A portable piling extender apparatus includes a piling attachment unit which includes a piling fence portion. A manually operable strap assembly is connected to the piling fence portion. A riser fence unit is provided, and connector tubes connect the riser fence unit to the piling fence portion. Alignment locks lock the riser fence unit to the piling fence portion. Preferably, the piling fence portion includes a pair of piling fence tubes, and a pair of first transverse struts are connected between the piling fence tubes. The riser fence unit includes riser fence tubes, and second transverse struts are connected between the riser fence tubes. The front faces of the piling fence tubes and the front faces of the riser fence tubes are substantially coplanar when the riser fence tubes are connected to the piling fence tubes. The apparatus is connected to a piling to raise its effective height to prevent the rubrail of a boat from riding over the top of a piling which may result in the piling damaging the hull of the boat.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to devices interposed between boats and pilings to which the boats are moored. More particularly, the present invention relates to devices especially adapted to prevent boats from being damaged by the pilings as the boats rise and fall in the water.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When a boat is in the water and moored to a pile or piling, there is a risk that the boat may be damaged by the piling as the boat rises and fall in the water. The risk of damage is especially acute in times of rapidly rising and falling water, such as occurs in storms. Throughout the years, a number of innovations have been developed relating to devices which help prevent a boat from being damaged by pilings during times of rising and falling water, and the following patents are representative of some of those innovations: U.S. Pat. No. 3,430,598 of Soderberg, U.S. Pat. No. 3,695,209 of Giese, U.S. Pat. No. 3,842,779 of Jaynes, U.S. Pat. No. 4,480,576 of Mills, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,757 of Diagiacomo.
More specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 3,430,598 of Soderberg discloses a device with which a boat can be moored and float up and down in water. With the device, a pair of poles that are driven into earth under a body of water are fitted with floats that ride up and down on the poles as the boat rises and falls. in the water. The boat is moored to the floats. Driving poles into the earth under a body of water requires considerable effort. In this respect, it would be desirable if a device were provided that prevents a boat from being damaged during times of rising and falling water which does not require driving poles into the earth under a body of water.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,695,209 of Giese discloses a device with which a boat can be moored and float up and down in water. With the device, an upward extender is attached to the side of a dock, and a descending tube is attached to the upward extender. The boat is moored to the descending tube, and the boat rises and falls in the water with its mooring roped sliding up and down on the descending tube. With the Giese device, each dock must be equipped with a device. As a practical matter, most docks are not actually equipped with such a device. In terms of practicality, it would be desirable if a device that prevents a boat from being damaged during times of rising and falling water can be portable and carried along in the boat so that the device would be readily available each time the boat is ready to dock.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,842,779 of Jaynes discloses a device with which a boat can be moored and float up and down in water. With the device, a C-shaped upward/downward extender is attached with U-shaped clamps to the side of a dock, and a cable is attached between opposite ends of the C-shaped upward/downward extender. A sleeve slides on the cable, and a boat is moored to the sleeve. Portions of the C-shaped upward/downward extender can be disassembled when not in use. When the boat rises and falls in the water, the sleeve rises and falls along the cable. With this device, a sleeve is constantly riding up and down on a cable. There is a degree of frictional contact between the sleeve and the cable, and each time the sleeve rides on the cable, the frictional contact causes wear and tear on the sleeve and the cable. To avoid such wear and tear, it would be desirable if a device were provided that prevents a boat from being damaged during times of rising and falling water which does not use a sleeve that rides up and down on a cable.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,480,576 of Mills discloses a device with which a boat can be moored and float up and down in water. With the device, a tripod is attached to the top of a dock, and a descending post is attached to the tripod. A carriage is supported on the descending post, and a boat is moored to the carriage. When the boat rises and falls in the water, the carriage rises and falls along the descending post. With this device, a carriage is constantly riding up and down on a descending post. There is a degree of frictional wear and tear between moving parts within the carriage each time the carriage rides on the descending post. To avoid such wear and tear, it would be desirable if a device were provided that prevents a boat from being damaged during times of rising and falling water which does not employ a carriage which has internal moving parts.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,757 of Diagiacomo discloses a piling extender in FIGS. 11 and 12. The piling extender appears to be received telescopically on the piling. The piling extender is not strapped onto the piling. The piling extender is a one-piece structure that is not collapsible. A top bracket is located at the top of the piling extender, and a bottom bracket is attached to a portion of the piling below the level of the dock. Cables extend between the top bracket and the bottom bracket. A pulley assembly is carried by the cable, and a boat is moored to the pulley assembly. When the boat rises and falls in the water, the pulley assembly rises and falls along the cable. The pulleys in the pulley assembly have moving parts as the pulley assembly rises and falls along the cable as the boat rises and falls in the water. As discussed above in relation to U.S. Pat. No. 4,480,576, there is frictional wear and tear between moving parts as the parts move as the boat rises and falls in the water. To avoid such wear and tear, it would be desirable if a device were provided that prevents a boat from being damaged during times of rising and falling water which does not employ a pulley assembly which has internal moving parts.
In addition, it is noted that U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,757 employs a piling extender that fits onto the top of a piling in a substantially permanent way. In this respect, that piling extender is not portable. Moreover, that piling extender is not collapsible, and as such, is not suitable for being carried on a boat for use on docks and pilings wherever the boat docks.
In addition to the patents discussed above, the following patents may also be of interest: U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,363 of James and U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,364 of Darder-Alomar.
More specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,363 of James discloses a mooring fender that straps onto a portion of a piling that extends above a dock. The fender does not extend above the top of the piling. The boat is not moored to the fender.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,364 of Darder-Alomar discloses a protective fender that straps onto a portion of a piling that extends above and below a dock. The fender does not extend above the top of the piling. The boat is not moored to the fender.
With respect to the patents discussed above, it is noted that none of those patents discloses a piling extender which is collapsible for portability and storage. In this respect, these are key features of the present invention.
Still other features would be desirable in a portable piling extender apparatus. For example, for a portable piling extender apparatus, it would be desirable if the apparatus were easily attached to and removed from a piling. In addition, for securing the straps to a piling, it would be desirable if strap buckles or clamps are provided for strongly securing the straps to the piling. In addition, when a piling extender portion is attached to a unit is attached to the piling, it would be desirable if the piling extender portion and the piling-attached unit were locked together.
A piling, in a horizontal cross-sectional plane, is generally round in cross-section. On the other hand, in a horizontal cross-sectional plane, the rubrail of a boat is generally linear in cross-section. With this in mind, to be more compatible with the linear horizontal cross-section of the rubrail, it would be desirable if the horizontal cross-section of a piling extender provides a generally linear contact region with the rubrail of the boat.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use a device that prevents a boat from being damaged during times of rising and falling water, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest a portable piling extender apparatus which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) does not require driving poles into the earth under a body of water; (2) is portable and is carried along in a boat so that the apparatus is readily available each time the boat is ready to dock; (3) does not use a sleeve that rides up and down on a cable; (4) does not employ a carriage which has internal moving parts; (5) is easily attached to and removed from a piling; (6) includes strap buckles or clamps for strongly securing attachment straps to a piling; (7) includes a piling extender portion and a piling-attached unit which are locked together; and (8) has a generally linear horizontal cross-section for contacting a rubrail of a boat which also has a linear horizontal cross-section. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique portable piling extender apparatus of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other-advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.
To achieve the foregoing and other advantages, the present invention, briefly described, provides a portable piling extender apparatus which includes a piling attachment unit which includes a piling fence portion. A manually operable strap assembly is connected to the piling fence portion. A riser fence unit is provided, and alignment connectors are provided for connecting the riser fence unit to the piling fence portion. Alignment locks are provided for locking the riser fence unit to the piling fence portion.
Preferably, the piling fence portion includes a pair of piling fence tubes, and a pair of first transverse struts are connected between the piling fence tubes. The front faces of the piling fence tubes are substantially coplanar.
The strap assembly includes a first strap unit and second strap units. The first strap unit includes a first strap member, and a first strap lock is connected to the first strap member. The second strap units include second strap members, and second strap locks are connected to the second strap members. The second strap locks include strap tensioning ratcheted locks, and buckle ends are received in the strap tensioning ratcheted locks.
The piling fence tubes include first strap reception channels and second strap reception channels. The first strap member is threaded through the first strap reception channels, and second strap members are threaded through the second strap reception channels.
The riser fence unit includes riser fence tubes, and second transverse struts are connected between the riser fence tubes. The front faces of the riser fence tubes are substantially coplanar. In this respect, the front faces of the piling fence tubes and the front faces of the riser fence tubes are substantially coplanar when the riser fence tubes are connected to the piling fence tubes. The front faces of the piling fence tubes and the front faces of the riser fence tubes further include fence cushions.
The riser fence unit further includes riser tube caps located on top of the riser fence tubes. The riser tube caps have rounded tops. The riser tube caps are made from cushiony material. The riser fence tubes are registrable with the piling fence tubes. The alignment connectors can be in a form of connector tubes. The alignment locks can include flexible tethers connected to either the first transverse struts or the second transverse struts. Lock pins are connected to the flexible tethers. First pin reception channels are located in the piling fence tubes and the riser fence tubes, and second pin reception channels are located in the connector tubes. The piling fence tubes includes alignment connector tube stops located inside the piling fence tubes.
The above brief description sets forth rather broadly the more important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contributions to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will be for the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining a preferred embodiment of the invention in detail, it is understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood, that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for designing other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a portable piling extender apparatus which does not require driving poles into the earth under a body of water.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a piling extender apparatus that is portable and is carried along in a boat so that the apparatus is readily available each time the boat is ready to dock.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a portable piling extender apparatus which does not use a sleeve that rides up and down on a cable.
Even another object of the present invention is to provide a portable piling extender apparatus that does not employ a carriage which has internal moving parts.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a portable piling extender apparatus that is easily attached to and removed from a piling.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a portable piling extender apparatus which includes strap buckles or clamps for strongly securing attachment straps to a piling.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a portable piling extender apparatus that includes a piling extender portion and a piling-attached unit which are locked together.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a portable piling extender apparatus that has a generally linear horizontal cross-section for contacting a rubrail of a boat which also has a linear horizontal cross-section.


