Several laminate materials are provided that are particularly useful for making furniture pieces. The laminate materials may include several interleaved wood veneer and carbon fiber layers. The thickness and characteristics of these layers are chosen so that the resultant material can be used either as a support member, such as a leg, that must withstand large tensile and/or compressive forces, or is thin and flexible, for example for making chair seats or backrest. Another laminate material includes a thick stiff core. This laminate material is used for furniture members that must resist warping, such as table tops.

1. Field of Invention
This invention pertains to novel and improved laminate materials for making furniture and other similar articles, and furniture pieces incorporating said laminate materials. The materials comprise various layers of natural wood and carbon fibers resulting in a composite assembly with improved structural characteristics and enhanced aesthetic appearance.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Lumber and Plywood
Lamination, the bonding of two or more layers of materials, has been used extensively in the furniture industry for about 100 years. Laminated materials are available in various sizes and weights and are used as stock items for making various pieces of furniture that are inexpensive and strong, and can be made be using mass-production techniques.
The origins of laminated materials are in forestry. The production of wood stock materials obtained by merely cutting up trees is wasteful, inefficient, and as the supply of trees is dwindling, very expensive. Therefore, lumber yards began searching for ways of producing lumber faster, at lower cost and maximizing use of the raw material and the byproducts of the production of wood stock. As a result, several engineered materials were invented which are widely used today. The first of these engineered materials is plywood, which is usually a lamination of many layers of wood to make a rigid, planar panel. Another example of a lamination is OSB (compressed wood chips) laminated with another material on its surface, such as wood veneer, Formica®, sheet metal, etc. In general, a "laminated material" is one composed of several layers, bonded with a thin layer of glue.
A drawback to plywood is that by its nature it is heavy and looks cheap and unappealing. In the manufacturing process, the wood is impregnated with glue and compressed at high pressure to create a bond that does not deteriorate over time. The resulting product is heavier (i.e., has a higher density) as compared to solid wood. In addition, the glues used in the process are toxic and formaldehyde, used to help the glue penetrate the wood, is a carcinogen. Hence, the production of plywood is environmentally undesirable. Because of their low-quality appearance, plywood and particle board are either covered up with thin surface layers having a more decorative look, or painted, thereby increasing their cost of manufacture.
One example of how a plywood laminate used in the furniture industry is the "Boachair", made by Emmemobili in Italy (see "iMade 2001, Ways of producing: Rigor and invention in the Italian furniture industry", pp. 76–77). This chair is made of four layers of wood, bent and glued, using staggered joints between the layers, to make a continuous tubular shape. The layers of wood are made of beech, which is flexible enough to be curved when subjected to heat and compression before the glue bonds the layers together.
Carbon Fiber
Carbon fiber is a material that was developed and used first in the aerospace industry. The material it is unique because it has a high elastic inflection in combination with its extremely high tensile strength. Carbon fiber consists of a textile fabric woven of continuous fibers of carbon and suspended in a resinous base, usually vinyl ester, polyester or an epoxy resin. Carbon fiber is desirable because of its high strength-to-weight ratio, as well as the ease with which it is molded into many shapes.
Carbon fiber is also used extensively in the automotive industry, ship building, sporting goods, and even in eyeglasses, but very little in the furniture industry. Existing examples of carbon fiber in the furniture industry include a 15-foot table top (made of only carbon fiber) by Canadian designer Ron Arad; a very thin, light chair originally produced by Yamaha company in the 1960s; lamps with carbon fiber structures (http://www.galleriadesign.clac00.it/galleria/oluce/lola.html); wheelchairs (see http://accessibledesigns.com/seating.html); and a chair and table made entirely of carbon fiber by Poltrona Frau (http://www.poltronafrau.it/news/00/newprod2000.htm—"Wing"product description).
Wood and carbon fiber laminates have been used to make simple, utilitarian outdoor equipment such as canoes, oars, paddles (see http://www.17 poundcanoes.com/carbon.htm) and snowboards which are laminated from wood and carbon fiber or fiberglass (http://www.arborsports.com/pages/main index 03.html).
In addition, some musical instruments also have some components that are also made of carbon fiber, which is then painted to look like wood (see for instance http://www.gstrings.com/cello.htm).
However, no laminate materials are known that are formed of layers of wood and carbon fibers and used to make furniture pieces.

Laminate materials for furniture and furniture pieces incorporating the same


A method includes establishing a connection and subscribing to at least one channel of a High Level Architecture (HLA) federation and an Enterprise Service Bus (ESB). The method further includes receiving a text file defining the format of an HLA message; a first extensible Markup Language (XML) document conforming to a first schema that defines data within a first message type; and a second XML document conforming to a second schema that defines data within a second message type. The method further includes receiving a first HLA message over the at least one HLA channel, extracting at least one piece of data from the first HLA message, generating a first XML message, and publishing the first XML message over the at least one ESB channel. The method also includes receiving a second XML message over the at least one ESB channel, extracting at least one piece of data from the second XML message, generating a second HLA message conforming to the text file, and publishing the second HLA message over the at least one HLA channel.

High Level Architecture (HLA) is a communication standard used during a computer simulation by software applications to communicate with one another. The HLA communication standards and initial infrastructure were developed by the United States Defense Modeling and Simulation Office (DMSO). As the standards matured, DMSO turned over infrastructure development to industry. In a war game simulation HLA may be used to manage the flow of data between the various hardware and software component that may be used to simulate various real-world counterparts (e.g., troops, vehicles, ships, etc.) during the war game. This may allow, for example, a tank to be simulated separately from a jeep, while still allowing the tank and jeep simulations to interact with one another.
An Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) may allow ESB clients to communicate with one another. The ESB clients may communicate via extensible Markup Language (XML). XML provides a way for structured data to be shared across different information systems, such as different ESB clients. Schemas may be used to define what an XML document should look like. XML messages may have a different format than HLA messages. One messaging service that may be used to transport XML documents is Java Messaging Service (JMS). JMS is commonly used to facilitate communication between Java implemented applications.
Traditionally, communication between an XML or JMS component and an HLA component required the use of a bridge to translate between the two services. Unfortunately, whenever a new type of message needed to be translated, new Java code had to be created. The Java code provided instructions on how the bridge was to map the fields of one message type to the other.


A system for detection of linear underground anomalies passing under surface roads comprises an electromagnetic (EM) gradiometer mounted on a vehicle trailer. A transmitter is mounted to the front bumper of a car or vehicle towing the trailer and provides carrier synchronization information to the EM-gradiometer. An opportunistic radio station can be used as an illuminator. The transmitter or ground wave from an opportunistic radio station directs radio waves down into the ground where objects like linear underground anomalies and their equipment will produce reflections and scattered waves. These reflections will have phase angles and magnitudes that can be interpreted for characterizing information about the linear underground anomalies. Each EM-gradiometer measurement is tagged with GPS location information and then stored in a database. Subsequent passes over the same roadways and tracks are compared (change detection) to the earlier stored data. New linear underground anomalies and features become very obvious in these comparisons.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods and devices for the detection of underground anomalies, and more particularly to the use of an electromagnetic gradiometer mounted to a vehicle trailer to detect linear underground anomalies crossing under border patrol roadways.
2. Description of Related Art
In the general case of having to detect linear underground anomalies from the surface, the orientation of the linear underground anomaly, if it exists, will be unknown. And its exact area will also be unknown unless there is some related surface feature or objective the anomalies involve.
However, in the case of detecting linear underground anomalies crossing under border patrol roadways, if the roadways are tight against a border, the linear underground anomalies will more or less pass orthogonally underneath. The search area required thus reduces from a two-dimensional field to a one dimensional line, the track of the roadway.
Various kinds of conventional technologies have been employed to detect and location underground anomalies, mines, and other structures. Many have used earth penetrating radar techniques. Others look for the secondary emissions from buried objects that occur when they are illuminated by primary radio sources. It is also fairly well understood that some radio frequencies will propagate through the ground better than others, and that will depend on soil conditions.
Primary electro-magnetic (EM) waves will interact with underground objects and infrastructures to create scattered EM-waves that are detectable on or above the earth's surface with a gradiometer. The Stolar, Inc. (Raton, N. Mex.) DeltaEM-gradiometer survey system provides a tool that can generate subsurface geophysical imaging capabilities with greater sensitivity, range (distance), and flexibility over existing instrumentation. In efforts using local radio sources, EM gradiometry has been shown to be a promising technique. The synchronized EM-gradiometer instrumentation is a narrow-band receiver that can discriminate against the spectra noise components and operate in the low ionosphere-earth waveguide noise band, thus maximizing the detection threshold sensitivity of the instrumentation.
EM-gradiometers capitalize on their high threshold detection sensitivities to scattered EM-waves in the ELF/VLF bands, 3-3000 Hz and 3-30 kilohertz. Synchronization to the primary wave in the ELF/VLF bands enables very narrow-band detection with threshold detection sensitivity in the picoTesla (pT) range. Theoretical investigations have found that the secondary EM fields are 20-60 dB below that of the primary EM field components. A significant instrument design issue is the detection of the secondary fields in the presence of the much larger primary field components. This has been solved by the careful design of the gradiometer antennas that achieves 70 dB of primary field suppression.
Two important advantages in underground anomaly detection have been achieved. First, the magnitude of the scattered secondary wave from them increases as frequency decreases. Thus, waves in the ELF/VLF bands have a significant advantage in detection. Second, the attenuation rate of EM-waves in the ELF/VLF bands through soil/rock is very low, so deeply buried structures can be illuminated and detected. The structures may be empty passageways or may contain electrical conductors serving some utility and ventilation needs.

