The present invention has been completed in view of such situation, and an object of the present invention is to find a Ag based alloy which exhibits high cohesion resistance, high light resistance, high heat resistance, high reflectivity, high transmissivity, low absorptivity, and high thermal conductivity of the level which had not been realized by the pure Ag or by the conventional Ag alloys, and on the bases of such alloy, to provide a semi-reflective film and a reflective film for an optical information recording medium provided with excellent writing/reading properties and long term reliability; sputtering target for an optical information recording medium used in depositing such semi-reflective film and the reflective film; and an optical information recording medium provided with such semi-reflective film or the reflective film.

This invention relates to a semi-reflective film and a reflective film for an optical information recording medium which is provided with a high cohesion resistance, high light resistance, and high heat resistance simultaneously with a high reflectivity, high transmissivity, low absorptivity, and high thermal conductivity in the field of optical information recording medium such as CD (Compact Disc), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), Blu-ray Disc, and HD DVD; a sputtering target for an optical information recording medium which is used in depositing such a semi-reflective film or reflective film; and an optical information recording medium provided with such a semi-reflective film or reflective film.
Optical information recording mediums (optical discs) include various types, and the three main types categorized by the writing/reading system are read only, write-once, and rewritable optical discs. In order to increase storage capacity, single side, multilayer optical discs have also been developed from the ordinary single side, single layer optical discs. For example, in the case of a single side, dual layer optical disc wherein the signals are written and read in the recording layer which is farther from the side of the laser beam incidence, the laser beam should be transmitted through the recording layer which is nearer to the laser beam incidence, reflected by the farther recording layer, and again transmitted through the recording layer which is nearer to the laser beam incidence. Accordingly, a semi-reflective film capable of reflecting and transmitting the laser beam is used for the recording layer which is nearer to the laser beam incidence.
The materials which function as a semi-reflective film include metals such as Ag, Al, Au, Pt, Rh, and Cr and elemental semiconductors such as Si and Ge. Among these, pure Ag and Ag alloys containing Ag as their main component are featured in view of (1) high light efficiency (=reflectivity+transmissivity), (2) high reflectivity for the blue-violet laser (wavelength, 405 nm) used in Blu-ray disc and HD DVD, and (3) high thermal conductivity which enables adequate diffusion of the heat generated in the recording film upon recording of the signals. Such Ag based materials exhibit excellent properties for use as a semi-reflective film of an optical disc including high reflectivity, high transmissivity, low absorptivity (absorptivity=100%−(reflectivity+transmissivity)), and high thermal conductivity. However, in order to accomplish sufficient function as a semi-reflective film of an optical disc with long term reliability, the Ag based materials need to overcome the drawbacks of the Ag based materials, namely, (1) cohesion resistance, (2) light resistance, and (3) heat resistance.
[Drawback 1] Cohesion Resistance
Ag based materials are likely undergo cohesion under the effect of heat and halogen (fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, etc.). When it is kept under the high temperature, high humidity conditions used in the reliability test of an optical disc, or disposed in contact with a halogen-containing organic material (of the organic dye recording film, the protective layer, or the adhesive layer), cohesion may take place, resulting in the increase in the surface roughness of the thin film or loss of the continuity of the thin film, which may in turn invite loss of the function of the material as a semi-reflective film or the reflective film.
[Drawback 2] Light Resistance
For example, a single side, dual layer, read only optical disc has a basic cross sectional structure of polycarbonate (PC) substrate/semi-reflective film/adhesive layer/reflective film/PC substrate. When such an optical disc is irradiated by a Xe lamp (a lamp having a spectrum resembling that of the sunlight) in the so called "light resistance test", the semi-reflective film experiences decrease in the reflectivity when the film comprises a Ag based material, and in such a case, reading of the signal becomes impossible once the reflectivity is reduced to below the threshold value that is required for detecting the signal to be read.
[Drawback 3] Heat Resistance
For example, a single side, dual layer, write-once optical disc has a basic cross sectional structure of PC substrate/recording film/semi-reflective film/spacer/recording film/reflective film/PC substrate, and a single side, dual layer, rewritable optical disc has a basic cross sectional structure of PC substrate/dielectric and protective layer/interface layer/recording film/interface layer/dielectric and protective layer/semi-reflective film/intermediate layer/dielectric and protective layer/interface layer/recording film/interface layer/dielectric and protective layer/reflective film/PC substrate. In the case of recordable optical disc including such write-once and rewritable optical discs, the recording layer is heated to a temperature as high as 300 to 600° C. during the writing, and a very severe thermal hysteresis is applied to the semi-reflective film or the reflective film. The growth of the crystal grains of the thin film and loss of the continuity of the thin film caused as a result of such thermal hysteresis impair the function of the semi-reflective film and the reflective film.
Various attempts have been made to improve the pure Ag, mainly by alloying the Ag. For example, corrosion resistance is improved in U.S. Pat. No. 6,007,889 and the like by adding Au, Pd, Cu, Rh, Ru, Os, Ir, or Pt to Ag; in U.S. Pat. No. 6,280,811, Published Japanese translation of PCT international publication for patent application 2002-518596, and the like, by adding Au, Pd, Cu, Rh, Ru, Os, Ir, Be, or Pt to Ag; and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,948,497, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Heisei 6-208732, and the like by adding Pd or Cu to Ag. The inventors of the present invention have also disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3365762 a method for improving crystal structure stability by adding Nd to Ag wherein the crystal structure stability is attained by suppressing Ag diffusion and crystal grain development.
In spite of such efforts, no Ag based alloy has been found that exhibits high reflectivity, high transmissivity, low absorptivity, and high thermal conductivity simultaneously with high cohesion resistance, high light resistance, and high heat resistance, and accordingly, there is a strong demand for a Ag based alloy which fulfill requirements for all these properties.

Semi-reflective film and reflective film for optical information recording medium, optical information recording medium, and sputtering target

Abstract: A semi-reflective film or reflective film for an optical information recording medium comprising a Ag based alloy, wherein the Ag based alloy comprises 0.005 to 0.40% (at % unless otherwise noted) of Bi and 0.05 to 5% in total of at least one element selected from Zn, Al, Ga, In, Si, Ge, and Sn.


A release mechanism for selectively connecting and disconnecting a sliding power window from a movable drive block includes a release knob and a release bracket coupled with the release knob by a cable or rod. The release bracket is pivotable between a locked position and a released position by displacement of the release knob. The release bracket includes a drive block pin engageable with the movable drive block and a locking block pin engageable with a fixed locking block. The mechanism allows a boat operator to operate a sliding roof/window manually in case of power failure or the like. The mechanism enables the window to be locked in the opened or closed position, and no tools are required to release the drive or to position/lock the sliding roof/window.

The invention relates to a sliding roof window and, more particularly, to a release mechanism for a sliding roof window.
With existing powered roof windows, the window can be stuck in an open or closed position in the event of power failure. In a marine environment, a stuck open window can be particularly troublesome in the event of wet weather. It would be desirable to provide for manual operation of a sliding roof window in case of power failure or other drive mechanism problems. It would also be desirable to provide for locking the window in the open or closed position in the event of power failure or the like.


The present disclosure is directed to inventive systems and methods for automatically controlling illumination of a workplace. The lighting system includes one or more tunable luminaires and a calendar module executing on a computer-implemented device configured to receive a calendar entry. The calendar entry includes a starting time of a future event, the identity of one or more invitees to the future event, and a lighting scene selection for the workplace. A lighting controller receives the lighting scene selection from the calendar module and generates one or more control signals to automatically adjust at least one characteristic of light emitted by the tunable luminaires in the workplace for the future event based on the lighting scene selection in the calendar entry.

Current lighting systems offer a variety of preset lighting scenes that modulate light color, intensity, and distribution in a space, such as workplace. For example, lighting scenes can be provided in a workspace to meet the needs of specific activities of a meeting or visual task and/or set the mood for the meeting. Additionally, lighting scenes can be provided for audiovisual meeting presentations, such as PowerPoint presentations or Skype presentations. Also, lighting scenes can be provided to affect mood and concentration without causing melatonin suppression or delayed sleep onset. However, there is a continued need in the art for systems and methods to control illumination of a workplace.

Systems and methods for automatically controlling illumination of a workplace


A method, a system, a machine-readable medium, and an apparatus for managing storage on a shared storage space, for example, on an email server, are provided. A plurality of emails is compared. If the content of each of the plurality of emails is the same, then a single copy is stored on the email server. Further, each recipient of the plurality of emails is enabled access to the stored email via a link to the single copy. Additionally, one or more attachments of the plurality of emails are compared. If an attachment is the same in each of the plurality of emails, then it is stored as a single copy. Further, a link is inserted in each of the plurality of emails, enabling access to the attachment from the single copy.

