A plurality of original image signals representing radiation image information, which have been fed out from an image signal input apparatus, are fed into an operation processing device. Predetermined operation processing is performed on the plurality of the received original image signals in the operation processing device to obtain an operation-processed image signal. Also, at least one original image signal, which is among the plurality of the original image signals, is transferred to an image output device. Image outputting is performed with the image output device and in accordance with the one original image signal having been transferred. After the operation-processed image signal has been obtained from the predetermined operation processing, the operation-processed image signal is fed into the image output device, and image outputting is performed with the image output device and in accordance with the received operation-processed image signal.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image transfer and output method and an image transfer and output system. This invention also relates to an image signal input terminal and an image output terminal for use in the image transfer and output system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In various fields, such as the medical field, techniques for reading out a radiation image of an object, which has been recorded on a stimulable phosphor sheet or film, to obtain an image signal, performing predetermined image processing on the image signal, and thereafter displaying a visible image, which is reproduced from the processed image signal, on an image display device, such as a cathode ray tube (CRT) display device, or outputting the visible image on film with a printer, such as a laser printer (LP), have heretofore been utilized.
Particularly, recently, digital image processing techniques utilizing computers have been developed. Also, various image forming apparatuses (image forming modalities) utilizing the digital image processing techniques have been used in practice as the apparatuses for forming images for use in making a diagnosis, and the like. As such image forming modalities, computed tomography (CT) scanners, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatuses, computed radiography (CR) apparatuses, and the like, have been used in practice. The reproduced visible image is utilized for making a diagnosis, e.g. for investigating the presence or absence of a diseased part or an injury or for ascertaining the characteristics of the diseased part or the injury.
The CR apparatuses are radiation image recording and read-out apparatuses. With the radiation image recording and read-out apparatuses, a radiation image of an object, such as a human body, is recorded on a sheet provided with a layer of a stimulable phosphor (hereinafter referred to as a stimulable phosphor sheet). The stimulable phosphor sheet, on which the radiation image has been stored, is then exposed to stimulating rays, such as a laser beam, which cause it to emit light in proportion to the amount of energy stored thereon during its exposure to the radiation. The light emitted by the stimulable phosphor sheet, upon stimulation thereof, is photoelectrically detected and converted into an electric image signal with photoelectric read-out means, such as a photomultiplier. Recently, the CR apparatuses are widely used in practice.
As techniques for photoelectrically detecting light emitted by a stimulable phosphor sheet, the applicant proposed techniques for detecting light emitted from opposite surfaces of a stimulable phosphor sheet and thereby detecting two image signals from the opposite surfaces of the stimulable phosphor sheet in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,346,295 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8(1996)-116435. With the proposed techniques, two photoelectric read-out means are located respectively on opposite surface sides of the stimulable phosphor sheet. Also, stimulating rays are irradiated to the two surfaces or only to one surface of the stimulable phosphor sheet, and the light, which is emitted by the stimulable phosphor sheet when it is exposed to the stimulating rays, is photoelectrically detected on the opposite surface sides of the stimulable phosphor sheet.
Specifically, with the techniques for detecting light emitted from opposite surfaces of a stimulable phosphor sheet and thereby detecting two image signals from the opposite surfaces of the stimulable phosphor sheet, a stimulable phosphor sheet is formed by overlaying a stimulable phosphor layer on a surface of a transparent substrate, and a radiation image is stored on the stimulable phosphor sheet. The stimulable phosphor sheet, on which the radiation image has been stored, is fitted on a transparent holder, and two photoelectric read-out means are located respectively above and below the holder. In this state, the light, which is emitted from one surface side of the stimulable phosphor sheet when the stimulable phosphor sheet is exposed to the stimulating rays, is detected by the photoelectric read-out means located above the holder, and an image signal (a one surface side image signal) is thereby detected. Also, the light, which is emitted from the other surface side of the stimulable phosphor sheet when the stimulable phosphor sheet is exposed to the stimulating rays, is detected by the photoelectric read-out means located below the holder, and an image signal (an other surface side image signal) is thereby detected.
Thereafter, an addition operation is performed on the image signal components of the two image signals having been detected from the opposite surfaces of the stimulable phosphor sheet (i.e., the one surface side image signal and the other surface side image signal), which image signal components represent corresponding pixels on the one surface and the other surface of the stimulable phosphor sheet, and an addition image signal (a superposition image signal) is thereby obtained. With the addition operation, high frequency noise occurring at random in each of the one surface side image signal and the other surface side image signal can be smoothed. Also, since the emitted light is collected from the two surfaces of the stimulable phosphor sheet, the light collecting efficiency can be enhanced. As a result, a superposition image, which has good image quality with an enhanced signal-to-noise ratio, can be reproduced from the addition image signal.
Also, as techniques for obtaining radiation image information by utilizing stimulable phosphor sheets, or the like, subtraction processing (subtraction operation) techniques have heretofore been known. With the subtraction processing techniques, a plurality of radiation images are recorded under different conditions and are then read out to obtain a plurality of image signals. Thereafter, a subtraction operation is performed on the plurality of the image signals, and a subtraction image signal is thereby obtained. In this manner, a subtraction image corresponding to the difference between the plurality of the radiation images, i.e. a subtraction image in which only a pattern of a specific object part (hereinbelow referred to also as a pattern of a tissue, a structure, or the like) in the radiation images has been enhanced or extracted, is obtained. Basically, the subtraction processing techniques may be classified into a temporal (time difference) subtraction processing technique and an energy subtraction processing technique. The applicant proposed various energy subtraction processing techniques utilizing stimulable phosphor sheets in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,855,598 and 4,896,037.
With the rapid advances made in network technology accompanying rapid advances made in communication technology and computer technology in recent years, for example, in the medical fields, there has arisen a tendency toward utilization of medical image networks, which act as image transfer systems. With the medical image networks, various image forming apparatuses, which are located in examination rooms of hospitals, or the like, and image output devices, such as image display devices and printers, which are located in consultation rooms, laboratories, and the like, are connected to each other through a network. In such cases, visible images to be used in making a diagnosis can be reproduced in the consultation rooms from image signals, which have been acquired with the image forming apparatuses located in the examination rooms.
In the image transfer systems utilizing the networks, and the like, in cases where an operation-processed image obtained from the operation processing, such as the addition operation or the subtraction operation, is to be outputted by an image output device, the operation-processed image signal, such as the addition image signal or the subtraction image signal, having been obtained from the operation processing has heretofore been transferred from an image forming apparatus to the image output device, and a visible image has heretofore been outputted by the image output device in accordance with the transferred image signal.
However, with the transfer technique described above, it is difficult to operate such that, after the image outputted by the image output device is confirmed, parameters for the operation processing, such as the addition operation or the subtraction operation, are altered, the operation processing is again performed with the altered parameters, and an image obtained from the operation processing performed with the altered parameters is again outputted by the image output device.
Therefore, such that the difficulty described above may be eliminated, it may be considered to employ a technique, wherein a plurality of image signals having been acquired with the image forming apparatus, i.e. the original image signals, are directly transferred from the image forming apparatus to the image output device, the operation processing, such as the addition operation or the subtraction operation described above, is performed in the image output device by utilizing the plurality of the transferred original image signals and in accordance with predetermined parameters, and a visible image is outputted in accordance with the operation-processed image signal obtained from the operation processing.
However, with the technique described above, wherein the plurality of the original image signals are transferred to the image output device, and the image output device performs the operation processing and outputs the operation-processed image, the problems described below occur. Specifically, no image is displayed, i.e. a displaying waiting state occurs, before the operation processing, such as the addition operation or the subtraction operation, is finished. In the displaying waiting state, a diagnosis with an image cannot be made. Therefore, an uncomfortable feeling is given to the user, and loss of time occurs.

Image transfer and output method and system using the same


A random access array memory device which uses a static buffer as a cache for speeding the access times achievable for data retrieval from the device. The static buffer is operationally divided into two or more blocks so that each block holds a block of data from a different row of the array. The division of a single buffer into several operational blocks significantly increases the "hit" probability of the cache, allowing fast access from the buffer. A control system stores the row address (TAG) of each of the multiple blocks and compares that address to the row address of the data desired and signals the result of that comparison. Random access memory arrays of the multiple line cache configuration are employed in data processing systems including a CPU, address and data buses, control logic, and multiplexers.