Underground anomalies detection vehicle and trailer


A splitboard joining device for releasably coupling at least two separate portions of a splitboard, thereby creating a snowboard when coupled and at least a first ski and a second ski when uncoupled. The device may include a first interface and a second interface for attaching to a first portion and a second portion, respectively, of the splitboard. In some embodiments, the device comprises an adjustable tension element disposed on either the first interface or second interface to adjustably control the tension between the first interface and second interface, and to adjustably control the compression between the first and second portions of the splitboard when coupled.

The present disclosure generally relates to split snowboards, also known as splitboards, and includes the disclosure of splitboard joining devices relating to, or configured to be used with, a splitboard for converting the splitboard between a snowboard for riding downhill in ride mode and touring skis for climbing up hill in tour mode. The present disclosure also includes systems and methods relating to splitboard joining devices.
Splitboards are used for accessing backcountry terrain. Splitboards have a "ride mode" and a "tour mode." In ride mode, the splitboard is configured with at least two skis held together to form a board similar to a snowboard with bindings mounted somewhat perpendicular to the edges of the splitboard. In ride mode, a user can ride the splitboard down a mountain or other decline, similar to a snowboard. In tour mode, the at least two skis of the splitboard are separated and configured with bindings that are typically mounted like a cross country free heel ski binding. In tour mode, a user normally attaches skins to create traction when climbing up a hill. In some instances, additional traction beyond what the skins provide is desirable and crampons are used. When a user reaches the top of the hill or desired location the user can change the splitboard from tour mode to ride mode and snowboard down the hill.
With the growth of splitboarding in recent years, users seek to achieve solid snowboard performance and flex profile from their splitboards to allow them to ride more challenging terrain. An important component in achieving solid snowboard performance and flex profile is the joining device used to combine the at least two skis into a snowboard. One existing technology passively joins the two skis into a snowboard and does not provide any tensile or compressive preload to the splitboard. This passive attachment can wear over time to create slop in the seam of the splitboard. Slop in the seam of a splitboard creates a lag in board responsiveness and poor edge control and can lead to difficulty in turning and speed control. Existing technology does not allow for a user to adjust the joining device to create more tensile and compressive forces. The two main causes of slop in the seam of a splitboard are wear and manufacturing tolerances.
There is a need in the art for a splitboard joining device which pre-loads a splitboard in both directions parallel to the seam, in both directions perpendicular to the seam, and in both directions vertically from the seam. Additionally, there is a need for a splitboard joining device which is adjustable to increase or decrease tensile and compressive forces in a splitboard.


A drive current for driving actuators is generated based on a first digital signal comprising n-bit binary data which is supplied from a microprocessor and it is applied to an excitation coil. The drive current is supplied to the exciting coil and is converted into a voltage which is then converted into a second digital signal comprising n-bit binary data. The binary data of the second digital signal is compared with the digital data of the first digital signal to detect an alarm condition. Furthermore, the second digital signal is compared with first and second reference value to set plural alarm conditions.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an alarm control method for detecting abnormality in a drive circuit of an actuator.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a serial printer, a space motor is driven to move a print head. A head drive circuit is controlled based on printing data transmitted from a host computer thereby to drive the print head. Upon completion of printing for one line, a line feed motor is driven to perform a line feed so that the printing in the succeeding line is performed.
The serial printer includes a print head, a space motor and a line feed motor respectively serving as an actuator. The serial printer also includes a print head drive circuit for driving the print head, a space motor drive circuit for driving the space motor and a line feed motor drive circuit for driving the line feed motor. These drive circuits are connected to an excitation coil. When a drive current is applied to the excitation coil to drive these actuators.
However, if transistors constituting parts of the drive circuits are broken by an external noise, abnormal current may flow through the excitation coil, or if the excitation coil per se is short-circuited, excessive current may flow in the drive circuits, whereby a fire may occur.
To prevent the fire from occurring, a power supply of the printer is cut off when an alarm signal is supplied by monitoring the current to be supplied to the excitation coil.
However, in the conventional method, an output of the alarm signal on the basis of a reference voltage comprises two kinds of signals, i.e. ON and OFF in which the complete destruction alone is communicated to an operator by the ON signal. That is, the alarm signal is not output in a slightly abnormal condition. Accordingly, it is difficult to detect the abnormal condition and cope with it in early stages.


A system, method and apparatus for preventing motion sickness from afflicting a passenger in a moving vehicle which includes a means for capturing and substantially simultaneously displaying video images collected from a frontal view to a passenger having an obstructed view of the environment in front of the moving vehicle. The system, method and apparatus includes cropping/zooming the video images displayed to the passenger in order to create a view for the passenger in order to prevent motion sickness from afflicting the passenger.

