a wide variety of fluids including the above organic fluids and are much more repellent than membranes containing prior fluorocarbon coatings such as the fluorocarbon oxazolidinone coatings on polyolefin membranes described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,260,360.
Coated and cured porous materials, e.g. microporous polyolefin membrane materials, of the present invention, exhibit significant air permeability properties and repel aqueous-based as well as non-aqueous based liquids including a wide variety of non-aqueous liquids having a surface tension at least equal to or greater than 20 dynes/cm.
Porous materials of the present invention having a cured coating exhibit durability of their fluid repellency properties when subjected to rubbing, touching, folding, flexing or abrasive contact. They also display oleophobic properties, resisting penetration by oils and greases and some (eg. those made from polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) or PE/PP blends) may be heat sealable. For the oil-in version of the invention, the oleophobicity and heat sealing properties of the membrane materials are most surprising since the membrane materials contain an oily, oleophoic processing compound which is a priori, one would expect, would promote wetting by other oleophilic materials and which also would inhibit heat sealing.
Transport of a liquid challenge through most porous materials or fabrics occurs because the liquid is able to wet the material. A possible route through the material is for the liquid to initially wet the surface of the material and to subsequently enter pore openings at the surface of the material followed by a progressive wetting of and travel through interconnected pores until finally reaching the opposite surface of the material. If the liquid has difficulty wetting the material, liquid penetration into and through the material will, for the most part, be reduced. A similar phenomenon occurs in the pores, where reduced wetability, in turn, reduces pore invasion. Generally the greater the numerical difference between the liquid surface tension of the liquid and the surface energy of the porous material (the latter being lower), the less likely it is that the liquid will wet the porous material.
In the case of aqueous solutions containing surface active agents (eg. surfactants) the wetting of the porous materials is usually time-dependent, controlled by the slow diffusion and absorption of surfactants onto the surface of the porous materials.
In the present invention, the extent of barrier protection may be described by four levels, of which the first two describe existing levels and the last two describe levels of protection as a result of the coatings presented by this invention.
Level 1 TIPS membranes without diluents (polypropylene (PP), or high density polyethylene (HDPE)) TIPS membranes with diluents, particle-filled membranes, and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membranes. In terms of repellency beyond water, these materials immediately wet through with a 0.1 wt. % surfactant, Triton X-1000/water solution with a surface tension of 30 dynes/cm under a constant pressure of 69 kpa (10 psi). These microporous materials also wet easily with mineral oil and solvents like alcohol, toluene, methylethyl ketone (MEK) and the like.
Level 2 TIPS oil-in PP membranes containing fluorocarbon oxazolidinone (FCO) as a melt additive or a topical coating. These membranes prevent penetration of the above surfactant/water solution for 32 minutes at 69 kpa (10 psi). They also resist wetting by methyl alcohol and water/isopropyl alcohol mixtures (IPA) (up to 80% IPA), but are wetted by pure IPA, toluene, MEK, and other solvents.
Level 3 TIPS oil-in PP membranes with a fluorocarbon-urethane coating presented by this invention. These materials do not allow flow of the above surfactant/water solution through the membrane in over three days of continuous testing under a constant pressure of 69 kpa (10 psi). In addition, these materials resist wetting by any alcohol, toluene, ethylene glycol, ethyl acetate, and by a number of concentrated surfactants.
Level 4 TIPS diluent-free (or oil-out) membranes, PTFE, particle-filled membranes, polyamides and other polymer membranes with a fluorocarbon-urethane coating of the present invention. These materials resist wetting (except under high pressure) by surfactants, alcohol, MEK, toluene, dodecane, decane, octane, heptane, and hexane.
The oleophobic, hydrophobic, moisture permeable, air permeable, coated porous materials of the present invention may be prepared by topically applying a fluorocarbon urethane precursor, the curable coating composition, to a porous material through spray or roll-on application, through dip coating or transfer coating techniques. Following the application, the coating is dried sufficiently to remove solvent and to promote cross-linking or curing of the fluorocarbon urethane coating membrane.
By porous material, it is meant that a material has a pore size less than about 250 micrometers. Preferably the pore size is from about 0.01 to about 250 micrometers. The materials include non-woven and woven materials and perforated films. Porous polymeric materials include polyurethane, polyesters, polycarbonates, polyamides, and preferably polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and polyolefins. The polymeric materials may also be referred to as microporous membranes.
