Improved coal tar compositions are described which are prepared from a blend comprising:. (A) based on the combined weight of coal tar and coal tar pitch, from about 80 parts to about 98 parts by weight of coal tar having an overall float test of from about 50 seconds to about 220 seconds, PA1 (B) based on the combined weight of coal tar and coal tar pitch, from about 2 parts to about 20 parts by weight of coal tar pitch having a softening point of from about 140.degree. C. to about 160.degree. C., and PA1 (C) from about 1% to about 20% by weight, based on the total weight of the composition, of an acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer. In one embodiment up to 35 parts by weight of the coal tar (A) is replaced with a coal tar selected from coal tars having softening points of from about 52.degree. C.-60.degree. C., and from about 56.degree. C.-64.degree. C. The coal tar compositions are not emulsions, and generally will not contain any significant amount of water (e.g., less than 0.5% by weight). The invention also relates to a process for preparing the coal tar compositions which comprises the steps of: PA1 (A) preparing at an elevated temperature, a first mixture comprising PA1 (B) maintaining the first mixture at a temperature of at least about 170.degree. C., PA1 (C) adding to the first mixture, from about 1% to about 20% by weight, based on the total weight of the composition, of an acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer to form a second mixture and PA1 (D) mixing the copolymer into the second mixture.. (A-1) from about 80 parts to about 98 parts by weight of coal tar having an overall float test of from about 50 seconds to about 220 seconds, and PA2 (A-2) from about 2 parts to about 20 parts by weight of coal tar pitch having a softening point of from about 140.degree. C. to about 160.degree. C.,. The coal tar compositions of the present invention are useful particularly as roofing, waterproofing and maintenance materials. More particularly, the coal tar compositions are useful in built-up roofing (BUR) applications. The coatings formed from the coal tar compositions of the invention exhibit improved tensile, elongation and recovery characteristics, improved fatigue resistance, improved adhesive qualities, and improved cold temperature performance.

Bituminous materials, especially asphalt and coal tars, have been utilized as roofing materials particularly in built-up roofing (i.e., BUR) applications, as road paving materials, and as adhesive materials. However, such materials tend to deteriorate under conditions of extreme temperature variations, constant exposure to physical stress, and environmental weathering. Various proposals have been made in the art to modify the bituminous materials to overcome these deficiencies.
Although asphalt and coal tar have a similar appearance when in a package or in a finished roof, they are derived from different raw materials, and they are also different in their chemistry. Coal tar is obtained by heating bituminous coal tar to very high temperatures and collecting the volatile materials that are produced. These volatiles are referred to as crude coke oven tar, and the solid residue left behind is called coke. The crude coke oven tar is processed to recover a variety of materials including creosote and precursors for a large number of other important chemicals. The residue left after this processing step is called coal tar pitch which comprises primarily aromatic hydrocarbons. The coal tar pitch is the material used in the more familiar applications of roofing and asphalt concrete surfacing.
Asphalt, on the other hand, is derived from petroleum or crude oil and comprises primarily aliphatic hydrocarbons. Crude oil is processed at a refinery by distilling off the "light ends" to produce materials such as propane, gasoline, fuel oils, and chemical intermediates. The residue that remains from the distillation is referred to as straight-run asphalt. Straight run asphalt is processed primarily for road paving applications, and after further processing (e.g., oxidation or blowing), it is converted to roofing asphalts designated as D312 Types I through IV, by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).
The present invention relates to compositions which are prepared from coal tar as opposed to compositions which are prepared from asphalt. Aqueous coal tar emulsions have been described in the prior art as useful in preparing protective coatings. In its most common form, an aqueous coal tar emulsion comprises an emulsion of a coal tar in an aqueous medium with an emulsifying or dispersing agent such as an organic soap or detergent and/or an inorganic colloid such as a particulate clay. A conventional practice in the protective coating art is to brush, spray or paint the articles with an aqueous emulsion of coal tar. When the coating of coal tar dries on the article, it provides a protective film. Such films, however, have certain disadvantages such as being attacked by various solvents, being soft, and having inadequate ductility or tensile strength. It has been proposed to improve these properties by including various additives into the emulsions. Thermoplastic rubbers, for example, have been suggested as useful additives for coal tar emulsions to improve solvent resistance and elasticity of the film. In particular, a synthetic acrylonitrile-butadiene latex has been suggested as being useful for adding to coal tar emulsions. U.S. Pat. No. 3,027,342 describes a rubberized coal tar emulsion by dissolving a copolymer of acrylonitrile and butadiene and coal tar to form a solution which can be successfully emulsified in an aqueous medium without the addition of an emulsifying agent. U.S. Pat. No. 3,296,165 describes a coal tar emulsion composition comprising an emulsion coating including an emulsified coal tar/clay mixture and a butyl rubber latex. The compositions described in the '165 patent also include an aluminum powder additive.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,497,371 describes coal tar emulsions containing certain filler materials, a synthetic rubber latex, and certain water-soluble organic amines.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,835,117 and 3,897,380 describe rubberized coal tar emulsion compositions especially suitable for sealing bituminous pavement compositions such as asphalt pavement compositions. The rubberized coal tar emulsions described in these two patents comprises a major portion of a prepared coal tar pitch emulsion and water and a minor portion of an acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer latex having an average particle size between 400 and 1000 angstroms, and, optionally, a silicone resin.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,544,690 also describes aqueous rubberized coal tar emulsions. The coal tar emulsions described in this patent comprise a major portion of a commercial coal tar emulsion and water admixed with a small amount of a carboxylated butadiene-styrene-acid copolymer latex having a particular size. The emulsions also may contain a fine aggregate filler material such as sand. Such emulsions are reported to exhibit a high degree of spreadability, and to provide a sealing coating that has a long life.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,835,199 and 4,973,615 describe bituminous compositions comprising a blend of bitumen (including asphalts and tars) and a thermoplastic elastomer containing at least two polymer blocks wherein one of said polymer blocks is a crystalline polymer block and one of said polymer blocks is an amorphous polymer block. Examples of such thermoplastic elastomers include styrene-butadiene block copolymers. The compositions described in the '615 patent also include a polyolefin.


A sealing element is formed from a desirably shaped body of a sealant material formulated from a first polymer, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), in a concentration of about 25 percent to about 30 percent, a calcium carbonate inert filler material in a concentration of about 25 percent to about 30 percent, a second ethylene polymer other than EVA in a concentration of about 20 to about 35 percent, and a hydrocarbon resin in a concentration of about 10 percent to about 15 percent. The sealant further comprising an epoxy resin in a concentration of about 2 to about 5 percent and an activator in a concentration of about less than one percent of the sealant. The sealant material, when positioned about a first component is overmolded with a material forming a second component. The sealant material, which is heat activated, forms a seal between the first and second components.

The invention relates generally to providing a seal between various components, such as a stamping and a resin, and/or two plastic materials, to eliminate leak paths. More particularly the present invention concerns the use of an insert having desirable properties allowing it to be first molded to a desired shape, placed into a combination of parts and then heated to seal those parts together.
There are many applications that require a seal in order to eliminate failure modes. In a connector, for example, a leak path typically exists from one side of the connector to the other side via connector pins (copper, steel or other conductive materials with various platings). Other sealing applications include isolation of the leak path between plastic and metal surfaces, between metal and metal components and/or surfaces, or between plastic and plastic components and/or surfaces of an assembly. One exemplary application concerns automotive components, such as a transmission controller, or a controller for anti-lock brakes and traction control systems.
In a typical connector, a seal is generally not formed between the connector pins and an overmolded plastic part. Although the lack of a seal in and of itself may not be problematic, adverse conditions can be exaggerated and, over time, severe problems can occur due to the lack of a seal. This is particularly so in that metal and plastic components expand and contract at different rates. The variation in expansion and contraction rates can result in large gaps between the materials, resulting in high leak rates. As such, pressurizing one end of the connector assembly can result in pressure escaping through the part and out the other end of the connector.
Accordingly, there is a need for a sealing system that can accommodate variations in expansion and contraction rates of differing materials. Desirably, such a sealing system is moldable to or over a first component (e.g., an electrical conductor) which is then molded into a second component, such as a plastic frame or assembly. Most desirably, such a sealing system adheres well to both the first and second components and exhibits enhanced environmental sealing characteristics.


An apparatus for opening and closing an engine hood for a construction machine is disclosed that can open an engine hood at an angle desired by an operator. The apparatus for opening and closing an engine hood includes a frame having one side fixed to an upper swing structure and the other side fixed to a cowl frame, a guide rail having a guide groove formed in a length direction and a plurality of seat portions formed to be cut so as to communicate in a downward direction with respect to the guide groove and maintaining an opening angle that is set to open the engine hood in multiple stages, and a stay rod having a free end slidably formed along the guide rail and a fixed end rotatably fixed to the engine hood.

In general, in a construction machine such as an excavator, an engine hood is mounted on an engine room to be opened and closed by a gas spring so that an operator can check, repair, and replace components, such as an engine, a hydraulic pump, and various kinds of control valves, which are accommodated in the engine room. In this case, the engine hood is kept in an open state by means of a stay rod having both ends supported by the engine hood and a cowl frame, and thus an operator can check the hydraulic pump or the like in the engine room.
With the recent trend of matching combined functions of a construction machine, such as a small excavator, according to user demands to a middle excavator model, the total height of the machine is becoming heightened. In this case, if the engine hood is opened according to driving of the gas spring in order to repair the components in the engine room installed in the small excavator, the engine hood is automatically opened at the maximum angle according to a stroke of the gas spring regardless of an operator's intention. Due to this, it is not easy for an operator who has a general body shape to hold a handle of the engine hood that is opened at the maximum angle in order to close the engine hood. That is, it is difficult for the operator to close the engine hood of the small excavator after the operator finishes a specific repair work in a state where the engine hood is opened at the maximum angle.
The small excavator is so structured that the operator is unable to rise from the ground up to the excavator, and thus in order to close the engine hood that is opened at the maximum angle, it is required for the operator to rotate an upper swing structure by 90 degrees against a lower driving structure and then to go up a track of a traveling device to cause inconvenience to the operator.

