A process is disclosed for imparting wrinkle-resistance and durable press properties to a fibrous garment which is, desirably, made at least in part of a cellulose fiber. The process involves wetting the fiber or garment such that natural fibers swell or the garment has at least about 30 percent by weight of water. The wetted garment, having the swollen fibers, is then treated with a resin solution. The resin must be suitable for imparting wrinkle-resistance and durable press properties to the fibrous garment. Such resins are known in the art. The resin "treating" solution desirably comprises at least about 10 percent excess of a stoichiometric amount of the resin. The excess solution is removed and the fabric or garment is then dried. The invention can include a step for recycling the excess solution from the treating procedure.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a process for imparting wrinkle resistance and durable press finishes to a fibrous textile or garment. More specifically, the invention relates to a "wet-on-wet" process for imparting wrinkle resistance and durable press finishes to a fibrous textile or garment without predrying the textile or garment.
2. Description of the Background Art
The industry has been applying finishes to both synthetic and natural fibers, that are used to manufacture garments, for many years. Finishes can provide fibers with crease-resistance, wrinkle-resistance, or a durable-press finish. The durable-press finish is often called a "permanent press" or "wash-and-wear" finish. These finishes are, typically, provided by various resin materials and can both desirably or undesirably alter the final characteristics of the finished textile. Crease-resistant finishes are used on cotton, rayon, and linen to prevent wrinkling. Resin finishes are applied to these textiles with processes that involve saturating the textile with the resin and then curing the resin at a temperature of about 360.degree. F. (182.degree. C.). Crease-resistant finishes typically cause the textile to become more stiff, less absorbent, and more resistant to wrinkling. The strength and abrasion resistance of the textile is sometimes lowered, especially when the textile contains cellulose fibers. The extent of the durability of the finish depends upon the percentage of the resin retained in the textile.
A wrinkle-resistant finish is applied to a textile in order to make the textile resistant to wrinkling and to assist the textile in a rapid recovery from wrinkling after it is worn. The effectiveness of the wrinkle-resistance finish depends upon the fiber content of the fabric, the construction of the fabric, and the particular chemical formulation that is applied as the finish. As such, wrinkle-resistant finishes are often combined with water-repellent finishes which can also resist stains. Wrinkle-resistant finishes are easily ironed, but can cause a garment to fail to "take a press" by making the seams, collars, cuffs and hemlines appear wrinkled instead of pressed. Additionally, wrinkle-resistant finishes can cause a loss of strength to the textile.
Durable-press finishes provide textiles or wearing apparel with properties that resist wrinkles and retain creases and pleats throughout many wearings and cleaning treatments. Durable-press processes, typically, heat-set a thermoplastic fiber or apply a resin treatment to a textile. Either system can impart a "memory" in the treated fabric. This memory allows the fabric or textile to retain the original shape that the fabric or textile had when it was either heat-set or cured.
Early durable-press treatment of cotton fabrics provided only "easy care" or "minimum care" textiles which still required some ironing. Heavy resin treatments that were sufficient to cause complete durable-press treatments of cotton required such a high concentration of resin that the cotton suffered a strength loss. Textiles that are 100 percent cotton fabric and treated to have a durable-press finish are of such a heavy construction that many uses in garments are prohibited. Cotton blends with manmade fibers have to be used in order to provide a lightweight fabric.
A postcured permanent press finish, which is also called a deferred-cured permanent press finish, is applied to a fabric by first impregnating the fabric with a resin and then drying the fabric at a low temperature. The drying process is performed such that little or no curing of the resin occurs during this initial finishing process. The fabric is then cut and formed into an apparel or garment. The garment is then pressed to remove wrinkles and to impart creases and pleats. The garment is then cured in an oven at about 350.degree. F. (162.degree. C.) for 5 to 15 minutes. The temperature and time for this curing process varies depending upon the fabric and garment. This curing process sets the garment in the shape it has upon entering the curing oven. This process is commonly known as a "wet-on-dry" process.
The "wet-on-dry" process requires garments to be dried after an initial laundering. After this drying, the garments are then soaked, typically, in a cold solution of a cross-linking reagent, and then redried. The result is that a cotton fiber does not undergo a significant reswelling such that the cotton lumen or central hole in the cotton fiber becomes open and distinct. In the wet-on-dry process, the cotton lumen actually closes or collapses throughout the majority of the cotton fibers. This collapse of the cotton lumen causes the cotton fiber structure to become more rigid and to have a more "effective" diameter. Examples of these processes in cross-linking reagents are as follows.
The use of polycarboxylic acids with or without catalysts in pad, dry, and cure treatments to impart wrinkle resistance to cotton fabric was studied by Gagliardi and Shippee, American Dyestuff Reporter 52, pp. 300-303, (1963). They observed small increases in fabric wrinkle resistance after relatively long periods of heating and noted larger fabric strength losses than are obtained with formaldehyde-based cross-linking agents. These excessive strength losses and the low yield of cross-linkages were attributed to the long heat curing times needed with the inefficient catalysts then available.
A more rapid and effective curing process for introducing ester cross-links into cotton cellulose was described by Rowland et al, Textile Research Journal 37, pp. 933-941, (1967). Polycarboxylic acids were partially neutralized with sodium carbonate or triethylamine prior to application to the fabric in a pad, dry, and heat cure type of treatment. Cross-linking of cellulose was obtained whenever the polycarboxylic acid contained three or more carboxyl groups suitably located in each molecule. With certain polycarboxylic acids, a useful level of wrinkle resistance was imparted. The conditioned wrinkle recovery angle was measured before and after five laundering cycles and was found to decrease somewhat as a result of laundering. This occurred even though no loss of ester groups was detected. Neutralization of carboxyl groups with 2 percent sodium carbonate, even at room temperature, caused a 30 percent loss of ester groups. This indicates a lack of durability of the finish of alkaline solutions such as solutions in alkaline laundering detergents. The curing time needed in fabric finishing was, moreover, too long to permit high speed, mill-scale production.
Subsequently, it was shown by Rowland and Brannan, Textile Research Journal 38, pp. 634-643, (1968), that cotton fabrics given the above cellulose cross-linking treatment with polycarboxylic acids were recurable. Creases durable to five laundering cycles were imparted to the fabrics by wetting the latter, folding, and applying a heated iron. Evidence was obtained that the ester groups and adjacent free hydroxyl groups on cotton cellulose formed cross-links.
These findings were elaborated by Rowland et al in U.S. Pat. No. 3,526,048. Sodium carbonate or triethylamine was again used as the base to partially neutralize the polycarboxylic acid that was subsequently applied as the cellulose cross-linking agent. Rowland et al, defined their process as requiring neutralization of 1 percent to 50 percent of all carboxylic acid functionality by a "strong base" selected from the group consisting of alkali metal hydroxides, carbonates, bicarbonates, acetates, phosphates, and borates. This neutralization is required prior to impregnating the fibrous cellulose with the aqueous polycarboxylic acid and heating to induce cross-linking. A strong base selected from the group consisting of ammonia and certain amines was also indicated as suitable for the partial neutralization of the polycarboxylic acid.
Stated limitations of the process of Rowland et al are that the process cannot be conducted with acids of fewer than three carboxyl groups per molecule or with acids containing olefinic unsaturation or hydroxyl groups. The reasons provided for these limitations were lack of reaction with cellulose chains for development of high levels of wrinkle resistance.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,307, to Welch et al discloses, as cellulose cross-linking agents, polycarboxylic acids which include aliphatic, alicyclic, and aromatic acids. However, the acids are either olefinically saturated or unsaturated with at least three carboxyl groups per molecule or with two carboxyl groups per molecule if a carbon-carbon, double bond is present either alpha or beta to one or both carboxyl groups. An additional requirement which is stated for esterifying cellulose hydroxy groups, is that in an aliphatic or alicyclic acid a given carboxyl group must be separated by no less than two carbon atoms and no more than three. It is further stated that when two carboxyl groups are both connected to the same ring, the two carboxyl groups must be in the cis configuration in order to react and form anhydrides which can esterify with cellulosic hydroxyl groups.
U.S Pat. No. 3,203,886, to Griffin discloses a photodimerization process for preparing trans polycarboxylic acids. These compounds can be used as cross-linking agents to impart wrinkle resistance to cellulosic textiles.
The term "wrinkle resistance" in this art is defined by AATCC Method No. 66-1984, 1988, Technical Manual, American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Other standard tests used in the art of finishing fabrics and garments are listed in Table 1.
TABLE 1 __________________________________________________________________________ Test Property Measuring Units Title of Test __________________________________________________________________________ Break Strength-Warp pounds of force ASTM: D1682-64 GRAB Break Strength-Fill pounds of force ASTM: D1682-64 GRAB Tear Strength-Warp pounds of force ASTM: 1424-83 Elmendorf Tear Strength-Fill pounds of force ASTM: 1424-83 Elmendorf Flex Abrasion cycles ASTM: D1175-71 Flex Shrinkage-Waist percentage AATCC 150-84IIIB 3 cyc. Shrinkage-Inseam percentage AATCC 150-84IIIB 3 cyc. Colorfastness-Gray Scale Laundering change of class AATCC 150-84IIIB 3 cyc. Crocking - Wet change of class AATCC 8-81 Crocking - Dry change of class AATCC 8-81 Light FU AATCC 16E-82 Ozone change of class AATCC 109-83 2 cycles Formaldehyde ppm AATC 112-84 pH AATCC 81-83 Crease Retention __________________________________________________________________________
Other tests for evaluating textile and garment finishes are also known in the art.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for imparting wrinkle-resistance and durable press finishes to a fibrous garment by a wet-on-wet process.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a simplified wet processing procedure to eliminate the necessity of an interim drying step prior to application of finishing reagents.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a process for finishing completed garments in the wet state.
Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description and appended claims.