The present invention relates generally to a system, method and apparatus for preventing motion sickness. More specifically the present invention relates to a system, method and apparatus for preventing motion sickness of a passenger traveling in a moving vehicle such as an automobile, boat, train, or an airplane.
Motion sickness relates to the sense of balance, equilibrium and spatial orientation. The sense of balance is controlled and maintained by intricate interaction of multiple parts of the human body, specifically, the inner ears (also called the labyrinth), the eyes, skin pressure receptors, muscle and joint sensory receptors, and the central nervous system. The inner ears monitor motion, such as turning and tilting. The eyes monitor where the body is in space (i.e. upside down, right side up, etc.) and also directions of motion. The skin pressure receptors, such as in the joints and spine, determine what part of the body is down and touching the ground or other surfaces. The muscle and joint sensory receptors determine which parts of the body are moving. The central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord), processes all of the information from the four other systems to determine the spatial orientation and motion of the body.
People may be afflicted with motion sickness when the central nervous system receives conflicting messages from the other four systems. For example, an automobile passenger sitting in the rear seat of a moving car typically has a limited view of the road ahead of the car. The passenger's inner ears and skin receptors may detect the motion of travel however, the passenger's eyes cannot properly perceive the motion because of the obstructed view of the road ahead. As such the passenger's central nervous system receives conflicting messages regarding the passenger's motion, causing motion sickness.
In another example, a passenger in a train, airplane or boat may sense or feel relative motion, e.g. tilting left or right, but if there is no external stationary point of reference, such as the horizon or a tree, due to a lack of windows, the passenger will not be able to visually detect his or her own relative motion, and this may trigger motion sickness. Further, it has also been found that virtual reality simulators can cause motion sickness in certain people. In contrast to moving vehicles, in some virtual reality simulators, the user views the environment portrayed by the simulator as in motion while sitting in a seat that remains fixed. The inner ears do not sense the same motion and hence a conflicting message is received in the central nervous system. In other virtual reality simulators, the user wears a head-mounted display, essentially a helmet with a screen placed in front of the eyes. A computer uses a motion detector in the helmet to determine the orientation of the user's head and thus, what to display on the screen. Because of a slight time lag involved in detecting motion and in rendering the graphics, what the user sees does not always precisely match the motion of the user's head (or inner ears), often causing motion sickness.
Additionally, people having inner ear damage from a head injury or an infection can also be afflicted with motion sickness. A damaged inner ear does not send the same signals as a healthy inner ear. The conflicting signals regarding the sensation of motion and/or rotation may cause motion sickness.
It has been found that motion sickness affects a large number people, including children, who are not legally allowed to sit in the front seat of an automobile where the likelihood of being afflicted with motion sickness is lower. The symptoms of motion sickness can include a general feeling of being unwell (malaise), nausea or vomiting, or both, headaches, cold sweating and a pale appearance. Symptoms may alleviate when the motion stops; however, it has been found that for some people it can take a significant period of time for symptoms to subside. A particularly susceptible person may become used to the motion during extended trips, such as on a long car trip or cruise. However, it has been found that even though the symptoms may subside during the trip, when the trip ends, symptoms can reoccur.
There have been many attempts to prevent or alleviate the effects of motion sickness. One well known method is for a passenger traveling in a moving vehicle to look outside the moving vehicle at objects that are stationery. This allows the passenger to visually perceive his or her own relative motion and determine spatial orientation, hence preventing motion sickness.
It has been found that automobile drivers rarely are afflicted with motion sickness. This may be a result of the driver's continued concentration on driving the vehicle in order to properly navigate and traverse the road in a safe manner. The unintended benefit of the driver's concentration is to constantly perceive his or her own motion relative to the environment outside the automobile. Because the natural tendency for many passengers is to look forward, rather than out a side window, passengers in the rear seat of the automobile where the view of the road ahead is obstructed may get sick. Moreover, in today's automobiles, third row seating is commonplace, providing seating for passengers further back in the automobile where the view of the road ahead is even more obstructed. Additionally, vans and buses alike may have even more seating with obstructed and limited views of the road ahead. The number of potential persons afflicted with motion sickness grows with the amount of rows in any vehicle, including boats, trains and airplanes, where the passengers are even more removed from the view in front or outside of the vehicle.
Boaters often prevent the onset of motion sickness by focusing on a fixed object on land, such as a dock or a building. In open water it has been found that sea-sickness may be alleviated by focusing on the horizon, which is perceived as a fixed object to the boater on the deck of a boat. However, as in an airplane, and similar to passengers in the rear seat of a car, passengers traveling in the cabin of a boat have limited viewable area and may not be able to look upon fixed objects or the horizon.
There have been many attempts to prevent motion sickness that are the subject of the U.S. patents. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,692,428 to Kania discloses an apparatus having a sensor that detects a motion of an object and a sensory converter which converts the detected motion to corresponding sensory signals, which can be audio, white noise or video. The sensory signals are designed to alleviate motion signals by using varying audio frequencies and/or colors displayed to the user selected in proportion to the determined motion. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 6,497,649 to Parker, et al., discloses displaying an independent visual background via a head-mounted display with a visual reference corresponding to the perceptions of a person's vestibular system. Another attempt to prevent motion sickness is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,275,998 to Tromble which shows a vision occluding eye shield which completely blocks the peripheral vision of the wearer to the discernment of motion and which blocks most or all of the superior field of vision of the wearer. When worn by a passenger the device blocks perception of objects passing through the peripheral field of vision in the side windows and through the front window, while allowing the wearer to focus on tasks or objects within the vehicle by looking through the unoccluded portion.
The drawback of Kania and Parker is that they require the use of motion sensors, which can introduce a perceptible delay, which in turn, could render the device ineffective.
The drawback of Parker and Tromble, inter alia, is that they are intrusive as devices need to be worn by the user. As such, there exists a need for a system and method of preventing motion sickness that is not intrusive to the user.
There have also been many attempts to treat motion sickness medically, with pharmaceutical solutions and other medicinal treatments. Some preventative medications can be purchased without a prescription (e.g., Dramamine®, Bonine®, Marezine®). Stronger medicines such as tranquilizers and nervous system depressants usually require a prescription. The downside of using any of these medications includes the cost, the inconvenience, and the potential side effects.
Other medical solutions involve the use of magnetic or metallic bracelets and/or jewelry. Some jewelry is worn on pressure points in an attempt to alleviate motion sickness. It has been found however, that such devices have limited success in preventing motion sickness. As such there exists a need for an effective system and method for preventing motion sickness without using medications or medical devices.
The afore-mentioned problems, drawbacks, and disadvantages, in addition to others, are alleviated by the present invention disclosed herein where an object thereof is to provide a non-intrusive, non-medicinal, safe and effective system, method and apparatus for preventing motion sickness.

System, method and apparatus for preventing motion sickness


Streaming media applications, e.g., sent over the Internet with TCP, can suffer from various fluctuations and low utilization due to TCP's Additive Increase Multiplicative Decrease (AIMD) congestion control mechanism. Improved methods and apparatuses are provided in which Logarithm-based Rate Control algorithms are employed to better utilize available bandwidth and/or control and smooth the sending rate of the streaming media.

With steady growth of access bandwidth, Internet applications are increasingly starting to use streaming audio and video contents. Since the current Internet is inherently a heterogeneous and dynamic best-effort network, channel bandwidth usually fluctuates in a wide range from bit rate below 64 kbps to well above 1 Mbps. This brings great challenges to video coding and streaming technologies in providing a smooth playback experience and best available video quality to the users.
By way of example, conventional streamed video, for example, over the Internet, is transmitted with TCP or UDP with TFRC. One problem with this is that there can be a sharp reduction in the sending rate, e.g., by half, when packet loss occurs. This is typically an outcome of the rate control mechanism, which prevents the Internet from fatal congestion collapse. However, such a sharp sending rate reduction can lead to significant quality reduction, which is quite undesirable for streaming video.
In addition to various and often frequent bandwidth fluctuations, current Internet streaming applications tend to lack accurate estimations of the available network/channel bandwidth. As such, the applications are often unable to make full use of the available network resources and/or actively adjust the sending rate when the network gets congested.
Hence, there is a need for improved methods and apparatuses for use in the Internet and other like networks and with streaming media applications.

Congestion control mechanism for streaming media


A conveying system for use in a continuous-type oven is provided. The conveying system comprises a machine unit on which are disposed at least a pair of opposed carriers spaced apart by a predetermined separation distance. The subject conveying system also comprises a mesh conveyor belt displaceably coupled to the machine unit in an endless loop configuration, about an axis directed substantially parallel to a longitudinal plane defined by the machine unit. The subject conveying system further comprises at least a pair of chain conveyor assemblies coupled to the machine unit, each including: a rail coupled to at least one of the carriers to be suspended thereby over the mesh conveyor belt; and, at least a pair of chain wheels coupled adjacent the opposing ends of the rail to rotate about respective axes of rotation transversely directed relative to the longitudinal plane. Each chain conveyor assembly also includes a chain engaging the chain wheels so as to advance thereabout through an endless loop. The chain is provided with a plurality of links having formed thereon a flanged carrying portion that extends laterally over the mesh conveyor belt.

The subject invention relates to a conveyance structural improvement of continuous type heating oven, particularly to one that will effectively avoid the occurrence of dropping plate, jamming plate, clamped plate, etc.
Surface mount technology has improved on many weaknesses in the conventional type of penetrated-hole circuit board, application of such technology has reduced the cubic measurements of a product, increased its density, saved manpower and achieved the precision that could not be performed by manpower, therefore, it is highly commended by the manufacturing industry, many peripheral equipment have been introduced since, such as surface adhering components, positioning machine, spot welder, soldering furnace, etc.
Conventionally, a continuous type heating oven is designed to achieve welding purposes by heating the SMD component pins, solder and working piece with a heater. A conventional type of continuous heating oven involves a proper conveyance unit, which serves to convey a printed circuit board (PCB) through the heater in the machine unit to enable welding operation, the conveyance structure of a conventional type of continuous heating oven is shown in FIG. 1, said conveyance unit comprises a mesh conveyor belt 1A and a chain conveyor unit 2A, said mesh conveyor belt 1A and the chain conveyor unit 2A are respectively driven by a driving mechanism to perform continuous conveyance, a foundation plate may be carried on the two sides between the two chains of the chain conveyor unit 2A, the mesh conveyor belt 1A may serve to take up the foundation plate that drops by accident, or to carry a foundation plate with a smaller area.
However, in the conveyor unit of said conventional type of continuous heating oven, the chain conveyor unit 2A is installed on the surrounding of the mesh conveyor belt 1A, therefore, the length of the mesh conveyor belt 1A must be shorter than the chain conveyor unit 2A, therefore, there shall be a clearance below the two ends of the chain conveyor unit 2A without the equipment of the mesh conveyor belt 1A, and, to avoid close contact between the mesh conveyor belt 1A and the chain conveyor unit 2A during the operation, there must be a specified distance between the two parts, but such requirement shall lengthen the clearance L below the two ends of the chain conveyor unit 2A where there is no mesh conveyor belt 1A, such occurrence of said clearance L will easily cause the conveying foundation plate to drop from the output, or jam or clamped in said clearance, and such occurrence of dropping plate, jamming plate or clamped plate has been regarded by the manufacturers as a major defect. Moreover, the axis of the chain wheel of the chain conveyor unit 2A is in horizontal arrangement, while the chains' conveyance is in vertical takeover arrangement, and at the sides of the chains are the extensions of carrying protrusions, to carry the foundation plate or other objects to be conveyed on two sides, in such an operation, the foundation plate will easily jam between the carrying protrusions, and at the input end where the takeover process is performed the plate will easily be clamped, moreover, the chains carry the load of the foundation plate merely with the carrying protrusions, therefore, the foundation plate will be supported by the carrying protrusions only horizontally, as a result, the foundation plate will not be steadily conveyed on the chains.
Therefore, in the sense of actual applications, the conveyor unit of said conventional type of continuous heating oven does involve inconveniences and weaknesses that need further improvement.
In view of effective improvement of the above, the subject inventor has devoted intensive study, with technical applications, and has finally presented the reasonably designed subject invention with effective improvement of the above weaknesses.

