A wideband antenna apparatus including a harmonically suppressed low band antenna is provided. The low band antenna is configured as a folded monopole antenna with patch coupling for resonance in a first frequency band. A patch portion of the low band antenna is widely separated from a folded feed portion of the low band antenna to avoid slot resonances above the first frequency band. The patch portion is relatively large to avoid folding of the patch portion that could introduce resonances above the first frequency band. The wideband antenna apparatus may also include a high band antenna proximate with the low band antenna. The high band antenna may be a folded monopole patch coupled antenna configured for resonating in a second frequency band. The high band antenna may optionally be configured like the low band antenna to suppress resonances of the high band antenna above the second frequency band.

The increasing use of wireless communication links between a large variety of devices has led to numerous advancements in antenna design. Mobile devices such as mobile phones communicate wirelessly in a number of different frequency bands that are specified in various industry standards. Various antenna designs are incorporated in wireless devices such as mobile phones to facilitate communication on one or more appropriate frequency bands, in accordance with the standards. Mobile devices may include multiband antenna configurations that facilitate communication on more than one frequency band. However, it has been challenging to design multiband antennas that may provide acceptable performance in space constrained applications such as mobile phones and other mobile communication devices.


A carrier and associated methodology for removably supporting a plurality of data storage devices as a multiple disc array in a distributed storage system. The carrier defines attachment features for fixing each of the data storage devices to the carrier preventing movement of the data storage devices in relation to the carrier in response to a vibration stimulus. This reduction in vibration stimulus allows the individual data storage devices in the multiple disc array to increase the number of track per storage area. This benefit can be used to increase capacity, increase performance and increase reliability of the multiple disc array.

Distributed storage systems use hardware such as a central processing unit (CPU), one or more disc controllers, and a plurality of data storage devices logically grouped together as bulk storage. Computer program code operating on the CPU and/or disc controllers controls the manner in which user data is stored and accessed. User data can be stored in various fault tolerant schemes, such as in redundant array of independent drive (RAID) formats, for example. Multiple RAID formats can advantageously be employed concurrently within the storage system. The amount of available storage capacity, as well as the rate at which the storage capacity can be dynamically allocated, both significantly contribute to the storage system marketability.
The use of multiple disc arrays (MDAs) to mechanically define units of bulk storage results in a more reliable and a more readily scalable storage system. The multiple disc arrays are preferably a plurality of data storage devices that are both physically and logically grouped to function as a block of memory space to the storage system. Reliability is enhanced in that if a particular data storage device in the MDA is failing then it can be quickly and easily swapped out with a replacement data storage device. Scalability is enhanced by the ability to attach additional MDAs to the storage system and allocate them individually or collectively as logical devices as the need for storage capacity changes.
As these advantages spur the demand for more prevalent use of MDAs, attention will be directed toward effective and efficient carrier methodologies for them. Also, as storage density and processing time requirements continually result in ever-higher performance standards, vibration-related interferences that were once ignored as negligible come into play because they create data transfer errors. Individual data storage devices are designed to operate in a relatively high vibration environment, thereby decreasing the data storage capacity in terms of the number of tracks per inch (TPI) that the data storage device is capable of. If vibrations can be reduced, such as by reducing external excitations from other data storage devices in an MDA, then the TPI of a data storage device can be increased, thereby increasing its data storage capacity. What is needed is a solution offering both the flexibility of the MDA but within a mechanical structure that effectively eliminates rotational vibration interference (RVI). It is to these improvement features that the embodiments of the present invention are directed.

Storage array with enhanced RVI suppression


A protection device for a side entry pit, device having a frame to clamp to the exposed edge of the cover of the pit, and a screen of chains attached to the frame and extending beneath the opening of the pit to prevent trash from entering the pit. The protection device also includes a screen to prevent debris such as dirt and gravel entering the pit, the device including a wire mesh supporting a material such as filter foam to prevent the debris entering the pit, while permitting the passage of water therethrough.

It is well known the litter but not limited to paper, packages, food containers, food wrappers, and leaves are washed down into waste water drainage systems and thus enter creeks, rivers, reservoirs, designed wet lands, and the ocean during and after periods of rains. Leaves are often a great source of the litter, especially where deciduous trees are planted along roadways, and especially when the first winter rains fall immediately after autumn. A large proportion of this water drainage is from roadways. The water runs off the roadway into the kerb (curb) or gutter, openings being provided at selected points along the gutter or kerb for the water to drain into the drainage system.
The openings are provided to direct the water to a drainage pit, the openings being either in the bottom of the gutter, or in the sidewall of the gutter or kerb. The opening in the bottom of the gutter is covered by a grid which prevents the majority of the trash entering the pit. However the opening for the side entry pit is open and all trash can be washed into the pit.
Various attempts have been made to overcome the problem, these including screens and baskets as in registered designs 147248 to 147268, filters as in U.S. Pat. No. 6,709,579, JP2004285819, AU2002100292, and removable drain filter as described in AU20007203.
However with a side entry pit it would be preferable if some form of screening can be utilised to prevent the entry of the trash into the drainage pit. However the screen must be such that it still permits a vehicle wheel to roll in the gutter and permit a street sweeper to pass in front of the side entry pit.
Also side entry pits have the pit under the edge of the footpath, lawn, or verge of the construction adjacent the roadway, the pit being closed by one or more cover plates, usually of concrete, having a channel shaped metal member surrounding the cover plate.
Thus there is a need to provide a temporary barrier to the entry of solid or heavy materials and debris being washed into a side entry pit. It is desired also that the temporary barrier be anchored so that it is not liable to be washed out of position.


A multi-stage transmission having more stages using planetary gear sets and employing a forced return means for achieving smooth shifting in a forward operation by acceleration manipulation and a reverse operation by deceleration manipulation is provided. The multi-stage transmission includes a shaft with both ends fixed, a sprocket for receiving a rotational force and a hub shell for outputting the rotational force; a shifting unit comprising one-way clutches and planetary gear sets, each of planetary gear sets being composed of a sun gear, planetary gears, a carrier and a ring gear provided within the hub shell to change the rotational force input through the sprocket and to output the changed rotational force to the hub shell; and a control unit for controlling shifting by controlling pawls provided on the shaft according to manipulation of a shift lever to selectively restrict rotation of the sun gear.

Generally, a bicycle, a wheelchair, a handcart or the like, which has wheels and travels using various kinds of driving forces such as man power or an electromotive force, is provided with a transmission for changing a traveling speed.
Such a transmission performs shifting in multiple stages from a high speed to a low speed according to manipulation of a rider or user to obtain torque or speed required under a traveling condition.
In particular, recently, a planetary gear set consisting of a sun gear, planetary gears, a ring gear and a carrier is provided in a hub shell to achieve a compact configuration, thereby performing shifting in multiple stages and preventing the gears from being exposed to the outside.
However, there are technical problems in that a conventional multi-stage transmission using a planetary gear set has a small number of shifting stages in spite of a complicated structure, and in particular, a pawl that has been engaged with an inner peripheral surface of the sun gear to restrict rotation of the sun gear is not disengaged during shifting manipulation, resulting in unsmooth shifting.


Apparatus for actuating a valve includes a support frame and at least one valve driving linkage arm, one end of which is rotatably connected to a valve stem of the valve and the other end of which is rotatably connected to a screw block. A motor connected to the frame is operatively connected to a motor driven shaft which is in threaded screw driving relationship with the screw block. The motor rotates the motor driven shaft which drives translational movement of the screw block which drives rotatable movement of the valve driving linkage arm which drives translational movement of the valve stem. The valve actuator may further include a sensory control element disposed in operative relationship with the valve stem, the sensory control element being adapted to provide control over the position of the valve stem by at least sensing the travel and/or position of the valve stem.

A commonly found safety-related component in government facilities, commercial nuclear power plants, and navy power plants is a motor operated or actuated valve. Such valves perform a wide range of safety related functions, from for example, containment isolation to controlling high-pressure coolant injection, as these are particularly well understood in the nuclear power area. Unfortunately, conventional valve actuator designs may often present operation and/or control problems.
In nuclear power plant situations, U.S. and international regulators have responded to such operational and control problems by requiring frequent and rigorous testing and adjustments for all of the motor-operated valves in nuclear power plants. Such testing is both time consuming and expensive.
Some of the problems of conventional motor-operated valves may be inherent in the respective designs thereof. For example, many conventional valves are highly torque dependent. The motors associated therewith output a high torque rotational motion. However, many of the actual valves are of a type having a rising valve stem which requires a substantially linear thrust load. For relatively small valves the currently available directly acting or geared actuators are often satisfactory. But, when high seating and unseating forces are required, as in the case of large diaphragm, gate and/or globe valves, the currently available actuators are often exceedingly complex with highly-specialized motors being required to give the high torques necessary to provide the desired valve movement forces to open and/or close the valve.


A display panel includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a display medium layer, a plurality of first spacers and a plurality of second spacers. The first substrate has a display area and a non-display area disposed around the display area. The second substrate is disposed opposite to the first substrate. The display medium layer is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. The first spacers and the second spacers are disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and are located corresponding to the non-display area. The first spacers and the second spacers are correspondingly located at two opposite sides of the display area and arranged along a first direction. An extending line along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction passes through one of the first spacers and the interval between any two adjacent second spacers.

