Methods and systems to reconfigure clusters in elastic multi-tenant cloud computing system. An example method includes partitioning a first resource reservation of a first virtual data center between a first cluster and a second cluster and partitioning a second resource reservation of a second virtual data center between the first cluster and the second cluster, and based on the partitioning of the first resource reservation and the second resource reservation, collectively adjusting a first portion of the first resource reservation allotted to the first cluster and a second portion of the second resource reservation allotted to the first cluster in a same reconfiguration operation.

In cloud computing environments, virtual data centers provide processor, memory and storage resources to cloud tenants. Some cloud providers permit tenants to reserve virtual data center resources sufficient to support their current and/or anticipated computing needs. For example, tenants can opt to rent a virtual data center having a reserved amount of resources referred to as a resource pool reservation or a resource reservation. A resource reservation associated with a virtual data center may be configured to provide, for example, 1) a specified limit on the overall amount of memory ("L") that may be used by the client, and 2) a specified minimum amount of memory ("R") that is guaranteed to be available at any given time. Each virtual data center is typically supported by one or more physical clusters, referenced by their corresponding cluster resource pools, and the resource reservation of a virtual data center is partitioned (preferably in a balanced manner) among the cluster resource pools. The portion of the resource reservation allotted to each individual cluster resource pool is determined using, for example, a partitioning method and is reflected in a corresponding cluster resource pool specification map.

Methods and systems to manage computer resources in elastic multi-tenant cloud computing systems


A shunting method and system for multi-network joint transmission and an access network element are provided, and the method includes that a network element of a 3GPP access network transmits a shunting request message to a network element of a WLAN access network; upon reception of a success response from the network element of the WLAN access network, the network element of the 3GPP access network transmits to a UE a shunting command to indicate the UE to access a target WLAN access network corresponding to the network element of the WLAN access network; and after determining that the UE has successfully accessed the target WLAN access network, the network element of the 3GPP access network performs data shunting transmission through a shunting connection between the network element of the 3GPP access network and the network element of the WLAN access network. By means of the disclosure, it is possible to implement shunting control over multi-network joint transmission by a network side.

With the evolution of wireless communication techniques and protocol standards, mobile packet services have experienced great development, and data throughput of an individual terminal has been increasingly improved. Taking a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system as an example, a bandwidth of 20 M can support data transmission at a maximum downlink rate of 100 Mbps. In an LTE Advanced (LTE-A) system, the data transmission rate is further improved even up to 1 Gbps.
An explosive increase in an amount of data services for a terminal makes existing network resources incapable of meeting demands, which is especially a big problem when new generation communication techniques (for example 3G, LTE) cannot be widely applied to networking, thus it is not possible to meet requirements on rate and traffic desired by a user, thereby resulting in poor user experiences. How to prevent and change this situation is a problem that operators have to consider, on one hand, it is necessary to expedite promotion of new techniques and network deployment; on the other hand, it is desired to accomplish a rapid improvement on network performance through enhancement of existing networks and techniques. It is well known that besides wireless network techniques provided by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), currently used wireless local area networks, especially wireless local area networks based on IEEE 802.11 standards are widely applied to hotspot access coverage in the field of homes, enterprises or even the Internet. Technical specifications proposed by the WiFi Alliance have the widest application.
On the above premise, the present operators have proposed joint transmission based on Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) and existing 3GPP networks, i.e., using WLANs to accomplish offload of existing LTE networks and improvement on network performance. At present, the 3GPP has already established relevant protocols for interworking between 3GPP networks and WLANs; as shown in FIG. 1, an existing interworking architecture enables a WLAN network to use an Authentication Authorization Accounting (AAA) server in an LTE network to perform integrated authentication and authorization, and to multiplex a Packet Data Network Gateway (P-GW) in the LTE network to take it as a P-GW of the WLAN, and the existing interworking architecture can also implement integrated accounting and charging of both networks, thereby accomplishing loose coupling between both networks.
However, the current interworking architecture has disadvantages below:
1. the existing interworking architecture depends on the fact that an operator should have an independent 3GPP network and an independent and whole WLAN network, this requires the operator to operate and maintain multiple networks simultaneously, thus leading to higher capital expenditure;
2. a User Equipment (UE) cannot learn whether the network side (e.g., an LTE network and a WLAN network) supports interworking, thus the UE may be connected to a target network that cannot interwork with a current network;
3. switching of data streams is slow when a UE moves between a 3GPP network and a WLAN network; and
4. since existing interworking is triggered by a UE, the network side has no initiative for selecting a target network, thus losing control over a network that the UE accesses, thereby incapable of directing a user to access desired target network or an optimum target network.

Shunting method and system for multi-network joint transmission, and access network element


In some examples, a device applies an electrical potential difference across a blood sample. The device measures an electrical signal that passes through the blood sample over a duration of time to obtain a plurality of measurements representing a measurement function of time. An accumulative property of the measurement function may be determined such that the accumulative property correlates to a blood coagulation characteristic.

Medical devices and medical testing may be used to diagnose, identify, monitor or otherwise determine health related information. As one example, blood coagulation screening tests, such as Prothrombin Time (PT), Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (APTT), Activated Clotting Time (ACT), fibrinogen content (FIB) and Thrombin Time (TT) may be performed by clinical laboratories, health practitioners, and the like. Each of these tests relates to a type of blood coagulation characteristic under a certain condition.
Clinicians may use these tests for various purposes, such as to monitor anticoagulant therapy, to screen for a single factor deficiency, to screen for multiple factor deficiencies and/or to screen for specific or non-specific inhibitors. As one example, unfractionated heparin therapy is widely used as a treatment for thromboembolic (obstructive blood clots) disorders. In some cases, heparin therapy, or the amount of heparin administered, is determined based on the result of the APTT or ACT tests. However, there are many pre-analytical and analytical variables that can affect the PT, APTT, ACT, FIB or TT measurements, often giving dramatically different measurements from one test device or laboratory to another. This can produce a variance in the amount of a drug (e.g., heparin) or other therapy administered to the patient, and may lead to less than optimal therapeutic results.

Testing of blood coagulation characteristics


A sleeve pack to be used with a pallet base and cover to form a container for shipping bulk goods comprises four vertical walls arranged such that each vertical wall is orthogonal to two adjacent walls. At least one vertical wall of corrugated plastic is joined by an edge-to-edge butt welded seam. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention a vertical wall panel having vertically oriented corrugations is edge-to-edge butt welded with a corner piece of corrugated plastic having horizontally oriented corrugations to form a continuous one ply sleeve pack. An alternative embodiment of the present invention is a double thickness, corrugated plastic sleeve pack in which one thickness has horizontal corrugations for side impact resistance and the other thickness has vertically oriented corrugations for increased stacking strength but with all seams butt welded.

