A brake ring/hub connection via clamping notches for rail vehicles is provided. When a clamping strip is pressed into a clamping notch, the smallest cross-sectional configuration of the hub at the clamping notch is greater than the cross-sectional configuration of the clamping arms in that region thereof that is exposed to the greatest stress, and the cross-sectional configuration of the hub beyond the clamping arms is at least somewhat smaller than the cross-sectional configuration of the hub in the vicinity of the base of the clamping notch.

The present invention relates to a brake ring/hub connection via clamping notches for rail vehicles, with the hub having at least three clamping notches that extend radially between clamping arms, with the clamping or connecting strips that are disposed on the brake ring being pressed into the clamping notches and the hub being pressed onto an axle.
A connection of the brake ring and hub or shaft of this type was first proposed in German Patent 1 222 962 and was accepted worldwide, since it had a number of important advantages. A primary advantage of this connection was that despite the strong clamping of the connecting strips in the clamping notch, a radial expansion of the brake ring resulting from heating-up of the brake is possible because the connecting strip can migrate in the clamping notch without dangerous stresses occurring that would result in a loosening of the clamping connection.
However, since the stresses in the railroad traffic became increasingly greater, because the rail vehicles had to drive on poor tracks and/or were driven at higher speeds, the clamping force on the one hand and the strength of the clamping arms on the other hand were made so great (see the massive construction shown in FIGS. 1-3) that neither a lifting of the connecting strips on the back side (as seen in the direction of rotation), nor a plastic bending or turning up of the clamping arm of the notch that is in contact with the connecting strip resulted. This therefore led to German Patent 27 42 468, according to which, via a specific shape (see the overall view of FIG. 1) of the clamping notch and hardening of the inner surface of the notch, a rapid wearing of the clamping surfaces is prevented, and when the connecting strips are pressed into the clamping notch, in the region of the semicylindrical bottom surface of the clamping notch stresses having a uniform nature are formed, resulting in a greater clamping force at the clamping surfaces. The hardened volume of material, which results from the semicylindrical base surface of the clamping notch and the depth of the hardened layer and is provided with residual compressive stresses, serves to absorb the brake operation stress, whereby relative to this stress a greater strength of the clamping connection results than with the aforementioned construction pursuant to German Patent 1 222 962.
In the meantime, the stresses and demands on brakes and the travel mechanism have again increased considerably. As a result, the clamping connections between the brake ring and hub are increasingly stressed more greatly. In this connection, the clamping force on the one hand and the strength of the arms of the clamping connection on the other hand must be great enough relative to the forces that are applied that neither a lifting of the guide or connecting strips on the back side, nor a plastic bending of the notch arm that is in contact with the strip, occurs. The loads caused by the aforementioned stresses involve equivalent forces that, for example, result from the vertical accelerations that act upon the clamping connections. If the strength of the clamping connections is less than these forces, the clamping force is lost and the brake rings are loosened from the hub in the direction of rotation. Even if this does not result in a loss of the safety of the vehicle during braking because the brake disk is still functional, nonetheless this condition must be avoided so that further use of these brakes does not cause undue damage to the brake system. Unfortunately, the dimensions and relationships between the various parts of the hub of the aforementioned German patent 27 42 468 were not able to meet the latest stresses and demands.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to avoid the drawbacks of the heretofore used brake disks, and to provide a connection between the brake ring and hub that can also withstand the increased requirements of modern traffic and above all can also avoid the relatively high stresses from vertical accelerations.

Brake ring/hug connection via clamping notches


A hinge mechanism includes a hinge assembly connected with a first body and a second body to rotatably connect the first body and the second body, and a torque assembly mounted at the first body and connected with the hinge assembly. When the first body and the second body are relatively rotated to drive the hinge assembly, the hinge assembly drives the torque assembly to cause at least a part of the torque assembly to translate relative to the first body to provide a torque for the hinge assembly.

With expanding functions of electronic devices, such as mobile phones and computers, users not only have requirements for the functions of the electronic devices, but also have more requirements for the touch and feel and service life of the electronic devices. Many electronic devices, especially laptops, have a rotatable dual body structure that uses a hinge mechanism. However, in the hinge mechanism, the torque of a shaft often needs to be provided by shaft friction, which affects the service life of the shaft and makes it hard to control and adjust the torque.


The channels through which ink flows to the firing chambers of an ink-jet printhead are provided with selectively controlled valves for restricting flow at specified times for reducing blowback from the firing chamber while decreasing the turn on energy of the printhead.

An ink-jet printer includes a pen in which small droplets of ink are formed and ejected toward a printing medium. Such pens include printheads with orifice plates with several very small nozzles through which the ink droplets are ejected. Adjacent to the nozzles are ink chambers, where ink is stored prior to ejection through the nozzle. Ink is delivered to the ink chambers through ink channels that are in fluid communication with an ink supply. The ink supply may be, for example, contained in a reservoir part of the pen.
Ejection of an ink droplet through a nozzle may be accomplished by quickly heating a volume of ink within the adjacent ink chamber. The thermal process causes ink within the chamber to superheat and form a vapor bubble. Formation of thermal ink-jet vapor bubbles is known as nucleation. The rapid expansion of ink vapor forces a drop of ink through the nozzle. This process is called "firing." The ink in the chamber may be heated with a resistor that is aligned adjacent to the nozzle.
Another mechanism for ejecting ink may employ a piezoelectric element that is responsive to a control signal for abruptly compressing a volume of the ink in the firing chamber thereby to produce a pressure wave that forces the ink droplets through the printhead nozzle.
Previous ink-jet printheads rely on capillary forces to draw ink through an ink channel and into an ink chamber, from where the ink is ejected. Once the ink is ejected, the ink chamber is refilled by capillary force with ink from the ink channel, thus readying the system for firing another droplet.
As ink rushes in to refill an empty chamber, the inertia of the moving ink causes some of the ink to bulge out of the nozzle. Because ink within the pen is generally kept at a slightly positive back pressure (that is, a pressure slightly lower than ambient), the bulging portion of the ink immediately recoils back into the ink chamber. This reciprocating motion diminishes over a few cycles and eventually stops or damps out.
If a droplet is fired when the ink is bulging out the nozzle, the ejected droplet will be dumbbell shaped and slow moving. Conversely, if the ink is ejected when ink is recoiling from the nozzle, the ejected droplet will be spear shaped and move undesirably fast. Between these two extremes, as the chamber ink motion damps out, well-formed drops are produced for optimum print quality. Thus, print speed (that is, the rate at which droplets are ejected) must be sufficiently slow to allow the motion of the chamber to damp out between each droplet firing. The time period required for the ink motion to damp sufficiently may be referred to as the damping interval.
To lessen the print speed reduction attributable to the damping interval, ink chamber geometry has been manipulated. The chambers are constricted in a way that reduces the ink chamber refill speed in an effort to rapidly damp the bulging refilling ink front. Generally, chamber length and area are constructed to lessen the reciprocating motion of chamber refill ink (hence, lessen the damping interval). However, printheads have been unable to eliminate the damping interval. Thus, print speed must accommodate the damping interval, or print and image quality suffer.
Ink-jet printheads are also susceptible to ink "blowback" during droplet ejection. Blowback results when some ink in the chamber is forced back into the adjacent part of the channel upon firing. Blowback occurs because the chamber is in constant fluid communication with the channel, hence, upon firing, a large portion of ink within the chamber is not ejected from the printhead, but rather is blown back into the channel. Blowback increases the amount of energy necessary for ejection of droplets from the chamber ("turn on energy" or TOE) because only a portion of the entire volume of ink in the chamber is actually ejected. Moreover, a higher TOE results in excessive printhead heating. Excessive printhead heating generates bubbles from air dissolved in the ink and causes prenucleation of the ink vapor bubble. Air bubbles within the ink and prenucleation of the vapor droplet result in a poor ink droplet formation and thus, poor print quality.
The present invention provides an assembly that includes minute, active valve members operable for controlling ink flow within an ink-jet printhead. An embodiment of the valve assembly is incorporated in an ink channel that delivers ink to the firing chambers of the printhead. The valve members include a resiliently deformable flap connected at one end to a surface of the ink channel. The free end of the flap is deflected into a position that restricts ink flow within the channel. The flap substantially isolates the ink chamber from the channel during firing of a droplet.
Isolating the chamber with the flap reduces blowback. During ejection, ink in the chamber is blocked by the deflected flap and cannot blowback into the channel, but must exit through the nozzle. This blowback resistance raises the system thermal efficiency, lowering TOE. A lower TOE reduces printhead heating. Reducing printhead heating helps maintain a steady operating temperature, which provides uniform print quality.
With the flaps deflected in a manner such that the ink chamber is isolated immediately after chamber refill, the valve assembly of the present invention also reduces the ink damping interval. With the chamber isolated, the distance the ink may travel back from the nozzle is limited, which in turn reduces the reciprocating motion of the ink. Consequently, the ink damping interval is significantly decreased, allowing higher print quality at faster printing speeds.