Conveying system for a continuous-type oven


A request change unit outputs a command as a request under control of a judgment control unit. A response condition determination unit determines a condition that is to be matched by a correct response which is to be returned from the other device-in-communication in reply to the command if the other device-in-communication operates in conformity with a protocol. A check unit checks a response received from the other device-in-communication in reply to the command, against the condition. If the received response does not match the condition but is correctable to match the condition as a result of the check, a response correction unit corrects the received response to match the condition under control of the judgment control unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to communication techniques of sending/receiving a request and a response between communication devices.
2. Related Art
Nowadays, communication devices such as personal computers and network appliances perform communication with other communication devices based on various protocols. For example, communication between communication devices is performed by using various networks such as the Internet and a LAN (Local Area Network), or various hardware interfaces.
POP3 (Post Office Protocol version 3, RFC 1939) is known as such a protocol that is used in communication between communication devices.
Communication between communication devices based on a protocol such as POP3 is conducted by one communication device sending a request and the other communication device returning a response to the request.
POP3 is described in detail in the following:
J. Myers, "RFC 1939-Post Office Protocol (POP) Version 3", [online] May 1996, IAB (Internet Architecture Board) standard recommendation RFC (Request for Comments), [searched on Apr. 3, 2006]<URL: http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc1939.txt>.
In communication between communication devices based on a protocol such as POP3, if a response to a request has an error, that is, if data that does not conform to a procedure or format prescribed by the protocol is returned as a response, a communication device that sends the request terminates communication processing for the occurrence of the error.
For instance, in the case where the protocol is not implemented strictly in a communication device that receives the request or part of the implemented protocol contains a bug, the communication device will end up returning a wrong response to the request. Whenever this happens, error termination occurs in the communication between the communication devices.

Communication method and communication device


An injection molding nozzle for disposition in a mold. The nozzle is for injecting melt into a cavity of the mold, and includes a body having a through bore extending therethrough for receiving the melt. Attached to the body of the nozzle is a nozzle piece secured to the body that defines an outlet communicating between the body through bore and the cavity gate. A nozzle member surrounds the body at a position upstream of the nozzle piece and has an inner surface contacting the body, and an outer surface contacting the mold. The outer surface forms a seal against melt flow upstream from the nozzle member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to nozzles for use in an injection molding system. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved injection molding nozzle characterized in particular by minimal heat loss characteristics and an improved sealing technique.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A common problem in the field of injection molding is the need to keep the melt that forms the molded article at a uniform temperature as it passes from a plastic melt source through an injection nozzle and into a cavity in the cooled mold. The melt is uniformly kept at its optimum melting point in order to assure a good melt flow. The optimum temperature is the temperature at which no melt freeze-off or burning occurs.
Usually, a bore is formed in the cooled mold in which the nozzle is seated. The mold is often several times cooler than the melt, thus, in order to keep the melt at its optimum flowing temperature, the nozzle is heated by heating coils, heat pipes, electric resistance heaters, or other appropriate heating means. As the nozzle is surrounded by the cooled mold, significant heat loss can occur between the nozzle and the mold which can affect the temperature of the melt. Further, the heat transfer from the nozzle to the mold can affect the solidifying times of the molded article in the cavity within the mold. Accordingly, there is a need to provide effective insulation of the nozzle within the mold to minimize heat loss from the nozzle to the mold.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide improved insulation of a nozzle for an injection molding machine, in order to minimize heat loss that occurs from the heated nozzle to the cooled mold.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved nozzle seal that provides, not only the aforementioned heat insulation characteristics, but also a simple and effective seal against melt leakage from the gate.


A guitar pick having a planar and generally triangular main body with three sides. Two sides of the main body join in a rounded nose protruding outwardly from one side. A wing extends outwardly from the top of the main body so that at least a portion of the wing lies in a plane oblique to a plane of the main body. The wing may be curvilinear in shape or include plural planar sections.

I. Field of The Invention
The present invention relates generally to accessories for music instruments and, more particularly, to a guitar pick.
II. Description of Related Art
Many people enjoy playing the guitar and many of those people use guitar picks when playing the guitar. There are different kinds of picks and the picks are made of different materials. However, one popular pick is a planar pick which is generally triangular in shape. This pick is constructed of a relatively rigid material, such as hard plastic, and is held between the guitar player's thumb and one other finger.
In order to utilize the guitar pick, the guitar player typically holds the guitar pick between the thumb and one of the fingers, typically the index finger, so that one corner of the guitar pick protrudes outwardly from the guitar player's hand. This outwardly protruding corner is then used to strum the guitar strings while using the flat side of the guitar pick to engage and deflect the guitar string to produce the desired note.
Although the flat side is typically used to deflect the guitar strings for many musical pieces, for certain pieces it is desirable to deflect the guitar strings utilizing the edge, rather than the flat side, of the guitar pick. Deflection of the guitar strings utilizing the edge of the guitar pick, rather than the flat side, produces a unique sound which is desirable in some situations.
In order for a guitar player to change from using the flat side of the guitar pick to the edge of the guitar pick during a song, it is necessary with these previously known guitar picks for the guitar player to twist his or her hand into different positions in order to accommodate the desired position of the guitar pick. Such twisting of the guitar player's hand and/or wrist, however, is awkward for many players. Furthermore, it is difficult for many players to play the guitar when his or her hand is oriented in an unnatural position in an effort to reposition the guitar pick.


A rolled hem forming process and a rolled hem provider incorporating the process are disclosed. The process eliminates use of a conventional truncated pipe which is capable of properly forming a rolled portion on only certain types of fabric materials. The process of the invention is capable of securely and smoothly forming a rolled portion on virtually any type of fabric material, thick or thin, or undulated or not undulated. The process utilizes the steps of (a) rounding an outer portion (42a) and middle portion (42b) on an arc guide body (15) with a rounding plate (21), (b) further rounding the outer and middle portions (42a, 42b) with a rolling device (22), (c) positioning a second plate (13) within the outer and middle portions (42a, 42b), (d) folding the outer portion (42a) onto the second plate (13) with a bending device (23), and (e) folding the outer and middle portions (42a, 42b) onto an inner portion (42c) with a curved guide surface (13a) of the second plate (13) to provide a rolled portion (41) on a hem portion (42).

Generally, an elongated fabric material is used for producing fabric products for an elongated fabric material provides more efficient and economical yield than a short fabric material. The edges or hems of an elongated fabric material require hemming to prevent fraying as well as provide a neat appearance.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 57-17554 disclosed an automatic hemming machine for an elongated fabric material, Japanese Patent Publication No. 59-5155 disclosed a hemming apparatus anti Japanese Patent Publication No. 62-19873 disclosed a s.ewing machine with a zigzag controller, all proposed for hemming an elongated fabric material. These prior art apparatus cannot appropriately process the edges or hems for all types of fabric products. Flat fabric products such as scarves, curtains, Japanese style wrapping cloths and towels are conventionally hemmed as schematically shown in FIG. 27 (B) by means of folding a hem portion in three layers, which cannot always be readily and easily performed with a conventional apparatus.
For conventionally forming a hem portion of a fabric material into a layered configuration, a truncated multi-pipe device as shown in FIG. 28 is utilized. A hem portion of an elongated fabric material is fed into the pipe device in the direction shown by an arrow toward a hem stitching machine (not shown) for three-fold rolled hemming as shown in FIG. 27 (B).
Such a truncated pipe device as shown in FIG. 28 may be conveniently utilized to automatically and speedily provide a layered hem portion on a thin and smooth elongated fabric material, however, this hemming method does not adequately apply for processing a thick or undulated fabric material such as one for towels. As shown in FIG. 27 (A), a fabric material 40 for producing towels is an elongated fabric sheet material having piled sections Pa which are separated by non-piled zones along imaginary lines L for cutting. The hem portions of such a fabric material 40 are not uniform in thickness and cannot be readily and smoothly fed into the truncated pipe device.
As FIG. 27 (A) shows, the towel material is provided with fabric sections or regions each having a different thickness. Regions Pa are provided with piles while regions Ta and Tb are plainly woven and have different thicknesses. Regions Ta for providing an aesthetic appearance are to be cut in the center along imaginary lines L. Regions Ta are made thicker than regions Tb and regions Pa are the thickest. Thus the surfaces of the fabric material 40 are undulated.
It is ha;rd to smoothly feed such an undulated towel material 40 into a truncated pipe device for rolled or layered hemming with a hem stitching machine. In addition, the width of the hem portion to be stitched is generally only 5 mm-10 mm, which adds difficulty to partially feeding an elongated fabric material through a truncated pipe device, for a high-speed hemming operation in particular. The truncated pipe device may be enlarged to process a thick or undulated fabric material, however, such an enlarged pipe device then cannot process a thin fabric material adequately.
International Publication No. 92/09734 disclosed a rolled heming apparatus, which processes a hem portion 42 of an elongated fabric material 40 following the steps shown in FIG. 3 (B) (prior art) to provide a layered portion 41 on the hem as shown in step 5. The hem portion 42 consisting of an outer hem portion 42a, middle hem portion 42b and inner hem portion 42c is folded in steps 1-5 to finally provide a layered hem portion 41 in step 5.
According to the disclosed apparatus, it is required to first lift upward the portions 42a and 42b together as shown in step 2, bend the portion 42a inward at a right angle in step 3, bend it again downward in step 4 at a right angle and bend the portion 42b at a right angle together with the portion 42a onto the portion 42c as shown in step 5 to provide a three-layer hem portion 41, which generates considerable mechanical stress onto the apparatus, especially when done at a high speed, possibly causing not only trouble to or malfunctioning of the apparatus but displeasing appearance to the product.
A fabric possesses a degree of shape restoration or repulsion. A fabric material for producing towels has a considerable thickness, which increases the restoration moment. The steps shown in FIG. 3(B) will not be adequately and smoothly carried out on such a thick fabric material as the bent fabric portions, especially when the bent portions are narrow, will generate considerable shape restoration moment.
Accordingjly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a rolled hem forming process that can speedily and smoothly form a three-layer rolled portion 41 on a hem portion 42 of an elongated fabric material 40, thin or thick, by utilizing rounding and pressing means, and not conventional bending or folding means or a conventional truncated multi-piped device, and that without exerting much stress onto the apparatus. It is another object of the present invention to provide a rolled hem forming device utilizing such a process.