Device for opening and closing the engine hood of a construction machine


Exposing a geometry of a storage device, including: sending, by the storage device, information describing the layout of memory in the storage device; receiving, by the storage device, a write request, the write request associated with an amount of data sized in dependence upon the layout of memory in the storage device; and writing, by the storage device, the data to a memory unit, the data written to a location within the memory unit in dependence upon the layout of memory in the storage device.

Field of Technology
The field of technology is methods, apparatuses, and products for exposing a geometry of a storage device.
Description of Related Art
Enterprise storage systems can provide large amounts of computer storage to modern enterprises. The performance of such storage systems, which is frequently measured in terms of throughput and latency, may be reduced as the storage devices may be required to perform operations other than servicing input/output ('I/O') operations.


A network processor or other type of processor includes a packet analyzer and first memory circuitry operatively coupled to the packet analyzer. The packet analyzer is operative to at least partially analyze one or more packets received by the processor in order to determine for a given one of the packets a portion of the packet to be stored in the first memory circuitry. The portion of the given packet when stored in the first memory circuitry is thereby made accessible for subsequent processing within the processor, without requiring access to second memory circuitry associated with the processor and configured to store substantially the entire given packet. The packet analyzer may be configured to utilize a value stored in a register of the processor to determine the portion of the given packet to be stored in the first memory circuitry. The register may be one of a number of registers which implement a look-up table accessible to the packet analyzer. The look-up table includes multiple entries, each having packet categorizing information, such as port number or packet flow identifier, and an associated number of blocks of the packet to be stored in the first memory circuitry. The value stored in a given one of the registers may be dynamically updatable under control of a host device operatively coupled to the processor.

A network processor generally controls the flow of packets between a physical transmission medium, such as a physical layer portion of, e.g., an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network or synchronous optical network (SONET), and a switch fabric in a router or other type of packet switch. Such routers and switches generally include multiple network processors, e.g., arranged in the form of an array of line or port cards with one or more of the processors associated with each of the cards.
In performing packet processing operations such as routing or switching, the network processor typically must examine at least a portion of the beginning or head of each packet. The amount of each packet that must be examined is dependent upon its associated network communication protocols, enabled options, and other similar factors. The sophistication or complexity of the router or switch can also influence the amount of each packet that will need examination.
Many conventional routers and switches are configured to store, for a given packet being processed, substantially the entire packet, until that packet is finally transmitted to its destination or dropped. The packet is usually stored in a router or switch memory external to the associated network processor. The amount of time the given packet may be kept in external memory is influenced by the basic processing time of the router or switch, the quality of service applied to the packet, the particular protocol layers to be analyzed, and the congestion of the port or other communication channel to which the packet is directed.
High-speed routers and switches will typically store in on-chip memory within the network processor some portion of a given packet being processed by that network processor. This greatly enhances the performance of the router or switch by not requiring it to access the larger external memory holding the entire packet, in that the external memory is slower and more band-limited than the on-chip memory. However, in conventional practice, the worst-case packet portion that may need to be analyzed in a given router or switch application usually dictates the size of every packet portion kept in on-chip memory, even though the worst-case packet portion may be associated with only certain rarely-occurring packets. This significantly increases the required size of the on-chip memory, and thus the cost and complexity of the network processor.
It is therefore apparent that a need exists for improved techniques for determining particular portions of packets to be stored in particular memories associated with a network processor or other type of processor, so as to reduce the memory requirements of the device.

Processor with reduced memory requirements for high-speed routing and switching of packets


An NMR probe has a sample tube insertion port for introducing and withdrawing the sample tube into and from the probe, a sample tube support providing support of the sample tube during NMR measurements, a tubular sample tube passage connecting together the sample tube insertion port and the sample tube support and capable of transporting the sample tube between them, and a gas stream generator for producing a gas stream in the sample tube passage to move the sample tube between the sample tube insertion port and the tube support. The gas stream generator is mounted at an intermediate (non-end) position in the sample tube passage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an NMR probe used when nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements are made. This NMR probe permits a sample tube to be introduced and ejected from the probe while the probe is kept mounted in a magnetic field generator. The sample tube is passed through a tubular sample tube passage between a sample tube insertion port and a sample tube support by a gas stream.
2. Description of Related Art
An NMR spectrometer is an analytical instrument for detecting a signal arising from atomic nuclei having spin magnetic moments by applying a static magnetic field to the nuclei to induce the spin magnetic moments to thereby produce a Larmor precession and irradiating the nuclei with RF waves having the same frequency as the precession to bring the nuclei into resonance.
In an NMR spectrum of a sample in solid phase, interactions (such as dipolar interactions which are nullified by rotational Brownian motion in a solution) manifest themselves directly and so the spectral linewidth broadens extremely, thus obscuring chemical shift terms. One of the methods which overcome this undesired phenomenon and give rise to sharp solid-state NMR spectra was discovered by E. R. Andrew in 1958 and is known as MAS (magic angle spinning). In this method, the sample tube is tilted at an angle of about 54.7° from the direction of the static magnetic field B0 and spun at high speed. Thus, anisotropic interactions can be removed and chemical shift terms can be extracted.
An NMR probe for implementing the MAS method is hereinafter referred to as the MAS probe and subjected to NMR measurements by being inserted in a slot-like measurement space within a magnetic field generator typified by a superconducting magnet system. Generally, the magnetic field produced by a magnetic field generator is either parallel or perpendicular to the measurement space. A magnet producing the former type of magnetic field is known as a solenoid-type air-core magnet. A magnet producing the latter type of magnetic field is known as a split-type air-core magnet. On the other hand, in a MAS probe, a sample tube holding a sample therein is placed on an axis of rotation tilted relative to the magnetic field on a sample tube support. This sample tube support acts to support the sample tube during measurements and to accurately determine the posture and motion of the sample tube. The sample tube is allowed to be introduced and ejected only from a certain direction.
Therefore, under the condition where the MAS probe has been attached in the magnetic field generator, it is difficult to introduce a sample tube from outside a sample tube support having its axis of rotation tilted relative to the magnetic field. Accordingly, it is customary to remove the MAS probe from the magnetic field generator in order to introduce a sample tube into the sample tube support.
However, when the MAS probe is used, the magic angle needs to be accurately adjusted in advance by an NMR measurement employing a reference standard. When the MAS probe is installed to or detached from the magnetic field generator for exchange of the sample, the adjusted value deviates from its correct value. Therefore, the adjustment must be made each time. Such a mounting and detaching work must be done manually. This causes human errors. In addition, this greatly deteriorates the efficiency of NMR measurements.
In an attempt to solve these problems, top-loading type MAS probes have been proposed, for example, as shown in JP-UM-A-57-59356 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,282,919. A MAS probe of the top-loading type permits a sample tube to be loaded from outside of a magnetic field generator that is spaced from a sample tube support. With the MAS probe of the top-loading type, a sample can be exchanged without mounting or detaching the MAS probe to or from the magnetic field generator.
The structure of a solid-state NMR spectrometer including a top-loading type MAS probe is schematically shown in FIG. 1, the probe being indicated by numeral 3. In FIG. 1, a superconducting magnet 100 is composed of a heat-insulating container 1 for accommodating a refrigerant and a superconducting solenoid coil C that is maintained at low temperature by the refrigerant. The heat-insulating container is provided with a through-hole 2 extending through the coil C. In this way, access to the magnetic field is provided through the through-hole 2 being an access space that is a slot elongated in the direction of depth compared with the width.
Referring also to FIG. 2, the MAS probe 3 is inserted in the through-hole 2, and is composed of a sample tube support 50, a sample tube insertion port 20 formed in the upper end of the through-hole 2, a sample tube passage 10 connecting together the insertion port 20 and the tube support 50, and a direction converter 40 mounted at a non-end position in the sample tube passage 10. The outer periphery of a sample tube 60 (see FIG. 2) is supported by an accurate gas bearing within the sample tube support 50 and on an axis of rotation tilted relative to a static magnetic field H produced by the superconducting coil C. During measurements, the sample tube is spun at high speed.
FIG. 2 more particularly shows the structure of the MAS probe 3 shown in FIG. 1. In FIG. 2, a sample to be investigated is sealed in the sample tube 60 that is a roughly circular cylinder. The sample tube 60 having the sample sealed therein is inserted in the sample tube insertion port 20, transported to the sample tube support 50, and subjected to a measurement. After the measurement, the sample tube 60 is withdrawn from the sample tube support 50 and taken out of the sample tube insertion port 20.
The tubular sample tube passage 10 consisting of passage portions 10a and 10c extend between the sample tube insertion port 20 and the sample tube support 50 to connect together port 20 and tube support 50. The sample tube 60 can move between the sample tube insertion port 20 and the tube support 50 by moving substantially parallel to the axis of the cylindrical interior of the sample tube passage 10.
In order to introduce the sample tube 60 into the sample tube support 50 from the direction of axis of rotation, it is necessary to convert the direction of the axis of the cylindrical interior of the sample tube 60 that descends vertically from the sample tube insertion port 20 into a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the sample tube support 50 to permit introduction into the sample tube support 50. For this purpose, the direction converter 40 is mounted near the sample tube support 50.
After undergoing a measurement, the sample tube 60 is expelled from the sample tube support 50 toward the sample tube insertion port 20 by gas flowing through the sample tube passage 10. The gas is supplied from a high-pressure gas generator 230 connected to the bottom of the sample tube support 50 via a pipe 200 under control of a valve 210.
During the ejection of the sample tube, the sample tube 60 is forced toward the direction converter 40 by the gas ejected from the bottom of the sample tube support 50. The direction converter 40 has a curved inner wall surface to change the direction of the sample tube 60. As the sample tube 60 enters the direction converter 40, the sample tube abuts against the curved inner wall surface of the converter 40 and, thus, the tube moves along the inner wall surface. Consequently, the direction of motion is changed into a perpendicular direction. Then, the sample tube 60 is raised to the position of the sample tube insertion port 20 by the gas pressure. During this process, a flow rate of gas sufficient to move the sample tube up to the sample tube insertion port 20 against gravity is supplied from the bottom of the sample tube support 50 via the valve 210.
On the other hand, when the sample tube 60 is introduced, it is moved from the sample tube insertion port 20 toward the sample tube support 50 mainly by gravity, the sample tube support 50 having a sample tube-spinning function as described later. To avoid the tube 60 from dropping abruptly, contrivances are adopted. For example, the sample tube 60 is floated by the gas pressure when the tube is inserted into the sample tube insertion port 20 and then the gas pressure is lowered gradually so that the tube descends slowly.
In this way, with the top-loading type MAS probe, the investigated sample can be exchanged while the probe is kept mounted in the magnetic field generator. This dispenses with readjustment of the probe concomitant with a sample exchange. Hence, the NMR spectrometer can be used efficiently. Furthermore, different samples can be continued to be measured while maintaining the sufficiently adjusted condition achieved using a reference standard and, therefore, accurate NMR spectra can be obtained easily.
With the conventional MAS probe as described above, the sample tube 60 is pushed out of the sample tube support with strong force during ejection of the sample tube. Therefore, the outer periphery of the sample tube 60 and the inner bearing of the sample tube support 50 are strongly rubbed against each other. This wears away the outer periphery of the sample tube 60 and the inner bearing of the sample tube support 50. Generally, a gas bearing fabricated to an accuracy of the order of micrometers is used as the bearing of the sample tube support 50. If the bearing is worn slightly, the performance of the sample tube support 50 will deteriorate.
Similarly, when the sample tube 60 is ejected, the sample tube 60 violently collides against the inner wall of the direction converter 40. The direction of the tube is then converted by motion bound to the inner wall, i.e., while pressed against the wall. Because of the collision and friction occurring at this time, the outer periphery of the sample tube 60, especially the turbine blades for driving the MAS probe 3, is damaged or greatly worn away, resulting in a decrease in the lifetime of the tube. If the sample tube 60 is worn, the MAS probe 3 will malfunction. When the sample tube 60 is inserted or withdrawn, the sample tube passage 10 will be clogged up.
For instance, the turbine blades of a sample tube 60 of a complex shape as shown in JP-A-2003-177172 show excellent aerodynamic performance in realizing high-speed spinning, but the mechanical strength is low because the complex and delicate structure of the curved turbine blades is exposed from the outside of the sample tube 60. A sample tube 60 having such turbine blades is subject to damage and wear in the conventional MAS probe 3 and has been difficult to use in practical applications.
Furthermore, the aforementioned collision and wear will wear away the inner wall of the direction converter 40, resulting in troubles.