A high-vacuum pump comprises a plurality of pumping stages, each comprising a plurality of mutually cooperating elements, including at least one rotating rotor element and one stationary stator element. At least one of the elements of at least one of the pumping stages is made of a plastic material reinforced with short fibres, dispersed in chaotic and substantially random manner inside the matrix of plastic material. Use of a plastic material reinforced with short fibres allows making the at least one element by injection molding and allows manufacturing the vacuum pump with considerably reduced production costs if compared to the conventional vacuum pumps.

Many different kinds of vacuum pumps are known in the art and are used according to the vacuum degree to be obtained.
For example, turbomolecular pumps are widely used for obtaining very high vacuum degrees, up to 10−8 Pa.
These turbomolecular pumps generally comprise a vacuum-tight casing that has an inlet or suction port, an outlet or discharge port, and a plurality of pumping stages arranged between the suction and discharge ports.
Each pumping stage includes a stator stage, comprising a stationary ring-shaped stator element, and a rotor stage, comprising a rotating disc-shaped rotor element, mounted integral with a rotating shaft and optionally equipped with peripheral vanes.
When the rotating shaft and the rotor elements mounted integral therewith are made to rotate at high speed (typically exceeding 10,000 rpm and even up to 100,000 rpm), gas pumping from the suction port to the discharge port is obtained based on cooperation of the rotor elements with the stator elements.
Turbomolecular pumps are often associated, at the high pressure side, with a molecular drag vacuum pump.
A molecular drag vacuum pump generally comprises a vacuum-tight casing comprising an inlet or suction port, an outlet or discharge port and a plurality of pumping stages arranged between the suction and discharge ports.
The pumping stages produce pumping action by momentum transfer from a fast-moving surface (moving at speed comparable to thermal speed of the molecules) directly to gas molecules. Generally, the pumping stages comprise a rotor element and a stator element cooperating with each other and defining a pumping channel therebetween: collisions of gas molecules in the pumping channel with the rotor element rotating at a very high speed cause gas in the channel to be pumped, from the inlet to the outlet of the channel itself.
Generally, according to the prior art, the rotor elements and the stator elements in high-vacuum pumps, and especially in turbomolecular and molecular drag vacuum pumps, are made of aluminium alloys. The limited specific weight and good mechanical strength of certain aluminium alloys enable high rotation speeds to be attained.
Recently, fibre-reinforced plastics (FRP), have been considered and evaluated for making rotor elements and other parts.
Generally, such solutions aim to attain a structural strength that is considerably higher than that of aluminum and its alloys and reduced weights, which enable higher peripheral speeds to be attained for the rotor elements, which in turn, increases the pumping speed of the vacuum pump. This is especially important for large pumps, where the maximum rotation speed of the rotor elements may be limited by the structural strength of the material.
The solutions concern the manufacture of disc-shaped rotor elements for turbomolecular pumps by using thermosetting resins reinforced with long fibres, such as carbon fibres, glass fibres, aramidic fibres and the like.
In order to increase the structural strength of the rotor element, such solutions use long reinforcing fibres all oriented in the maximum stress direction, for instance, the circumferential direction.
Such known solutions, appear very encouraging at theoretical level, but are difficult to put into practice, due to very high production costs. First, the need to obtain high structural strengths limits the degrees of freedom in the choice of the materials to be used. Second, the need to arrange the reinforcing fibres along one or more predetermined directions considerably increases the complexity of the production process and the costs related thereto.
In view of the above, there is a need for a high-vacuum pump, that uses plastic materials and that has lower production costs and reduced weight.