Various elements of data processing systems have understandably advanced at differing rates and in differing directions in recent years. Processors, specifically microprocessors, have become more powerful and much faster, being able to run at very high clock speeds. Memories, on the other hand, have not become significantly faster but have increased many fold their bit size and reduced their cost per bit. This generalization is particularly true for dynamic random access memories (DRAMs). So to enable these high density memories to be accessed at a speed more compatible with the speed which a microprocessor can call for, use, and send back data, many strategies have been proposed and developed. One such strategy has been to utilize a cache memory to store portions of data from the main memory systems. This strategy can well succeed when at least two conditions are met. The two conditions are that the memory used as cache memory has significantly faster access time than the main memory and that the portion of data stored in this cache memory has a high probability of being accessed by the microprocessor, in term of art, "hit". Implementation of these cache memory systems has been well developed in the art.
Static random access memory (SRAM) devices have been used for cache memory because of their fast access times relative to DRAM memories. A typical access time, for example, for a DRAM is 120 nanoseconds while access for an SRAM memory is typically 20 to 40 nanoseconds. However, SRAM device architecture requires presently a high chip space/bit ratio, hence, they are largely unsuitable for high density main storage devices. Also SRAM devices typically consume significantly higher power than comparable DRAM devices.
It has been proposed, however, that SRAM cache memories be located on DRAM memory arrays. This approach offers some solution to the speed problem encountered in accessing DRAM devices. The drawbacks of this approach are as follows: 1) In order to achieve a high probability of hits it has been believed that a relatively large cache had to be constructed. Because of the space needed for SRAM cells, building a reasonably sized cache on a DRAM chip took unacceptable space. 2) The logic and register support necessary to implement a cache memory system also occupies significant physical space on a chip. This additional space is probably not acceptable on a DRAM chip but to locate this off-chip would sacrifice the speed advantages of on-chip placement by requiring a bus interconnect and foregoing most parallel communication.
Goodman and Chiang, "The Use of Static Column RAM as a Memory Hierarchy," The 11th Annual Symposium on Computer Architecture, IEEE Computer Society Press, 1984, pp. 167-174, suggest the use of the sense-amplifying row or static row buffer of the modern static column decode DRAM device as a cache memory. This suggestion solves the problem of using space unacceptably on a chip for low density SRAM cache memory since the static row buffer is already present on the device. This approach suffers the serious drawback, however, that it offers only one row of cache memory, albeit the row contains a number of memory cells equal to the number of the main memory, DRAM, array columns. Therefore the "hit" probability is typically not acceptably high.
A further refinement of the Goodman and Chiang suggestion is to use "by 2" or "by 4" memory devices instead of "by 1" devices. In other words, for example, to get 1M bit capacity instead of using one DRAM array having 1024.times.1024 memory cells with one static row buffer, 1024 cells in length, in one device, use a device having four 256K bit arrays having 512.times.512 memory cells and each having a static row buffer 512 cells in length. This configuration allows four separately addressable "cache" rows by using the four static row buffers. However this solution has the drawbacks that such "by 4" devices are more costly and less available than "by 1" devices, the "by 4" devices are extremely difficult to error correct using standard error correcting codes and procedures, "by 4" devices require more I/O pins and therefore a larger physical package than "by 1" devices, "by 4" devices consume more power than "by 1" devices, they require more on-chip addressing logic, they require off-chip addressing or demultiplexing functions above that required by "by 1" arrays, and they could require more than twice the physical space to house the four static row buffers than the "by 1" devices.

DRAM having exclusively enabled column buffer blocks


A method for managing memory includes setting a state of a first memory cell to a first state representing a first data and setting a state of a second memory cell to a second state representing the first data. If the state of the second memory cell has changed to a third state representing a second data different from the first data, the method also includes changing the state of the second memory cell back to the second state.

Sometimes, non-volatile memories are shipped to customers with pre-stored data. A customer may put the memory into another external process, such as a high-temperature process. The high-temperature process may be, for example, a solder bonding process. During such a process, part or all of the pre-stored data in the memory may be lost. For example, a phase-change memory (PCM) stores digital data using different states of a phase-change material, which has different resistances at different states. That is, a phase-change material may have a first resistance when it is in an initial state. When heated to a crystallizing temperature, the phase-change material switches to a polycrystalline state and has a second resistance. Further, when heated to a melting temperature, the phase-change material switches to an amorphous state and has a third resistance. Usually, the polycrystalline state and the amorphous state of a phase-change material are used to represent binary "1" and binary "0", respectively. Therefore, if a PCM having pre-stored data is subject to a high-temperature process, such as the solder bonding process, the high temperature may cause some or all memory cells of the PCM to change state, resulting in loss of the pre-stored data.


A film transporting system for a camera, includes a fork to engage with a film feed spool of a film cartridge, for extruding and rewinding a film, a film take-up spool, a film transporting motor, a first gear train for connecting the film transporting motor and the fork when the film transporting motor rotates in a first direction, a second gear train for connecting the film transporting motor and the fork when the film transporting motor rotates in a second direction, and a third gear train for connecting the film transporting motor and the film take-up spool when the film transporting motor rotates in the first rotational direction, wherein the first, second and third gear trains are arranged in such a manner that "V1", "V2" and "V3" have a relationship of "V1<V3<V2" in which "V1" is a rotation speed of the fork driven by the first gear train, "V2" is a rotation speed of the fork driven by the second gear train, and "V3" is a rotation speed of the fork driven by a driving force transmitted through the film from the third gear train.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera, and more particularly, to an improvement in a film transporting system thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional film transporting system for a camera, the leading end portion of a film, also called a leader portion, extending from a film cartridge, is engaged with a film sprocket or a take-up spool, and the sprocket or the take-up spool is driven to load the film. In this type of film transporting system, a user must set the leading end portion of the film, resulting in a cumbersome operation. In addition, when the leading end portion of the film is set at a wrong position, the film is not properly loaded. A user may erroneously pull out the leading end portion of the film to expose the film, thus wasting the film.
In order to prevent these problems, a new film cartridge is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,306.
FIGS. 19 to 21 show this new film cartridge, in which FIG. 19 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof, FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view thereof, and FIG. 21 is a side view showing the main part thereof.
This film cartridge comprises a film passing slit 37; a film 34 which has one end fixed to a recessed portion 38a of a film spool 38 and is wound around the film spool 38; a restraint member 39 located coaxially with the film spool 38, with a regulation portion 39a to prevent outward radial movement of an outermost surface of the film 34 and to prevent the outermost surface of the film 34 from coming into contact with an inner wall 35a of a film cartridge 35; a release member 40, arranged by partially deforming the restraint member 39, for continuously releasing the outermost surface of the film 34 from the radial regulation performed by the restraint member 39; and a guide member 41, integrally formed with the release member 40, for guiding a portion of the film 34 which is released from the restraint member 39 to the film passing slit 37. In accordance with the foregoing arrangement, the outward radial movement of the outermost surface of the film 34 caused by loosening of the film 34 upon rotation of the film spool 38 in a film extruding direction brings the outermost surface of film 34 into contact with the restraint member 39 to apply a force to the film 34 in the film extruding direction. Therefore, the film 34 can be fed out from the film cartridge 35.
When the film cartridge 35 of this type (called a thrust type) is used, after it is loaded in a camera, the film spool 38 is rotated by a fork to feed out the film 34 so that the film 34 is kept extruded out of the film cartridge. Then, the film 34 is wound around the film spool of the camera. Thus, the user need not touch the leading end portion of the film 34, which eliminates the above-described conventional drawbacks.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,419 discloses a camera in which a film having a magnetic memory portion is used, in which pieces of photographic information, such as a shutter speed, an aperture value, a date, and a title can be recorded on the magnetic memory portion by a magnetic head and the photographic information is read out as needed.
A camera for such a film is proposed in Japanese Patent Application No. 2-200573 which discloses the following embodiment of the camera.
The camera comprises a fork to engage with a film feed spool of a film cartridge, for extruding and rewinding a film; a film take-up spool; a film driving motor; a first gear train for connecting the film driving motor and the fork when the film driving motor rotates in a first rotational direction; a second gear train for connecting the film driving motor and the fork when the film driving motor rotates in a second rotational direction; and a third gear train for connecting the film driving motor and the film take-up spool when the film driving motor rotates in the first rotational direction, wherein the first, second and third gear trains are arranged to have a relationship of "V01=V02<V03", wherein V01 is a rotation speed of the fork driven by the first gear train, i.e., for example, at the time of extruding the film; V02 is a rotation speed of the fork driven by the second gear train, i.e., at the time of rewinding the film; and V03 is a rotation speed of the fork driven by a driving force transmitted through the film from the third gear train, i.e., at the time of winding the film and by a rotation of the film take-up spool.
FIG. 22 shows the major components of the foregoing film transporting system.
Referring to FIG. 22, reference numeral 101 denotes a film transporting motor as a driving source; 102, a pinion; 103, a first idler gear meshing with the pinion 102; 104, a dual gear having a large diameter gear portion 104a which meshes with the first idler gear 103 and a small diameter gear portion 104b which meshes with sun gears 105; 106 and 107, planetary gears which mesh with sun gear 105 and are rotatably attached to arms 108a and 108b of a first lever 108, respectively.
The first lever 108, which is rotatable around a rotation center of the first sun gear 105, the planetary gear 106, and the planetary gear 107 constitute a well-known planetary gear mechanism.
Reference numeral 109 denotes a second idler gear to mesh with either the planetary gear 106 or 107 in response to a rotational direction of the first sun gear 105. More specifically, the planetary gear 106 meshes with the second idler gear 109 when the motor 101 rotates in a forward direction, and the planetary gear 107 meshes with the second idler gear 109 when the motor 101 rotates in a reverse direction.
Reference numeral 110 denotes a third idler gear meshing with the second idler gear 109; 111, a fork gear meshing with the third idler gear 110; 112, a fork to rotate integrally with the fork gear 111, for rotating a feed spool of a film cartridge (not shown) to extrude and rewind the film.
Reference numeral 113 denotes a second sun gear meshing with the pinion 102; 114, a planetary gear meshing with the second sun gear 113; 115, a second lever for rotatably holding the planetary gear 114 while generating a frictional force with the planetary gear 114, and for causing the planetary gear 114 to revolve around the second sun gear 113 in response to a rotational direction of the second sun gear 113, in the same manner as the well-known planetary gear mechanism.
Reference numeral 116 denotes a spool gear to mesh with the planetary gear 114 only when the motor 101 rotates in the forward direction; 117, a film take-up spool fixed to the spool gear 116 and moving integrally with the spool gear 116; 118, a stopper provided on an unillustrated camera body and located at a position where the second lever 115 can abut against the stopper 118, to limit a range in which the second lever 115 can rotate.
FIG. 23 is a plan view of the gear train shown in FIG. 22 at the time of winding the film around the take-up spool 117. FIG. 24 is a plan view of the gear train shown in FIG. 22 at the time of rewinding the film into the film cartridge (not shown). In FIGS. 23 and 24, the respective gears are rotated in the directions of the arrows.
The camera, which uses the film with the magnetic memory portion, writes a shutter speed, an aperture value, the film speed, etc., to the magnetic memory portion of the film by means of the magnetic head or reads out this information as needed. A failure in reading the information from the magnetic memory portion of the film can be caused by noise, etc. In this case, the camera must again perform the action of reading the information from the same frame of the film. However, the aforementioned camera has the following problem because of the arrangement "V01=V02<V03".
In a film transporting system as shown in FIG. 23, the film is wound around the film take-up spool 117 by one frame. If reading of the information to be performed during this operation is not satisfactorily accomplished, the motor 101 is caused to rotate in the reverse direction. Such a gear train as shown in FIG. 24, is formed to rewind the film to the previous frame. Then, motor 101 is caused to rotate in the forward direction again, and reading of the information is performed again while the film is winding by one frame.
However, if when the motor 101 is changed over from the reverse direction to the forward direction, the second sun gear 113 is rotated to cause the planetary gear 114 to revolve and to mesh with the spool gear 116 before the first sun gear 105 is rotated reversely to cause the planetary gear 107 to revolve and to release meshing with the second idler gear 109. The second idler gear 109 may bite the planetary gear 107. This happens where a revolutionary extent or range of the planetary gear 114 is small.
This is because for the relationship of "V01=V02<V03", a speed of the second idler gear 109 driven through the film taken up by the rotation of the film take-up spool 117, the fork 112 rotated by the film, the fork gear 111 and the third idler gear 110, is faster than a speed at which meshing between the second idler 109 and the planetary gear 107 is released by the planetary gear 107 revolved by the rotation of the first sun gear 105 (from the state shown in FIG. 24 to the state shown in FIG. 23).
In other words, if the planetary gear 107 has not yet completely revolved when the film take-up operation is started, the planetary gear 107 is bitten or caught between the second idler gear 109 and the first sun gear 105 because the rotation speed of the first sun gear 105 (V01) is slower than the rotation speed of the second idler gear 109 (V03).