The present invention relates to a method of controlling recovery in an electric power steering system which can enhance the recovery control function during recovery after steering when discriminating a recovery state using a steering angle and a steering angular velocity by determining whether or not the steering angular velocity is more than a predetermined value and carrying out recovery control only in the corresponding recovery state.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of controlling recovery in an electric power steering system, and more particularly, to a method of controlling recovery in an electric power steering system which can enhance the recovery control function during recovery after steering when discriminating a recovery state using a steering angle and a steering angular velocity by determining whether or not the steering angular velocity is more than a predetermined value and carrying out recovery control only in the corresponding recovery state.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a vehicle is provided with an electronic control unit (hereinafter, 'ECU') for a vehicle that receives an input of an electric signal detected from various kinds of input sensors and outputs a digital control signal which operates various kinds of actuators at the output side.
Meanwhile, there has been developed an EPS system that enables a light and quick steering operation by reducing the actuating force of a driver's steering wheel according to the speed of a vehicle using such an ECU. As shown in FIG. 1, this EPS system includes a sensor unit 1 such as a speed sensor detecting a vehicle speed, a motor position sensor (or a steering angle sensor in case of a vehicle having a steering angle sensor) detecting the relative steering angle of a motor, a torque sensor detecting the torque of a driver steering wheel, etc., an ECU 2 receiving an input of a signal detected from the sensor unit 1 and outputting various kinds of motor control signals and operation signals for reducing the actuating force of the driver's steering wheel and a motor controlling and driving unit 3 controlling the operation of the motor according to the motor control signals and operation signals from the ECU 2 and operating a steering mechanism by a steering assistance force which is caused by a generating power according to driving of the motor.
The thusly constructed EPS system further includes an appliance unit such as a motor or reduction gear in addition to a general hydraulic power steering system, and thus is increased in friction. Accordingly, the characteristics like the degradation of friction feel or stability during steering are shown.
Therefore, a graph of the relation of a steering torque with respect to a steering input angle will be shown, in which the hysteresis becomes more than those of other hydraulic power steering vehicles. In the prior art, a recovery control function was used to compensate for the demerit.
Especially, a recovery control is carried out while seeing a return speed or retention angle of a steering wheel being not held after steering. That is, if a driver let go of the steering wheel, an assist current by which the steering wheel faces to a neutral position is generated using an absolute steering angle signal, thereby making the steering wheel easily returned after steering.
However, in the prior art recovery control method, a recovery state is discriminated by judging that the driver lets go of the steering wheel if the signal of the torque sensor is smaller than a predetermined value. Thus, if the driver slowly releases the steering wheel without completely letting go of the steering wheel, there occurs a problem that a complete recovery control is not applied since a small quantity of a torque exists in the steering wheel.
In other words, as shown in FIG. 2, a recovery gain for a vehicle speed is set (S1), a recovery pattern for a steering angle is set (S2) and then a recovery current is obtained by multiplying the recovery gain and the recovery pattern (S3).
Afterwards, it is determined whether a steering torque is within Deadzone (Deadzone is a range which a torque can not be felt in) (S4).
As the result of the determining of the steps S4, in a case that, the steering wheel is not positioned in a straight traveling state and the steering torque is within Deadzone because of driver's letting go of the steering wheel, an assist current and the recovery current obtained in the step S3 are summed to obtain a motor driving current (S5). The assist current is calculated with the torque sensor signal and the information of the vehicle speed. Finally, the recovery control function is carried out by controlling the operation of the motor according to the motor driving current obtained in the step S5.
However, also in the above-described recovery control method, a recovery state is discriminated based on the steering torque as in the steps S4, and then recovery control is carried out. Subsequently, in case that the driver operates the steering wheel a little in left and right direction during turning of the vehicle, a frequent alternation between a recovery state and a steering state is instantly occurred. Due to this, a discontinuous motor driving current is generated by a recovery control logic, thereby arousing a problem that the driver feels the steering feeling roughly.

Method of controlling recovery in electric power steering system

Abstract: The method of controlling recovery of the present invention comprises a first step of setting a recovery gain and a recovery pattern; a second step of obtaining a recovery current; a third step of determining whether the steering angular velocity is more than a predetermined value; and a fourth step of obtaining a motor driving current and performing the recovery control function by controlling the operation of the motor according to the obtained motor driving current.


An optical semiconductor unit of the present invention has an LED device provided with an LED (Light Emitting Diode) and a socket to which the LED device is mounted, the LED device has a main body to which the LED is mounted, the main body has a first surface to which block-shaped electrode portions are connected.

This invention relates to an optical semiconductor device, a socket for mounting the optical semiconductor device thereto, and an optical semiconductor unit.
Formerly, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) device as a typical optical semiconductor device was fixed to a substrate by soldering and used.
However, if the LED device is fixed to the substrate, replacement of the LED device is difficult and troublesome. In view of the above, an LED device of a replaceable connector type has been proposed as disclosed in JP-A-2001-24216 (Patent Document 1) and JP-A-2008-288221 (Patent Document 2).
It is said that the LED device generates less heat as compared to a common light source using a filament or the like. However, in recent years, along with an increase in luminance, a driving current is increased and, as a result, heat generated from an LED is increasing. This brings about a problem that the heat generation increases a temperature of the LED device to cause deterioration of the LED device. In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, proposal is made of an LED socket having a structure in which an entire substrate with an LED device is brought into tight contact with a heat sink to be cooled, as disclosed in JP-A-2004-265626 (Patent Document 3).