Process for imparting wrinkle resistance and durable press finish to a fibrous garment


The present invention provides a biomimetic composite material, a nacreous layer-mimetic material, a biomimetic nacre material and preparation methods thereof. The biomimetic composite material comprises multiple composite film formed from biomass fibers and an inorganic nanomaterial, wherein an organic polymer material is arranged between the multiple composite film layers or in the composite base body. The invention combines a high-mechanical-performance shellfish structure with a wood fiberboard to overcome the original defects of the fiberboard, improve the fiberboard performances and endow it with new special performances, so that the prepared material has dual functions of the fiberboard and the nanomaterial at the same time.

During the long evolution process of nature, biological materials with perfect structural forms and unique excellent performances have been formed, such as mollusk shells, pearls, bones and teeth, all of which are examples of an inorganic-organic combination and have formed complex fine multilevel micro/nanostructures with both high mechanical performance and toughness and light weight after selection and evolution over hundreds of millions of years.
An abalone shell and a nacreous layer are typical examples. The abalone shell is mainly composed of CaCO3 and a small number of biomacromolecules, and has hardness twice that of a general CaCO3 crystal and toughness more than 1,000 times that of the general CaCO3 crystal. These structures are obtained mainly by self-assembly of organic macromolecules (protein, polysaccharides, lipids, etc.) to provide a template, on which inorganic molecules are deposited via molecular recognition. The nacreous layer is formed by alternately laminating aragonite (calcium carbonate) 95% and a small number of organic biological polymers (protein/polysaccharide 1-5%) to constitute a brick-and-mortar like micro/nano layered structure, with its strength, modulus and toughness up to 80-170 MPa, 40-70 GPa and 1.24 KJ·m−2, respectively, especially the toughness being more than 3,000 times that of aragonite. These organic matrices have a regulating effect on the nucleation, orientation, growth, spatial form of the aragonite crystal, so that it can exhibit an extraordinary order and strength at a nano-level.
The microstructure of a material determines its macro-mechanical performance. Because of the special organic-inorganic micro/nano multilayer structures, the mollusk shells are endowed with such good mechanical strength and toughness. Under an external force, the alternate arrangement of hard aragonite can deflect the stress, and meanwhile the sacrificial bonds formed at a molecular level within the biological polymers and between the biological polymers and inorganic salts can transfer the stress and consume energy. The organic/inorganic layered structure of the nacreous layer endows it an exquisite structure and unique mechanical performance. As a result, it has become a cross-discipline research focus of chemistry, material science, bioscience, nanotechnology and the like to realize biomimetic preparation of multiscale ordered inorganic or organic/inorganic hybrid materials by an environment-friendly method and exhibit multiple microscopic and macroscopic functions.
According to reports, a method for preparing artificial nacre in prior arts includes constructing a chitosan framework with a preset layered structure by a freezing-induced assembly process; subjecting the chitosan framework to acetylation to form a stable β-chitin framework so as to avoid undesired swelling and dissolving; decomposing calcium hydrogen carbonate solution constantly flowing through the organic framework in the presence of polyacrylic acid and magnesium ions in a circulating system driven by a peristaltic pump, to deposit calcium carbonate and realize in-situ mineralization growth; and impregnating the mineralization material with fibroin solution and hot pressing to obtain the artificial nacre. However, it takes about 7-10 days for mineralization, so the method is low in efficiency. Moreover, the prepared material has high inorganic matter content and density, which restrict its application.
Wood fibers are a natural renewable biomass resource with rich sources, low price and high specific strength, and wood fiber-based composite materials prepared from them have found wide application in building decoration and furniture. However, at present, the prepared wood fiber composite materials generally have a problem of poor mechanical strength or use of formaldehyde adhesive, which on one hand limits their application, on the other hand exerts an impact on the health of people due to the use of formaldehyde in application.
In addition, the defects of fiberboards such as poor mechanical performance and swelling upon moisture absorption will incur a decrease in the dimensional stability of wood, bacterial erosion, and organic contamination, so that they will lose surface colors, suffer from severe surface deterioration under ultraviolet irradiation, and become flammable at a high temperature or in case of a fire source. All these greatly limit the application range and field of the fiberboards. In order to solve these problems, it is necessary to find other ways. With the development of fiberboard functional improvement technology, especially cross-fusion of the artificial boards with nanotechnology and biomimetic technology, it is one of the high and new technologies increasingly valued in the fiberboard field to prepare high value-added multifunctional composite novel structured materials.

Biomimetic composite material and preparation method thereof


A compound having the structure: ##STR1## wherein (a) n is from about 1 to about 3;. (b) X is selected from the group consisting of O, S, SO, or SO.sub.2 ; PA1 (c) Y is independently hydrogen or straight, branched or cyclic alkyl having from 1 to about 4 carbon atoms, or the Y's are bonded together to form an alkanyl ring having from about 3 to about 7 atoms; PA1 (d) Z is hydrogen or straight, branched or cyclic alkyl having from 3 to about 10 atoms other than hydrogen; and PA1 (e) Het is a heteroaryl group comprising one or more rings each ring containing from about 5 to about 6 atoms other than hydrogen and wherein the group contains at least one heteroatom selected from O, N, or S.. Pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds, and methods of treating inflammation or pair using such compounds.

Certain dihydrobenzofuran compounds and other compounds structurally related thereto have been found to have significant disease altering activities. Such compounds, processes for making them, and uses for them are disclosed in the following references: U.S. Pat. No. 4,670,457 issued to Doria, Romeo & Como on Jun. 2, 1987; U.S. Pat. No. 4,849,428 issued to Dobson, Loomans, Matthews & Miller on Jul. 18, 1989; Japanese patent Publication No. 53-005178 of Yoshitomi Pharm. Ind. KK published Jan. 1, 1978; Hammond, M. L., I. E. Kopka, R. A. Zambias, C. G. Caldwell, J. Boger, F. Baker, T. Bach, S. Luell & D. E. Macintyre, "2,3-Dihydro-5-benzofuranols as Antioxidant-Based Inhibitors of Leukotriene Biosynthesis", J. Med. Chem., Vol. 32 (1989), pp. 1006-1020; Oritz de Montellano, P. R & M. A. Correia, "Suicidal Destruction of Cytochrome P-450 during Oxidative Drug Metabolism", Ann. Rev. Pharmacol. Toxicol., Vol. 23 (1983), pp. 481-503; Chakrabarti, J. K., R. J. Eggleton, P. T. Gallagher, J. Harvey, T. A. Hicks, E. A. Kitchen, and C. W. Smith, "5-Acyl-3-substituted-benzofuran-2(3H)-ones as Potential Anti-inflammatory Agents", J. Med. Chem., Vol. 30 (1987), pp. 1663-1668.
It is an object of the subject invention to provide compounds which have effective anti-inflammatory, analgesic and/or anti-oxidant activity.
It is a further object of the subject invention to provide such compounds which cause few adverse side effects.
It is also an object of the subject invention to provide methods for treating inflammation and/or pain using the subject compounds.

Dihydrobenzopyran compounds and related compounds useful as anti-inflammatory agents