Valve assembly for controlling fluid flow within an ink-jet pen


An electrical connector including a housing having a socket shaped to at least partially receive a mating plug; a plurality of electrically conductive contact elements at least partially extending into said socket for effecting electrical connection with corresponding electrically conductive contacts of the plug; and a door element coupled to the housing, wherein the door element is mounted for slidable movement along a nonlinear path between an open position whereby the socket is laid open for engagement by the mating plug and a closed position whereby access to the socket is inhibited.

The electrical socket 102 shown in FIG. 1 is shaped to receive a mating electrical plug 104 to make electrical data or electrical power connections there between. The electrical plug 104 may be connected to a patch cable 106 which may lead to a data device such as a computer or a powered device such as a telephone. The electrical socket includes exposed conductive elements 108 that engage with corresponding conductive elements (not shown) in the electrical plug 104 to create a conductive connection there between. An example electrical socket is an RJ-type connector.
The exposed conductive elements 108 may be contacted by unwanted objects or materials. That is, materials other than an electrical plug 104. For example, the conductive elements 108 may be contacted by a child's finger, or a child pressing a thin conductive device (e.g. a paper clip) into the socket, or by accumulation of contaminant material in the socket, for example dust, water or oil particles. Accumulation of contaminant particles in an electrical connector is possible due to particles or contaminants carried in the air, especially in humid or dirty environments. Dust, oil and condensed water vapour can cause false conduction to occur between the conductors; contaminants can also corrode the conductive elements and block connections being made when an electrical mating plug is inserted.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,869,297; U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,647; U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,600; and PCT/AU2004/001222, each disclose arrangements that include door elements pivotally movable between open and closed positions. In the open position the connector cavity is exposed and socket is adapted to receive a plug. When the connector does not have a mating plug inserted therein, the door element is movable to a closed position for inhibiting access to the contacts.
The above described prior art connector door elements may be too easy to operate, thereby allowing a child to mistakenly contact the conductive elements, or they may require additional space on the face of the connector to accommodate the door element.
It is generally desirable to overcome or ameliorate one or more of the above difficulties, or to at least provide a useful alternative.

Electrical connector having a protective door element


Example apparatus and methods provide metadata for a file system operation from a multi-level data store. The data store may include an in-memory level one (L1) cache, an in-memory level two (L2) cache, and an external metadata store not located in the memory associated with the L1 and L2 caches. The L1 cache stores metadata in a non-compressed format that can directly service a file system operation while the L2 cache stores metadata in a compressed format that cannot directly service an operation. Metadata to support a file system operation may be sought in the L1 cache first, then in the L2 cache, and then finally in the external metadata store. When metadata is provided from the L2 cache, it is decompressed before being provided to the L1 cache. Metadata added to the L2 cache may be compressed after or in parallel with being provided to the L1 cache.

File systems store files and store information about files. The information stored in files may be referred to as data. The information about files may be referred to as metadata. The metadata may include, for example, a file name, a file size, a file parent, a file descendant, a file access time, a file owner, file permissions, and other information. Some of the metadata for an individual file may be stored in a data structure known as an inode. The inodes and metadata for a file system may also be stored collectively. The metadata has both structure and content. When the data in a file or about a file changes, a file system may want to update the metadata about that file. For example, if the contents of a file are changed, the file system may want to memorialize the time at which the change was made and by whom the change was made. Actions on a file produce actions on a corresponding inode. To reduce delays caused by file system operations, a file system may store at least a part of the file system metadata in memory.
When file systems were small, the metadata associated with file systems was also relatively small and thus could be cached entirely in memory. However, as file systems expanded, and as file systems spread across multiple apparatus into distributed file systems, the metadata has grown. In some cases, the metadata for a file system may become so large that it is difficult, if even possible at all, to cache all the metadata in memory. Thus, some metadata may need to be stored on disk and brought into memory on an as-needed basis. Unfortunately, random input/output for metadata produces considerable, even unacceptable delays in file system processing. In particular, startup processing may consume an unacceptable amount of time. Additionally, failover time may also be compromised by having to deal with buffers that may require an unacceptable amount of time to pre-initialize on failover.
A desirable feature in a distributed file system is having fast failover between different apparatus in the distributed system. Failover depends, at least in part, on having metadata buffers available. However, having large metadata buffers that support storing large amounts of metadata in memory may compromise failover time due to the pre-initialization of the buffers required at startup time.
In an attempt to reduce the impact of storing metadata on disk, reductions in metadata sizes have been made. For example, the disk space used for metadata has been reduced by more efficient representations. One reduction has been achieved by placing the contents of small directories inside the inode directly instead of inside a separate block. Another reduction may involve supporting only a smaller (e.g., 4 KiB) file system block size. Earlier file systems may have used larger (e.g., 18 KiB, 64 KiB) file system block sizes that wasted space when only a small percentage of the block was used. While these reductions have reduced metadata size issues, the amount of metadata may still exceed the size of memory or caches dedicated to storing metadata.
As metadata reductions occur, it may become feasible to store metadata in memory. Storing metadata in memory improves performance of metadata operations that only require read operations (e.g., lookup). Storing metadata in memory may also improve performance of metadata operations that perform writes because contention for a disk on which metadata is stored may be reduced. Unfortunately, there may be unintended consequences of storing all metadata in memory.
Consider a configuration where there is an 8 GiB cache storing 4 KiB buffers. In this configuration there may be more than two million 4 KiB buffers to be initialized. The time required to initialize over two million 4 KiB buffers may delay file system manager activation. Also, pre-initializing over two million 4 KiB buffers may add time to failover processing. Additionally, while having a large number of small caches is useful for some situations (e.g., locality of access is above a threshold), having a large number of small caches may be unwieldy for certain actions (e.g., walking an entire file system during a file system scan). Thus, a balance between buffer size, cache size, and buffer processing may need to be struck.

Compressed level two block buffer metadata cache


A papermaking vacuum apparatus having a web-facing surface adapted to support a papermaking belt and comprising a head, a body and at least one vacuum slot disposed in the head and defining an aperture on the web-facing surface. The vacuum slot is in fluid communication with the web-facing surface and extends from the web-facing surface to the body which is in further fluid communication with a vacuum source. The web-facing surface has a textured clothing interposed between the web-facing surface of the vacuum apparatus and a backside of the papermaking belt. The textured clothing creates leakage between the backside of the papermaking belt and the web-facing surface of the vacuum apparatus and effectively eliminates the vacuum seal between these two surfaces. In one preferred embodiment, the textured clothing comprises an endless belt adapted to travel around the vacuum apparatus