Optical semiconductor device, socket, and optical semiconductor unit

Japan Aviation Electronics Industry, Limited


A hemispherical dynamic pressure bearing includes a supporting shaft, a fixed hemisphere fixed on a first end of the supporting shaft, and a sliding hemisphere slidably disposed on a second end of the supporting shaft. A spring is disposed on the supporting shaft for biasing the sliding hemisphere away from the fixed hemisphere. A bushing has first and second hemispherical grooves in which the fixed and sliding hemispheres are disposed, respectively. A gap adjuster is connected to the shaft for adjusting a gap between each hemisphere and its respective groove. The gap adjuster applies a variable force against the sliding hemisphere to compress the spring.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hemispherical dynamic pressure bearing and, more particularly, to a semi-spherical bearing having gap adjusting means for adjusting a gap between a pair of hemispheres disposed facing one another so that the bearing operates in an optimal state.
(2) Brief Description of Related Art
Generally, a dynamic pressure bearing comprises a supporter, and a rotating member eccentrically and rotatably supported by the supporter. Pressure is formed by lubricant fluid within a gap defined between the supporter and the rotating member so as to enhance the rotation of the rotating member.
Particularly, a hemispherical dynamic bearing is designed such that a portion thereof for supporting the rotating member is hemispherically-shaped so as to simultaneously support a radial load and a thrust load.
Accordingly, since there is no need for a plurality of bearings for supporting each load, it is possible to make the bearing compact. In addition, when using air as the fluid for forming lubricant pressure for the dynamic bearing, a seal member is not required such that the bearing can be made in a more compact state. This compact bearing is suitable for use in a motor used in electronic products.
Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown a sectional view illustrating a motor where a conventional hemispherical dynamic pressure bearing for rotating a multi-faceted mirror used in a laser scanning unit is provided.
The multi-faceted mirror 1 reflects laser beams, scanned by a semiconductor laser, to a photoconductive drum. The motor 2 is employed to rotate the multi-faced mirror 1.
As shown in FIG. 4, the multi-faceted mirror 1 is coupled to a rotating member 1a, while the rotating member 1a is coupled to a bushing 8 of a hemispherical dynamic pressure bearing 9.
There is provided a frame 2a disposed under the motor 2. A supporting shaft 3 is coupled on a center of the frame 2a and extends upward. A sliding hemisphere 5 is slidably disposed on the supporting shaft 3 which extends through an axial hole 5a of the sliding hemisphere 5, while a fixed hemisphere 4 is snugly disposed on the supporting shaft 3 which extends through an axial hole 4a of the fixed hemisphere 4. The fixed hemisphere 4 is located under the sliding hemisphere 5.
The sliding and fixed hemispheres 5 and 4 are arranged such that their planar surfaces are directed upward and downward, respectively. A sleeve 6 is disposed around the supporting shaft 3 between the sliding and fixed hemispheres 5 and 4 so as to establish the distance between the hemispheres 5 and 4. That is, the hemispheres 5 and 4 closely contact the sleeve 6 such that the sliding hemisphere 5 is spaced away from the fixed hemisphere 4 by a longitudinal length of the sleeve 6.
A fixing ring 7 is coupled around the supporting shaft 3 above the sliding hemisphere 5 such that it can fix the hemispheres 5 and 4, and the sleeve 6.
The hemispheres 5 and 4 and the sleeve 6 are enclosed by the bushing 8. That is, the bushing 8 is provided at its upper and lower ends with hemispherical grooves 8b and 8a complemental to the hemispheres 5 and 4, respectively, and a communicating hole 8c connecting the hemispherical grooves 8b and 8a to each other. The sleeve 6 is positioned in the communicating hole 8c so that it can rotate with respect to the hemispheres 5 and 4.
A rotor 2b is attached on an outer circumference of the bushing 8, while a stator 2c is coupled to an inner circumference of the frame 2a and extended toward the rotor 2b.
In the above described motor 2, the dynamic pressure bearing 9 comprising the supporting shaft 3, the hemispheres 5 and 4, and the bushing 8 has gaps defined between the hemispheres 5 and 4 and the hemispherical grooves 8b and 8a, which can be adjusted by adjusting the distance between the sliding hemisphere 5 and the fixed hemisphere 4.
However, if the hemispherical dynamic pressure bearing is assembled incorrectly or is used for a long time, an improper gap may result. If the bearing is further used in this state, wherein the hemispheres contact the hemispherical grooves, the contacting surfaces become worn, thereby generating noise or forming dynamic pressure ineffectively. Therefore, in such a case, the gaps between the hemispherical grooves and the hemispheres should be adjusted by replacing the sleeve 6 with a sleeve of different length.
However, in the prior bearing, since the sleeve is retained by the fixing ring 7, it is necessary to disassemble the bearing and detach the sleeve, in order for a sleeve of different length to be inserted. Then, the parts must be reassembled which is a troublesome and time-consuming task.


An air-fuel ratio control system for an internal combustion engine having a catalyst provided in an exhaust system of the engine for purifying exhaust gases and a first oxygen concentration sensor disposed upstream of the catalyst is disclosed. The air-fuel ratio control system controls an air-fuel ratio of an air-fuel mixture supplied to the engine. A degree of response deterioration of the first oxygen concentration sensor is detected. A response delay of the first oxygen concentration sensor is compensated according to the detected degree of deterioration to calculate a compensated sensor output. The air-fuel ratio is controlled so that a detected air-fuel ratio calculated from the compensated sensor output coincides with a target air-fuel ratio. A frequency characteristic of the compensation is adjusted according to the detected degree of deterioration.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air-fuel ratio control system for an internal combustion engine and, particularly, to a control system having a function of determining deterioration of an oxygen concentration sensor provided in the exhaust system of the engine.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Laid-open No. H04-36651 (JP-'651) discloses a method of adjusting a control gain of an air-fuel ratio feedback control according to an output of an oxygen concentration sensor when the oxygen concentration sensor is determined to have deteriorated. In this method, the deterioration of the oxygen concentration sensor is determined based on the output of the oxygen concentration sensor at the beginning of an interrupting operation of the fuel supply of the internal combustion engine, or at the restart of the fuel supply.
Specifically, the control gain of the air-fuel ratio feedback control is adjusted so that the control gain decreases as the degree of deterioration of the oxygen concentration sensor increases.
In air-fuel ratio feedback control, if the oxygen concentration sensor is not deteriorated when the target air-fuel ratio is made to change as shown by the thin solid line L1 of FIG. 21A, the sensor detected air-fuel ratio AFS, which is calculated based on the sensor output, changes as shown by the thick solid line L2 of FIG. 21A. An air-fuel ratio control signal SCTL, which is generated by the PID control based on the sensor detected air-fuel ratio AFS, changes as shown by the dashed line L3 of FIG. 21A.
If the oxygen concentration sensor becomes deteriorated, the sensor detected air-fuel ratio AFS changes as shown by the solid line L2 of FIG. 21B, and the air-fuel ratio control signal SCTL greatly overshoots as shown by the dashed line L3 of FIG. 21B. In this state, if the control gain is adjusted as described above, the sensor detected air-fuel ratio AFS and the air-fuel ratio control signal SCTL respectively change as shown by the solid line L2 and the dashed line L3 of FIG. 21C. That is, the overshoot of the air-fuel ratio control signal SCTL is eliminated but, as shown by the dashed line L3 of FIG. 21A, the air-fuel ratio control signal SCTL, which corresponds to the characteristic obtained when the oxygen concentration sensor is normal, is not obtained. In the example shown by FIGS. 21B and 21C, the oxygen concentration sensor has deteriorated beyond a certain amount. Therefore, it is considered that the sensor detected air-fuel ratio AFS does not indicate the actual air-fuel ratio and that the air-fuel ratio control signal SCTL indicates an air-fuel ratio changing characteristic which is similar to changes in the actual air-fuel ratio (refer to FIG. 21A).

Air-fuel ratio control system for internal combustion engine


A compact, light projection type image display apparatus based on reflection image display devices which provide high brightness without contrast deterioration caused by light leakage associated with black image display. The apparatus uses, as polarizers/analyzers for reflection image display devices, reflection polarizing plates which function as polarizing plates by their grating function only in a specific direction. In each light path, the reflection polarizing plate is located just before/after the reflection image display device.

The present invention relates to a projector which projects an image on a screen using reflection liquid crystal panels such as a reflection liquid crystal projector, a projection type image display apparatus such as a reflection liquid crystal rear projector, and a projection type image display apparatus optical unit.
An optical unit for a reflection liquid crystal projector which uses reflection liquid crystal panels is explained next. Non-polarized light coming from a light source is linearly polarized by a polarization converter and cast on a polarizer. The unwanted polarized component is removed from the light by the polarizer before it reaches a reflection liquid crystal panel. The light is modulated by the reflection liquid crystal panel so that its polarization state is changed on a pixel-by-pixel basis according to image signal. Then, it reaches an analyzer. The quantity of light which is transmitted or reflected by the analyzer is determined according to the polarization state of the light emitted from each pixel. An image thus obtained is projected in an enlarged form by a projection lens. A polarizing beam splitter prism (hereinafter called a PBS prism) is commonly used as a polarizer/analyzer. A PBS prism has a dielectric multilayer film (hereinafter called a PBS film) which transmits p-polarized light and reflects s-polarized light.
In a reflection type liquid crystal projector which uses a PBS prism as a polarizer/analyzer, light leakage from the PBS prism occurs for the following reason when a black image is displayed. The s- and p-polarization directions of light rays which are not parallel to the main incidence (entrance) plane are different between when they are transmitted or reflected by the PBS prism and when they reenter the PBS prism after being reflected by the reflection liquid crystal panel. However, after being transmitted or reflected by the PBS prism, rays retain their polarization direction when they reenter the prism. Therefore, rays parallel to the main incidence plane are completely transmitted or reflected when they reenter the prism; on the other hand, for rays which are not parallel to the main incidence plane, the s-polarized component is reflected and the p-polarized component is transmitted. For this reason, rays which are not parallel to the main incidence plane may cause light leakage, resulting in black image contrast deterioration.
Also, a contrast improvement method which uses a quarter-wave plate between a projection lens and a cross dichroic prism has been suggested.
However, in the case that a PBS prism is used as a polarizer/analyzer for a reflection type liquid crystal panel as mentioned above, even when a quarter-wave plate is disposed just before the panel in order to prevent contrast deterioration, the effect of the quarter-wave plate is not satisfactory. A wave plate has specific wavelength and angle characteristics. As the difference of the incident light wavelength from the design center wavelength increases or the incidence angle increases, the performance of the wave plate decreases, so light leakage cannot be prevented completely and contrast deterioration will occur. Even when a polarizing plate is disposed between the PBS prism and the projection lens for the purpose of preventing leak light from being projected on the screen, it is impossible to prevent light leakage completely because the leak light includes rays polarized in the same direction as the direction of the polarizing plate transmission axis.
Besides, the use of the PBS prism is disadvantageous from the view point of weight. Furthermore, when the PBS prism uses a glass material with a low photoelastic coefficient to avoid birefringence which might cause contrast deterioration, it may be relatively heavy because of the relatively large specific gravity of the glass material, and costly because the material is not widely available on the market.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A method for reducing oscillations of an output value associated with a program to be operatively coupled to a data processing system. The program having an internal process configured to read an input value provided by the program, the input value adjusting a performance aspect of the internal process, the internal process configured to provide an output value reflecting changes in the internal process responsive to the input value, the output value readable by the program. The method including writing the output value to a queue stored in memory of the data processing system, selecting a portion of the queue, matching the selected portion of the queue with a predetermined pattern, selecting a type of adjustment to be made to the input value, the type of adjustment corresponding to the matched predetermined pattern, determining a new input value according to the selected type of adjustment, and providing the new value the internal process, the internal process providing a new output value having reduced oscillations responsive to the new input value.