A system of circuit card components each include through-holes for soldering having recessed copper layers for thermal insulation. Thermal insulation prevents heat conduction away from flowing solder, allowing the solder to flow freely through the through-hole. Even high-temperature, lead-free solders may maintain the necessary temperature to flow. Different circuit layers include specialized features based on distance from a top or bottom surface. Vias surrounding the through-hole maintain the necessary cross-sectional area for electrical connectivity.

Large through-hole or surface mount leaded components typically utilized in power supply technology such as transformers and inductors are difficult to solder or re-work in a factory environment.
Such components often require additional solder processing steps such as pre-heating; they can lack appropriate solder fill as defined in industry acceptance standards to meet electrical and mechanical performance characteristics; and re-work is difficult or impossible without excess scrap due to circuit card copper content, laminate stack-up, and internal circuit card layer solder connections. Furthermore, higher soldering temperatures leads to integrity issues at the plated through-hole, delamination, decomposition, and layer separation. Copper dissolution may result from extended soldering times.
These components require specialized soldering equipment such as specialty irons and soldering tips, selective solder machines, solder pots, hot-plates/pre-heaters, etc. Furthermore, lead-free solder alloys with higher melting points than traditional tin-lead solders create further difficulties maintaining the high temperatures necessary to get the solder to flow into the plated through-holes or onto the surface mount conductor surfaces. Rework/repair of these devices becomes almost an impossible task. These issues will become more pronounced as the industry trends toward higher power density and lead-free materials.
High temperatures and long soldering dwell times lead to an increased risk of PCB integrity issues affecting long term reliability. PCB material defects such as laminate delamination, thermal decomposition, pad lifting, inner layer separation and copper dissolution are all possible outcomes if the soldering process is not controlled.

Through-hole and surface mount printed circuit card connections for improved power component soldering


The present invention relates to a polymer blend composition for melt molding which is a composition obtained by adding a thickener to a polymer blend comprising a liquid crystal polymer and a non-liquid crystal polymer, characterized in that the melt viscosity of the composition determined at a molding temperature at a shear rate of 1000 sec.sup.-1 is the same or higher than the melt viscosity of said non-liquid crystal polymer determined under the same conditions.. According to the present invention, a polymer blend for melt molding having improved properties, whereby problems observed in prior arts upon molding a polymer blend comprising a liquid crystal polymer and a non-liquid crystal polymer (for example, insufficient alignment of the liquid crystal polymer and difficulties in extrusion, because of excessively low melt viscosity) can be solved, is obtained.