Relatively large reusable containers are utilized by manufacturers to ship a variety of different products to their customers. For example, in the automobile industry, a plant assembling a particular automobile might utilize a number of different parts manufacturers. These manufacturers ship their respective parts to the plant in reusable containers where the parts are then assembled together into a finished automobile. The reusable containers are often returned to the parts manufacturers for use in further shipments.
Generally construction of such shipping containers includes a pallet base, a cover and sleeve pack which is situated between the base and the cover to form the sidewalls of the container. Such a design provides a versatile and lightweight shipping container which may be reused time and time again. The vast majority of sleeve packs used today are made of heavy grades of triple wall corrugated paper, such as paper in the 1,000 lb. bursting strength range. Such paper wall sleeve packs are functional if kept dry; however, as may be appreciated, moisture damages the strength of the paper wall and degrades the overall reliability of the sleeve pack. Accordingly, there is a need for a sleeve pack which can be stored outdoors as necessary when indoor storage space is not available.
Plastic sleeves have been utilized for weatherproof containers; however, even the existing sleeve packs of plastic have undesirable limitations. Specifically, if made of a single layer of plastic, the single layer of plastic making up the sleeves is not capable of achieving adequate stacking strength, and therefore, in many cases, the several sheets of the single wall plastic material have to be laminated together. Often even the laminated sheets are not strong enough to support the stacking loads required, and they have to be reinforced with another material. The increased number of sheets in strengthening layers increase the expense of the containers and the complexity of their assembly.
Sleeve packs, whether plastic or paper, generally require some sort of reinforcement at their corners to hold the sleeve pack sidewalls together and to provide adequate support for the stacked loads. Different mechanisms and techniques have been utilized to reinforce the corners of a sleeve pack.
One of the techniques used to reinforce the corners of a sleeve pack includes wrapping one of the sidewall panels of the sleeve pack over the adjacent sidewall panel, creating a two-ply corner. Two overlapping sidewall panels are then joined by adhering or sonic welding the outer face of the inner sidewall panel to the inner face of the outer sidewall panel where the two sidewall panels overlap. The result is a sleeve pack which has two-ply corners immediately adjacent one ply sidewalls.
A potential problem which occurs with such an overlapped corner sleeve pack is that a vertical side edge of the outer ply protrudes outwardly, and creates a snag which may catch clothes or the edge of a forklift. Another potential problem is that when placing such an overlapping corner sleeve pack into an outer channel of a pallet base of a sleeve pack assembly, the portion of the sleeve pack where the sidewall panels overlap often does not fit into the channel of a pallet base. Either the channel of the pallet base must be increased in size, creating a loose fit of the one-ply sidewalls inside the channel or the two-ply corners of the sleeve pack must be trimmed to fit inside the channel of the pallet base.
Another potential problem with a plastic sleeve pack having sonic welded overlapping corner sidewalls is that the sonic welds used to secure the overlapping portions of the sidewalls are spaced apart and may create a weak joint. If the overlapping portion of a sidewall panel is caught by a forklift the weld may tear, separating the wall panels of the sleeve pack. The contents inside the sleeve pack will then fall out of the sleeve pack assembly and the sleeve pack assembly must be reassembled.
Another potential problem with a plastic sleeve pack having overlapping sonic welded corner side walls is that it is difficult to make the sidewalls of the sleeve pack of accurate dimensions. The overlapping side wall panels are subject to slipping during the sonic welding process, resulting in sidewalls longer or shorter than desired.
Still another potential problem with plastic sleeve packs having overlapping sonic welded side wall panels is that because the sonic welds are spaced apart or separated, the seal is not always water-tight and water may enter between the welds of overlapping wall panels. Water inside the sleeve pack is undesirable because the moisture may corrode or rust the parts located inside the sleeve pack assembly.
Yet another potential problem encountered in the use of sleeve packs occurs because of the inability of the sleeve pack to withstand a horizontally impact force applied to one of the corners or sidewalls of the sleeve pack. As a result, when a forklift hits the sidewalls or corner of the sleeve pack, as often occurs, the sleeve pack sidewalls may collapse inwardly and become permanently deformed.
Still another potential problem with existing sleeve packs occurs in identifying product contained within the sleeve pack. Once a sleeve pack is inserted between a cover and a pallet base to make a sleeve pack assembly the sleeve pack assembly has no identifiable characteristics to mark or identify the contents inside the sleeve pack assembly. A manufacturer receiving multiple sleeve pack assemblies, each sleeve pack assembly containing different parts, must look through each individual sleeve pack assembly to find the particular part desired. Since many sleeve packs are reusable it is undesirable to mark the sleeve pack in any permanent way. The next use of the sleeve pack assembly may involve entirely different contents than the current shipment.
It has therefore been an objective of this invention to provide a sleeve pack which solves all of these potential problems.
Specifically, it has been an objective of this invention to provide a sleeve pack which has both stacking strength and side impact resilience.
It has been another objective of the present invention to provide a sleeve pack made of a continuous single ply of multiple ply board which fits snuggly inside the outer channel of the pallet base of a sleeve pack assembly.
It has been another objective of this invention to provide a sleeve pack which does not have overlapping sidewall panels but rather has adjacent sidewall panels joined together in the same plane in an edge-to-edge relationship so as to eliminate all of the problems associated with overlapping sidewall panels.
It has been another objective of the present invention to provide a sleeve pack which may be relatively inexpensively assembled from one continuous piece of corrugated plastic.
It has been yet another objective of the present invention to provide a sleeve pack assembly whose contents may be easily identified from a distance without disassembling or opening the sleeve pack.


A fuel level sensor for sensing and monitoring the level of remaining fluid in a container such as a fuel tank for a motorized vehicle is disclosed. The fuel level sensor incorporates an improved float and pivot arm member attached to a hub that rotates about a pivot base. The conventional resistor card technology, commonly found in automotive applications for translating the position of the float into an electrical signal, is replaced by a more reliable non-contact magnetic flux sensing circuit. The fuel level sensor incorporates a magnetic sensor and magnetic circuit in a commonly known and practiced rotational position sensor configuration for determining the angular position of a hub relative to its pivot base, where the hub is attached to a conventional float-arm member and the base remains stationary relative to the fuel container. The preferred embodiment includes a magnetic flux sensor positioned between two movable magnets. The magnetic flux sensing element is a Hall effect integrated circuit, magnetoresistor, magnetodiode, magnetotransistor, or similar magnetic flux sensing element with associated electronic circuitry having adjustable or programmable features including ratiometry, gain, offset voltage, temperature coefficient, and output signal range limiting. Critical electronic components are hermetically sealed making the fuel level sensor fully submersible in fuel for long term fuel exposure.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electrical position sensing circuit and particularly a liquid level sensing circuit used to make possible a non-contact electronic fuel level sensor for measuring the amount of fuel remaining in a motor vehicle gas tank.
2. Background Art
Fuel level sensors known for monitoring the level of fuel within a gas tank are resistive, ultrasonic, electromagnetic, and shaped electromagnetic field in nature. Resistive type sensors rely on contact connections to a resistive element. A float and a pivot arm move such that when the fuel tank is full, the wiper contact is at one extreme of the resistive element, and when the tank is empty the wiper contact is at the other extreme. It is known that such contact type sensors wear over time, making non-contact type sensors desirable. Ultrasonic, electromagnetic, and shaped electromagnetic field sensors have complex electronics to drive the sensor element and determine the fuel level. Their complexity makes component costs high.
Fuel level sensors are particularly well known in the automotive industry where they are used extensively in passenger cars and trucks. For many years automotive manufactures have relied on the resistor card technology to provide a feasible and economical fuel level sensing approach for use in motor vehicles.
The resistor card can be characterized as an electrical potentiometer configured as a variable resistor. Its wiper is mechanically fixed to a float or combination float and float arm mechanism that rises and falls with the level of liquid in a fuel tank. The value of resistance developed across the potentiometer's resistor element as a result of wiper positioning, corresponds to the position of the float, hence the level of liquid in the fuel tank. This resistance value is then read by configuring the sensor resistor element in series with a second known resistance. When a known voltage is applied across the two series resistive elements a voltage divider circuit is created wherein the voltage produced at the common electrical node of the two resistive elements directly correlates to the position of the potentiometer's wiper and hence the position of the attached float.
Despite its moderate precision and performance, the resistor card has been the preferred fuel level sensor supplied to the automotive industry. Only recently have automotive manufacturers begun to search for more robust and precise technologies that can replace the resistor card as a fuel level sensor.
Manufacturers trying to reduce product warranty costs and offer products with longer life must look beyond resistor card technology. Although regarded as low cost, the resistor card is not a cost effective solution for fuel level sensing when its characteristics of product reliability and service life are considered. The major fault of the resistor card is its reliance on a mechanical wiper to maintain electrical contact to the resistive element within its assembly. Level sensors that incorporate a mechanical contact have a number of well-known problems. The mechanical movements within any mechanism make those components susceptible to wear, fatigue, and loosening. This is a progressive problem that occurs with use and leads to eventual failure after a sufficient amount of movement has occurred.
In fuel level sensing, a source of mechanical failure for the resistor card comes from fluid sloshing inside the fuel tank thus creating unwanted twisting and levering of the float and float arm. This force is transferred from the float to the wiper of the resistor card where it stresses the components by applying alternate weak and strong contact force between the wiper and the resistive element. Under these conditions the wiper may eventually fatigue losing its spring characteristics and may even loosen from its rotational pivot hub. Eventually the wiper will lose electrical contact with the resistor element.
Exposure to continuous vibration, like that experienced on a moving vehicle, produces excessive movement of the wiper with respect to the resistor element. While stationary about one position, dithering of the wiper against the resistor element leads to excessive wear and pitting of the resistor element at that particular wiper position. This action eventually damages the resistor element by altering the resistance of the sensor at that position.
Over time contaminants build up on the wiper and resistive element. This contamination can produce poor electrical contact between the wiper and the resistive element leading to sensor inaccuracies or malfunction. Increasing the force of the wiper against the resistive element will help to keep the contact point between the wiper and resistive element clean thus reducing possible failures. However, the additional force applied between the wiper and resistive element increases the frictional force against each other. This accelerates wear on the components thereby reducing the sensor's service life.
Another problem experienced with the resistor card is its inability to survive long-term exposure to newer types of fuels now used in automobiles. Exposure to Methanol, Ethanol, peroxide and other fuel additives are known to breakdown the inking adhesives used in making the resistor element of the card. Eventually contact of the wiper and the resistive element opens causing operational failure of the level sensor.
One solution to overcoming the inherent problems of mechanical type sensors like the resistor card is found in non-contact type sensors. In recent years magnetic flux sensor technology, particularly that of the Hall effect sensor, has developed into a robust and reliable technology.
The integration of custom circuitry with the Hall effect sensing element makes it possible to produce Hall effect sensors that have advanced features like analog, PWM, and digital output capability. Compensation circuitry now available in Hall effect sensors allow for much greater accuracy and linearity over operating temperatures. Hall effect sensors now offer programmable features that permit adjustable control of output signal ratiometry, sensitivity, voltage offset, temperature coefficient, and output signal range limiting. Even advanced features of functional diagnostics can be integrated into the Hall effect circuitry.
An analog Hall effect sensor is designed to output a voltage that is proportional to the strength of a magnetic field of which it is exposed to. In truth the Hall effect sensor responds to the strength and polarity of the magnetic field that passes perpendicular to its internal magnetic flux sensing element. That is to say that the Hall effect sensor will produce the greatest change in output voltage when the magnetic lines of flux that make up the magnetic field are perpendicular to the magnetic flux sensing element, and have no response when the lines of magnetic flux are parallel to the magnetic flux sensing element. The physical relationship between the magnetic field and the Hall effect sensor can be altered by moving the magnetic field with respect to a stationary Hall effect sensor.
To produce a change in the output of the Hall effect sensor, the relative air gap between the magnet and Hall effect sensor can be changed. As the magnet moves further from the Hall effect sensor, the sensor is exposed to lesser magnetic field thereby inducing less effect on the sensor. Likewise as the magnet is moved closer to the Hall effect sensor, the sensor is exposed to greater magnetic field that produces more change of the sensors output voltage. This functional principle is demonstrated by use of a rotating involuted magnet in Nartron U.S. Pat. No. 6,396,259, Electronic Throttle Control Position Sensor.
Another useful approach to varying the magnetic field strength, of which the Hall effect sensor is exposed to, is to use a tapered magnet. A magnet's field strength increases in proportion to its thickness. Increasing the thickness of a magnet placed before the Hall effect sensor will increase the output response from the sensor. This principle is taught in CTS U.S. Pat. No. 6,211,668, Magnetic Position Sensing Having Opposed Tapered Magnets.
Yet another approach places a pole piece behind the Hall effect sensor. In this configuration the Hall effect sensor is positioned between the magnet and pole piece. As the pole piece moves towards the Hall effect sensor, the air gap between the pole piece and Hall effect sensor is reduced. Likewise the distance gap between the pole piece and the magnet is reduced, thereby attracting the magnetic field towards the pole piece and passing more magnetic lines of flux through the magnetic flux sensing element and into the pole piece. This functional principle is demonstrated in Nartron U.S. Pat. No. 6,396,259, Electronic Throttle Control Position Sensor, using an involuted pole piece that is rotated about its center axis to produce a closing air gap with rotation.
Since the magnetic flux sensing element is sensitive only to lines of magnetic flux passing perpendicular to its element plate, and therefore does not respond to magnetic flux that is in parallel with its element plate, a third preferred method of producing a response in the Hall effect sensor exists. Rotating the magnet about the Hall effect sensor changes the angle in which the lines of magnetic flux pass through the magnetic flux sensing element. The resultant magnetic field acting perpendicular to the magnetic flux sensing element generates a response from the sensor proportional to this perpendicular field strength. This approach is described in Nartron U.S. Pat. No. 6,396,259, Electronic Throttle Control Position Sensor.
Two additional prior art patents owned by the assignee of the invention relating to similar technology are U.S. Pat. No. 5,504,427 to Cooper et al and U.S. Pat. No. 5,150,615 to Rymut et al. These patents are incorporated herein by reference.