Film transporting system for camera using three different transport speeds


A feedthrough assembly for an implantable medical device includes an insulator element hermitically sealed to a ferrule and a feedthrough member, and a capacitive element spaced apart from the insulator element within the ferrule and coupled to the feedthrough member by a conductive material; the conductive material extends in an area between the capacitive element and the feedthrough member. The assembly further includes a heat and pressure deformed thermoplastic adhesive member that extends around the feedthrough member within the ferrule, is located between the capacitive element and the insulator element, and is sealed to an external surface of the capacitive element in order to isolate the conductive material.

Implantable medical devices (IMD's), for example, cardiac pacemakers, defibrillators, neurostimulators and drug pumps, which include electronic circuitry and battery elements, require a housing to contain and hermetically seal these elements within a body of a patient. Many of these IMD's include one or more electrical feedthrough assemblies to provide electrical connection between the elements contained within the housing and components of the IMD external to the housing, for example, sensors and/or electrodes and/or lead wires mounted on an exterior surface of the housing, or electrical contacts housed within a connector module, which is mounted on the housing to provide coupling for lead wires.
A feedthrough assembly for an IMD can be unipolar or multipolar (e.g. bipolar etc.). A unipolar feedthrough assembly includes a single feedthrough member, or pin, that extends from an interior to an exterior of the housing through a ferrule, while a multipolar feedthrough assembly includes a plurality of such feedthrough members extending through a single ferrule. In each type of assembly, the feedthrough pin(s) is/are electrically isolated from the ferrule, and, in the case of the multipolar assembly, from one another, by an insulator element, for example, glass or ceramic, that is mounted within the ferrule and surrounds the feedthrough pin(s). The insulator is hermetically sealed to the ferrule and to the feedthrough pin(s), typically, by a braze joint.
To reduce the effects of stray electromagnetic interference (EMI) signals that may be collected by lead wires electrically coupled to the feedthrough pins, it is known to incorporate, within feedthrough assemblies, capacitive elements for high frequency filtering. A filtered feedthrough assembly may be formed by mounting the capacitive element within the ferrule after sealing the insulator element to the ferrule and the feedthrough pin(s); the capacitive element typically includes an insulative base, for example, a ceramic monolith, in which electrode plates are embedded, otherwise known as a discoidal-type capacitor. A first set of the electrode plates are electrically coupled to a conductive layer overlaying an inner surface of the capacitive element, and a second set of the electrode plates are electrically coupled to another conductive layer overlaying an outer surface of the capacitive element. Typically, a conductive material applied between the inner surface of the capacitive element and the pin, and between the outer surface of the capacitive element and the ferrule, forms an electrical coupling between the first set of electrode plates and the pin, and between the second set of electrode plates and the ferrule.
There is a need in filtered feedthrough assemblies, such as those described above, to isolate, within the ferrule, the conductive material, which forms the electrical couplings of the capacitive element, from the brazed joints of the insulator element. In the past this need has been met by applying an insulative barrier of a non-conductive thermosetting adhesive, between the capacitive element and the insulator element, prior to applying the conductive material. However, this approach requires careful control of adhesive volumes in order to prevent excess adhesive from wicking into those areas between the ferrule and the capacitive element, and between the feedthrough pin and the capacitive element, where a presence of subsequently applied conductive material is intended. Thus, in order to provide for this isolation, while simplifying the assembly process, there is a need for new isolation methods and materials.

Filtered feedthrough assemblies for implantable medical devices and methods of manufacture


A silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material having at least one light-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer formed on a support wherein the light-sensitive material contains a compound represented by the following general formula (I): ##STR1## wherein A is a coupler residual or an oxidation-reduction group, X.sub.1 is an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom, X.sub.2 is an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom or NX.sub.6 group, W is a carbon atom or a sulfur atom, X.sub.3, X.sub.4, X.sub.5 and X.sub.6 are each a hydrogen atom or an organic residual, any two of X.sub.3, X.sub.4 and X.sub.5 can be bivalent groups which form a ring, PUG is a photographically useful group capable of bonding at a hetero-atom and, in the formula (I), n.sub.1 is 1 if W is a carbon atom, and either 1 or 2 if W is a sulfur atom. If n.sub.1 is 2, two X.sub.1 can either be identical or different. On the other hand, n.sub.2 is either 1 or 2. If n.sub.2 is 2, two X.sub.3, two X.sub.4, and two x.sub.5 are either identical or different.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material which contains a novel compound capable of releasing, at appropriate timing, a development restrainer having great ability of restraining development.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a demand has arisen for a silver halide light-sensitive material, particularly for a color light-sensitive material for photographing which excels in granularity, sharpness, color reproducibility and storage stability, such as an ISO400 light-sensitive material (Super HG-400) having light sensitivity close to ISO sensitivity of 100.
Compounds which imagewise release a development restrainer by virtue of two or more timing groups, as compounds which improve the sharpness of the light-sensitive material, without degrading the storage stability of the light-sensitive material are disclosed in, for example, British Patent 1,531,927, JP-A-60-218645 ("JP-A" means Unexamined Published Japanese Patent Application), JP-A-60-249148, JP-A-61-156127, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,861,701 and 4,698,297. However, they release a development restrainer at improper speed (or timing). Further, the development restrainer has improper diffusibility. Consequently, the compounds do not serve sharpness, granularity, color reproducibility, or the like. Many of light-sensitive materials containing such a compound will more likely be fogged excessively or become less light-sensitive than desired, if they are left to stand or if they are kept at high temperatures and high humidities, for a long period of time after exposure process until development process.

Silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material


An electric control apparatus, mounted on a vehicle, has a height direction and comprises an electronic circuit board, a submersion sensor, and a controller. The electric circuit board has a mounting surface and is mounted in the vehicle so that the mounting surface is along the height direction of the vehicle. The submersion sensor, which is mounted on the mounting surface of the circuit board, senses a condition that the vehicle is about to be submerged in a flooded area and outputs an electric signal showing the condition. The controller, which is mounted on the mounting surface of the circuit board, performs control for securing safety of an occupant of the vehicle when the controller receives the electric signal from the submersion sensor. The submersion sensor is lower in a mounted position on the mounting surface of the circuit board than the controller along the height direction.

