An electrical connector includes a housing unit and a contact unit received therein. The housing unit includes a shielding member and an insulating member retained on the shielding member. The shielding member defines opposite upper end and lower end while the insulating member includes a first portion and a second portion seated on the upper and lower ends respectively and defines a cavity therebetween. The contact unit includes a plurality of contacts, a metal plate defining a plurality of through holes and an insulating body retaining the contacts and the metal plate. The metal plate divides the cavity into a first cavity and a second cavity, the contact runs through the through hole of the metal plate and comprises a first arm above the metal plate received in the first cavity and a second arm under the metal plate received in the second cavity.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector for connecting an Integrated Circuit (IC) package with a printed circuit board (PCB).
2. Description of the Related Art
Various electrical connectors are widely used in computer and other electronic devices. An electrical connector for electrically connecting an IC package to a printed circuit board (PCB) typically comprises an insulating housing and a plurality of contacts retained therein. The contacts connect the IC package and the PCB so as to establish an electrical connection therebetween. However with increasing of the amount and speed of the data transmitted by the contacts, the arrangement density of the contacts increases and the electromagnetic interference (EMI) between the contacts becomes more and more serious. Therefore, an electrical connector with shielding plates around the contacts is provided. CN Patent No. 202196955 issued on Apr. 18, 2012 discloses an electrical connector. The electrical connector comprises an insulating housing having a plurality of receiving holes, a plurality of contacts received in the receiving holes and a metallic frame insert-molded in the insulating housing and surrounding the contacts. The metallic frame can reduce the EMI between the contacts. However, as each of the contacts comprises a contacting portion extending beyond the metallic frame to contact the IC package or the PCB, which fails to be protected by the metallic frame and have a high EMI issue.
In view of the above, an improved electrical connector is desired to overcome the problems mentioned above.

Electrical connector having improved shielding means


Painting aid 1 for a door handle 2 of a vehicle, having a door handle 2 with a door handle body 3 to be arranged outside of a vehicle door, wherein the door handle body 3 has a support projection 4 for pivotally supporting the door handle body 3 on the vehicle door and an actuating projection 5 for actuating a door lock, and having a cap 6a or 6b to be arranged next to the door handle body 3 on the vehicle door at a fixed position. The painting aid 1 has a cover section 7 enclosing the actuating projection 5 in order to prevent paint from being applied on the actuating projection 5. The painting aid 1 also has a retaining section 8 arranged next to the cover section 7 for retaining the cap 6a or 6b.

The invention relates to a painting aid for a door handle of a vehicle, in particular for a door handle with an actuating projection for actuating a door lock, with a bearing projection for pivotally connecting the door handle on a vehicle door, and with a cover arranged next to the door handle at a fixed location with or without a locking cylinder.
Painting aids of this type are used in vehicle assembly while the door handles are painted so as to prevent paint to be applied at undesirable locations, for example on the actuating projection.
A door handle for a vehicle door, as illustrated for example in DE 103 48 719 A1, has a door handle body arranged on the outer side of the door and configured to be grasped by a person, as well as a bearing projection and an actuating projection which protrude from the door handle body and engage in the door. The bearing projection supports the door handle body pivotally on the door, and the actuating projection actuates a door lock disposed inside the vehicle door when the door handle body is pivoted. A separate cap is arranged at a fixed location, in addition to the pivotable door handle body. The cap can be formed as a blind cap or can include a locking cylinder for locking and unlocking the door lock. The door handle body and the cap are preferably painted separately from the vehicle (off-line painting). To enable a clean operation of the door lock, the actuator must be kept free from paint; this can be ensured by using painting aids in the form of sleeves or spouts arranged on the actuating projection.
One problem is that the cap and door handle body should be painted together to achieve good color fidelity. However, since separate components must be handled during off-line painting, logistical and handling problems result when the separate components are painted together in the same painting facility. There is also the risk that the correct association to each other is lost in the further manufacturing process.


A method is provided including a step of preparing a base member; a step of preparing a metal mold which comprises a reference surface and plural projection-shaping die parts which have ring-like protruding sections projecting from a reference surface and surrounding hollow spaces which are shaped to match with the profiles of the projections; a step of placing a thermoplastic or thermosetting sheet-like molding material on the base member; a step of pressing the metal mold against the molding material placed on the base member, pressurizing the molding material at least with the ring-like protruding sections and accordingly bonding the molding material thus pressurized with the ring-like protruding sections to the base member, and forming and shaping projections from the molding material which is opposed against the insides of the hollow spaces surrounded by the ring-like protruding sections; and a step of leaving on the base member the molding material which is opposed against the plural projection-shaping die parts and stripping off the molding material other than the molding material which is opposed against the plural projection-shaping die parts.

Among well known automotive floor mats is one in which the entire back surface of a mat base member 82 made of a fiber material is covered with a resin sheet 84 and the back surface of the resin sheet 84 seats non-slip projections 86 which project upright as shown in FIG. 13. A floor mat 80 having the non-slip projections 86 hardly gets displaced and will not obstruct safe driving.
During the manufacturing of the floor mat 80 shown in FIG. 13, at the stage of bonding the resin sheet 84 to the back surface of the mat base member 82, a thermoplastic resin extruded into the shape of a sheet and then softened by heat and the mat base member 82 get firmly pressed between a cylindrical mold roller, whose cylindrical surface has concaves having a shape which corresponds to the profile of the non-slip projections 86, and a cylindrical support roller, thereby bonding the mat base member 82 and the resin sheet 84 to each other and simultaneously forming and shaping the non-slip projections 86. Patent Publication JP 2005-313387 A describes such a structure in which paired cylindrical rollers firmly press a mat base member and a resin sheet against each other and accordingly bond them together under pressure and concurrently with the pressure bonding of the resin sheet and the mat base member, non-slip projections are formed and shaped.
However, since the entire back surface of the mat base member 82 is covered with the resin sheet 84 in the floor mat 80 manufactured by the manufacturing method described above as shown in FIG. 13, the resin sheet 84 reflects a sound coming through the surface of the floor mat 80, which is a disadvantage that the acoustic absorption capability of a car flooring material disposed beneath the floor mat 80 deteriorates and noises inside a vehicle are not reduced sufficiently.
A floor mat is known, as shown in FIG. 14, which prevents reflection of noises inside a vehicle in which instead of using a resin sheet, a sound absorbing material 94 is bonded to the back surface of a mat base member 92. This floor mat 90 however, due to the absence of non-slip projections on its back surface, easily gets displaced and could obstruct safe driving.
These problems have given rise to a demand for development of a floor mat whose back surface seats non-slip projections yet whose structure is capable of preventing reflection of in-vehicle noises coming through the surface of the mat. A specific structure of such a floor mat may be to provide spaced apart plural non-slip projections on the back surface of a mat base member. This should permit noises coming through the surface of the mat to be transmitted in the spaces between the non-slip projections, preventing reflection of the noises and obviating displacement of the mat.
However, when one attempts to form plural non-slip projections in a spaced arrangement on the back surface of a mat base member as described above, one can not use a conventional manufacturing technique which requires bonding a resin sheet to the entire back surface of the mat base member. This leads to a demand to newly develop a manufacturing technique for providing spaced plural projections on a surface of a mat base member while attaining an excellent production yield. Such a manufacturing technique can possibly be applied to manufacturing of other products than a floor mat.

Method and apparatus for manufacturing base member bearing projections, and base member bearing projections