1. Field of Invention
Embodiments of the invention relate in general to managing storage requirements. More specifically, embodiments of the invention relate to methods and systems for managing the storage on a shared storage space.
2. Description of the Background Art
Electronic mail or email has become an accepted and popular method of personal and official communication. Further, several attachments can be sent with an email. Attachments are separate documents or files that are sent along with the body of the email. These attachments can be music files, images, spreadsheets, word processor documents, and so forth.
An email is transmitted from the email server of the sender to the email server of the recipient. The email, along with its attachments, if there are any, is then stored in the email server till it is accessed and removed by the recipient. Hence, an email requires storage space on the email server. The storage required for an email may be quite large, especially if its attachments are sizeable. This is compounded if the same email is addressed to multiple recipients. In this case, the storage required for the email is equal to the number of recipients multiplied by the size of the email.
In many workgroups, such as an organization with a dedicated email server, the email server provides several individual email accounts. If the same email is transmitted to multiple accounts in the organization, it is stored separately on the same email server for individual email accounts. This results in duplication of content and increased requirement of storage space.
This increased storage requirement, for emails addressed to multiple recipients, is unnecessary and can lead to wasteful expenditure for maintaining excessive storage capacities.
Similarly, storage requirements may also be increased in the case of data servers, file servers, and other storage systems, where the same files or data may be duplicated at multiple locations.

Method and system for managing storage on a shared storage space


The invention discloses a multichambered structure for a rotary kiln.. At least three bases are formed from radial blocks equidistantly spaced about and adjustably attached at one surface thereof to the inner surface of the steel shell, each base extending axially along the steel shell and on the surface opposite the attachment having a profile therein for accepting spoke blocks. The chamber walls are formed from spoke blocks with each of the walls extending radially from one of the bases and axially along the length of the base to the center portion of the cylindrical body. The spoke blocks are specially configured with one side thereof having a profile complementary to the radial blocks for mating therewithin and the side opposite thereof a profile for accepting additional ones of the spoke bricks. Additionally, a hub assembly formed from specially configured hub segments interlocks with the spoke bricks of the three walls and extends axially along the centralmost portion of the walls. Each spoke block has an offset profile and forms a wall resistant to torsional forces resulting from the flow of the charge during the rotation of the kiln.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a multichambered heat exchanger structure for a rotary kiln and, more particularly, to a rotary kiln for lime and cement processing which operates at high temperatures. Each of these rotary kilns is a long, slightly inclined cylinder with a charge of limestone or product-to-be-treated introduced at the higher end and heated air flowing countercurrent thereto introduced at the lower end. The structure, which has a refractory brick interior and a steel shell exterior, has the heat exchanger medial the ends thereof. The heat exchanger splits the flowing charge for improved surface contact into multiple flows. The kiln structure is sufficiently large that the steel shell deflects and the heat exchanger hereof is constructed to resist both the shell deflection and the kiln operating forces.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
Rotary kilns have a long and interesting technological history with, what is believed to be the earliest rotary kiln patented in England in 1885. This rotary kiln, called the Ransome kiln, was mounted at a slight angle and lined with fireclay brick. The kiln was charged at the higher end and fired at the lower end.
In the past, rotary kilns have been equipped with heat exchanger structures sometimes called trefoils manufactured by Harbison-Walker Refractories, Inc., now a division of Dresser Industries, Inc. and other refractory companies. As seen in the three Wicken et al. patents, infra, the trefoil structure shown have dam arrangements or interconnected trefoil lobes. In the Wicken et al. specifications, the refractory bricks are described as having, "conventional complementing tongues and grooves to afford some degree of mechanical interlock." This teaches away from the structure described hereinbelow.
Although some devices for adjusting refractory block positions with respect to the kiln interior wall, such as Antill '971, infra, are known, each is distinguishable from this disclosure.
In preparing for this application, the following U.S. patents became known to the inventor hereof:
______________________________________ ITEM NO. U.S. PAT. NO. INVENTOR ISSUE DATE ______________________________________ 1. 1,431,530 C. H. Leicester 10/10/22 2. 1,534,475 A. H. Willett et al 04/21/25 3. 1,741,680 G. W. Davey 12/31/29 4. 2,341,971 P. W. Antill 02/15/44 5. 3,030,091 O. M. Wicken et al 04/17/62 6. 3,036,822 N. E. Anderson 05/29/62 7. 3,169,016 O. M. Wicken et al 02/09/65 8. 3,175,815 O. M. Wicken et al 03/30/65 9. 3,221,614 J. Pertien 12/07/65 10. 3,346,248 J. R. Martinet et al 10/10/67 11. 3,362,698 J. J. Cerny et al 01/09/68 12. 3,834,108 H. T. Ludvigsen 09/10/74 13. 4,543,893 M. Kunnecke 10/01/85 14. 4,846,677 R. J. Crivelli 07/11/89 15. 4,960,058 W. R. Materna 10/02/90 16. 4,975,049 H. L. Roenigk et al 12/04/90 ______________________________________
These became known to the inventor by the review of Class 432, Subclasses 118 and 119; Class 110, Subclass 338; and, Class 52, Subclasses 604, 605, and 608.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,431,530 - C. H. Lucister - Issued Oct. 10, 1922
Discloses interlocking brick for constructing walls and furnaces having in one plane alternating keys and recesses that can be arranged in half brick staggered interlocking manner.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,534,475 - A. H. Willett et al. - Issued Apr. 21, 1925
Discloses fire brick for sectional fire arches on locomotives. The bricks have a tongue and groove arrangement interlocking with one another and permit a directed flow of gases which maintains the combustion in the furnace.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,741,680 - G. W. Davey - Issued Dec. 31, 1929
Discloses furnace wall construction from slidably interlockable components which provide air cooled chambers adjacent the outer wall to keep the wall at a temperature below softening point.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,341,971 - P. W. Antill - Issued Feb. 15, 1944
Discloses a furnace wall sectionally supported by hanger castings forming an air-cooled, tied wall. The wall accepts bats of insulating material between supporting refractory blocks.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,030,091 - O. M. Witken et al - Issued Apr. 17, 1962
Discloses a rotary kiln with a trefoil heat exchanger with each section having at the downstream end a dam to prevent sifting of the material when the section is uppermost.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,036,822 - N. E. Anderson - Issued May 29, 1962
Discloses a rotary kiln with a partitioned section dividing the stream into six equal streams. The partitions are mounted to yokes exterior to the kiln shell which compensate for kiln deformation.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,169,016 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,175,815 - O. M. Wicken et al - Issued Feb. 9, 1965 and Mar. 30, 1965, respectively.
Discloses rotary kilns with trefoil heat exchangers. The trefoil spokes are apertured allowing material to be dropped through into the countercurrent flowing gases of the adjacent chamber.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,221,614 - J. Pertien - Issued Dec. 7, 1965
Discloses a keyed road paving block preventing transverse and longitudinal movement in response to traffic.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,346,248 - J. R. Martinet et al - Issued Oct. 10, 1967
Discloses a wedge-shaped, refractory block structure for rotary kilns. The blocks have recesses and protuberances that interlock and expansion or spacer plates thereon, which structures tolerate temperatures to 1,000.degree. F. without decomposing.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,362,698 - J. J. Cerny et al - Issued Jan. 9, 1968
Discloses a refractory lining structure for a rotary kiln. Interlocking bricks interlock with each other and with brick holders mounted on the kiln shell. Insulation is inserted between the shell and the refractory bricks.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,834,108 - H. J. Ludvigsen - Issued Sep. 10, 1974
Discloses a building element for walls with one side providing a regular brick pattern and the other providing an interlocking arrangement.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,543,897 - M. Kunnecke - Issued Oct. 1, 1985
Discloses a lining brick for a rotary kiln with an air space for insulating the shell and for retaining heat in the kiln.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,677 - R. J. Crivelli - Issued Jul. 11, 1989
Discloses a trefoil heat exchanger for a rotary kiln with buttressed axial end portions of poured-in-place castable refractory to prevent downhill sliding of the trefoil construction.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,960,058 - W. R. Materna - Issued Oct. 2, 1990
Discloses a self-positioning refractory structure similar in interlocking relationship to Cerny et al. '698, supra. The structure has positioning filler and wedge refractories defining the annular space about the kiln.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,975,049 - Roenigk et l - Issued Dec. 4, 1990
Discloses refractory block for nose ring of a rotary kiln. Each block has lateral and rotational adjustments that are self-aligning.
None of the known patents address the technical problems of structuring trefoils to withstand both the compressive and torsional forces as is addressed hereby.


The thermal accelerometer of the invention comprises an enclosure having disposed therein a central filament powered by alternating electric current of zero mean amplitude and having a frequency lying between first and second resonant modes of vibration of the central filament, the central filament lying between detector filaments adjacent to reaction filaments powered by alternating electric current of zero mean amplitude and having a frequency lying between the first and second resonant modes of vibration of the reaction filaments.

Thermal accelerometers are known that comprise an enclosure in which a central filament is disposed that is connected to a power supply member delivering electricity, and that lies between two detector filaments connected to a member for comparing the temperatures of the detector filaments. When the accelerometer is used for measuring the acceleration to which the vehicle carrying the accelerometer is subjected, the central filament is raised to a high temperature by using a direct current (DC) power supply. The temperature gradient about the central filament is a function of the acceleration to which the accelerometer is subjected. Measuring a temperature difference between the detector filaments thus makes it possible to calculate the acceleration to which the accelerometer is being subjected. To ensure that the electronics performing the calculation operates correctly, it is known to power the detector filaments with alternating current (AC). The central filament is not concerned by this accuracy constraint, which explains why it can be powered with DC.
In order to increase the speed and the accuracy with which acceleration is determined, proposals are made in document FR-A-2 817 351 to dispose reaction filaments adjacent to the detector filaments, which reaction filaments are connected to power supply members delivering the reaction filaments with electrical reaction currents in the form of same-sign DC or of pulses. Under such circumstances, a reaction filament is powered in such a manner as to balance the temperature difference between the detector filaments, and acceleration measurement is performed by measuring the power needed to achieve such balance.
In both cases, unexplained measurement errors have been observed under conditions where the accelerometer was subject to the same accelerations.