Examples of membranes which are made by thermally induced phase separation include crystalline or crystallizable polyolefin membranes described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,539,256 (Shipman), U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,989 (Mrozinski), U.S. Pat. No. 4,863,792 (Mrozinski), U.S. Pat. No. 4,824,718 (Hwang), U.S. Pat. No. 5,120,594 (Mrozinski) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,260,360 (Mrozinski) each of which is incorporated herein by reference.
An example of a perforated films is the plain surface, polycarbonate, Track-etch membrane filter screens available from Poretics Corporation, of Livermore, Calif.
Further, the curable coating compositions can be topically applied to materials such as stretched PTFE, as mentioned above, or particle loaded films which do not contain a diluent or compatible liquid (oil-out). The compatible liquid may be removed from the microporous polyolefin sheet material, either before or after orientation, to form a diluent-free microporous polymeric material. The compatible liquid can be removed by, for example, solvent extraction, volatilization, or any other convenient method.
Crystallizable olefin polymers suitable for use in the preparation of coated microporous membrane materials of the present invention are melt processable under conventional processing conditions. That is, on heating, they will easily soften and/or melt to permit processing in conventional equipment, such as an extruder, to form a sheet, tube, filament or hollow fiber. Upon cooling the melt under controlled conditions, suitable polymers spontaneously form geometrically regular and ordered crystalline structures. Preferred crystalizable olefin polymers for use in the present invention have a high degree of crystallinity and also possess a tensile strength of at least about 689 kpa (100 psi).
Examples of suitable commercially available crystallizable polyolefins include polypropylene, block copolymers or other copolymers of ethylene and propylene, or other polymers, such as polyethylene, polypropylene and polybutylene polymers which can be used singularly or in a mixture.
Materials suitable as processing compounds for blending with the crystallizable polymer to make the microporous membrane materials of the present invention are liquids or solids which are not solvents for the crystallizable polymer at room temperature. However, at the melt temperature of the crystallizable polymer the compounds become good solvents for the polymer and dissolve it to form a homogeneous solution. The homogeneous solution is extruded through, for example, a film die, and on cooling to or below the crystallization temperature of the crystallizable polymer, the solution phase separates to form a phase separated film.
Preferably, these second phase compounds have a boiling point at atmospheric pressure at least as high as the melting temperature of the polymer. However, compounds having lower boiling points may be used in those instances where superatmospheric pressure may be employed to elevate the boiling point of the compound to a temperature at least as high as the melting temperature of the polymer. Generally, suitable compounds have solubility parameter and a hydrogen bonding parameter within a few units of the values of these same parameters for the polymer.
Some examples of blends of olefin polymers and processing compounds which are useful in preparing microporous materials in accordance with the present invention include; polypropylene with mineral oil, dibenzylether, dibutyl phthalate, dioctylphthalate, or mineral spirits; polyethylene with xylene, decalin, decanoic acid, oleic acid, decyl alcohol, diethyl phthalate, dioctyl phthalate, mineral oil or mineral sprits, and polyethylene-polypropylene copolymers with mineral oil or mineral spirits. Typical blending ratios are 20 to 80 weight percent polymer and 20 to 80 weight percent blending compound.
A particular combination of polymer and processing compound may include more than one polymer, i.e., a mixture of two or more polymers, e.g. polypropylene and polybutylene, and/or more than one blending compound. Mineral oil and mineral spirits are examples of mixtures of processing compounds, since they are typically blends of hydrocarbon liquids. Similarly, blends of liquids and solids may also serve as the processing compound.
The curable coating composition or fluorocarbon urethane precursors include a combination of polyisocyanate, a polyhydric alcohol and a perfluoroalkyl alcohol as above defined. These components are mixed in an organic solvent and the resulting solution is applied as above described to the polyolefin membrane. The composition contains at least equimolar amounts of polyisocyanate and alcohol. Preferably, an excess of polyisocyanate may be used.