An optical module comprises a splitting element that splits light outputted from a light source; a first monitoring means that detects the intensity of light split by the splitting element; a polarization control means that switches the polarization state of light outputted from the splitting element based on a control signal; a filter means that accepts light outputted by the polarization control means as input, and whereof the characteristic changes depending on the polarization state of the input light; and a second monitoring means that detects the intensity of the light transmitted through the filter means.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to optical modules equipped with a wavelength locker.
2. Description of Related Art
Wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) communication, which multiplexes light of different wavelengths to increase the transmission capacity, is used in optical transmission systems. WDM communication makes it possible to increase the transmission capacity per signal light wavelength band used by narrowing the signal light wavelength interval of multiplexed signal light. Currently, in WDM communication, 200 GHz, 100 GHz and 50 GHz signal light wavelength intervals have been put into practical use, and signal light wavelength intervals of 25 GHz and 12.5 GHz are sought in order to increase the transmission capacity.
In WDM communication, since multiple signal lights are transmitted with a specific signal light wavelength interval, it is necessary to have adequate isolation from signal light of adjacent wavelengths, and as the signal light wavelength interval becomes narrower, higher precision control of the output wavelength of the signal light source becomes necessary. In WDM communication systems, waveguide lockers are used, which inhibit wavelength fluctuation due to chronological fluctuation or fluctuation of surrounding temperature of the laser diode (LD) light source and lock the output light with high precision to a specific wavelength (for instance, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication 2001-291928).
With the development of multiple wavelength WDM communication systems, from the viewpoint of convenience of system operation and inventory management, tunable LDs capable of outputting multiple WDM signal light wavelengths in a single unit have come to be used as the LD modules constituting the light source element. Etalon filters that allow adequate wavelength detection output to be obtained for multiple WDM signal light wavelengths and have wavelength periodicity are generally used in wavelength lockers of LD modules using tunable LDs.
FIG. 8 is an LD module having a wavelength locker function based on the prior art. LD module 3C, shown in top view in FIG. 8(a) and in side view in FIG. 8(b), comprises an LD element 10, LD carrier 11, forward first lens 12A, rearward lens 12B, beam splitter (BS) 30A, photodiodes (PDs) 20A and 20B, PD carriers 21A and 21B, etalon filter 31C, mount carrier 40, thermoelectric cooler (TEC) 41, optical isolator 50 and forward second lens 19, and is connected to optical fiber 60.
FIG. 9 is a plot of electrical current values, obtained by inputting LD output light into an etalon filter and monitoring the transmitted light with a PD, plotted against the change in LD output wavelength, and shows the transmittance characteristic of the etalon filter. An etalon filter is a filter that makes use of the fact that incoming light undergoes multiple interference by parallel plates or parallel membranes of interval L provided in a medium.
As shown in FIG. 9, the filter characteristics of an etalon filter are periodic, and its period of change (FSR: free spectral range) is expressed using the refractive index n of the medium, the interval L between the parallel plates or parallel membranes, and the constant c as:FSR=c/2*n*L  (1)Namely, due to the periodicity of the transmittance characteristic of an etalon filter, if the input light intensity is the same, the monitor current values based on light with a wavelength shifted by an integer multiple of the FSR will be equal: for instance, in FIG. 9, for λ1, λ2, λ3 and λ4, each with a wavelength shifted by FSR, the difference in input wavelength cannot be distinguished based on the monitor current.
The filter characteristic and peak wavelength of an etalon filter shift depending on the angle of incidence of incident light. FIG. 10 shows the peak wavelength shift of an etalon filter due to changes in angle of incidence. If the angle of incidence of the input light signal entering an etalon filter is increased, the peak wavelength will shift to the shorter wavelength side, and the entire filter characteristics shown in FIG. 9 will shift to the shorter wavelength side as well.
In FIG. 8, the LD element 10 installed on LD carrier 11 outputs light forward (to the right in the figure) and rearward (to the left in the figure). The forward output light of LD element 10 is turned into parallel light by the forward first lens 12A, passes through optical isolator 50, is converged by the forward second lens 19, and is outputted to the optical fiber 60. The optical isolator 50 transmits light outputted by the forward first lens 12A and blocks light reflected by the second lens 19, thereby preventing output intensity fluctuation and output wavelength fluctuation of the LD element 10 due to reflected light.
Meanwhile, rearward output light is collimated by the rearward lens 12B and inputted into BS 30A. Rearward output light split by BS 30A is inputted into PD 20A mounted on PD carrier 21A to monitor the output light intensity. Rearward output light that has passed through BS 30A passes through etalon filter 31A and is inputted into PD 20B mounted on PD carrier 21B.
Thermoelectric cooler (TEC) 41 is an element that monitors the temperature of the LD element, for instance an element that adjusts the temperature of LD element 10 to keep it constant based on the results of monitoring by thermistor resistance or the like.
The monitored value of PD 20B is a value that reflects the output light intensity of LD element 10 and the transmittance characteristic of the etalon filter 31A, but by finding the quotient value by dividing the monitored value of PD 20B by the monitored value of PD 20A, the output fluctuations of LD element 10 are cancelled out, and an output intensity of the etalon filter 31A that corresponds to the output wavelength of LD element 10 can be obtained. That is, the quotient value obtained by dividing the monitored value of PD 20B by the monitored value of PD 20A has the characteristic shown in FIG. 9 in relation to the wavelength change of LD output light, regardless of the output light intensity of LD element 10, so changes in wavelength of the output light of LD element 10 can be detected based on changes in the quotient value.
As shown in FIG. 9, near the peak and near the bottom of the etalon filter transmission characteristic, the output of the etalon filter will not fluctuate much even if the input wavelength fluctuates, so minute changes in wavelength of the LD element cannot be detected based on the aforementioned quotient value. In LD modules having a wavelength lock function, in order to lock the output wavelength of the LD element with good precision, the sloped part of the characteristic is normally used, where the transmittance of the etalon filter varies greatly in response to wavelength fluctuation.
In order to monitor minute output wavelength fluctuations of an LD element, as shown in FIG. 10, the wavelength characteristic of the etalon filter is shifted by adjusting the angle of incidence, so as to make the target output wavelength of the LD element lie on the sloped part of the etalon filter characteristic.
The output light wavelength of the light source LD used in a WDM communication system is set up for each signal light wavelength interval of WDM communication systems, so the value used for FSR of the etalon used in the LD wavelength locker is the signal light wavelength interval when using either the left or right slope of the filter, and twice the signal light wavelength interval when using both the left and right slope of the filter.
As described above, with LD modules having a wavelength lock function, output wavelength changes of the LD element are detected based on monitor current changes due to the transmission characteristic of the etalon filter, controlling the output wavelength of the LD element 10 and fixing it at the target wavelength.
Since the transmission characteristic of the etalon filter used in the wavelength locker of FIG. 8 is periodic, light of a wavelength shifted by the FSR of the etalon filter cannot be distinguished based on the output transmitted by the etalon filter. That is, when wavelength locking is carried out based on a specific quotient value, there are multiple wavelength-lockable wavelengths of light.
Therefore, to achieve output of light of the target wavelength when the LD is started up, at the initial startup, it is necessary to first start up the wavelength locker in the vicinity of the lock wavelength (rough adjustment), and then perform wavelength locking based on the output of the wavelength locker unit, i.e. the monitored values of PD 20A and PD 20B (fine adjustment). Generally, the rough adjustment range of a wavelength locker using one etalon filter as shown FIG. 8 is at or below the FSR of the etalon filter.
Wavelength lockers are known that use multiple etalon filters in order to widen the rough adjustment range of the wavelength locker (e.g., Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication 2003-185502). FIG. 11 is a drawing that shows a conventional wavelength locker using multiple etalon filters, which has a configuration whereby light for monitoring the intensity of the output light of LD element 10 is split off by BS 30A, after that light for monitoring the light transmitted by etalon filter 31B used for rough adjustment is further split off by BS 30B, and the light transmitted by etalon filter 31A used for fine adjustment is monitored.
With the wavelength locker shown in FIG. 11, for instance by making the FSR of the etalon filter used for rough adjustment several times the signal light wavelength interval, fine adjustment of the output light wavelength of the LD element 10 can be performed over a broad range without going through a rough adjustment process at the time of initial startup.
With wavelength lockers using one etalon filter, in order to lock the output wavelength of the LD with good precision, it is necessary to use the sloped part of the characteristic where the transmittance of the etalon filter varies greatly in response to wavelength variation. While the filter characteristic of an etalon filter can be shifted by adjusting the etalon filter's slope angle, passive alignment performed while monitoring the passthrough output during assembly is essential for this, and the number of assembly processes increases.
Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11, while it is possible to perform fine adjustment of the output wavelength of the LD over a broad range, without going through a rough adjustment process at initial startup, by using multiple etalon filters, for rough adjustment and for fine adjustment, this requires an additional etalon filter, BS and PD, and area is needed for installing the elements, so the overall volume of the LD module equipped with the wavelength locker increases. Furthermore, if an additional BS is used, the light splitting parts increase, so the number of assembly processes increases.

Optical module with built-in wavelength locker


A mineral beneficiating reagent containing an alkyl hydroxamic acid or salt thereof and a nonionic surfactant. The alkyl hydroxamic acid or a salt thereof is represented by the formula:R—C(═O)N(R″)—OM,wherein R is linear or branched C2-C18 alkyl, linear or branched C2-C18 alkenyl, C6-C20 aryl or substituted aryl, C7-C26 aralkyl or substituted aralkyl; R″ is H, C1-C12 alkyl or aralkyl; M is hydrogen, an alkali metal, or an ammonium cation represented by N+(A,B,C,D) wherein each of A,B,C,D, respectively, are H or C1-C6 alkyl or benzyl radicals. The nonionic surfactant can be any known nonionic surfactant, including but not limited ethoxylated alcohols, esters, ethoxylated acids, ethoxylated (alkyl) phenols, alcanolamides, polyethylene oxide copolymers and mixtures thereof.