Technical Field
The present invention relates to a display panel and, in particular, to a display panel having photoresist spacers.
Related Art
With the progress of technologies, display devices have been widely applied to various kinds of fields. Especially, liquid crystal display (LCD) devices or OLED devices, having advantages such as compact structure, low power consumption, less weight and less radiation, gradually take the place of cathode ray tube (CRT) display devices, and are widely applied to various electronic products, such as mobile phones, portable multimedia devices, notebooks and TVs.
Regarding to the LCD apparatus, a conventional LCD apparatus includes an LCD panel and a backlight module disposed opposite to the LCD panel. The LCD panel mainly includes a thin film transistor (TFT) substrate, a color filter (CF) substrate and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the two substrates. The CF substrate and the TFT substrate are disposed opposite to each other, and a plurality of spacers are configured for remaining the space between the CF and TFT substrates. The CF substrate, the TFT substrate and the LC layer can form a plurality of pixel units disposed in a matrix. The backlight module emits the light passing through the LCD panel, and the pixel units of the LCD panel can display images accordingly.
In the conventional wide viewing angle technology of the LCD panel, a rubbing process is conducted for achieving the desired direction of the alignment layer disposed on the CF substrate and the TFT substrate, thereby controlling the tilt direction of the liquid crystal molecules. However, during the rubber coating procedure, the regularly arranged spacers may cause the non-uniform rubbing at two sides of the non-display area and the edges of the display area, thereby generating the undesired mura phenomenon (rubbing mura).
Besides, since the spacers are symmetrically located at two sides of the non-display area, the edge mura formed at the cell gaps of the edges of the display area becomes more obvious.
Therefore, it is an important subject to provide a display panel that can minimize the rubbing mura and improve the gap uniformity of the display panel so as to decrease the edge mura at the display area.


The present invention provides a method for production or detection of a cardiomyocyte(s) and/or cardiac progenitor cell(s), comprises extracting a cardiomyocyte(s) and/or cardiac progenitor cell(s) from a cell population comprising cardiomyocytes and/or cardiac progenitor cells using as an index VCAM1 positivity.

Cardiomyocytes lose their division potential at the time of birth and hence their regeneration is difficult. Therefore, recent interest has focused on replacement therapy wherein cardiomyocytes obtained by differentiation induction of cells having pluripotency (WO/2007/069666), such as embryonic stem cells (ES cells) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells), are transplanted to a cardiac tissue that has been damaged due to myocardial infarction, myocarditis, aging or the like. Although many methods for differentiation induction of such pluripotent stem cells into cardiomyocytes have been reported (WO2007/002136, WO2009/118928 and Yan P, et al., Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 379:115-20 (2009)), it is necessary to enhance the purity of the cardiomyocytes by sorting or the like for using the induced cells in transplantation. Although, at present, CD166 (ALCM) (Rust W, et al., Regen Med. 4, 225-37 (2009)), N-cadherin (JP 2010-158206 A and Honda M, et al., Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 29, 351, 877-82 (2006)) and the like have been reported as surface markers for cardiomyocytes and/or cardiac progenitor cells, it is necessary to find more markers for enhancing the purity of cardiomyocytes.


Repair assemblies and methods for a jet pump diffuser in a nuclear reactor are described. In one particular embodiment, the diffuser has a substantially conical shape, and the larger diameter end of the diffuser is engaged to a shroud support plate of the reactor. The diffuser further has at least a first portion and a second portion welded together at a weld joint. The assembly, in one embodiment, includes a first c-ring having a first frusto-conical portion and a second substantially planar portion, and a second c-ring having a first frusto-conical portion and a second substantially planar portion. The first and second c-rings are configured, in the one embodiment, so that when the first and second c-rings are operatively positioned, first and second openings in the first c-ring are substantially aligned with first and second openings in the second c-ring, respectively.

Jet pump diffusers in a nuclear reactor, such as in a boiling water nuclear reactor, typically form part of a jet pump and are utilized to maintain the floodability of the reactor core at a safe level. The jet pump diffuser also typically discharges water from an inlet mixer into the lower core plenum to maintain adequate recirculation flow.
One known jet pump diffuser has a generally conical shape, and the larger diameter end of the diffuser is welded to an adapter assembly engaged to an Inconel nickel-chromtun alloy shroud support plate. The smaller diameter end of the diffuser forms a slip fit connection to the inlet mixer section of the jet pump.
Water, generally under high pressure, flows through the jet pump diffuser from the smaller diameter end to the larger diameter end. The water exits the diffuser at the larger diameter end and is discharged through the adapter assembly into the lower core plenum. The discharged water mixes with the water in the lower core plenum and may cycle through the reactor.
As the water flows through the jet pump diffuser, the speed and pressure of the water decrease due to the increasing diameter of the diffuser. Decreasing the water speed and pressure just prior to being discharged into the lower core plenum improves the mixing and flow characteristics of the discharged water.
Of course, the integrity of the welds in the jet diffuser and adapter assembly is important. A crack or corrosion in such a weld, for example, if unrepaired, could result in reduced jet pump flow. Therefore, jet pump welds may be inspected during reactor shutdown to ensure the integrity of such welds.
In the event that crack indications are ever found in such a weld, the repair assembly preferably will locally retain the region of the crack to provide the support necessary to maintain the diffuser and adapter assembly secure during all possible operating conditions, including accident events. For example, during a seismic event, vertical and horizontal motions may be generated and transmitted throughout the reactor vessel structure including the jet pump assemblies. The repair assembly preferably should be able to withstand such vertical and horizontal motions and retain the diffuser and the adapter assembly in an operative position. Further, the repair assembly preferably would provide such necessary retention and support even for a complete circumferential crack in the weld joint. In addition, the repair assembly preferably could be installed without having to remove any components of the jet pump, e.g., the inlet mixer. If components of the jet pump have to be removed, such component removal would increase the repair costs and time required to perform the repair.

Apparatus and methods for repairing jet pump diffusers in a nuclear reactor


A counterweight for use in a variable-pitch propeller system (includes a weighted element having walls forming a sealed chamber). The sealed chamber contains a weighting material, and an arm. The counterweight is configured to be coupled to a propeller blade the walls of the weighted element and the arm comprise a single piece, and are an additively manufactured single piece. The weighting material may comprise a powder element. The sealed chamber may have been sealed during the additive manufacturing process, or after the additive manufacturing process has been completed.

Propellers, for example aircraft propellers, typically comprise a plurality of blades fixed to a rotating propeller hub. Variable-pitch propellers are provided with a pitch change mechanism that enables the blade pitch of each blade to be controlled. For example, the blade pitch can be adjusted from a feather position (with the blades parallel to the oncoming airflow) to a reverse position.
The pitch change mechanism may be hydraulically operated. Variable-pitch propellers may be additionally provided with counterweights to serve as a fail-safe mechanism in the event of hydraulic failure. A counterweight, typically comprising an arm with a weighted mass at one end, is fixed to a base portion of each blade and produces a twisting moment on the blade such that the net moment on the blade acts in a direction to increase the blade pitch. A higher blade pitch is desirable to reduce over-speed and high drag conditions. A propeller having such counterweights is described for example in US 2014/0193253.
In the case of aircraft, it is desirable to keep the overall mass of the propeller system to a minimum, for example to provide gains in fuel efficiency. In order to keep the overall mass of the system as low as possible, while achieving the required twisting moment on the blade, the weighted mass of the counterweight is designed to be held at the largest possible radius from the rotational axis of the blade. Since the counterweight is rigidly attached to the blade, which can rotate from reverse to feather position, the counterweight must also be able to rotate from reverse to feather position. In order for the blade to transition to the feather position, the counterweight must pass by adjacent blades. This limits the distance between the weighted mass of the counterweight and the rotational axis of the blade. As a result, the mass of the weighted mass must increase to achieve the required twisting moment. It is thus desirable to design the counterweight to optimise the distribution of mass across the counterweight to ensure that the blade operates as prescribed.
Conventional counterweights are typically formed of a separate flyweight, bolted or otherwise attached to an arm.
There remains a need for an improved design of a counterweight for use in a variable-pitch propeller system.