Thermal accelerometer with reduced sensitivity to external magnetic fields


A process for producing a sheet-shaped prepreg includes: a fiber bundle introduction step in which tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles are disposed in a multilayer arrangement in the thickness direction and introduced into a die to which a molten thermoplastic resin has been supplied; a fiber bundle thickness reduction step in which each of the tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles is widened by means of spreading to reduce the thickness; a resin impregnation step in which the tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles are impregnated with the molten resin in the die; and a lamination step in which the plurality of resin-impregnated tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundles are laminated in the die.

A sheet-shaped prepreg, wherein a molten matrix resin is impregnated into reinforcing fibers arranged in a sheet-like form and the resin is maintained at a semi-cured condition, is utilized broadly in various fields for reinforcing a component, forming a surface, etc. Further, to obtain excellent reinforcement advantage, etc., continuous fibers are frequently used as reinforcing fibers, and in particular, a prepreg, in which continuous reinforcing fibers are arranged in a tape-shaped form, for example, in one direction, and a resin is impregnated thereinto, is preferably employed (for example, JP_A—60-36136).
When such a sheet-shaped prepreg is prepared by a molten resin impregnation process, if a resin which has a high melt viscosity such as a thermoplastic resin is employed as the matrix resin, there is a case that is difficult to impregnate the molten resin satisfactorily all over through the cross section of the tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundle formed by arranging the continuous reinforcing fibers. Especially, when the thickness of the tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundle is greater than a certain level, a predetermined impregnation becomes difficult, and a good-quality impregnation form (prepreg sheet) cannot be obtained.
In the case where a material prepared by not continuous reinforcing fibers but, for example, by compounding short fibers of reinforcing fibers randomly in a resin, is employed, although it is possible to form a sheet-shaped base material with reinforcing fibers and resin distributed uniformly by kneading and compounding, etc., in such a manner, a high strength of a molded product and a reinforcing effect such as those achieved in case using continuous reinforcing fibers cannot be expected.
In the case where a molten resin is impregnated into ravings (each having a circular or elliptical cross section) comprising long fibers for reinforcing fibers, it is known that the molten resin impregnating ability into portions between long fibers is improved by spreading each raving (for example, JP-A-2005-29912), and that the molten resin impregnating ability into portions between long fibers is improved by sucking air between long fibers forming the roving (for example, JP-A-5-116142). In JP '142, the rovings are drawn into a die after dividing them one by one. This technology, however, in the case of a tape-shaped reinforcing bundle of continuous reinforcing fibers, when the thickness becomes greater than a certain level, because the resin impregnating ability mainly depends on the viscosity of the molten resin, a high impregnation ability improvement effect cannot be expected. Further, with respect to the resin impregnation time affecting the productivity, for the roving having a circular or elliptical cross section, because the resin impregnation time is regulated by a time for the resin to impregnate from all directions, it is not necessary to improve the impregnation ability in a specified direction, and it is considered that the above-described air suction from the inside of the roving contributes to improve impregnation ability. However, in the case of a tape-shaped reinforcing fiber bundle wherein the thickness is much smaller than the width, because the completion time for the resin impregnation is regulated by the time for resin impregnation in the thickness direction, to attempt to shorten the resin impregnation time, thereby improving the productivity, not only simply performing the spreading fibers, but also a special device to improve the resin impregnation ability in the thickness direction are required.
Except the above-described technologies, in the case where a plurality of roving arranged in parallel are impregnated, it is known that rovings adjacent to each other are alternately divided into separate groups so as not to prevent fiber spreading and particle-like resin is given to them (for example, JP-A-040341). In that technology, however, the rovings are in a condition of being divided into groups when the particle-like resin is supplied into the ravings, and when resin impregnation is actually performed, they are handled as an integral sheet and not divided into groups. Therefore, this technology does not satisfactorily shorten the resin impregnation time in the thickness direction.
Furthermore, to control the cross-sectional shape and gain a flat plane of an obtained sheet-shaped prepreg, it is known to use a pair of vertically arranged convexo-concave rolls (calendar rolls) (for example, JP-A-2000-355629). In that technology, however, only widening by convexo-concave rolls is disclosed, and a necessary factor for the strict control of the constant sheet width, with respect to narrowing after widening in width, is not disclosed at all, and therefore, it is not a satisfactory technical content.
Accordingly, in view of the above-described circumstances, it could be helpful to produce a high-grade sheet-shaped prepreg at a high productivity.

Process and apparatus for producing sheet-shaped prepreg


A control section (101) includes a first power control section (81) (a first power control mode) and a second power control section (82) (a second power control mode). The first power control section (81) is for controlling an setting value of electric power to be supplied to a heater lamp (64) based on the temperature of a heating roller (61). The second power control section (82) is for controlling the setting value of electric power to be supplied to the heater lamp (64) in order to forced-drive the heater lamp (64) by an electric power that is higher than the setting value of electric power. Switching control means (84) performs switching between the first power control mode and the second power control mode depending on a status of operation of each of components forming an image forming apparatus (100).

Apparatus of the type having heating means include, for example, a fixing device for use in an image forming apparatus, such as a copying machine, configured to form an image on a medium to be heated such as a recording sheet. Such a fixing device comprises a heating roller (also referred to as a heating member) having a single or plural heating means therewithin, and a pressurizing roller (also referred to as a pressure member) in contact with the heating roller, wherein: the heating means is caused to generate heat to set the surface temperature of the heating roller to a target temperature (fixing temperature); and a medium to be heated, such as a recording sheet, bearing unfixed toner transferred thereto is passed through the contact region (fixing nip area) defined between the heating roller and the pressurizing roller with its unfixed toner bearing side facing the heating roller, whereby the unfixed toner is fixed under heat and pressure.
A control section, which is configured to control the operation of the image forming apparatus, controls an setting value of electric power to be supplied to cause the heating means to generate heat based on the surface temperature of the heating roller detected by temperature detection means.
Also, components forming the image forming apparatus, including a document reading section and a driver section, need be supplied with power. Since the image forming apparatus is supplied with a constant power from a commercial power source, the power to be supplied to each of the components of the image forming apparatus depending on the status of operation of each component for the image forming apparatus to operate properly is limited to an allowable power value that is lower than a rated power value. For this reason, the aforementioned setting value of electric power to be supplied to the heating means provided inside the heating roller is adjusted within a range not exceeding the allowable power value based on the surface temperature of the heating roller.
Recent image forming apparatus include one which is provided with power control means configured such that when the document reading section provided is in operation, the exposure lamp of the document reading section and the lamp in the heating roller of the fixing device form a series circuit to allow current to pass these lamps, while, when the document reading section is out of operation, the exposure lamp and the lamp in the heating roller form a parallel circuit to allow current to pass through the lamp in the heating roller but cut off passage of current through the exposure lamp (see patent document 1 for example). The art of patent document 1 is also configured such that, when the driving device of the image forming apparatus is out of operation, the series circuit is released to form a parallel circuit and the amounts of powers to be supplied to the exposure lamp and the heating roller lamp are increased.
Patent document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. HEI 8-286554

Power control method for controlling a setting value of electric power to be supplied to each of components of an apparatus by switching between power control modes depending on a status of operation of each of the components of the apparatus