Kaolin crude originates from sedimentary deposits found in such locations as the state of Georgia in the United States and Brazil. Kaolin, containing largely the mineral kaolinite, is very widely used in paper coating and filling. In the United States, kaolin pigment production was nearly 7.5 million tons in 2003 generating an estimated revenue close to $1.6 billion. Upgrading the kaolin purity so that it can be used for producing premium brightness products is of particular importance. The paper market trend is moving towards producing thinner paper grades with the same properties of a thicker paper in terms of opacity and print fidelity resulting in two grades of kaolin which are growing at a fast rate. The two grades are (1) narrow particle engineered grade kaolin and (2) glossing grade kaolin both of which require premium brightness (90-91 GE Brightness). In order to achieve this high level of brightness it is necessary to remove colored impurity minerals such as titanium and iron based impurities from the kaolin.
There are several beneficiation techniques that are employed in the industry to remove the impurities, such as size classification methods, magnetic separation, flotation and selective flocculation. These beneficiation techniques, regarded as wet processes, remove colored titanium and iron based impurities. As a first step, kaolin crude is initially dispersed in water, degritted (process in which coarse particles and impurities greater than 37-44 micron are removed) and then the resulting slurry is subjected to beneficiation.
Titanium and iron impurities such as rutile, anatase, hematite and pyrite can sometimes possess weak magnetic susceptibility. In such cases High Intensity Magnetic Separation (HIMS) process can be used to remove the magnetic impurity particles. However, the method is not efficient enough to capture submicron sized magnetic particles and therefore limits the capability of magnetic separation in producing high brightness kaolin.
Froth flotation is another process for removing colored titaniferrous impurities. Here the discoloring impurities are selectively hydrophobized by the addition of a collector. Examples of such collectors include fatty acids such as tall oil fatty acid, alkyl sulfonates, alkyl hydroxamate (AHX) and mixtures thereof. After the addition of the collector, the slurry is conditioned or mixed prior to flotation. After conditioning the hydrophobized particles are levitated to the surface—the air/water interface—by means of air bubbles that are injected at the bottom of the flotation cell. U.S. patents that describe removing colored impurities by flotation include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,979,282; 3,450,257; 4,472,271; 4,492,628; 4,629,556; 5,522,986; 5,685,899; and 5,810,998. A variation of froth flotation using carrier particles such as calcium carbonate is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,990,958.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,871,466 describes a method of producing alkyl hydroxamic acid collectors and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,629,556 and 6,378,703 each describe a froth flotation method for beneficiating kaolin using alkyl hydroxamic acids.
Selective flocculation is another well known beneficiation process. Normally, the flocculant is initially adsorbed onto and bridges between mineral particles of similar composition thus binding the particles together. The bonded particle aggregates then form larger aggregates or flocs which settle out of the suspending medium by gravity. Flocculants can be natural products such as starch, guar gum and alginates or synthetic polymers such as polyacrylamides, polyacrylates and polyethylene oxides. Selective flocculation is an effective process for recovering fine to ultrafine minerals that respond poorly to conventional beneficiation processes such as flotation and magnetic separation. The successful use of selective flocculation on mixtures of fine mineral particles such as kaolin clays, iron-bearing minerals, phosphates, potash, copper ores and coal is known in the industry.
Selective flocculation involving the activation of the impurity with polyvalent cations, as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,371,988; 3,701,417; 3,837,482 and 3,862,027), conditioning with ammonium salt, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,604,369) or with fatty acid and polyvalent cations (U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,890) and then selectively flocculating the impurities with charged anionic water soluble polymers, usually polyacrylamides.
Specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,890 describes a selective flocculation process for purifying the kaolin clay containing a colored impurity which involves selective flocculation of the colored impurity as a dense dun colored thick mass separated as a lower layer and a white layer of purified kaolin that is low in colored impurities. The reagents used include typical dispersants such as sodium silicate, sodium polyacrylate, sodium hexameta phosphate, divalent metal ions, fatty acid and high molecular weight anionic polymer. The process suffers from low recoveries or yields.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,390,301 and 6,041,939 each describe a similar process for beneficiating kaolin by a selective flocculation process employing an alkyl hydroxamic acid and flocculating agent.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,200,377 describes an improved process for the beneficiation of kaolin crude that contains minerals that chelate with hydroxamates. The use of a silicon containing compound in combination with hydroxamate results in a more effective separation of minerals that chelate with hydroxamate. Also described is the addition of a silicon-containing compound to increase the interaction of the hydroxamates with the chelatable minerals, which results in a more effective beneficiation.
Selective flocculation has also been used to beneficiate other mixtures of mineral particles. Iron-bearing ores, specifically taconite, are commercially processed using selective flocculation. The iron ore is ground and then dispersed with caustic and sodium silicate. The dispersed ground ore is then selectively flocculated with a corn starch flocculant to separate hematite, an iron oxide mineral.
Phosphate minerals are beneficiated using selective flocculation to separate them from the associated clays, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,660,303. Potash is also beneficiated by selective flocculation using a anionic polyacrylamide flocculant and/or ethoxylated alkylamic alkylguanidine complex. Another selective flocculation process to beneficiate alkaline carbonate minerals, phosphate minerals, zeolites and bauxites is described by U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,890. In this process, fatty acids and polyvalent cations are used to recondition the mineral suspension. Another beneficiation process involves leaching the kaolin clay with iron-reducing reagents such as zinc or sodium hydrosulfite. This leaching method is however, limited to removing iron contaminants only. Other known leaching reagents and/or processes are not currently economical for removing titanium impurities.
Due to the limitations of these various beneficiation processes to separate certain minerals from mixtures of minerals, such as the discoloring impurities in kaolin clays, there is a need in the industry for a process that is more effective and efficient.

Process and reagent for separating finely divided titaniferrous impurities from Kaolin


A power detection circuit according to the present invention includes a variable frequency oscillator 2 for oscillating a local oscillator frequency, a mixer 1 for receiving the local oscillator frequency and a detection signal and converting a frequency of the detection signal using the local oscillator frequency, a complex bandpass filter 3 for limiting a bandwidth of the detection signal whose frequency is converted to a predetermined bandwidth, and an energy detection circuit 4 for detecting power of the predetermined bandwidth based on an output from the complex bandpass filter 3. The local oscillator frequency is set so that the predetermined bandwidth of the detection signal whose frequency is converted is in a frequency range having low 1/f noise. According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a power detection circuit with high speed and high sensitivity.

Regarding a technique of searching radio idler frequencies (white spaces), NPTL 1 discloses a technique related to a power detection circuit. FIG. 22 is a block diagram for describing a power detection circuit according to a related art. As shown in FIG. 22, the power detection circuit according to the related art includes a mixer 101, a variable frequency oscillator 102, a low pass filter 103, and an energy detection circuit 104.
The variable frequency oscillator 102 outputs a carrier wave 106 having a frequency equal to a reception frequency. The mixer 101 multiples the carrier wave 106 having a frequency equal to a reception frequency output from the variable frequency oscillator 102 by a reception signal 105, and outputs an in-phase component to the low pass filter 103. The low pass filter 103 removes out-of-band signals from the signal output from the mixer 101. The energy detection circuit 104 detects power in the bandwidth of the low pass filter 103.
Next, with reference to FIG. 23, an operation of the power detection circuit shown in FIG. 22 will be described. First, the frequency of the variable frequency oscillator 102 is set to an LO (local oscillator) frequency (local oscillator frequency: fLO) which is equal to an RF (radio) frequency (fRF) signal which is desired to be detected. This system is generally called a zero IF system or a direct conversion system. Then, as shown in FIG. 23, the mixer 101 converts the frequency of the RF frequency signal to a frequency around zero frequency (hereinafter referred to as a frequency around DC). Then, the low pass filter 103 removes the out-of-band signals, and the energy detection circuit 104 detects power in the filter bandwidth. Ideally, this detection power is equal to the power around the filter bandwidth of the RF frequency (fRF). Further, by sweeping the LO frequency (fLO) by changing the frequency of the variable frequency oscillator 102, it is possible to detect power of the RF frequency (fRF) for a wide bandwidth.

Power detection circuit and power detection method


L-DOPA amide derivatives, pharmaceutical compositions containing same and their use in the treatment of conditions associated with impaired dopaminergic activity/signaling (e.g., Parkinson disease) are disclosed.