The use of boring heads, normally used to machine accurate sized holes, as adjustable throw eccentric shafts. Boring head shanks are removed and replaced with bearing supported shafts, or otherwise attached to a rotatable energy source. Bearings are mounted to the boring head slides either directly, or by means of an adapter, or bearing journal. By selecting a suitable boring head, the adjustment may be made when the machine is at rest, or when running, manually or automatically. By fitting stepper motors or servo motors to boring heads which are manually adjustable while running, the adjustment may be controlled by a numerical control or computer control. When modified accordingly, boring heads are suitable adjustable eccentrics or crank shafts, and can be incorporated into various machine designs, providing an economical, readily available, and very accurate machine member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to adjustable throw crank shafts and eccentric shafts as a means for varying the stroke of an interconnected components of mechanisms.
Many mechanical devices rely on crank shafts or eccentric shafts, hereafter referred to as eccentrics, interconnected to various types of motion mechanisms to transform rotary motion to reciprocating motion or reciprocating motion to rotary motion. An example of the first type of transformation is a typical gasoline engine wherein the reciprocating motion is linear, the power being transmitted from the piston through the connecting rod to cause the eccentric to rotate. An example of the second type of transformation, also in a linear device, is an air compressor. In this case the power is transmitted from the eccentric through a connecting rod to the piston. A washing machine is an example of a device which could use the mechanism to transform rotary motion to reciprocating angular motion.
On occasion there is a need to adjust the throw of the eccentric of such a mechanism, in order to change the magnitude of reciprocation. The vast majority of eccentrics have fixed throws, and therefore will not meet this need. Many devices have been suggested to provide adjustable throw eccentrics. Kirschmann (3,798,996) teaches an outer crank sleeve mounted on two spaced apart eccentric collar assemblies. By rotating the collar assemblies the eccentric is adjusted. This device is somewhat complicated and therefore expensive to produce in small quantities. It requires the mechanism to be stopped during the adjustment, and is difficult to adjust accurately. Oliver (4,538,336) teaches a simpler device which would be somewhat less expensive to produce than Kirschmann's device, but also requires the device to be stopped during adjustment, and is even more difficult to adjust accurately. Antonenko (3,375,730) and Seeger (3,470,823) teach devices similar to Oliver's, and has the same limitations. Dulger (4,235,130) teaches the use of cam shaped grooves in the eccentric. The connecting rod attaches to these grooves. Adjustment is by means of actuating a worm gear assembly. While the device can be adjusted while running, it still has the problems of relatively expensive production, and difficulty in accurate adjustments. Simonton (3,436,988) teaches a device similar to those of Oliver and Seeger, but with the addition of a jack screw attached to a gearing mechanism to provide adjustability while running. While it meets the requirement of adjustability during running, it is also difficult to adjust accurately, and would be relatively expensive to produce in small quantities. Eagan (4,261,228) teaches a device in which a spherical journal is mounted to a pivoted bracket. The adjustment is made by means of a mechanism comprised of a hand knob and shaft, a threaded gear, thrust bearings, and a fork. The device can be adjusted while running, however the adjustment is difficult to make accurately, and because of its complicated design, would be relatively expensive to produce in small quantities. Booth (3,106,105) teaches an adjustable eccentric wherein the adjustment is provided by the axial movement of a canted slide. This device can also be adjusted while running, however, because of its complicated design, it would also be relatively expensive to produce in small quantities. Moret et al (4,326,314) teaches a canted journal which can be moved axially in relation to the bearing, thereby adjusting the stroke. This design is specifically applied to a powered tooth brush, which would be manufactured in large quantities. This design would also be relatively expensive to produce in small quantities.

Use of boring heads as adjustable throw eccentric shafts


A connector apparatus has a housing and a container inserted into, and withdrawn from, the housing. The memory card is stored in a storage space of the container. With the container fully inserted into the housing with no memory card placed therein, the insertion inlet of the housing is closed by the front wall of the container, preventing the intrusion of the foreign small particles and dirt into the housing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector apparatus using, as a data storage device, a memory card or hard disc drive package and, in particular, to a connector apparatus having a mechanism for ejecting the data storage device from the housing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Published Disclosed Japanese Patent Applications 63-69375 and 63-77280, for example, disclose a connector apparatus for connecting a memory card to an electronic device, such as the personal, laptop type and notebook type computers.
The connector apparatus has a housing for storing a memory card and an ejector mechanism provided in the housing. The housing has a header on the end of the electronic device side and an insertion inlet for inserting the memory card into the housing. The ejector mechanism has a hand-actuatable lever projecting from the side portion of the housing.
When the memory card is inserted from a socket side via an insertion inlet with the housing of the connector apparatus mounted on the electronic device, the socket of the memory card is fitted to a header of the housing, allowing a electrical connection to be made between the memory card and the electronic device. When the memory card is withdrawn from the insertion inlet side of the housing by actuating the lever of the ejector mechanism, the socket of the memory card is disengaged from the header of the housing, allowing the memory card to be electrically disconnected from the electronic device.
However, since, in the connector device, the insertion inlet of the housing is opened to an outside with the memory card not inserted in the housing, dirt and foreign small particles are liable to be deposited there, suffering an adverse influence therefrom, such as the short-circuiting of the header's connection pins.


The present invention presents a method in which semiconductor heterojunction and homojunction materials are selectively formed on silicon pedestals in an HMIC after the high temperature processing steps in fabricating the HMIC structure are completed.

The present invention is related to U.S. Provisional Patent Applications Numbers 60/017,120 and 60/013,982 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,268,310 the disclosure of which are specifically incorporated herein by reference. The use of silicon as a material in microwave and of applications in the past had generally been discouraged. This is due to the fact that silicon has a greater electrical conductivity than other materials used in the industry, for example gallium arsenide. This conductivity results in power dissipation and heating effects at high frequencies. Accordingly, gallium arsenide has been the preferred material for fabrication of devices and integrated circuits and the microwave and rf industries. However, in the recent past, heterolithic microwave integrated circuits (HMIC) have been utilized to enable high frequency integrated circuits using silicon as the base material for the circuits. In HMIC applications, silicon pedestals are fabricated having glass material suitable for high frequency application disposed between the pedestals to form the electrical isolation between the pedestals and as the dielectric for signal lines on the integrated circuit. Examples of such HMIC structures are as disclosed above in the above U.S. Provisional Patent Applications, the disclosures of which are specifically incorporated by reference.
While the above referenced patent applications enable reliable high yield and mass produced integrated circuits for applications at high frequency, there are certain drawbacks to fabrication of devices on the integrated circuits described above. To this end, it is often required to have a semiconductor homojunction and heterojunction barrier device fabricated at one or more of the silicon pedestal sites. This is generally done by epitaxial growth of suitably doped Si or Si--Ge on the n.sup.+ doped pedestals. During the processing at high temperature, the semiconductor homojunction and heterojunction doping profiles are often degraded. By way of example, the doping profile of an ideal Schottky barrier is as shown in FIG. 4. In the n.sup.- region, the material is lightly doped. A relatively sharp interface is achieved in the high doped substrate region as is shown. The degraded doping profile is as shown superposed on the ideal doping profile. While it is desired to have the silicon based HMIC's, it is none the less required to have a functional homojunction and heterojunction doping profile in many applications. Accordingly, there is a need to fabricate a doping profile at the pedestal/semiconductor barrier which is not degraded during the fabrication of the HMIC.

Ultrahigh vacuum deposition of silicon (Si-Ge) on HMIC substrates


A heart valve sewing prosthesis including an intrinsically conductive polymer. The invention includes annuloplasty rings and bands, and sewing rings or cuffs for prosthetic heart valves. Some annuloplasty rings and sewing rings include fabric that is coated with an intrinsically conductive polymer. The coating can be formed over individual filaments or fibers, or on the fabric surface as a surface layer. One intrinsically conductive polymer is polypyrrole. The intrinsically conductive polymer can be doped to facilitate the intrinsic conductivity. Some devices have a polypyrrole surface layer doped with dialkyl-napthalene sulfonate. The intrinsically conductive polymer can be deposited on a fabric using in-situ polymerization of monomeric or oligomeric species, together with a dopant. Animal studies using implanted annuloplasty rings having an intrinsically conductive polymer coating have demonstrated a substantial reduction in pannus formation and inflammatory response.