An airfoil for a gas turbine engine, the airfoil includes a plurality of cooling air passages to supply cooling air to an external surface of the airfoil, the cooled surface of the airfoil having a critical temperature in which any cooled surface of the airfoil should not exceed, the cooling air passages having a coating applied within the passages, the coating being made of a material that has an oxidizing property such that the material oxidizes away and opens the passage to more flow when exposed to a temperature above the critical temperature. When the airfoil surface is not properly cooled by a flow passing through the passage, the material oxidizes away until the size of the passage increases to allow for the proper amount of cooling air to flow to cool the airfoil. Each passage is located in a different part of the airfoil that requires more or less cooling flow, and each passage will oxidize until the size of the passage is large enough to allow for the proper amount of cooling flow.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air cooled airfoil used in a gas turbine engine, and more specifically to the cooling air passages leading to an outer surface of the airfoil, the cooling air passages having a coating therein that melts away depending upon the temperature of the cooling air passing there through in order to open the cooling passage and allow for more cooling air flow.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
Blades and vanes in gas turbine engines include cooling air passages leading to an outer surface of the airfoil that requires cooling. These cooling air passages are typically located in specific locations on the airfoil where extreme high temperatures exists during operation of the engine. Certain regions of the surface require larger amounts of cooling air than other areas that require less cooling air. When designing the size of the cooling air passages, the designer typically sizes the passages to be able to supply the amount of cooling air to cool the airfoil surface under the worst case situation of highest possible heat load. This design temperature, in all likelihood, will not be reached under normal operation of the engine. Also, the heat load varies on surfaces of the airfoil, so not every surface requires the same amount of cooling air flow. Thus, the amount of cooling air passing through the passage and onto the external surface of the airfoil is more than is needed to adequately cool that area of the airfoil. Thus, cooling air flow is wasted and overall engine performance and efficiency is reduced.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,408,610 issued to Caldwell et al on Jun. 25, 2002 shows in FIG. 1 a METHOD OF ADJUSTING GAS TURBINE COMPONENT COOLING AIR FLOW, in which an airfoil includes a plurality of cooling holes having a thermal barrier coating applied at various thicknesses in the holes to provide a desired hole diameter. Under this method, the size of the cooling air passages can be designed to provide a desired amount of cooling air flow onto the surface of the airfoil—depending upon the air pressure within the blade and around the opening of the cooling air passage—such that a desired amount of cooling can occur. However, the main difference between the Caldwell invention and the present invention is that the sizes of the cooling holes do not vary based upon the operating conditions of the engine in the region of the specific cooling air passage. Under this invention, the size of the cooling air passage may be smaller than needed, resulting in less cooling air flow than required, or larger than needed, resulting in more cooling air flow than required. Either way, the engine performance or efficiency is reduced.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,416,279 issued to Weigand et al on Jul. 9, 2002 shows in FIG. 2 a COOLED GAS TURBINE COMPONENT WITH ADJUSTABLE COOLING in which the cooling air passage includes different means to vary the amount of cooling air flow during engine operation. In one method, a restrictor having an opening of specific size is placed in the cooling air passage to regulate the cooling air flow during engine operation. In this method, the size of the restrictor cannot be changed during engine operation. In another method, a control system is used and includes a temperature sensor and a control valve, where the control valve regulates an amount of cooling air flow based upon a value from the temperature sensor. The present invention is different from the Weigand invention in that no complicated air control sensors and valves are needed, or the cooling air flow can be varied during engine operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,485,255 issued to Care et al on Nov. 26, 2002 shows a COOLING AIR FLOW CONTROL DEVICE FOR A GAS TURBINE ENGINE in which a single shape memory metal valve is disposed in a cooling passage upstream of the many cooling air passages that open out onto the outer surface of the airfoil. In the Care invention, the valve varies the air flow depending upon temperature, but all of the cooling air passages opening onto the airfoil surfaces are controlled by this single valve. The passages exposed to the hottest surface of the airfoil are regulated by the same valve and supply airflow as the openings exposed to the coolest airfoil surface.
While all of the above mentioned prior art inventions disclose various methods to regulate the flow of cooling air onto a surface of the airfoil, none show a method or apparatus that can vary the flow of cooling air through the individual passages based upon the heat load at that individual cooling air passage.

Gas turbine airfoil with adjustable cooling air flow passages


Some Gate Arrays and in particular Filed Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), realize combinatorial logic by utilizing so-called “Look Up Tables” (LUTs). Unfortunaltely the circuit expenditure for a LUT is exponentially increasing with the number of inputs. The invention overcomes this problem by using a set of gates as AND, NAND, OR, NOR, XOR, XNOR, AND/OR combination gate, AND/NOR combination gate, OR/AND combination gate, OR/NAND combination gate, identity comparator between two vectors, multiplexer and adder.

Gate-Arrays (GAs) or Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are integrated circuits that are characterized in that a plurality of identical transistors or programmable logic elements is arranged on a chip such that an arbitrary circuit, in most instances a digital circuit, can be realized with only a few wiring levels or configurable connections, respectively.
GAs are wired in accordance with the specific application in the last phase of the semiconductor production process; FPGAs are correspondingly programmed by the user in order to realize their configuration in accordance with the circuit to be implemented.
FPGAs, in particular, realize a combinatorial logic in accordance with the state of the art by utilizing so-called "Look Up Tables" (LUTs). These are ROMs or multiplexers that deliver a certain boolean value for each possible combination of the input values (applied to the address inputs or selection inputs). The advantage of these LUTs is that they make it possible to realize any arbitrary boolean function of the I inputs. The total number of boolean functions (operations) for I inputs is:2(2′) (in words: 2 to (2 to I)).
This correlation descriptively results from a truth table. At I input variables, this truth table has Z=2I lines. Each line may contain the output value "0" or "1" such that any boolean operation is uniquely defined by a binary number with Z digits. Consequently, the total number of boolean operations is 2Z.
Most important the circuit expenditure for a LUT is not linearly proportional to the number of inputs. In the realization in the form of a ROM as well as in the realization in the form of a multiplexer, the expenditure approximately doubles for each additional input, i.e., the circuit expenditure increases exponentially with the number of inputs (FIG. 1).
This is the reason why existing FPGAs only utilize LUTs with no more than 6 inputs. In most instances, LUTs with only 4 inputs are utilized.
In addition, conventional GAs and FPGAs utilize routing structures and channels that allow a so-called Manhattan routing. This model was adopted from a city with streets that are arranged in a grid-shaped pattern and produces connections by linking smaller sections. This solution has the disadvantage that the signal delay on such a connection is highly dependent on the number of serially linked sections. Consequently, the delay time fluctuates significantly on different connections. This is fatal, in particular, for clock lines because the clock skew may increase to such a degree that the circuit function is no longer ensured.

Gate-array or field programmable gate array

Abstract: In addition, conventional GAs and FPGAs utilize routing structures and channels that allow a so-called Manhattan routing. This has the disadvantage that the signal delay on such a connection is highly dependent on the number of serially linked sections. Consequently, the delay time fluctuates significantly on different connections. The invention overcomes this problem by using a X/Y routing structure with a fixed number of connection points and a fixed local routing.


A prior art naming module supports binding of an object to a name in a Naming Context (i.e., a directory). The present invention extends this original module to support properties (data about bindings), searching (finding bindings given constraints on properties) and indexing (for speeding up the search on certain property names). The ExtendedNamingContext (ENC) is a subclass of the OMG NamingContext (NC) that introduces properties, searching and indexing.

A related copending application (Ser. No. 08/537,648 AT995-092) teaches and claims an information handling system, method and article of manufacture for automatically inserting object services such as persistence, concurrency, recoverability, security and distribution into binary classes in an information handling system employing object oriented technology. The related invention includes registering a description of a class in a name service context, and searching the name service context for a class object referred to as a factory, among other elements of the invention.
To accomplish the goals of the related invention, an object name service is needed. The name service should have the following characteristics:
1. Support binding objects to names; PA1 2. Support associating properties with an object binding; PA1 3. Support properties per binding or properties across bindings for an object; PA1 4. Support searching for objects based on object properties; PA1 5. Support multilevel searches; and PA1 6. Support indexing to permit scaling to large numbers of objects and properties.

Information handling system, method, and article of manufacture including object name services with multilevel indices

International Business Machines Corporation


A configuration of a communications device, and a method for its operation are provided for automatically and dynamically adjusting bandwidth of a communications channel. The device and method operate to detect events indicating anticipated changes in bandwidth requirements of the communications channel. Such events may be browser or bandwidth related events, for example, that indicate a forthcoming requirement for increased or decreased bandwidth. The device and method then can extract a bandwidth determination factor if available and then calculate a new value for a bandwidth setting of the communications channel in response to detecting such an event and can adjust a bandwidth characteristic of the communications channel according to the new value of the bandwidth setting such that communications channel can accommodate the anticipated change(s) in the bandwidth requirement. The invention can operate in wireless and non-wireless communications systems to cause bandwidth to be adjusted to closely track usage requirements of the communications channel.