The present invention relates to novel compounds for the treatment of Parkinson disease and other conditions associated with impaired dopaminergic signaling in the brain, and, more particularly, to L-DOPA derivatives, which can serve as efficient L-DOPA prodrugs for treating such conditions.
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurological syndrome characterized by the selective loss of dopaminergic neurons in the nigrostriatal tract, a selective site in the brain. Specifically, dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra degenerate, resulting in the loss of dopamine (3,4-dihydroxyphenethylamine) input to the striatum. In addition to the loss of dopaminergic neurons, other regions in the brain are affected, impairing vital activities. Altogether, the reduction of dopamine in the striatum and the impaired activity in other brain regions cause sever clinical symptoms such as increased muscle rigidity, resting tremor, bradykinesia, abnormalities of posture and gait, slowness of voluntary movement and slurred speech. The level of decrease in dopamine synthesis correlates with the severity of the symptoms. Without treatment, PD patients eventually progress to a tragically debilitating rigid state.
Current treatment regimes for PD consist primarily of pharmacological supplementation of the dopaminergic loss, preferably with dopamine agonists and levodopa (also known as 3-hydroxy-L-tyrosine, 3,4-dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine and L-DOPA). L-DOPA is the metabolic precursor of dopamine, which, unlike dopamine, can readily cross the blood-brain barrier. Administration of L-DOPA therefore results in increased levels thereof in the brain, where it is converted to dopamine by the enzyme Aromatic L-Amino Acid Decarboxylase (AADC). L-DOPA thus plays a major role in replenishing the loss of dopamine and is typically administered in combination with a DOPA decarboxylase inhibitor that inhibits decarboxylation of L-DOPA in the periphery (for a general review of PD treatments currently in use see Adams et al., Principles of Neurology 4th Ed. McGraw Hill, New York 1989).
However, conventional treatments for Parkinson's disease with L-DOPA have proven to be inadequate for many reasons of record in the medical literature. The systemic administration of levodopa, although producing clinically beneficial effects at first, is complicated by the need to reduce dosages that were well tolerated at the outset in order to avoid adverse side effects. Some patients also become less responsive to levodopa, so that previously effective doses eventually fail to produce any therapeutic benefit. For such reasons, the benefits of levodopa treatment often begin to diminish after about 3 or 4 years of therapy irrespective of the initial therapeutic response.
In addition, the augmentation of systemic levels of levodopa, necessary to establish therapeutically effective levels at the site of interest, i.e., the brain, have been reported to cause several gastrointestinal adverse effects (including anorexia, nausea and vomiting due to the stimulation of an emetic center located in the brain stem outside the blood-brain barrier), cardiovascular effects (mostly due to the increased catecholamine formation peripherally), dyskinesia, and drastic behavioral effects (depression, anxiety, agitation, insomnia, somnolence, confusion, delusions, hallucinations, psychotic episodes and other changes in mood or personality).
The peripheral administration of levodopa is further complicated by the fact that only about 1-3% of administered levodopa actually enters the brain unaltered, the remainder being metabolized extracerebrally, predominantly by decarboxylation to dopamine, which does not penetrate the blood-brain barrier. This means that levodopa must be given in large amounts when it is used alone. The co-administration of a peripheral dopadecarboxylase has been found to reduce the dosage requirements and some of the side effects, although only marginally.
Finally, certain fluctuations in clinical response to levodopa occur with increasing frequency as treatment continues. In some patients, these fluctuations relate to the timing of levodopa intake, and they are then referred to as wearing-off reactions or end-of-dose akinesia. In other instances, fluctuations in clinical state are unrelated to the timing of doses (on-off phenomenon). In the on-off phenomenon, off-periods of marked akinesia alternate over the course of a few hours with on-periods of improved mobility but often marked dyskinesia. (Aminoff, "Parkinson's Disease and other Extrapyramidal Disorders", in Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 14th Ed. McGraw-Hill, (1998), pp. 2356-2359), and Katzung Basic & Clinical Pharmacology, 6th Ed., Appleton & Lange, Norwalk, Conn.).
It is well accepted in the art that many of the problems recited above result form the unfavorable pharmacokinetic properties of L-DOPA, and, more particularly, from its poor water solubility, bioavailability and fast degradation in vivo.
It was therefore suggested that the use of an L-DOPA derivative, which can release L-DOPA in vivo and is characterized by improved pharmacokinetic properties, might overcome the above limitations. Thus, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,354,885 and 5,607,969 disclose a preparation and use of L-DOPA ethyl ester for the treatment of PD. Such an L-DOPA derivative is highly water-soluble and was thought to have pharmacokinetic properties that are highly favorable as compared with those of L-DOPA. However, it was found that this L-DOPA derivative undergoes a fast hydrolysis to L-DOPA before it reaches the brain, which downgrades its consistency and efficiency as a PD treatment.
As is well recognized in the art, and is further detailed hereinbelow, amides are typically stable compounds that undergo slower hydrolysis than their corresponding esters. Several L-DOPA amide derivatives are disclosed in Wiczk et al. (Chemical Physics Letters 341 (2001) 99-106). However, while Wiczk et al. have prepared these amide derivatives in order to evaluate the fluorescence quenching of tyrosine derivatives by amide group, and thus the use of fluorescent aromatic amino acids as internal probes in conformational analysis, the use of such derivatives in the treatment of Parkinson disease and related conditions have not been explored.
There is thus a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, L-DOPA derivatives for the treatment of Parkinson disease and related conditions, devoid of the above limitations.

L-DOPA amide derivatives and uses thereof

Yissum Research Development Company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem


The present disclosure is directed to an inexpensive yet intelligent solution for dimming light devices to low level intensities in which the common lighting systems generally have difficulties maintaining stability and flicker-free operation. The systems and method described herein enable a lighting system to utilize a dimmer to dim one or more lighting devices to low level intensities without introducing flickering or inconsistent operation of the lights. More specifically, the systems and methods described herein enable a dimmer to dim lights to anywhere between 0% and 5% of maximum brightness, while ensuring that the lights operate at these levels consistently, smoothly and without any visible flickering.

Lighting systems may include light emitting devices organized in various configurations depending on the illumination applications. Some lighting systems provide only limited control of the brightness of the lighting devices. Some traditional lighting systems may not be able to dim lights to low levels of brightness as the lights begin to flicker or operate inconsistently. Such systems generally do not have a capability to provide a more sophisticated lighting control at lower dimming levels.

Systems and method for low level dimming


An apparatus for biasing a shoe or boot on a ski, the shoe comprising an external sole maintained on the ski at its front end by a latching apparatus in a manner so as to allow for the lifting of the shoe from the ski. The return apparatus is constituted by at least one beam connected to the ski and adapted to be biased in flexion and/or torsion at its front free end by the shoe in a biased zone.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to an apparatus for biasing a shoe on a ski after lifting of the shoe from the upper surface of the ski.
2. Background of the Invention
Known biasing apparatus are generally constituted by a spring which is supported, on the one hand, on a portion of a latching apparatus of the sole of the shoe on the ski, and on the other hand, on the front end on the sole of the shoe.
There are likewise such known biasing apparatus whose spring is constituted by a bumper made out of elastic material maintained in the latching apparatus.
These traditional biasing apparatus have the disadvantage of causing a relatively small return force, the dimensions of the spring or of the bumper being limited by the dimensions of the latching apparatus. If one wishes to exert a more substantial return force, the volume of the spring or of the bumper must be increased, which necessarily increases the size of the latching apparatus, and detracts from the aesthetics of the ski/shoe/latching apparatus assembly.
The spring of traditional apparatus is situated in front of the foot, which creates a field of pressure of the ski on the snow which is substantially centered in front of the axis of rotation of the foot during lifting of the shoe from the upper surface of the ski.
The contact of the ski with the snow is thus not optimum in the case of cross country ski for which the pressure field must approximately be centered under the foot to provide maximum contact between the coating chamber and the snow.
Furthermore, the spring return apparatus or elastic bumper do not make it possible to vary the return force of the shoe on the ski other than by replacing the spring or bumper, this replacement requiring disassembly of the return apparatus.


An OSD cursor display method and an OSD image display apparatus are provided, wherein an information that has an own cursor display data is transmitted from a display apparatus to an OSD source, and when said OSD source wants to transmit an OSD cursor to said display apparatus, it is checked whether said display apparatus has an own cursor display data, said OSD source transmits only cursor display location information if said display apparatus has the own cursor display data, and the own cursor display data is displayed at a received cursor display location. Therefore, since the OSD source only transmits cursor display location information to the display apparatus, the processing speed becomes faster, and therefore the location moving time in moving a cursor on a screen becomes faster and the movement of the cursor becomes smooth.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an On Screen Display (OSD) cursor display method and an OSD image display apparatus, particularly to a method and an apparatus that can display an OSD cursor transmitted from an OSD source to a display apparatus more smoothly. The present application is based on KPA 2000-21558, which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
A digital television (DTV) is provided, which displays on a screen not only a digital television image signal received through its own tuner but also image information from various sources. That is, a DTV, for example, is provided with a satellite television signal provided from a satellite through a satellite broadcast receiver such as a set top box STB or a cable converter, an image signal reproduced from a digital video disc (DVD) player, and an image signal reproduced from a digital video cassette recorder (DVCR) through an IEEE 1394 bus. The DTV 1394 interface standard is specified in the EIA-775 standard series. Here, a source providing an image signal is defined as a producer, and an apparatus receiving and displaying an image signal like DTV is defined as a consumer. In the DTV 1394 standard, an image signal is provided to a consumer in an MPEG transport stream, and OSD data is provided to a consumer in a bitmap format. Also, a producer and a consumer exchange a control signal and a state signal.
In general, a producer and a consumer each adopt a separate remote controller for a user interface. Therefore, the user interface of a consumer is made to interactively control the consumer while displaying in an OSD screen through a remote controller. But, although a producer is made to interactively control the producer while displaying in an OSD screen through a remote controller, the OSD screen is actually displayed through a DTV. Therefore, if the amount of OSD data transmitted between the producer and the consumer is large, by receiving OSD data of the producer in the consumer, an adaptive display of a displayed screen becomes difficult, according to the excessive amount of processed data for displaying. That is, the change and movement of an image can be unnatural enough for a viewer to visually observe. This phenomenon acts to reduce the value of a product.
Particularly, a smooth operation of an OSD screen becomes more important in evaluating the value of a product, as the user interface of the product becomes more convenient and the function becomes more diverse.

OSD (on screen display) cursor display method and cursor image display apparatus


A process for post curing a composite product made from a filament winding process comprises the steps of: surrounding the composite product, that is disposed about a rotatable mandrel, with an outer jacket; and simultaneously rotating and heating the mandrel resulting in post curing of the composite product according to a process that can be referred to as being a combo-semi-centrifugal post curing process.