Heart valve sewing prostheses are suturable prosthetic devices that can be implanted in hearts to support or replace the function of the native heart valve. One heart valve sewing prosthesis is an annuloplasty ring. An annuloplasty ring is a ring or annular shaped device including a round outer surface having an outer diameter approximating the desired inner diameter of the tissue near the valve where the ring is to be implanted. The ring generally has an inner stiffening member, which can be formed of silicone. The ring outer surface can be formed of a fabric, such as knitted or braided polyester, for example Dacron®. The annuloplasty ring can be inserted into place and sewn to the surrounding valve annulus tissue using sutures passing through the fabric and through the tissue.
Another heart valve sewing prosthesis is an annuloplasty band. An annuloplasty band is similar in some respects to an annuloplasty ring. The annuloplasty band can have an arcuate or circular shape, and an open circumferential gap along one side, rather than being closed upon itself as is an annuloplasty ring. The annuloplasty band can be formed of an inner stiffening member surrounded by fabric. The outer fabric can receive sutures through the fabric, securing it to the surrounding tissue.
Annuloplasty rings and bands can be used in conjunction with valvular reconstructive surgery, to correct heart valve defects such as stenosis or valvular insufficiency. Many such defects are associated with dilation of the valve annulus. Such dilation can prevent competence of the valve and can cause distortion of the normal shape of the valve orifice. Annuloplasty rings generally entirely encompass the anterior and posterior portions of the valve annulus, while the annuloplasty bands generally encompass only a portion of the valve annulus.
Other heart valve prostheses include prosthetic heart valves, such as mechanical prosthetic heart valves and bioprosthetic heart valves. Mechanical heart valves can include a metal housing containing a metal valve plate that open and closes about a pivot. The bioprosthetic heart valve can be made from porcine heart valves that have been fixed to reduce adverse reactions upon implant. The tissue or housing can be secured to the surrounding tissue using another heart valve prosthetic device, a sewing ring or cuff. The sewing ring or cuff generally includes a ring or cuff having an outer fabric layer. The sewing ring or cuff can come secured to the heart valve outer housing. The sewing ring acts as an intermediate body placed between the heart valve outer housing and the native heart tissue. The heart valve housing can be secured to the native tissue by passing sutures through the sewing ring or cuff and the surrounding tissue.
Materials used to fabricate heart valve sewing prostheses typically include polyester fabric. Invariably, the host responds to this material as a "foreign body" and this reaction complicates the healing process. An ideal prosthetic valve device should heal well without excessive tissue overgrowth, and allow for the establishment of a smooth neointima. By reducing the inflammatory response to the foreign material, it may be possible to resolve the post-implant inflammatory response at the acute phase, with concomitant optimal healing without the long-term scar formation and consequences of stenosis and regurgitation.
The use of non-biologic materials in prosthetic heart valves, such as sewing rings and stents in tissue valves are necessary to support the tissue components and facilitate attachment of valves to the native tissue. The implantation of these non-resorbable materials permanently changes the microenvironment of the valve tissue, and possibly the global environment of the cardiac system. Peri-operative implant protocols may require the removal of the native valve leaflet, and cutting away damaged and/or mineralized tissue. These operations cause a major trauma to the tissue. The tissue response to this traumatic injury involves inflammatory response to the initial wound bed created for the prosthetic valve, and to the implanted non-native material. The inflammatory response may be divided into the acute and chronic phases. Unresolved acute inflammatory response leads to a chronic phase response with potential fibrotic tissue formation.
Along with the chronic fibrotic scar formation, inflammatory cells and the accumulation of cellular and proteinaceous blood elements are deposited. The layer of deposited cells and other elements is often referred to a pannus. The pannus grows as an extension of the tissue healing around the sewing ring or other heart valve sewing prosthesis. As a result of the unresolved inflammatory response, the pannus can continue to grow, extending onto the leaflets causing progressive stenosis, occlusion of the valve orifice or stiffening of the cusps. It has been shown that pannus can creep onto the biologic part of the valve and causes stenosis and/or incompetence. Tissue overgrowth has also been shown to cause leaflet retraction in valves, leading to clinically significant regurgitation. Tissue overgrowth onto mechanical valves can obstruct the occluder causing failure of the valve. Pannus overgrowth on both tissue and mechanical valves may necessitate their removal. As a result of the exuberant pannus growth onto the sewing ring of the valves, removal becomes difficult, making subsequent operations even more challenging.
There is therefore the need for superior biomaterials that will promote post-implant wound healing with limited scar formation. In particular, there is a need for heart valve sewing rings, annuloplasty rings, and annuloplasty bands having improved biocompatibility characteristics.

Implantable heart valve prosthetic devices having intrinsically conductive polymers


A smoke evacuation nozzle for an airplane having minimum diameter at the fuselage pressure hull exit for minimum structural integrity disruption. The nozzle is a converging-diverging nozzle which maintains sonic flow down to a very low altitude, thereby obtaining maximum airflow through it at all times. The throat is located at the point where the nozzle goes through the fuselage pressure hull so that the penetration through the fuselage pressure hull is minimal.

Smoke evacuation nozzles that have been proposed for use in aircraft are special nozzles that are normally closed; they would be opened in the event of fire, and used to remove the smoke from the passenger cabin. Studies have shown that such nozzles would be most effective if placed on or near the top of the fuselage along its centerline. As is true for most components of an airplane, the design of such a nozzle is a trade-off; in this case the trade-off is between flow capability on the one hand and weight on the other. A large nozzle will have a large flow capability, but will be heavy; and the large opening in the fuselage to accommodate it will require a considerable amount of reinforcing, which will cause its own weight penalty.
On the other hand, a small nozzle will not have the above weight penalty, but will not have the flow capability.
It is well known that a sonic orifice or nozzle flows the most fluid per unit area, and it is intuitive that such is desirable for a smoke evacuation nozzle given the above trade-off. However, the prior art has failed to produce such a nozzle that would remain effective at lower altitudes.
For example, the patent to Bruensicke, 4,552,325, shows a smoke evacuation nozzle that has a converging entrance section leading to the exit through the fuselage pressure hull. This nozzle will have sonic flow through its minimum area or throat only at higher altitudes where the ratio between the cabin pressure and the ambient pressure at a given altitude is greater than 2. At lower altitudes the flow will be subsonic, and hence the nozzle will not be as effective as a sonic nozzle.

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Transportation


Two electronic modules are connected to share and to independently read the sensed value from a single environmental sensor element, by communicating between each other when a particular module is reading the sensor output signal. The sensor output signal is a function of the value of the reference voltage being applied by the reading module and the characteristics of the environment being sensed. A module provides a toggle signal when it completes its reading of the sensor so that the other (non-reading) module will know when it may apply its reference voltage to the sensor and complete its reading of the sensor. The modules alternate the reading of the sensor in order to eliminate the need for a plurality of corresponding sensors.

It is often the case that in systems which include separate electronic modules that require accurate information from an environmental sensor, such as a temperature or humidity sensor, each module reads its own separate sensor. This is usually due to the fact that a calibrated reference voltage must be applied to the sensor in order to interrogate the sensed information. However, the reference voltages from the individual modules may have slightly different values at the sensor. These differences may be the result of many causes, including, for instance, the unique characteristics of the individual module circuitry or the voltage drop that occurs between the module and the sensor due to wiring and connectors. On the other hand, a single reference voltage applied to a common sensor may be slightly different from the reference voltage used by a module and therefore produce an erroneous sensor measurement to that module. Therefore, the use of a dedicated sensor with each module is the conventional way to obtain the most accurate sensor information.
In the manufacture of automotive vehicles, the use of separate sensors that detect the same environmental information, such as ambient air temperature, is a duplication that is costly. It would, of course, be desirable to eliminate such duplication and maintain the accuracy afforded by conventional practice.

Method and apparatus for a plurality of modules to independently read a single sensor


An index-linked insurance product having an annual guarantee is implemented having a maximized hedged investment budget. A net premium payment is allocated to a fixed income investment and an annual fixed income yield is projected. The maximized hedged investment budget is determined by deducting from the projected annual fixed income a product spread and an estimated cost of the annual guarantee. The deducted estimated cost of the annual guarantee is allocated to a risk fund. The maximized hedged investment budget is allocated to a hedged investment designed to generate proceeds for supporting index-linked earnings credited to the index-linked insurance product. Upon expiration of the product term, if the amount credited based on the index-linked earnings does not equal to at least the compounded annual guarantee, the amount credited is increased to be equal to the compounded annual guarantee. The increased credit may be supported using funds from the risk fund and other reserves if necessary.

Traditional life insurance products are known in the art as "fixed" life insurance products. Fixed life insurance products offer a minimum guaranteed annual interest rate (referred to herein as an "annual guarantee") on policy funds net of insurance and administrative charges. The insurance company generally invests a portion of the premium in fixed income securities such as bonds and mortgages. The yield on such fixed income investments determines a gross return from which product charges may be deducted to then calculate the policy credited rate and/or dividends. Regardless of the performance of the insurance company's investment in the fixed income securities, the credited rate and/or cash values of the fixed life insurance product cannot be less than a guaranteed minimum.
"Variable" life insurance products are also popular with consumers and are also well known in the art. Variable life insurance products generally allow the consumer to determine how the premium (net of insurance, administrative, and product spread charges) will be invested by directing the funds to various sub-account choices that are available within the product. These sub-account choices carry distinct risks, as there is neither an annual guarantee on the investment performance nor a guarantee of the principal allocated to the sub-accounts. Sub-accounts usually carry risks similar to those of equity or bond mutual funds, including the upside potential and downside risk to loss of principal.
"Index-linked" life insurance products are more recent introductions into the market. Such products typically provide an annual guarantee like that provided by traditional fixed insurance products. In an index-linked life insurance product, all or a portion of the product's account value may be eligible for index-linked earnings based on increases in a specified equity market index. An index-linked life insurance product is typically credited with the greater of the index-linked earnings rate or the annual guarantee (determined on a compounded basis over an established time period) on the applicable portion of the product's account value.
In administering the index-linked account within an index-linked life insurance product, an insurance company typically invests a portion of the premium in fixed income securities such as bonds and mortgages. The investment yield on such fixed income securities is referred to herein as the "investment budget." A product spread, to cover expenses and profit, is usually deducted from the investment budget to determine the "crediting budget." The principal on the fixed income securities supports the index-linked life insurance product's guaranteed principal.
Unlike traditional fixed life insurance products, where the crediting budget is credited to the product, the crediting budget in index-linked life insurance products is used to support the index-linked earnings rate. To do this, the insurance company may invest a portion of the crediting budget in a hedged investment designed to generate proceeds that support the index-linked earnings to be credited to the product. A hedged investment may take a variety of forms, but typically involves the purchase and/or sale of options in the equity market index. A hedged investment is typically structured to be out-of-the-money by an amount equal to the annual guarantee.
In order to ensure that it will be able to cover the amount of the annual guarantee, the typical insurance company does not invest the entire crediting budget in a hedged investment. Rather, the insurance company will set aside a portion (referred to herein as the "guaranteed return budget") of the crediting budget to back the annual guarantee over the specified time period. For example, if the crediting budget is 6.5% and the annual guarantee associated with the index-linked life insurance product is 3%, the insurance company would typically deduct and set aside 3% per year as the guaranteed return budget. The balance of the crediting budget after deduction of the guaranteed return budget (i.e. a balance of 3.5%) is available as the hedged investment budget for purchase of index-linked hedged investments.
Thus, in prior index-linked life insurance products, the guaranteed return budget is credited back to the product each year in order to cover the annual guarantee and any yearly proceeds realized from the hedged investment are used to support any index-linked earnings that exceed the annual guarantee. The amount of index-linked earnings that can be supported through a hedged investment is obviously limited by the amount of the crediting budget that can be allocated to purchase the hedged investment. In other words, the larger the hedged investment budget, the greater the potential for index-linked earnings generated by the hedged investment, and the more attractive the index-linked crediting terms the insurance company can offer to its consumer. However, insurance companies have heretofore been unable to increase the hedged investment budget of an index-linked life insurance product without incurring significant risk that insufficient funds are set aside to cover the annual guarantee.
Accordingly, there remains a need for an index-linked life insurance product having a maximized hedged investment budget for purposes of generating maximum index-linked earnings, while maintaining a sufficient guaranteed return budget to cover the annual guarantee.