1. Technical field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic control apparatus for vehicles, and in particular, to the electronic control apparatus which is provided with a sensor to detect a submerged state of a vehicle and which has the capability of performing control to secure the safety of the occupants when the vehicle is about to be submerged.
2. Related Art
When a vehicle runs through a flooded road which is flooded due to river water, rain, or sea water, there is a risk that an electronic control apparatus to control the behaviors of the vehicle may malfunction. In order to avoid such a condition, a conventional electronic control apparatus has been known, which performs various kinds of control for securing the safety of the occupants when the vehicle is about to be submerged or partly submerged This kind of apparatus, which is installed within the vehicle, is provided with a sensor to detect a submerged state of a vehicle and a control IC that uses a signal detected by the sensor. This sensor, called a submersion sensor, has a pair of mutually opposed electrodes which are placed in parallel with a space therebetween.
In this kind of electronic control apparatus, when the vehicle is about to be submerged in a flooded region, the submersion sensor will detect a vehicle's submerged state by allowing leak current to flow between the mutually opposed electrodes (i.e., sensor electrodes) submerged in the water. When this submergence is detected, the control IC controls actions to prevent the vehicle, which actions include an action to cut off current from the battery to the starter for starting the engine so that the starter is prevented from malfunctioning due to the submergence.
Another known conventional electronic control unit with countermeasures for the submergence is provided with a single circuit board which is parallel to a plane horizontally installed within a vehicle (i.e., vehicle horizontal plane). A submersion sensor, a control IC and other necessary components are mounted on this vehicle horizontal plane.
Concerning this electronic control apparatus with such a circuit board, it is desired that the control IC be prevented from malfunctioning before the submersion sensor first detects the vehicle's submerged state. For this prevention, Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2006-317298 discloses a unit structure where an enclosure encloses necessary circuit components including the control IC so that the submersion sensor and the necessary circuitry other than the sensor electrodes are prevented from being wet.
However, in this electronic control apparatus with the circuit board in parallel with the vehicle horizontal plane, it is necessary that a plurality of submersion sensors must be installed on the circuit board to detect vehicle tilts and submergence in every way. This installation manner results in an increase in the number of parts for the apparatus, thereby increasing manufacturing costs of the apparatus.
In addition, in this electronic control apparatus, the necessary components including the submersion sensors and the control IC are mounted on the same circuit board. Hence, if it is desired in this apparatus that a blank space of the circuit board, which has no wiring, is reduced as much as possible to make the board area smaller but the sensor electrodes are kept to be exposed, it is necessary to give a complicated shape to the enclosure. This results in a problem that the structure of the apparatus becomes complex.
That is, the electric control apparatus exemplified by the foregoing publication often increases the number of parts and makes the apparatus structure complex, which may cause in an increase in manufacturing costs of the apparatus.

Electronic control apparatus for controlling on-vehicle devices when vehicle is about to be submerged in flooded area


A device for removing moisture in a head lamp comprises a head lamp housing having an air vent hole; and an elastic valve member fixed to a wall portion of the head lamp housing, which defines the air vent hole, the elastic valve member having an exhaust valve for allowing air in the head lamp housing to be exhausted to an outside as a pressure of air in the head lamp housing is increased and an intake valve for allowing outside air to flow into the head lamp housing as the pressure of air in the head lamp housing is decreased.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for removing moisture in a head lamp of an automobile, and more particularly to a device for removing moisture in a head lamp, which effectively removes moisture in a head lamp and at the same time, prevents outside moisture from flowing into the head lamp, and thereby increases an illumination intensity of the head lamp and enhances a valuableness of an automobile.
2. Description of the Related Art
A head lamp is an illuminating lamp which plays the important role of illuminating a way ahead, and is referred to as a front illuminating lamp. Generally, the head lamp must be able to afford recognition of an obstacle on a traffic way, which is positioned one hundred meters ahead, but standards for performance of a head lamp differ from country to country.
Referring to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a cross-sectional view schematically showing a general construction of a head lamp according to the prior art. The head lamp includes a head lamp housing 1. A lens 5 is fitted to a front end portion of the head lamp housing 1, which is opened to the outside. A bulb and a reflector (not shown) are provided in the head lamp housing 1. An air vent hole 2 is formed in a rear end wall of the head lamp housing 1 to exhaust heat generated in the head lamp housing 1 when the head lamp is turned on. A pipe portion 6 is integrally formed with the rear end wall of the head lamp housing 1, which defines the air vent hole 2, and an air tube 3 is fitted around the pipe portion 6. Accordingly, the heat generated in the head lamp housing 1 can be exhausted to the outside through the air tube 3. A sponge 4 is arranged in the course of the air tube 3. The sponge 4 prevents outside moisture from flowing into the head lamp housing 1.
However, in a structure of the head lamp constructed as mentioned above, although the sponge 4 is arranged in the course of the air tube 3 for preventing outside moisture from flowing into the head lamp housing 1, its effectiveness in shutting off the outside moisture is so flimsy that the outside moisture can still flow into the head lamp housing 1. Accordingly, the head lamp lens 5 can be frosted with the outside moisture, and thereby an illuminating intensity of the head lamp can be decreased.


A guiding catheter, including a specialized guiding catheter referred to as a guiding sheath, has a uniquely curved three-dimensional distal end portion. This distal end portion has a two-dimensional turn of less than a full circle, which turn includes both an incomplete turn section and a distal extension thereof which is an end section. The turn lies in three dimensions and, when viewed in a direction which moves distally along the curve, curves upwardly and downwardly and again upwardly, each out of the plane within which the rest of the catheter lies. The guiding catheter or sheath is especially useful for guiding an electrophysiology catheter for facilitating ablation within the right atrium and/or ablation within the left atrium, such as by way of a transsceptal procedure.

This invention generally relates to a guiding sheath which is especially suitable for guiding electrophysiology catheters. More particularly, a guiding catheter structure is provided which has a three-dimensional distal end which is particularly suitable for use during invasive cardiology procedures. One version of the guiding catheter curves in a direction especially suitable for posterior right use, while another version curves in a direction especially suitable for posterior left use. The latter configuration is especially suitable for transseptal procedures. The three-dimensional distal end is particularly useful in guiding an ablation catheter to direct its working distal end to the precise, desired location within the particular heart cavity being treated.
Guiding catheters are well known for use in providing a facilitating pathway for a treatment or diagnostic catheter. Often, such guiding catheters have shaped distal end portions which are useful in helping to properly locate the treatment or diagnostic catheter which passes therethrough. Often, the distal end portion of such a guiding catheter includes a bend or curve which can be generally characterized as two-dimensional. These types of curved or bent distal end portions generally lie within a single, two-dimensional plane, which plane also includes the elongated catheter shaft. A typical guiding catheter will include internal braiding in order to enhance pushability of the catheter through blood vessels and the like. Exemplary in this regard is Stevens U.S. Pat. No. 3,485,234, incorporated by reference hereinto.
Cannulas or sheath introducers are also generally known. Such devices have a passage therethrough for receiving a catheter and for guiding it during its initial stages of introduction into the body during a catheterization procedure. Often, these include hemostasis valving which takes the form of a self-sealing gasket. These introducer cannulas or sheaths can also include ports and side-tubes for introducing fluids and/or withdrawing fluids during various catheterization activities. Exemplary in this regard is Stevens U.S. Pat. No. 4,000,739, incorporated by reference hereinto. Sheath introducers typically follow a guidewire which had been introduced through a hollow needle during known procedures such as those which generally follow or modify the so-called Seldinger technique. Often, a guiding catheter is inserted through such a sheath introducer and into the blood vessel. Fernandez EP 755,694 shows a guiding catheter introducer assembly which includes an introducer sheath having a hemostasis valve, which sheath is attached or molded to a braided guiding catheter tubular body. This publication is incorporated by reference hereinto. Its distal end is shown to be generally straight or formed with a two-dimensional curve. The length of this guiding catheter is typical for guiding catheters, on the order of 100 cm so as to reach most locations within heart blood vessels.
Catheters having what can be characterized as a three-dimensional catheter distal end portion are generally known. An example in this regard is Obrez U.S. Pat. No. 4,169,464, incorporated by reference hereinto, which shows an angiographic catheter designed for selective catheterization of aortic branches such as various abdominal vessels. The three-dimensional shape of this catheter is particularly designed for facilitating such catheterization procedures.
Catheterization of the human heart at times necessitates having a catheter gain access to the atrium chambers. Generally speaking, access to the right atrium is gained through one of the femoral veins, typically the right femoral vein. Once a working catheter is within the right atrium, some procedures, such as ablation, require a pinpoint location of the catheter tip within the atrium cavity. At times, a guiding catheter having any of the known variety of curved distal ends, especially two-dimensional curved distal ends, does not provide the variation in movement which can be required and which can vary depending upon the needs of the procedure, the peculiarities of the patient, and the skill level of the cardiologist or other physician carrying out the procedure.
Similar pinpoint positioning requirements are encountered when attempting a catheterization procedure, such as an ablation, in the left atrium chamber. In addition, access to the left atrium is problematic. It is not possible to access the left atrium through the pulmonary artery, and access from the left ventricle is difficult. A typical approach for left atrium catheterization is a transseptal approach. With this known approach, access is gained through the right atrium by penetrating the interatrial septum. The transseptal approach is generally discussed in Mullins, "Transseptal Left Heart Catheterization: Experience With a New Technique in 520 Pediatric and Adult Patients", Pediatric Cardiology, 4:239-246, 1983; Saul et al, "Catheter Ablation of Accessory Atrioventricular Pathways in Young Patients: Use of Long Vascular Sheaths, the Transseptal Approach and a Retrograde Left Posterior Parallel Approach", Journal of American College of Cardiology, Vol. 21, No. 3, March, 1993, pp. 571-83; and Turi U.S. Pat. No. 5,312,341. Each of these is incorporated by reference hereinto.
Once access to the left atrium is attained by way of the transseptal approach, the difficulty remains in properly locating the treatment catheter tip, such as for an ablation procedure. As for a right atrium ablation, it is necessary to pinpoint a location for the ablation catheter treatment tip or the like. The location needed to be pinpointed could be within a difficult-to-access location along the inside wall of the atrium cavity. The arrhythmia to be controlled by ablation or the like can be at a location within the atrial cavity which cannot be readily accessed by the use of a straight guiding catheter or a guiding catheter having a heretofore known curved or bent distal end portion, including two-dimensional distal end curves. When eliminating accessory atrioventricular pathways by cardiac ablation techniques or the like, the pathway to be accessed can present a difficult maneuvering problem when using heretofore known guiding catheters. There is accordingly a need for a catheter-like guiding device which can be used in effecting pinpoint positioning of treatment or diagnostic catheters and the like, particularly when carrying out catheter cardiac ablation of the right atrium or of the left atrium by a transseptal procedure.