Rolled hem forming process and apparatus therefor


The point of sale terminal includes a terminal housing with a controller portion and a cash drawer portion, a sliding sled coupled to the terminal housing residing within the controller portion of the terminal housing and between a first position and a second position wherein the first position is within the controller portion of the terminal housing and the second position is without the controller portion of the terminal housing, and a system controller coupled to the sliding sled such that when the sliding sled is without the controller portion of the terminal housing, the system controller is exposed for service.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to point of sale terminals and more particularly to accessing electronics within the point of sale terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
One example of an information handling system is a point of sale (POS) terminal. A point-of-sale terminal is a computerized replacement for a cash register. A point of sale terminal can include the ability to record and track customer orders, process credit and debit cards, connect to other systems in a network, and manage inventory. Generally, a point of sale terminal has as its core an information handling system, which is provided with application specific programs and I/O devices for the particular environment in which the point of sale terminal will serve. A point of sale system for a restaurant, for example, is likely to have all menu items stored in a database that can be queried for information in a number of ways. Point of sale terminals are used in most industries that have a point of sale such as retail stores, restaurants, and lodging.
Known point of sale solutions that are available in the market today are often difficult to service in retail environments. To access the information handling system of the point of sale terminal, it is often necessary to move or rotate the entire terminal. Known point of sale solutions only provide access to point of sale controller from the back of the point of sale terminal.
Additionally, point of sale keyboards are often very expensive. There are two features that make point of sale keyboards unique to most retailers, most of the keyboards include a magnetic stripe reader/credit card reader (MSR) and some keyboards include reprogrammable/relegendable keys. This feature is waning driven partially by the availability of low cost touch screen solutions.


A system and method for linking Quality Function Deployment (QFD) data and actual process data is provided and uses a knowledge based expert system in combination with QFD principles to provide an interactive system capable of allowing dynamic changes to a manufacturing process in response to customer input regarding their requirements and ultimate satisfaction. The system expands upon a central element of QFD analysis, relationships between objects, by providing navigation and manipulation aids. Dynamic evaluation is possible and enables the detection of shifts in customer preference or needs. This is accomplished in part by remodeling the QFD House of Quality by enlarging it to accommodate additional matrices of data not previously associated with the QFD house. Further, a relational database is provided for correlating data about the manufacturing process and customer needs as well as new matrices, one of which maps product parameters to the customer data or the manufacturing process data. Another matrix identifies responsibility for control, or ownership of particular product parameters. Additionally, analysis methods and customer survey data can be identified by matrices added to the relational data-base.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to interactive computer based manufacturing control systems, and more particularly to a system for integrating changes and customer feedback responses into the manufacturing process.
2. Description of Related Art
Customer preference and satisfaction are typically measured in the early planning stages of a product development cycle. In recent years quality function deployment (QFD) techniques have been used to integrate customer wants and perceptions, product characteristic and technical interaction of product characteristic into the product planning process. QFD concepts are described in the article "The House of Quality," Harvard Business Review by Hauser et al, May/June, 1988, pages 63-7, hereby incorporated by reference.
QFD techniques include the use of interrelated tables which map relationships between customer data and product characteristics. Such an approach helps to establish manufacturing targets for performance, that results in a static description used only in early design efforts. Other techniques such as control charts have been used for ongoing or real time control of a manufacturing process. QFD has been used primarily as a manual design tool although entry and manipulation and display of the data has been automated, as for example by the software offerings QFD Plus and QFD/capture. These products are commercially available and do much to simplify the drudgery of entering the data comprising the House of Quality used with much success as a planning tool.
Similarly, as described by Cohen in the article "Quality Function Deployment: an Application Prospective" from Digital Equipment Corporation, National Productivity Review, summer 1988, pages 197-208, the use of an electronic spread sheet is described for managing the vast amount of data necessary to affect QFD use. While great success has been described in the literature regarding the use of QFD principles and manufacturing, a continuing aspect worthy of mention is the personnel resources necessary to effectively use QFD due to the amount of training required to fully utilize vast amount of data.
The use of expert systems to other applications involving artificial intelligence are becoming more prevalent. There are many examples of knowledge base systems in use. U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,218 to Agnew et al describes an expert system for determining machine configurations. U.S. Pat. No. 4,866,634 to Rebow et al discloses an expert system shell for using computing functions of variables and response to numeric and symbolic data values input by the user. U.S. Pat. No. 4,775,935 to Yourick discloses a multimode video merchandiser system for selecting, based on user preferences, a sequence in which images of products stored in a video disk are presented on a monitor to a user. U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,044 discloses a basic expert system tool for building a knowledge system and running a consultation on a computer.
It is therefore apparent that there is a need for refining techniques for manipulating and displaying vast unwieldy amounts of data associated with QFD activity. Because so much data is generated in building a House of Quality, the data is susceptible to use in a knowledge based expert system. A means of combining or using in tandem the advantageous features of an expert system and QFD is desirable to minimize the time for decision making based on product knowledge and facts. Further, a need exists to dynamically link the QFD customer and product data with the actual production data such that a process tool that allows production data to be manipulated based upon customer needs and product properties is created.

International Business Machines Corporation


The present invention provides a method, system and device for securing ownership for a two-part device with a physical unit and a virtual unit so that ownership of the two-part device is efficiently initiated, maintained, and transferred. The steps include initiating, by a user, an activation signal from the physical unit to the virtual unit to activate an ownership procedure and employing a double safety mechanism to activate ownership services via the virtual unit for the physical unit.

In the past it was common to simply purchase an electronics device, take it home and use it as it was. Inside the package there was typically a registration form, on which the owner was usually encouraged to register his ownership with the manufacturer. This activity was a voluntary measure that the owner could perform, but it was not generally required. If assistance with the device was needed at a later date, the manufacturer usually asked the purchaser to identify the device by looking in a particular location on the device and reading off its own particular ID and then proceeded to give the purchaser the assistance needed.
In contrast, particularly if a purchaser makes a software purchase at an Internet site, takes ownership of a virtual device such as a personal web site, email account or even software he has bought and has possession of, the owner-to-be may be required to go through a registration process. Such a process almost inevitably ties the owner permanently to the virtual device. Thus, when the software or the like is transferred to another owner, the transfer of ownership is not as simple as the transfer of ownership of a physical device. In some cases, the new owner may not be able to obtain a transfer of registration.
However, as more devices are being developed that utilize more and more remotely located software, there is a need for devices that have physical and remote virtual components that are linked together with greater permanence. Thus, there is a need for a two-part device with a physical unit and a virtual unit, wherein ownership of the two-part device can readily be initiated, maintained, and transferred.

Taking ownership of a part-physical, part-virtual device

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A component placement machine includes: a transport device for transporting PCBs in an X-direction; first and a second feeder areas; at least one Y-slide beam that is drivable in the X-direction; and at least two placement heads on each Y-slide beam, which placement heads are independently drivable in the Y-direction and dependently drivable in the X-direction. Each feeder area includes at least one feeder for storing components. Such a machine enables a number of actions to be performed simultaneously. For example, within a certain period of time, a plurality of placement heads can simultaneously pick up components from a feeder, while other placement heads, which previously picked up components, may be moved to desired X-Y positions of the PCB which the previously picked up components may be placed, thereby resulting in an improved output.