A method for the production of a radiographic screen comprising the following steps:. 1) dispersing phosphor particles in an organic liquid in the presence of a charge controlling agent that charges said phosphor particles with a positive or negative net charge, PA0 2) arranging said dispersion between a pair of electrodes, wherein one of said electrodes is or carries a conductive support of said radiographic screen, PA0 3) applying and maintaining between said electrodes a sufficiently high direct current voltage to deposit charged phosphor particles onto said conductive support, and PA0 4) separating said support carrying electrophoretically deposited phosphor particles from said organic liquid,. wherein the dispersing of said phosphor particles proceeds by means of an organic surface active compound acting as dispersing agent for said phosphor particles, and said phosphor particles are electrostatically charged through adsorption thereon of ionic components of said organic surface active compound and/or through adsorption of cations or anions stemming from an ionic inorganic compound incorporated in said liquid.

In radiography the interior of objects is reproduced by means of penetrating radiation, which is high energy radiation also known as ionizing radiation belonging to the class of X-rays, gamma-rays and high-energy elementary particle radiation, e.g. beta-rays, electron beam or neutron radiation. For the conversion of penetrating radiation into visible light and/or ultraviolet radiation luminescent substances, called phosphors, are used.
In a conventional radiographic system an X-ray radiograph is obtained by X-rays transmitted imagewise through an object and converted into light of corresponding intensity in a so-called intensifying screen (X-ray conversion screen) wherein phosphor particles absorb the transmitted X-rays and convert them into visible light and/or ultraviolet radiation to which a photographic film is more sensitive than to the direct impact of X-rays.
In practice the light emitted imagewise by said screen irradiates a contacting photographic silver halide emulsion layer film which after exposure is developed to form therein a silver image in conformity with the X-ray image.
More recently as described e.g. in U.S. Pat. No. 3,859,527 an X-ray recording system has been developed wherein photostimulable storage phosphors are used having in addition to their immediate light emission (prompt emission) on X-ray irradiation the property to store temporarily a large part of the X-ray energy. Said energy is set free by photostimulation in the form of fluorescent light different in wavelength from the light used in the photostimulation. In said X-ray recording system the light emitted on photostimulation is detected photoelectronically and transformed into sequential electrical signals.
The basic constituents of such X-ray imaging system operating with a photostimulable storage phosphor are an imaging sensor containing said phosphor in particulate form normally in a plate or panel, which temporarily stores the X-ray energy pattern, a scanning laser beam for photostimulation, a photoelectronic light detector providing analogue signals that are converted subsequently into digital time-series signals, normally a digital image processor which manipulates the image digitally, a signal recorder, e.g. magnetic disk or tape, and an image recorder for modulated light exposure of a photographic film or an electronic signal display unit, e.g. cathode-ray tube.
The terminology "radiographic screen" as used herein refers to screens suitable for use in conventional screen-film combinations or for use in stimulated luminescence radiography.
From the preceding description of said two X-ray recording systems operating with radiographic screens in the form of a sheet, plate or panel it is clear that said screens serve only as intermediate imaging elements and do not form the final record. The final image is made or reproduced on a separate recording medium or display. Said radiographic screens can be used repeatedly. Before re-use of radiographic screens containing a photostimulable phosphor the residual energy pattern is erased by flooding with light. The expected life of the phosphor screen is limited mainly by mechanical damage such as scratches.
Common radiographic screens comprise in order : (1) a support (also called substrate), (2) a binder layer comprising phosphor particles, usually having a particle size in the range of 1 to 40 .mu.m, applied from an organic solvent or solvent mixture comprising the binder in dissolved and the phosphor particles in dispersed form, and (3) a protective coating to protect the phosphor-containing layer against moisture and abrasion during use. Further, a primer layer is sometimes provided between the phosphor containing layer and the substrate to closely bond said layer thereto.
A radiographic screen whether it is photostimulable or not is generally prepared as follows :
phosphor particles are mixed with a dissolved organic polymeric binder in a suitable mixing ratio to prepare a dispersion. Said dispersion is uniformly applied to a substrate by a known coating technique, e.g. doctor blade coating, roll coating, gravure coating or wire bar coating, and dried to form a luminescent phosphor-binder layer. The phosphor-to-binder weight ratio is usually in the range of 80:20 to 95:5.
The coating of said phosphor binder layer comprising a large amount of organic solvent poses a serious problem of solvent recovery because organic solvents may not enter the environment.
The protective layer will almost be indispensable where the screens have to be handled in combination with radiographic films or are subjected to roller transport.
In modern hospitals, where a large number of X-ray eposures are made on a daily basis, automatic film changer devices are used wherein each lightsensitive film is fed into a cassette in contact with a pair of X-ray conversion screens. The feed path of the film changes abruptly near the entrance of the cassette and on entering the cassette the rim of the film touches the screens with sufficient mechanical force to cause damage to the phosphor layer if it were not protected by an abrasion resistant topcoat.
In particular radiographic recording embodiments applied e.g. in radiography operating with photostimulable storage phosphor screens the radiographic screens are handled without protective cassette and transported in the various process stations between rollers whereby the screens are subjected to considerable friction forces which may result in abrasion.
These features make that practically binderless phosphor-containing screens have never been considered for use in embodiments of radiography wherein the screens are subjected to friction, e.g. by contact with film or transport means.
The failure of the abrasion resistance of the phosphor-containing screen may result in defects such as scratches, cracks and dust formation whereby correct medical diagnosis becomes impossible and screen defects in industrial radiography can be interpreted as material failures of the nondestructively tested object.
Especially in medical radiography there is a demand to reduce the dose of X-ray radiation received by the patient without affecting the quality of the radiograph for diagnostic purposes. A main feature in reducing the X-ray dose is to dispose of a radiographic screen with high X-ray stopping power and high conversion of X-ray energy into fluorescent light. The X-ray stopping power depends largely on the kind of phosphor but also on its packing density in the screen, and the image sharpness which is a primary feature in correct diagnosis depends largely on the phosphor layer structure.
Blurring from lateral diffusion of light in the phosphor-containing layer is decreased as (1) the phosphor layer is made thinner, (2) fluorescent light absorbing dyes or pigments are present therein or coated as anti-halation layer, and (3) the size of the phosphor particles is decreased to increase internal scattering which will result in increased internal light absorption particularly when screening dyes or pigments are present (ref. The Fundamentals of Radiography, 12th. ed. Health Sciences Markets Division--Eastman Kodak Company Rochester, New York 14650, p. 58-59).
However, the packing density of the phosphor particles cannot be increased unrestrained since the presence of a binder is a conditio sine qua non for obtaining a sufficient coherence between the phosphor particles and adherence to their support in view of a necessary resistance to abrasion in handling or machine transport of the screens.
Taking into account the preceding in order to obtain radiographic screens with an X-ray absorption power and fluorescent light emission power as high as possible combined with a sufficient mechanical strength the binder content has to be kept at a minimum but has to be still high enough to fulfil the requirement for sufficient mechanical strength.
Binder-free phosphor layers, e.g. applied by vapour-deposition, are in practice solely reserved in the production of cathode ray tubes and X-ray image intensifier tubes (ref. the periodical Medicamundi, 19, No. 1, (1974) p. 3-7, wherein the phosphor layers cannot suffer from damage by mechanical wear. Moreover, as can be learned from the last mentioned periodical not every phosphor is suited for vapour deposition, and the obtained speed is generally too low for medical purposes since the phosphor grain size obtained by that coating method is particularly small.
According to another technique luminescent material is deposited binder-free by electrophoretic deposition from a mainly organic liquid forming phosphor layers for use in displays and CRT tubes as described e.g. in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,851,408, 3,681,222 and J. Electrochem. Soc., Vol. 136, No. 9, September 1989, p. 2724-2727.
Phosphor particles suited for use in the production of radiographic screens as mentioned already must have sufficient X-ray stopping power and contain therefor heavy weight atomic elements (atomic number Z>50) whereby these particles have a particularly high density, and are not easily dispersed in organic liquids.
A further problem is to deposit these phosphor particles to their support with sufficient adherence thereto and sufficient coherence to allow further coating with a protective layer as referred hereinbefore without damaging the phosphor particle layer.