Guiding sheath having three-dimensional distal end


This specification discloses devices and methods that provide for an improved switched mode power supply (SMPS) with a supply voltage connected p-type active clamp. In some embodiments, such an improved SMPS can have a p-type active clamp connected on one side to a positive voltage (which can preferably be the supply voltage), and on the other side to a clamp capacitor. Such an improved SMPS would then have the benefit of not requiring additional components (such as a level shifter, a high side supply voltage, a negative supply voltage, etc.) and the costs associated with these additional components.

A switched mode power supply (switching mode power supply or SMPS) is an electronic power supply that uses a switching regulator in order to control the conversion of electrical power in a highly efficient manner. This higher efficiency (thus lower heat dissipation) is the chief advantage of a switched mode power supply. A switched mode power supply can also be substantially smaller and lighter than say a linear supply due to the smaller transformer size and weight.
Therefore, there are strong motivations to develop devices and methods that provide for an improved switched mode power supply.

Supply voltage connected p-type active clamp for switched mode power supply


A wiper arm spoiler device having a base member (10a; 10b), having a wind deflector unit (12a; 12b) which is arranged on the base member (10a; 10b) and which has at least one wind deflector element (14a; 14b), having a coupling unit (16a; 16b) which is provided to couple the wind deflector unit (12a; 12b) to a wiper rod (18a; 18b) of a wiper arm (20a; 20b). The wiper arm spoiler device has at least one washing water channel (24a; 24b, 26b).

A wiper arm spoiler device having a base member, having a wind deflector unit which is arranged on the base member and which has at least one wind deflector element, having a coupling unit which is provided to couple the wind deflector unit to a wiper rod of a wiper arm has already been proposed.