As the polyfunctional isocyanate component employed in the curable coating composition of the present invention, various compounds may be employed without any particular restrictions, so long as they are bifunctional or of higher functionality. Preferred polyisocyanates are di or tri-functional isocyanates. For example, di-functional isocyanate compounds may include aromatic isocyanates such as 2,4-toluenediisocyanate, 4,4xe2x80x2-diphenylmethanediisocyanate, tolidinediisocyanate and dianisidinediisocyanate; alicyclic diisocyanates such as 2-methyl-cyclohexane-1,4-diisocyanate, isophoronediisocyanate and hydrogenated MDI
and aliphatic diisocyanates such as hexamethylenediisocyanate and decamethylenediisocyanate. These compounds may be represented by the formula OCNxe2x80x94Yxe2x80x94NCO. When two OCNxe2x80x94Yxe2x80x94NCO are reacted in the presence of water, a dimer of the formula OCNxe2x80x94Yxe2x80x94NHCONHxe2x80x94Yxe2x80x94NCO will be formed. The difunctional isocyanate compounds include such dimers. Another difunctional isocyanate is
In addition to the difunctional isocyanate compounds, polyfunctional isocyanate compounds such as trifunctional, tetrafunctional or pentafunctional isocyanate compounds may be mentioned. Specific examples of trifunctional isocyanate compounds include, in addition to the after-mentioned compounds, a trimer of the formula
obtained by reacting the above-mentioned dimer of the formula OCNxe2x80x94Yxe2x80x94NHCONHxe2x80x94Yxe2x80x94NCO with a monomer of the formula OCNxe2x80x94Yxe2x80x94NCO. Examples of other tri-functional isocyanate compounds include:
The polyhydric alcohol includes any multifunctional monomer alcohol having at least two hydroxyl groups. Preferred polyhydric alcohols are those having 2 to 8 carbon atoms and preferably being a diol or triol. Particularly useful are, for example, 1,4-butane diol, neopentyl glycol or trimethylol propane.
Preferred perfluoroalkyl alcohols are those of formula I, defined above,
wherein R is
in which x is 1-4, and R1 is methyl, ethyl or xe2x80x94CH2OH.
Most preferred is the alcohol of formula I wherein R is CnF2n+1 SO2xe2x80x94Nxe2x80x94R1 in which n is 8, and x is 2 and R1 is methyl.
The above components of the curable coating composition are combined in a solvent in which the solution contains from about 2 to about 40 wt-% solids, preferably from about 5-10 wt-% solids. A most preferred composition-contains about 7 wt-% solids. This solution is applied as described above to the porous material.
An optional ingredient to enhance the crosslinking of the components of the curable coating composition is a catalyst. Such catalysts are well-known in the art and may include
(a) tertiary amines;
(b) tertiary phosphines;
(c) strong bases;
(d) acidic metal salts of strong acids;
(e) chelates of various metals;
(f) alcoholates and phenolates of various metals;
(g) salts of organic acids with a variety of metals such as alkali metals, alkaline earth metals;
(h) organometallic derivatives of tetravalent tin, trivalent and pentavalent As, Sb, and Bi and metal carbonyls of iron and cobalt.
Organotin compounds deserve particular mention as catalysts for catalyzing the urethane forming reaction. These compounds include the dialkyltin salts of carboxylic acids, e.g., dibutyltin diacetate, dibutyltin dilaurate, dibutyltin maleate, dilauryltin diacetate, dioctyltin diacetate, dibutylin-bis(4-methylaminobenzoate), dibutyltin-bis(6-methylaminocaproate), and the like. Similarly, there may be used a trialkyltin hydroxide, dialkytin oxide, dialkytin dialkoxide or dialkyltin dichloride. Examples of these compounds include trimethyltin hydroxide, tributyltin hydroxide, trioctyltin hydroxide, bitutyltin oxide, dioctyltin oxide, dilauryltin oxide, dibutyltin-bis(isopropoxide), dibutyltin-bis(2-dimethylaminopentylate), dibutyltin dichloride, dioctyltin dichloride, and the like. Particularly useful for the present invention is dibutyltin dilaurate.
As an organic solvent used to facilitate the application of the precursors, the following may be used: an ether such as dioxane, tetrahydrofuran, ethyl propyl ether; an amide such as formamide, dimethylformamide or acetamide; ketones such as acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isopropyl ketone or methyl isobutyl ketone; and esters such as methyl acetate, ethyl acetate, propyl acetate or butyl acetate. Such an organic solvent is added usually in an amount of from about 60 to about 98 wt-%, preferably about 90-95 wt-%. The most preferred amount of solvent is about 93 wt-% of the total of coating precursors, and the preferred solvent employed is a ketone such as methyl ethyl ketone.