Method for the production of a radiographic screen


A transportation apparatus includes a first velocity sensor that detects a first measure of the transportation velocity of a medium that is transported, and a second velocity sensor that detects a second measure of the transportation velocity of the medium. The first and second velocity sensors are positioned offset from each other in an intersecting direction that intercepts a transportation direction of the medium. A skew detection section calculates a velocity difference from the first and second measures of the transportation velocities, and determines a skew state of the medium on the basis of the velocity difference.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a transportation apparatus and a recording apparatus.
2. Related Art
A transportation apparatus that transports a transportation target medium, for example, a recording apparatus (such as a printer) that has a transportation apparatus (such as a paper feeder/conveyer) that transports a recording target medium (such as paper to be printed upon) and performs recording (e.g., printing) thereon, is used in related art. In such a transportation apparatus, when a transportation target medium is transported in a skewed state (skewed transportation), it can cause various problems. To suppress the skewed transportation of a transportation target medium, techniques for detecting the skewed state of the transportation target medium have been proposed in the art. For example, a transportation apparatus that detects a leading edge of a transportation target medium and can detect skewed transportation on the basis of an inclination of the transportation target medium is disclosed in JP-A-2003-146484, wherein the inclination is calculated from the position of the leading edge.
However, since the transportation apparatus of JP-A-2003-146484 detects the leading edge of a transportation target medium to judge the inclination of the transportation target medium, it cannot be used in a roll-to-roll transportation structure, in which a continuous medium such as a roll-type recording target medium is transported. Therefore, transportation target media to which it can be applied are limited.
As described above, in a medium transportation apparatus of related art, it is difficult to detect the skewed state of a transportation target medium with high precision in some cases.

Transportation apparatus and recording apparatus


A device for filtering signals emitted by a medical device, principally an active implanted medical device. The device (26) receives an input that is a signal delivered by a circuit (16-24) that receives signals emitted by a medical device (10) in the form of a magnetic induction, in which the medical device has a metallic housing or case. A compensation stage (42) also is provided, having in the frequency domain a transfer function in the form: ##EQU1## where f.sub.c is a chosen parameter according to the geometry and the material of the metallic case of the medical device (10), and where j=.sqroot.-1. The device is useful with medical devices that emit sequences of messages formed by symbols belonging to an alphabet of n symbols (n.gtoreq.2), the compensation stage being able to reduce the rate of inter-symbol interference of collected signals that are applied to it.

Active implanted medical devices comprise, for example, cardiac pacemakers, defibrillators, neurological machines, pumps for dispensing medical substances, and cochlear implants (collectively hereinafter referred to as "implants"). Although the following description refers to active implanted medical devices, the present invention, is not limited to active implanted medical devices, but it applies as well to medical devices which are not implanted (for example, devices carried or worn by the patient) and medical devices which are not active (for example, those devices, whether or not implanted, that do not have a source of energy, and which use a portion of the energy of the interrogation signal that is applied to the device, for the emission of messages to the exterior. These devices, once put in place (principally by implantation), are programmed from the exterior by means of a remote or distant console which is commonly called a "programmer". The verification of parameters of the implant and/or the transmission of information recorded by the implant are typically realized by electromagnetic inductive coupling, called "telemetry"in the technique in question. The programmer is typically supplied with a receiver or head that is placed in face of, that is in proximity to the site of, the implant. This head comprises an antenna or coil that collects the magnetic field emitted from or generated by the implanted device by which data or information is communicated.
When one operates a transmission of information from the implant to the programmer, the nature of the material used in the construction of the housing of the implant (also known as the "case" as it will be hereinafter referred) should be taken into account. Indeed, the case is generally formed of a metallic material such as titanium. This material, due to its electrically conductive properties, has a current induced as a result of a transmission of data or information by telemetry, i.e., the main magnetic field or the useful signal. The induced current operates to re-emit a compensatory (parasitic) magnetic field that combines with, and has the effect of a low-pass filter on, the main magnetic field. This low-pass filtering introduces a distortion of a type known as "inter-symbol interference" or "inter-symbol jamming" or "longitudinal interference". It has, as an effect, in a given sequence of symbols (units of information), an overflow of one symbol on the following symbol. For adjacent symbols, this distortion becomes significant and can introduce ambiguities during the decoding of symbols.

Filtering telemetry signals emitted by a medical device


A lithographic apparatus is provided that includes an illumination system for conditioning a beam of radiation, and a support for supporting a patterning device. The patterning device serves to impart the beam of radiation with a pattern in its cross-section. The apparatus also includes a substrate table for holding a substrate, a projection system for projecting the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate, an isolated reference frame for providing a reference surface, and a measuring system for measuring the substrate with respect to the reference surface. The reference frame includes a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion of greater than about 2.9×10−6/K.

A lithographic apparatus is a machine that applies a desired pattern onto a target portion of a substrate. Lithographic apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). In that circumstance, a patterning device, such as a mask, may be used to generate a circuit pattern corresponding to an individual layer of the IC, and this pattern can be imaged onto a target portion (e.g. including part of, one or several dies) on a substrate (e.g. a silicon wafer) that has a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist). In general, a single substrate will contain a network of adjacent target portions that are successively exposed. Known lithographic apparatus include so-called steppers, in which each target portion is irradiated by exposing an entire pattern onto the target portion in one go, and so-called scanners, in which each target portion is irradiated by scanning the pattern through the projection beam in a given direction (the "scanning"-direction) while synchronously scanning the substrate parallel or anti-parallel to this direction.
Lithographic apparatus include a reference frame, which may also be referred as a metrology frame in the art. The reference frame provides support for the projection system. In certain types of conventional lithographic apparatus the reference frame is isolated from disturbances caused by other components of the lithographic apparatus, such as the long and short stroke motors used to drive the reticle and wafer stages. Reference frames are conventionally made from materials having a low coefficient of thermal expansion, such as alloys including INVAR®. Until now, it has been assumed that such materials having a low coefficient of thermal expansion are used in order to meet the thermal demands of the reference frame. Unfortunately, these materials are expensive resulting in a high manufacture cost. Furthermore, such materials are in limited supply and have a limited manufacturability. Operating in a dynamic market of supply and demand, these factors may contribute to an unacceptably long lead time for the production of a reference frame. Such a long lead time also includes a large expense in terms of the man hours required to construct the reference frame due to the sub-optimal manufacturability of conventional reference frame materials. Due to problems in supply and demand of reference frames, it has been found that it may not be possible to supply reference frames in sufficiently high volume in a market upturn, thereby losing output, and it may not be possible to reduce output volume in a market down-turn, thereby forcing goods to remain in storage.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,529,264 discloses a frame for connecting parts of an optical system, that includes two barrels disposed on top of their own flange-connection to an assembly frame. The patent addresses the problem that movements between certain points of the optical axis that are relatively weakly connected may result in imaging performance loss. In particular, this patent addresses the problem of reducing these movements in the frame. It would appear that the frame is made of materials including aluminium and stainless steel. The frame does not constitute a reference frame, but can be seen as part of a projection optics assembly, where it provides the function of improving the imaging performance of this assembly. This patent thus indicates a technical prejudice that frames for lithographic apparatus made of non-low thermal expansion coefficient materials, such as aluminium, suffer vibrations that may detrimentally affect the performance of the lithographic apparatus, and that may need additional solutions. This patent implies that the frame disclosed would not be suitable as a reference frame due to the vibrations suffered. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,529,264, the solution includes providing an additional frame. The provision of an additional frame produces an overdetermined construction, because a single lower assembly frame may be sufficient. To overcome the mechanical problems of overdetermination, the solution would be to make the frame a separate part that is only stiff in limited directions, and to connect it after the two barrels are positioned to each other through the assembly frame, as proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,529,264. Further, the thermo-dynamical problems of an overdetermined assembly would be to make the materials of the frame parts and the assembly frame part the same, also as proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,529,264.

Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method


The present invention provides a method for treating a solid dosage form to improve the printability and abrasion resistance of a print to be produced on a surface of the solid dosage form, which includes treating the surface of the solid dosage form with a polyethylene glycol-containing aqueous solution before printing; a production method of a solid dosage form with a printed surface, which includes printing on the surface after the aforementioned treatment; and a solid dosage form having a print improved in abrasion resistance on its surface, which can be obtained by the aforementioned production method.

There are many kinds of tablets and capsules that resemble one another in the size, color tone and shape. To identify each preparation, a company name, a company mark, a product name, active ingredient contents and the like are often coded and directly imprinted on the preparation. For imprinting, engraving and printing are available. While engraving is employed for plain tablets free of coating, a subset of film-coated tablets and the like, printing is employed for many film-coated tablets, sugar-coated tablets, capsules and the like.
For tablets and capsules, polishing with wax (in this specification, it means "wax" in a narrow sense, namely, fatty acid ester of higher alcohol: examples: carnauba wax, bees wax and the like) is often applied for the purpose of increasing the commercial value by glossy appearance, protecting a preparation from highly humid environment, preventing staining with coloring agents, improving slip property to facilitate handling in later operations of printing, inspection, packing and the like, and the like (e.g., Porter and two others, Pan Coating of Tablets and Granules, edited by Herbert A. Lieberman and one other, Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms Tablets, vol. 3, US, Marcel Dekker Inc., 1982, p. 92). Wax can be used by dissolving in an organic solvent such as chloroform/acetone and the like, or suspending in a dispersion medium such as alcohol and the like, or directly applied to the surface of a preparation as a fine powder. However, it is desirable to avoid use of an organic solvent in view of the safety issue caused by a residual solvent, a large scale facility required to prevent accident and environmental pollution, and the like. Moreover, the use of a suspension and a powder may cause non-uniform coating, possibly leading to inconvenience.
Furthermore, polishing with a wax prior to printing may cause easy scratch of prints and stain of the preparation itself as well as containers, which in turn impairs identification function and also reduces the commercial value due to the defective appearance. In addition, some kind of wax provides too much polish that can cause printing failure, and decrease the product yield (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,629 (column 1, lines 34-39)).

Method for treatment of solid pharmaceutical preparation prior to printing and solid pharmaceutical preparation subjected to treatment prior to printing


A method for fabricating an ultra-high tensile-stressed nitride film is disclosed. A PECVD process is first performed to deposit a transitional silicon nitride film over a substrate. The transitional silicon nitride film has a first concentration of hydrogen atoms. The transitional silicon nitride film is subjected to UV curing process for reducing the first concentration of hydrogen atoms to a second concentration of hydrogen atoms.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the fabrication of semiconductor devices, and more particularly, to a method for forming an ultra-high tensile-stressed nitride film and strained-silicon transistor devices thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For decades, chip manufacturers have made metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistors faster by making them smaller. As the semiconductor processes advance to very deep sub micron era such as 65-nm node or beyond, how to increase the driving current for MOS transistors has become a critical issue.
In order to improve device performance, crystal strain technology has been developed. Crystal strain technology is becoming more and more attractive as a means for getting better performance in the field of CMOS transistor fabrication. Putting a strain on a semiconductor crystal alters the speed at which charges move through that crystal. Strain makes CMOS transistors work better by enabling electrical charges, such as electrons, to pass more easily through the silicon lattice of the gate channel.
Generally, strain in silicon can be induced in different ways: through stresses created by films in a form of poly stressor or contact etch stop layer (CESL) and structures that surround the transistor, called process-induced strain, or by employing a strained silicon wafer, where the top layer of silicon has typically been grown on top of a crystalline lattice that is larger than that of silicon. Most leading-edge chip manufacturers employ process-induced stress in some form in production today, typically tensile nitrides to improve NMOS device performance. As known in the art, tensile stress improves electron mobility and compressive stress improves hole mobility.
It is desirable to employ a nitride film having a tensile stress as high as possible in the fabrication of transistor devices. Specifically, according to the roadmap, a nitride CESL film with a tensile stress that is greater than 1.8 Gpa is required in the next-generation 45 nm process. However, so far the nitride film formed by conventional plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) methods can only reach a tensile stress of 1.2 GPa at the best.
In light of the above, there is a need in this industry to provide a method of forming nitride films having an ultra-high tensile stress for the next-generation process.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method for fabricating ultra-high tensile-stressed film and strained-silicon transistors thereof


An optical component includes a base material and an antireflection film containing silica particles, wherein the porosity of the antireflection film is 15% by volume or more and 36% by volume or less. The number-based average particle diameter of the silica particles is preferably 0.5 nm or more and 4.0 nm or less. The antireflection film is preferably formed by using a composition containing the silica particles and a dispersion medium for dispersing the silica particles. The thickness of the antireflection film is preferably 50 nm or more and 120 nm or less.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an optical component and a timepiece.
2. Related Art
In an optical component such as a cover glass for a timepiece, an antireflection film which prevents light reflection is provided for the purpose of enhancing visibility on an opposite surface side or the like.
In the related art, an optical component had a complicated structure such that many layers are stacked on one another for obtaining a sufficient antireflection function (see, for example JP-A-2010-37115). Further, in the related art, each layer constituting an antireflection film is formed by a chemical vapor deposition, and therefore, the productivity of the optical component is poor, and also the production cost is high.


One embodiment of the present invention provides an arrangement of differential pairs of wires that carry differential signals across a semiconductor chip. In this arrangement, differential pairs of wires are organized within a set of parallel tracks on the semiconductor chip. Furthermore, differential pairs of wires are organized to be non-adjacent within the tracks. This means that each true wire is separated from its corresponding complement wire by at least one intervening wire in the set of parallel tracks, thereby reducing coupling capacitance between corresponding true and complement wires. Moreover, this arrangement may include one or more twisting structures, wherein a twisting structure twists a differential pair of wires so that the corresponding true and complement wires are interchanged within the set of parallel tracks.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to techniques for routing signals across a semiconductor chip. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for routing differential signals across a semiconductor chip in a manner that reduces effective capacitance and differential coupling.
2. Related Art
As processor clock speeds continue to increase at an exponential rate, data must be transferred at correspondingly faster rates between computer system components. This can be a problem for conventional bus structures because the faster switching speeds and smaller voltage swings in the latest generation of semiconductor chips cause signal lines to be more sensitive to noise.
To remedy this problem, designers are beginning to use differential signaling to transmit signals across a semiconductor chip. Differential signaling uses two signal lines to carry a "true" and "complement" version of each signal, wherein the value of the signal is indicated by the voltage difference between the two signal lines. Because currents are balanced between power and ground rails, differential signaling reduces power supply noise and effectively provides return currents. Moreover, differential signaling is less sensitive to ground shifts (or other common mode noise) between sender and receiver because differential signaling relies on voltage differences between pairs of signal lines, instead of relying on an absolute voltage level of a single signal line.
As the demand for higher bandwidth continues to increase, designers are beginning to pack differential wires tightly together to increase the total number of communication channels. However, when differential wires are packed tightly together, they can potentially interfere with each other through energy coupling, which can have deleterious effects on performance and reliability. For example, FIG. 1 illustrates a differential pair of wires, A and Ā, which carry complementary signals. Hence, if A moves up, Ā moves down, and vice versa. The differential pair, B and {overscore (B)}, operates in the same manner. Note that these differential pairs typically belong to a wider signal bus, which includes additional differential pairs of the same length that run in the same direction.
In the arrangement of wires as illustrated in FIG. 1, signals in neighboring wires can potentially interfere with each other. For example, if a signal in wire B moves up, the corresponding complement signal in wire {overscore (B)} moves down. Since wire Ā is adjacent to wire B, this can couple energy into wire Ā, which can potentially cause errors or reduce performance. Furthermore, note that signals in wires Ā and B can disturb each along the entire length of the wires.
In order to remedy this problem, designers sometimes "twist" differential pairs of wires. For example, FIG. 2 illustrates a "fully-twisted" wiring scheme. In this fully-twisted scheme, if wire B moves up, it couples wire Ā upwards for ¼ of the wire length, but it also couples wire A upwards for ¼ of the wire length. At the same time, wire Ā has the same downward effect on both B and {overscore (B)}. Hence, the net coupling effect is zero in the first order.
Note, however, that wires A and Ā (and wires B and {overscore (B)}) are adjacent, and typically with minimal spacing. The line-to-line capacitance of two adjacent wires in a modem technology is approximately 70% of the total capacitance of the wire. In addition, the effective capacitance between any two physical structures doubles when the voltage on those two structures swings in opposite directions. Consequently, this fully-twisted scheme doubles the wire-to-wire "effective" capacitance seen by each wire, thereby causing higher power dissipation as well as longer delay.
Hence, what is needed is a method and an apparatus for routing differential signals across a semiconductor chip in a manner that reduces effective capacitance as well as differential coupling.