Wiper arm spoiler device having at least one washing water channel


A receiver-tank is provided with a vertical tank main body 140. An inlet 131 and an outlet 132 are provided in an inlet-and-outlet forming member 150 as a bottom wall of the tank main body 140. A desiccant-filled-layer 135 as a flow-resistance layer is provided in a lower part of the tank main body 140, and an upper space is formed above the desiccant-filled-layer 135. A suction pipe 133 is provided in the tank main body 140 with the lower end connected with the outlet 132 and the upper end opened toward the upper space. When the refrigerant introduced into the tank main body 140 from the inlet port 131 goes up through the desiccant-filled-layer 135, the flow velocity decreases, and liquid-stagnation R is quietly created bin the upper space. The liquefied refrigerant of this liquid-stagnation R flows out of the outlet 132 through the suction pipe 133. Thereby, the stable liquid refrigerant can be supplied.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a receiver tank for use in a refrigeration cycle, a heat exchanger with a receiver tank, and a condensing apparatus for use in a refrigeration cycle, which can be applied to an air-conditioning system for automobile use, household use and business use.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 22 shows an expansion-valve system refrigeration cycle as one of typical refrigeration cycles. In the refrigeration cycle, the gaseous refrigerant of high temperature and high pressure sent out from a compressor CP is introduced into a condenser CD and exchanges heat with the ambient air to be cooled and condensed therein. The condensed refrigerant mostly in a liquefied state flows into a receiver-tank RT to be completely separated into a gaseous refrigerant and a liquefied refrigerant. Then, only the liquefied refrigerant flows out of the receiver-tank RT. The liquefied refrigerant is decompressed and expanded quickly by an expansion-valve EV, and is introduced into an evaporator EP as a mist-like refrigerant of low pressure and low temperature. This mist-like refrigerant evaporates in the evaporator EP by absorbing latent heat from the ambient air to be turned into a gaseous refrigerant. Then, the gaseous refrigerant flows out of the evaporator EP, and is inhaled by the compressor CP.
In FIG. 22, the spotted area indicates that a refrigerant is in a liquid state. In the meantime, the refrigeration flow rate is controlled by adjusting the opening degree of the expansion-valve EV in response to the signal sent from a heat-sensitive-coupler SC provided at the outlet side of the evaporator EP.
By the way, in a refrigeration cycle for automobile use, it is proposed that a refrigerant condensed in a condenser CD is subcooled to a temperature lower than the condensation temperature of the refrigerant by about several degrees to increase the amount of heat release and thereafter the subcooled refrigerant is introduced into an expansion-valve EV and an evaporator EP to enhance the refrigerating capacity. Concretely, the subcooling portion, which subcools the refrigerant condensed by the condenser CD to a temperature lower than the condensation temperature of the refrigerant by several degrees centigrade, is provided so as to send the condensed refrigerant to the evaporator side as a stabilized liquid refrigerant. Usually, this subcooling portion is arranged at the downstream side of the receiver-tank RT. In many cases, such a subcooling portion is integrally provided to the condenser CD (subcool system condenser) in view of space efficiency.
On the other hand, in many cases, a receiver-dryer is used as the aforementioned receiver-tank RT. The receiver-dryer is provided with a desiccant-filled-portion therein to absorb the moisture components of the refrigerant. Such a receiver-dryer includes the so-called sandwich-type receiver-dryer having an upper space 33 above a desiccant-filled portion 32 and a lower space 34 below the desiccant-filled portion 32 in a vertical tank 31 as shown in FIGS. 23A-23C, and the so-called bag-type receiver-dryer provided with a desiccant-filled portion 32 in one side in a vertical tank 31 as shown in FIG. 23D.
In the receiver-dryer having a sucking-pipe 36 shown in FIG. 23A, the refrigerant flowed into the upper space 33 via the refrigerant inlet 35 passes through the desiccant-filled-portion 32 to reach the lower space 34. Then, the liquefied refrigerant separated from the gaseous refrigerant is sucked up by the sucking-pipe 36 and flows out of the refrigerant outlet 37 provided at the top of the tank.
In the receiver-dryer having a supplying-pipe 38 shown in FIG. 23B, the refrigerant introduced from the refrigerant inlet 35 provided at the bottom portion flows up the supplying-pipe 38 to reach the upper space 33, and then passes through the desiccant-filled-portion 32 to reach the lower space 34. Then, the liquefied refrigerant separated from the gaseous refrigerant flows out of the refrigerant outlet 37 provided at the bottom of the tank.
In the inlet-outlet-confrontation-type receiver-dryer shown in FIG. 23C, the refrigerant introduced into the upper space 33 via the top refrigerant inlet 35 passes through the desiccant-filled- portion 32 to reach the lower space 34. Then, the liquefied refrigerant separated from the gaseous refrigerant flows out of the refrigerant outlet 37 provided at the bottom of the tank.
In the bag-type receiver-driver shown in FIG. 23D, the refrigerant flowed into the tank via the refrigerant inlet 35 provided at the side portion of the tank contacts the desiccant-filed-portion 32, and the liquefied refrigerant separated from the gaseous refrigerant in the lower portion of the tank flows out of the refrigerant outlet 37 provided at the bottom of the tank.
In an air-conditioning system, it is always desired to improve the space efficiency and performance. Especially, in an automobile air-conditioner, in order to effectively use the limited body space, it is requested that the whole system be further miniaturized. In order to realize the aforementioned requests, it is necessary to reduce the amount of refrigerant sealed in the refrigeration cycle, to enhance the performance stability to load fluctuation (overcharge toughness) and to prevent performance deterioration with time due to a continuous running (decline of leakage toughness). For these purposes, it is desired to secure a steady region, i.e., a stable region in a subcooled state of the refrigerant to the amount of sealed refrigerant, as widely as possible.
FIG. 8 is a correlation characteristic figure showing the correlation between a subcooling degree of the condensed refrigerant and an amount of sealed refrigerant obtained by a charge examination (cycle bench) of an automobile air-conditioner. In this correlation characteristic figure, it is ideal that the rising curve is steep until it reaches a steady region as shown by the phantom-line curve X2 and that the steady region has a wider range.
However, in an automobile air-conditioner using a conventional subcooling system condenser, the rising curve is gentle until it reaches the steady region as shown by the solid-line curve Y. Therefore, the steady region starting point delays toward the larger amount of sealed refrigerant side, which results in a delayed refrigerant sealing timing and a narrow steady region width. This means that in the conventional automobile air-conditioner the miniaturization by decreasing the sealed refrigerant amount is difficult, the performance stability to load fluctuation is bad, and the performance tends to deteriorate with time due to a continuous running.
The inventors investigated causes of the above-mentioned problems of the conventional automobile air-conditioner from various aspects so as to realize a miniaturized high-performance automobile air-conditioner. Consequently, the inventors revealed that one factor of the above-mentioned problems resides in a structure of a conventional receiver-dryer RD. That is, since the interface between the liquefied refrigerant and the gaseous refrigerant, i.e., the surface of the liquefied refrigerant, near the refrigerant outlet of the receiver-dryer RD is hard to become stable, the stable supply of the liquefied refrigerant to the following cycle part cannot be performed. Furthermore, a large amount of gaseous refrigerant will be mixed into the liquefied refrigerant to be flowed out. Therefore, the above-mentioned steady region becomes narrower and the steady region starting point delays toward the larger amount of sealed refrigerant side.
That is, since a refrigerant flow velocity flowing into a receiver-dryer RD from a condenser CD is generally high, in a sandwich-type receiver-dryer, larger turbulence of the liquefied refrigerant occurs in the upper space 33 into which the refrigerant is introduced. Consequently, since the liquefied refrigerant stagnates in the upper space 33, the liquefied refrigerant is not fully supplied to the lower space 34. As a result, a few amount of liquefied refrigerant accumulated in the lower space 34 is disturbed by the high-speed liquid flow passed through the desiccant-filled-portion 32, which causes bubbles of gaseous refrigerant. For this reason, it is assumed that a gaseous refrigerant flows out of the refrigerant outlet 37 exposed to the gaseous phase due to large surface fluctuation, and/or a lot of air bubbles are involved into the liquefied refrigerant to be flowed out.
On the other hand, in the bag-type receiver-dryer, it is assumed that since the internal refrigerant flow velocity and the turbulence of the internal refrigerant are larger than in the sandwich-type receiver-dryer, the liquefied refrigerant surface near the refrigerant outlet 37 becomes further unstable, resulting in a larger outflow of gaseous refrigerant.
In view of the aforementioned technical background, the present invention has been made. It is an object of the present invention to provide a receiver-tank for a refrigeration cycle which is small in size, light in weight and small in refrigerant amount.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a receiver-tank for a refrigeration cycle which can enlarge the stable region of refrigerant to an amount of sealed refrigerant and supply the stable liquefied refrigerant to the following cycle portion.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a condensing apparatus for use in a refrigeration cycle in which a surface of a liquefied refrigerant separated from a gaseous refrigerant can be stabilized and only the liquefied refrigerant can be supplied from the receiver-dryer to the subsequent cycle part.
It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide a receiver-dryer used for the above-mentioned condensing apparatus in which the surface of the liquefied refrigerant separated from the gaseous refrigerant can be stabilized and only the liquefied refrigerant can be supplied to the subsequent cycle part.
Another object of the present invention will be apparent from the following embodiments.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a receiver-tank for use in a refrigeration cycle, wherein a condensed refrigerant is introduced into the receiver-tank and accumulated therein and only a liquefied refrigerant flows out of the receiver-tank, the receiver-tank comprises:
a tank main body having a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet each provided in a bottom wall of the tank main body;
a flow-resistance layer for reducing a flow velocity of a refrigerant passing through the flow-resistance layer, the flow-resistance layer being provided in the tank main body such that an upper space is formed above the flow-resistance layer; and
a suction pipe provided in the tank main body, the suction pipe having an upper end opened toward the upper space and a lower end communicated with the refrigerant outlet,
whereby a refrigerant introduced into the tank main body via the Refrigerant inlet passes through the flow-resistance layer upward to cause liquid stagnation of a liquefied refrigerant in the upper space, and the liquefied refrigerant flows out of the refrigerant outlet via the suction pipe.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, the condensed refrigerant, which is a mixture of a gaseous refrigerant and a liquefied refrigerant, is abruptly diffused into a wide area of the inner bottom portion of the tank main body to thereby reduce the flow velocity immediately after introduced into the tank main body. Subsequently, the refrigerant goes up through the desiccant-filled-layer to further decrease the flow velocity.
Therefore, the liquefied refrigerant, which is slow in flow velocity as compared with a gaseous refrigerant, passes through the desiccant-filled-layer to reach the upper space, which causes a reduced flow velocity. Accordingly, the liquefied refrigerant accumulates to create liquid stagnation in the upper space without causing turbulence. On the other hand, the flow velocity of the gaseous refrigerant also abruptly reduces when the gaseous refrigerant passes through the desiccant-filled-layer.
For this reason, when the gaseous refrigerant reaches the liquid stagnation created in the upper space, it slowly goes up in the liquid stagnation as bubbles. Consequently, a gaseous refrigerant passes through the surface of the liquid stagnation and accumulates above the surface without disturbing the surface.
Since the upper end of the suction pipe is located at the bottom of the liquid stagnation stably accumulated in the upper space, only the accumulated liquefied refrigerant flows into the suction pipe to be discharged from the refrigerant outlet.
Since only the liquefied refrigerant stably flows out from the receiver-dryer as mentioned above, it becomes possible to fill an appropriate amount of refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle at an earlier stage. Moreover, since the steady region between the optimum point and the excessive point of refrigerant amount can be expanded by using the surplus space in the receiver-dryer as a buffer space, the whole refrigeration cycle can be operated stably.
In the first aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the flow-resistance layer is provided with a plurality of dispersing passages for dispersing the refrigerant in a radial and outward direction of the tank main body. For example, the flow-resistance layer may be formed by numerous particles, knitted fabrics, woven fabrics, non-woven fabrics, a porous or perforated panel/member or the lamination thereof, or a combination of one or more of the aforementioned members/materials.
In the first aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the flow-resistance layer is a desiccant-filled-layer constituted by numerous particle-shaped desiccating agents. That is, in a receiver-tank for use in a refrigeration cycle, desiccating agents are disposed in the receiver-tank in order to delete the moisture in a refrigerant. Accordingly, in the aforementioned structure, the flow-resistance layer can also be used as desiccating agents.
Furthermore, in the first aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that a lower space for diffusing the refrigerant introduced from the refrigerant inlet is formed under the flow-resistance-layer in the tank main body. In cases where the aforementioned structure is employed, a refrigerant introduced from the refrigerant inlet is diffused widely in the lower space, to thereby further reduce the flow velocity. Thus, occurrence of turbulence of refrigerant can be prevented effectively, resulting in a smooth creation of stable liquid stagnation.
Furthermore, in the first aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that a height of the lower space is 25% or less of a thickness of the flow-resistance layer. In this case, the lower space can be decreased while ensuring the flow decreasing function by the lower space. Therefore, turbulence of refrigerant hardly occurs, enabling an ample supply of liquid refrigerant to the upper space.
Furthermore, in the first aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the suction pipe has an enlarged-diameter portion at an upper end thereof.
In this case, since the inlet side of the suction pipe forms a dented portion at the upper portion of the flow-resistance layer, the liquid refrigerant can be easily flowed into the suction pipe. Furthermore, the flow velocity of the liquefied refrigerant becomes slower than in a non-enlarged-diameter portion. Therefore, even if bubbles of the gaseous refrigerant exist in the enlarged-diameter portion, the bubbles can go up in the enlarged-diameter portion.
In order to enhance the function of the enlarged-diameter portion, in the first aspect of the present invention, it is preferable to employ the following structure.
That is, in the first aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the following conditions are satisfied: d1 less than d2xe2x89xa63d1, and d1 less than h1xe2x89xa65d1, wherein an inner diameter of a non-enlarged-diameter portion of an intermediate portion of the suction pipe, the maximum opening diameter of the enlarged-diameter portion and a depth of the enlarged-diameter portion are defined by d1, d2 and h1, respectively.
Furthermore, in the first aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that an upwardly extended bubble-swallow-prevention wall is formed on a periphery of an upper end opening of the suction pipe. In this case, the bubbles of the gaseous refrigerant going up through the liquid stagnation created in the upper space will be hardly swallowed by the liquefied refrigerant flowing toward the suction pipe because of the existence of the bubble-swallow-prevention wall. Thus, it is possible to prevent the gaseous refrigerant from being swallowed into the suction pipe.
In order to enhance the function of the bubble-swallow-prevention wall, in the first aspect of the present invention, it is preferable to employ the following structure.
That is, in the present invention, it is preferable that the following conditions are satisfied: h2 less than 2d1, wherein an inner diameter of a non-enlarged-diameter portion of an intermediate portion of the suction pipe and a height of the bubble-swallow-prevention wall are defined by d1 and h2, respectively.
Furthermore, in the present invention, it is preferable that the following conditions are satisfied: 1.5xcfx86xe2x89xa6L1xe2x89xa60.8D, wherein a distance between a center of the receiver-tank outlet and a center of the receiver-tank inlet, an inner diameter of the tank main body and an opening diameter of an outlet opening of the receiver-tank inlet are defined by L1, D and xcfx86, respectively.
In this case, since the distance between the refrigerant inlet and the refrigerant outlet can be kept appropriately, it becomes possible to prevent the upstream of the refrigerant introduced from the refrigerant inlet from being biased toward the refrigerant outlet side, or the suction pipe side, resulting in more stable liquid stagnation.