In a communications system, bandwidth is an amount of information such as voice or data content that may be transferred over a communications channel in a predetermined amount time. For example, a computer network communications system can include a computer system (e.g., a personal computer or workstation) equipped with a communications interface (e.g., a network interface card or a modem) that interconnects via a data link to a network communications device (e.g., a router or network access server). The computer system can establish a communications channel (i.e., a dial-up or other network connection) to the network communications device. The communications channel might operate to allow the transfer of data between the computer system and the network communications device at a bandwidth of 56 kilobits per second (Kbps) (in the case of a dial-up connection). A communications software application such as a web browser can operate on the computer system and can use the communications channel to exchange information with other computer systems on the network at a maximum data rate which is typically determined by the prescribed bandwidth (e.g., 56 kbps in this example) of the communications channel.
In some types of communications systems, an interconnection of network communications devices forms a network infrastructure (i.e., network pathways that allow the transmission of information between computer systems). The network communications devices can inter-operate with each other to allocate bandwidth to communications channels (e.g., the connection paths that support the flow of information between computer systems coupled to the network) in varying amounts. Such network communications devices might provide or allocate large amounts of bandwidth to pathways between some computer systems or devices, while pathways between other computer systems or devices might only receive or require an allocation of lesser amounts of bandwidth.
As an example, in a wireless communications system, a wireless user device such as a wireless telephone (e.g., a cell phone), wireless palm-top computer, or other such device can communicate with a wireless base station transceiver (e.g., a cellular communications tower or based station antenna) over one or more wireless communications channels or links allocated to the wireless device by the base station, which operates as the network communications device in this example. Typically, a number of resources of the network communications device collectively operate to provide the wireless communications channel(s) at prescribed level(s) of bandwidth. Such resources may include, for example, transmit and receive frequencies, timeslots in which to transmit (e.g., in time division multiple-access (TDMA) wireless systems), frequency codes used for encoding data (e.g., in code division multiple-access (CDMA) wireless systems), and/or power levels at which to transmit information. If a wireless base station allocates, for example, a high transmission power level to a particular user communications device (e.g., a CDMA wireless device), that device might be able to transfer higher amounts of data over the wireless communications channel to the base station. Conversely, if the base station instructs the device to transmit at a low power level (e.g., so as not to interfere with transmission of other wireless devices), the data rate and hence the bandwidth allocated to the device is kept relatively low.
The amount of bandwidth that a network communications device can allocate or provide to a communications channel for use by a user device (e.g., wireless device or user controlled computer system) can depend upon a number of factors such as the physical characteristics of the connection, data link or medium supporting the communications channel (e.g., wireless vs. electrical vs. optical connections), software configurations of the devices (e.g., which communications protocols are in use), hardware configurations of the devices (e.g., buffer sizes, memory sizes, processing and circuitry speeds of processors and circuitry within the device), number of other devices competing for the resources, authorization policies for use of the resources, and so forth.
In computer network environments, network engineers have developed data communications protocols to allow a computer system to "reserve" an amount of bandwidth over a communications channel (e.g., a path through the network) for use by that computer system. One such protocol is called the Reservation Protocol (RSVP). RSVP allows a destination computer system that is receiving a stream of data (e.g., a stream of packets received using the Internet Protocol or IP) from a particular source computer system (i.e., the computer system from which the stream of data originates) to send an RSVP request message upstream along the path of networked data communications devices (e.g., along the path of routers, switches, etc. in the computer network) that transport the stream of packets from the source computer system to the destination computer system. The upstream RSVP request message requests that each network communications device along the path reserve or set-aside a particular amount of bandwidth for use by the stream of packets being transmitted from the source to the destination computer system. Each network communications device (e.g., each router or switch in the network) along the path that receives the RSVP request message can allocate bandwidth resources (e.g., virtual circuits, data buffers, and so forth) to handle the forthcoming packets of information associated with the stream of data.
Once a network communications device such as a router or switch reserves bandwidth resources for a particular stream of data, the network communications device does not use those resources for transporting other streams of data for as long as those resources remain allocated on behalf of the particular data stream for which they were originally reserved. In this manner, a requesting computer system can establish or pre-allocate a data communications channel at a prescribed bandwidth level for use in transporting information through a series of network communications devices in a network. Once the communications session using the reserved bandwidth is complete (i.e., once communications has ended), the destination computer system can send an RSVP release message to each network communications device in the path of the stream of data in order for those data communications devices to release the bandwidth allocated to the stream of data.
In conventional communications systems, users of data communications channels (e.g., users controlling the devices that require the use of communications channels) often pay different costs for different levels of bandwidth. Generally, a communications service provider (e.g., an Internet or wireless communications network service provider) typically charges a higher proportional cost per unit of time to users of data communications channels that have a high allocation of bandwidth, whereas the service provider charges a lower proportional cost for data communications channels that offer lower bandwidth.

Methods and apparatus for dynamic bandwidth adjustment


An assembly for mixing and dispensing preparations such as dental cements includes a capsule and a lever actuated dispensing device. The capsule is received in a first orientation of the dispensing device for initial movement of a piston of the capsule to combine two components in a mixing chamber of the capsule. The capsule is received in a second orientation when dispensing of the components is desired. The capsule includes flanges engageable with one or more retention members of the dispensing device, and the flanges are positioned to substantially utilize the mechanical advantage provided by the dispensing device regardless of whether the capsule is in the first orientation or in the second orientation. The flanges are also arranged to substantially prohibit bursting of the capsule when the components are discharged from the mixing chamber, and essentially preclude dispensing of the components when the capsule is in the first orientation.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an assembly for mixing and dispensing preparations of two or more components.
2. Description of the Related Art
A number of devices have been developed which are intended to serve as a shipping, storage, mixing and dispensing container for small quantities of preparations made of two or more components. Some of these devices are particularly desirable for single-use applications such as one-patient applications in the medical and dental fields. Certain devices, for example, are used in dentistry for two-component glass ionomer cement systems that serve as adhesives, bases, liners, luting agents, sealants, and filling materials for restorative or endodontic use.
Ionomer cement systems typically are made by mixing a small quantity of glass powder with an aqueous solution of polycarboxylic acid. Representative ionomer cement systems are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,872,936, 4,209,434 and 3,814,714 as well as European Patent Application Nos. 0 323 120 and 0 329 268. Dental ionomer cement systems are often characterized as having relatively short working times (e.g., on the order of one to two minutes) and as a consequence preferably are applied directly to the tooth cavity or other work site from a capsule or other small container that is used for both mixing and dispensing the cement.
Mixing and dispensing capsules for two-component dental preparations are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,595,439 and 4,648,532 and U.K. Patent Application No. 2 220 914. In brief, such capsules include a hollow capsule body having an outlet on one end, a piston received in an opposite end, and a barrier within the body that initially separates the two components. When desired, the barrier is ruptured and the components are mixed by placing the capsule in an amalgamator. The capsule is then placed in a dispensing device to advance the piston and eject the mixed preparation through the outlet.
The barrier of the capsule described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,595,439 is ruptured by placing the capsule in a pressure-inducing device that together advances a cap and plunger toward a tubular body portion. After the components are mixed in an amalgamator, the capsule is placed in a receptacle of a hand extruder having a ram which is movable through a hole in the capsule cap for advancement of the plunger to dispense the preparation while the cap remains stationary.
Advantageously, the overall length of the capsule shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,595,439 is too large to fit within the receptacle of the extruder unless the barrier has been ruptured by advancement of the cap and plunger toward the tubular body of the capsule. Such construction serves to remind the user that there are two components in the capsule that should be mixed by the amalgamator before beginning the dispensing operation.
However, the mixing and dispensing capsule described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,595,439 is used with two tools: the pressure-inducing device to rupture the barrier and "activate" the capsule, and the hand extruder for discharging the mixed preparation from the capsule. The purchase, handling and cleaning of two tools results in additional time and expense.
U.K. Patent Application No. 2 220 914 describes in one embodiment an assembly of a capsule and a single dispensing device, wherein the dispensing device is placed in a first position to rupture a barrier and then placed in a second position to eject the contents. However, there is a possibility that a ram of the dispensing device may be advanced too far when such a capsule is in its first position, resulting in unintentional discharge of the contents of the capsule before the contents have been properly mixed.

Two-stage mixing and dispensing assembly for preparations such as dental cements

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company


A magnetic coupling device has an electroconductive rotor presenting a band of electroconductive material and has a magnet rotor with permanent magnets which may be slide-mounted to move radially outward responsive to centrifugal force in opposition to a spring bias. When the magnet rotor is stationary the magnets are radially inward of the orbit of the electroconductive band, and when the magnets have moved outwardly when the magnet rotor is rotating, the magnets are spaced by an air gap from the electroconductive band so that eddy currents are induced in the band resulting in coupling of the rotors. In the alternative the magnets may be always at least partly opposite the electroconductive band. The electroconductive rotor preferably has two electroconductive bands positioned on opposite sides of the magnet rotor. One or both of the rotors may have sheaves mounted thereon.

Self-energizing centrifugal clutches commonly have friction shoes which move outwardly against a drum on an output shaft responsive to centrifugal force resulting from powering an input shaft in a predetermined speed range. Springs cause the shoes to retract when the input shaft slows below a prescribed level. When the clutch is engaged vibration is transferred between the input and output shafts via the clutch and this is more pronounced when the shafts are not perfectly aligned.
Accordingly, there has been a need for a self-energizing clutch which will not transfer vibration between the driving and driven components, will not subject its parts to wear, and does not require precise alignment between its input and output rotary parts.
Couplers with a soft start characteristic require less power for startup because the full load is not coupled to the driving motor or other power source until the motor has accelerated to an adequate rotational velocity to take on the load. Although couplers such as disclosed in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,477,094 have soft start capabilities when properly matched with a load, there are instances where a still softer start is preferred while preserving the other advantages of the coupler.
The clutch of the present invention can have one or both of its rotor components provided with a sheave for a belt drive from a motor or other prime mover and/or a sheave for a belt drive to a load. The sheave arrangements are also applicable if the device is constantly a coupler, i.e., the magnets are always in an active position.

Magnetic clutches and couplings with sheaves


The invention concerns the use of fucosylated non-digestible human milk oligosaccharide, or a composition comprising a fucosylated non-digestible human milk oligosaccharide, for use in improving immune fitness in a human subject, wherein the human subject is male.

Human milk is the preferred food for infants and is also denoted as the golden standard. One of the reasons for this is the relatively high inclusion level of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) which are non-digestible oligosaccharides (NDOs). These HMOS form a complex mixture of prebiotic molecules that form an excellent substrate for beneficial microbiota to thrive on. HMOs, being part of mother's milk, are of course mostly relevant to help infants build the beneficial microbiota needed for optimal health.
It is known that the state of the intestinal microbiota is directly linked to one's health. The intestinal microbiota consists of a large association of beneficial bacteria which is believed to be unique for each individual, but which fulfils the same overall physiological functions. These functions include preventing other pathogenic microorganisms from proliferating, ensuring a proper digestive functioning and ensuring a proper intestinal barrier which is important for the immune system to function.
Methods for selectively stimulating the beneficial microbiota include administering live beneficial bacteria (usually denoted as probiotics) to a human subject and administering a substrate for beneficial microbiota to grow on (usually called prebiotics) to a human subject.
The most abundant HMO in human milk is 2′-fucosyllactose (2′-FL). For this oligosaccharide it is known that it can boost the immune system and prevent against infection. For instance, from WO 2015/071391 it is known that 2′-fucosyllactose is beneficial for the prevention and treatment of viral influenza.