The single-foot drivable skate and skateboard is constituted of the simultaneously steering-driving mechanism, synchronous differential driving mechanism, wheel and board. The simultaneously steering-driving mechanism comprises a universal pedal, the driving-steering rod and the single pole truck. The single pole truck pivotally supports the board with a pivot joint or ball joint. The driving-steering rod slides in the slot passing through the pivotal joint and the truck. The synchronous differential driving mechanism made of the noncontact gripping force or the upper-bounded gripping force includes the engaging drums shifted by the shift screws. The shift screws are knotched at the ends of the crankshaft axis. With the manipulation of a sole or heel, the skate or skateboard can twist the pedal to skate, tread the pedals to skate forward and backward, accelerate, decelerate, free-run, brake, turn right and left. To run on muddy and snowy roads, the non-stretchable length-adjustable belts are wrapped on the groovy sprocket wheels. The universal length-adjusting gears adjust the length of the belts and keep the tension in the belts.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a frictionless and noisefree differential drive. With a noncontact engaging mechanism, the rider has on board driving and steering capability.
2. Description of Prior Art
So far, none of the foot-powered vehicles have multiple functions of steering, braking, driving forward, driving backward and free-running. This causes limitations in every aspect. For example, the skater needs to push against the ground and the dancer cannot slide across the stage with a pose. The sets strict restrictions in the performance.
The skateboard is a popular short-range transportation apparatus. The inventor has created several types of skateboards having foot-powered capability. The rider does not need to push against the ground. However, none of the skateboards have onboard single-foot driving, steering, braking, differential drive, twisting to skate and noiseless free-running capabilities. U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,442 issued to Rills (1983) discloses a curved toothed rachet gear rack which engages the curved pinion gear to impart rotational energy to the wheels. His ratchet gear rack is easily broken when the rider hits the stone in jumping. His ratchet mechanism drives forward only. His ratchet gear racks arc too noisy in driving. His curved pinion gears are too expensive to manufacture. Even in the free running mode, the ratchet mechanism makes a lot of noise and makes the rider uncomfortable to ride. The ratchet mechanism does not have the brake and driving backward functions. His invention uses the tilt of the board to change the direction. It makes the board unstable to stand on. His pedal doesn't have the combinatory functions of braking, driving and steering. U.S. Pat. No. 4,861,054 issued to Spital (1989) shows a pedal-powered skateboard which is too heavy for the rider to carry. Similar to the automobile transmission, his invention adopts many gears which are too expensive for a skateboard. His invention adopts the overrunning clutch which drives forward only. The crank mechanism uses reversible stroke motion. As the crank mechanism moves upward, it cannot drive the ratchet gear. Half of the working cycle is wasted. His invention has no brake. To steer his skateboard, the rider tilts the deck which is high above the ground. It is very dangerous to ride his skateboard. U.S. Pat. No. 3,399,906 issued to Portnoff (1968) showed a skateboard using the curved gear rack. It is too noisy to use. The skateboard has no steering capability and braking capability. U.S. Pat. No. 1,574,517 issued to Rohdiek (1926) showed a propelling mechanism having ratchet teeth or gear with a roller clutch. The ratchet teeth are too noisy. For a skateboard, the gear equipped with roller clutch mechanism is too large to be used. The board swivels such that the rider has difficulty standing on the board. His invention has no brake capability. The rider uses two hands to steer the vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 4,181,319 issued to Hirbod (1980) shows a ski equipped with the crank mechanism but having no ratchet mechanism. His rubber gasket is to prevent the undesirable cross-movement. His rubber gasket doesn't have the multiple functions of my invention: the shock absorber, steering and recovering the wheels to straight forward position. His invention doesn't have the free-running capability. The rider stands on the pads with two feet continuously stepping on the pads upward and downward. There is no time for the rider to rest. The pedal doesn't have the steering capability. The rider cannot use the pedal to brake.
Furthermore, standing on the pedals and twisting the pedal, my skateboard can skate backward and forward. None of the prior art has the twisting capability to skate forward and backward.
The differential drive for a single continuous undivided drive axle is very important fundamental technology. U.S. Pat. No. 836,035 issued to Hendricks (1906) showed a continuous undivided axle with clutch mechanism thereby elinimating the expensive and intricate gearing and trusses employed with divided axles. The frictionless and noisefree differential drive has been the bottleneck of the skateboard technology. U.S. Pat. No. 2,246,191 issued to Schmitz (1941) shows a velocipede driving mechanism for a single wheel only, not for differential drive. My invention has the differential drive having engaging drive mechanism. The engaging mechanism replaces the ratchet and/or the gear mechanism used in the skateboard.
Furthermore, the U.S. Pat. No. 2,246,191 issued to Schmitz uses spring clip finger 20 in FIG. 2 to secure the two collar parts with the radial friction force. As stated in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,143,747 issued to Langieri, Jr., the spring clip finger is easily broken. So the coaster brake of Langieri, Jr. uses the eccentrically weighted driver of drum. However, the eccentrically wighted drum didn't solve the problem either. It caused the unbalance of the wheel and the safety problems of sudden lock of the wheel in high speed.
The key issue in the engaging mechanism is how to hold the engaging drum without friction and the failure of the mechanical parts.
To solve the above problems of the frictionless and noisefree grip of the engaging mechanism, my invention makes a lot of technological breakthroughs. In the first version, I change the radial frictional force to be the upper bounded axlewise gripping force. The engaging mechanism is filled with the grease. Therefore, there is less friction between the mechanical parts of the engaging mechanism. Furthermore, the gripper protects the spring from the moving part of the engaging mechanism so that the spring will not be broken. As the driving force exceeds the upper bounded axlewise force set by the spring, the gripper automatically releases the engaging drum. With the upper-bounded axlewise force, the engaging mechanism can work at high speed without the failure of the engaging mechanism.
In the second version, I make the fundamental breakthrough of the noncontact force. The contact mechanical force is replaced with the noncontact magnetic or electrical gripping force. The working principle of the noncontact gripping force is completely different from those of the mechanical frictional force. The noncontact engaging mechanism uses the minimum potential energy to hold the engaging drum and uses the rider's momentum to smooth the riding.
To run on a muddy or snowy road, the skateboard needs on-board manipulatory capibilities. The on-board manipulation includes on-board driving, on-board steering and on-board braking capabilities. U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,961 issued to Covert et al. (1982) disclosed an invention using eight wheels and four belts. His invention has no on-board manipulatory capability. His belt is not designed for the foot-powered skateboard and cannot be used on the foot-powered skateboard. U.S. Pat. No. 1,604,923 issued to Laurier (1926) shows auto tract device with the spring or rubber band enveloping the rollers. The spring or rubber band have to be deformed in steering. So the stretchable belt does't have the capacity to carry the heavy load. Even worse, the restoring force in spring or rubber makes the steering very difficult. These problems make his stretchable track impractical. U.S. Pat. No. 3,934,664 issued to Pohjola (1976) shows the endless track. The central portion of the endless track is nonstretchable. The central region cannot adjust its length and the track cannot envelop wheels having varying wheel pitch. Furthermore, his track blocks the passage of the transmission line. The rotation power cannot be transmitted from feet to wheels. So the skateboard has no foot-powered driving capability. Even worse, during steering, the track slides on the roller. The friction between the roller and the track is a serious problem.
In summary of the previous patents, none of them has the novel design of a crank mechanism with a silent ratchet mechanism having steering capability. A ratchet mechanism makes noise. Half of the energy and working cycle are wasted.
The foot-powered skateboard adopting the ratchet mechanism has no brake capability, no backward drive capability and/or no steering capability. The skateboard using the crank mechanism has no ratchet mechanism. The rider has no time to rest. The rider cannot use the pedal to steer. All the foot-powered skateboards heretofore known suffer from a number of disadvantages:
(a) The pedal doesn't have single-foot manipulatory capabilities of steering, driving and braking. During driving, the rider must use hands or feet to activate the other mechanisms to steer or to brake the skateboard. It is inconvenient and dangerous. PA1 (b) The skateboard doesn't have the backward driving capability, sideways driving capability, twisting to skate and brake capabilities. PA1 (c) The ratchet mechanism can drive the wheels to run forward only. The ratchet mechanism makes too much noise. The energy in half the working cycle is wasted. PA1 (d) It is dangerous to tilt the board in skating. PA1 (e) The ratchet mechanism is too complex to manufacture. The ratchet mechanism is dangerous to operate. The exposed gear rack is a threat to the safety of children. The ratchet mechanism is too large to port. PA1 (f) The gear is too heavy and it costs too much for a skateboard. PA1 (a) to provide a pair of skating shoe to the dancer that the dancer can sweep across the stage with poses. PA1 (b) to provide a short range transportation facility; PA1 (c) to provide a new apparatus for social dance activities. PA1 (d) to provide an apparatus for a new kind of atheletics.

Frictionless noncontact engaging drive skate and skateboard


Disclosed is a method for reducing occurrences of stick conditions in tape, the method including stopping rotation of a supply reel and take-up reel of a drive that includes a length of tape, a portion of the tape extending between the reels and contacting a head between the reels, wherein the stopping creates a stop condition in the drive, determining if the tape is stuck to the head, dropping tension in the tape between the reels, freeing the tape for movement in a z-direction via the dropping tension, moving the head in y-directions, moving the tape in an x-direction via a rotation of the supply reel a fraction of a rotation, and causing the tape to break contact with the head via the dropping, moving of the tape in the z-direction, moving of the tape in the x-direction, and/or moving of the head in the y-directions.

1. Field of the Invention
The disclosure relates generally to a method for reducing occurrences of tape stick conditions in magnetic tape, and more particularly to a method for reducing occurrences of tape stick conditions in magnetic tape disposed in a reel-to-reel tape drive.
2. Description of Background
As linear and track densities are increased for magnetic tape in reel-to-reel tape drives, it becomes desirable to have smoother and smoother media. Smoother media leads to more frequent occurrences of adherence between the tape and magnetic heads of the drives, especially in humid conditions. This is caused by the "Jo-block" effect, wherein two smooth surfaces are rubbed against each other squeezing out any lubricating air interface and causing the two smooth surfaces to stick.
Once the tape sticks to the head, the drive tends to drop tension because it cannot move the tape. This leaves the drive with stuck or broken tape, which is an extremely undesirable condition to a user. Further, the sticking effect may be accentuated by thin media because of tighter head to tape conforming. Once stuck to the head, the risk to breaking the tape is very high. As such, it would be desirable to reduce occurrences of stick conditions between the tape and head of a reel-to-reel tape drive.

Method for reducing occurrences of tape stick conditions in magnetic tape

International Business Machines Corporation


A manifold assembly for connecting a plurality of pumping units to a wellhead includes at least one main line which is connectable to the wellhead and includes a plurality of discharge connectors, and a plurality of articulating arm assemblies which are each connected to a corresponding discharge connector. Each arm assembly comprises a connector member which includes at least an inlet port, an outlet port and a third port that is located generally opposite the outlet port and is closed by a removable plug member, an articulating conduit assembly which comprises a first end that is connected to the inlet port and a second end that is connectable to a corresponding one of the plurality of pumping units, and a riser swivel which is connected between the outlet port and the discharge connector. In use of the manifold assembly, each arm assembly is connected to a corresponding pumping unit and the main line is connected to the wellhead to thereby connect the pumping units to the wellhead.