Filament winding is a manufacturing technique primarily used to produce composite parts with open cylinders, such as pipes, or closed end structure such as pressure vessels or tanks. In this manufacturing process, the continuous reinforcements (fibers) are dipped into a matrix material (such as epoxy resin) and are wound onto a mandrel until the surface is covered, and the required thickness is achieved. This process is fully automated where the preprogrammed mandrel rotates, and horizontal movement of reinforcement occurs in tension to produce a helical pattern.
There are two main types of winding machines: helical winding machines and polar winding machines. The helical winding is similar to a lathe machine in which the mandrel rotates continuously at a constant speed, and the delivery eye moves back and forth. The delivery eye can be adjusted to produce the desired winding angle. The reinforcement is delivered from a creel and passed through a bath of resin to pick up the resin before it is placed into the mandrel. This technique allows the production of lamina with a balanced two-ply laminate at a ±θ angle. A helical winder can be found with six axes machine that allows controlling its spindle rotation, horizontal carriage feed, radial carriage position, delivery eye angle and yaw, and vertical carriage feed. Once the winding process is completed, the curing of the composite part takes place whether in-situ by pumping steam into a mandrel or placing the composite part into a gas fire oven.
A polar winder is used to produce spherical vessels or cylindrical vessels with a length/diameter ratio less than 2. This technique is less complex than helical winder and less costly as it consists of an arm that performs rotational movement around the mandrel delivering the reinforcement into a planar path. The desired orientation angle of plays is achieved easily with the rotational movement of the arm; once the winding process is completed, the composite part is placed into gas-fired or electrical oven for curing.
As is well known in the technical field, the presence of manufacturing defects can negatively affect the structural integrity of the composite product over its lifetime. Voids, fiber crossover and undulation can all occur during the manufacturing process and result in composite products with lower strength which are more susceptible to failure when subjected to hoop stress, buckling and bending loads. It is therefore an obvious goal to reduce the presence of any manufacturing defects.
Another well-known technique that is used to produce composite parts is centrifugal casting. Centrifugal casting is widely used in the industry on producing metal matrix composites specifically in the production process of metal pipes. Recently, semi-centrifugal casting has been deployed in producing of polymer matrix composites parts such as pipe and tank. In centrifugal casting, the chopped fibers and resin are sprayed inside a rotated drum. The centrifugal force generated inside the drum causing the distribution of the reinforcement as well as shaping the cylindrical part shape.
Once the filament winding process is completed, a post curing process is used to fully cure the manufactured composite part. Traditionally, several pipe sections are placed in an oven and heated to the required temperature for the required duration (varies depending on the type of polymer) until the pipe section is completely cured. After curing, the product is cooled and is ready.
For example, RTR pipes produced using the traditional filament winding process contain a large number of voids in their matrix. These voids lead to poorer long term mechanical properties (e.g. poorer fatigue, creep, etc. resistance), act as initiation sites for cracks and attenuate acoustic signals—making inspection by traditional methods such as UT, unfeasible.
One (but not exclusive) cause for void formation is the release of air/gases from the epoxy resin during curing. The air is trapped in the resin during the winding process and is not released prior to curing. This trapped air can be released by the application of centrifugal force during the post winding curing process. Also, the formation of residual stress due to fiber crossover and undulation during fiber placement in the filament winding process.
Another problem that is present during the filament winding process is the uneven curing of the resin.

Post curing process for composite parts produced by filament winding manufacturing process


A method of manufacturing a filter medium that has a PF value that exceeds 32, the PF value calculated from the pressure loss and the collection efficiency of the filter medium according to the following formula:PF=[−log(permeability (%)/100)/(pressure loss (Pa)]×1000[Formula 1]in which permeability (%)=100−collection efficiency (%). In this method, 380 ml or more of a liquid lubricant at 20° C. is added per 1 kg of a PTFE fine powder, this compound is processed into a tape shape and elongated to obtain a PTFE porous film, and an air permeable support member is heat laminated to at least one surface of the PTFE porous film.

In recent years, the need for higher levels of cleanliness in clean rooms has increased in proportion to the degree in which semiconductors have been integrated and the capabilities of liquid crystals have improved, and thus air filter units having a higher particle collection efficiency are in demand.
Up until now, high performance air filters which are used in these types of air filter units, particularly HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters, ULPA (Ultra Low Penetration Air) filters, and the like, are made by pleating a filter medium made of glass fibers in a wet paper forming process.
However, although the cost of the power needed to supply air from an air conditioner must be reduced, and it is desirable that the pressure loss of an air filter unit be reduced and the collection efficiency of the air filter unit be increased in order to achieve an even cleaner space, it is extremely difficult for an air filter unit formed from glass fibers to achieve higher levels of performance (higher collection efficiency if the pressure loss is the same, lower pressure loss if the collection efficiency is the same).
Accordingly, in order to produce an air filter unit having higher levels of performance, an air filter unit has been previously proposed which employs a porous film formed from polytetrafluoroethylene (hereinafter, PTFE) that has capabilities that are higher than a glass fiber medium. It has been reported that by employing a PTFE porous film, the pressure loss will be ⅔ that of an ULPA filter which employs a glass fiber medium having the same collection efficiency (Japanese unexamined patent application publication No. H05-202217, and PCT Publication Nos. WO94/16802 and WO98/26860).
In addition, although the capabilities of an air filter unit that employs a PTFE porous film can be further improved by the method used to produce or process the same, a PTFE porous film having improved capabilities has been previously proposed for use in this type of air filter unit. A simple high performance PTFE porous film (a filter medium that does not have an air permeable support member laminated thereto) is proposed in Japanese unexamined patent application publication H09-504737 (national phase of PCT application), Japanese unexamined patent application publication H10-30031, Japanese unexamined patent application publication H10-287759, and PCT Publication No. WO98/26860. These publications disclose a PTFE porous film having a high PF (Performance Factor) value (which indicates the capabilities of the filter medium). In addition, Japanese unexamined patent application publication H10-287759 discloses a PTFE porous film in which the highest PF value thereof was 32.
Up until now, it has been thought that the PF value of a PTFE porous film could be increased by reducing the diameter of the fibers in the PTFE porous film. However, according to the most recent research, even if the diameter of the fibers is reduced, there are limits to how much the PF value will be improved (O. Tanaka et al., Proceedings of the 15th ICCCS International Symposium, pp. 454-463). This is because when the diameter of the fibers of the PTFE porous film is reduced, the single fiber collection efficiency η of the film will indeed increase and exceed 1, but the actual single fiber collection efficiency η of the film will be lower than the calculated value of η due to interference from nearby fibers.
The cause of this will be explained with reference to this document (Proceedings of the 15th ICCCS International Symposium).
FIG. 15 shows the relationship between a fiber 61 in a conventional medium and particles 63 that are collected by the fiber 61, and FIG. 16 shows the relationship between fibers 71 that form a PTFE porous film and particles 73 that are collected by the fibers 71. In the figures, the diameter of the fibers 61, 71 that form the medium is df, and the width between particles positioned away from a fiber by a predetermined distance and collected thereby is de. In this situation, the single fiber collection efficiency η of the medium is expressed by:η=de/df  [Formula 1]
As shown in FIG. 15, in the conventional medium the fiber diameter df is comparatively large and the simple fiber collection efficiency η is less than 1, however the simple fiber collection efficiency η of the PTFE porous film will be greater than 1 because the fiber diameter df is much smaller.
Because of this, as shown in FIG. 16, the area S in which one fiber is capable of collecting particles partially overlaps with the area S′ in which another nearby fiber is capable of collecting particles (i.e., the area P shown in the figure), and thus the collection efficiency per fiber, i.e., the single fiber collection efficiency η will decline.
The result, as noted above, is that the actual single fiber collection efficiency of the PTFE porous film as a whole will have a value that is smaller than the theoretical single fiber collection efficiency (the single fiber collection efficiency that does not take the reduction of the collection efficiency produced by interference from other fibers into consideration).
Thus, it has been difficult to increase the PF value because the actual single fiber collection efficiency of a medium is not expected to increase even if the diameter of the fibers of the medium are reduced, and although a PTFE porous film having a PF value of 32 is known in the prior art, a PTFE porous film having a PF value that exceeds 32 has not been known in the prior art up until now.
In addition, from a practical point of view, an air permeable support member must be laminated to the PTFE porous film in order to use the film as a filter medium. This is necessary, from the point of view of handling, in order to increase the strength of the PTFE porous film and to protect the medium from damage when the medium is processed into desired shapes. However, when an air permeable support member is laminated to the PTFE porous film, the PTFE porous film will be compressed in the thickness direction thereof, the distance between the fibers of the PTFE porous film will be reduced thereby, and as a result the actual η value will be further reduced, and the PF value of the PTFE porous film to which an air permeable member is laminated will be lower than the PF value of a PTFE porous film alone.
In fact, Japanese unexamined patent application publication No. H10-30031 discloses that when an air permeable support member is laminated to a PTFE porous film having a PF value of 26.6, the PF value thereof will become 19.8. In the prior art, PCT Publication No. WO98/26860 discloses that a medium formed from a PTFE porous film laminated to an air permeable support member has a PF value of 21.8, and the Proceedings of the 15th ICCCS International Symposium discloses that this combination has a PF value of 28. However, a medium that exceeds these PF values is not yet known in the prior art.
A first object of the present invention is to provide a high performance filter medium formed by laminating an air permeable support member to at least one side of a PTFE porous film, and in which a decline in the single fiber collection efficiency η of the filter medium after heat lamination is controlled, the pressure loss of the filter medium is low, and the collection efficiency of the filter medium is high. More specifically, for example, it is an object to provide a high performance filter medium formed by laminating an air permeable support member to at least one side of a PTFE porous film, and in which a decline in the single fiber collection efficiency q of the filter medium after heat lamination is controlled, the pressure loss of the filter medium is low, and the collection efficiency of the filter medium is high, such that the actual single fiber collection efficiency η of the filter medium is 80% of the calculated single fiber collection efficiency η thereof.
A second object of the present invention is to provide a filter pack formed from a pleated filter medium formed by laminating an air permeable support member to a PTFE porous film, the filter pack having low pressure loss and high collection efficiency.
A third object of the present invention is to provide an air filter unit in which a filter pack formed from a pleated filter medium formed by laminating an air permeable support member to a PTFE porous film is accommodated inside a frame, the air filter unit having low pressure loss and high collection efficiency.
A fourth object of the present invention is to provide an efficient method of manufacturing the aforementioned filters.