The invention relates to a component placement machine for placing components on a printed circuit board, comprising:                a transport device for transporting printed circuit boards in an X-direction,        on either side of the transport device, respectively, a first and a second feeder area, in each of which there is at least one feeder with components,        a Y-slide, which is drivable in the X-direction, and        a placement head on said Y-slide, which placement head is drivable in a Y-direction.
Such a machine is known from WO-A-9738567. This machine can be very flexibly used for different types of printed circuit boards. The placement head can reach all positions of the feeder area and of the area above a printed circuit board. The transport of printed circuit boards is relatively simple. The printed circuit boards only have to be clamped at the edges (in the X-direction). By means of a camera, the exact position of the printed circuit board can be determined. A drawback of this machine is, however, that the output, i.e. the number of components which can be placed per unit of time, is limited.
Placement machines by means of which very many components (60,000-90,000 comp/h) can be placed on printed circuit boards are known. Such machines have a large number of fixed Y-slides, each slide having a placement head which can be moved in the Y-direction with a large stroke and in the X-direction with a small stroke. These machines have a so-called indexed transport system for the printed circuit boards, i.e. the printed circuit boards are always transported over a fixed distance in the X-direction. Such a transport system includes a slide on which there are a number of positioning pins which are inserted into holes of the printed circuit boards, whereafter said positioning pins advance the printed circuit boards simultaneously over a predetermined distance in the X-direction, after which the printed circuit boards are supported at the side edges, and subsequently the pins are withdrawn from the holes and the slide returns to its starting position. In one placement period, generally components can be placed only on a part of the printed circuit board. After the printed circuit boards have been advanced in an indexed manner, components can be placed on a next part of the printed circuit board in the subsequent placement period. The fixed Y-slide, the limited stroke of the placement head in the X-direction and the indexed transport system for the printed circuit boards contribute substantially to achieving a high output. A drawback of such machines resides in the limited flexibility, i.e. when other types of printed circuit boards have to be provided with components, a number of machine parts have to be moved or replaced, whereafter the new setting has to be re-calibrated. These changes relate particularly to the parts necessary for supporting and transporting the printed circuit boards. It takes approximately 2 to 4 hours to carry out such changes. During this period of time, the machine is idle. Another drawback resides in that such machines are sensitive to cluster formation. That is to say, if the components are not uniformly distributed over the printed circuit board, but instead are located so as to form concentrations (clusters), the output is adversely affected.

Printed circuit component placement method


A downhole packer for providing a seal in a well bore to allow integrity testing of well bore with drill ahead capability immediately thereafter has a disengageable packer assembly wherein the packer element may be rendered disengageable by mounting the packer to the string using a tool body (61) provided with a sleeve (62) bearing a packer element (55), wherein the body is initially restrained from movement within the sleeve by engagement of an internal selectively movable retaining element (64). A method of testing a well bore with follow on drilling after disengaging the packer element is described.

In the drilling and production of oil and gas wells, it is typical to prepare a well bore in a target oil or gas-bearing formation using a drill string which is terminated by a drill bit. The drill string is rotated to remove formation ahead of the drill bit, to drill and thus form a wellbore, and to increase the depth of the well. The drill string has an axial throughbore throughout its length which provides a fluid circulation path through the string and BHA and back up the annulus around the string within the well bore.
Drilling mud or other fluid is pumped through the drill string to cool the drill bit, and to aid the passage of drill cuttings from the base of the well to the surface, via an annulus formed between the drill string and the wall of the wellbore.
At fixed intervals, the drill bit is removed from the wellbore and a casing comprising lengths of tubular casing sections coupled together end-to-end is run into the drilled wellbore and cemented in place. A smaller dimension drill bit is then inserted through the cased wellbore, to drill through the formation below the cased portion, to thereby extend the depth of the well. A smaller diameter casing is then installed in the extended portion of the wellbore and also cemented in place. If required, a liner comprising similar tubular sections coupled together end-to-end may be installed in the well, coupled to and extending from the final casing section. Once the desired full depth has been achieved, the drill string is removed from the well and then a work string is run-in to clean the well. Once the well has been cleaned out, the walls of the tubular members forming the casing/liner are free of debris so that when screens, packers, gravel pack assemblies, liner hangers or other completion equipment is inserted into the well, an efficient seal can be achieved between these devices and the casing/liner wall.
It is important to determine whether there are any cracks, gaps or other irregularities in the lining of a well bore, or in the cement between tubulars which line a well bore, which may allow the ingress of well bore fluid into the annulus of the bore. It is also important that any irregularities in the well bore casing connections and cement bonds are identified and monitored to prevent contamination of the well bore contents.
It is normally difficult to determine whether there are any irregularities in the well bore casing connections and cement bonds as the hydrostatic pressure created by drilling fluid within the well bore prevents well bore fluid from entering the annulus of the bore. In order to overcome this difficulty it is known to the art to use downhole packers to seal off sections of a pre-formed well bore in order to test the integrity of the particular section of bore. One test carried out to identify any such irregularities is a so-called "in-flow" or "negative" test
During an in-flow test a packer is included on a work string and run into a bore. The individual packer elements of the packer tool are expanded to seal the annulus between the well tubing (casing or lining) and tool in the well bore. Expansion or "setting" of the packer is usually achieved by rotating the tool relative to the work string and the set packer thereafter prevents the normal flow of drilling fluid in the annulus between the work string and well bore tubular. A lower density fluid is then circulated within the work string which reduces the hydrostatic pressure within the pipe. As a consequence of the drop in hydrostatic pressure, well bore fluid can flow through any cracks or irregularities in the lining of the well bore into the annulus of the bore. If this occurs, the flow of well bore fluid into the bore results in an increase in pressure which can be monitored. As a result it is possible to locate areas where fluid can pass into the well bore through irregularities in the structure of the bore and where repair of the lining may be required. After testing, the bore may be "pressured up" to remove the well bore fluid from the bore and a heavy drilling fluid can be passed through the string to return the hydrostatic pressure to normal.
Typically, a separate trip is required to be made into the well to perform an in-flow or negative pressure test. This is because the conventional packer tools used are set by a relative rotation within the well bore. As many other tools are activated by rotation and indeed as the drill string itself would normally be rotated during this type of operation, it is likely that the packer would prematurely set. This problem has been overcome by the introduction of a weight-set packer. Such a weight-set packer, also referred to as a "compression-set packer", is disclosed in the Applicant's International Patent Application, publication no. WO/0183938 which is hereby incorporated by reference. The packer is set by a sleeve moveable on a body of the packer being set down on a formation in the well bore. Movement of the sleeve compresses one or more packing elements to provide a seal.
This compression-set packer is particularly suitable for integrity testing of a liner when a permanent packer, or 'tieback' packer, with a Polished Bore Receptacle (PBR) has been used. Once the permanent packer with the PBR has been set, a single trip can be made into the well to operate clean-up tools and perform an in-flow or negative test. The clean-up tools may be operated by relative rotation of the work string in the well-bore and further the work string can be slackened off so that the sleeve of the compression-set packer lands out on the PBR. This sets the compression-set packer above the PBR and seals the bore between the packers. An in-flow or negative test can then be performed.


An outboard motor is steerably mounted to a hull via a bracket and a steering arm is mounted to a steering bracket unit attached to the outboard motor. The steering arm includes a shift grip as a shift operating unit, a throttle grip as a throttle operating unit and a throttle adjusting knob as a throttle adjusting operating unit. These units are adjacently disposed in the described order in a forward direction of a hull.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a steering arm structure of an outboard motor.
2. Related Art
An outboard motor is typically mounted to a hull via a swivel bracket and a clamp bracket. The swivel bracket is fixed to the outboard motor and the clamp bracket is fixed to the hull. The swivel bracket is rotatably pivoted to the clamp bracket via a pilot shaft.
For example, a steering bracket is provided rotatably at the top end of the pilot shaft so as to rotate integrally with the pilot shaft, and a steering arm extending forward is mounted at the front end of the steering bracket. By swinging the steering arm to the right or left, the outboard motor can be steered to the right or left about the pilot shaft with respect to the bracket.
Generally, a throttle grip is provided at the front end of the steering arm so as to enable both throttle and steering operation to be performed at the same time. In recent years, a shift operating unit and switches are mounted to the operation handle so as to improve the operability (see, for example, Japanese Patent Nos. 3470547, 2718149, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-70594).
However, although the steering arm described in Japanese Patent No. 3470547 is so constructed that throttle operation is performed in accordance with a rotation system (grip type system), shift operation is carried out by lever. Further, since the shift lever is provided in the center of the side surface of the steering arm, and an adjuster of the throttle is provided on an opposite side to the shift lever, it is difficult to say that the operability of each operating unit is good.
In the steering arm described in Japanese Patent No. 2718149, although the throttle operation and the shift operation are carried out by the rotation system and the operating unit is coaxially adjacently disposed, there is no disclosure about other components such as the throttle adjuster.
Furthermore, although in the steering arm described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-70594, a throttle using the rotation operating system and a throttle opening holding unit are disposed coaxially adjacent to each other, the structure is complicated and many components or elements are disposed, and in addition, it will be difficult to obtain an excellent adjustability. Furthermore, there is no disclosure about other components such as the shift unit and steering adjuster.