Maximization of a hedged investment budget for an index-linked insurance product


A method for manufacturing a ferrule for use with an optical fiber connector comprises providing a ferrule blank having a hole for insertion of an optical fiber therethrough between end surfaces of the ferrule blank. A rough grinding operation is performed on the outside diameter of the ferrule blank. Thereafter, the hole of the ferrule blank is polished based on the outside diameter of the ferrule blank which has been subjected to the rough grinding operation. The outside diameter of the ferrule blank is then subjected to a finish grinding operation using a both-center supporting method by bringing a center jig to abut the end surfaces of the ferrule blank and supporting the ferrule blank with the center jig from the end surfaces of the ferrule blank.

The present invention relates to an optical fiber connector, a ferrule for use in the optical fiber connector and a method for manufacturing the same.
Conventionally, as this type of optical fiber connector there is known that which is equipped with a ferrule which has a configuration as illustrated in FIG. 13 and which is prepared by injection molding.
The ferrule illustrated in FIG. 13 is constituted by a main body of the ferrule. In this main body 1 of the ferrule, from the injection molding time an entire fiber insertion hole 2 is provided slenderly in such a way as to have substantially the same diameter as that of an elemental optical fiber. When into this insertion hole 2 the elemental optical fiber is inserted from an inlet thereof, the elemental optical fiber is positioned, fixed, centered and retained by the fiber insertion hole 2 as a whole, whereby the elemental optical fiber is retained precisely.
As manufacturing process steps for manufacturing the ferrule illustrated in the same figure there are known a series of process steps 300 to 306 such as those illustrated in FIG. 14.
In a process step (molding) 300, there is molded as illustrated in FIG. 15(a) by injection molding or the like a ferrule blank 1-1 which becomes a base of the ferrule main body 1 (refer to FIG. 13). This ferrule blank 1-1 is formed cylindrically and is provided with a prepared hole 2-1 for optical fiber insertion in such a way that this prepared hole passes through the blank between both end faces thereof. It is to be noted that the prepared hole 2-1 is that which becomes a base of the fiber insertion hole 2.
In a process step (inside diameter polishing) 301, from the standpoint of achieving a reduction in the manufacturing time length, a plurality of the ferrule blanks 1-1, 1-1, - - - , are unified as a set, whereby all the prepared holes 2-1 are polished simultaneously (refer to FIG. 15(b)).
In this inside diameter polishing, an operation of passing a setting wire 13 into the prepared hole 2-1 and thereby setting a plurality of the ferrule blanks 1-1 onto the wire 13, an operation of filling into a cylindrical body (sheath) 15 a setting 14 that consists of a plurality of the ferrule blanks 1-1, 1-1, - - - and charging adhesive 16 such as solder, lac, etc. into this cylindrical body 15 and thereby performing positioning and fixing of the setting 14, and an operation of drawing off the wire 13 from the setting 14 are performed sequentially. Next, a polishing taper wire 12 (whose diameter dimension becomes large in the longitudinal direction and is fixed in the ending half portion) is inserted into the prepared holes 2-1 from the end face side of the cylindrical body 15. Thereafter, with the cylindrical body 15 being rotated about its axis, the taper wire 12 is drawn off therefrom axially and taken up onto a reel not illustrated while scattered abrasive grains 10 are sequentially being supplied and adhered onto the taper wire 12 immediately before the ferrule blank 1-1, to thereby polish the prepared hole 2-1. Supply and adhesion of the scattered abrasive grains 10 are performed such that liquid scattered abrasive grains 10 are applied onto the taper wire 12 or this taper wire 12 is immersed therein.
That is, the inside diameter polishing is performed with respect to the prepared hole which is not machined whatsoever after molding of the ferrule blank.
It is to be noted that after polishing the abrasive 16 is removed and all the ferrule blanks 1-1, 1-1, - - - are taken off from the cylindrical body 15.
In a process step (outside diameter grinding centerless method!) 302, from the standpoint of removing the outside diameter machining allowance of the ferrule blank 1-1 with a high efficiency, the ferrule blank 1-1 having had its inside diameter polished is set on, for example, a centerless supporting apparatus to thereby grind the outside diameter portion 1-1c of this ferrule blank 1-1 with the use of no center (refer to FIG. 15(c)).
In a process step (end face grinding) 303, rough grinding is executed with respect to the both end faces 1-1a and 1-1b of the ferrule blank 1-1 (refer to FIG. 15(d)).
In a process step (outside diameter grinding both center method!) 304, from the standpoint of correcting the eccentricity between the outside diameter of the ferrule blank 1-1 and the prepared hole 2-1 and thereby making the both coaxial with each other, an outside diameter portion 1-1c of the ferrule blank 1-1 is ground as illustrated in FIG. 15(e). In this outside grinding, the ferrule blank 11 is supported with one center being at each end face. This both center supporting is performed by causing center jigs 6 and 7 to abut from the both end face sides 1-1a and 1-1b of the ferrule blank 1-1 onto the prepared hole 2-1 and thereby causing the ferrule blank 1-1 to be supported from the both end face sides 1-1a and 1-1b.
In a process step (outside diameter polishing) 305, the outside portion 1-1c of the ferrule blank 1-1 is polished to be finished to a desired roughness (refer to FIG. 15(f)).
In a process step (end face machining) 306, machining such as machining of the end face of the ferrule blank 1-1 into a convex spherical surface is performed (refer to FIG. 15(g)).
The following is to be noted. In the process step (molding) 300, as illustrated in FIG. 16(a), at a time of injection molding of the ferrule blank 1-1, a stepped portion 17 is provided with respect to an inlet 2-1b of the prepared hole 2-1. As illustrated in FIG. 17, this stepped portion 17 is used temporarily as an abutment basis for the center jig 7 when performing the outside diameter grinding that is to be performed with the use of the grinder 12 in the succeeding step (outside diameter grinding both center method!) 304. Accordingly, after the performance of the outside diameter grinding, from the standpoint of preventing flawing of the elemental optical fiber by the stepped portion 17, chamfering (refer to FIG. 16(b)), circular-arc configuration chamfering (refer to FIG. 16(c)) or the like is performed with respect to the prepared hole inlet 2-1b to thereby shave off the stepped portion 17 and thereby finish the prepared hole inlet 2-1b, i.e. fiber insertion hole 2 inlet into the configuration of a smooth bowl that has no angular portion.
On the other hand, the ferrule illustrated in FIG. 18 is that which has been constructed from the standpoint of reducing the amount of the fiber insertion hole 2 finish-machined with it in mind that at even only a large-depth portion (one end side) 2a of the fiber insertion hole 2 alone it is possible to perform positioning, fixing, centering and retention (precise retention) of the elemental optical fiber sufficiently.
That is, in this ferrule, from the injection molding time, only the large-depth portion (one end side) 2a of the fiber insertion hole 2 is formed to a diameter that is substantially the same as that of the elemental optical fiber and the remaining portion thereof is formed to a diameter that is sufficiently larger than the diameter of the elemental optical fiber. When inserting the elemental optical fiber into this fiber insertion hole 2, the elemental optical fiber is positioned, fixed, centered and retained not by the whole fiber insertion hole 2 but by only the large-depth portion (one end side) alone.
However, the above-mentioned conventional ferrule has the following problems.
In the conventional ferrule that is illustrated in FIG. 13, since it is of a structure wherein positioning and fixing of the elemental optical fiber are performed by the entire fiber insertion hole 2, it becomes necessary to perform finish machining for positioning and fixing thereof with respect to the entire fiber insertion hole 2, with the result that the amount of the fiber insertion hole machined and the amount of machining time become large. This is followed by an increase in the length of time for manufacturing the ferrule, which results in that a longer period of time is needed for completion of manufacture of the optical fiber connector.
In addition, according to the conventional ferrule illustrated in this figure, the fiber insertion hole 2 is slender and an elongate small-diameter hole, and therefore at the injection molding time curving of the fiber insertion hole 2 occurs, with the result that a step for correcting this curving becomes additionally needed separately. Further, from the standpoint of preventing flawing of the elemental optical fiber, it is necessary to perform a secondary machining such as chamfering, circular-arc configuration chamfering with respect to the inlet of the fiber insertion hole 2. Therefore, in this respect also, the manufacturing process steps for manufacturing the optical fiber connector increase in number, with the result that a larger amount of time is needed for completion of the manufacture thereof, which results in an increase in the manufacturing cost.
In the conventional ferrule illustrated in FIG. 18, as illustrated in FIG. 19, at the time of grinding the outside diameter the contact of the center jig 7 with the other end 2b of the fiber insertion hole 2 is unstable. The reason for this is that since the other end 2b of the fiber insertion hole 2 that is abutted against by the center jig 7 is as is immediately after having been injection molded, the contour thereof has a number of concavities and convexities and therefore the hole precision at the other end 2b of the fiber insertion hole is low. This causes deterioration in the precision of the outside diameter grinding (the circularity of the outside diameter of the ferrule, the coaxiality of the outside diameter of the ferrule and the fiber insertion hole, etc.), which results in that it is not possible to obtain a highly precise optical fiber connector.
It is to be noted that in order to avoid such inconvenience, it can be also considered to perform a so-called "center-hole machining" of, before the performance of the outside diameter grinding, finishing the other end 2b of the fiber insertion hole to a prescribed dimensional precision. However, separate addition of this center hole machining causes additional increase in the number of the manufacturing process steps for manufacturing the optical fiber connector, with the result that a larger amount of time is needed for completion of the manufacture thereof, which results in an increase in the manufacturing cost.
Also, according to the conventional ferrule illustrated in FIG. 18, a stepped portion 18 exists at a large-depth portion side due to the difference in diameter between the large-depth side of the fiber insertion hole 2 and the remaining portion thereof. For this reason, when performing injection molding, blow holes occur in the stepped portion 18 and the portion in the vicinity thereof due to a rapid change in the sectional area involved therein, with the result that the positioning portion (the large-depth portion one end 2a side! of the fiber insertion hole 2) located forwardly from the stepped portion 18 cannot be finished into a desired configuration. Therefore, the positioning, fixing, centering and retaining precision for the elemental optical fiber is inferior. For this reason, a high precision optical fiber connector cannot be obtained, which is accompanied by a decrease in the reliability of the optical communication. Also, burrs also are likely to occur in the stepped portion and these burrs cause damage to the elemental optical fiber. In this respect also, it is possible neither to obtain a high precision optical fiber connector nor to expect a highly reliable optical communication.
The above-mentioned ferrule manufacturing method has the following problems.
(1) In the conventional manufacturing process, as illustrated in FIG. 15(b), since the positioning and fixing of the ferrule blank 1-1 in the process step (inside diameter polishing) 301 are performed with the use of the adhesive 16, the operation of charging and setting the adhesive 16 that is to be performed as a preceding tooling for the performance of the inside diameter polishing and the operation of removing the adhesive 6 that is to be performed as a succeeding tooling are needed and in addition these operations must be performed by man power. Therefore, a larger amount of time is spent for performance of these tooling operations, which results in that the entire ferrule manufacturing time length increases. Therefore, a larger amount of time for completion of manufacture of the optical fiber connector is needed. On the other hand, full automation of the manufacturing process steps therefor is difficult.
Furthermore, in the above-mentioned polishing and fixing that are performed using the adhesive 16, the set condition of the ferrule blank 1-1 collapses due to shrinkage and the like of the adhesive 16, with the result that the ferrule blank 1-1 and prepared hole 2-1 are disadvantageously inclined with respect to the cylindrical body 15. In consequence, the setting precision decreases with the result that the matching conditions for performance of the inside diameter polishing deteriorates. For this reason, no desired machining precision is obtained. Further, the use of the adhesive 16 results in the collapse of the set condition as mentioned above and hence in the inferior balance of the cylindrical body 15 as a whole. Therefore, the high-speed rotation of the cylindrical body 15 is impossible to perform and the machining efficiency is impossible to increase.
(2) In the conventional manufacturing process, because the eccentricity and parallelism degrees between the prepared hole 2-1 formed by molding and the outside diameter of the ferrule blank are not those which are desired and because the inside diameter polishing that is to be performed in the process step 301 is performed with respect to the prepared hole 2-1 that is not machined whatsoever after molding and therefore the inside diameter polishing is performed independently of the outside diameter of the ferrule blank, after the inside diameter polishing no correction is made of the eccentricity and parallelism degrees between the prepared hole 2-1 and the outside diameter of the ferrule blank, with the result that the eccentric or inclined prepared hole 2-1 spreads as it is. For this reason, the outside diameter machining allowance of the ferrule blank 1-1 must be made unnecessarily large, with not only the eccentricity and inclination resulting from errors in the molding in the process step 300 but also the spread of the eccentric and inclined prepared hole 2-1 in estimation. As a result, a larger amount of time is needed for removal of such unnecessary machining allowance, which causes an increase in the total ferrule manufacturing time length, which necessitates the use of a larger amount of time for completion of the manufacture of the optical fiber connector. Also, an amount of molding material of the ferrule blank 1-1 that is larger by that extent becomes necessary. This causes an increase in the manufacturing cost of the optical fiber. Further, after the performance of the inside diameter polishing, the additional necessity arises of providing the process step 304 for removal of the above-mentioned inclination and eccentricity.
(3) According to the conventional manufacturing process, in the case where the outside diameter machining allowance of the ferrule blank 1-1 is large and in addition the both center supporting in the process step 304 is adopted as mentioned above, since the centering jig is small in thickness because of the prepared hole 2-1 being small in diameter, the machining efficiency is low. Therefore, the process step of removing the outside diameter machining allowance with a high efficiency becomes needed separately. In this sense, the outside diameter grinding that uses the centerless method, which provides an excellent machining efficiency, is adopted as the process step 302 between the process steps 301 and 304. However, since the centerless method is inferior in the ability of smallening the eccentricity, it is needed to set an air cut that corresponds to the eccentricity when machining in the process step 304 is performed. Therefore, the amount of machining time in the process step 304 cannot be largely shortened, with the result that the entire ferrule manufacturing time length is not shortened.
It is to be noted that although in order to correct the eccentricity of the prepared hole 2-1 it can be also considered to apply in the process step 302 the outside diameter grinding that uses the wire centerless method instead of the one which uses the centerless method, the adoption of such wire centerless method results in that a large amount of time is needed for the performance of the tooling operation such as the operation of setting the ferrule blank 1-1 on the wire. On the other hand, omitting the use of man power is difficult and therefore a rise in the manufacturing cost is unavoidable.
(4) In the conventional manufacturing process, when the prepared hole is of a configuration whose forward end is small in diameter such as a nozzle as illustrated in FIG. 18, due to the variation in the diameter of the prepared hole the ferrule blank 1-1 is inconveniently set in the process step 301 while being inclined with respect to the setting wire 13 as illustrated in FIG. 20, with the result that difficulties arise in setting the ferrule blank 1-1 with a high precision in parallel with the wire 13. As a result, the machining precision becomes more seriously deteriorated.