One pervasive feature of daily life in modern industrialized societies is the use of paper products for a variety of purposes. Paper towels, facial tissues, toilet tissue, and the like are in almost constant use. The large demand for such paper products has created a demand for improved versions of the products and of the methods of their manufacture. Despite great strides in papermaking, research and development efforts continue to be aimed at improving both the products and their processes of manufacture.
Paper products such as paper towels, facial tissues, toilet tissue, and the like are made from one or more webs of tissue paper. If the products are to perform their intended tasks and to find wide acceptance, they, and the tissue paper webs from which they are made, must exhibit certain physical characteristics. Among the more important of these characteristics are strength, softness, and absorbency.
Strength is the ability of a paper web to retain its physical integrity during use.
Softness is the pleasing tactile sensation customers perceive when they crumple the paper in their hands and when they use the paper for its intended purposes.
Absorbency is the characteristic of the paper which allows it to take up and retain fluids, particularly water and aqueous solutions and suspensions. In evaluating the absorbency of paper, not only is the absolute quantity of fluid a given amount of paper will hold significant, but the rate at which the paper will absorb the fluid is also important. In addition, when the paper is formed into a product such as a towel or wipe, the ability of the paper to cause a fluid to be taken up into the paper and thereby leave a dry wiped surface is also important.
Processes for the manufacturing of paper products for use in tissue, toweling and sanitary products generally involve the preparation of an aqueous slurry of paper fibers and then subsequently removing the water from the slurry while contemporaneously rearranging the fibers in the slurry to form a paper web. Various types of machinery can be employed to assist in the dewatering process.
Currently, most manufacturing processes either employ machines which are known as Fourdrinier wire papermaking machines or machines which are known as twin wire paper machines. In Fourdrinier wire papermaking machines, the paper slurry is fed onto the top surface of a traveling endless belt, which serves as the initial papermaking surface of the machine. In twin wire machines, the slurry is deposited between a pair of converging forming wires in which the initial dewatering and rearranging in the papermaking process are carried out.
After the initial forming of the paper web on the Fourdrinier wire or forming wires, both types of machines generally carry the paper web through a drying process or processes on another piece of papermaking clothing in the form of an endless belt which is often different from the Fourdrinier wire or forming wires. This other clothing is sometimes referred to as a drying fabric or belt. While the web is on the belt, the drying or dewatering process can involve vacuum dewatering, drying by blowing heated air through the paper web, a mechanical processing in combination with a papermaking felt and subsequent compaction of at least a portion of the paper web.
Vacuum dewatering of the paper web is usually performed by a vacuum apparatus, which is used for applying a fluid pressure differential to the embryonic web. The forming wire carries the web from the forming section to a pick-up shoe, and then to a vacuum box. The pick-up shoe pulls water into the web from the wire, and then out of the web into the belt. The belt takes the web away from the wet transfer point to the press section. The pick up shoe transfers the web from the wire to the belt by vacuum applied through a pick up shoe vacuum slot.
An example of paper webs which have been widely accepted by the consuming public are those made by the process described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,301,746 issued to Sanford and Sisson on Jan. 31, 1967. Other widely accepted paper products are made by the process described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,994,771 issued to Morgan and Rich on Nov. 30, 1976 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,191,609 issued to Trokhan on Mar. 4, 1980. Despite the high quality of products made by these two processes, however, the search for still improved products has, as noted above, continued.
A commercially significant improvement was made upon the above paper webs by the process described in the commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,480 issued to Trokhan on Jul. 16, 1985, which is incorporated by reference herein. The improvement included utilizing a papermaking belt (which was termed a "deflection member") comprised of a foraminous woven member which was surrounded by a hardened photosensitive resin framework. The resin framework was provided with a plurality of discrete, isolated, channels known as "deflection conduits." The process in which this deflection member was used involved, among other steps, associating an embryonic web of papermaking fibers with the top surface of the deflection member and applying a vacuum or other fluid pressure differential to the web from the backside (machine-contacting side) of the deflection member. The papermaking belt used in this process was termed a "deflection member" because the papermaking fibers would be deflected into and rearranged into the deflection conduits of the hardened resin framework upon the application of the fluid pressure differential. By utilizing the aforementioned improved papermaking process, as noted below, it was finally possible to create paper having certain desired preselected characteristics.
The paper produced using the process disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,480 is described in the commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,859, issued in the name of Trokhan, which is incorporated herein by reference. This paper is characterized by having two physically distinct regions distributed across its surfaces. One of the regions is a continuous network region which has a relatively high density and high intrinsic strength. The other region is one which is comprised of a plurality of domes which are completely encircled by the network region. The domes in the latter region have relatively low densities and relatively low intrinsic strengths compared to the network region.
The paper produced by the process described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,480 was stronger, softer, and more absorbent than similar paper produced by the preceding processes as a result of several factors. The strength of the paper produced was increased as a result of the relatively high intrinsic strength provided by the continuous network region. The softness of the paper produced was increased as a result of the provision of the plurality of low density domes across the surface of the paper.
Although the aforementioned improved process worked quite well, it has been found that when the deflection member of the above-described process passed over vacuum dewatering equipment (vacuum pick up shoe and vacuum box) used in the papermaking process, certain undesirable events occurred. Of most concern is the large number of partially dewatered mobile fibers in the paper web which pass completely through the deflection member. This leads to the undesirable clogging of the vacuum dewatering machinery with the more mobile paper fibers. Another undesirable occurrence is the tendency of these mobile paper fibers to accumulate on the dewatering machinery until clumps of fibers are created. This accumulation of fibers causes papermaking belts which have smooth backsides to wrinkle and develop folds, particularly longitudinal folds. The folds cause severe problems with the moisture and physical property profiles of the paper and eventual failure of the papermaking belt.
The issues which developed when using the smooth backsided papermaking belts in combination with the vacuum equipment having a smooth surface have been at least partially the result of the extremely sudden application of vacuum pressure to the paper web when it passes over the vacuum dewatering machinery. The smooth backside surface of papermaking belt combined with the smooth surface of the vacuum dewatering machinery temporarily create a seal over the vacuum source. Then, when the open channels (the deflection conduits) of the papermaking belt are encountered, the vacuum pressure is very suddenly applied to the highly mobile fibers situated on top of the resin framework. This sudden application of the vacuum pressure is believed to cause the sudden deflection of the mobile fibers which causes them to pass completely through the papermaking belt. It is also believed that this sudden application of vacuum pressure and migration of fibers account for pin-sized holes in the dome regions of the finished paper (or pinholing), which are usually undesirable.
The commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,334,289 issued to Trokhan et al. on Aug. 2, 1994, and incorporated by reference herein, discloses an improved papermaking belt and a method of making the same, which mitigate the undesirable phenomena of pinholing and buildup of the mobile papermaking fibers on the vacuum dewatering machinery. The disclosed papermaking belt has a backside comprising a network with passageways that provide surface texture irregularities in the backside network. The passageways allow air to enter between the backside surface of the papermaking belt and a web-facing surface of the vacuum apparatus. It is believed that this entry of air significantly reduces or even eliminates the vacuum seal between the backside surface of the belt and the web-facing surface of the vacuum apparatus and, as a result, provides a gradual, or more incremental deflection of the fibers in the embryonic web.
Still, a search for improved products has continued.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved papermaking process in which the migration of the aforementioned mobile paper fibers is substantially reduced.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a papermaking vacuum apparatus which will significantly mitigate or eliminate the undesirable application of a sudden vacuum pressure to the paper web.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a papermaking vacuum apparatus which will substantially reduce the problem of the buildup of paper fibers on the vacuum dewatering machinery.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a papermaking vacuum apparatus which will help to significantly reduce pin-sized holes in the finished paper web (unless such holes are a desirable characteristic for the particular paper being produced).
These and other objects of the present invention will be more readily apparent when considered in reference to the following description and when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Vacuum apparatus for having textured clothing for controlling rate of application of vacuum pressure in a through air drying papermaking process


A method and apparatus for controlling the access of multiple processors to a shared memory device in a computer or other processor-based system. An exemplary embodiment includes an embedded processor and a host processor, both of which share access to a single-port random access memory (RAM). An access control circuit is provided which includes a control register with a first storage element corresponding to the embedded processor and a second storage element corresponding to the host processor. The access control circuit utilizes access request bits stored in the first and second storage elements to generate a select signal which is applied to the select signal inputs of a group of multiplexers. The multiplexers select either the embedded processor or host processor control, address and data signal lines for connection to the single-port RAM. The access control circuit is configured such that the first processor to successfully set the access request bit in its corresponding storage element is granted temporary exclusive access to the RAM. The storage elements are interconnected such that the output of a given element drives a reset input of the other element. Once a given processor sets its access request bit and is thereby granted access to the shared RAM, the storage element interconnection prevents the other processor from setting its access request bit until the given processor relinquishes control of the RAM.

Many computers and other types of processing systems require the use of multiple independent processors. For example, a conventional desktop or portable personal computer (PC) will often include both a host processor and a multifunction controller. A typical multifunction controller may include several independent controllers, such as a floppy disk controller, one or more serial port controllers, a parallel port controller, and a keyboard/mouse interface controller, as well as other components such as an embedded microprocessor, a single-port random access memory (RAM), a host processor interface and a real time clock (RTC). The embedded microprocessor directs the operation of one or more of the controllers, and may also provide power management and other functions for the system in which the multifunction controller is installed. A computer system with a host processor and a multifunction controller having an embedded microprocessor thus represents one example of a multiple independent processor system.
The multiple independent processors in such a system often need to access a shared memory device. For example, in the case of the multifunction controller previously described, both the host processor and the embedded microprocessor may need to access the single-port RAM. A problem arises in that the single-port. RAM has only a single processor interface, and therefore only one of the host or embedded processors can access the RAM at any given time. Conventional memory-sharing techniques attempt to solve this problem by allocating the single-port RAM to either the host processor or the embedded processor on a first-come, first-served basis rather than in accordance with any particular need-based protocol. Another approach may involve utilizing a dual-port RAM in place of the single-port RAM such that both processors have a separate interface into the RAM. However, these conventional approaches are inadequate in that neither processor is given exclusive and independent control of the RAM at any particular time. In addition, there is generally no automatic lock-out protection provided to ensure that one processor will not attempt to access the RAM while the other processor is using it.
As is apparent from the above, a need exists for improved memory-sharing techniques for use in multiple-processor systems. The improved techniques should provide a simple and efficient sharing mechanism which allows a particular processor to obtain exclusive control of the shared memory device for a particular period of time, and thereby minimizes the likelihood of interference with another system processor.