Method and apparatus for routing differential signals across a semiconductor chip


An apparatus for controlling rescue operations and for improving power efficiency in which an Auto Landing of Power failure ALP device is provided with an active power filter for supplying a compensation current to a control unit when the ALP device is in a stand by condition that a power failure does not occur. The apparatus includes a control unit for controlling an operation of an elevator cage by activating an induction motor with a three-phase AC voltage source; an ALP device for controlling an emergency mode by supplying the three-phase AC voltage converted from a DC voltage from a battery by a stand-by inverter when a power failure occurs, opening/closing contacts being opened in a normal power supply condition so as to make the ALP device not connected to the control unit and being closed in a power failure condition so as to make the ALP device connected to the control unit for supplying the power; a DC voltage detector for detecting the DC voltage supplied to the stand-by inverter; a real current detector for detecting the current supplied to the control unit in the normal power supply condition; a power source voltage detector for detecting a voltage of the power source supplied to the control unit; and an automatic rescue operation controller for controlling the ALP device to perform an automatic rescue operation in the power failure condition, and for acting as an active power compensation filter in the normal power supply condition.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rescue device whose power efficiency is improved with the use of an Auto Landing of Power failure device (Hereinafter, referred to as an ALP device), and in particular to an ALP device capable of providing a function of an active filter during a normal power supply with the power efficiency of a control panel improved, while still providing its own function when a power failure occurs.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an elevator system includes an ALP device to accomplish a rescue operation so as to rescue a plurality of passengers locked in an elevator car which is abruptly stopped due to a power failure.
When a power failure occurs, the ALP device supplies its battery voltage to the control panel after adjustment of its battery voltage to a predetermined level which is appropriate to an input terminal of the control panel. However, the ALP device is not operating unless the power source fails or is malfunctioning.
FIG. 1 shows the construction of a control panel 1A and the ALP device 1B which are included in a rescue device. Referring to FIG. 1, the control panel 1A comprises an AC/DC converter 3 for converting an AC power transmitted from a three-phase AC voltage source 1 via contacts 2 which is closed when the power is supplied to elevator devices; a capacitor 4 acting as a smoothing circuit for decreasing the ripple of the DC power outputted from the AC/DC converter 3; an inverter 7 for converting the DC voltage across the capacitor to the three-phase AC voltage with a variable voltage VV and a variable frequency VF; a current ampere meter 8 for reading the output current of the inverter; an induction motor 9 for supplying the power to an elevator cage 12; a speed meter 14 for reading the angular speed of the rotating induction motor; a load detector 15 for detecting the load of the elevator car 12; a central processing unit (hereinafter, referred to as a CPU) 16 for controlling the operation of the inverter 7 so as to make the induction motor to rotate at a target speed upon receipt of output signals of the ampere meter 8, the speed meter 14, and the load detector 15, and for controlling the operation of an element 6 to be conducted resulting in that the power generated from the induction motor when the induction motor starts to rotate in regenerative power domain can be consumed by passing through the resistor 5; and a voltage transformer 17 for supplying an appropriate voltage to the CPU with its fixed turn ratio.
The ALP device 1B comprises a battery 24 for supplying a stand-by DC power of a predetermined level to the system; a capacitor 23 for smoothing the ripples of the DC voltage outputted from the battery; a stand-by inverter 22 for converting the DC voltage across the capacitor to the three-phase AC voltage with the variable voltage VV, and variable frequency VF; an ampere meter 21 for reading the output current of the stand-by inverter; a reactor 20 for smoothing the output current provided to the transformer 18 from the stand-by inverter; a filter 19 for filtering the output voltage provided to the control panel 1A from the inverter 22 across the reactor; a voltage transformer 18 for transforming the output voltage of the inverter 22 to an appropriate level for the CPU 1A; an AC voltmeter 25 for reading the AC voltage from the filter; an automatic rescue mode controller 26 for controlling to activate the stand-by inverter 22 upon receipt of the output signals of the ampere meter 21 and the AC voltmeter 25. Here, the reference numerals 10, 11, and 13 respectively denote a traction machine, a brake, and a counterweight.
The operation of the rescue device as constructed above will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. When the three-phase AC voltage source is normally supplying the power, the contacts 2 is in an ON-state so that the voltage of the three-phase AC voltage of a predetermined level is supplied through contact 2 and the voltage transformer to the CPU 16. The voltage of the three-phase voltage is also supplied through the converter 3 and the capacitor 4 to the inverter 7.
The inverter 7 then controls the torque and the rotation number of the induction motor 9 by outputting the three-phase AC power to the induction motor in accordance with an AC voltage signal inputted from the CPU.
The CPU 16 also determines whether or not the regenerative power is generated from the induction motor. If determined that the regenerative power is generated, the CPU outputs a control signal to the element 6 such that the element is conducting, causing the regenerative power to be transmitted through the element and then to be consumed through a resistor 5.
However, if the three-phase AC voltage, namely the normal power source is failed or malfunctioning, the contacts is in an OFF-state. At this time, the DC voltage from the battery 24 is transmitted to the stand-by inverter 22. The stand-by inverter 22 converts the DC voltage across the capacitor 23 to the three-phase AC voltage with the variable voltage and variable frequency upon receipt of the signal from the CPU. The reactor 20 smooths the ripple of the output voltage of the stand-by inverter and transmits the smoothed voltage to the filter. The filter 19 filters the input voltage, and transmits the filtered voltage to the voltage transformer 18. The voltage transformer 18 transforms the input voltage to a predetermined level. On the other hand, the AC voltmeter 25 reads the voltage from the filter, and transmits it to the rescue mode controller 26. The transformer 18 provides its output voltage to the converter 3 disposed in the control panel 1A.
The CPU 16 therefore is operable at the same condition even when the power failure occurs. However, the CPU recognizes that the power is supplied not from the inverter 7 but from the stand-by inverter 22, so that the CPU sets the system with the rescue mode and is operating accordingly to rescue the passengers locked in the elevator car.
The CPU also sends the control signal to make the element 6 conducting so that the regenerative power generated from the induction motor 9 can be consumed and eliminated by passing through the conducting element 6 and then the resistor 5.
However, when the induction motor 9 is activated by the converter 3 and the inverter 7 to shift the elevator car 12 to the destination floor landing in response to a car call signal or a hall call signal generated by the passenger(s), the current of the converter 3 will be a pulse type as shown in the FIG. 2b.
When the current pulse reversely passes to the three-phase AC voltage 1, the total power efficiency cos .phi. can be expressed with the power efficiency of the fundamental wave cos .phi..sub.1 and the distortion ratio .mu. as in the following equations 1 and 2. ##EQU1## (Here, .phi. and .phi..sub.1 are phase differences between the current and the voltage of the fundamental wave and the total wave including the fundamental wave and the harmonic wave.)
As can be seen in the equations 1 and 2, the total power efficiency becomes degraded (normally in the range of 0.6.about.0.75) when the distortion ratio of the current is getting worse. Accordingly, the conventional rescue device suffers from the disadvantages in that the power consumption and the complexity of the input terminal of the control panel are getting increased, and a serious harmonic wave distortion appears at the input terminal.
The conventional rescue device also suffers from a further disadvantage that the ALP device becomes operable only when the power failure occurs, so that the efficiency of the ALP device is low compared to its price.

Apparatus for controlling rescue operations and for improving power efficiency


An extraction cap of an integrated puncture repair kit is provided with: an intake unit for taking compressed air coming from a compressor into the extraction cap; an outlet unit for taking the intaken compressed air or both compressed air and a puncture repair solution to outside the extraction cap; a dedicated air flow path that ordinarily connects to the intake unit and provides conduction from the inlet unit to the outlet unit without passing through a bottle container; a dedicated puncture repair flow path comprising a first flow path section that is connected by a switching means to the intake unit instead of the dedicated air flow path and providing conduction from the intake unit into the bottle container, and a second flow path section providing conduction from inside the bottle container to the intake unit; a first on-off valve that is interposed in the second flow path section and ordinarily closes the first flow path section; and the switching means, which is actuated by downward pressing of a bottle unit and connects the intake unit switching from the dedicated air flow path to the dedicated puncture repair flow path, and also releases the first on-off valve to close the second flow path section.