Method for manufacturing ferrule for use with optical fiber connector


Thermally induced color is developed in a glass article containing a silver halide crystal phase by including in the glass batch a thermal reducing agent, retaining the thermal reducing agent in its lower valence state while meltinq the batch and forming the glass article and subsequently heat treating the article to partially reduce the silver halide crystal phase.

Photochromic glasses containing silver and one or more halogens in their compositions are well known. Normally, such glasses are clear and uncolored as produced. However, when exposed to ultraviolet radiation, a photochromic glass becomes light absorbing over a broad range of wavelengths in the visible portion of the spectrum. The absorption is reversible, that is, the glass returns to the clear state when the exciting radiation is removed.
Various photochromic materials are known. However, the commercially viable material at the present time is a glass containing one or more silver halide crystal phases selected from AgCl, AgBr and AgI. As melted, silver and halogen are dissolved in a glass. Upon a controlled thermal treatment, as amply described in the patent literature, a silver halide crystal phase is precipitated in the glass. The crystals constituting this phase are subject to photolysis, thereby giving rise to photochromism, that is, reversible coloring behavior. As used herein, the terms "halide" and "halogen" refer to chlorine, bromine and iodine, fluorine not being effective to impart photochromic behavior.
If desired, it is possible to impart permanent coloration to photochromic glasses with conventional glass colorants. These include such known colorants as NiO, CoO, Cr.sub.2 O.sub.3 and MnO which may be incorporated in a glass batch in usual manner.
In the recent past, another method of inducing permanent coloration in a photochromic glass was discovered. This method involved a high temperature thermal treatment in a reducing atmosphere, such as hydrogen. The thermal treatment can bring about a permanent, partial or complete reduction of silver halide to silver. A wide range of colors can be produced that depends on the temperature of the reduction treatment. This method is described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 4,240,836 (Borrelli et al.).
Although the exact mechanism of this induced coloration is not well understood, it is proposed that the color depends on the extent of reduction of the silver halide to silver. The reason for this hypothesis is threefold. First, the color produced by silver particles in glass is yellow. This results from a sinqle absorption band at 400 nm, where it would be predicted to appear from simple scattering theory. The appearance of absorption bands, which are considerably shifted toward the red, indicate the presence of something other than simply reduced silver in glass. Second, the colors produced by the reduction depend on the temperature of the treatment alone. Chemical reduction leading to a greater amount of silver would not be expected to change the spectral position of the absorption band as is observed. Third, the color variation can only be obtained if the hydrogen treatment is carried out below the melting temperature of the silver halide phase in the glass. This suggests the presence and critical role of the silver halide phase.
One should recognize that the color produced by the hydrogen reduction resides in a surface layer corresponding to the depth of diffusion of hydrogen. It can be shown that, in situations where the diffusion is accompanied by a fast chemical reaction, the layer thickness is proportional to the square root of time of the reduction treatment. The remaining portion of the glass is the uncolored photochromic glass, and exhibits the usual photochromic behavior.
It is a primary purpose of the present invention to provide an alternative means of achieving permanent coloration effects in a glass having a silver halide crystal phase. The coloration effects are similar to those previously achieved by hydrogen atmospheric reduction. Both methods involve a thermal reduction step, but the presently proposed method has a number of advantages.
A primary advantage is that the need for treatment in a hydrogen-containing atmosphere is avoided. Another advantage is that the present method is effective in the same temperature range as that found effective to induce photochromic behavior in potentially photochromic qlasses. This avoids the need for a separate thermal treatment. Another advantage is that the present method is effective in certain glasses that contain a silver halide phase, but do not exhibit photochromic behavior. A further advantage is that color is developed throughout the glass; not just in a surface layer.