Steering arm structure of outboard motor


The method of the present invention is adapted to foam and crosslink a raw material including a rubber, a crosslinking agent and a foaming agent. The method includes the following steps: (1) a first crosslinking and foaming step, placing the raw material into a first mold, crosslinking and foaming the raw material to form a pre-molded body; (2) a second crosslinking and foaming step, withdrawing the pre-molded body from the first mold, placing the pre-molded body into a second mold after the pre-molded body being cooled down, crosslinking and foaming the pre-molded body to form a molded body; and (3) a third crosslinking and foaming step, withdrawing the molded body from the second mold, placing the molded body into a heating device after the molded body being cooled down, crosslinking and foaming the molded body to form a product.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for the preparation of rubber, and more particularly to a method for the preparation of foamed and crosslinked rubber.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Rubber is a material with high resilient, good recoverability, good fatigue resistance, ski-proofing property, and abrasion proofing property, thus is has been commonly used in daily life and has become one of the most important material in the industry.
Conventional methods of preparation of foamed and crosslinked rubber include one-stage crosslinking and foaming manner, two-stage crosslinking and foaming manner, and continuous crosslinking and foaming manner.
The one-stage manner mainly includes single heating step to crosslink and foam the rubber raw material. Products made by such one-stage manner are usually limited to small size articles, low foaming degree, and low crosslinking degree.
The two-stage manner mainly includes two heating steps to crosslink and foam the rubber raw material. Specifically, the raw material is mainly shaped in the first heating step, and then is matured and enlarged in the second heating step. Products made by the two-stage manner are usually simple-structured. For example, they may be formed into a plate shape.
The continuous manner mainly includes heating the raw material continuously to crosslink and foam the rubber.
Some disadvantages are arisen in the conventional rubber preparation manners. For instance, the crosslinking degree of the rubber cannot be easily controlled, the product may be damaged while parting the product from the mold, and the patterns in the mold are not well copied on the rubber products. Other disadvantages, such as product deformation, low dimensional stability, low clearness of product contour, are also commonly seen in the conventional manners.
At the present, subsequent processing and shaping steps are provided to make up the above-mentioned unsatisfied shaping result.
However, such subsequent steps will lead to new disadvantages such as high cost, low efficiency. Besides, only a few modifications can be made to the matured rubber products since the crosslinking degree of the products is too high to be further thermally shaped. In other words, seriously modifications are not likely to be achieved on the matured rubber products during the subsequent steps.
The present invention is, therefore, arisen to obviate or at least mitigate the above mentioned disadvantages.

Method for the preparation of foamed and crosslinked rubber


A system and method are provided to allow a user to update a computer system without having to interact with an initialization, or configurator software utility, or program. More particularly, the present invention allows a system provider, manufacturer, or service provider to create an installation file that, when provided to a user, will configure a system to accommodate newly added/removed hardware automatically. A base model and a new model of the system are maintained. The new model will include one or more different configurations, such as new graphics adapters, communications adapters, I/O controllers, or the like. The provider will have created a recovery/install image to be used with the base model. An operating system including a configurator program will be running on both the base model system and new model system. Software, such as device drivers, to be used with the new model's changed hardware configuration is installed on the new model system and initialized using its configurator program. A file for the new model is created using vital product data for the base model system. This new model configuration file is then installed on the base model machine and its configurator program is run. The configuration information (including the new model configuration data) is then stored as a system image and a script file is added to this system image. This new model image is then made available to end users, by a CD or the like, having a new model system. The script file in the new model image will specify a start priority that will allow it to be called before the configurator program and it will proceed to initialize the system with the appropriate software captured from the system provider's new model machine.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to upgrading the hardware and software configuration of a closed system, such as a network appliance, system control console, or the like. More particularly, the present invention provides a technique for eliminating user interaction during system boot when the operating system (OS) detects the presence of new hardware components or the absence of previously recognized hardware components.
2. Description of Related Art
With the continual advance of computer technology, systems are becoming increasingly large and complex. For example, many server type computers are being coupled to form multi-node systems which may include hundreds, if not thousands of interconnected computer processors. These processors may be organized into many logical partitions which will be controlled by multiple hardware management consoles to control, monitor, or the like, the various functions of the multi-node systems. These computing systems demonstrate an extremely large resource and financial commitment by the purchasers. Due to their high cost, purchasers will not be able to upgrade their entire systems and management consoles as fast as the technology changes. However, peripheral devices and software will be periodically added to existing computer systems to enhance their capabilities in various areas, such as graphics and video processing, communications, networking, storage, and the like.
Additionally, there are other so-called "closed" computer systems that are also becoming more prevalent in today's computer driven world. A "closed" system is typically one having a fixed hardware and software configuration. For example, these systems may include personal digital assistants (PDAs), cellular phones, set top boxes, dedicated controllers, such as found in automobiles, and the like. Further, these types of systems include network appliances which are computer systems that are essentially dedicated to a specific type of networking application and not available to be updated. Other such "closed" systems include the hardware management consoles used to control various computer systems coupled together in a multiprocessing, or clustering environment. Hardware management consoles are also often used to manage various partitions in a data processing system. Partitioning refers to the allocation of hardware resources (processors, memory, I/O adapters, communications adapters, and the like) found in a single system to multiple operating system instances running on that system. Partitioning can be done physically through switches, routers, and the like or logically by use of address translation techniques with cause various instructions and data to be available to only a specified operating system instance. Similarly, a hardware management appliance is another type of "closed system" contemplated by the present invention. A hardware management appliance will be used to control and/or monitor the various functions present in a computer system, such as powering on and off the system being managed to ensure the components are initialized in the proper sequence, etc.
Data processing apparatus which are configured to operate with a specific type of hardware and software can be considered a closed system. Most, if not all, closed systems will include some type of input/output (I/O) device that will allow the software to be upgraded. For example, a PDA may have a synchronization port that provides connection to a desktop PC. Cellular phones can be accessed through a wireless connection and controllers typically include some type of communication port to access external data. Further, a hardware management console may include I/O devices, such as a CD ROM or diskette drive, as well as a communication port, or the like. Thus, systems are typically considered to be "closed" based on their specific software configuration, which does not provide for (or contemplate) the addition of hardware components and their corresponding device drivers.
However, like all types of computers, it is often desirable to upgrade "closed" systems with new hardware and software components. In this case a recovery/install image for each computer system model must be created. A recovery/install image is used by a manufacturer to preload software on a specific type of computer system. Also, the recovery/install image will be used by the user to reinstall the software should a major machine component fail, such as a hard drive, or the like. It is an expensive proposition to have separate recovery/install images for each machine model, and presents maintenance problems, since each different model of the same type of system will have a different basic set of software.
Further, while many operating systems include a non-interactive hardware detection capability, they require a user to login and run various commands in order to clean up the system software, such as when new hardware is added, or diagnostics need to be run. It can be seen that this type of solution is not practical for many computer appliances, including a hardware management console, since the are closed systems.
One example that illustrates the need for a system, such as the present invention, occurs when new hardware components are released and a system upgrade is desired. If the same image produced for the previous hardware is used for installation, the operating system (AIX, Linux) will detect the new (or removed) hardware, such as a video card, ethernet card, or the like. Typically an initialization program is invoked during system startup (boot). This initialization program will usually time out after a preset time, such as 30 seconds, if there is not user interaction with the graphical user interface (GUI). A GUI is normally a user friendly software application that allows the user to interact with the system by selecting from various displayed icons and/or typing intuitive word commands in defined fields, rather than requiring the actual system commands to be memorized and input at a command prompt, such as the C:\ prompt in DOS.
With conventional systems, the initialization program times out if the user does not interact with the system after 30 seconds. It can be understood that a significant problem will exist when the hardware being modified is the graphics or video adapter cards which control the display monitor. More particularly, when new display adapter cards are installed, the display monitor will not function until the system is initialized with new device drivers, but this cannot occur until the initialization program is run, which requires input from a user via a GUI displayed on the monitor. Further, this situation can also occur when the GUI from the initialization software is waiting for input from a newly installed device, such as a communications adapter, expanded memory, etc., but the device cannot respond without the appropriate software being installed which is dependent on user input to the initialization program.
Therefore, it can be seen that a need exists for a technique that supports upgrading a closed system without user interaction.