The present invention is directed to a manifold assembly for connecting a plurality of pumping units to a main line which in turn is connectable to a wellhead or the like. More particularly, the invention is directed to a manifold assembly which comprises a plurality of articulating arm assemblies which are each connected to the main line and extendable for connection to respective pumping units.
High pressure well service pumping units are commonly used in the hydrocarbon production industry to inject a variety of fluids into an oil or gas well during certain well servicing operations. For example, during a fracturing operation such pumping units are used to inject a particle-containing slurry into the well in order to fracture the hydrocarbon bearing formation and thereby produce channels within the formation through which the oil or gas may flow.
Typical fracturing operations require the use of several pumping units operating in unison to inject a large volume of slurry into the well. The pumping units are mounted on respective trucks or trailers which are parked close together, and the discharge pipe assembly of each pumping unit is connected to the so called main line of a collection manifold which is located on a separate manifold trailer.
The connection between each pumping unit and the main line is usually made using a temporary flow line comprising a collection of individual and pre-assembled pipes and swivel joints which are secured together by clamps or connectors. The flow line components are stowed on the truck or trailer in compact configurations, and when the truck or trailer reaches the job site, they must be unfolded and assembled in order to extend the flow line to the main line. However, this operation is time consuming, especially when multiple pumping units must be connected to the main line.
Also, in order to provide adequate support for the flow line, a common practice is to run the flow line from the truck or trailer to the ground and then from the ground to the collection manifold. However, this requires that each flow line be made up of several swivel joints comprising multiple swivel connections. In addition, the parts of the flow line which rest on the ground can experience undue wear that may shorten the life of these components. Furthermore, the numerous components of the many flow lines create cramped and cluttered conditions in the area between the pumping units and the manifold trailer, which can be a safety hazard for persons assembling the flow lines.
Furthermore, each flow line is typically connected to choke in order to create a pressure drop in the fluid flowing through the flow line and reduce pressure pulsations in the main line resulting from operation of the pumping units. The choke usually includes a fixed orifice choke insert which is mounted in a choke housing. The choke housing is normally connected to an isolation valve which in turn is connected to the main line. Thus, if the choke insert needs to be replaced, the choke housing must usually be disconnected from both the flow line and the isolation valve. Also, creating a desired pressure drop over a single choke usually results in a large amount of erosion in the isolation valve.

Manifold assembly with multiple articulating arm assemblies


A gas engine with electronically controlled and/or regulated injection of relatively small quantities of injection oil in such a way as to improve the metering accuracy of the injection oil quantity, the flexibility with which the required ignition oil quantity is provided and the ability to freely preset the timing of ignition oil injection. The engine comprises a separate electronically controllable injection system for each cylinder including at least one ignition oil injection device 13 connected via an injection line 14 to a separate ignition oil hydraulic pump 16 which is in fluid communication with a pressure accumulator 15. An electronically controllable switching device 19 associated with the injection device 13 is electronically connected to an engine control device 20 that controls, regulates and monitors the ignition oil injection.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a gas engine with electronically controlled and/or regulated ignition oil injection.
2. Description of Related Art
Internal combustion engines which are operated only or primarily with gaseous fuels are referred to as gas engines. Gas engines include, on the one hand, known Otto gas engines with electric ignition and, on the other hand, gas engines referred to as pilot-ignition gas engines or ignition oil gas engines in which ignition of the fuel-air mixture is achieved by the auto-ignition of a small quantity of injected liquid ignition oil. The principle of injection of an auto-ignition oil is also applied in dual-fuel engines or diesel/gas engines, for example, as disclosed in German Patent publication 40 33 843 A1.
Depending on its application profile, pilot-ignition gas engines or diesel/gas engines may be constructed with two different combustion processes which are known from diesel engines. These diesel engine combustion processes are classified based on the construction of the combustion chamber. On the one hand, diesel engines constructed with an undivided combustion chamber are known as direct injectors. On the other hand, chamber engines are constructed with a divided combustion chamber whereby the overall combustion chamber is divided into two individual combustion chambers by a more or less sharply narrowed orifice. That portion of the combustion chamber which includes the one defining wall formed by the piston is referred to as the main combustion chamber and the other portion of the combustion chamber is the precombustion chamber. Depending on the construction of the precombustion chamber, the engine is referred to either as a precombustion chamber engine or a swirl combustion chamber engine. In diesel engines with a divided combustion chamber, diesel fuel is injected into the precombustion chamber. In a similar manner, a pilot-injection gas engine or diesel/gas engine may be constructed as a direct injector or as a chamber engine, depending on whether the ignition oil is injected directly into the main combustion chamber or into the precombustion chamber respectively.
If the ignition oil is injected into the precombustion chamber, a fuel-air mixture with a relatively large amount of excess air may be ignited very uniformly and precisely in the main combustion chamber thereby desirably producing only a relatively small amount of harmful emissions and achieving a relatively high engine efficiency. Thus, if a low-pollutant, environmentally sound energy conversion is preeminent, the preferred construction is injection of the ignition oil into the precombustion chamber. In addition, for purely diesel operation of a diesel/gas engine, the main fuel quantity is preferably injected directly into the precombustion chamber.
In view of increasingly stringent emission controls, e.g., as defined by German technical guidelines governing air quality, for industrial installations, power plants, pumping stations and compressor plants, the reduction in the amount of pollutant of nitrogen oxides NO.sub.x is an increasingly prominent factor in engine development.
In gas engines in which the fuel-air mixture is ignited by the injection of an auto-igniting ignition oil, NO.sub.x emission standards may be maintained in gas operation without the need for catalytic aftertreatment of the exhaust only by injecting the smallest possible amount of ignition oil which would still allow for reliable ignition of the fuel-air mixture.
Various methods are already known for providing small quantities of ignition oil. For example, the ignition oil injection valve may be controlled by the main injection pump in conjunction with a metering valve for the ignition oil quantity, as for example disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,520. Injection devices with dual nozzles are also known. Alternatively, in a known manner, a separate injection pump may be provided for ignition oil injection in addition to the main injection pump for main injection. A joint camshaft may be used as the driving means for the main injection pump and the ignition oil injection pump, or alternatively, separate camshafts may be provided.
These known solutions for controlling ignition oil injection have limited flexibility in controlling the quantity of ignition oil, selecting the injection pressure, adjusting the beginning of delivery the realization of which is very complicated and adjusting the beginning of ignition oil injection. Thus, consistently reliable metering of the quantity of ignition oil is not ensured.
For the reasons stated above ignition oil quantities less than or equal to approximately 1% of the diesel consumption at full load are desirable, however, with such low ignition oil quantities the disadvantages of the known solutions must be avoided in order to meet efficiency, emissions and operating reliability demands.
Management or control systems are known in automobile engine design, especially in Otto engines, for setting adjustment variables such as the ignition angle, injection timing and throttle position depending on the load point. For example, German Patent publication 43 26 949 A1 discloses a method for deriving a load variable from measured cylinder pressure signals for characterizing the load point and using these load variables together with the respective engine speed to determine the optimum ignition angle by means of a characteristic diagram input in the engine control computer.
It has been recognized in connection with diesel engines that it is very important to have the greatest possible flexibility in the injection system. Thus, different electronically controlled injection systems have been developed. One such system is the pump-nozzle system which is advantageous in that it produces relatively high injection pressures and reduces the dynamic effects in the hydraulic lines. However, in this system the injection pressure is disadvantageously dependent on the speed of the engine.
Other injection systems, known collectively as common rail systems, provide a freely selectable injection pressure at all engine operating points. These systems may be roughly classified depending on the fuel pressure in the common fuel line of the cylinders. In one group of common rail systems, the pressure in the common fuel line is equal to the injection pressure (high-pressure common rail), whereas in the second group the pressure in the common fuel line is substantially lower than the injection pressure (low-pressure common rail). In this second group, hydraulic pressure intensifiers comprising part of the injection device increase the low pressure from the rail to the necessary high pressure required for injection. In both cases, a hydraulic delivery pump (hydraulic pump) produces the required diesel fuel pressure in the common fuel line of the cylinders, that is, high pressure in the case of the high-pressure common rail and low-pressure in the case of low-pressure common rail. A pressure accumulator is generally disposed between the hydraulic pump and the injection device in order to reduce the dynamic effects in the pressure lines. Thus, the injection pressure is independent of the injection quantity and engine speed. The injection process may be initiated electrically and the nozzle needle may be actuated by an independent electronic control. Design and construction of the injection device varies depending on the type of common rail and also within each rail group. In these common rail systems, the pressure at the injection nozzle is approximately constant during the injection process.
It is the object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a gas engine with electronically controlled and/or regulated injection of relatively small quantities of ignition oil in such a way that the accuracy with which the quantity of injected ignition oil is metered, the flexibility in providing the quantity of ignition oil required, and the ability to optionally preset the time point of ignition oil injection are improved while maintaining NO.sub.x emission standards in gas operation without the need for catalytic aftertreatment of the exhaust.

Gas engine with electronically controlled ignition oil injection


An ultrasonic motor includes a vibrating element having a piezoelectric body attached thereto to produce a traveling wave when the piezoelectric body is supplied with an electric power, and a contacting element to come in friction contact with the vibrating element when the vibrating element is vibrated by the traveling wave. The vibrating element is formed of a Mg-based alloy having a Mg content of more than 85% by weight.