Certain conventional additive materials may also be blended in limited quantities with the curable coating composition. Additive levels should be chosen so as not to interfere with the formation of the microporous membrane material or to result in unwanted exuding of the additive. Such additives may include, for example, dyes, pigments, plasticizers, UV absorbers, antioxidants, bactericides, fungicides, ionizing radiation resistant additives, and the like. Additive levels should typically be less than about 10% of the weight of the polymer component, preferably less than about 2% by weight.
An additional aspect of the present invention is the use of at least one surfactant which may be applied onto the porous material as a precoat or made part of the curable coating composition.
The surfactant adds hydrophilic character to the porous material and decreases the interfacial tension of a liquid or liquid system against the surface of the pores within a porous material. Normally any surfactant used will be a wetting agent which will facilitate the surface of the pores within a membrane being wetted by water. If desired, a mixture of different wetting agents may be employed in any specific application.
Accordingly, any surfactant which, when applied to the porous material (i.e., in the absence of the coating polymer), lowers the surface tension thereof to the extent that the substrate will exhibit a contact angle with water of less than about 80xc2x0, preferably less than about 60xc2x0, will render said substrate hydrophilic and can be employed in conjunction with the coating polymer.
Surfactants used may be a nonionic, cationic, or anionic type, or a combination of two or more of these surfactants.
Examples of nonionic surfactants are: polyol fatty acid monoglyceride, polyoxyethylene fatty acid ester, polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester, polyoxyethylene alkyl ether, polyoxyethylene alkyl allyl ether, and polyoxyethylene alkylether phosphate.
Examples of cationic surfactants are: quaternary ammonium salts, polyoxyethylene alkylamines, and alkylamine oxides.
Examples of anionic surfactants are: alkylsulphonates, alkylbenzene sulphonates, alkylnaphthalene sulphonates, alkylsulphosuccinates, alkylsulphonate ester salts, polyoxyethylene alkyl sulphonate ester salts, alkyl phosphates, and polyoxyethylene alkyl phosphates.
A preferred nonionic surfactant is, for example, polyethylene glycol monostearate. A preferred anionic surfactant is dioctyl sodiumsulfosuccinate.
In the following non-limiting examples, all parts and percentages are by weight unless otherwise indicated. In evaluating the materials of the invention and the comparative materials, the following test methods are used.


A phase lock loop (PLL) for controlling a sampling clock or other clock, and a data sampling circuit, transceiver, or other device including such a PLL. The PLL includes a multi-range VCO, at least one fine control loop for controlling the VCO, and a coarse control loop for controlling the VCO by changing its frequency-voltage characteristic. The coarse control loop includes a frequency lock detector and voltage range monitoring logic. Typically, the frequency lock detector locks operation of the coarse control loop when the difference between the VCO output clock frequency and a reference frequency decreases to within a predetermined threshold, and the unlocked coarse control loop employs the voltage range monitoring logic to change the VCO frequency-voltage characteristic when the VCO's fine control voltage leaves a predetermined range. Other aspects are a transceiver (including at least two receiver interfaces and a transmitter interface) implementing a clocking scheme employing no more than three PLLs for clock generation, and a transceiver having a multi-layered receiver interface including digital circuitry and a single clock-generating PLL (an analog PLL for generating a multiphase clock to be shared by all layers of the receiver interface). Each receiver interface layer performs blind oversampling on a different received signal using the multiphase clock and the digital circuitry includes multilayered digital phase lock loop circuitry which receives the oversampled data.

The term "transceiver" is used herein to denote any device that performs the functions of a transmitter and a receiver. The term "transmitter" is used herein in a broad sense to denote any device capable of transmitting data over a link (e.g., a serial link), and optionally also capable of performing additional functions which can include encoding and/or encrypting the data to be transmitted. The term "receiver" is used herein in a broad sense to denote any device capable of receiving data that has been transmitted over a link (e.g., a serial link), and optionally also capable of performing additional functions which can include decoding and/or decryption of the received data, and other operations related to decoding, reception, or decryption of the received data.
A transceiver typically includes a data sampling circuit that includes a feedback loop for controlling the phase of a sampling clock. Such a feedback loop typically includes a phase detector ("PD") that determines the phase error (O) present between a sampling clock and data being sampled by the sampling clock. Typically, the phase detector determines the phase error between the sampling clock and a reference clock derived from the data being sampled by the sampling clock.
The expressions "high frequency operation" and "high speed operation" are used herein synonymously to denote operation of a circuit in response to an input signal (e.g., an input clock) having frequency of 1 GHz or more (e.g., an input clock having frequency 5 GHz or 5.15625 GHz).