In the domain of on-line system tuning the notion of system oscillations are well studied. The concept is simply that as a system approaches stability it may have a tendency to oscillate between two (or more) "converging" solutions in an attempt to find the "best" solution. For example, one type of oscillation prone system is for an optimization of memory allocation in memory pools.
There are many known techniques which have been developed to avoid oscillations in system tuning. For example Eigen decomposition Filtering can be used for oscillation avoidance. However, the problem with this method is that the complexity of the system may increase as additional oscillating elements are added to the system. Therefore if the number of tuned items is large the system tuning time may be excessive. Additionally the method can be complicated and difficult to implement. This can be true of other advanced statistical oscillation control methods and therefore a method for oscillation control that is straightforward to implement yet effective is needed.

Method, system and program for oscillation control of an internal process of a computer program

International Business Machines Corporation


A heating cord utilizes a non-heating core conductor that is wrapped with a high temperature insulator. The high temperature insulator is wrapped with a heat resistant insulator, wherein the heat resistant insulator is spirally wound with a heat generating wire. Finally, an insulation sheath covers entire embodiment forming a heat-generating cord. The core conductor and the heat generating wire are connected, forming a single electronic circuit wherein the electric current flowing along the core conductor flows in the opposite direction of the electric current flowing along the heat generating wire. As a result, the opposing electromagnetic fields generated by the opposing flows of electric current neutralize each other and function to reduce electromagnetic field emissions generally known to be harmful to humans. The present design allows safe operation well above the approximate 100 watt limitation inherent in designs that utilize resistive, heating-generating core elements.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally pertains to the field of heating cables used for personal comfort products such as heating blankets, heating pads, and the like. More specifically, this invention relates to a type of heating cable with a non-heating core-conducting element, and which reduces EMF emissions when a current is passed through the heating cable.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Electric heating cords have been constructed in such a way as to prevent the adverse influence of electromagnetic and electrostatic fields. Prior art has achieved this by utilizing varying methods of insulation under which a heating wire(s) is wrapped around a resistive core material.
In Japanese Patent No. JP404278125A to Itokawa, a first heat generating wire is spirally wound on a core material and covered with a heat resistant insulator. A second heat generating wire is spirally wound on the insulator and covered with a melting layer. This layer is wound with a sensing wire and insulation sheath to form a heat generator. The core material utilized in this heat generator is resistive and thus functions as a heat emitter. By utilizing a resistive core material, the prior art exhibits significant limitations. Namely, there is an approximate 100 Watt limit of operation as well as the possibility of meltdown of the heat generator components when two parallel heating wires are used in this orientation.
Further prior art has utilized conductive core material. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,394,507 to Okamoto discloses a plurality of electrically conductive cores wrapped around a tube through which fluid may flow. Said plurality of cores are each covered with an insulator having exposed portions, allowing said cores to contact a tubular braided structure of resistance heating wire. Unlike the present invention, electric current flowing along the conductive cores flows in the same direction along the braided structure of resistance heating wire. Without opposing electric current flow, subsequent opposing electromagnetic fields are not generated, and the reduction of electromagnetic waves is not accomplished by neutralization between the opposing electromagnetic fields.

Electric heating cord with non-heating core-conducting element and reduced EMF emissions


Fuels, hydraulic fluids and lubricants made of or comprising a portion of renewable hydrocarbon raw materials, as well as biodegradable fuels, hydraulic fluids and lubricants are known to support microbial growth. Highly toxicorganic biocides have been added to reduce microbial growth. The use of such biocides can now be avoided, by instead using a stable solution of boric acid in a solvent, the boric acid being completely dissolved or at least free from any particles larger than 100 nm in size, and adding this solution to the fuel, hydraulic fluid or lubricant to give a final concentration of boron in the range of 1-100 ppm, preferably 1-50 ppm in the product. While preventing microbial growth, the addition of boron also reduces corrosion, in particular microbiologically induced corrosion (MIC).