Embodiments provide methods, and systems for facilitating microservices for cryptographic operations. A method includes receiving, by a server system, a cryptographic service request from at least one application of a plurality of applications over a network communication channel. The cryptographic service request comprises a cryptographic operation to be performed and a cryptographic keys index being an identifier of the at least one application. The method includes generating, by the server system, a cryptographic operation command for the cryptographic operation. The method includes sending, by the server system, the cryptographic operation command to a Hardware Security Module (HSM) communicatively connected to the server system to perform the cryptographic operation. The method includes receiving, by the server system, a response from the HSM for the performed cryptographic operation. The method includes sending, by the server system, the response for the performed cryptographic operation to the at least one application.

In cryptography, Hardware security modules (HSMs) are physical computing devices that safeguard and manage cryptographic keys for strong authentication and provide crypto processing capabilities. Each HSM traditionally comes in the form of a plug-in card or an external device that attaches directly to an application server of an application to offload key management and crypto operations from the application server. Accordingly, each application that wishes to protect data using cryptography needs a separate HSM for performing cryptographic data operations. For example, when a user performs a cash withdrawal transaction from an ATM by entering a PIN of the payment card issued by the issuer bank, the PIN verification is performed by issuer server using the HSM assigned for the PIN verification. Additionally, there may be many other cryptographic operations to be performed during such transactions such as an Authorization Request Cryptogram (ARQC) validation, verification of credit/debit card transactions by checking card security codes, supporting a protocol of ATM network management, re-encrypting the PIN to send it to another authorization host, and the like. All such operations are performed by the respective HSMs.
Communication between the application and the HSM is very specific and it requires an interface logic that is quite complex because of the complexity of the different cryptographic operations to be performed by that interface. Furthermore, every application requires changes to support the compliances updated by the Payment Card Industry (PCI) on a periodic basis. When used in financial payments applications, the security of an HSM is often validated against the HSM requirements defined by the PCI Security Standards Council. For Management of cryptographic systems and processes, it requires in-depth knowledge of processes, procedures and audit requirements related to cryptography. There may be required a team with such expertise to do the changes that are applicable to both the application and the HSM, which is an expensive and time-consuming solution.
Also, if there comes a requirement to replace the HSM model, the corresponding changes needs to be applied in the application. This involves tremendous amount of development efforts. Also, with the frequent changes in application due to new market requirements, application may have to introduce new cryptographic functionalities. Cryptographic keys play important role for securing communications and applications. Maintenance of the cryptographic keys at the application end is another tedious task.
Accordingly, techniques are desired for performing all kinds of cryptographic operations including cryptographic keys management without having a need of a separate HSM per application.

Methods and systems for facilitating microservices for cryptographic operations


A center heated die plate for an underwater pelletizer radiates heat outwardly to the extrusion orifices and die faces of the die plate thereby maintaining the die plate and extrusion orifices at an elevated temperature to obtain optimum flow of molten polymer through the extrusion orifices. In one embodiment, a centrally located heating plate is mounted in a recess on the upstream face of the die plate inwardly of the nose cone. In a second embodiment, a cylindrical heating coil is placed in a hollow central core of the die plate between the nose cone on the upstream side and an insulation plug or plate on the downstream side. Heating leads extend through a single radial hole in the die plate to provide power to the center heating element.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to heated die plates for underwater pelletizers and, more specifically, to center heated die plates for underwater pelletizers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Underwater pelletizers are well known and include a die plate having a plurality of extrusion orifices extending from an upstream side of the die plate to a downstream side for extruding strands of molten polymer or other extrudable materials. The extrusion orifices are arranged in one or more circular patterns concentrically of and in radially spaced relation to the center of the die plate and in spaced relation to each other. The extruded strands of polymer or other material are cut into pellets by rotating cutter blades in a water box. The blades cut the strands into pellets which have been cooled and solidified by the water in the water box. A slurry of pellets and water is discharged from the water box for subsequent removal of moisture from the exterior surface of the pellets.
It is desirable to maintain the die plate and orifices at an elevated temperature for optimum extrusion of the molten polymer through the extrusion orifices. Various efforts have been made to heat the die plate including the use of passageways in the die plate through which a heating fluid is circulated. Also, radial cavities have been formed in the periphery of die plates into which electric cartridge heaters are inserted from the external periphery of the die plate. Such known structures are typically illustrated in the following U.S. patents owned by the assignee of this application and include disclosures of heated die plates: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,123,207; 4,621,996; 4,728,276; 5,403,176; and 5,624,688.
As illustrated in the above patents, heated die plates with concentric circular patterns of extrusion orifices are generally well known as well as passageways for heated fluid and cavities or pockets for receiving cartridge heaters. Such die plates require that portions of the die plates through which extrusion orifices would normally extend be occupied by the passageways for heating fluid or cavities for cartridge heaters. The passageways or cavities thus reduce the number of extrusion orifices that can be incorporated into the die plate since the passageways carrying the heating fluid or the cavities or pockets receiving the cartridge heaters require that the extrusion orifices be omitted from a portion of the area of the die plate. Also, the heated fluid passageways and heat cartridge cavities tend to concentrate heat radiation in areas closely adjacent to the passageways or cavities.

Center heated die plate for underwater pelletizer


A transmission apparatus of the U-turn type in which the extending direction of a flexible flat cable is reversed in the middle of the cable. The apparatus comprises a planet roll located between a center barrel and an outer case. The planet roll is fitted with a planet gear which is in mesh with a sun gear fixed to the center barrel, and an internal gear fixed to the outer case. When the center barrel rotates, the planet roll revolves in the same direction as the rotating direction of the barrel, thereby guiding the U-turn portion of the cable. At the same time, the planet roll rotates around its axis in the direction opposite to the rotating direction of the center barrel, whereby a guide tape is wound on the barrel and wound off the planet roll. The guide tape serves to guide and prevent the cable from slackening, so that the potential rotational frequency of the center barrel can be made high for the cable length.

The present invention relates to a transmission apparatus for transmitting electrical signals, optical signals, electric power, etc. between two relatively rotating members by means of a transmission cable which is fixed at both ends individually to the two members and coiled like a spiral spring, and more particularly, to a transmission apparatus of high operating reliability in which possible number of relative rotation of two members can be increased by use of a transmission cable with less turns.
Conventionally, a transmission apparatus which comprises a flexible flat cable (hereinafter referred to as FFC), coiled like a spiral spring, and inner and outer cases containing the same is used for signal transfer between two relatively rotating members, e.g., a steering-shaft-side member of an automobile, as a rotating body, and a steering-column-side member, as a stationary body (Published Unexamined Japanese Utility Model Application No. 62-168581). In this transmission apparatus, two opposite ends of the FFC are fixed individually to the inner and outer cases so that the FFC can be tightened or loosened as the two cases rotate relatively to each other. Thus, signal transmission can be made between the rotating and stationary bodies within a range of rotational angle such that the rotating body, attached to the inner case, for example, can rotate relatively to the stationary body, fitted with the outer case, while tightening or loosening the FFC.
The transmission apparatus of this type is limited to an application such that the rotating body rotates in a reciprocative manner with respect to the stationary body, that is, rotates alternately in either clockwise or counterclockwise directions. Since it includes no sliding-contact portions, this apparatus can constitute a high-reliability transmission line. Meanwhile, the potential frequency or possible number of relative rotation of the inner and outer cases depends on the number of turns of the FFC. In order to increase the possible number of rotations, therefore, the number of turns of the FFC, that is, the FFC length, should be increased. If the number of turns of the FFC is increased, however, the rotatory force of the rotating body cannot be easily transmitted to the whole FFC, so that trouble is liable to be caused such that the whole FFC cannot uniformly move as the rotating body rotates, or the FFC is turned over or bent.
Accordingly, an improved transmission apparatus has conventionally been proposed such that the potential frequency of relative rotation of the inner and outer cases can be increased with less turns of the FFC. In this apparatus, the FFC is formed having a U-turn portion in the middle so that it is wound in one direction on the inner case side and in the opposite direction on the outer case side. In rotating the inner case relatively to the stationary outer case in a direction such that the FFC is wound thereon, according to this proposed apparatus, the U-turn portion of the FFC moves around the inner case, in the same direction as the rotating direction of the inner case. This movement of the U-turn portion cancels half the rotation of the inner case. Also, the rotatory force of the inner case can be satisfactorily transmitted to the whole FFC. Thus, the possible number of rotations can be increased with less turns of the FFC.
If the inner case is rotated in the opposite direction or in a direction such that the FFC is wound off the inner case, however, the FFC slackens, so that the U-turn portion cannot smoothly move in the rotating direction of the inner case. In consequence, the movement of the U-turn portion cannot fulfill its functions to cancel the case rotation and transmit the rotatory force.
Thus, according to the proposed apparatus described above, the movement of the U-turn portion lacks in smoothness, depending on the direction of the case rotation, so that the intended function to increase the rotational frequency of the case with less turns of the FFC cannot be obtained. Also in the proposed apparatus, it is essential for the case to be rotated in a reciprocative manner, that is, the case must inevitably be rotated in a direction such that the U-turn portion cannot smoothly move. Accordingly, the proposed apparatus has not been put into practical use yet.