Transceivers (sometimes referred to as "10 Gb Ethernet transceivers") that comply with the recently established standard known as the "10 Gb Ethernet" standard (IEEE 802.3-ae, promulgated in 2002, entitled CSMA/CD Access Method and Physical Layer Specifications-MAC Parameters, Physical Layer and Management Parameters for 10 Gb/s Operation") have been implemented.
Scaled-down technology and low supply voltage allow a 10 Gb Ethernet transceiver to be implemented in a single CMOS integrated circuit which includes a 10.3125-Gb/s serial interface and a four-channel 3.125-Gb/s interface (XAUI). See, for example, the transceiver described in Sidiropoulos, et al., "An 800 mW 10 Gb Ethernet Transceiver in 0.13 μm CMOS," IEEE ISSCC Dig. Tech. Papers, pp. 168–169, February 2004.
For physical coding sub-layer (PCS) and management functions, it is conventional for a 10 Gb Ethernet transceiver to employ an elastic buffer or gearbox that uses 312.5 MHz and 322.27 MHz read/write clocks to generate 10.3125-Gb/s serial data in response to quad 3.125-Gb/s data, to generate quad 3.125-Gb/s data in response to 10.3125-Gb/s serial data, and to handle 64/66b coding. A 10 Gb Ethernet transceiver typically also includes a clock-multiplying unit ("CMU") or clock-and-data recovery unit ("CDR") that generates a 5.15625 GHz clock. A 10 Gb transceiver typically also includes a divide-by-16 frequency divider circuit ("÷16" circuit) and a divide-by-16.5 frequency divider circuit ("÷16.5" circuit) that generate, respectively, a 322.27 MHz clock and a 312.5 MHz clock in response to the 5.15625 GHz clock output from the transceiver's CMU or CDR. The 322.27 MHz and 312.5 MHz clocks can be supplied to divide-by-2 frequency divider circuits (to generate 161.135 MHz and 156.25 MHz clocks), and the 161.135 MHz and 156.25 MHz clocks can be used in feedback loops of data sampling circuits for sampling the 10.3125-Gb/s and 3.125-Gb/s data. Alternatively, the 322.27 MHz and 312.5 MHz clocks themselves can be used in feedback loops of data sampling circuits for sampling the 10.3125-Gb/s and 3.125-Gb/s data.
A 10 Gb Ethernet transceiver can be implemented as an integrated circuit, for example, using a 0.13-μm CMOS technology. Such an advanced CMOS technology offers fast transistor speed to achieve 10 Gb/s operation, but also poses design challenges. For example, in a PLL for generating a clock (e.g., a sampling clock) for such an integrated circuit implementation of a 10 Gb Ethernet transceiver, the reduced supply voltage narrows the input voltage range of the VCO of the PLL. If the PLL has conventional design, the reduction in supply voltage implies that VCO gain must be increased in order for the PLL to be operable over the desired frequency range under all possible PVT conditions (i.e., all possible variations in process, voltage, and temperature parameters during manufacture and operation). For example, a VCO implemented as an integrated circuit using a 0.13-μm CMOS technology and operating with a 1.2 Volt supply voltage may require a voltage-to-frequency gain of as high as 10 GHz/V to cover the desired frequency range under all possible PVT conditions.
Voltage-to-frequency gain of a VCO (sometimes denoted herein as "Kvco") is the slope of the curve indicating the VCO's output clock frequency as a function of control voltage. The functional relation of output clock frequency versus control voltage for a VCO, will sometimes be referred to herein as the "frequency-voltage characteristic" of the VCO.
Operation of a VCO having high Kvco in a PLL undesirably causes the PLL to have high noise sensitivity, since noise on the power supply and control node is modulated onto the VCO output. To make a PLL (including a VCO) operable under a wide range of PVT conditions without the need for high Kvco, it has been proposed to design the VCO to be operable with any selected one of multiple frequency-voltage characteristics each having low Kvco, with sufficient frequency overlap between the characteristics, rather than to be operable in accordance with only one frequency-voltage characteristic having large Kvco in a desired operating range. In operation of a PLL including such a VCO (sometimes referred to as a "multi-range VCO"), coarse control is achieved by causing the VCO to operate with a selected "best" one of the available frequency-voltage characteristics, and fine control is achieved by causing the VCO to operate at a "best" operating point along the selected frequency-voltage characteristic. Generally, to avoid malfunction or false operation of a PLL that includes a multi-range VCO, the PLL should satisfy the following conditions: each operating frequency must be included within a segment of at least one of the frequency-voltage characteristics; there must be sufficient frequency overlap between the frequency-voltage characteristics so that the PLL can operate at any target frequency in the full range of operating frequencies (the range of frequencies at which the PLL is intended to be operable) and the PLL can be switched between different ones of the frequency-voltage characteristics to operate at any frequency in the full range; the PLL can be switched to the appropriate frequency-voltage characteristic sufficiently rapidly regardless of initial conditions (i.e., the conditions at power on or reset); and the PLL must operate with adequate immunity to noise.