The conveyor system of the present invention comprises a conveyor robot having a hand and arm, and a pair of gripping jigs attached to a conveyed object. The hand of the conveyor robot comprises a body part attached to an arm, a pair of projecting parts projecting out from different positions of the body part in the same direction, hook parts provided on the pair of projecting parts, and pushing parts attached to the body part adjoining the pair of projecting parts and configured to move along the projection direction of the pair of projecting parts to generate a pushing force. Each gripping jig attached to a conveyed object comprises of a pushed part pushed by a pushing part of the hand, and a rod-shaped part caught on a hook part of the hand.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a conveyor system and conveyance method for conveying a plurality of types of objects having various shapes.
2. Description of the Related Art
A robot hand capable of gripping various shapes of objects has been known in the past. For example, JP H09-150384A proposes a robot hand comprising a plurality of finger mechanisms each of which can exert a drive force in at least one degree of freedom, and a base part supporting the base end parts of these finger mechanisms. In particular, the finger mechanisms of the robot hand of JP H09-150384A comprise pluralities of links connected through rotary joints. These links are rotated by the rotary joints so as to change the posture of the finger tips.
However, the above finger mechanisms have complicated structures including pluralities of links, and therefore if the robot hand of JP H09-150384A is used to grip a heavy object, the load of the object may damage the finger mechanisms. For this reason, to grip a heavy object, it is necessary to make the robot hand larger as a whole so as to improve the rigidity of the finger mechanisms. If such a large size robot hand is used, it is necessary to also make the robot arm to which it is attached larger, and therefore a rise in the capital cost of the system as a whole is unavoidable. Further, to grip a plurality of types of objects with different dimensions, it is necessary to change the robot hand corresponding to the dimensions of the individual objects, and therefore a further rise in the capital cost is caused. Furthermore, when the robot hand of JP H09-150384A is used, the gripping force of the finger mechanisms directly act on the object, and therefore the gripping force may damage the object.
A conveyor system and conveyance method for gripping various shapes of objects with a single hand having a simple structure, have been sought.


An automated conveyance system moves green tires (24) with monorail carriers (18) to tire molding presses (40). Each monorail carrier (18) deposits a green tire (24) into an elevator system (31) which, in turn, transfers the green tire to within reach of a press loader (38) for tire press (40). The elevator system (31) also provides a buffer storage for the tires in process. In one embodiment, the green tire in the basket (28) is rotated about a vertical path through which the basket moves to within reach of the press loader. In another embodiment, the elevator system (31) can move the green tire by linear translation from the vertical path through which the basket moves to within reach of the loader (38).

The present invention relates to automated monorail conveyance systems for transporting green tires (i.e., unvulcanized tires) within a tire manufacturing factory and more specifically to an elevator system incorporated in the monorail conveyance system for transferring the green tire from a monorail to a tire molding press.
Tire manufacturing factories are arranged into separate areas within which specific tire manufacturing operations take place. Two manufacturing steps having major significance in relation to the present invention are the tire assembly process and the tire curing, or vulcanizing process. These two processes take place in separate locations within a manufacturing operation, typically within a single building of the tire building factory.
In brief summary, tires are assembled in an uncured or unvulcanized state in one part of a factory, and then moved to another part of the factory where they are inserted into heated tire presses wherein the tire is molded under heat and pressure and, in the same process, vulcanized.
More specifically, the tire assembly process involves the use of a tire building machine which includes a cylindrical assembly drum upon which such tire components as the inner liner, the cord-reinforced plies, the beads and the sidewalls of the xe2x80x9cgreen carcassxe2x80x9d are assembled into a cylindrical shape. The green carcass then undergoes an initial xe2x80x9cblow upxe2x80x9d into a toroidal shape more closely resembling a typical tire. The blow-up process typically coincides with the installation upon the green carcass of the belt structure, fabric overlay and tread cap, all of which are typically assembled upon a separate xe2x80x9cringxe2x80x9d into which the green carcass is expanded during the blow-up process. After this initial blow-up process in which the green carcass is joined with the belt structure and tread cap, certain additional tire components are typically added, such as the two shoulder skirts which are applied as uncured rubber layers, each of which lies over one of the two respective circumferential juncture lines where the edge of the tread cap joins with the sidewall. This description of the assembly of a xe2x80x9cgreen tirexe2x80x9d is only exemplary. Other methods of tire assembly can be used, as when, for example, the tire""s sidewalls are assembled upon the green carcass after the blow-up process and after the belt structure and tread cap have been installed upon the toroidally shaped green tire.
After the green tire has been assembled, it must be moved to the port-on of the tire-manufacturing facility or building wherein the tire is molded and cured. The molding and curing are performed in a heated tire molding press in which the external rubber surfaces of the green tire are shaped, as with the tread pattern, under pressure. The tire molding press also heats the tire so as to induce the curing or vulcanizing process during which the previously uncured rubber undergoes thermally induced chemical changes that result in the formation of the kinds of firm, stabilized, shape-holding rubber that is typical of a finished tire.
The two above-described processes are separated in time by the transport of the green tires from the tire assembly area to the location of the curing presses. Often, if not typically, the transport of the green tires involves a layover of the green tires within an intermediate storage area. A given green tire is stored until an appropriate press, one that is suited for that specific type of green tire, is ready to receive the tire. Thus the tires that are assembled in a typical tire-building process are commonly not all of the same type or size. In other words, multiple types of tires are assembled in the tire-building region of the factory. Correspondingly, each different tire type (or size) must be cured in a press that has been set up to receive specific tire types and to shape and cure the specific tire types.
A multiplicity of considerations come into play in the period of time from when the tire is assembled to when it is cured. One consideration is whether or not the tire must be physically transported to the intervening storage area prior to being moved to the curing press. Tire transport typically involves the use of such vehicles as fork-lift trucks or similar wheeled vehicles upon which the green tires can be loaded for transport and then unloaded. Another consideration is that each different tire type must be accounted for and readily retrievable from within the storage area. That is, each green tire must be easily identifiable so that it can be retrieved from the storage area and then transported to the appropriate tire curing press for insertion into the press as soon as the appropriate press becomes available to receive the green tire. Another consideration is that the manufacturing facility must be designed to accommodate the wheeled transfer vehicles, that is, it must have wide surfaces xe2x80x9croadsxe2x80x9d upon which the wheeled vehicles can travel with sufficient room so as to minimize the chances of a collision between the vehicle and stationary objects or with other vehicles or with people. Another consideration is that the storage area must be large enough to accommodate sufficient numbers of each given type of tire so that at no time, ideally, will any curing press or presses be removed from service for want of a tire in need of molding and curing. The storage area also acts as a buffer zone from which a supply of green tires can be withdrawn even if there is a slowdown in the tire assembly process due to disabled machinery or other hold-up problems.
Tires that are moved from the assembly area to the storage area and then to the curing area are labeled in the assembly area. That is, a tag of some sort is put on the tire, identifying its type, size and other parameters which determine the specific curing press type to which it is to be delivered for final molding and vulcanizing. The tag is also placed in such a location on the tire as to indicate the green tire""s proper orientation when it is finally delivered to, and loaded into, the curing press. That is to say, the orientation of the tire within the curing press is not random. Rather the tire is preferably placed in the press at a precise rotational orientation determined by numerous factors that are not specifically relevant to the present invention and are therefore not discussed herein.
The above-described transport, storage, press-loading process and intermediate accounting steps in the tire manufacturing process have traditionally been labor intensive in the physical sense. That is, human beings have been used to manually load and unload the green tires upon the transport vehicles as well as to drive the vehicles. Also, it was necessary to locate specific stored tires, to properly read each tire""s identifying label, to transport the tire to storage or from storage or to the specific curing presses for each specific tire type, and to load the tire into the press according to the angular orientation needed for that specific tire.
Among the challenges presented by the above-described method of operation is the use of wheeled transport vehicles within the same areas used by human laborers, which presents obvious safety hazards. Another challenge is that large portions of the factory floor area are used by the pathways upon which the transport vehicles move. Yet another disadvantage of previous methods of operation is the amount of time consumed in locating and identifying given tire types within the storage area. Still another disadvantage is that manual movement of the tires, to or from transport vehicles in the tire assembly area and in the storage area, can result in damage to the green tires. Furthermore, the use of human labor in the loading and unloading of heavy green tires can lead to musculoskeletal difficulties for the laborers. Finally, the size of the storage area must be large enough to accommodate both people and vehicles as well as to hold a sufficient number of tires so that specific tire types can be readily and rapidly located and retrieved for transport to the appropriate curing presses.
Various methods of automated and computer-managed tire processing methods have been brought into use in recent years. For example, self-guiding trucks have been used to convey green tires that are loaded and unloaded by means of xe2x80x9crobotsxe2x80x9d of various types and capabilities. These trucks are sometimes guided by floor-mounted rail systems, or even by xe2x80x9creadingxe2x80x9d lines that are painted upon the floor areas upon which the vehicles move. In one method, described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,631,028, self-guiding, self-propelled wheeled xe2x80x9cconveyorxe2x80x9d vehicles drive along special roadways. The conveyor vehicles carry xe2x80x9cpallets,xe2x80x9d each of which carries four tires. The tire storage area is actually a pallet storage area within which both loaded and empty pallets are stored. Robot arms are used to move the green tires to and from the pallets, which, at the time of loading or unloading, may or may not be situated upon a conveyor vehicle. Among the disadvantages of such a system is the large proportion of factory floor area needed to accommodate the roadways and the storage areas for pallets that might or might not have green tires on them.
A patent of particular relevance in regard to automated in-factory green tire transport is U.S. Pat. No. 4,268,219 (""219), entitled xe2x80x9cGreen Tire Conveying Method and Apparatus,xe2x80x9d by Nakagawa et al. FIG. 5 in the Nakagawa patent shows a conveyor system that appears to incorporate a monorail, though the term xe2x80x9cmonorailxe2x80x9d is not used per se within the patent. The Nakagawa patent addresses centrally located automated control from a site within the factory. The ""219 patent also refers to the use of a xe2x80x9cdemand signal,xe2x80x9d which is not specified as being by wire or radio, as a communication link with the rail-borne xe2x80x9ctrucks.xe2x80x9d The apparent monorail trucks of the ""219 patent are able to deliver tires directly into the tire presses. The Nakagawa patent also includes a buffer storage area located between the tire-building part and the tire press part of the factory.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an automated monorail transport system as defined in one or more of the appended claims and, as such, having the capability of being constructed to accomplish one or more of the following subsidiary objects.
One object of the present invention is to provide an automated monorail transport system for automating that part of the tire manufacturing process that involves the transport of tires from the location of green tire assembly to the location of the curing presses where the green tires are molded and vulcanized.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an automated monorail transport system to minimize the portion of factory floor area that would otherwise be given over to roadways wide enough to safely accommodate both human beings and powered wheeled vehicles.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an automated monorail transport system that maintains a real-time, computer-based accounting of the location in storage or in transport of each green tire according to type and curing press to which it is to be delivered.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an automated monorail transport system with automated means by which to rotate each green tire to an optimal angular orientation prior to insertion into the tire molding press.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an automated monorail transport system that reduces the number of monorail carriers used to transport green tires from the buffer storage to the curing presses.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an automated monorail transport system that reduces the number of human beings involved in the physical handling, loading and unloading of green tires and to eliminate both the ergonomic problems associated with manual handling of green tires and the potential for manual-induced damage to uncured tires.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an automated monorail transport system with automated means for identifying and sorting green tires during transport from the tire assembly area to the tire curing/vulcanizing area of the factory.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an automated monorail transport system that incorporates multiple tire-storage buffers between the monorail and the tire press.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an automated monorail transport system that accommodates tire presses of the kind that open vertically.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an automated monorail transport system with central computer management of the automated monorail tire transport system.
The present invention relates to automated monorail conveyance systems for transporting green tires (i.e., unvulcanized tires) within a tire manufacturing factory. More specifically, the present invention relates to the transport of a plurality of green tires to a plurality of tire curing presses. It includes a monorail track upon which ride one or more monorail transport carriers. The conveyance system is characterized by one or more elevator systems located near each of the plurality of the tire presses for receiving green tires from the monorail carriers. Each of the elevator systems has an elevator that is vertically moveable for conveying green tires from the monorail carriers to a loader of the tire press. The elevator can ride upon a vertical support rail and includes a supporting arm with a basket mounted at the distal end of the arm. In operation, the basket receives a green tire from a monorail truck at a first location and is then moveable along a vertical path to a second location where the green tire is unloaded from the basket by a loader of the press.
In one embodiment, the supporting arm and basket of the elevator system can be angularly moveable in a horizontal plane about a vertical axis extending through the vertical support rail.
In a second embodiment, the elevator system can also be moveable in horizontal linear translation from the second location to a third location where the tire is unloaded by a press loader.
A tire-grasping portion of each of the monorail carriers can angularly orient each green tire about the tire""s axis such that subsequent angular motions of the elevator system and the press loader are taken into account in delivering the green tire at a predetermined angular orientation to the press. The basket of the elevator system in conjunction with the press loader associated with each press act functions as a buffer storage for the green tires in process.
The present invention is also directed to a method for conveying a plurality of green tires to a plurality of tire-curing presses with one or more monorail transport carriers. The method includes a transferring step wherein each green tire is transferred from one of the monorail carriers to a loader of a tire press. The transferring step includes movement of a green tire along a vertical path from a first location where the tire is transferred from the monorail carrier to an elevator to a second location. The transferring step can include angular movement of the green tire within a horizontal plane from its position at the first location to its position at the second location where the green tire can be transferred to the loader of the press. The transferring step of the present invention can also involve a horizontal translation movement of the green tire from the second location to a third location where the green tire is transferred to the loader of the press.
The method of the invention can also include a step of angularly orienting each green tire about its axis while still being carried by the monorail carrier in such a way that subsequent angular motions while transferring the green tire are accounted for placing the tire in the tire press at a predetermined angular orientation. The method of the invention further includes providing a buffer storage for the green tires between the location where the green tire is transferred to the elevator system from the monorail carrier and the press loader.