Starting from the onset of the industrial revolution, fossil fuels have supplied energy for production, transport and heating and satisfied a growing global demand for energy. A transition from coal to oil and further to natural gas as well as the introduction of new efficient technology has helped to reduce the environmental impact of using fossil fuels. It however remains a fact that fossil fuels release carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and other pollutants when burnt, and that these have severe consequences on the environment, including the global climate. Further, fossil fuels are non-renewable sources of energy, currently being depleted at a fast rate. Switching to renewable sources for the production of fuels has become a necessity.
Consequently there has been a significant increase in the use of renewable and less environmentally harmful fuels during the last decades of the 20th century. Bioethanol and vegetable oils are currently among the main alternatives, but also synthetic methanol, biogas and hydrogen are increasingly used. An important benefit of vegetable oils and bioethanol is however that they can be mixed into conventional diesel and petrol, respectively, thus reducing the consumption of fossil fuels without the need of any far-reaching conversion of engines or the fuel distribution systems.
The past decades have also witnessed the introduction of biodegradable and/or renewable hydraulic fluids and lubricants, for example fluids and greases for mobile or marine hydraulic and propulsion systems operating in environmentally sensitive areas. Examples include, but are not limited to equipment for use in agriculture and forestry, recreational and commercial boating, in vessels and equipment used in shipping, fishing and fish farming, off-shore construction and oil and gas exploration, wave and tidal power, and off-shore wind power.
The present disclosure relates to all fuels, hydraulic fluids and lubricants prone to support microbial growth, but primarily focuses on fuels, hydraulic fluids and lubricants which are either biodegradable, made from renewable raw materials, or contain such biodegradable and/or renewable components.
Biofuels
Ethanol is currently one of the most preferred biofuels, in part because it is significantly less polluting than gasoline. Importantly, the combustion of ethanol does not produce any sulphur dioxide or lead emissions. Further, the carbon dioxide produced is at least partially offset by growing fermentable crops, such as sugar canes, corn, cassava, potato etc. Importantly, ethanol can be mixed into gasoline, and the normal distribution system can thus be used. In the European Union, the common gasoline specification EN-228 allows an addition up to 10% v/v ethanol. A usual ratio is 5% ethanol to 95% gasoline, known as E5, but most cars could run on about 10% ethanol in gasoline.
In countries such as Brazil, a higher ethanol content is mandatory, and since 2007 the legal blend is 25% ethanol and 75% gasoline, known as E25. There are also vehicles that run on neat ethanol fuel, E100. In Europe, E85 is an important fuel blend and used in vehicles specially adapted for this fuel. Ethanol-gasoline blends are sometimes referred to as "flex fuel" as the ethanol content may vary, in particular in colder climates. According to the American standard ASTM 5798, the ethanol content may vary between 51 to 83%.
Ethanol is also increasingly being added to diesel fuel. One example is the commercial blend known as ED95. This is an ethanol based fuel for adapted diesel engines. It consists of 95 percent ethanol with the addition of ignition improvers, denaturants, lubricants and anticorrosive additives. According to manufacturer's specifications and analysis certificates (SEKAB), ED95 contains a minimum of 92.4% per weight ethanol, 5.0% per weight ignition improvers, 2.15% per weight methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), about 0.5% per weight isobutanol, about 1% per weights lubricant, and 90 ppm corrosion inhibitor, and coloring agent. One example of lubricant is 2,2′-(octadec-9-en-1-ylimino)diethanol.
Methanol is another alternative non-fossil fuel that can be used in internal combustion engines, either in combination with gasoline, or as such. Methanol can be produced from biomass, but also synthesized from carbon dioxide and hydrogen. Methanol is already widely used in race cars, and its use for private and commercial vehicles is slowly increasing in both China and the USA. At high levels, methanol is corrosive to certain materials commonly used in engines and fuel lines, but in low concentrations there are no adverse effects. A high-level blend such as M85 (85% methanol and 15% gasoline) however requires modifications to be made to the engine. Methanol is also being investigated for marine applications. Methanol can also be converted into dimethyl ether (DME) and used as a diesel replacement.
In addition to ethanol and methanol, biodiesel is growing in importance as a fuel. The term biodiesel refers to a fuel comprised of mono-alkyl esters of long chain fatty acids derived from vegetable oils or animal fats. One group is referred to as fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) which have physical properties similar to those of conventional diesel fuel. Rapeseed methyl ester (RME) is a commonly used FAME in Europe. A common European standard for biodiesel, including FAME, is EN 14214, another is EN 16709.
HEFA (Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids), also called HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil), is a renewable diesel fuel that can be produced from a wide array of vegetable oils and fats. The term HEFA or HVO is currently used collectively for these biogenic hydrocarbon-based renewable biofuels. The composition of HVO is regulated in standard EN 15940, and it is free of aromatics, sulfur and has a high cetane number. It is a so-called drop-in fuel, meaning that it is chemically equivalent to fossil diesel fuel and can be used in existing diesel engines without technical blend walls.
In order to be called biodiesel, a fuel must meet the requirements of national and international standards, for example EN-590 and ASTM D 6751, which gives specifications for biodiesels blended with middle distillate fuels, including various test methods to be used in the determination of certain properties for biodiesel blends. The term "biodiesel blend" refers to a blend of biodiesel fuel meeting EN-590 or ASTM D 6751 and a petroleum-based diesel fuel. This is often designated BXX, where XX represents the volume percentage of biodiesel fuel in the blend. The maximum allowed biodiesel content in EN590 is 7% v/v.
It was initially believed that biofuels would have a non-corrosive nature due to the low electrical conductivity, but unfortunately practical experience has proven this hypothesis to be wrong. Different types of corrosion issues have been encountered for biofuels with different origin, e.g. stress-corrosion cracking (SCC) for the combination carbon steel with fuel grade ethanol (FGE) has been observed in USA but not in Brazil. Furthermore, corrosion correlated to bioethanol is more extensive than with biodiesel.
Importantly, microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) is the main corrosion type observed for the biodiesel system, especially in the presence of moist air or accumulation of water. The biological origin of biodiesel together with the presence of water are the primary reasons for the higher potential for supporting microbial activities, compared to fossil-based diesel.
Biogas is also increasingly finding uses as a fuel for cars, trucks, busses, and heavy equipment such as construction equipment, generators and ships. To the extent applicable, this disclosure also refers to the prevention of microbial growth in systems for the production, handling, storage, transport, distribution, dispensing and use of biogas.
Hydraulic Fluids
Hydraulic fluids or hydraulic liquids are the medium by which power is transferred in hydraulic machinery. The main requirement is that a hydraulic fluid has low compressibility, preferably as close to zero as possible, but it is also important that the fluid helps to lubricate the equipment and also prevents corrosion. Recently, the environmental impact has become a focus of attention, and low toxicity and biodegradability are important features for example in the case of leakage and spills.
According to an article by T, Marougy (Hydraulic fluids can help you go 'green', in Hydraulics & Pneumatics, Oct. 9, 2012) there are four basic types of environmentally-friendly hydraulic fluids in common use:    HETG: hydraulic environmental triglyceride (water insoluble triglycerides),    HEES: hydraulic environmental ester synthetic (water insoluble synthetic ester),    HEPG: hydraulic environmental poly glycol (water soluble poly alkylene glycol [PAG]), and    HEPR: hydraulic environmental polyalphaolefin and related fluids (water insoluble poly alpha olefins [PAO] and related hydrocarbon-based fluids).
HETG fluids (hydraulic environmental triglyceride) are water insoluble triglycerides derived from vegetable or animal oils—with soybean, sunflower, and rapeseed (Canola) being the most common sources. They frequently contain soluble thickeners to increase their natural viscosity, which is approximately 35 mm2/sec at 40° C. Triglycerides are long-chain fatty acids combined with alcohol in the form of glycerin. Natural triglycerides have excellent lubricity but poor thermal and hydrolytic stability. They also oxidize rapidly. Additives, chemical modification, and even genetic modification of the seeds used to produce the base stock can improve hydrolytic stability and oxidation resistance.
HETG fluids offer many advantages. For one, they are highly biodegradable and nontoxic. They offer excellent lubricity and anticorrosion properties. And because they are made from natural, renewable resources, they are readily available. In addition, they have a high viscosity index and high flash point. But HETG fluids also have drawbacks. High-temperature operation can cause quick aging, rapid oxidation, and extreme thickening and gumming. In addition, they are susceptible to water contamination, which causes hydrolysis and increases total acid number (TAN). They tend to thicken and gel at low temperature, which hurts machine performance. And because they are miscible with mineral oil, this can lower biodegradability in circuits that aren't properly flushed. Finally, they are currently significantly more expensive than mineral oils.
HEES fluids (hydraulic environmental ester synthetic) are water-insoluble synthetic esters derived from either petroleum or vegetable (typically rapeseed) oil feedstocks. Petroleum-sourced HEES fluids combine an organic acid and alcohol, whereas vegetable sourced fluids combine a fatty acid and alcohol. HEES fluids are available as unsaturated, partially saturated, and fully saturated products. Of these, fully saturated versions generally offer the best performance and command the highest price.
HEES fluids offer long service life due to high thermal and oxidative stability and good fluidity at low temperatures. They are also available in a broad viscosity range (ISO VG 32/46/68). However, they have more disadvantages than advantages. For example, they're expensive and, like HETG fluids, require special system-design requirements. They also hydrolyze in the presence of water. And like HETG, because they are miscible with mineral oil, they can become contaminated with mineral oils, resulting in decreased biodegradability.
HEPG fluids (hydraulic environmental poly glycol) are water-soluble polyalkylene glycols (PAG), polymers made from reacting alkylene-oxide monomers such as ethylene oxide, propylene glycol, or propylene oxide with glycol. Those with 50 to 100% ethylene oxide are water soluble, while those with 100% propylene oxide are water insoluble. Both types are inherently fire resistant.
The biodegradability of HEPG fluids depends on the ratio of propylene to ethylene oxides. The higher the molecular weight, the lower the biodegradability of the fluid. HEPG fluids come in a broad viscosity range and have an operating temperature range of −20 to 80° C. In addition, water-soluble polyglycols can be used as anhydrous lubricants. However, they require special system designs. For instance, they are incompatible with polyurethane seals, and pumps and motors may need to be derated when used with HEPG fluids.
HEPR fluids (hydraulic environmental polyalphaolefin and related) are water-insoluble polyalphaolefins (PAO) and related hydrocarbon-based fluids. These synthetic hydrocarbons are made by polymerizing alpha olefins to produce PAO. Only low viscosity polyalphaolefins are considered environmentally friendly.
A key advantage of HEPR fluids is that they offer excellent oxidation stability and good corrosion protection. They also have good lubricity and aging characteristics, and a long service life. They offer good viscosity performance over a wide temperature range: pour point is −20 to −40° C. and operating temperature range is −30 to 100° C. However, like most green fluids, they can be costly and are incompatible with many seal and gasket materials.
Some bio fluids, particularly HEES and HETG types, are susceptible to water contamination, which degrades fluid properties. They readily absorb water and, if water remains in the fluid, it will hydrolyze the bio fluid. The fluid will break down and lose lubricity, and its acidity will increase leading to problems with corrosion. It's therefore essential to closely monitor water content and acid levels in vegetable based and synthetic bio fluids.
Lubricants
Vegetable oils and fats have been used as lubricants since ancient times, and gained renewed interest in times of war and oil shortages during the 20th century. In recent years, a conscious effort to increase the use of renewable hydrocarbons, as well as an ambition to minimize the environmental impact, has led to a growing focus on vegetable oils. The advantages are clear, vegetable oils are biodegradable, in general less toxic, and can be made from renewable sources. There are however disadvantages, such as insufficient oxidation stability, and a tendency for microbial growth and degradation, in particular in the interface between the lubricant and water condensate forming in tanks and pipes.
Examples of biodegradable lubricants include vegetable oils such as rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil, etc in different mixtures, as well as synthetic esters.
The consequences of microbial growth in hydraulic fluids and lubricants can be severe, leading to clogging of filters and valves, reduced heat exchange and over heating of engines, increased acidity of the hydraulic fluid or lubricant, increased corrosion etc. Curbing the microbial infection and restoring the system or engine requires considerable work, and it may include harsh heat treatment, the addition of highly toxic biocides and frequently also a complete manual cleaning of tanks, pipes and components.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,783,561, Ali Erdemir presents a method for providing enhanced lubricity in fuels and lubricants wherein a boron compound is added to said fuel or lubricant. Erdemir is focused on reducing or eliminating sulfur in the fuel, and has investigated the anti-wear properties of low-sulfur fuel with different additions of boron. Erdemir suggests boron concentrations from about 30 ppm to about 3000 ppm, about 200 to about 2000 ppm, alternatively from about 50 to about 1000 ppm or from about 100 ppm to about 500 ppm.
The earlier technology however did not fulfill the expectations. Problems with the stability of boron solutions, i.e. a tendency of aggregation and sedimentation, have hampered the large scale use of boron containing additives for lubrication purposes. Therefore, Tommy Lindblom and Magnus Undén developed a method for producing stable boric solutions, disclosed in international patent application WO 2010/134872 and patented for example as U.S. Pat. No. 9,222,045. This method addresses the difficulties in producing a stable boric solution, i.e. avoiding aggregation and precipitation during storage. The method results in a boron solution which is stable over time. According to their findings, the finished fuel, after adding the additive produced by their method, should reach a boron concentration within the range 10-10 000 ppm, preferably within the range 20-30 ppm. A higher concentration, up to 10 000 ppm pertains primarily to use in more solid lubricants. An antibacterial effect is only mentioned in the connection with the use of a boron solution as cutting fluid. It is clear from this context that it is the boron solution as such that is believed to have an antibacterial effect when used as a cutting fluid, and not as an additive to a lubricant. This is clear from the phrase "The solution may also serve as an oil-free lubricant for the metal pressing industry, making it possible to eliminate oil recovery after the pressing process." (Emphasis added)
An international patent application, WO 2005/083042, presents an additive for two-stroke engines where the amount of oil is reduced and a lubricating effect is achieved by an addition of boron. It is suggested that 10-90% of the oil is replaced by fuel or a hydrocarbon carrier, for example an alcohol. According to a preferred embodiment, only 10-60% of the oil is replaced, and the boron content of the additive is in the range 1500-2500 ppm. The application contains no examples.
In a case study of the use of biodiesel-blends as fuel in marine environments, the authors found that excessive sludge formation and fuel filter clogging constituted a problem, and it was suggested that bacterial contamination was one of the major factors in contribution to the sludge formation (T. X. Zhang et al., Advances in Chemical Engineering and Science, 2011, 1, 65-71). In this case study, a commercial biocide (BIOBOR JF®) was added to the fuel.
According to the Safety Data Sheet (BIOBOR JF® SDS, Hammonds Fuel Additives Inc., Preparation date: 1 Jan. 2013, Revision date: 3 Aug. 2015) the major active ingredients are 2,2′-(1-methyltrimethylenedioxy)-bis-(4-methyl -1,3,2-dioxaboriane) and 2,2′-oxybis(4,4,6-trimethyl-1,3,2-dioxaboriane) which are toxic organic boron-containing biocides.