FIG. 1A is a graph of a frequency-voltage characteristic of a VCO which operates in a PLL only in accordance with this characteristic. To allow the PLL to operate at any frequency in the full range from f1 to f2 in response to control voltages V in the range VL<V<VH, where VL is a minimum control voltage and VH is a maximum control voltage, the characteristic has relatively large slope (Kvco) throughout that operating range. FIG. 1B is a graph of a set of frequency-voltage characteristics of a VCO. A modified version of the PLL of FIG. 1A includes the VCO of FIG. 1B. This modified PLL includes a coarse control loop which implements a coarse control algorithm to ensure that the VCO of FIG. 1B always operates in accordance with a current best (selected) one of the frequency-voltage characteristics. Each characteristic graphed in FIG. 1B has a relatively small slope (VCO gain). By operating in accordance with a sequence of different ones of these characteristics, the VCO of FIG. 1B can operate at any frequency in the same range (from f1 to f2) as does the VCO of FIG. 1A in response to control voltages in the same range (from VL to VH) as does the VCO of FIG. 1A. There is sufficient frequency overlap between the frequency-voltage characteristics of FIG. 1B to allow the coarse control loop to switch between them. Fine control of the PLL of FIG. 1B is achieved by choosing the best operating point along the currently selected one of the frequency-voltage characteristics.
In PLLs that use VCOs having inductor and capacitor-based design ("LC" VCOs), it is conventional to implement coarse control (of the type mentioned in the two previous paragraphs) with a coarse control loop and to implement fine control (of the type also mentioned in the two previous paragraphs) with a fine control loop (see, for example, T. H. Lin et al., "A 900 MHz 2.5 mA CMOS Frequency Synthesizer with an Automatic SC Tuning Loop," J. Solid-State Circuits, vol. 36, pp. 424–431, March 2001).
Two schemes have been employed to implement such a coarse control loop: monitoring the VCO's control voltage (for example, as described in the above-referenced paper by Lin, et al.); and directly counting edges of the VCO's output clock signal to determine its frequency directly. FIG. 2 shows circuitry for use in a conventional coarse control loop to monitor a VCO's control voltage. Since a typical LC VCO includes a MOS varactor having predictable tuning range, the FIG. 2 circuitry can be used to monitor the control voltage and achieve coarse control of an LC VCO (e.g., select a best one of multiple available frequency-voltage characteristics for the LC VCO). The FIG. 2 circuitry allows coarse control to be achieved by inferring the frequency of the VCO's output clock from the control voltage measurements using assumptions about the currently employed frequency-voltage characteristic. In operation of a coarse control loop that includes the FIG. 2 circuitry, the voltage comparators shown in FIG. 2 compare predetermined voltages VH and VL with a low-pass-filtered version (identified as "Vcap" in FIG. 2) of the fine control voltage currently being applied to the VCO. The output of the comparators is sampled, and the samples are asserted to an Up/Down counter. The Up/Down counter generates control signals for controlling the switch positions of a switched-capacitor (SC) network (not shown in FIG. 2) in response to the sampled outputs of the comparators, to allow the coarse control loop to select an assumed "best" one of multiple available frequency-voltage characteristics for the VCO. As long as predetermined voltage conditions are met (i.e., when the voltage Vcap satisfies VL<Vcap and Vcap<VH), the coarse control loop does not change the frequency-voltage characteristic of the VCO, but a fine control loop operates continuously to control the operating point along the current frequency-voltage characteristic. Coarse control implemented using the FIG. 2 circuitry is adequate where the VCO's voltage-frequency relationship is predictable and does not change unless it is changed by the coarse control loop. However, if the VCO's frequency-voltage characteristic changes (e.g., as a result of a temperature change or other environmental change) without being affirmatively changed by the coarse control loop, or if the coarse control loop otherwise makes a wrong assumption about the current frequency-voltage characteristic for the VCO, the coarse control loop will infer an incorrect current VCO output frequency from the control voltage measurements and its (incorrect) assumptions about the currently employed frequency-voltage characteristic, and thus will not generate appropriate control signals for controlling the switch positions of the switched-capacitor (SC) network to select a "best" one of the multiple available frequency-voltage characteristics for the VCO.