Human milk oligosaccharide for improving immune fitness


An electrical power supply system for an electrically powered motor vehicle, said vehicle including an electric motor, and a transmission device for transmitting energy between the drive wheels and the motor, said vehicle further including electrical accessories, in particular an air-conditioning device. Said system comprises a first rechargeable battery serving to power the electric motor and a second rechargeable battery serving to power the electrical accessories of the vehicle, the batteries being connected in parallel to the motor. The invention also relates to a method for controlling such a system.

The invention relates to an electrical power supply system for an electrically powered motor vehicle, to a method for controlling such a power supply system, and to an electrically powered motor vehicle including such an electrical power supply system.
In order to approach the comfort and performance of motor vehicles having internal combustion engines, in terms of speed, acceleration, and range, it is known that electric vehicles can be equipped with batteries of the Lithium-metal-polymer type whose performance levels are considerably higher than those offered by previous-generation technologies, and in particular by the Ni—Cd batteries of "first-generation" electric vehicles.
However, acceleration and driving at high speeds cause such a battery to be discharged considerably due to the high power levels required by the motors of such electric vehicles. Such considerable discharging deteriorates batteries of the Lithium-metal-polymer type, and considerably reduces their lives.
Batteries of the Lithium-ion type are capable of delivering very high currents without any significant degradation in their performance.
However, batteries of that type have low energy per unit volume, and are more costly than batteries of the Lithium-metal-polymer type.
Therefore, in view of the constraints in terms of compactness and cost, use of them for powering the electric motor of a motor vehicle does not make it possible to obtain energy sufficient to achieve the objectives of range and of comfort.
In addition, the accessories, in particular the air-conditioning device, require a large quantity of electrical energy.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 5,796,175 discloses an electrical power supply system for an electrically powered motor vehicle, said vehicle including an electric motor, a transmission device for transmitting energy between the drive wheels and the motor, and electrical accessories, in particular an air-conditioning device, said system comprising a first rechargeable battery serving to power the electric motor and a second rechargeable battery serving to power the electrical accessories of the vehicle.
Document WO 03/023934 discloses a switch device for switching between two batteries for starting a motor vehicle. However, that document does not suggest using such a switch for traction of an electric vehicle, which, as indicated above, poses particular problems in terms of comfort and of performance, in particular because the energy necessary for the electric motor varies.

Electrical power supply system having two batteries for an electric motor vehicle


Disclosed herein are a methods for testing operability of a thermocouple device and operability of a safety valve solenoid and ECO fuse circuit all in a fuel gas control system for a gas fired appliance. Also disclose are apparatus for carrying out such methods, the apparatus comprising a test instrument, for applying selected millivolt DC currents to the safety valve solenoid and ECO fuse circuit and for measuring millivolt DC current output of the thermocouple device, and-an adaptor for connecting the test instrument to the safety valve solenoid and ECO fuse circuit of the fuel gas control system.

1. Brief Description of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for testing and analyzing operability of fuel gas control systems for appliances such as water heaters, furnaces, cooking ranges and ovens, decorative fireplace inserts, pool heaters and similar gas fired appliances. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods and apparatus for testing operability of a thermocouple device of a fuel gas control system and for testing operability of a safety valve solenoid-high temperature electricity cut off fuse, (ECO fuse) circuit of a fuel gas control system under simulated load conditions.
2. Background of the Invention
Gas control systems for appliances are commercially available and widely used. A gas control system supplies fuel gas to an appliance under conditions such that the fuel gas may be safely ignited in the appliance firing chamber. In situations where safe ignition of the fuel gas cannot be ensured, the gas control system will prevent fuel gas from entering the appliance firing chamber. Such gas control systems are available for both natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas, (LPG), fuels.
Such gas control systems are well known and understood and only such description will be given here as is required to describe the method and apparatus of the present invention. An illustrated description of a typical gas control system may be found in xe2x80x9cService Manual For Residential Gas Water Heater Controlxe2x80x9d, published in 1997 by White Rogers division of Emerson Electric Company.
A gas control system for an appliance comprises several elements acting cooperatively to achieve the functions of safely controlling flow of fuel gas to the appliance firing chamber and ensuring ignition of the fuel gas. Typically, a gas control system comprises a fuel gas control valve having a safety valve solenoid, an ECO fuse, a pilot flame device, an appliance burner and a heat sensing thermocouple device. The safety valve solenoid, ECO fuse and thermocouple device are connected in a series electrical circuit. In one type of gas control system, a pilot flame from the pilot flame device is maintained continuously for activating the thermocouple device and for igniting the fuel gas at the appliance burner. In another type of gas control system, fuel gas is ignited at the appliance burner by a spark gap igniter and the gas burner flame activates the thermocouple device. The ECO fuse senses temperature in the medium heated, (water, or air), in an appliance and the ECO fuse breaks upon sensing high temperature in the heated medium, for stopping flow of fuel gas to the appliance burner and the pilot flame device.
A gas control valve in a typical fuel gas control system comprises a solenoid activated safety valve and a manual shunt valve. The solenoid activated safety valve is opened, for flow of fuel gas through the gas control valve, upon the solenoid being activated by a millivolt DC current generated by the thermocouple device upon sensing a pilot flame at the pilot flame device in the appliance firing chamber. The manual shunt has three positions: xe2x80x9coffxe2x80x9d, which prevents flow of fuel gas through the gas control valve; xe2x80x9cpilotxe2x80x9d, which allows flow of fuel gas to the pilot device when the solenoid safety valve is open; and xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d, which allows flow of fuel gas to the pilot device and the appliance burner when the solenoid safety valve is open. The gas control valve also comprises a manual override which, upon manual activation, opens the safety valve when the manual shunt is in xe2x80x9cpilotxe2x80x9d position, for allowing ignition of a pilot flame at the pilot flame device before the thermocouple device senses temperature sufficiently high to generate a millivolt DC current sufficient to activate the solenoid and open the safety valve.
The thermocouple device comprises a bimetallic thermocouple, a first electrical conductor connected to one leg of the bimetallic thermocouple, and a second electrical conductor connected to the other leg of the bimetallic thermocouple. The first electrical conductor is commonly a copper tube which runs from the first leg, of the thermocouple to the body of the gas control valve. The second electrical conductor is an electrically insulated wire which runs from the second leg of the thermocouple, through the copper tube, for electrical connection to the safety valve solenoid. The copper tube of the first electrical conductor: connects the first leg of the thermocouple to the body of the gas control valve; supports the second electrical conductor from the second leg of the thermocouple to the gas control valve for connection to the safety valve solenoid; and provides support for the thermocouple in the appliance firing chamber. A thermocouple, as used in gas control systems, generally has a DC out put voltage in the range of about 7 to 30 millivolts, depending on the bimetallic elements and the temperature to which the thermocouple is exposed. The thermocouple and safety valve solenoid are matched to ensure that the thermocouple will generate sufficient DC voltage to operate the solenoid under normal operating conditions.
The thermocouple, ECO fuse and safety valve solenoid are in a closed loop, series electrical array such that a millivolt DC current flows from the thermocouple second leg, through the second electrical conductor, through the ECO fuse into the input of the safety valve solenoid. From the safety valve solenoid output, the millivolt DC current flows through the body of the gas control valve, through the first electrical conductor to the thermocouple first leg, thus completing the closed loop electrical circuit.
The ECO fuse is a thermal fuse located in the medium being heated by the appliance. For example, in the water tank or the air outlet plenum of a water heater or an air heater. In the event the medium becomes overheated, the ECO fuse will melt and break the electrical connection between the thermocouple and the safety valve solenoid, thus shutting off fuel gas to the main burner and the pilot burner of the appliance.
3. Description of Pertinent Art
It is well known that appliance gas control systems often fail in operation. Such failures may be caused by a variety of causes, such as failure of the safety valve solenoid, failure, or melting, of the ECO fuse, or failure of the thermocouple. Often, the causes of such failures are difficult to determine. The gas control valve and ECO fuse are supplied as a unit and the thermocouple device is supplied as a separate unit. Neither unit is subject to repair and must be replaced when the unit fails. As each unit is relatively expensive, it is desirable to determine which unit has failed and to replace only the failed unit.
A thermocouple device may be easily checked by disconnecting it from the gas control valve and connecting the first and second electrical conductor to a millivolt meter. A pilot flame is then applied to the thermocouple and the DC voltage generated is registered by the millivoltmeter. In such a test, if the millivolt output from the thermocouple device is at least about 7 millivolts, the thermocouple device is considered operational. This test is referred as an xe2x80x9cunloaded testxe2x80x9d of the thermocouple device. This test of the thermocouple does not test the safety valve solenoid and ECO fuse portion of the fuel gas control system.
A second test method, employing a special adaptor and a millivolt meter, for testing the entire electrical circuit of a fuel gas control system, (safety valve solenoid, ECO fuse, thermocouple device), under loaded conditions is disclosed in xe2x80x9cService Manual For Residential Gas Water Heater Controlxe2x80x9d, published 1997, White Rogers division of Emmerson Electric Company. For this method, the thermocouple device is disconnected from the gas control valve and a special adaptor is connected between the gas control valve and the thermocouple device. The special adaptor reconnects the thermocouple device, safety valve solenoid and ECO fuse and also allows a millivolt meter to be connected to both leads from the thermocouple. According to this method, after the adaptor is installed and the millivolt meter is connected to each of the thermocouple leads, the gas control valve is set to xe2x80x9cpilotxe2x80x9d position and the manual override of the safety valve is engaged. The pilot flame is then ignited and is allowed to heat the thermocouple for about 3 minutes. The millivolt meter is observed during this heating period. A 7 millivolt output from the thermocouple device should be sufficient to energize the safety valve solenoid and hold the safety valve open such that flow of gas to the pilot device will continue when the safety valve manual override is released. According to this method, if the thermocouple device output measured by the millivolt meter does not rise to at least 7 millivolts at the end of the 3 minute test period, (after ensuring that the pilot flame is properly directed onto the thermocouple), then the thermocouple device is judged faulty and should be replaced. On the other hand, if the thermocouple output rises to at least 7 millivolts but the pilot flame will not remain lit when the safety valve manual override is released, the gas control valve is judged faulty and should be replaced.
The test method described in the paragraph above tests the thermocouple under load conditions and tests the gas control system electrical circuit as a whole, but does not test the safety valve solenoid and ECO fuse portion of the electrical circuit. That is, a condition may exist where the ECO fuse is intact and the safety valve solenoid is operational, but the thermocouple device does not generate a millivolt current sufficient to energize the safety valve solenoid. In such case, according to the above test method, the recommendation is to replace the gas control valve when, in fact, the thermocouple device should be replaced with one having a higher millivolt output.
Now, according to the present invention, I have invented apparatus and a methods for testing operability of a safety valve solenoid and an ECO fuse of a fuel gas control system under electrical load conditions to determine whether the safety valve solenoid and ECO fuse, are functionally operable and for separately testing the millivolt output of a thermocouple device in the fuel gas control system.
The advantages of the apparatus and test methods of the present invention include the ability to determine whether the safety valve solenoid and ECO fuse are operable separately from the thermocouple device and whether the safety valve solenoid and thermocouple device are compatible for operating together as elements of a fuel gas control system. These and other advantages of the methods and apparatus of the present invention will be described in the Detailed description of the invention which follows.