1. Field of the Invention
Apparatuses consistent with the present invention relate to an ultrasonic motor, and more particularly, to an ultrasonic motor with a vibrating element having a reduced weight while maintaining a required performance.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, an ultrasonic motor, for example, a traveling wave type hollowed ultrasonic motor, includes a vibrating element which generates a vibration, and a contacting element which rotates according to the vibration of the vibrating element. To generate the vibration, the vibrating element is provided with a piezoelectric body, which generates deformations or displacements due to a piezoelectric effect when it is applied with a voltage having a high frequency of more than 20 kHz.
Such an ultrasonic motor can be driven without separate reduction gears because it is driven at a low speed and a low torque unlike an electromagnetic motor driven at a high speed and a high torque. Further, the ultrasonic motor has a self-breaking function by using a friction force, enables a precise position control, and is compact, so that it can be applied to various system or devices. Accordingly, the ultrasonic motor is widely used in apparatuses, such as robots, medical treatment machinery and tools, optical devices, semiconductor inspection equipments, building automation systems, etc., which require an ultra-precision position control.
However, to allow the ultrasonic motor to have the required performance, it is necessary for the vibrating element to sufficiently transmit the vibration by the deformations of the piezoelectric body to the contacting element and thus to generate sufficient displacements on a contacting surface with the contacting element, and to have a proper coefficient of friction and a proper abrasion resistance on the contacting surface with the contacting element.
To meet such a condition, the vibrating element is usually formed of a material having a sufficient hardness and a sufficient abrasion resistance, for example, a bronze material, or a steel material, such as a quenched steel, a tool steel, a stainless steel, etc. However, because the materials as described above have a low machinability, they increase a machining cost in forming of the vibrating element, and thus a fabrication cost of the ultrasonic motor is increased. Also, because the materials are heavy, they impose restrictions on the range of systems or devices to which the ultrasonic motor can be used.

Ultrasonic motor having lightweight vibrating element


A barbecue device includes a housing and two covers pivotally secured to the side portions of the housing. The covers each includes a leg for enclosing the side portions of the housing when the covers are folded to the folded position, and for elevating the housing when the covers are rotated to the open position. A gas stove may be received in the housing, and a gas bottle may be secured to one of the covers for supplying the gas to the stove. A protective cap is supported on the stove and includes an upwardly curved structure having a number of side facing openings.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a barbecue device, and more particularly to a foldable barbecue device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typical barbecue devices comprise a solid structure that may not be folded for storing purposes. In addition, the legs of the barbecue devices are separated from the barbecue devices and may not be easily assembled to the working position.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional barbecue devices.


A distributed database management system comprising a plurality of computing nodes may distribute data evenly across all nodes. A definition of a primary key that divides the primary key into at least a first key portion and a second key portion may be utilized to locate items related by a first key portion to a specific computing node. Application-consistent queries, local transactions and pivoting operations may be performed on items related by a first key portion.

Various database management systems organize data around collections of key-value data. Within each collection, a unique key value maps to a set of related values. Together, each unique key value and its related values may be described as an item, and the entire collection of items referred to as a table. Although traditional relational database management systems may require each row in the table to adhere to a well-defined schema, key-value database management systems may require little if any schema except a definition of a primary key.
Key-value database management systems may be well-suited to large-scale applications in areas such as e-commerce, web services and cloud computing, which tend to be characterized by having high data volume and throughput demands. These systems may support large datasets and high throughput by distributing data storage and workload among multiple computing systems, virtual machines and other computing instances. These may be referred to as computing nodes. Compared to using larger and more expensive servers, employing a greater number of smaller and less expensive computing nodes may provide for reduced cost, improved resiliency and greater scalability. However, this approach may suffer from various drawbacks including greater system complexity, poor query performance, limited transaction support and so forth.
One approach to data management in distributed key-value database management systems involves distributing data between the nodes that comprise the system as evenly as possibly. This may be beneficial because requests to store and retrieve data will, at least theoretically, be evenly distributed across a given tables key space. If so, the various computing nodes will share equally in the workload and no particular node will be overloaded compared to the rest of the system. However, there are various operations and features that may become difficult, impracticable or impossible when data is distributed this way.


The subject invention provides a process and apparatus for making “enhanced water” that is uniquely suitable for improving circulation, hydration and insulin usage with diabetics. Thus, in a preferred embodiment, the invention provides methods for the treatment and/or prevention of diabetes as well as the prevention or delay in development of diabetes-related complications, conditions or diseases.

Diabetes is a chronic disease that has no cure. It is estimated that about 18.2 million people, or 6.3 percent of the population, in the United States have diabetes. While roughly 13 million have been diagnosed, it is believed that 5.2 million people are not aware that they have the disease. As the sixth leading cause of death by disease in 2000, diabetes is costing the US health care system an estimated $132 billion annually; according to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, NIH Publication No. 04-3892, November 2003. More serious than the economic costs associated with diabetes are the decrease in quality of life, serious health complications/consequences, and deaths associated with diabetes.
With about 12,000 to 24,000 new cases each year, diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness in adults ages 20-74. Diabetes is also the leading cause of end-stage renal disease, accounting for about 44 percent of new cases annually. In 2001 alone, approximately 42,800 people initiated treatment for end stage renal disease (kidney failure) because of diabetes. About 60-70 percent of people with diabetes have mild to severe forms of diabetic nerve damage, which, in severe forms, can lead to lower limb amputations. In fact, more than 60 percent of non-traumatic, lower limb amputations are performed on persons with diabetes. In 2002-2003, about 82,000 non-traumatic, lower limb amputations were performed on persons with diabetes. People with diabetes are 2 to 4 times more likely to suffer a stroke. Moreover, adults with diabetes have heart disease death rates about 2 to 4 times higher than those without diabetes.
Diabetes is a group of diseases characterized by high blood glucose levels, which result from defects in insulin production, insulin action, or both. Because diabetes can remain undiagnosed for years, many people become aware that they have diabetes only after the development of one of its life-threatening complications. Although the exact etiology of diabetes is still unknown, it is well-accepted that both genetics and environmental factors, such as obesity and lack of exercise, are important factors.
One type of diabetes, Type 1 (or insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus or juvenile-onset diabetes), develops when the body's immune system destroys pancreatic cells that make the hormone insulin, which regulates blood glucose levels. Type 1 diabetes usually occurs in children and young adults; although disease onset can occur at any age. Type 1 diabetes accounts for about 5 to 10 percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. Risk factors for Type 1 diabetes include autoimmune, genetic, and environmental factors. Individuals diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes require daily delivery of insulin via injections or pumps.
Another type of diabetes, Type 2 (or non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus or adult-onset diabetes), is a metabolic disorder resulting from the body's inability to make enough, or properly use, insulin. This disease usually begins as insulin resistance, a disorder in which the cells do not use insulin properly, and as the need for insulin rises, the pancreas gradually loses its ability to produce insulin. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of the disease accounting for 90-95 percent of diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is nearing epidemic proportions, due to an increased number of older Americans, and a greater prevalence of obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.
Gestational diabetes refers to a form of glucose intolerance that occurs in pregnant women. During pregnancy, gestational diabetes requires treatment to normalize maternal blood glucose levels to avoid complications in the infant. A percentage (5-10 percent) of women with gestational diabetes have Type 2 diabetes after pregnancy. Women who have had gestational diabetes also have a 20-50 percent chance of developing diabetes in the next 5-10 years.
Hyperinsulinemia refers to the overproduction of insulin by pancreatic cells. Often, hyperinsulinemia occurs as a result of insulin resistance, which is a condition defined by cellular resistance to the action of insulin. Insulin resistance, as defined above, is a state/disorder in which a normal amount of insulin produces a subnormal biologic (metabolic) response. For example, in insulin-treated patients with diabetes, insulin resistance is considered to be present whenever the therapeutic dose of insulin exceeds the secretory rate of insulin in normal person.
Impaired glucose homeostasis (or metabolism) refers to a condition in which blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as diabetes. There are two categories that are considered risk factors for future diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) occurs when the glucose levels following a 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test are between 140 to 199 mg/dl. IGT is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes and is present in about 11 percent of adults, or approximately 20 million Americans. About 40-45 percent of persons age 65 years or older have either type 2 diabetes or IGT. Impaired fasting glucose (IFG) occurs when the glucose levels following an 8-hour fasting plasma glucose test are greater than 110 but less than 126 mg/dl.
Hyperglycemia, a common feature of diabetes, is caused by decreased glucose utilization by liver and peripheral tissues and an increased glucose production by liver. Glucokinase (GK), the major glucose phosphorylating enzyme in the liver and the pancreatic β-cells, plays an important role in regulating blood glucose homeostasis. Notably, the levels of this enzyme are lowered in patients with type 2 diabetes (Caro, J. F. et al., Hormone metabolic Res., 27; 19-22, 1995) and in some diabetic animal models (Barzilai, N. and Rossetti, L. J. Biol. Chem., 268:25019-25025, 1993).
Many pharmaceutical compositions and methods have been proposed to treat diabetes. For example, one approach to reducing hyperglycemia in diabetes involves increasing liver GK activity (Van Schaftingen, E. et al., Adv. Enzyme Regul. 32:133-148, 1992). Studies involving transgenic diabetic mice have shown that increased GK copy number results in increased hepatic glucose metabolism and decreased plasma glucose levels (Ferre, T. et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 93:7225-7230 (1996a) and FASEB J, 10:1213-1218, (1996b); Niswender, K. D. et al., J. Biol. Chem., 272:22570-22575 (1997)), demonstrating that increasing liver GK may be effective in reducing hyperglycemia in diabetes. In addition, Hariharan, N. et al. (Diabetes 46:11-16 (1997)) have demonstrated that increasing liver GK improves glucose homeostasis and leads to weight reduction in transgenic mice.
The two pharmacological modalities presently used to lower blood sugar are oral hypoglycemic (anti-diabetic) agents and insulin. Insulin replacement is presently accomplished by injection and is based upon the lack of insulin or limitation of its action in diabetes. Oral anti-diabetic agents are not chemically akin to insulin and their sugar-lowering mechanism differs from the action of direct insulin replacement. Oral hypoglycemic agents and insulin are, at present, therapeutically utilized alone or in concert with each other, according to the needs of the diabetic individual. Some individuals are best treated with more than one oral agent, with, or without insulin.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for new therapeutic treatments for diabetes; particularly for eliminating or reducing symptoms related to diabetes.
Wellness Enterprises manufactures and sells a well-known water filtration and enhancement system that removes contaminants and also temporarily changes the properties of water by using certain "enhancing media". The temporary changes in properties that have been observed include 1) an increase in wetness (e.g., increased penetration of membranes), 2) an increase in solubility (both solids and gases), 3) the release of certain trace minerals most notably silica, magnesium, yttrium, vanadium and titanium, and 4) the release of stabilized negative ions. To date, there has been no suggestion of utilizing this enhanced water to treat metabolic disorders such as diabetes.