Methods for preventing microbial growth and microbiologically influenced corrosion in a biodegradable and/or renewable fuel, hydraulic fluid and/or lubricant


The invention relates to improved E. coli bacteria with enhanced viability at low temperatures, methods for producing improved bacterial strains capable of enhanced viability at low temperatures, and the isolation and use of genetic material capable of enhancing the viability of bacteria at low temperatures. In addition to the enhanced viability at low temperatures, the bacteria may exhibit enhanced transformation efficiencies after storage at low temperatures. As such, the invention may be used for the insertion of exogenous DNA sequences into the bacteria of the invention.

Extended storage of bacteria is typically accomplished at very low temperatures (-80.degree. C. and below). Not only have such very low temperatures been used to store bacteria, but they have also been used to store bacteria made competent for transformation (U.S. Pat. No. 4,981,797). However, problems are associated with the storage of bacteria and competent bacterial cells at higher temperatures (e.g., about -20.degree. C. to about 4.degree. C.). At these higher temperatures, bacteria and competent bacterial cells rapidly lose viability and transformation efficiency. Over a period of several months, the viable cell count and the transformation efficiency of such cells decreases by several orders of magnitude. Bacteria which are competent for transformation can only be stored at 4.degree. C. for several days (Dagent et al., Gene 6:23-28 (1979)) or for a period of up to 16 days (Pope et al., Nucl. Acids Res. 24(3):536-537 (1996)). Thus, in order to maintain viability and competency, bacteria and competent bacterial cells have typically been stored at -80.degree. C.
Stable storage of bacteria, and particularly competent cells, at temperatures higher than -80.degree. C. is highly desirable, since many research laboratories may not have access to very low temperature storage. Moreover, the cost of storing bacteria at -80.degree. C. is greater than at higher temperatures, and it is both difficult and expensive to transport bacterial cells at temperatures lower than -20.degree. C.

Method for increasing the viability and transformation ability of bacteria during or after storage at low temperatures


Cancer is treated via a coordinated treatment regimen that use various compounds and compositions that employ prime-boost vaccination in combination with immune modulatory treatment and biasing of an immune response towards a Th1 profile.

The background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
All publications and patent applications herein are incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.
The immune system has been described as playing a dual role in cancer as it can protect against cancer development by detecting and eliminating tumor cells, but also in that it can promote cancer progression by selection of tumor cells that escape immune destruction. This paradoxical role of the immune system in cancer is also known as cancer immunoediting (see e.g., Science. 2011; 331:1565-70). Cancer cells frequently employ various mechanisms to evade recognition and destruction by immune cells. For example, cancer cells can modulate the tumor microenvironment (TME) through recruitment of regulatory T cells (Tregs), myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), and immunosuppressive macrophages (M2 macrophages). Cancer cells can also evade the immune system by down-regulating expression of certain MHC (major histocompatibility complex) molecules, which are deemed typically essential for T cells to recognize tumor-associated antigens (TAAs). Still further, cancer cells can secrete immune suppressive cytokines (e.g., TGF-β, IL-8) to establish a more immune suppressive environment.
To overcome at least some of the downregulating functions in the immune evasion of a tumor, various pharmaceutical agents have been tested with varying degree of success. For example, immune stimulants can be administered to increase an immune response to specific tumor antigens. Among other immune stimulants, certain cytokines and derivatives are often used and include IL-2, IL-12, or IL-15, and chimeric forms thereof such as ALT-803 (see e.g., Altor BioScience Corporation, 2810 North Commerce Parkway, Miramar, Fla. 33025; ALT-803 FACT SHEET) or NHS-IL-12 (see e.g., Oncotarget 2014, Vol. 5, No. 7, 1869-1884). While increasing some of the parameters in an immune response, administration of such compounds per se has not been proven to be therapeutically effective in eradication of a tumor. In yet another known approach, various checkpoint inhibitors have been used in the treatment of cancer, and in some cases yielded remarkable results. However, as with the cytokine-type immune stimulants, consistent responses have been elusive, especially across different types of cancer. In other known approaches, tumor vaccines have been employed to generate an immune response against a tumor specific or tumor associated antigen. Once more, notable immune responses were observed in some cases. However, immune stimulation with vaccine compositions is still often associated with suppression of an immune response in a tumor. To improve immune response and reduce immune suppression, timed immunotherapy has been described to address immune editing as taught in WO 2018005973. Such coordinated therapy advantageously addresses immune escape from various angles. However, such therapy is often lengthy and requires multiple treatment agents and a complex treatment regimen.
Consequently, there is still a need to provide treatment compositions and methods that improve cancer immune therapy, and especially a therapy that is conceptually simple and effective using a minimum of therapeutic agents.

Neoepitope vaccine and immune stimulant combinations and methods


The present invention provides a snore detection device comprising a pressure sensor for detecting vibration generated by the human body with respiration, a sound sensor for detecting sound generated by the human body with respiration, and a judging circuit for judging the occurrence of snoring based on output signals of the two sensors. The judging circuit detects a peak occurrence time in variations generated by the output signal of the pressure sensor and a peak occurrence time in variations generated by the output signal of the sound sensor, to judge whether snoring occurs based on the peak occurrence times, respectively, of vibration and sound.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a snore detection method and a snore detection device.
2. Description of Related Art
Detection of snoring during sleep makes it possible to diagnose one's health state or to prevent the occurrence of snoring. Already proposed are a snore detection device for judging whether snoring occurs based on vibration (pressure variations), generated by the human body with respiration, and another snore detection device for judging whether snoring occurs based on snoring sound (JP-A No. 184948/1995).
According to FIG. 13, however, an investigation of the phase relationship between pressure data variations obtained by measuring vibration generated by the human body with respiration and sound data variations obtained by measuring snoring sound reveals that there exist following cases: the time at which the peak P1 of the pressure data appears corresponds to the time at which the peak P2 of the sound data appears, as seen in FIG. 13(a); the time at which the peak P2 of the sound data appears falls behind the time at which the peak P1 of the pressure data appears, as seen in FIG. 13(b); the time at which the peak P2 of the sound data appears is earlier than the time at which the peak P1 of the pressure data appears, as seen in FIG. 13(c). This is because the magnitude of snoring sound is varied in accordance with speed of respiration air flow or airway state while the magnitude of pressure data is varied in accordance with a posture of the sleeping human body. Accordingly the appearance of the peak of the sound data is not always in synchronism with that of the peak of the pressure data.
Thus a snore detection device for judging whether snoring occurs based only on the variations of the pressure data, and a snore detection device for judging whether snoring occurs based only on the variations of the sound data are low in accuracy, and are likely to erroneously judge vibration or sound generated by causes other than snoring as the occurrence of snoring, as the case may be.

Method of and device for snore detection


A hinge connecting a bow (1) to a rim-side bow carrier (3) of a spectacle frame comprises is formed on said bow carrier (3) with an abutment surface, which faces the bow (1), which is formed with a pocket (7) that is open on the inside surface of the bow. The hinge bracket 5 is provided with stub pins, which constitute a pivot and are pivoted in bearing sockets (8) formed in the pocket (7). Grooves (9) extend from the bearing sockets, (8) to the inside surface of the bow and are tapered toward said bearing sockets (8) in depth or width so that the stub pins are a snap-action fit in the bearing sockets. To prevent an unintended separation of the bow from the bow carrier, the grooves extend from the bearing sockets on that side thereof which is opposite to a terminal edge (10), with which the bow engages the abutment surface (4) of the bow carrier (3) to define an open position for the bow.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an eyeglass frame, particularly to a hinge connecting a bow to a bow carrier of an eyeglass rim, which hinge comprises a hinge bracket, which protrudes from the bow carrier on its abutment face facing the bow and extends into a pocket, which is formed in the bow and open on the inside surface of the bow, wherein said hinge bracket carries two stub pins, which constitute a pivot and within the pocket are pivoted as a snap-action fit in bearing sockets, and grooves for guiding the stub pins as they are inserted, which grooves extend from said bearing recesses to the inside surface of the bow.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In eyeglasses comprising plastic frames it is desired to form the rim-side hinge portions and the bow-side hinge portions integrally with the bow carriers and the bows, respectively, which are made of plastic. For that purpose it is known to provide the bow carrier with a hinge bracket, which carries upwardly and downwardly protruding stub pins, which constitute a pivot, and to provide in each bow a pocket for receiving the hinge bracket carried by the adjacent bow carrier. The stub pins of each hinge bracket extend into associated bearing sockets formed in the pocket of the associated bow. To permit the stub pins to be inserted into the bearing socket, the associated pocket is formed with grooves, which extend from the bearing recesses to that abutment face of the bow which faces the associated bow carrier and decrease in depth or width toward the bearing socket so that the stub pins will snap into the bearing sockets. That known design has the disadvantage that during an opening movement of the bow beyond a stop-defined open position, in which the bow is aligned with the rim-side hinge bracket, the stub pins formed on the rim-side hinge bracket will be forced out of the bearing sockets so that the bow will separate from the rim. Whereas the bow can subsequently be refitted on the rim-side hinge bracket until the stub pins again snap into the bearing recesses, the hinge will inevitably be worn out of the stub pins are repeatedly detached from the bow so that the proper use of the eyeglasses may no longer be possible.