Method and apparatus for testing fuel gas control systems for gas fired appliances


The embodiments of the present invention relate to the field of computer networks, and disclose a method and an apparatus for processing a multicast packet. The method includes receiving a multicast packet, acquiring a local router interface corresponding to the multicast packet according to a multicast routing entry carried in the multicast packet, and forwarding the multicast packet through the acquired local router interface to a clustered routing system interface for further transfer. The embodiments of the present invention can cluster several routing devices into a virtual routing system which externally acts as a single routing node for supporting a multicast service, so as to implement the efficient and reliable forwarding of the multicast packet in a clustered routing system with virtual aggregation, and enable the clustered routing system to support the multicast service with high efficiency and quality.

The conventional network architecture has a hierarchical structure of two or more layers. As shown in FIG. 1, a network can be divided into different layers (including a core layer, a convergence layer, an edge access layer, and a peer layer) according to a function and a deployment location of each layer, the reliability between layers is generally improved by adopting the dual-homing redundant connection, and traffics of users are converged layer by layer. The access layer is responsible for network access of a user terminal and used for providing abundant user interface types, and has a wide node distribution and a high interface density. The convergence layer is responsible for converging traffics of access nodes and used for expanding service coverage range of a core node, and has abundant interface types, a strong convergence capability, and an integrated service processing capability. The core layer is responsible for high-speed forwarding and inter-area service interworking, and has a small number of nodes.
In order to integrate and simplify the network structure and improve resource utilization, in the existing network architecture, when a point-to-multipoint switching packet is processed, a method is used in which two or more master switching devices in the same network layer form a virtual network device to reduce the complexity caused by using multiple redundant components.
In addition, in an existing hardware clustered router, in order to adapt to a huge data exchange capacity between devices in the cluster, multiple high-end routers are connected to a central switching matrix frame chassis through an ultra-short-range optical fiber, to form a large clustered router of one fabric card chassis with four linecard chassis, two fabric card chassis with eight linecard chassis, or four fabric card chassis with sixteen linecard chassis. Due to the introduction of the dedicated central switching matrix frame and the very short reach optical fiber interconnection technology, the network topology structure is complicated, and the routing convergence and stability are poor.
To sum up, the processing for a multicast packet is not so sound at present, regardless of the virtual cluster convergence of the devices on the same network layer for simplifying the network structure, or the hardware clustered router applied at the core node or a super node.

Method and apparatus for processing a multicast packet


A locator system and method of use is disclosed. The locator system may be used to receive radiolocation signals, calculate location data based on the radiolocation signals, and send the current location data over a telecommunication network to a server computer. A client may request the location data from the server computer and the server may send the location data to the client.

1. Field of the Invention
This disclosure pertains generally to locating and tracking systems.
2. The Prior Art
Wireless devices of all kinds have been in use for pinpointing objects, people and animals on the surface of the earth, under water, or in space. Some wireless devices also provide navigational information such as whether or not a moving vessel or vehicle is "on course" to its predetermined destination. Radio frequency (RF) location and navigation systems are the oldest, and more recently developed devices function at infrared (IR) and visible wavelengths. Acoustic location and navigation systems such as sonar also exist.
Traditional radiolocation is the process of determining the position of a vehicle, aircraft, or vessel. Radionavigation is the use of radio apparatus, by personnel aboard moving vessels, for the purpose of plotting and maintaining a course.
The simplest method of radiolocation is known as the "directional method" wherein two or more fixed receiving stations, which are separated by a fixed distance, receive radio transmission signals from a transmitter that is mounted on a vessel. The vessel location is determined from the intersection of great circles drawn outward from the receiver station points in the appropriate directions.
A second implementation for determining the position of objects involves radar. The term "radar" is an acronym derived from the words "radio detection and ranging." Electromagnetic (EM) waves having certain frequencies reflect from various objects, particularly if those objects contain metals or other electrical conductors. Using a transmitter, receiver, and a display at a fixed station, the location of flying objects with respect to the fixed location may be determined by ascertaining the directions from which radio signal are returned, and by measuring the time it takes for an EM pulse to travel from the transmitter to a target and back. However, such radar systems are not useful for tracking a ground moving objects, or objects that have poor EM reflective properties. Additionally, radar systems are not normally useful for differentiating the identity of objects, particularly when there is a plurality of objects.
The most sophisticated radiolocation and radionavigation techniques employ the global positioning system (GPS). The GPS is a network of radiolocation and radionavigation apparatus that operates on a worldwide basis. The GPS system employs several satellites and allows determination of latitude, longitude, and altitude.
Most recently, vehicle location and navigation systems have been adapted to track the location of automobiles using the GPS system. Such systems include sensors, which are fixed to the automobile and draw power from either the car battery or a second large power source. The purpose of fixing the automobile tracking sensor to the vehicle is primarily for security reasons. Because one main purpose of the tracking system to locate the vehicle in cases of theft, it is important that the sensor systems of the tracking systems be mounted or otherwise fixed to the vehicle, making such sensor systems not easily removed or transportable from a first object to a second object. Furthermore, because a large power source such as a car battery is normally available to such tracking systems, intelligent power saving or conserving features are not provided.
Accordingly, there is a need for a tracking and locating system and method which provides for a lightweight and portable tracking locator device, which is easily transferable from user to user or object to object, which provides power saving and conserving features associated with the locator device, and which further provides positional information of such locator devices in the form of hypertext markup language pages viewable on the Internet. The present invention satisfies these needs, as well as others, and generally overcomes the deficiencies found in the background art.


A high strength electric resistance welded steel pipe has a yield strength of 450 MPa or more and excellent resistance to softening for a long period in an intermediate temperature range and a method of manufacturing the steel pipe are provided. The steel pipe has a chemical composition containing, by mass%, C: 0.026% or more and 0.084% or less, Si: 0.10% or more and 0.30% or less, Mn: 0.70% or more and 1.90% or less, Al: 0.01% or more and 0.10% or less, Nb: 0.001% or more and 0.070% or less, V: 0.001% or more and 0.065% or less, Ti: 0.001% or more and 0.033% or less, Ca: 0.0001% or more and 0.0035% or less, in which the condition that Pcm is 0.20 or less is satisfied.