Use of enhanced water to improve blood sugar management


At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to a zoom lens includes first, second, and third lens units having negative, positive, and positive refractive powers, respectively, in order from an object side to an image side and performs zooming by moving each lens unit. The first lens unit includes a negative lens whose surface on the image side has a concave shape and a positive lens whose surface on the object side has a convex shape in order from the object side to the image side. At least one surface of the negative lens has an aspheric shape.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a zoom lens that can be used, for example in an image pickup apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A small zoom lens having a high zoom ratio is useful for an image pickup apparatus (e.g., camera, a video camera and a digital still camera) that uses a solid-state image sensor.
In this type of camera, various types of optical members such as a low-pass filter and a color correction filter are disposed between a rearmost portion of a lens and a solid-state image sensor.
Thus, it is useful that a zoom lens for use in these types of cameras has a relatively long back focus.
An optical system in which a long back focus can be secured includes a negative lead type zoom lens in which a lens unit having a negative refractive power is located in the forefront.
Meanwhile, in the case of a color camera that uses a solid-state image sensor for a color image, a zoom lens having good telecentric characteristics on an image side is useful in order to prevent a color shading from occurring.
Conventionally, a three-unit zoom lens is known which includes a first lens unit having a negative refractive power, a second lens unit having a positive refractive power, and a third lens unit having a positive refractive power, in order from an object side to an image side, which has a small front lens element, and whose image side is telecentric (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-66503 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-281545).
In addition, a three-unit zoom lens is known whose first lens unit includes two lenses, namely a negative lens and a positive lens, which uses a glass material having a high refractive index for the negative lens, and which includes a lens whose one surface is aspheric (U.S. Pat. No. 7,061,685).
The market has strongly desired that a zoom lens for use in a video camera or a digital camera is small and has a high zoom ratio.
In the above-mentioned three-unit zoom lens including lens units respectively having negative, positive, and positive refractive powers, a moving stroke of the second lens unit increases as the zoom ratio becomes higher. As a result, the entire length of a lens system becomes long and it is difficult to miniaturize the lens system and obtain a high zoom ratio at the same time. Accordingly, most three-unit lenses have a zoom magnification (zoom ratio) of about 3×.
In addition, the thickness of an image pickup apparatus is reduced by using a retraction method in which an interval of the lens units is shortened in a non-photographing state.
In this regard, in order to further reduce the thickness of an image pickup apparatus, it is necessary that the thickness of the lens units is reduced.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,061,685 discusses a three-unit zoom lens whose first lens unit includes a negative lens and a positive lens so as to reduce the thickness of the lens unit and to correct or reduce aberration.
In a three-unit zoom lens, a configuration of a first lens unit having a negative refractive power is significant in correcting or reducing variation of aberration occurring during zooming and in miniaturizing the entire lens system.

Zoom lens and image pickup apparatus having the same


A system is provided for making connections in a telecommunications system that includes a network for transporting communications between selected subscriber connections, and a wireless network for coupling connections to the network. The network and wireless network are interfaced with a traffic management element and at least one radio controller shared by connections, with the traffic management element and the radio controller forming a single integrated network element. Connections are routed from the wireless network to the network via the single integrated network element.

Ethernet is rapidly becoming the protocol of choice for consumer, enterprise and carrier networks. It is expected that most networks will evolve such that Ethernet will be the technology used to transport all the multimedia applications including, for example, triple-play, fixed-mobile-convergence (FMC), and IP multimedia sub-systems (IMS). Existing network elements which offer network access using Ethernet technology are not designed to make maximum use of the legacy network links existing at the edge of the carrier networks. The edge of the network is quickly becoming a bottleneck as the new applications are becoming more and more demanding for bandwidth.
Telecommunications carriers are constantly looking for new revenue sources. They need to be able to deploy rapidly a wide ranging variety of services and applications without the need to constantly modify the network infrastructure. Ethernet is a promising technology that is able to support a variety of application requiring different quality of service (QoS) from the network. The technology is now being standardized to offer different types of services which have different combinations of quality objectives, such as loss, delay and bandwidth. Bandwidth objectives are defined in terms of committed information rate (CIR) or excess information rate (EIR). The CIR guarantees bandwidth to a connection, while the EIR allows operation at higher bandwidth when available.
RF Switch
In order to increase their revenue potential, the carriers need a cost effective way to reach new customers which cannot currently serviced because there is no practical way of providing them with a broadband physical connection. New high bandwidth wireless technology, such as WiMAX or high speed RF technology allows the carrier to reach a new customer or a customer that is not currently serviced with high bandwidth without the high cost of deploying new fiber routes. The following description uses Wimax as an example, but any point-to-point RF technology could be used. By deploying WiMAX at the access of the network, the carriers can rapidly open up new markets. However, currently the Ethernet access solutions using WiMAX technology are costly, from both operating cost (OPEX) and capital cost (CAPEX) standpoints, as each access point requires a combination of a WiMAX base-station 10 with a router 11 (FIG. 1). Although WiMAX operates at higher speed, it is still important to maximize the use of its bandwidth since spectrum is a limited resource. But because the (WiMAX radio 105 and the router 102) are separate, the router has no knowledge of the radio status, it is difficult to make maximum use of the wireless bandwidth. WiMAX currently allows for multiple users to share a base station. If a subscriber does not reach the base station directly, it can tunnel through another subscriber which has connectivity. This architecture allows multiple subscribers to reach a base station which is connected to the wired network. One major issue with this architecture is that the bandwidth consumed by the tunneled subscriber is not managed and can affect the bandwidth and QoS of the service of the subscriber which is sharing the connectivity to the base station. Such architecture, which limits the subscribers to being not farther than two hops from the base station, is targeted for residential customers with less stringent QoS requirements. It is not well suited for designing enterprise networks or carrier infrastructure.
Anticipating Radio Link Performance Changes
Compared to optical transmission, wireless links are regularly subjected to impairments due to weather or other interferences. These impairments temporarily affect the bandwidth transmitted on the link. Since the base station 105 (FIG. 1) is temporarily decoupled from the switching network, there is no mechanism for the network elements to take into account link degradation and to manage the flow of data on the network. This will typically result in a large amount of packets being dropped at the WiMAX radio 105 as the Switch/Router 102 only knows if the Ethernet connector 103 is up or down and will send more packets than the radio can handle.


Spherical capsule having a liquid core and a seamless solid shell surrounding the core, in which: the diameter of the capsule is in the range of 4-8 mm; the thickness of the shell is in the range of 20-200 μm; the shell thickness to capsule diameter ratio is in the range of 0.004-0.04; the shell contains 70-90% (m/m) gelatin and 10-30% (m/m) plasticizer, based on the solids content of the shell; and the core has a flavoring content in the range of 1-100% (m/m), based on the total mass of the core.