Method and apparatus for the sharing of a memory device by multiple processors


A system and method for transporting high-viscosity, high-solids, dewatered materials essentially includes a progressing cavity pump system utilizing a twin-screw feeder with an extended tunnel section. The feeding of the material into an extended tunnel section of the twin screw feeder creates a positive pressure, which assists in feeding the product into the suction housing of the progressing cavity pump, and correspondingly, into the pumping elements. This increases volumetric (fill) efficiency of the progressing cavity pump, thereby allowing a smaller pump to be used. The suction housing of the progressing cavity pump includes an auger positioned therein that is directly coupled to, and preferably integral with, the progressing cavity rotor. The universal joint is moved from the position in front of the stator entrance to a point behind the auger and suction inlet opening to improve flow of material from the suction housing to the progressing cavity pump elements. The inlet conduit coupled to the transition housing is angled slightly towards the direction of flow to further improve the flow efficiency and increase the fill rate of the progressing cavity pump elements. The feeder mechanism of the present system is radially set apart from the progressing cavity elements, where the materials are transported from the extended tunnel section of the feeder to the suction housing of the progressing cavity pump by a transition conduit. In one embodiment, the feeder is positioned above the progressing cavity pumping elements providing a taller system but with a relatively small footprint.

The present invention relates to a system for transporting high-viscosity materials; and more specifically, an efficient, progressing cavity pump system for transporting high-solids, high-viscosity, dewatered materials, such as dewatered sludge.
Sludge dewatering is one of the fastest growing segments of the municipal wastewater treatment industry. Municipal wastewater treatment plants who have previously placed their waste activated sludge in sludge lagoons or drying beds, or who have previously directly land-applied their waste activated sludge, are now being forced by EPA Section 503 regulations and economics to further process the sludge. Such further processing includes dewatering of the sludge.
EPA Section 503 regulations went into effect in 1993 to establish requirements for the final use and disposal of sewage sludge. These regulations escalated the costs of final disposal of sewage sludge, which in turn gave strong incentive to municipal wastewater treatment plants to reduce the amount of sludge being disposed. The removal of water from the sludge (dewatering) is one of the more practical means to reduce sludge volumes and waste. Therefore, municipal wastewater treatment plants have been using increasing amounts of resources to install or create more efficient dewatering equipment.
Presently, dewatered sewage sludge is transported away from dewatering devices by four different methods: belt conveyors, screw conveyors, piston pumps, and progressing cavity pumps. Pumps have inherent advantages over conveyors. Specifically, the sludge is transported through a pipeline, rather than being exposed to the atmosphere, which significantly reduces odor; sludge can fall off, or be blown off, a conveyor belt, causing a safety and house-cleaning problem; and a dewatered sludge pipeline is easy to heat-trace and insulate as opposed to conveyors, which are not possible to heat-trace or insulate.
In North America, piston pumps comprise a majority of the market share for dewatered sludge pumps. The most common piston pumps utilize a pair of material cylinders in which a corresponding pair of material pistons reciprocate. The sludge material is received at the inlets of each of the material cylinders, the feed into which is controlled by inlet gate tube or poppet valves. Additionally, the flow of the sludge from the material cylinders to an outlet is controlled by outlet poppet valves, respectively. The inlet valves are controlled by hydraulic inlet valve cylinders, and the outlet valves are, likewise, controlled by hydraulic outlet valve cylinders. The material pistons are coupled to hydraulic drive pistons, which are in turn operated according to a hydraulic control system. As the drive pistons and their associated material pistons come to an end of their stroke, one of the material cylinders is discharging material to the outlet, while the other material sender is loading material from the inlet. Accordingly, the inlet and outlet valves are controlled to allow the material to be discharged from the first cylinder and new material to be loaded into the second cylinder. At the next pump cycle, when the second material piston is at the end of its stroke, the inlet and outlet valves will be controlled such that the material is permitted to be discharged from the second cylinder and new material is permitted to be loaded into the first material cylinder. As a result of this design, the material in each cylinder will come to a stop each time a piston reaches the end of its stroke, allowing the inlet and outlet valves to change positions. This material must be then accelerated from a rest condition by a piston on the next stroke. Accordingly, significantly high pressure levels are generated in each of these cylinders during the stroke. Also, significantly high pressure levels are generated in the pipeline to overcome the resulting acceleration losses. Additionally, the resulting flow of materials from the outlet is a pulsating flow. A further disadvantage of the piston-type pumps is that the pumps must be powered by hydraulics and corresponding hydraulic and valve controls, which significantly increase the costs of the pump. Such complexity also increases the costs in maintenance and repairs for the pump systems.
Furthermore, according to federal regulations Section 503, municipal wastewater treatment plants are also required to measure and document the mass flow rate for sludge transport applications. In regard to incinerators, control efficiencies and sludge feed rates have to be reported in mass flow for the proper calculations in determining pollutant limits. A significant disadvantage with the use of the piston-type pump is that the determination of mass flow rate based on volume is complex due to the number of parameters needed for such calculations. For example, a hydraulically-driven piston pump requires two position switches in the hydraulic cylinder to sense the start and stop positions of the piston and to determine the stroke length. A third proximity switch on the discharge valve senses when the valve opens and closes. The piston pump must calculate the volumetric efficiency for each stroke of the pump. The stroke volume is large and even when being fed by a twin screw feeder, the volumetric efficiency could vary a significant amount between strokes, since the inlet valves are an obstruction to suction flow.
The volumetric efficiency is calculated by timing from a startup of the piston stroke to the opening of the valve, and timing from the opening of the valve to the end of the piston stroke when the valve closes. Using time instead of stroke position to determine volumetric efficiency does not compensate for fluctuations in velocity of the piston (i.e., the point where the piston actually goes from no-load to load). Accordingly, typical accuracy for such flow-rate calculation has been found to have a relatively high variance.
Progressing cavity pumps provide an alternative to piston pumps. A progressing cavity pump includes an elongated, externally-threaded rotor rotating within an elongated, internal helical-threaded stator, where the stator has one more lead or start than the rotor. Pumps of this general type are typically built with a rigid metallic rotor and a stator, which is formed from a flexible or resilient material such as rubber. The rotor is made to fit within the stator bore with a compressive fit, which results in seal lines where the rotor and stator contact. These seal lines define or seal off definite cavities bounded by the rotor and stator surfaces. As the rotor turns within the stator, the cavities formed by the seal lines progress from the suction end of the rotor/stator pair to the discharge end of the rotor/stator pair. During one revolution of the rotor, one set of cavities is opened at exactly the same rate that the second set of cavities is closing. This results in a predictable, pulsationless flow.
While such progressing cavity pumps are less expensive and less complicated than the piston pumps, conventional progressing cavity pump systems also have several characteristics that may make them less attractive for use in transporting the high-solids dewatered sludge. Specifically, the volumetric efficiency (filling efficiency) for conventional progressing cavity pumps in such applications can be approximately 50%. Additionally, the footprint of conventional progressing cavity pumps and associated feeders are relatively long and narrow, making it substantially difficult for most municipal wastewater treatment plants to be retrofitted with such systems.
Accordingly, there is a need for a pump system for transporting high-solids, high-viscosity, dewatered materials that is relatively inexpensive and uncomplicated, that has a compact design (footprint), that produces a non-pulsating flow, that has a relatively high volumetric efficiency, that allows for accurate and uncomplicated calculation of mass flow-rate, and that does not necessitate relatively high pressure levels within the system.
The present invention provides a system and method for transporting high-viscosity, high-solids, dewatered materials. The system essentially comprises a progressing cavity pump system utilizing a twin-screw feeder with an extended tunnel section. The feeding of the material into an extended tunnel section of the twin screw feeder creates a positive pressure, which assists in feeding the product into the suction housing of the progressing cavity pump, and correspondingly, into the pumping elements. This increases volumetric (fill) efficiency of the progressing cavity pump, thereby allowing a smaller pump to be used, and in turn, reducing the expense for the wastewater treatment facility.
The feeder mechanism of the present system is radially set apart from the progressing cavity elements, where the materials are transported from the extended tunnel section of the feeder to the suction housing of the progressing cavity pump by a transition conduit. In one embodiment, the feeder is positioned above the progressing cavity pumping elements providing a taller system but with a relatively small footprint. In another embodiment, the feeder is positioned along side the progressing cavity pumping elements, which reduces the height of the system but increases the width. In yet another embodiment, the feeder is positioned substantially perpendicular to the pump axis. While this embodiment provides the widest footprint, it will also provide the best flow transition of the materials.
The suction housing of the progressing cavity pump includes an auger positioned therein that is directly coupled to, and preferably integral with, the progressing cavity rotor. The universal joint is moved from the position in front of the stator entrance to a point behind the auger and the suction inlet to improve flow of material from the suction housing to the progressing cavity pump elements. The inlet conduit coupled to the transition housing is angled slightly towards the stator entrance to further improve the flow efficiency and increase the fill rate of the progressing cavity pump elements.
Optionally, the system will also include a lubrication injection ring positioned in the discharge section to decrease the friction between the product and the discharge pipe wall. This, in turn, decreases the amount of head pressure that the progressing cavity pump need to develop. The decrease in head pressure allows a smaller pump to be used and also decreases the maintenance time/cost of the system and energy consumed by the system.
The system also utilizes a simplified method that directly measures mass flow rate per revolution of the pump element. The calibration of the unit takes into consideration the volumetric and mechanical efficiency of the progressing cavity pump. Without obstruction of any inlet valves, the volumetric efficiency is constant and repeatable for a progressing cavity pump. With proper operation, mass flow rate calculations for this system will provide increased repeatability and accuracy.
The twin screw feeder of the present system maintains a consistent feed pressure into the progressing cavity pump, and in conjunction with the auger feed rotor in the suction housing of the progressing cavity pump, insures high volumetric efficiency for consistent pumping. The volumetric efficiency is dependent upon pump RPM and solid content, and when sized properly, the progressing cavity pumping elements combined with the twin screw feeder will consistently approach 100% volumetric efficiency.