Furthermore, it is preferable the following conditions are satisfied: Ldxe2x89xa60.7Le, wherein a thickness of the flow-resistance layer and an effective length of the tank main body are defined by Ld and Le, respectively. In this case, enough space for accumulating a gaseous refrigerant and a liquefied refrigerant above the tank main body can be secured, resulting in a more stable supply of a liquefied refrigerant.
Furthermore, in the present invention, it is preferable that a filter layer us disposed on at least an upper surface of the desiccant-filled-layer, or a pair of perforated plates are disposed on upper and lower surfaces of the desiccant-filled-layer. In this case, the refrigerant passing through the filter layer or the perforated plates is rectified by the filter layer or the perforated plates. Thus, a partial high-speed flow will be extinguished, and a liquefied refrigerant and a gaseous refrigerant will be divided into minute refrigerant. Accordingly, the liquid stagnation in the upper space can be created stably.
Furthermore, in the present invention, it is preferable that inlets are disposed at predetermined circumferential intervals. In this case, a refrigerant can be introduced into the tank main body evenly from the periphery of the bottom wall of the tank main body, which can assuredly prevent the generation of bubbles of refrigerant due to the turbulence or the like. As a result, stable liquid stagnation can be created.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a receiver-tank for use in a refrigeration cycle, wherein a condensed refrigerant is introduced into the receiver-tank and accumulated therein and only a liquefied refrigerant flows out of the receiver-tank, the receiver-tank comprises:
a tank main body having a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet each provided in a bottom wall of the tank main body;
a flow-resistance layer for reducing a flow velocity of a refrigerant passing through the flow-resistance layer, the flow-resistance layer being provided in the tank main body such that an upper space is formed above the flow-resistance layer;
a suction pipe provided in the tank main body, the suction pipe having an upper end opened toward the upper space and a lower end communicated with the refrigerant outlet; and
a desiccating-agent-filled member disposed in the upper space so as to space apart from the flow-resistance layer,
whereby a refrigerant introduced into the tank main body via the refrigerant inlet passes through the flow-resistance layer upward to cause liquid stagnation of a liquefied refrigerant in the upper space, and the liquefied refrigerant flows out of the refrigerant outlet via the suction pipe.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, in the same manner as in the first aspect of the present invention, since only the liquefied refrigerant stably flows out from the receiver-dryer, it becomes possible to fill an appropriate amount of the refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle at an earlier stage. Moreover, since the steady region between the optimum point and the excessive point of refrigerant amount can be expanded by using the surplus space in the receiver-dryer as a buffer space, the whole refrigeration cycle can be operated stably.
Furthermore, since the desiccating-agent-filled member is formed in the upper space in the tank main body, the moisture of the refrigerant passing through the tank main body can be deleted. Thus, an appropriate refrigerant with no moisture can be discharged, resulting in a stable operation of the entire refrigeration cycle.
In the second aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the flow-resistance layer maybe formed by numerous particles, knitted fabrics, woven fabrics, non-woven fabrics, a porous or perforated panel/member or the lamination thereof, or a combination of one or more of the aforementioned members/materials, or the flow-resistance layer is provided with a plurality of dispersing passages for dispersing the refrigerant in a radial and outward direction of the tank main body.
Furthermore, in the second aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the flow-resistance layer is a desiccant-filled-layer constituted by numerous particle-shaped desiccating agents. In this case, it becomes possible to supply an enough amount of desiccating agents as the flow-resistance layer and the desiccating-agent-filled member.
In the second aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that desiccating-agent-filled member is immovably disposed or movably disposed in the upper space.
Furthermore, in the second aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the following conditions are satisfied: Ld less than D, wherein a thickness of the desiccating-agent-filled member and an inner diameter of the tank main body are defined by Ld and D, respectively. In this case, an enough space for accumulating the liquefied refrigerant and the gaseous refrigerant above the tank main body can be secured, resulting in a steady supply of liquefied refrigerant.
Furthermore, in the second aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that a lower space for diffusing the refrigerant introduced from the refrigerant inlet is formed under the flow-resistance-layer in the tank main body. In this case, the refrigerant introduced from the refrigerant inlet diffuses widely in the lower space, resulting in a reduced flow velocity. Thus, generation of turbulence in the lower space can be prevented more assuredly, which enables to create stable liquid stagnation.
Furthermore, in the second aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the refrigerant outlet is formed at a center of the bottom wall of the tank main body and a plurality of the refrigerant inlets are formed around the refrigerant outlet. In this case, it becomes possible to introduce a refrigerant into the tank main body from the peripheral portion of the bottom of the tank main body in a dispersed manner. Thus, generation of bubbles due to a biased flow and/or turbulence of refrigerant can be effectively prevented, which enables to create further stable liquid stagnation.
Furthermore, in the second aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the plurality of the refrigerant inlets are disposed at predetermined circumferential intervals. In this case, the refrigerant can be introduced evenly into the tank main body from the peripheral portion of the bottom wall of the tank main body. Thus, generation of bubbles due to a biased flow and/or turbulence of refrigerant can be effectively prevented, which enables to create further stable liquid stagnation.
On the other hand, the aforementioned receiver-tank according to the first aspect of the present invention can be integrally assembled to a heat exchanger such as a condenser to form a heat exchanger with a receiver-tank.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, a heat exchanger with a receiver-tank, comprises:
a heat exchanger body including a pair of headers disposed in parallel at a certain distance, a plurality of heat exchanging tubes with both ends thereof connected to the pair of headers and a condensing portion outlet for discharging a refrigerant condensed while passing through the heat exchanging tubes;
a receiver-tank having a receiver-tank inlet and a receiver-tank outlet each formed in a bottom wall of the receiver-tank, the receiver-tank accumulating a refrigerant introduced from the receiver-tank inlet and discharging only a liquefied refrigerant from the receiver-tank outlet; and
a refrigerant passage for introducing the refrigerant flowed out of the condensing portion outlet into the receiver-tank inlet,
wherein a flow-resistance layer for reducing a flow velocity of a refrigerant passing through the flow-resistance layer is provided in the receiver-tank such that an upper space is formed above the flow-resistance layer,
wherein a suction pipe is provided in the tank main body, the suction pipe having an upper end opened toward the upper space and a lower end communicated with the refrigerant outlet,
whereby a refrigerant introduced into the tank main body via the refrigerant inlet passes through the flow-resistance layer upward to cause liquid stagnation of a liquefied refrigerant in the upper space, and the liquefied refrigerant flows out of the refrigerant outlet via the suction pipe.
In the third aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the flow-resistance layer is a desiccant-filled-layer constituted by numerous particle-shaped desiccating agents, or a lower space for diffusing the refrigerant introduced from the refrigerant inlet is formed under the flow-resistance-layer in the tank main body.
Furthermore, the receiver-tank according to the first aspect of the present invention can be integrally assembled to a heat exchanger having a condensing portion and a subcooling portion to form a heart exchanger with a receiver-tank such as a subcooling system condenser.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, a heat exchanger with a receiver-tank, comprises:
a heat exchanger body including a pair of headers disposed in parallel at a certain distance, a plurality of heat exchanging tubes with both ends thereof connected to the pair of headers, partitioning members each partitioning an inside of the header to thereby group the plurality of heat exchanging tubes into a condensing portion and a subcooling portion, a condensing portion outlet for discharging a refrigerant condensed while passing through the heat exchanging tubes and a subcooling portion inlet for introducing a refrigerant into the subcooling portion;
a receiver-tank having a receiver-tank inlet and a receiver-tank outlet each formed in a bottom wall of the receiver-tank, the receiver-tank accumulating a refrigerant introduced from the receiver-tank inlet and discharging only a liquefied refrigerant from the receiver-tank outlet; and
a refrigerant passage for introducing the refrigerant discharged from the condensing portion outlet into the receiver-tank inlet and introducing the refrigerant discharged from the receiver-tank outlet into the subcooling portion inlet,
wherein a flow-resistance layer for reducing a flow velocity of a refrigerant passing through the flow-resistance layer is provided in the receiver-tank such that an upper space is formed above the flow-resistance layer, and
wherein a suction pipe provided in the tank main body, the suction pipe having an upper end opened toward the upper space and a lower end communicated with the refrigerant outlet,
whereby a refrigerant introduced into the tank main body via the receiver-tank inlet passes through the flow-resistance layer upward to cause liquid stagnation of a liquefied refrigerant in the upper space, and the liquefied refrigerant flows out of the receiver-tank outlet via the suction pipe.
In the fourth aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the flow-resistance layer is a desiccant-filled-layer constituted by numerous particle-shaped desiccating agents.
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, a heat exchanger with a receiver-tank, comprising:
a heat exchanger body including a pair of headers disposed in parallel at a certain distance, a plurality of heat exchanging tubes with both ends thereof connected to the pair of headers and a condensing portion outlet for discharging a refrigerant condensed while passing through the heat exchanging tubes;
a receiver-tank having a receiver-tank inlet and a receiver-tank outlet each formed in a bottom wall of the receiver-tank, the receiver-tank accumulating a refrigerant introduced from the receiver-tank inlet and discharging only a liquefied refrigerant from the receiver-tank outlet; and
a refrigerant passage for introducing the refrigerant flowed out of the condensing portion outlet into the receiver-tank inlet,
wherein a flow-resistance layer for reducing a flow velocity of a refrigerant passing through the flow-resistance layer is provided in the receiver-tank such that an upper space is formed above the flow-resistance layer,
wherein a suction pipe is provided in the tank main body, the suction pipe having an upper end opened toward the upper space and a lower end communicated with the receiver-tank outlet, and
wherein a desiccating-agent-filled member is disposed in the upper space so as to space apart from the flow-resistance layer,
whereby a refrigerant introduced into the tank main body via the receiver-tank inlet passes through the flow-resistance layer upward to cause liquid stagnation of a liquefied refrigerant in the upper space, and the liquefied refrigerant flows out of the receiver-tank outlet via the suction pipe.
In the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the flow-resistance layer is a desiccant-filled-layer constituted by numerous particle-shaped desiccating agents.
Furthermore, in the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that desiccating-agent-filled member is immovably or movably disposed in the upper space.
The receiver-tank according to the second aspect of the present invention can be integrally assembled to a heat exchanger having a condensing portion and a subcooling portion to form a heat exchanger with a receiver-tank such as a subcooling system condenser.
According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, a heat exchanger with a receiver-tank, comprising:
a heat exchanger body including a pair of headers disposed in parallel at a certain distance, a plurality of heat exchanging tubes with both ends thereof connected to the pair of headers, partitioning members each partitioning an inside of the header to thereby group the plurality of heat exchanging tubes into a condensing portion and a subcooling portion, a condensing portion outlet for discharging a refrigerant condensed while passing through the heat exchanging tubes and a subcooling portion inlet for introducing the refrigerant into the subcooling portion;
a receiver-tank having a receiver-tank inlet and a receiver-tank outlet each formed in a bottom wall of the receiver-tank, the receiver-tank accumulating a refrigerant introduced from the receiver-tank inlet and discharging only a liquefied refrigerant from the receiver-tank outlet; and
a refrigerant passage for introducing the refrigerant discharged from the condensing portion outlet into the receiver-tank inlet and introducing the refrigerant discharged from the receiver-tank outlet into the subcooling portion inlet,
wherein a flow-resistance layer for reducing a flow velocity of a refrigerant passing through the flow-resistance layer is provided in the receiver-tank such that an upper space is formed above the flow-resistance layer,
wherein a suction pipe is provided in the tank main body, the suction pipe having an upper end opened toward the upper space and a lower end communicated with the receiver-tank outlet, and
wherein a desiccating-agent-filled member is disposed in the upper space so as to space apart from the flow-resistance layer,
whereby a refrigerant introduced into the tank main body via the receiver-tank inlet passes through the flow-resistance. layer upward to cause liquid stagnation of a liquefied refrigerant in the upper space, and the liquefied refrigerant flows out of the receiver-tank outlet via the suction pipe.
In the sixth aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the flow-resistance layer is a desiccant-filled-layer constituted by numerous particle-shaped desiccating agents.
The receiver-tank according to the first aspect of the present invention can constitute a condensing apparatus for use in a refrigeration cycle together with a condenser such as a header-type condenser and a serpentine-type condenser.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, a condensing apparatus for use in a refrigeration cycle, the condensing apparatus comprises:
a condenser including a condensing portion for condensing a refrigerant and a condensing portion outlet for discharging the refrigerant condensed by the condensing portion;
a receiver-tank having a receiver-tank inlet and a receiver-tank outlet each formed in a bottom wall of the receiver-tank, the receiver-tank accumulating a refrigerant introduced from the receiver-tank inlet and discharging only a liquefied refrigerant from the receiver-tank outlet; and
a refrigerant passage for introducing the refrigerant flowed out of the condensing portion outlet into the receiver-tank inlet,
wherein a flow-resistance layer for reducing a flow velocity of a refrigerant passing through the flow-resistance layer is provided in the receiver-tank such that an upper space is formed above the flow-resistance layer, and
wherein a suction pipe is provided in the tank main body, the suction pipe having an upper end opened toward the upper space and a lower end communicated with the receiver-tank outlet,
whereby a refrigerant introduced into the tank main body via the receiver-tank inlet passes through the flow-resistance layer upward to cause liquid stagnation of a liquefied refrigerant in the upper space, and the liquefied refrigerant flows cut of the receiver-tank outlet via the suction pipe.
Furthermore, the receiver-tank according to the second aspect of the present invention can constitute a condensing apparatus for use in a refrigeration cycle together with a condenser such as a header-type condenser and a serpentine-type condenser.
According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, a condensing apparatus for use in a refrigeration cycle, said condensing apparatus comprising:
a condenser including a condensing portion for condensing a refrigerant and a condensing portion outlet for discharging the refrigerant condensed by said condensing portion;
a receiver-tank having a receiver-tank inlet and a receiver-tank outlet each formed in a bottom wall of said receiver-tank, said receiver-tank accumulating a refrigerant introduced from said receiver-tank inlet and discharging only a liquefied refrigerant from said receiver-tank outlet; and
a refrigerant passage for introducing the refrigerant flowed out of said condensing portion outlet into said receiver-tank inlet,
wherein a flow-resistance layer for reducing a flow velocity of a refrigerant passing through said flow-resistance layer is provided in said receiver-tank such that an upper space is formed above said flow-resistance layer,
wherein a suction pipe is provided in said tank main body, said suction pipe having an upper end opened toward said upper space and a lower end communicated with said receiver-tank outlet, and
wherein a desiccating-agent-filled member is disposed in said upper space so as to space apart from said flow-resistance layer,
whereby a refrigerant introduced into said tank main body via said receiver-tank inlet passes through said flow-resistance layer upward to cause liquid stagnation of a liquefied refrigerant in said upper space, and the liquefied refrigerant flows out of said receiver-tank outlet via said suction pipe.
In the eighth aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the flow-resistance layer is a desiccant-filled-layer constituted by particle-shaped desiccating agents.
Other objects and the features will be apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings.