Nowadays, extra-heavy crude oil called oil sand is receiving a lot of attention due to the development of oil extractive technologies. High-viscosity crude oil such as heavy oil called "bitumen" which is contained in oil sand cannot be recovered from an oil well using an ordinary method. Therefore, an extractive technology called an in-situ recovery method, in which crude oil is recovered by injecting high-temperature vapor having a temperature higher than 300° C. into an oil sand-bearing stratum to decrease the viscosity of the crude oil and by pumping up the dissolved heavy oil component called "bitumen", is being developed. Examples of a method of injecting high-temperature vapor into an oil sand-bearing stratum include a steam injection method. In that method, vapor heated up to a high temperature is transferred through a steam line and injected through an injection pipe.
For a steam line through which vapor is transferred to a vapor injection well, seamless steel pipes or UOE steel pipes manufactured by performing welding using a weld metal have been used from the viewpoint of the reliability of pipes. Since the electric resistance weld zone of an electric resistance welded pipe is poor in terms of reliability, electric resistance welded pipes have not been used for use applications in which a high-temperature strength property is required. Electric resistance welded pipes have been used only for the parts used in near room temperature and for which a high-temperature strength property is not required.
To solve such a problem, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-183133 describes a method of manufacturing a high strength steel pipe for a steam line having excellent toughness in a welded heat-affected zone. The technique described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-183133 is a technique in which a welded steel pipe is manufactured by heating a steel slab, having a chemical composition containing, by mass %, C: 0.05% to 0.09%, Si: 0.05% to 0.20%, Mn: 1.5% to 2.0%, P: 0.020% or less, S: 0.002% or less, Mo: 0.05% to 0.3%, Nb: 0.005% to 0.05%, Ti: 0.005% to 0.02%, Al: 0.01% to 0.04% and N: 0.004% to 0.006% in which the condition that Ti/N is 2.0 to 4.0 is satisfied, up to a temperature of 1000° C. to 1200° C., by hot-rolling the heated steel slab under conditions such that the cumulative rolling reduction at a temperature of 900° C. or lower is 50% or more and the rolling finishing temperature is 850° C. or lower, by cooling the hot rolled steel sheet down to a temperature of 400° C. to 550° C. by performing accelerated cooling at a cooling rate of 5° C./sec. or more, by forming the obtained steel plate into a pipe shape by performing cold forming and by welding the butt portions of the formed steel plate. According to the technique described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-183133, it is possible to obtain a high strength welded steel pipe for a steam line having high yield strength and high toughness in a welded heat-affected zone at a temperature of 350° C.
In addition, Japanese Patent No. 4741528 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-195991), describes a method of manufacturing a steel pipe for a steam transporting line with excellent high-temperature properties. The technique described in Japanese Patent No. 4741528 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-195991) is a method of manufacturing a high strength steel pipe for a steam transporting line with excellent high-temperature properties, the method including heating a steel slab, having a chemical composition containing, by mass %, C: 0.02% to 0.10%, Si: 0.01% to 0.50%, Mn: 0.5% to 2.0%, Nb: 0.005% to 0.050%, Ti: 0.005% to 0.050%, N: 0.001% to 0.010% and B: 0.0001% to 0.0050%, or, further containing Mo, Cr, V, Ca, REM and so forth, in which the contents of P, S and Al are limited respectively to P: 0.020% or less, S: 0.005% or less and Al: 0.04% or less, and in which the condition that Ti/N is 2.0 to 4.0 is satisfied, up to a temperature of 1000° C. to 1250° C., hot-rolling the heated slab under conditions such that the cumulative rolling reduction in a temperature range of 900° C. or lower is 50% or more and the rolling finishing temperature is 850° C. or lower, cooling the hot rolled steel sheet down to a temperature of 400° C. to 550° C. by performing accelerated cooling at a cooling rate of 5° C./sec. or more, forming the obtained high strength steel plate into a pipe shape and welding the butted portions. According to the technique described in Japanese Patent No. 4741528 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-195991), it is possible to manufacture a high strength steel pipe having a large diameter for a steam transportation line with excellent high-temperature properties and longtime creep properties.
However, in the techniques described by Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-183133 and Japanese Patent No. 4741528 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-195991), there is an inevitable welded heat-affected zone having a large grain diameter in steel pipes as a result of being heated up to a temperature just below the melting point. Since the high-temperature strength of a welded heat-affected zone decreases due to the presence of such a welded heat-affected zone, it causes concern that there may be a decrease in strength after a long period of use in an intermediate temperature range (300° C. to 400° C.). Therefore, when such steel pipes are used as steel pipes for steam line, it is necessary that a large strength safety ratio be applied, which results in a problem that a vapor temperature and inner pressure may be limited.
It could therefore be helpful to provide a high strength electric resistance welded steel pipe having a high strength of 450 MPa or more in terms of yield strength YS and excellent resistance to softening for a long period in an intermediate temperature range (300° C. to 400° C.) which can be suitably used for a steam transportation line which enables more efficient and economic extraction of heavy oil component called "bitumen" which is dissolved by injecting high-temperature vapor into an oil sand-bearing stratum without limiting a vapor temperature or inner pressure and to provide a method of manufacturing the steel pipe.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

High-strength electric-resistance-welded steel pipe of excellent long-term softening resistance in intermediate temperature ranges


Provided is an image generating device for generating an image of an object including a plurality of elements connected to one another. The image generating device includes: a calculating section for iteratively calculating a motion of each element of the plurality of elements based on a physical constraint condition of the each element with respect to another connected element; a parent-child information acquiring section for acquiring parent-child information corresponding to a connection between the each element and the another element based on information indicating an element having a predetermined relationship with another object; a correcting section for correcting a position of a child element with respect to a parent element based on the parent-child information and the motion of the each element; and an image generating section for generating information on the image of the object based on the corrected position of the each element.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image generating device, an image generating method, and an information storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
For a multi-body object including a plurality of elements connected to one another as in a chain, for example, there is known a technology of simulating a motion of, and generating an image of, the multi-body object. In order to take into consideration the interaction among the plurality of elements included in the multi-body object, the motion is calculated by an iterative method such as the Gauss-Seidel method or the impulse method.
When the motion of the multi-body object including the plurality of elements connected to one another is calculated by the iterative method, the generated image may become unnatural in some cases due to reasons such as a strong force or acceleration applied to an element.

Image generating device, image generating method, and non-transitory information storage medium


A data processing system and method for solving pattern classification problems and function-fitting problems includes a neural network in which N-dimensional input vectors are augmented with at least one element to form an N+j-dimensional projected input vector, whose magnitude is then preferably normalized to lie on the surface of a hypersphere. Weight vectors of at least a lowest intermediate layer of network nodes are preferably also constrained to lie on the N+j-dimensional surface.. To train the network, the system compares network output values with known goal vectors, and an error function (which depends on all weights and threshold values of the intermediate and output nodes) is then minimized. In order to decrease the network's learning time even further, the weight vectors for the intermediate nodes are initially preferably set equal to known prototypes for the various classes of input vectors. Furthermore, the invention also allows separation of the network into sub-networks, which are then trained individually and later recombined. The network is able to use both hyperspheres and hyperplanes to form decision boundaries, and, indeed, can converge to the one even if it initially assumes the other.

A large class of problems, such as speech recognition, handwriting recognition, robotic control, function fitting and others, is difficult to solve or remain unsolved with conventional computing methods. They can, however, be cast in the form of pattern classification or optimization problems for which neural network methods have shown promise of solution.
A neural network is a type of computer or processor structure that resembles the structure of the human brain, in that data is processed in a multi-layered system of interconnected "nodes" or "neurons," each of which might be a set of memory cells or even a group of individual processors.
Conventional computers are programmed in a more or less completely non-adaptive manner, so that their ability to recognize patterns or a common structure in a data input stream is exclusively dependent on how expansive, detailed, and predictive its program is. In contrast, a neural network begins with interconnected nodes with biases, and it develops its own program through "training." Training normally involves presenting the network with a large number of training patterns with known values. The network's output is evaluated, and "mistakes" cause the network to adjust its internal parameters and interconnections in order to improve its performance. In other words, the network "learns," and its performance typically Will improve as it is "trained."
As an example, assume a neural network is to be trained to distinguish between digitized images representing the "A" and "B." In this case, the network has two outputs, namely, "A" and "B." When the network is presented with an image of an "A," it is to recognize this and activate the output "A." In order to train the network, a stream of "A" and "B" images is input to the network. For each input symbol, the network analyzes the input data and indicates whether it received an "A" or a "B." Every time the network decides that the input "A" is a "B," it is told that it has made a mistake, and it can then adjust the values of the neural connections and biases so that it will reduce the probability that it will make the same mistake again. In other words, a neural network uses a "feedback learning" procedure to adjust its internal evaluation parameters. Even for systems which only need to recognize well-defined or small input sets, known neural networks require long training times: very large numbers of training runs must be made before the network learns.
One of the foremost causes of long training times for existing neural networks is that the elements of the input set, that is, the group of different letters, entire words, sounds, pictures, symbols and other patterns or data, do not contain enough information about the proper values of the neural interconnections and biases to enable the network to make "good guesses." (This will be defined more precisely below.) In practice, this means that many neural networks are trained using random values for the interconnections and biases. Thousands of runs of thousands of different input symbols are not uncommon before conventional neural networks learn to recognize the input set with an acceptable degree of accuracy.
To make a human analogy, assume that a person is trying to learn German. If this beginner is presented with the words, "Stute," "Hengst," "Fohlen" and "Pferd," without further knowledge, she will have to analyze and look up each word one at a time and it will take a long time and many mistakes before she will have mastered them. The learning process, however, would be speeded up greatly if she were to know in advance that all these words refer to horses (i.e., "mare," "stallion," "foal," and "horse," respectively). When she later is confronted with the word "Wallach," if she is told that this word belongs to the same or to a very similar class of words (it means "gelding"), she will not make a large number of "wild guesses" before learning the new word. By "bounding" the input class, the learning process is much quicker.
One of the other major disadvantages of long learning times for neural networks is that it makes it more difficult or impossible for them to work in real time. If a slow-learning neural network encounters a symbol or pattern it does not recognize, there may not be enough time to retrain the network to incorporate the new symbol. Moreover, if it takes a neural network a long time to converge, that is, to decide which pattern it has before it, it may be too slow to be of practical use. A text recognition system that can only read two words per minute would be, of course, of limited usefulness in helping the blind to read books printed in, for example, type fonts which the neural networks have not previously encountered.
Furthermore, standard neural networks need more neurons and interconnections to learn more complicated problems. The requirements for memory and training time may therefore become prohibitive for very large-scale problems. Consequently, it is also important to make networks more efficient, that is, to use fewer nodes and interconnections. It is therefore a goal in the field of neural network design to increase the learning speed of the neural network, as well as to increase its accuracy.
Yet another shortcoming of existing networks is that when they are to recognize a new pattern (for example, a new type font) they haven't already been trained for, it is necessary to retrain them from scratch. Conventional networks are thus not "modular," in that they cannot establish proper weights and biases for new patterns separately from those already established for earlier training patterns.
Examples of developments in neural network research are found in "Neurocomputing Foundations of Research," edited by James A. Anderson and Edward Rosenfeld, "A Design For An Associative Spin Glass Processor," by James M. Goodwin, Bruce E. Rosen, and Jacques J. Vidal, and the associated U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,540, "Spin Glass Type Associative Processor System" (Goodwin, et al, Dec. 11, 1990), "Optical Neural Computers," by Yaser S. Abu-Mostafa and Demitri Psaltis, (Scientific American, March, 1987), U.S. Pat. No. 3,887,906, "Optical Associative Memory Using Complementary Magnetic Bubble Shift Registers" (Minnaja, Jun. 3, 1975), and "A Learning Algorithm for Boltzmann Machines," by David H. Ackley and Geoffrey E. Hinton (Cognitive Science, Vol. 9, pp. 147-169, 1985).
The object of this invention is to provide a neural network that requires a much shorter training time than existing neural networks, while maintaining the ability to find an optimal solution, to make a more efficient network, using fewer nodes and weights, and to make the network "modular," so that a new pattern can be learned without the need to retrain the network from scratch.