A large diaphragm pressure sensor positioned in the suction housing of the progressing cavity pump monitors the inlet pressure to the pump. The sensor provides a signal to the feedback control module which then controls the speed of the twin screw feeder to maintain the optimal infeed pressure. A weight sensor in the twin screw feeder provides a signal to the control module, which will adjust the speed of the pump to maintain a constant sludge level in the twin screw feeder. By maintaining a constant amount of sludge in the feeder, the pump flow rate is matched to the rate of the belt press or centrifuge feed feeding the inlet hopper to the twin-screw feeder. A tachometer feedback on the pump drive registers the RPM and total quantity of pump revolutions for the production run. A discharge pressure sensor registers the discharge pressure for consistency indications. Data is also recorded and displayed through the control module.
Accordingly, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a progressing cavity pump system that comprises: (a) an elongated progressing cavity pump having a suction housing, a discharge port, an elongated progressing cavity stator positioned between the suction housing and the discharge port, and an elongated progressing cavity rotor positioned for rotation within the progressing cavity stator; (b) a feeder having an elongated feeder housing, an inlet, an outlet at a longitudinal end of the feeder housing, and an auger mechanism positioned in the feeder housing for feeding material from the inlet to the outlet, where the elongated feeder housing is positioned radially apart from the elongated progressing cavity pump; and (c) a transfer conduit coupled between the outlet of the feeder and the suction housing of the progressing cavity pump. By positioning the feeder radially apart from the progressing cavity pump, the overall length of the pump system is decreased. This allows more municipal wastewater treatment facilities with limited room for such pumping systems to now utilize the more efficient, more robust, less complicated and less expensive progressing cavity pumps, as opposed to piston pumps.
In certain embodiments, the elongated feeder housing extends substantially parallel to the elongated progressing cavity pump. In one of such embodiments the elongated feeder housing is mounted on the frame extending over the progressing cavity pump, where the inlet of the feeder is an elongated opening extending into the top of the feeder housing, communicating with the hopper positioned above the opening.
It is preferred that the transfer conduit includes an outlet segment directly coupled to the suction housing of the progressing cavity pump and the outlet segment of the transfer conduit is angled at least partially away from the discharge port of the progressing cavity pump, thereby providing a substantially smooth transition for material being pumped from the transfer conduit and through the suction housing of the progressing cavity pump.
It is also preferred that the auger mechanism includes a pair of parallel, intermeshing, counter-rotating augers extending substantially the entire length of the feeder housing cavity, and the inlet to the feeder housing is positioned in the top of the feeder housing and extends from the longitudinal end of the feeder housing opposite the outlet end and to a point substantially distal from the outlet, and providing an extended tunnel section in the feeder approximate the outlet end of the feeder housing. Preferably, the extended tunnel section extends for at least two pitch lengths of the auger conveyor utilized by the auger mechanism. This extended tunnel section promotes a slight build-up pressure at the outlet end of the feeder, which assists in the volumetric efficiency to the progressing cavity pump elements. Additionally, a narrowing preload conduit is positioned between the outlet of the feeder and the suction housing of the progressing cavity pump. This narrowing conduit placed before the progressing cavity pump elements also promotes a pressure increase in the materials being fed, which further assists in the volumetric efficiency to the progressing cavity pump elements.
It is yet another aspect of the present invention to provide progressing cavity pump comprising: (a) an elongated stator housing having a suction end and a discharge end; (b) an elongated progressing cavity stator mounted within the stator housing; (c) an elongated progressing cavity rotor mounted for rotation within the progressing cavity stator, the progressing cavity rotor having a suction end and a discharge end; (d) a suction housing coupled to the stator housing at the suction end of the stator housing, the suction housing including an inlet port; (e) an auger positioned in the suction housing, directly coupled to and integral with the suction end of the progressing cavity rotor, where the auger includes a forward longitudinal end approximate the progressing cavity rotor and a rear longitudinal end distal from the progressing cavity rotor; and (f) a drive shaft extending into the suction housing having a forward longitudinal end and a rear longitudinal end, where the forward longitudinal end of the drive shaft is coupled to the rear longitudinal end of the auger by a universal joint. By moving the universal joint behind the behind the inlet and out of the pumpage in the suction housing, a smoother transition from the auger to the progressing cavity pump elements is provided, thus substantially improving the volumetric efficiency of the progressing cavity pump elements, and, in-turn, the mass flow rate of the system.
Preferably, the inlet port opening is positioned in a radial side wall of the suction housing, where the inlet port opening has a forward edge approximate the forward longitudinal end of the auger and a rear edge approximate the rear longitudinal end of the auger. The universal joint is preferably positioned behind the rear edge of the inlet port opening so that it is positioned substantially out of the flow path of materials through the suction housing. It is also preferred that the auger is fixedly coupled to the progressing cavity rotor and where the progressing cavity rotor has a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the auger shaft so that a substantially smooth transition is provided from the auger shaft to the rotor. It is also preferred that the inlet conduit feeding the suction housing is angled at least partially rearward with respect to the auger, thereby providing an even smoother transition of material from the inlet conduit and through the suction housing.
It is also preferred that the progressing cavity pump includes a material feeder and fluid communication with the inlet conduit, where the material feeder includes a feeder housing, an inlet, an outlet at an end of the feeder housing, and an auger mechanism positioned in the feeder housing for feeding material from the feeder inlet to the feeder outlet. This feeder housing is preferably positioned radially apart from the suction housing, where the feeder housing may be positioned over top of the progressing cavity pump elements, or on the side of the progressing cavity pump elements to provide the system with a more compact design as discussed above.
It is also preferred that the auger mechanism of the feeder is positioned within an elongated cavity within the feeder housing and the feeder outlet is in fluid communication with an outlet of the elongated cavity; the auger mechanism of the feeder includes a pair of parallel, intermeshing augers positioned with the elongated cavity of the feeder and rotating in opposite directions, where the augers extend substantially the entire length of the elongated cavity within the feeder housing; and that the inlet to the feeder housing is positioned in the top of the feeder housing, radially adjacent to the auger mechanism, and extends from a longitudinal end of the elongated cavity within the feeder housing, opposite the outlet end, to a point substantially distal from the outlet end of the feeder cavity, providing an extended tunnel section within the feeder cavity at the outlet end of the feeder cavity. This tunnel section preferably extends for at least two pitches of the augers extending therethrough. As discussed above, this tunnel section within feeder promotes a pressure increase in the materials being fed to the progressing cavity pump elements, which improves volumetric efficiency.
Furthermore, it is preferred that the progressing cavity pump further includes a drive motor coupled to the rear longitudinal end of the drive shaft and a drive motor housing mounted to the suction housing, where the drive shaft is a hollow drive shaft.
It is yet another aspect of the present invention to provide a progressing cavity pump system that comprises: (a) a feeder mechanism including, (1) a feeder housing having in inlet, an outlet on an end of the feeder housing and an elongated cavity within the feeder housing, where the feeder outlet is in fluid communication with the elongated cavity, and (2) a pair of parallel, intermeshing augers positioned in the elongated cavity and rotating in opposite directions; (b) at least two progressing cavity pumps, each progressing cavity pump including a suction housing, an inlet in the suction housing, a discharge port, an elongated progressing cavity stator positioned between the suction housing and the discharge port, and an elongated progressing cavity rotor positioned for rotation within the progressing cavity stator; and (c) a transfer conduit coupled between the feeder outlet and the suction housing inlet of each of the progressing cavity pumps. This configuration provides controlled and uninterrupted flow of materials to more than one discharge point, such as in a multiple hearth incinerator, where several injection points around the cylindrically shaped furnace results in a controlled bum of the sludge. Other split-flow applications also exist, such as delivering sludge evenly along the length of a tractor trailer.
It is yet another aspect of the present invention to provide a method for transporting high-solids, dewatered materials that comprises the steps of: (a) introducing the materials into a hopper; (b) depositing the materials from the hopper to a pair of intermeshing, counter rotating augers in a feeder; (c) conveying the materials, by the augers, to an enclosed chamber (enclosed on all radial sides) within the feeder cavity; (d) generating a predetermined pressure increase in the enclosed chamber; (e) transporting the materials from the enclosed chamber to a suction port of a progressing cavity pump; and (f) pumping the materials, by the progressing cavity pump, to a discharge outlet.
Preferably, the conveying, transporting and pumping steps occur continuously, thereby, not allowing the material to stop moving between the feeder and the desired outlet. It is also preferred that the method includes the step of positioning the feeder in a location radially set apart from the progressing cavity pump. It is also preferred that the method further includes the steps of sensing the pressure of the material approximate the suction port of the progressing cavity pump, and controlling the speed of the feeder augers according to the pressure sensor reading. It is also preferred that the method includes the steps of sensing the amount of material present in the feeder cavity, and controlling the speed of the pump according to this reading. Preferably, the amount of material in the feeder cavity is sensed by a weight (or load) sensor in the feeder.
The method may also include the steps of positioning a lubrication source in a discharge section of the progressing cavity pump, and injecting lubrication, by the lubrication source, between the materials in the discharge section and the discharge section conduits. Preferably, these steps further include the step of sensing a pressure in the discharge section, and controlling the amount of lubrication injected by the lubrication source according to the pressure sensed in the discharge section.
It is yet another aspect of the present invention to provide a method for transporting high-solids, dewatered materials that comprises the steps of: (a) transporting the materials from a feeder to a suction port of a progressing cavity pump, the feeder having a feeder cavity and a feed mechanism positioned within the feeder cavity; (b) pumping the materials, by the progressing cavity pump, to a discharge outlet; (c) sensing a pressure of the material in a material path approximate the suction port of the progressing cavity pump; (d) controlling the speed of the feed mechanism according to the pressure sensed in step (c); (e) sensing an amount of material present in the feeder cavity; and (f) controlling the speed of the progressing cavity pump according to the amount of material present in the cavity as sensed in step (e). Preferably, the sensing step (e) includes the step of sensing a weight of the material in the feeder cavity.