Receiver tank for use in refrigeration cycle, heat exchanger with said receiver tank, and condensing apparatus for use in refrigeration cycle


A conductive resin molding for use in the separator of a fuel cell and its producing method in which lowering of production yield and increase of machining cost, which are the most important problems with the spread of fuel cell, can be suppressed.

A conductive molding is used widely as an electrode for a cell and a separator for a fuel cell.
The fuel cell taking out an electric energy by supplying fuel (reducing agent) and oxygen (oxidizing agent) successively from outside is excellent in its power generation efficiency, capable of generating electricity without using fossil fuel, and discharges only water as a discharge gas. Therefore development of the fuel cell is being made as an energy source kind to the global environment. Attention is particularly paid to a solid polyelectrolytic fuel cell which is operated at a low temperature of about 80° C. and yet capable of discharging a comparatively high current and thereby serves as a power source for household appliances and electric cars.
In the solid polyelectrolytic fuel cell, an anode is disposed at one side of a polymeric film, and a cathode is disposed at the other side thereof to form a membrane-electrode-joined assembly. An anode-side duct substrate supplying hydrogen serving as fuel is disposed at one side of this assembly and a cathode-side duct substrate supplying oxygen is disposed at the other side thereof to form a unit cell. Unit cells are layered one upon another through separators. Alternatively, the separators are layered one upon another by using them as a flow path substrate.
As the separator serving as the flow path substrate, the separator on which a flow path is formed by cutting a graphite block is known, and the separator obtained by molding an expanded graphite sheet at a high pressure is also known. As conventional separators, made of a resin material, for use in the fuel cell, the separator (international laid-open No. WO 097/02612) for the fuel cell in which the expanded graphite powder, whose particle diameter is specified, is dispersed in thermoplastic resin or thermosetting resin is known. The separator (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. H 11-354135) for the fuel cell in which a carbon material such as expanded graphite powder is dispersed in phenol resin cured by ring opening polymerization is also known.
As a method of injection-molding ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene, the method of injecting it into the cavity of a die at a shearing speed of not less than 50×103/s and then compressing the volume of the cavity to not more than 2.0 folds of the amount of injection-molded resin (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. S 51-81861) is known.
However, the conventional separators for use in the fuel cell using the resin material has a problem that they do not have sufficient conductivity, unpermeability to gases, resistance to acids, resistance to corrosion, and mechanical strength.
When the resin material is used, a large amount of a compounding agent is added to the resin material to improve conductivity. As a result, the melting viscosity of the resin composition rises outstandingly. Therefore, frequently it is difficult to mold the resin composition, the molding method is limited, and only a molding having a simple configuration is obtained. In the case of the conductive resin molding such as the separator serving as the flow path substrate, it is difficult to accomplish integral molding of a flow path. Thus it is necessary to form a complicated duct groove by post-processing such as a cutting process. Therefore the conventional conductive resin molding has a problem that the production yield of a material lowers and the machining cost increases.
Even if a small conductive resin molding can be formed from the conventional resinous material, the obtained conductive resin molding cannot be used as the separator for use in the fuel cell which withstands practical use. For example, the obtained conductive resin molding has a low denseness, is incapable of satisfying required characteristics such as gas unpermeability, electric resistance, and generates a warp. The conductive resin molding whose matrix consists of thermo setting resin is post-cured after the resin composition thereof is molded. At that time, dimensional contraction or deformation occurs. Thus it is difficult to obtain a separator having a high dimensional accuracy. In the separator for use in the fuel cell, a plurality of unit cells are laminated one upon another. Therefore if the flatness degree thereof is low, the separator cannot be used.
A problem has arisen that to make the fuel cell thin and compact, a more complicated flow path groove is demanded, but the conventional cutting process has difficulty in industrializing the formation of the complicated flow path groove in terms of cost. Another problem is that the conventional conductive resin material has a deformation such as a warp and a twist, which makes it difficult to hold dimensional accuracy.
The present invention has been made to cope with the problems. Therefore it is an object of the present invention to provide a conductive resin molding and a method of producing the conductive resin molding capable of suppressing the lowering of the production yield of a separator made of the conductive resin molding and an increase of the processing cost which are the most important problem in the spread of a fuel cell.

Abstract: The conductive resin molding is characterized by containing 1-9 vol % of high boiling point oil against the entire resin composition. Alternatively, high density expanded graphite prepared to have a specific gravity of 1.8 or above is employed as a conductive compounding agent. Alternatively, the conductive resin molding can be molded by flash flow compression molding.


A motor vehicle according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, at least one power source. The motor vehicle is operable as a generator to supply power from the at least one power source to an auxiliary load. The motor vehicle also includes a controller configured to estimate a range of the motor vehicle based on a state of the at least one power source, and to command the motor vehicle to stop operating as a generator when the estimated range reaches a threshold range. A method is also disclosed.

The need to reduce automotive fuel consumption and emissions is well known. Therefore, vehicles are being developed that reduce reliance on internal combustion engines. Electrified vehicles are one type of vehicle being developed for this purpose. In general, electrified vehicles differ from conventional motor vehicles in that electrified vehicles are selectively driven using one or more electric machines powered by a first power supply, namely a traction battery. The electric machines can drive the electrified vehicles instead of, or in addition to, a second power supply, such as an internal combustion engine. Example electrified vehicles include hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), fuel cell vehicles (FCVs), and battery electric vehicles (BEVs).
Electrified vehicles can also operate as generators. When operating as a generator, the power supplies of the electrified vehicle supply power to one or more auxiliary loads, such as electrical equipment or the electrical loads of a residential home, as examples.

Automatic cutoff for vehicle operable as generator