As an integrated puncture repair kit that is switchable between puncture repair and charging only compressed air so as to enhance versatility, one described in the following patent document 1 is known. As conceptually shown in FIG. 8, the integrated puncture repair kit includes a compressor (b), a bottle unit (c), and a manual transfer switch (d) interposed between the compressor (b) and an extraction cap (c2), which are respectively disposed in a housing case (a). The bottle unit (c) includes a bottle container (c1) storing a puncture repair fluid therein, and the extraction cap (c2) attached to a mouth portion of the bottle container (c1).
The extraction cap (c2) includes an inlet mouth portion (e1) to take in compressed air, and an outlet mouth portion (e2). Upon the compressed air from the inlet mouth portion (e1), the puncture repair fluid from the bottle container (c1) and the compressed air are sequentially discharged outside through the outlet mouth portion (e2).
The manual transfer switch (d) includes an inflow port (Pi) coupled to the compressor (b), and first and second outflow ports (Po1, Po2) to be selectively switched so as to communicate with the inflow port (Pi). The first outflow port (Po1) is coupled to the air inlet mouth portion (e1). A hose (f) dedicated to compressed air is coupled to the second outflow port (Po2). A hose (g) dedicated to puncture repair is coupled to the outlet mouth portion (e2).
The above puncture repair kit, however, includes the two hoses (f, g), and hence it is difficult to distinguish which one should be coupled to an object. Additionally, the transfer switch (d) is disposed separately, resulting in complicated internal piping. The complicated internal piping impairs assembly work efficiency and makes it difficult to achieve downsizing and cost reductions of the integrated puncture repair kit. The use of the two hoses (f, g) is also obstructive to the downsizing and cost reductions.


A magnetic tape drive (20) has features for counteracting inverted insertion of a tape cartridge. A loading tray (30) of the drive has a displaceabie dustcover release element (72) which actuates a release lever of a dustcover of the cartridge when the cartridge is properly inserted into the tray but which displaces when an inverted cartridge is inserted into the tray. In one embodiment, the displaceable dustcover release element resiliently protrudes through an aperture (70) of a bottom wall (60) of the tray and into an interior of the tray. The tray has a bottom wall with a bottom wall edge (90) configured to extend over a dustcover lid of an inverted cartridge inserted into the tray and thereby preclude catching of the dustcovet on the bottom wall. Moreover, the tray has inverted cartridge stop members (82) provided at a position to abut an inverted cartridge upon full insertion of the inverted cartridge into the tray.

1. Field of Invention
This invention pertains to tape drives which read and recording information on magnetic tape, and particularly to tape drives of the type into which cartridges of magnetic tape are insertable.
2. Related Art and Other Considerations
Tape drives which handle magnetic tape cartridges for recording and reproduction purposes typically have a loading tray or the like provided proximate the mouth of the drive for receiving the cartridge upon insertion. The tray ultimately facilitates proper positioning of the cartridge in the drive so that a dustcover of the cartridge can be automatically opened. Opening of the dustcover permits the drive to extract tape from a properly inserted cartridge into a tape path of the drive. The tape path includes a head which has one or more elements for recording magnetic flux transitions on the tape or for reading magnetic flux transitions recorded on the tape.
Tape cartridges have a small dustcover release lever provided on a side of the cartridge. Unless the dustcover release lever is tripped upon insertion of the cartridge into the drive, the cartridge dustcover will not open and the tape inside the cartridge cannot be exposed and engaged by extraction mechanisms of the drive.
Loading trays are typically metallic and have a rigid cantilever tooth extending from one edge of a bottom wall of the tray in a position to trip the dustcover release lever upon proper insertion of a cartridge into the drive. Conventionally the rigid cantilever teeth are formed integrally with the metallic bottom wall of the tray.
Unfortunately, cartridges are not always properly inserted into drives. When a cartridge is inserted upside-down into a drive, the rigid cantilever tooth snags one edge of the cartridge. Persistent shoving of the cartridge into the drive causes the cartridge to be skewed in the tray, with one edge of the cartridge being caught by the rigid cantilever tooth and an opposite edge of the cartridge abutting a stop which projects from the tray bottom wall. Withdrawal of the cartridge from the tray is complicated by the fact that a flap on the dustcover, if even slightly opened, tends to snag on an edge of the tray bottom wall. The cartridge becomes jammed in the tray, requiring patience if not expertise to resolve. Jammed cartridges hamper drive performance and waste operator time.
Accordingly, what is needed, and an object of the present invention, is a drive which counteracts inverted insertion of magnetic tape cartridges.

Tape drive with tray for counteracting inverted cartridge insertion


A joint (4) on a spacecraft (1) for holding together a first craft part (2) and a second craft part, (3) detachable from the first craft part (2). The joint (4) comprises a first flange (5) fixed on the first craft part (2), and a second flange (6) fixed on the second craft part (3), and a number of clamps (7) having a first (7a) and a second (7c) clamp lip, the said clamps being distributed about the periphery of the flanges (5, 6). The clamps transfer radial forces from a tightening device (8), fitted to the clamps (7), so as to fasten the two flanges (5, 6) together. The first flange (5) is clamped between a first clamp surface (7b) on the first clamp lip (7a), and a separation surface (6b) on the second flange (6). These surfaces (7b, 6b) form an acute angle xcex4, the apex of which is directed in towards the spacecraft (1).

The invention presented here relates to a joint for holding together detachable parts of a spacecraft, particularly during launching of the spacecraft. More specifically, the invention concerns a joint comprising a number of clamps, which by means of an encircling brace are pressed against flanges on the detachable components and thereby holding them together.
Joint devices for connecting, without any significant relative movement, detachable parts of a spacecraft, for example a carrier rocket and a satellite, are important structural units for absorbing the forces that arise between the said parts during launching of the spacecraft.
In the patent document SE 511 762 a flange joint on a space rocket is described. The flange joint has an axially directed guide on a first flange, and a corresponding slot in the second flange for absorbing shearing loads.
The joint devices must be low-weight and be designed for very high reliability because of the extremely high cost of launching, as well as the impossibility of correcting any faults that may arise when the craft has left the ground. Low weight is particularly important for the spacecraft""s satellite part.
Spacecraft and their detachable parts are subjected to loads, for example moments of bending and torsion, vibrations and pressure. When the spacecraft is subjected to, for example, a moment of bending, it produces a tension load on one side of the spacecraft and a thrust load on the opposite side of the spacecraft. On the side where the tension load arises, forces are produced that act to press in towards the spacecraft the part of the satellite part closest to the joint.
The purpose of the invention is to solve one or more of the above-described problems. This is achieved with a device as in claim 1.
By equipping the joint with a clamped flange which has an acute angle directed in towards the craft, the flange is obstructed from moving outwards.
The accompanying sub-claims describe additional preferred embodiments according to the invention