Rapidly converging projective neural network


A well drilling apparatus (10) (top drive) designed to be suspended from a travelling block (6) in a drawworks and laterally supported by a dolly (9) running together with the well drilling apparatus along tracks or rails fixed to a derrick. The well drilling apparatus (10) comprises at least one driving motor (5), one power transmission (4) powered by the at least one driving motor (5), a drive shaft (7) driven from the power transmission (4) and designed to be connected to a drill string, load transferring means, and a torque arresting device (3) fixed to and depending from the power transmission (4). At least a number of the above referred components of the well drilling apparatus (10) are designed and arranged as component modules, which by means of quick releasable connecting means connect the individual components/modules together.

The present invention relates to a well drilling apparatus designed to be suspended from a travelling block in a drawworks and laterally supported by a dolly running together with the well drilling apparatus along tracks or rails attached to a derrick, which well drilling apparatus comprises at least one driving motor, one power transmission powered by the at least one driving motor, a drive shaft driven from the power transmission and designed to be connected to a drill string, load transferring means, and a torque arresting device attached to and depending from the power transmission.
Well drilling machines that are able to move up and down in a derrick on board a vessel were seriously taken in use in the second half of the nineteen eighties. Till then it had been usual with a rotary table on the drill floor in order to rotate a drill string. The main function of such a drilling machine is to perform the very drilling operation. By this is meant to rotate the drill sting by a given rotational speed and a given torque in order to drill an oil and gas well. The drill string is assembled by a number of pipe elements and can have a length from 300 to 15000 meters.
As the well bore has reached continuously greater depths, the loads and strains within the drilling machines have increased in concert with this. Some kind of development has taken place through the years, but the main concept is in large extent the same as the original one.
Now a totally new generation top drive drilling machine is provided that will ensure stable and continuous operation in far greater extent than before, also during drilling of the continuously deeper wells. In addition to be more sturdy, the new drilling machine will also have the advantage that necessary maintenance work can be performed in a much shorter time than what has been the case with prior art drilling machines.
Examples of the prior art machines are shown and described in NO 155553 and NO 840285.
In such prior art designs the main structural elements consist of an encapsulation of the main thrust bearing, a main shaft having a bolted on load carrying shoulder, and a reduction gear transmission. This means that the load path, i.e. the interconnection between the drilling machine and the drawworks, takes place through the main thrust bearing and the transmission. A breakdown in any of these complicated mechanical components entails complete disassembly of the machine. Normally the most complicated mechanical element is used as main load carrying component. This takes a long time to maintain and represents downtime for the drilling operations of the rig.
This is attempted clarified in table 1, that shows the mutual interconnection of the main components of the prior art solution, i.e. which components that has interface to each other.


A clock generation circuit 10 includes a resonant reactor connected with a half voltage supply point TV1, a resonant capacitor CL connected between a ground voltage supply point TVss and an output terminal TVout, a transistor MPconnected between the resonant reactor Lr and the resonant capacitor CL, and a transistor MN1 connected with the output terminal TVout. In this configuration, signals in a wide range of frequencies can be output with low power consumption by adjusting the time when a clock signal φ1 applied to the gates of the transistors MP1 and MN1 is high.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a signal transmission circuit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One proposed configuration of a signal transmission circuit includes: an inductor having one end connected with a clock tree and the other end connected with a power source vdd via a capacitor; and the capacitor having one end connected with the other end of the inductor and the other end grounded (see, for example, Non-Patent Literature 1). This proposed circuit configuration transmits a signal by taking advantage of resonance in an LC resonant circuit consisting of the inductor and the capacitor and is thus expected to reduce the power consumption.
Non-Patent Literature 1: Steven C. Chan, et al., "A Resonant Global Clock Distribution for the Cell Broadband Engine Processor", IEEE JOURNAL OF SOLID-STATE CIRCUITS, VOL. 44, No. 1, p. 64-p. 72. JANUARY 2009
In general, the signal transmission circuit is required to output signals adequately in a wide range of frequency domain with low power consumption. In the proposed signal transmission circuit described above, however, input of a signal having a lower frequency than a resonant frequency may increase the power consumption or may cause an inappropriate operation.


A film forming apparatus is provided that can prevent source gases from reacting together before reaching the substrate being processed in the apparatus, minimize the influence of the radiation heat from the substrate, and make the gas behavior in the reaction chamber better for crystal film formation. The apparatus forms a film on a surface of a heated substrate 5 by causing a first source gas and a second source gas to react together. The apparatus has a processing chamber 1, in which the substrate 5 is placed. The processing chamber 1 is divided into a heating chamber 1a and a reaction chamber 1b by at least the substrate 5 so that the substrate surface can be exposed to the source gases in the reaction chamber 1b. The apparatus further has an exhaust duct 7, through which the exhaust gas can be discharged. The exhaust duct 7 faces the exposed substrate surface and connects with the reaction chamber 1b. The apparatus further has first supply ports 11 and second supply ports 12, through which the first and second source gases respectively can be supplied independently onto the substrate surface. The supply ports 11 and 12 are positioned outside the exhaust duct 7. This enables the source gases to react immediately near the substrate 5 so that high-quality crystal film formation can be performed on the substrate.

For example, an apparatus for forming a ZnO epitaxial film for a white light emitting diode (LED) or another light emitting element forms a ZnO film on a substrate by causing source gases react together, which may be an O source gas and a Zn source gas.
The substrate is mounted in the apparatus, in which the source gases are blown through the respective supply ports onto the substrate. The source gases flow through separate passages to the respective supply ports so that the gases cannot react until they reach the ports. However, if the passages are sealed insufficiently, the source gases react together before they reach the supply ports. This results in crystal film formation (of ZnO) on the inside of the passages etc., worsens the gas crystallizability on the substrate, lowers the film growth speed and causes particle deposition.
The source gases flowing from the supply ports toward the substrate react together before they reach the substrate. This results in very small portions of the source gases being consumed for the film formation on the substrate, so that the formation requires a great quantity of source gas and a long time.
In particular, if one of the source gases is an O source gas (O2, H2O, N2O or the like), it is apt to react in its gaseous phase with the other, so that high-quality crystal film formation cannot be performed on the substrate. This problem is difficult to solve because the O source gas is highly reactive even if the reaction chamber of the apparatus is in a high-vacuum state. The problem is more difficult to solve if the reaction chamber is in a low-vacuum state, which makes the O source gas more reactive.
The supply ports are positioned where they are subject to the radiation heat from the substrate, so that the source gases start to react immediately after they leave the ports. This worsens the gas crystallizability on the substrate.
In the reaction chamber, while the source gases are flowing toward the substrate, they are induced by the exhaust suction. Consequently, part of the source gases forms a reaction product near the substrate before they form a film on the substrate. This likewise worsens the gas crystallizability on the substrate, lowers the film growth speed and causes particle deposition.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 3,198,956
Patent Document 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H1-101623
In order to perform high-quality crystal film formation on the substrate, it is necessary to completely seal the passages for the source gases in the apparatus so that the gases cannot react while flowing through the passages. It is also necessary to prevent the source gases from reacting too early while flowing from the supply ports to the substrate. It is important to position the supply ports so as to minimize the influence of the radiation heat from the substrate. It is further necessary to prevent the behavior of the source gases in the reaction chamber from being disturbed by the exhaust suction.