Progressing cavity pump system for transporting high-solids, high-viscosity, dewatered materials


An apparatus for routing a transaction message, such as for example a telephone call, e-mail, web chat request, video conferencing session, or non-call event, includes a queue engine and a transaction message router. The queue engine provides an integrated mechanism for queuing transaction messages of varying transaction types within a number of queues according to transaction type. Each queue within the queue engine may be dedicated to queuing transaction messages of a specific transaction type. The transaction message router functions to identify a queue within the queue engine within which a transaction message is to be stored. The identification of a queue by the router may be performed with reference to the transaction type of a transaction message, and with reference to context or addressing information associated with a transaction message. Transaction messages of all transaction types are serviced by a single resource allocator that distributes transaction messages from the queues of the queue engine 44 to a resource, such as an agent.

In order for organizations to be accessible to customers, for example to provide adequate sales and after-sales support, it is advantageous to the organization to allow a customer to communicate with a resource of the organization by any one of a number of media types or communication protocols that may be convenient for and accessible to a customer. For example, a particular customer may find it most convenient to communicate with the organization using a conventional telephone unit, whereas another custom may prefer to interact with the organization utilizing electronic mail (e-mail) or over the World Wide Web (WWW) utilizing a text chat capability. The allocation of resources to communication requests from customers received over a variety of media types may prove challenging to organizations. While traditional systems, such as Automatic Call Distributors (ACDs), may be able to handle and allocate communication requests received over one particular media type or using one particular communication protocol, such systems are typically not equipped to handle and allocate communication requests received via a further media type or communication protocol.

Method and apparatus to queue a plurality of transaction messages


A sealable, opaque, biaxially orientated multilayer polpropylene film comprising a core layer and (an) intermediate layer(s) located on one or both sides of the core layer and (a) top layer(s) located on one or both sides of the intermediate layer(s) or the core layer, wherein the core layer contains a polypropylene polymer or a polypropylene mixture and calcium carbonate having an average particle diameter of 1 to 2 .mu.m; the intermediate layer(s) comprise(s) a polypropylene polymer or a polypropylene mixture; at least one top layer has a thickness of .ltoreq.0.4 .mu.m; and the top layer(s) comprise(s) a copolymer of ethylene and propylene or ethylene and butylene or propylene and butylene or ethylene and another .alpha.-olefin having 5 to 10 carbon atoms or propylene and another .alpha.-olefin having 5 to 10 carbon atoms or a terpolymer of ethylene and propylene and butylene or ethylene and propylene and another .alpha.-olefin having 5 to 10 carbon atoms or a mixture of one or more of the co- and/or terpolymers mentioned with polypropylene or a mixture of two or more of the co- and/or terpolymers mentioned, has a combination of properties rendering it suitable as a packaging or wrapping film.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a sealable, opaque, biaxially orientated multilayer polypropylene film comprising a core layer, an intermediate layer located on one side or both sides thereof and a top layer located on one or both sides of the intermediate layer or the core layer. The invention furthermore relates to a process for the production of the multilayer film and its use.
2. Description of Related Art
Opaque films are generally known. For example, a five-layer sealable film which has a vacuole-containing base layer produced from propylene homopolymer and calcium carbonate, and an intermediate layer of propylene homopolymer and hydrocarbon resin, and sealable top layers comprising propylene/ethylene copolymer, is described in EP-A-180, 087. Because of the thick intermediate layer of polypropylene and hydrocarbon resin, the film has better mechanical properties and a higher gloss than conventional films. In addition, the film is suitable for corona treatment because of the impressed-on sealing layers of propylene/ethylene copolymer. The film is in need of improvement in its gloss and whiteness or opacity. The non-optimum gloss results from the top layer having a customary thickness of 0.5 to 2 .mu.m, and the low opacity values are due to the thick transparent intermediate layers. Only a low proportion of the thickness remains for the vacuole-containing core layer.
A multilayer opaque film in which one top layer consists of a readily printable polymer and which has an intermediate layer of propylene homopolymer and a vacuole-containing core layer is known from EP-A312,226. The film is said to be distinguished by a good gloss when viewed from the homopolymer side. Because of the stated layer thickness ratios, as in the case of EP-A-180,087, the surface gloss and the opacity or whiteness are in need of improvement.
A film of high whiteness and high opacity which can readily be printed and is said to be glossy is described in EP-A-408,971. Here also, the gloss is in need of improvement because of the high thickness of the top layer. On the other hand, the film may have a cloudy structure, which probably originates from the small particle size of the calcium carbonate used. The particle size of 1.0 .mu.m, which is stated as preferred, results in a poor dispersibility in the polymer. In addition, the increased fine content of the grains leads to a reduced opacity, since this means that no vacuoles are formed.
Readily printable opaque films are described in EP-A-234,758 and in EP-A-225,685. However, because of the nature of the surface, the films are distinguished by a very matte appearance.