An integrated connector device includes a cable reel, an encoder, and combined switch systems. It further includes a base shell including: a top wall portion with a central through-hole; an outer sidewall portion extending downwardly from the top wall portion and having first and second lever notches; and first and second partitions respectively provided at a predetermined distance from the outer sidewall portion. The cable reel includes a fixed body and a mobile body. The combined switch systems include a turn indicator-signal system and a lighting system respectively including turn indicator-signal and lighting levers. The cable reel is positioned in the base shell with their respective central axes aligned, such that the fixed body is positioned between the first and second partitions, the turn indicator-signal system is positioned between the outer sidewall portion and the first partition, the lighting system is positioned between the outer sidewall portion and the second partition, and the turn indicator-signal and lighting levers extend outwardly through the first and second lever notches.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally pertains to an integrated device including a cable reel and combined switch systems for mounting in a steering wheel of an automobile.
2. Description of Background Information
Nowadays, a steering wheel usually contains an airbag and an inflator for inflating the airbag. The inflator is electrically connected to electrical circuitry mounted on a panel of an automobile via a cable reel known as a rotary connector. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cable reel includes an outer cylindrical body which constitutes a fixed body 2. The fixed body 2 is connected to combination switch bodies 3 linked to a steering column 4. The cable reel 1 also includes a mobile body 5, which constitutes an inner cylindrical body. The mobile body 5 is mounted into the fixed body 2 in a freely rotatable manner, and is further fitted into a steering wheel so as to form a hollow torus. The hollow torus contains a flat cable 6 arranged in a spiral. One end of the flat cable 6 is fixed to the fixed body 2, and the other end thereof is fixed to the mobile body 5, so that the signals passing through the flat cable 6 can be transmitted to outside. When the steering wheel is turned, the mobile body is rotated correspondingly clockwise or counter-clockwise. The flat cable 6 can follow the above rotation by winding or unwinding its spirals.
In a known steering wheel system, which includes a cable reel 1, combination switch bodies 3, a steering wheel and a steering column 4, a mobile body 5 mounted in the cable reel 1 is fixed to the lower end (as viewed in FIG. 2) of the steering wheel through a lobe (not shown in the figures). The fixed body 2, into which the mobile body 5 is mounted in a freely rotatable manner, is fixed on the upper face (as viewed in FIG. 2) of the combination switch bodies 3, and the combination switch bodies 3 are fixed to the steering column 4. The combination switch body 3 located on the right-hand side of the steering column (FIG. 1) carries a turn indicator-signal unit 7 (winker or blinker unit) which includes a turn indicator-signal housing 7a containing turn indicator-signal circuitry 7b such as a turn indicator-signal switch (winker switch). Likewise, the combination switch body 3 located on the left-hand side of the steering column (FIG. 1) carries a lighting unit 8 which includes a lighting housing 8a containing lighting circuitry 8b such as a light switch. The turn indicator-signal unit 7 and the lighting unit 8 further include a turn indicator-signal lever 7c and a lighting lever 8c, both projecting outwardly from the respective housings 7a and 8a.
One of the combination switch bodies 3 and a steering shaft 9 form a space under the cable reel 1. Accordingly, a cancel cam 10 and an encoder (steering angle sensor) 11 can be installed in this space, and mounted on the steering shaft 9.
However, in the above construction, the turn indicator-signal unit 7, lighting unit 8, cable reel 1, cancel cam 10 and encoder 11 are provided as corresponding individual units, and assembled together at a subsequent stage. Accordingly, each unit requires a housing and mounting means, e.g. bolts, by which it is linked to the other units. As a result, the number of parts used tends to increase greatly.
Further, the housing for these units tends to increase the height, diameter and weight of the construction, as does the configuration in which the cable reel 1 is mounted on the combination switch bodies 3. Moreover, the above units are typically supplied by different manufacturers. A sufficient degree of clearance must then be provided when these units are assembled. As a result, a space, otherwise unnecessary, must be taken into account, and the construction becomes more voluminous.
An object of the present invention is therefore to provide a structure requiring no unit-by-unit assembling. According to another aspect of the present invention, the structure of the integrated connector device is reduced to a minimum size and weight, by modifying the mounting position of the cable reel.
To this end, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an integrated connector device including a cable reel and combined switch system. The integrated connector device further includes a base shell including: a top wall portion with a central through-hole; an outer sidewall portion extending downwardly from the top wall portion and having first and second lever notches; and first and second partitions respectively provided at a predetermined distance from the outer sidewall portion. The base shell has a central axis.
The cable reel of the present invention also includes a fixed body and a mobile body, and has a central axis.
The combined switch systems of the present invention may also include a turn indicator signal system and a lighting system respectively including turn indicator signal and lighting levers.
The cable reel is fitted into the base shell by joining the respective central axis, such that the fixed body is fitted between the first and second partitions, the turn indicator-signal system being fitted between the outer sidewall portion and the first partition, the lighting system is fitted between the outer sidewall portion and the second partition, and the turn indicator-signal and lighting levers are extended outwardly through the first and second lever notches.
Preferably, the mobile body of the cable reel contained in the base shell includes an upper portion, and the upper portion carries a cancel cam integrally formed therewith.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, the mobile body of the cable reel contained in the base shell includes a top wall portion, and the fixed body of the cable reel includes an outer sidewall portion. The top wall portion of the mobile body carries a main scale portion integrally formed therewith. There is provided an encoder between the outer sidewall portion of the fixed body and the outer sidewall portion of the base shell, but spaced from the positions where the turn indicator-signal and lighting systems are located, such that the encoder can detect the position of the main scale portion.
Suitably, the cable reel and the base shell are adapted to be joined to a steering shaft having a central axis, such that the central axes of the cable reel and base shell are the same as that of the steering shaft, and the turn indicator-signal system and the lighting system are placed at a predetermined position with respect to the central axis of the steering shaft.
As mentioned above, the present invention includes a base shell which contains a turn indicator-signal system including necessary functional parts, as well as a lighting system including necessary functional parts. These functional parts are no longer stored in separate housings as in the prior art, but incorporated into the base shell as an integral system thereof The space necessary for the separate housings can thus be eliminated. Further, the cable reel is fitted into the inner side (central axis side of the base shell) of the first and second partitions of the base shell, so that the height and width size of the integrated connector device is reduced, and the entire structure of the device becomes compact.
Further, the turn indicator-signal system and the lighting system are not stored in separate housings as a unitary entity, so that functional parts for these systems can be added or modified very easily.
Furthermore, when the above systems are adopted, it is no longer necessary to rely on the separate unitary entities which are often manufactured by different parts-makers. The space usually necessary for clearance between these unitary entities of different origins can thus be obviated, and the whole device can be miniaturized.
Further yet, the integrated connector device is configured such that the central axis of the base shell and that of the steering shaft are brought together, so that all members or systems to be incorporated into the base shell can be installed very easily at predetermined positions with respect to the central axis.
The encoder preferably includes a printed circuit board, and a sensor system connected thereto which includes a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element. A main scale is provided in a space formed between the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element, and rotated therein in conjunction with the mobile body, so that the steering angle can be detected. All these members are integrally molded in a resin.
The cancel cam and the main scale are integrally formed with the mobile body of the cable reel. Further, the encoder is disposed between the fixed body and the base shell, in ways that the structure of the integrated connector device is simplified and rendered more compact.

Integrated connector device including a cable reel and combined switch systems


An abrasivejet cutting head is disclosed that includes a valve assembly for preventing back-flow to the abrasive hopper of abrasive-laden fluid from the cutting head when the discharge path for the abrasivejet becomes clogged or otherwise blocked. The valve assembly is positioned within the abrasive line to conduct abrasive from the hopper towards the abrasivejet nozzle. The valve assembly further includes a discharge path which is sealed off from the abrasivejet nozzle during normal operation in response to the relatively lower pressure in the abrasive jet nozzle that results from the flowing fluid therein. If the jet path is blocked or competed in a manner that causes a backflow of the abrasive-laden slurry therein, the cessation of low pressure permits the backflowing slurry to exit via the discharge path and bypass the hopper, substantially avoiding the downtime previously required to clean the hopper.

The use of high velocity, abrasive-laden liquid jets to precisely cut a variety of materials is well known. Briefly, a high velocity liquid jet is first formed by compressing the liquid to an operating pressure of 3,500 to 150,000 psi, and forcing the compressed liquid through an orifice having a diameter approximating that of a human hair; namely, 0.003–0.040 inches. The material defining the waterjet-forming orifice is typically a hard jewel such sapphire, ruby or diamond.
The resulting highly coherent jet is discharged from the orifice at a velocity which approaches or exceeds the speed of sound. The liquid most frequently used to from the jet is water, and the high velocity jet described hereinafter may accordingly be identified as a waterjet. Those skilled in the art will recognize, however, that numerous other liquids can be used without departing from the scope of the invention, and the recitation of the jet as comprising water should not be interpreted as a limitation.
To enhance the cutting power of the waterjet, abrasive materials have been added to the jet stream to produce an abrasive-laden waterjet, typically called an "abrasivejet". The abrasivejet is used to effectively cut a wide variety of materials from exceptionally hard materials (such as tool steel, aluminum, cast iron armor plate, certain ceramics and bullet-proof glass) to soft materials (such as lead). Typical abrasive materials include garnet, silica, and aluminum oxide having grit sizes of #36 through #200.
To produce the abrasivejet, the waterjet passes through a "mixing region" wherein a quantity of abrasive is entrained into the jet by the low pressure region that surrounds the flowing liquid in accordance with the Bernoulli Principle. The abrasive, which is under atmospheric pressure in an external hopper, is drawn into the mixing region by the lower pressure region via a conduit that communicates with the interior of the hopper. In operation, quantities of up to 6 lbs./min of abrasive material have been found to produce a suitable abrasive jet.
The resulting abrasive-laden waterjet is then discharged against a workpiece through an abrasivejet nozzle that is supported closely adjacent the workpiece. The spent abrasive-laden water is drained away from the workpiece in any of a number of known ways, and collected in a collection tank for recycling of the abrasive and/or proper disposal.
During operation of abrasivejet systems, the fluid path between the mixing region and the discharge opening of the abrasivejet nozzle can become clogged or blocked sufficiently to cause the abrasive-laden water to back up to and into the external hopper. The system must then be shut down so that the external hopper can be emptied of the resulting slurry, cleaned, dried and refilled with abrasive. In addition, the abrasive-carrying conduit must be cleaned and dried or replaced, and the orifice member and other internal components of the cutting head must be cleaned as well. The resulting downtime of the cutting system increases the cost of production, adversely affects production schedules and creates unexpected messy work for the operator.

Abrasivejet cutting head with back-flow prevention valve