Flavorings are used in foods in order to achieve taste impressions. In the sense of the present invention a flavoring is to be understood to be a single substance (flavoring) or a mixture of substances (flavorings) which have the organoleptic property or properties. These organoleptic properties include the characteristic of imparting a specific odor or taste to a mixture and the characteristic of giving rise to specific stimuli, which are transmitted via the trigeminus nerve and are thus detected.
Oils, such as, for example, vegetable oils and other triglycerides, which are used as solvents for the flavoring and themselves have a neutral odor and taste are not regarded as flavorings below.
If flavorings are to be ingested by a consumer in portions in the form of a liquid, the use of a capsule in which a core of a quantity of liquid containing flavoring is surrounded by a solid shell is an obvious measure. In this context the following problems and requirements, in particular, must be taken into consideration:    1. For optimum organoleptic detection, the release of the liquid core containing flavoring must already take place in the mouth. Appropriately it should be possible to consume the capsule including the shell, since separation of shell and liquid core is problematical after the capsule has been placed in the mouth.    2. Achieving a pleasant feeling in the mouth when consuming gelatin capsules is a technological challenge. In particular, hitherto it has been found to be disadvantageous that the majority of shells of ready-to-consume capsules available commercially are detectable as an unpleasant, rubbery, tough residue. Corresponding observations are made and found to be particularly negative especially in the case of large filled capsules (diameter θ 4 mm).    3. On consumption, a capsule shell in the mouth should preferably (a) not have a disturbing haptic effect (b) be easy to bite and (c) dissolve rapidly. The core liquid containing flavoring that is to be released or is released should give rise to a sensory effect with a substantial impact in the mouth.    4. At the same time, the capsule should be easy to handle, that is to say have a certain minimum size; in the case of spherical capsules in many cases a diameter θ of 4 mm is preferred.    5. In addition, for ease of handling during transport, storage and use the capsule should have an adequate temperature stability. In this context it is desirable that the capsules do not stick together even at temperatures above 30° C.
Spherical capsules having a liquid core and a solid shell surrounding this core are known and capsules having a diameter of more than 4 mm can, for example, be prepared by the rotary die method or, in the case of the capsules having a seamless shell, which are of particular interest, by a drip method using a multi-component nozzle (cf. Bauer, Frömming, Führer; Pharmazeutische Technologie; 1997). This method is also designated a multi-component nozzle method below. In this context (insofar as nothing different results from the context) references to the multi-component nozzle method are also to be understood as references to a multiplicity of related methods for the preparation of seamless capsules.
In the rotary die method capsules having a seam in the shell are produced via a punching method using rotary shaping rollers, in which method the capsule wall is made up and shaped from two gelatin halves that have been punched from a gelatin strip. For the preparation of soft gelatin capsules by the rotary die method stringent requirements are imposed in respect of the air conditioning. 20-30% relative atmospheric humidity at approximately 22° C. must be guaranteed in all production and packing areas.
In the multi-component nozzle method capsules having a seamless shell are prepared by a drip method. With this method a lipophilic core material and a hot gelatin solution are usually simultaneously pumped through a concentric multi-component nozzle so that they drip into a cold lipophilic cooling liquid, for example vegetable oil. With this method the nozzle can dip directly into the cooling liquid. When they drip in the capsules assume a ball shape (spherical shape) as a result of the surface tensions. As a result of the fall in temperature on contact with the cooling liquid, the gelatin-containing seamless capsule shell solidifies.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,481,157 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,251,195 describe methods and equipment for the continuous preparation of seamless capsules by the multi-component nozzle method where the nozzle dips into the cooling liquid.
JP 52-148635 describes a capsule having a diameter of 0.5-4 mm for immediate consumption. The wall thickness of the capsule is 50 μm-200 μm. A capsule diameter of more than 4 mm is not described.
However, a capsule diameter of 4 mm and more is required for better handling and portioning in the case of direct consumption and a strong flavoring impact by a single capsule in the mouth.
However, the larger a capsule the more difficult it is to achieve a thin, stable shell, since the stability of the capsule decreases substantially on drying and during transport as the capsule diameter/shell thickness ratio increases. Moreover, the centring of the core and the uniform enclosure of the core by a shell is extremely problematical in the case of large capsules.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,939,097 describes a food that contains capsules, which, in turn, contain a pharmaceutical active substance, the ratio of shell thickness to capsule diameter being 0.01-0.05 for capsule diameters of 0.5-5 mm. The capsules are intended to be incorporated in the food and are to be swallowed whole with the latter. The capsule is intended to release the core only in the gastrointestinal tract. The capsule shell contains gelatin or agar. No further details of the composition of the shell are given. Plasticizers are not mentioned.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,300,305 describes seamless capsules having a diameter of 2-9 mm, which are suitable for immediate consumption and are used to control bad breath. With these capsules, active substances for bad breath control are incorporated in the shell of the capsules on solubility grounds. The capsules are intended to remain in the mouth for a prolonged period so that the active substance influencing the bad breath is able to dissolve from the shell and give rise to a long-lasting effect in the mouth. The shell thickness is in the range of 30 μm to 2 mm. Illustrative embodiments show shell contents of not less than 13% (m/m) and only low plasticizer contents (sorbitol <10%, based on the shell). The capsule contains up to 25% (m/m) flavoring in the core, based on the total mass of the capsule. The capsules are, for example, prepared by a multi-component nozzle process.
The capsule shell was developed with a view to slow dissolution in the mouth and the Applicant's experiments have now shown that it proves to be rather hard and annoying when sucked. Accordingly, in particular the adverse sensation in the mouth, that is caused by the shell residues dissolving only slowly in the mouth, is a disadvantage when using the capsule described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,300,305 for an immediate, strong flavoring impression. Moreover, as has been mentioned, the flavoring content in the capsule is restricted to 25% and it is therefore not possible to achieve a strong flavoring impact.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,935,243 describes a soft gelatin capsule, the shell of which decomposes rapidly on chewing. The shell consists of water (15-30%), plasticizer (17.5-35%) and a small proportion of hydrated hydrolyzed starch (5-25%). Illustrative embodiments show shell solutions which have a solids content of approximately 75%.
A disadvantage is found to be in particular that, because of the high solids content and the resulting high viscosity, the shell formulations of U.S. Pat. No. 4,935,243 are suitable only for a rotary die method and not for a drip method, that is to say for the preparation of capsules with a seam, but not for the preparation of seamless capsules by, for example, the multi-component nozzle method.
WO 96/29986 describes seamless capsules having a diameter of 2-9 mm, which contain a pharmaceutical active substance against coughing. The capsule shells are 30 μm-500 μm thick and are intended to dissolve within 3.5-5 minutes. The capsule shells contain at least 10% water. A shell thickness to capsule diameter ratio is not given.
A disadvantage of the capsules according to WO 96/29986 is, in particular, the indicated slow rate of dissolution of the shell.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,707 describes seamless spherical capsules having a diameter of 2-15 mm and a shell thickness of 30 μm-2000 μm for use in drinks which contain flavoring, acesulfame and a further sweetener in specific proportions in the core. It can be seen from the illustrative embodiments that the shell contains more than 10% water and that sorbitol in amounts of more than 15% is used as plasticizer in the shell. A formulation with no plasticizer at all is also mentioned.


The seat comprises a padded body (2) and at least one heating element (4), and also at least one cavity (3) in said padded body (2), in the interior of which said at least one heating element (4) is arranged. The assembly method comprises the stages of forming at least one cavity (3) in said padded body (2); and arranging said at least one heating element (4) in the interior of said at least one cavity (3). It makes it possible to enhance the positioning accuracy of the heating elements and enables greater speed of execution.

There is a current need to heat some parts of a vehicle with which a driver is in contact, for example to enhance the comfort of the users of the vehicle by heating the vehicle seat, for example, a motorcycle.
Among the technical requirements that must be fulfilled in the manufacture of heated upholstery elements, for example, vehicle seats, one is the combination of the usual anatomic and soft structure of the seats with an adequate arrangement of the heating elements and electric components, which can be activated at the user's request.
The assembly of these heating elements in general is performed by adhering or gluing the heating elements to those parts of the seat that are not in direct contact with the user.
Current assembly procedures are not very practical and expensive, since they require simultaneous gluing and stretching of the support, increasing assembly times, limiting the possibility of positioning and raising overhead costs.
Additionally, currently known methods that involve the installation of a heating element support and gluing thereof to the padding modify the original softness of the filling and user comfort.
A heating device of this type is disclosed in documents WO2013084092A1 and EP 2 857 297 A1 by the same holder filing the present application.
Therefore, the objective of the present invention is to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks, in particular, to provide a fast method that is more versatile in the positioning of the heating elements and their thermal performance, and also cheaper, because it is more reliable and has less necessary assembly parts.

Method for assembling heating into vehicle seats and heated vehicle seat


A method and apparatus for producing an indication of solar panel condition is disclosed. The method involves receiving operating condition signals including an irradiance signal representing electromagnetic radiation received by the solar panel, and an age signal representing age of the solar panel. The method also involves receiving a power signal representing actual power output from the solar panel and producing a power estimate in response to the operating condition signals and irradiance and age adjustment factors. The power estimate represents an expected power output from the solar panel and the adjustment factors are for adjusting the irradiance signal and the age signal respectively. The method further involves causing a warning signal to be generated in response to a difference between the power signal and the power estimate.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to solar panels, and more particularly to methods and apparatus for monitoring the condition of solar panels.
2. Description of Related Art
Solar panels are used in solar power generation systems to produce electrical power. Solar panels generally produce direct current (DC) power which may be used to charge a bank of batteries. Alternatively, the DC power may be supplied to a power converter that converts the DC power into AC power suitable for supplying an AC power grid, for example.
Solar panels are generally mounted outdoors for exposure to the sun's radiation. Being outdoors they are also exposed to contamination by dirt and debris such as dust, sticks, leaves, or snow for example. Such contamination may not physically damage the solar panels, but can cause a reduction in electrical power output for a given insolation as it can reduce the amount of radiation that is able to reach the active areas of the panels.
In addition, as solar panels age their power output decrease by perhaps as much as 0.5% per year.
In general it is not always possible to determine whether a reduction in power output is due to lower irradiation levels, lower temperatures, contamination of the panels, or ageing. Since solar panels are often mounted inaccessible locations, regular visual inspection is not always feasible.

Producing an indication of solar panel condition based on age and actual power output