System and apparatus for eliminating user interaction during hardware configuration at system boot

International Business Machines Corporation


Process for reducing the adsorption of hydrosoluble polymers onto rock matrix, which comprises putting the rock matrix in contact with an aqueous solution of polymers containing sacrificial agents, preferably selected from ionic and non-ionic oligomeric surface-active agents. In the preferred embodiment the surface-active agents are non-ionic.

The present invention relates to a process for reducing the adsorption onto rock material of polymers present in fluids used in drilling, completion and fracturing operations of oil and/or gas wells.
Water-based drilling, fracturing and completion fluids (in particular fluids for gravel packing) used in the treatment of reservoirs formations, often contain hydrosoluble polymers.
These polymers may be either synthetic (for example polyacrylamides) or natural; in this case the polymers are known as biopolymers. Typical examples of the latter (mostly of the polysaccharide or cellulose type) are scleroglucan, xanthan gum, guar gum, hydroxypropyl guars, welan gum, galactomannans and hydrophobically modified galactomannans, succinoglucan, celluloses variously modified with hydrophobic chains, hydroxyethyl celluloses or their mixtures.
These polymers are used to obtain the viscosities required in relation to the performances desired. For example, in the case of drilling fluids, the presence of these polymers improves the suspending and transport properties of the fluid; as a secondary effect, the filtrating properties of the fluid are also improved, thus reducing the quantity of filtrate which can invade the reservoir.
During the optimizization of the various fluids used in the drilling, fracturing and completion of oil and/or gas wells, it has been demonstrated however that these polymers have the disadvantage of being strongly adsorbed on rock formations.
This adsorption probably causes a reduction in the well productivity, as it modifies the permeability of the reservoirs, seriously damaging them.
In fact, when a biopolymer solution (for example a scleroglucan) is injected into a porous medium, for example sandstone core of the Clashach type, mainly consisting of quartz (98%) and a small percentage of clays (2%), the polymer is adsorbed onto the rock and remains almost totally adsorbed even after displacement with an aqueous solution of KCl 3%. The effect of this adsorption can be seen comparing the permeability of the porous medium before the polymer injection and after its displacement with the aqueous solution of KCl 3%. A comparison between the initial permeability to water of the porous medium (ki) and the final permeability (kf), i.e. after displacement of the polymer with a solution of KCl 3%, shows a drastic decrease in the permeability to water due to the adsorbed polymer.
A process has now been found for at least partly reducing the drawbacks relating to the adsorption of polymers onto rock matrix.
In accordance with this, the present invention relates to a process for reducing the adsorption of hydrosoluble polymers onto rock matrix, which comprises putting the rock matrix in contact with an aqueous solution of polymers comprising sacrificial agents, preferably selected from ionic and non-ionic oligomeric surface-active agents.
The hydrosoluble polymers are selected from biopolymers and synthetic polymers. Typical examples of these polymers are indicated above.
The term xe2x80x9coligomeric surface-active agentsxe2x80x9d refers to surface-active agents having a molecular weight ranging from 150 to 5000, preferably from 200 to 2000. They are selected from cationic, anionic, amphoteric, non-ionic surface-active agents.
In the preferred embodiment, the oligomeric surface-active agents are of a non-ionic nature with an HLB ranging from 11 to 16, and their concentration varies from 0.5 g/l to 20.0 g/l, preferably from 2.0 to 10.0 g/l.
Typical examples of non-ionic surface-active agents which can be used in the process of the present invention are those belonging to the group of alkylpolyglucosides. The latter are selected from those having general formula (I)
Rxe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94(Axe2x80x94O)x-(G)y-(D)zxe2x80x83xe2x80x83(I)
wherein:
R is a non-substituted or hydroxy-substituted, linear or branched C8-C26 alkyl group;
A is a linear or branched C2-C4 alkylene group, or a bifunctional residue of a polyalcohol after the removal of 2 carboxyl groups on 2 carbon atoms;
G is a saccharide residue which remains after the removal of z hydrogen atoms from all the non-glucosidic hydroxyl groups and the removal of the glucosidic hydroxyl group of a hexose/pentose reducing sugar bound to Axe2x80x94O or Rxe2x80x94O (wherein x=0) by means of an O-glycosidic bond;
D is an acyl residue of an organic acid, bound to an oxygen atom of the residue (G)y having the formula: xe2x80x94C(xe2x95x90O)M wherein M is a linear or branched C1-C18 alkyl or alkenyl group, non-substituted or substituted with xe2x80x94OH;
x=0-10 is the condensation degree of A;
y=0-10 is the average esterification or etherification degree (G)y.
Typical examples of alkylpolyglucosides having general formula (I) are:
APG(copyright) 325 Glycoside, alkylpolysaccharide ether with HLB=13.0, MW=420 and alkyl=C9/11 (Henkel);
APG(copyright) 600 Glycoside, alkylpolysaccharide ether with HLB=11.5, MW=420 and alkyl=C12/14 (Henkel);
APG(copyright) 625 Glycoside, alkylpolysaccharide ether with HLB=12.0, MW=455 and alkyl=C12/14 (Henkel);
Glucopon(copyright) 225; HLB=13.6; alkyl C8/12 (Henkel);
Glucopon(copyright) 600; HLB=11.6; alkyl C12/16 (Henkel);
Glucopon(copyright) 625; HLB=12.1; alkyl C12/16 (Henkel);
The process of the present invention comprises injection of the fluid prepared according to the following procedure: the hydrosoluble polymer is dissolved in H2O or aqueous solutions of NaCl, KCl, CaCl2, using a stirrer (for example of the Silverson type), the surface-active agent is then added, which, as a result of its physico-chemical characteristics, also favours the dispersion of possible other fluid additives, such as starches and celluloses used as filtrate reducers. The fluid thus prepared is used in the well, according to specific operative procedures for the various drilling, fracturing and completion fluids.
The process of the present invention is most widely applied in the oil upstream field, with particular reference to all drilling and completion operations of oil and/or gas wells involving the use of polymers, and where the prevention of the formation damage is of fundamental importance for avoiding reduction in the well productivity. The process of the present invention can therefore help to prevent formation damage during the drilling (drilling fluids), fracturing (fracturing fluids), completion (fluids for gravel packing, for example) phases.
The process of the present invention can also be applied for reducing the adsorption of hydrosoluble polymers onto any inorganic material, not only onto rock matrixes.
Furthermore, in another embodiment, the process of the present invention can be carried out in two steps: in the first phase, an aqueous solution of sacrificial agent, with a concentration of 2 to 100 g/l, preferably from 5 to 20 g/l, is injected into the rock matrix; in the second phase, the fluid containing the polymer is injected into the well adopting the procedures of the different operations (drilling, fracturing, completion).

Process for reducing the adsorption of polymers onto rock matrix


There is described a method and system for using at least one variable of a first automation system in a second automation system, with the variable being made available by the first automation system. An object is to allow a user to program access to a local and remote variable in an identical manner, without having to program special access functions, set up connections and apply a local variable to take up the variable value or to create additional assignment tables and similarly apply the local variable. This object is achieved with a method and system of the type mentioned above, in that an identification feature is used for the unique identification of the variable in the at least second automation system, said identification feature being hierarchically structured and having a system-specific path name and a name for the variable.

Such a method and system are used in particular in the field of plant automation, wherein a number of automation systems are generally used to control a plant. One important sub-aspect here is the use of variables of one automation system in another automation system. The variables, which are used by other communication partners, have to be made available by the system holding the originals of the variables.
Fundamentally different methods are currently used for—read or even write—access from one automation system to a variable of another automation system. Special access functions, for example the function modules according to IEC 61131-5 or the system functions "GET/PUT" of the SIMATIC S7, are therefore used. These access functions differentiate based on reading and writing the variables and require the configuration of a connection between the two automation systems, which then, has to be indicated at the access functions, or at least the identification of the automation system containing the variables. Also the name or address of the variables must be specified to the access functions and a local variable must be established and indicated at the access function, which is to assume the value of the variable. By calling up the access function the variable thus identified is read or written and the value is made available to the program or taken over by it.
Alternatively a table-based method for the exchange of variable values is for example integrated in the SIMATIC S7 system. To this end the automation systems, which wish to exchange variable values, are inserted into the table as columns. The identification—name or address—of the variables, which are to have the same value, is then input in the respective rows. One cell of each row of the table is identified as a transmit variable, in other words the value of said variable is transmitted to the other variables shown in the same row.
These existing methods are characterized in that from a user's point of view additional methods have to be used for access to variable values of another automation system, compared with access to local variables.

Use of variables in a number of automation systems