Transmission apparatus between two relatively rotating members


An information processing apparatus which transfers a print job to a lower apparatus that is included in a print system and located at a lower level in print processing, comprises: a determination unit configured to determine whether to cancel the print job; and a cancel command issuing unit configured, when the determination unit determines to cancel processing for the print job, to issue, to the lower apparatus for the print job, a cancel command to which information about a cancel reason is added.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, control method thereof, and computer-readable medium and, more particularly, to control for sharing the status of a print job in a print system.
2. Description of the Related Art
A digital photo print system is formed from subsystems such as an order management system, print management system, and printer. The order management system receives an Internet order from the home PC (Personal Computer: to be referred to as a PC hereinafter) of an end user, or a print order in a DPE shop. The print order is transferred as a print job to each subsystem. The print management system converts the print job into a format processable by a predetermined printer. The converted print job is printed out by a dedicated printer installed in a place (laboratory) where printing is actually performed. In this system, the respective subsystems are often installed in places spaced apart from each other.
For example, when an error such as a paper jam occurs in a printer, a conventional print system reports the error to a host computer. There is a technique capable of correctly continuing printing after an error generation portion by reporting a print page on which the error has occurred, in addition to an error type such as a paper jam (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 03-224778).
In the digital photo print system, when the order management system transfers a print job containing a job error, the subsequent print management system outputs an instruction to the printer to cancel the print job. In the conventional technique, the print management system notifies the order management system at an upper level that the error regarding the print job has occurred and the cause is a job error, or that the print job has been canceled. However, the printer at a lower level in print processing recognizes only that a cancel instruction to the print job has been issued.
Therefore, a display mismatch occurs between the subsystems. For example, the display unit of the print management system displays a job error, and that of the printer displays job cancellation. The printer cannot recognize the situation in which the cancel instruction has been issued. Also, even when the user cancels a print job issued from each upper subsystem, for example, the printer serving as a lower subsystem cannot recognize the situation in which the cancel instruction has been issued.
In other words, the reason of job cancellation cannot be shared between the devices. Particularly, the respective subsystems are often installed in places spaced apart from each other. It is very inconvenient for an end user, operator, or the like who actually operates each subsystem, that the reason of job cancellation cannot be shared.

Information processing apparatus, control method thereof, and computer-readable medium


An electron emission display includes first and second substrates facing each other, a plurality of election emission regions provided on the first substrate, a black layer formed on a first surface of the second substrate between the phosphor layers, and an anode electrode coupled to the phosphor and black layers. The anode electrode has a light transmissivity ranging from about 3% to about 15%. A method of forming the anode electrode includes forming an interlayer on the phosphor and black layer, depositing a conductive material on the second substrate, and removing the interlayer through a firing process.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electron emission display, and more particularly, to an electron emission display having an anode electrode which is coupled to a phosphor layer to receive a high voltage required for accelerating electron beams.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, electron emission elements can be classified into those using hot cathodes as an electron emission source, and those using cold cathodes as the electron emission source.
There are several types of cold cathode electron emission elements, including Field Emitter Array (FEA) elements, Surface Conduction Emitter (SCE) elements, Metal-Insulator-Metal (MIM) elements, and Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor (MIS) elements.
The electron emission elements are arrayed on a first substrate to form an electron emission device. A light emission unit having phosphor layers and an anode electrode is formed on a second substrate. The electron emission device, the second substrate, and the light emission unit establish an electron emission display.
In the electron emission display, there is provided an anode electrode for directing the electrons emitted from the first substrate. The anode electrode receives a high voltage required to accelerate the electron beams, thereby reducing the extent to which the surface of the phosphor layer is charged by the electrons.
The anode electrode is formed of a transparent conductive material such as indium tin oxide (ITO) or a metallic material such as aluminum. The anode electrode is coupled to the phosphor layers facing the first substrate. The anode electrode functions to heighten the screen luminance by receiving a high voltage required to accelerate the electron beams and by reflecting the visible rays radiated from the phosphor layers to the first substrate back toward the second substrate.
The anode electrode is formed by (1) forming an interlayer formed of a polymer material that will be vaporized during a firing process; (2) depositing a conductive material, for example, aluminum, on the interlayer; and (3) removing the interlayer by vaporizing the interlayer material through fine pores of the conductive material.
The yield and performance of the anode electrode are greatly affected by a deposition thickness of the conductive material, a distance between the anode electrode and the phosphor layer, a distribution of fine pores in the conductive material, and other similar factors. For example, if the anode electrode lacks a proper distribution of fine pores (e.g., has a relatively low density of the fine pores), it may be easily damaged during the firing process for removing the interlayer, and the light reflective efficiency may be reduced.
That is, if the anode electrode is too densely deposited to have the proper distribution of fine pores, the interlayer material cannot be completely vaporized through the fine pores during the firing process, thereby causing the anode electrode to swell.
As a result, a portion of the anode electrode peels off. The damaged portion of the anode electrode cannot properly accelerate the electron beam from the first substrate, and thus the light emission efficiency of the phosphor layer corresponding to the damaged portion of the anode electrode is reduced.
By contrast, when the density of the fine pores is too high, the light reflective efficiency of the anode electrode is lowered such that the luminance of the image deteriorates.

Electron emission display having an optically transmissive anode electrode


Implementations of the present disclosure provide a fastener including a tip portion, a proximal portion, an advancement mechanism and an expandable member. The tip portion has a first surface. The proximal portion is configured for coupling to the tip portion and has a second surface. The mechanism advances the first surface toward the second surface. The expandable member includes a first end abutting the first surface of the tip portion and a second end abutting the second surface of the proximal portion. Advancement of the two surfaces toward each other advances the first end of the expandable member toward the second end of the expandable member. The expandable member is configured to expand in response to the advancement. At least one of the ends of the expandable member is a free end extending under and configured to rotate with respect to an abutting one of the first or second surfaces.

Achieving a firm fixation between the implants and the bony structure in case of osteoporotic bone remains a challenge.
For example, the current solution to treat degenerative disc disease and similar symptoms is with fusion. Generally, fusion requires implanting a spacer to restore disc height, lordosis and decompress neural structures. The spacer may either be fixed (held in place) from either a posterior, lateral or anterior direction with fixation elements. Thus, fixation is usually only from one side. A generally reliable fixation approach is a stand alone, anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) using a posterior fixation system that includes pedicle screws and rods.
Despite the effectiveness of the ALIF approach, improvements in fusion times are desired, especially for the aging spine.


A system and method of enabling a mobile device to communicate with a local IP network host and an external IP network host using a femto cellular access point on a femto cellular access network. A local gateway is coupled to the femto cellular access network for receiving data packets transmitted on the femto cellular access network and for routing the data packets to one of a local IP network and an external IP network, based on a destination address associated with the data packets. The femto cellular access network includes an LTE network, an EVDO network connected to an EPC, or a WiMax 802.16e/m network connected to the EPC.

Wireless carriers employ cellular towers to generate large cells for wireless communications over vast physical areas, such as metropolitan or rural areas. The large cells or macro cells may cover areas of 1 km to 5 km in diameter. A cellular tower broadcasts wireless signals to and receives wireless signals from user equipment or mobile handsets that are located throughout the macro cells.
Various structures are located within the macro cell that obstruct, reflect or otherwise interfere with the wireless signals. For example, users typically attempt to use mobile devices inside structures such as homes and commercial establishments, among other structures. These structures may be constructed of high loss material, such as concrete or metal that block wireless signals from penetrating the structures. Reception within these structures is often poor and unreliable due to weak wireless signal strength. Poor reception is associated with inferior quality of service by the mobile user. Femto cells or micro cells are located within these high loss structures to route signal transmissions through existing broadband backhaul infrastructure to the macro network. What is desired are systems and methods of allowing multiple devices, such as cellular and network devices, that are located within the femto cell to communicate with each other while the user equipment is located within the femto cell or while the user equipment is located outside the femto cell. Additionally, what is desired are systems and methods of allowing the user equipment to communicate with home-based devices, such as data storage devices, printing devices or other devices.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Ubiquitous access to FEMTO-connected network