Sealable, opaque, biaxially orientated multilayer polypropylene film, process for its production and its use


A wireless communications device that sends and receives presence status information is configured to detect when it is proximate a predefined zone. A receiver in the wireless communications device receives presence information from a transmitter associated with the predefined zone. The presence information defines a new presence status for the wireless communications device, and may include an indicator associated with the new presence status. Upon receipt of the presence information, a controller in the wireless communications device automatically changes the current presence status of the wireless communications device to the new presence status, and publishes the changed status to a remote entity. If the new presence status is not defined in memory, the controller may add the new presence status to memory.

The present invention relates generally to wireless communications devices, and particularly to wireless communications devices having session based text or video messaging capabilities.
Instant messaging allows users to send and receive text messages by establishing communications sessions. Historically, users have sent and received instant messages using a personal computer connected to the Internet. Given its popularity, however, it is no surprise that instant messaging has now moved to the realm of the wireless communications network. Users in both worlds can now send and receive text messages; however, the concept of "presence" was modified slightly for mobile users.
"Presence" is a service that allows a user to inform other users about his reachability, availability, and willingness to communicate. The presence service indicates a user's presence status, for example, whether users are on-line, off-line, idle, busy, or on the phone. In addition, the presence service may provide information about a user's means and capabilities to send and receive some types of data such as video, audio, and text messages. A user who wishes to be kept informed of another user's presence status is referred to as a "watcher." A user who informs the watcher of his or her presence status is referred to as a "presentity."
Typically, watchers who wish to be kept informed of a particular presentity's status subscribe to a presence server in a network. In some systems that use the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) for signaling, watchers may send a SUBSCRIBE message as is known in the art. The subscription acts as a standing request to notify the watcher of the presentity's current presence status (e.g., on-line to off-line) and when it changes. When the presentity's status changes, the presentity notifies the presence server. The presence server than publishes the status change to the watcher.
However, presence under the current paradigm does not always accurately indicate the presence status of a mobile user. More particularly, current presence services indicate a person's ability to respond to received messages. This is because presence under the current paradigm is based on the generally "fixed" physical location of the computer. A user who is logged on to a desktop computer and able to respond to messages, for example, may be indicated as being "Active," or "Online," while a user who is logged off may be indicated as being "Offline." Still, other presence information lets users know which people are "Inactive," or "Idle" (i.e., away from the computer keyboard). Mobile users, however, generally do not remain in "fixed" positions and are not tethered to a particular desktop computer. Thus, a mobile user's status or ability to respond is implied by the location and/or an activity of the mobile user.
To date, some modifications to the presence service have been made to better comport with the specific needs of mobile users. However, not all needs have been addressed.

Updating presence in a wireless communications device


A process for superplastically forming and shaping a solid object including 123 superconductor, including preparing a solid object having grains of 123 superconductor that have an average grain size of less than 10 microns, and superplastically deforming the prepared solid object by heating the solid object to between 500.degree. and 1015.degree. C. while simultaneously applying to said solid object stress which is less than the fracture strength of the solid object, thereby producing a strain rate in the solid object. The solid object may be a composite including silver or gold.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the fabrication of ceramic objects. In particular, this invention relates generally to forming of ceramic materials. More particularly, this invention relates to forming of high temperature ceramic superconductors and composites thereof.
2. Discussion of the Background
Recently superconductivity in polycrystalline Y.sub.1 Ba.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7 above 90.degree. K was discovered. This compound has a structure which is a modification of the cubic perovskite structure. The perovskite structure has cubic symmetry, with one metal ion at the center of each cubic unit cell and three oxygen atoms for each unit cell. The crystal structure of Y.sub.1 Ba.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7, hereinafter called the 123 structure represents a tripling of the perovskite unit cell with Y or Ba atoms at the center of each cube of the perovskite sub cells. Many materials have the 123 structure, and these materials will be referred to hereinafter as 123 material. The 123 structure is also deficient in oxygen, as compared with the perovskite structure, which would have nine oxygens instead of the seven present in fully oxygenated 123 material. The oxygen content of 123 material can be lowered to 6 while maintaining the cation structure. Lowering the oxygen content changes 123 materials from conducting, to insulating. In addition, the fully oxygenated 123 material (with oxygen content between 6.9 and 7.0) has an orthorhombic distortion of the tripled perovskite lattice unit cells, while the insulating 123 material (with oxygen content below 6.5) has a tetragonal distortion of the tripled perovskite lattice unit cells. Y can be replaced by any trivalent rare earth or lanthanum without significantly affecting the 123 structure, or the superconducting properties. In addition, the rare earths and La are so similar to Y that the cohesive properties, and phase diagrams which are determined by the cohesive properties, of materials containing Y, La or a rare earth, are all very similar.
Therefore, use of yttrium in the rest of this patent is exemplary only, since La and rare earth elements provide very similar properties, and the variation of these properties between yttrium compounds, and the homologous compounds are well known. In particular, 123 materials in which Y is replaced by similar elements, such as La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd, Dy, Ho, Er, or Tm, are all superconducting at over 90.degree. K.
123 superconductor applications are generally split into thin film and bulk applications. Thin film devices are relatively easy to make because no mechanical strain is involved in their fabrication. In contrast, bulk components of 123 material must either be cast, or formed. 123 material suffers from brittleness, poor ductility, oxygen instability upon heating, and phase instability above the melting point. In this regard, Y.sub.1 Ba.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7, BaCuO.sub.2 and CuO form an eutectic at 900.degree. centigrade (C), so that above 900.degree. C. liquid and solid phases coexist, unless the heated material is essentially perfectly stoichiometric Y.sub.1 Ba.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7. These properties provide several drawbacks to both casting and forming.
Several techniques for dealing with these problems have been attempted, and their results have been reported in the scientific literature. However, each of these methods has disadvantages. Ceramic superconductor shapes have been prepared by compacting the powders into a mold followed by a heat treatment. This type of process is reported, for example, in European Patent Application number 88201568.8 published 01.02.89, "Method of preparing an oxidic superconductor material". This publication also discloses a method for preparing submicron size particles of 123 superconductor.
Complex shapes cannot be obtained by compacting powders, because volume shrinkage occurs during the subsequent sintering steps, and results in incorrect shapes. Subsequent machining of ceramic bodies is very difficult, because the ceramics are hard and brittle, and often leads to cracks in the ceramic, and can quickly wear out machine tool bits. Because of the difficulty of machining these materials, complex shapes cannot be obtained by this method.
Powdered compacts of ceramic superconductors contained in metallic sheaths have been formed into shapes by rolling or drawing of the sheath material, as reported in "HOT-PRESSING OF YTTRIUM, BARIUM, COPPER OXIDE (Y.sub.1 Ba.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.Y) CERAMIC POWDER" by Nishida, et al, published in Mem. Fac. Eng. Des., Kyoto Institute of Technol. 1988, 37, 96-104 (Eng). This article discloses hot extrusion of a metallic can containing superconducting YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.y ceramic powder. The can is first heated to 700.degree. to 1,000.degree. C. and then immediately deformed by hot processing, and also rapidly cooled to room temperature. The resulting material changed to the tetragonal insulating structure from the orthorhombic superconducting structure during the processing.
Rolling or drawing techniques have the disadvantage that they require a sheath. Because of the sheath, heat treatment of the formed shapes leads to shrinkage of the powder compact and results in separation of the powder from the sheath. Also, the sheath prevents oxygen from penetrating into the superconducting material during oxygen annealing. Large cracks are likely to form because of these problems, since the 123 material changes density upon sintering and oxygenation, and these cracks cannot be removed by heat treatment. In addition, this method is only suitable for preparation of wire or bar.
FIG. 8A displays a bulk object having the 123 structure before and FIG. 8B after being compressed by a process of the prior art. A bulk structure of 123 superconductor 50, is deformed to a limited amount by stress applied in the direction indicated by the arrows 51. Further deformation leads to crack formation in the deformed object 52 in FIG. 8B, crack growth and finally the deformed structure 52 is fractured, as shown by fracture lines 53.
The article by Kaibyshev et al "SUPER-PLASTICITY OF AN YTTRIUM, BARIUM, COPPER OXIDE (YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7-x) CERAMIC COMPOUND" (Inst. Probl. Sverkhtverd. Met., Ufa, USSR); Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR 1989, 305 (5), 1120-30 [Tech. Phys.] (Russ), discloses superplasticity of 123 ceramic compounds between 900.degree. and 950.degree. C. after "dynamic recrystallization". As noted earlier, 900.degree. C. is the liquid phase formation temperature of YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7 in the presence of impurity phases of BaCuO.sub.2 and CuO. Plastic deformation at high temperatures close to the melting point of Y.sub.1 Ba.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7 and above the liquid phase formation temperature is easily obtained, because the diffusion rate is very high, and the liquid phase that exists between the grains allows easy movement of the grains relative to one another.
Superplasticity is defined in "Metals Handbook" published by the American Society for Metals, Metals Park Ohio, 1985, as the ability of certain metals to undergo unusually large plastic deformation without local necking or failure. This definition also applies to ceramics. "Unusually long" depends upon the material. For ceramics, less than 10% elongation is typically considered normal plastic deformation, as opposed to superplastic deformation.
The deformation behavior of YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7 at temperatures above 900.degree. C. where liquid phase exists, and below 900.degree. C. where no liquid phases exists are very different, because below 900.degree. C. the mechanism relieving stress due to a liquid phase is absent. Therefore, below 900.degree. C. stress can only be relieved by solid state mechanisms, which are inconsequential above 900.degree. C. The temperature scale is also important because it is technologically easier to work at lower temperatures, such as below 900.degree. C., than at temperatures above 900.degree. C.
The Japanese patent to Matsumoto (JP 1-93301 (A)) describes a plastic processing method for superconductive ceramics. The critical conditions specified in this patent are a temperature range of 500.degree. to 850.degree. C. and strain rates of less than 2.2.times.10.sup.-1 per second at 850.degree. C., and 3.3.times.10.sup.-5 per second at 500.degree. C. JP 1-93301 does not mention the grain size of the material used.
The material used in this reference was sintered at between 950.degree. and 1,300.degree. C. This temperature range extends above the liquid phase formation temperature of 900.degree. C. Sintering above the liquid phase formation temperature dramatically enhances the grain growth rate. As a result of such high temperature sintering, small grain sizes, such as those disclosed hereinafter in the present invention, cannot be obtained.
JP 1-93301 also discloses a flow stress versus temperature plot (FIG. 2) which does not follow the established exponential function for the high temperature deformation of ceramics. It is probable that the results from JP 1-93301 are due to a multi-phase material, since the reported temperature range for sintering exceeds the 123 phase stability temperature of 1,015.degree. C. for Y.sub.1 B.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7, which results in production of a multi-phase material.
While the aforementioned teachings are useful for providing formed shapes, they do not provide a method for providing complicated shapes of 123 superconductors and composites thereof without cracks and to precise tolerances.