Tandem drive axles include a pair of drive axles interconnected by a thru-shaft. An inter-axle differential allows speed differentiation between the pair of axles. Differences in tire rolling radii and variations in axle load distribution between the pair of drive axles are examples of why axle differentiation is needed. By measuring and monitoring wheel speed and/or tire pressure, tire rolling radii differences can be determined and appropriate adjustments can be made to tire pressures to provide a common tire rolling radii range for all tires. In addition to tire pressure adjustment, by adjusting other axle parameters that affect axle performance, such as suspension height and weight distribution, the need for axle differentiation is eliminated.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for adjusting axle parameters that affect axle speeds for a tandem drive axle so that an inter-axle differential is not required.
Tandem drive axles are typically used in heavy-duty truck applications. One example of a heavy-duty truck is a semi-tractor and trailer vehicle. The drivetrain for a semi-tractor typically includes a front non-drive steer axle and a tandem drive axle. A fifth wheel, positioned over the tandem drive axle, is used to connect the trailer to the tractor.
The tandem drive axle includes a front drive axle connected to a rear drive axle via a thru-shaft. An engine provides driving input to a center differential of the front drive axle via an input shaft. The thru-shaft couples the center differential of the front axle to a center differential of the rear drive axle to transfer driving torque from the front drive axle to the rear drive axle.
Under certain conditions, the front and rear drive axles may require speed differentiation. For example, speed differentiation is required in situations where axle loads are not distributed evenly between the front and rear drive axles or if tires on the axles have different rolling radii. To achieve speed differentiation, the front axle typically includes an inter-axle differential housed within the center differential. The inter-axle differential allows for speed differentiation between the front and rear drive axles. Incorporating an inter-axle differential into the tandem drive axle is expensive and adds additional weight to the vehicle.
Some specialty off-highway applications use tandem axles that do not include inter-axle differentials, allowing wheel slip to equalize axle speeds on paved surfaces. This increases tire wear, reduces axle component life, and reduces fuel economy, which is undesirable.
Thus, it is desirable to provide a tandem drive axle that does not require an inter-axle differential that overcomes the deficiencies discussed above.
A control system for a heavy duty vehicle is used to maintain pre-selected axle parameters at desired conditions so that axle differentiation for a tandem drive axle is not needed. A tandem drive axle includes a front drive axle connected to a rear drive axle with a thru-shaft. Axle parameters such as differences in tire rolling radii, unequal weight distribution between the front and rear drive axles, and a suspension set at an improper height (affecting oscillation inputs from drivelines) can affect axle speeds, thus necessitating axle differentiation.
The subject invention utilizes a control system that determines differences in tire rolling radii by monitoring wheel speed and/or tire pressure and adjusts tire pressure for the tires mounted to the front and rear axles to maintain each of the tires within a desirable tire rolling radii range or notifies an operator when such adjustment is unachievable and tire maintenance is required. The control system also generates control signals for adjusting weight distribution between the axles and for adjusting suspension height to maintain desired levels.
The axles include center differentials that distribute driving torque from an engine to driving wheels that support the tires. Brakes are mounted within the wheels to provide braking for the vehicle. An automatic traction control system controls axle speed via wheel braking or a center differential locking control is used to control axle speeds via the center differentials to maintain vehicle tractive effort capability.
The subject method and apparatus eliminate the need for an inter-axle differential mechanism resulting in improved fuel economy, weight reduction, and cost reduction. These and other features of the present invention can be best understood from the following specification and drawings, the following of which is a brief description.

Meritor Heavy Vehicle Technology, L.L.C.