A thermal management system for fast charging and subsequent heavy use operation of high-capacity batteries. The thermal management system includes at least one motive driver arranged to impinge air on the terminal and strap structure of the high capacity battery. The terminal and strap structure in a specific aspect of the invention is protectively shrouded by a cover including a main top surface member having air inflow openings therein and a circumscribing wall depending downwardly therefrom and provided with gas egress openings along its medial and end portions. Such cover allows a high flux flow of air therethrough, for high efficiency cooling of the battery during fast charging and subsequent heavy use operation.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to thermal management of fast charging high capacity batteries, and to associated cooling structures and methods for maintaining optimal efficiency in fast charging and subsequent use of such batteries.
2. Description of the Related Art
"Fast charging" refers herein to charging a battery at a rate of greater than 30 amperes per 100 ampere-hours of battery capacity. A goal of fast charging is to bring the state of charge ("SOC") of a battery from 30% to 80% of full charge in less than about 1.5 hours.
Battery-powered vehicles such as forklifts, electric carts and the likes are widely used in industry and require periodic recharging of batteries to maintain vehicle operability.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/287,753 filed Nov. 4, 2002 in the names of John F. Aker and James R. Wade for "FAST CHARGER FOR HIGH CAPACITY BATTERIES," issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,803,746 on Oct. 12, 2004, describes high-efficiency fast chargers for fast charging of high-capacity batteries. The disclosure of such prior co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/287,753 is hereby incorporated herein by reference, for all purposes. "High capacity batteries" as used herein refers to batteries of greater than about 100 Amp-hours capacity.
As disclosed in the background section of our prior co-pending patent application, conventional battery chargers typically operate at charging rates that are about or below 20 amperes per 100 ampere-hours of battery capacity. In consequence, the charging rate of such conventional battery chargers decreases early in the charge cycle, and 8-12 hours are required to restore the battery to full charge status.
The fast charger apparatus and method disclosed in such prior co-pending application overcomes the deficiencies of conventional charging approaches, and permits lead-acid batteries commonly used to power forklifts, and other electric vehicles, to be safely charged at higher currents, in a highly effective manner, bringing batteries from 30% to 80% state of charge in about an hour. The charging enabled by the fast charging system of such prior co-pending application is on the order of 400% faster than conventional charging technologies.
By such high-rate, high-efficiency charging afforded by the fast charging system described in our prior co-pending application, it is possible to operate fleets of battery-powered vehicles without changing out batteries, thereby obviating the time, effort and lost productivity costs of such change-outs. The fast charging system of our prior co-pending application thereby permits a substantial increase in fleet productivity for such electric battery-powered vehicles. As a result, a typical operation requires at least 50% fewer batteries, in addition to the power savings realized by such systems.
In operation, the fast charging systems of our prior copending application entail unique thermal management issues in the high rate, high-efficiency regime involved in the charging operation. Specifically, the high-rate intensive charging enabled by the apparatus and method of our prior co-pending application along with constant use in a heavy two or three shift operation without time for the traditional "cool down" period, produces substantial increases in battery temperature during the charging operation. Such temperature increases in turn require charging current to be reduced in order to maintain battery temperature at a safe level to achieve desired battery life.
This occurrence of substantial increases in battery temperature during fast charging and heavy use applications undesirably impacts the fast charging operation by increasing the time required for a battery to achieve the targeted state of charge. In addition, higher battery temperatures result in reduced battery life and possible warranty issues with the battery. As a result, the potential benefits inherent in fast charging have not yet been fully realized. This is the problem to which the present invention is directed.

Thermal management of fast charging high capacity batteries


A sensor may be automatically calibrated during manufacture by providing a sensor processing unit having an integrated sensor, performing a check to determine if the integrated sensor has been previously calibrated upon a reset. When it has been determined the integrated sensor has not been previously calibrated, an automated calibration pattern may be imparted to the sensor so that a calibration parameter is determined.

The development of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) has enabled the incorporation of a wide variety of sensors into mobile devices, such as cell phones, laptops, tablets, gaming devices and other portable, electronic devices. Non-limiting examples of such sensors include an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, a pressure sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a microphone, a proximity sensor, an ambient light sensor, an infrared sensor, and the like. Further, sensor fusion processing may be performed to combine the data from a plurality of sensors to provide an improved characterization of the device's motion or orientation. However, due to the nature of electronics and mechanics, MEMS-based sensors may be prone to having bias (offset) and sensitivity errors. These errors may drift and or change due to temperature, humidity, time, assembly stress and other changes in peripheral conditions. In turn, inaccurate bias may result in decreased quality of sensor data and may complicate the sensor fusion process used to estimate parameters such as attitude (e.g., pitch, roll, and yaw), heading reference and the like which are dependent on the precision of the sensors' outputs. For example, when integration of raw data output by the sensor is used to determine velocity from acceleration or orientation angle from the rate of angular change, the bias drift problem may be significantly magnified. While the following discussion is in the context of MEMS sensors as used in portable devices, one of skill in the art will recognize that these techniques may be employed to any suitable sensor application as desired.
In light of these characteristics of MEMS sensors, it may be desirable to perform a sensor calibration operation to characterize the bias or sensitivity error as well as other parameters as desired, enabling a correction of the sensor data. A sensor calibration operation may employ mathematical calculations to deduce various motion states and the position or orientation of a physical system. A sensor bias may be produced by the calibration operation, which may then be applied to the raw sensor data and calibrate the sensor. As will be appreciated, the calibration operation may be performed at various stages during manufacture or may be performed periodically while the device is being used to account for changes that may occur over time. In particular, even though some calibration aspects may be performed on the sensor itself after it is fabricated, the integration of the sensor into a chip and the subsequent incorporation of the chip into a portable device fundamentally changes the environmental conditions to which the sensor is exposed, necessitating a calibration operation to improve the quality of data obtained from the sensor. Indeed, it will be appreciated that the production of a finished device that is ready for use represents a desirable stage for sensor calibration, since the environmental conditions attributable to the device and its other components will then be fixed with respect to the sensor.
Accordingly, this disclosure is directed to systems and methods for performing a calibration operation for a sensor during device manufacture. Conventional manufacturing techniques typically involve establishing a wired communication with the circuitry of the device once production is finished to carry out the calibration operation, as well as coordinating the start of the calibration. Although effective, such techniques are labor-intensive and require separately connecting and disconnecting the device in order to perform the calibration, adding time to the overall manufacturing process. In light of the above, it would be desirable to increase the efficiency and reliability of calibration. To address these needs and others, this disclosure is directed to techniques for performing an automatic calibration operation during manufacture that as described in the materials below.

Method and system for automatic factory calibration


Protective barriers for small devices, such as sensors, actuators, flow control devices, among others, protect the devices from erosive and/or corrosive fluids, for example, formation fluids under harsh downhole conditions. The protective barriers include protective coatings and fluid diverting structures in the fluid flow which facilitate use of the small devices in high temperature-high pressure applications with erosive and/or corrosive fluids that are often found in downhole environments.

Development and extraction of hydrocarbon reserves involves the collection and analysis of extensive data pertaining to fluids in the geological formations. For example, economic evaluations of hydrocarbon reserves in geological formations involve a thorough analysis of the formation fluids. Similarly, development and production considerations, such as methods of production, efficiency of recovery, and design of production systems for the hydrocarbon reserves, all depend upon accuracy in initial and continuing analyses of the nature and characteristics of reservoir hydrocarbon fluids. Formation analysis and evaluation requires constant measurements of formation fluids to acquire data with respect to fluid properties.
Determination of formation fluid characteristics, such as density, viscosity, temperature, pressure, gas-oil ratio (GOR), bubble point, among others, provides a way to analyze the nature and characteristics of a reservoir formation. Measurements of formation fluid properties yield insight into geological formations, such as permeability and flow characteristics. The data also provide a way to assess the economic value of hydrocarbon reserves.
Typically, formation fluid samples are obtained during the exploration phase of oilfield development, and the thermophysical properties of the fluids are determined at the surface. However, often it is necessary and/or desirable to determine certain reservoir fluid properties, such as density and viscosity of crude oil or brine, at the pressure and temperature of a hydrocarbon reservoir. Although the pressure and temperature of fluid samples at the surface can be adjusted to the conditions in the reservoir, it is sometimes difficult to obtain a fluid sample at the surface that closely replicates the downhole formation fluid in chemical composition.
It has been found that variations tend to occur in the extracted fluid samples due to volatility of lighter hydrocarbons, deposition of solids, contamination by drilling fluids, and so on. Moreover, it is very expensive to extract downhole fluid samples from a borehole, and to maintain and handle the extracted fluid samples at the surface under downhole pressure and temperature conditions. It is advantageous, therefore, to acquire and transmit fluid properties data downhole for the data to be analyzed at the surface, thereby significantly reducing the time and costs associated with hydrocarbon reservoir analysis and evaluation.
Answer products, such as analyses based on downhole fluid analysis, that relate to reservoir production and optimization are typically based on analyzing extremely small samples of downhole fluid, i.e., by volume relatively less than 10−9 of the hydrocarbon reserves in a typical geological formation. Moreover, the composition and characteristics of formation fluids in a reservoir are subject to change as the hydrocarbon reserves are developed and extracted. Therefore, it is advantageous to regularly monitor formation fluid properties by taking frequent downhole measurements of formation fluids throughout the exploration and production phases of an oilfield.
The oilfield fluids typically handled in the oil exploration and production industries are an extremely harsh operating environment in comparison with the customary conditions where small measuring and data collection devices, such as microchip sensors, are used. For example, typical downhole fluid conditions in producing hydrocarbon reservoirs include downhole temperatures from 50 to 175 degrees Celsius or more, downhole pressures from 100 to 2,000 bar, densities in the range 500 to 1300 kg m−3, and viscosities from 0.1 to 1000 mPa s.
As a result of their chemical and compositional properties, oilfield fluids tend to be erosive and corrosive in nature. Due to the difficult environments in which oilfield equipment is deployed, the equipment must be capable of withstanding severe shock and corrosion due to the possibility of corrosive fluid constituents, such as H2S and CO2, and solid particulates, such as sand, being present in flowing formation fluids. Reference is made to J. A. C. Humphrey, Fundamental of Fluid Motion in Erosion by Solid Particle Impact, Int. J. Heat and Fluid Flow, Volume 11, #3, Sep. 3, 1990, and references therein, for a discussion on erosion that is caused by solid particulates, such as sand, in fluids.
Furthermore, hydrocarbon reservoir fluids tend to be complex and may contain chemical components ranging from asphaltenes and waxes to methane. The composition of hydrocarbon fluids makes deposition of waxy materials on downhole tools a distinct possibility, which often is a cause of fouling of the tools.