Silouette International Gesellschaft m.b.H.


A truck, in particular a fire-fighting utility vehicle. The vehicle has a structure mounted on a chassis frame with a driver's cab pivotable about a horizontal axis extending transversely to the travel direction. A crew and/or equipment cab is also mounted on the chassis frame communicating with the driver's cab via a releasable connecting mechanism forming a passageway. Independently of the driver's cab and the crew and/or equipment cab, a utility structure is mounted on the chassis frame having built-in fixtures for storing tools and equipment and optionally having extinguisher units consisting of at least a tank, extinguisher pump, etc. and mounting devices are provided at entry and/or operating openings in transverse and/or longitudinal side walls of the structure.

Patent specification DE 35 26 766 A1, filed by the same applicant, discloses a truck with mutually separate and independent cabs disposed at the front end of the vehicle chassis, comprising a driver's cab with all the controls needed to operate the truck and a crew and/or equipment cab immediately behind. The driver's cab, which also has seats for passengers, is linked to the crew and/or equipment cab by openings in a rear wall of the driver's cab and a front wall of the crew and/or equipment cab facing it, forming a passageway for persons. A sealing arrangement surrounding the openings provides a closure sealed off from the outside. In the region of the forward front wall, the driver's cab of the truck is mounted on the vehicle chassis so that it can pivot about an axis extending parallel with a support surface and perpendicular to the travel direction, in order to provide access to the drive motor and auxiliary units disposed underneath the floor in the event of maintenance work. The disadvantage of such an arrangement is the inconvenient manipulation needed to detach the seal arrangement from the driver's cab and to enable the driver's cab to be pivoted.
An entry to the driver's cab of a utility vehicle, in particular for a cab-over-engine truck, is known from patent specification DE 38 26 542 A1, whereby entry to the driver's cab of a utility vehicle is facilitated by entry steps in the form of rotating steps. When the entry doors to the driver's cab are opened, these can be moved at the same time from a pivoted-in position at the exterior front into an outwardly pivoted position or can be moved by a separate drive system. The rotating steps are mounted on an axis within the structure, extending perpendicular to the support surface, and the steps have more or less circular cut-out faces in their projection towards the support surface. This affords the vehicle driver effortless entry to the driver's cab, but inadvertent pivoting during entry is detrimental to the safety of the user.
Patent specification AT 406 573 B discloses a box structure for a utility vehicle, in particular a fire-fighting vehicle, in which a passageway linking the driver's cab and the box structure is provided between the driver's cab and a front-end transverse support element for the box structure lying behind, and a peripheral elastic transition and sealing element is disposed in the region of side walls of the box structure and a roof support plate, which produces a sealed connection but does not prevent various vibrations. A transition and sealing element of this type represents a very complex system if the intention is to provide a pivotable driver's cab.
The objective of the present invention is to provide a truck, in particular a fire-fighting utility truck, which is easy to handle during maintenance and during operation and which is operationally reliable during different conditions of usage.


The invention relates to the use of a particle-containing powdered coating material in a coating method selected from the group consisting of cold gas spraying, flame spraying, high-speed flame spraying, thermal plasma spraying and non-thermal plasma spraying, wherein the particles have a relative deformability factor Vm of at most 0.1 and the relative deformability factor is defined according to Formula (I):

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to special powdered coating materials. Furthermore, the present invention comprises the use of such powdered coating materials. Furthermore, the present invention comprises methods for substrate coating using such powdered coating materials.
Description of Related Art
A large number of coating methods for different substrates are already known. For example, metals or precursors thereof are deposited on a substrate surface from the gas phase, see e.g. PVD or CVD methods. Furthermore, corresponding substances can be deposited for example from a solution by means of galvanic methods. In addition, it is possible to apply coatings for example in the form of varnishes to the surface. However, all the methods have specific advantages and disadvantages. For example, in the case of deposition in the form of varnishes, large amounts of water and/or organic solvents are required, a drying time is needed, the coating material to be applied must be compatible with the base varnish, and a residue of the base varnish likewise remains on the substrate. For example, application by means of PVD methods requires large amounts of energy in order to bring non-volatile substances into the gas phase.
In view of the above-named limitations, a large number of coating methods have been developed to provide the properties desired for the respective intended use. Known methods use, for example, kinetic energy, thermal energy or mixtures thereof to produce the coatings, wherein the thermal energy can originate for example from a conventional combustion flame or a plasma flame. The latter are further divided into thermal and non-thermal plasmas, by which is meant that a gas is partially or completely separated into free charge carriers such as ions or electrons.
In the case of cold gas spraying, the coating is formed by applying a powder to a substrate surface, wherein the powder particles are greatly accelerated. For this, a heated process gas is accelerated to ultrasonic speed by expansion in a de Laval nozzle and then the powder is injected. As a result of the high kinetic energy, the particles form a dense layer when they strike the substrate surface.
For example, WO 2010/003396 A1 discloses the use of cold gas spraying as a coating method for applying wear-protection coatings. Furthermore, disclosures of the cold gas spraying method are found for example in EP 1 363 811 A1, EP 0 911 425 B1 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,740,905 B2.
Flame spraying belongs to the group of thermal coating methods. Here, a powdered coating material is introduced into the flame of a fuel gas/oxygen mixture. Here, temperatures of up to approximately 3200° C. can be reached for example with oxyacetylene flames. Details of the method can be learned from publications such as e.g. EP 830 464 B1 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,382 A.
In the case of thermal plasma spraying, a powdered coating material is injected into a thermal plasma. In the typically used thermal plasma, temperatures of up to approx. 20,000 K are reached, whereby the injected powder is melted and deposited on a substrate as coating.
The method of thermal plasma spraying and specific embodiments, as well as method parameters are known to a person skilled in the art. By way of example, reference is made to WO 2004/016821, which describes the use of thermal plasma spraying to apply an amorphous coating. Furthermore, EP 0 344 781 for example discloses the use of flame spraying and thermal plasma spraying as coating methods using a tungsten carbide powder mixture. Specific devices for use in plasma spraying methods are described multiple times in the literature, such as for example in EP 0 342 428 A2, U.S. Pat. No. 7,678,428 B2, U.S. Pat. No. 7,928,338 B2 and EP 1 287 898 A2.
In the case of high-speed flame spraying, a fuel is combusted under high pressure, wherein fuel gases, liquid fuels and mixtures thereof can all be used as fuel. A powdered coating material is injected into the highly accelerated flame. This method is known for being characterized by relatively dense spray coatings. High-speed flame spraying is also well known to a person skilled in the art and has already been described in numerous publications. For example, EP 0 825 272 A2 discloses a substrate coating with a copper alloy using high-speed flame spraying. Furthermore, WO 2010/037548 A1 and EP 0 492 384 A1 for example disclose the method of high-speed flame spraying and devices to be used therein.
Non-thermal plasma spraying is carried out largely analogously to thermal plasma spraying and flame spraying. A powdered coating material is injected into a non-thermal plasma and deposited with it onto a substrate surface. As can be learned for example from EP 1 675 971 B1, this method is characterized by a particularly low thermal load of the coated substrate. This method, particular embodiments and corresponding method parameters are also known to a person skilled in the art from different publications. For example, EP 2 104 750 A2 describes the use of this method and a device for carrying it out. For example, DE 103 20 379 A1 describes the production of an electrically heatable element using this method. Further disclosures in respect of the method or devices for non-thermal plasma spraying are found for example in EP 1 675 971 B1, DE 10 2006 061 435 A1, WO 03/064061 A1, WO 2005/031026 A1, DE 198 07 086 A1, DE 101 16 502 A1, WO 01/32949 A1, EP 0 254 424 B1, EP 1 024 222 A2, DE 195 32 412 A1, DE 199 55 880 A1 and DE 198 56 307 C1.
However, a general problem of coating methods using a powdered coating material is that under relatively gentle coating conditions only an insufficient coating quality is achieved. In particular, when there is an incomplete melting of the particles of the powdered coating material, cavities form which can for example influence the optical, haptic or electrical properties, the barrier effect and/or the heat conductivity of the coating.

Coating method using special powdered coating materials and use of such coating materials

Abstract: V            m                    =                      d                          D              50                                      ,                            (        I        )                            wherein d is the average smallest thickness of the particles, measured vertical to and in the middle half of the longitudinal axis of the particles, and D50 is the average diameter of the volume-averaged particle-size distribution.

Abstract: The invention furthermore relates to a method for coating.