Superplastic forming of YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7-x ceramic superconductors with or without silver addition


Actuation system for opening and closing a two-part mold that includes first and second mold parts movably mounted to each other. The actuation system includes a carriage which can move in each of two directions, a first pivoting part coupled to the first mold part, a second pivoting part coupled to the second mold part, and at least one actuating member connected to each of the carriage and at least one of the first and second pivoting parts. This abstract is not intended to define the invention disclosed in the specification, nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an actuation system for a mold in two parts forming two half-molds articulated about an axis forming a hinge.
2. Discussion of Background Information
It is known how to make molds in two parts or half-molds, particularly for injection molding and blowing molding machines.
Each of the two half-molds is usually mounted on a carriage, and they are moved towards each other while remaining parallel to each other.
Systems in which the two half-molds are articulated about an axis forming a hinge and controlled between an open position and a closed position by a trolley free to move in translation in a forward-backward movement, as described in French patent documents 2 059 446 and 2 088 523 and in application FR-2 793 722, have also been known for a long time.

System for actuating a two part mould forming two mutually articulated half-moulds


A fluid circuit for use with a fluid processing assembly, the fluid circuit comprising an umbilicus having a first end, a second end, an axis of rotation, and a cross-sectional circumference; a one-piece bearing secured to the umbilicus at a location between the first and second ends, the bearing having an axis of rotation and including an inner lumen which directly engages the umbilicus and includes a plurality of traction features, which bear against the umbilicus to prevent relative rotation of the bearing and the umbilicus; and the plurality of traction features comprising a first traction feature configured to engage the umbilicus at a first length between the first and second ends and a second traction feature configured to engage the umbilicus at a second length between the first and second ends.

Whole blood is routinely separated into its various components, such as red blood cells, platelets, and plasma. In many blood processing systems, whole blood may be drawn from a donor, the particular blood component or constituent removed and collected, and the remaining blood constituents returned to the donor. By thus removing only particular constituents, less time may be needed for the donor's body to return to normal, and donations can be made at more frequent intervals than when whole blood is collected. This may increase the overall supply of blood constituents, such as plasma and platelets, made available for health care.
One method by which whole blood may be separated into its constituents is centrifugation. Whole blood may be passed through a centrifuge after it is withdrawn from, and before it is returned to, the donor. To avoid contamination, the blood may be contained within a sealed, sterile system during the entire centrifugation process. Blood processing systems thus may include a permanent, reusable centrifuge assembly or "hardware" that spins and pumps the blood, and a disposable, sealed and sterile fluid processing or fluid circuit assembly that actually makes contact with the donor's blood. The centrifuge assembly may engage and spin a portion of the fluid processing assembly (often called the centrifuge or separation chamber) during a collection procedure. The blood, however, may make actual contact only with the fluid processing assembly, which may be used only once and then discarded.
It is desirable for blood processing systems to have features that preserve the longevity of hardware and parts as well as optimize the mechanics of the processing procedure.

Bearing for umbilicus of a fluid processing system


A method and apparatus for numbing tissue before a shot is inserted into the tissue wherein said method and apparatus provide a vibratory force the tissue, thereby overexciting the nerves in the tissue and blocking the nerves' ability to sense pain.

1. Field of The Invention
Applicant's invention relates to a method or apparatus for eliminating the pain associated with receiving medical shots, particularly in dental procedures.
2. Background Information
Dental procedures often inflict a great degree of pain upon patients. To reduce this pain, dentists frequently use local anesthesia which is injected into the gums of patients by a syringe and needle before the commencement of painful dental procedures. The anesthesia deadens the nerves and allows the dentist to operate without creating excessive pain and discomfort for the patient. However, often dentists must administer a large quantity of anesthesia in a number of shots, causing many patients to wonder whether the pain for the shots exceeds the pain of the dental procedure. To lessen the pain inflicted upon patients when shots are administered, dentists will sometimes rub oral anesthetic ointment on the patient's gums or shake the patients' lip before administering the shots.
Other methods exist for deadening pain in dental operations, either with anesthesia or without anesthesia. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,606 by Tsukamoto discloses a device that uses ultrasonic vibration to increase the rate at which anesthesia becomes effective by improving the infusion and diffusion of anesthesia into the gums of a patient. Other devices, such as are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,608,019 by Kumabe et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,496,321 by Kumabe et al., include cutting devices which vibrate the patient's tooth at a rate which deadens the nerves of the tooth. However, none of these devices present a means of reducing or eliminating the pain associated with the initial application of anesthesia by needle to a patient.

Method and apparatus for numbing tissue before inserting a needle


A dog clutch operative to provide shiftably connection. A first clutch element includes a plurality of dogs selectively engagable with a plurality of counterdogs coupled to the second clutch element for selectively coupling primary and secondary rotatable parts. The second clutch element further includes a bush coupled to the secondary rotatable part and an intermediate part containing the counterdogs. The intermediate part can be selectively coupled to the bush for selectively coupling the second clutch element and the secondary part.

The invention relates to a clutch for the shiftable connection of a primary part to a secondary part, said clutch comprising a dog clutch consisting of a first and of a second clutch half.
Positive clutches of this type are used in the drive train of motor vehicles for the cutting in of drive axles or for the blocking of differential gears. Engagement and disengagement take place by means of the axial displacement of one of the clutch parts, the dogs or teeth provided on their end faces being brought into engagement or out of engagement. Thus, with a minimal installation space, a very high torque can be transmitted positively. The displacement of one clutch part may take place by means of an actuator acting in both directions or, as described in DE-C-4113 128, by means of an actuator acting in only one direction. This requires teeth or dogs with undercut flanks and with a spring acting in the opening direction between the two clutch halves, so that the clutch opens automatically when the torque lapses.
The term "undercut flanks" is to be understood to mean that the dogs of the clutch have, in circumferential section, essentially the form of a trapezium, of which the shorter of the two parallel sides faces away from the counterdogs.
During disengagement and engagement, frictional forces act between the flanks of the clutch dogs, and these frictional forces delay disengagement and have to be overcome by the actuator. If the clutch is designed in such a way that it is disengaged automatically when the torque lapses, this then also means that it cannot be disengaged under load. Both must be avoided when a rapid opening of the clutch in the drive train of a motor vehicle is required, for example for cooperation with electronic action on the brake system (for example, ABS).
The object of the invention is to ensure a rapid opening of a generic clutch even under load.

Dog clutch and differential gear having same