For example, when the voltage Vcap satisfies VL<Vcap and Vcap<VH but is much closer to VH than to VL, the FIG. 2 circuitry would not change the VCO's frequency-voltage characteristic, even where there is a high probability that a small change in supply voltage or temperature will cause the control voltage to rise above VH without any significant change in VCO output frequency (and although neither the coarse control circuitry nor fine control circuitry causes any change in operation of the VCO). If, for example, a small temperature change shifts the frequency-voltage characteristic downward, thereby increasing the control voltage to a value above VH (without significantly changing the VCO output frequency), the FIG. 2 circuitry could undesirably cause a compensating change in the frequency-voltage characteristic that raises the control voltage, which then causes the fine control circuitry to decrease the control voltage to a level just slightly above VL. In this state, another slight change in supply voltage or temperature (lowering the control voltage to below VL without changing the VCO frequency) could cause the FIG. 2 circuitry to execute another compensating change in the frequency-voltage characteristic, resulting in another move of the control voltage to another unstable value (a value slightly below VH), and so on. To prevent such unstable operation, in which the coarse control circuitry changes frequency-voltage characteristics too frequently, hysteresis must be provided. However, provision of hysteresis (e.g., by employing additional voltage comparators with reference voltages higher than VH and lower than VL) would have disadvantages (e.g., it could reduce the operating range of a selected frequency-voltage characteristic).
Another conventional scheme for implementing coarse control of a VCO (other than by VCO control voltage monitoring as described with reference to FIG. 2) is a frequency counting scheme in which edges of the VCO's output clock signal (and edges of a reference clock whose frequency is the target frequency) are counted directly. By counting such clock edges, a coarse control loop can compare the VCO output clock and reference clock frequencies and determine whether the output clock frequency is greater or less than the target frequency. Since this scheme does not assume any particular voltage-frequency relationship for the VCO, it can be used with a VCO whose operating range is less predictable than that of a typical LC VCO. However, the frequency counting method cannot itself resolve the ambiguity as to which one of multiple available frequency-voltage characteristics (all containing the target frequency) should be selected. One technique for resolving such ambiguity is to implement the PLL's coarse control loop to use predetermined rules to choose one of the candidate frequency-voltage characteristics. For example, the rules can select the lowest (or highest) candidate frequency-voltage characteristic (e.g., the candidate characteristic having lowest or highest average frequency in a given control voltage range). However, since the frequency counting method does not measure the actual control voltage, a coarse control loop relying only on the frequency counting method cannot reliably select (as an optimal frequency-voltage characteristic) one of multiple available frequency-voltage characteristics which has the target frequency nearest to the middle of its control voltage range. To reliably select (as an optimal frequency-voltage characteristic) the one of multiple candidate frequency-voltage characteristics which has the target frequency nearest to the middle of a control voltage range, a coarse control loop relying on the frequency counting method must also implement some other control technique (e.g., a complicated technique including a sweep through each of the candidate characteristics and selection of one of the candidate characteristics in which the target frequency lies nearest to the middle of the control voltage range).
It had not been known until the present invention how to implement both coarse and fine control loops in a PLL for reliable (but simply implemented) control of a ring oscillator ("ring OSC") or other VCO whose voltage-frequency characteristic is unpredictable or changes even when not affirmatively changed by the coarse control loop. The frequency-voltage characteristic of a PLL using a ring OSC as a multi-range VCO is less predictable than that of a PLL using an LC VCO in place of the ring OSC, and tends to change during operation of the PLL even when not affirmatively changed by the coarse control loop. Preferred embodiments of the present invention implement coarse control of a PLL (whose multi-range VCO is implemented as a ring OSC), e.g., a PLL in a clock and data recovery (CDR) circuit, in accordance with a robust algorithm to avoid the need for frequent resetting of the PLL's coarse control loop.

Phase lock loop with coarse control loop having frequency lock detector and device including same