A liquid crystal polymer (a thermotropic liquid crystal polymer) has a rigid backbone in its molecule and forms liquid crystals in a molten state. It can be easily aligned under a shear force upon molding so as to give a molded article having a high strength, a high modulus, an excellent impact resistance and a small coefficient of linear expansion.
Thus, attempts have been frequently made to blend such a liquid crystal polymer with a non-liquid crystal polymer to thereby improve the properties of said non-liquid crystal polymer by taking advantage of the aforesaid excellent characteristics of the liquid crystal polymer.
For example, C. Kiss et al. [Polymer Engineering & Science, 27, 410 (1987)] reports that a liquid crystal polymer blended with a common engineering plastic and molded would be dispersed in such a manner as to form fibrils and thus exert a reinforcing effect to thereby enhance the modulus. And, T. S. Chung [Plastic Engineering, 39 (1987)] reports that a molded article produced by blending Nylon 12 with a liquid crystal polymer and molding has a small coefficient of linear expansion.
Further, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,451,611 and 4,489,190 each shows that blending a wholly aromatic liquid crystal polyester with a polyalkylen terephtarate improves in its mechanical properties.
Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 4,386,174 discloses that the flowability of a non-liquid crystal polymer can be improved by blending a liquid crystal polymer therewith.
Although a molded article produced by blending a non-liquid crystal polymer with a liquid crystal polymer has an improved flowability, it suffers from such disadvantages that the excessively low melt viscosity thereof cannot give a shear stress sufficient for the alignment of the liquid crystal polymer and that the alignment, once achieved, undergoes relaxation before the completion of the cooling and solidifying, which deteriorates the reinforcing effect. In addition, the excessively low melt viscosity makes extrusion difficult.

Polymer blend composition for melt molding


The present invention concerns a method for setting the system parameters of a scanning microscope, preferably a confocal scanning microscope, acquisition of an image of the specimen performed with the scanning microscope being controlled by a control computer. After an image of the specimen is acquired at least one image quality feature is inputted by a user and is converted by the control computer into at least one system parameter of the scanning microscope.

The invention refers to the field of scanning microscopy, in particular to the field of confocal scanning microscopy. Scanning microscopes have been known from practical use for years. Reference is made in this connection, merely by way of example, to DE 196 54 211 A1. For purposes of the present invention, scanning microscopes are furthermore all microscope types that comprise scanning image detection or image construction. Control computers for such scanning microscopes are usually personal computers that have special interfaces for controlling the microscope hardware. Control computers for purposes of the present invention can also be single-board computers, special computer hardware integrated into the scanning microscope, or an entire computer cluster. Computer clusters serve not only to control the scanning microscope but also to perform farther-reaching calculation-intensive operations, for example the visualization of multidimensional image data. The image data acquired using a confocal scanning microscope usually encompass two-dimensional image data—so-called "optical sections" of a specimen. Depending on the task, three-dimensional image data sets or one-dimensional line scans are also performed, the specimen being confocally illuminated with light of one or more light sources, possibly of different wavelengths. In the case of fluorescence microscopy, single- or multiple-photon processes for exciting the fluorescent markers or specimens are usual.
Confocal scanning microscopes in particular require that the user have sufficient knowledge about the operation of such a scanning microscope, specifically in order to set the mutually dependent system parameters that often also work against one another or are mutually exclusive. These include the pinhole diameter of the confocal detector unit, the high voltage of the photomultiplier (PMT) of the detector unit, the laser power level, etc. For optimum setting of the system parameters, especially in consideration of specimen-specific properties, the user must utilize his or her experience with using such scanning microscopes. Hitherto, however, it has been almost impossible for a user to achieve optimum imaging results without comprehensive relevant experience.
Because of the aforementioned complexity involved in setting confocal scanning microscopes, the operating or system parameters of scanning microscopes are not optimally set by many users. Lack of understanding of the often very complex correlations among various optical and electronic boundary parameters of a confocal scanning microscope is, in particular, the cause of hitherto inadequate operation. But if a scanning microscope of this kind is not optimally set, an image can be acquired only with reduced image quality or with far too long a setting procedure prior to the actual image acquisition. Too long a setting phase prior to the actual image acquisition reduces the efficiency of such a microscope, however, and usually results in excessive wear on the laser light source and/or the light-guiding fibers acted upon by the laser light, and possibly in negative effects on the specimen.
The scanning microscopes hitherto known from practical use are also problematic, in particular, in terms of training new users, since instruction and assistance from experienced users is always necessary. It has hitherto been difficult, however, to learn to use a scanning microscope optimally on a self-taught basis. To the contrary, with existing scanning microscopes an extremely long training phase with the assistance of experienced users is absolutely necessary.
A further problem from existing practice is that many fluorescent specimens become bleached out in the course of very long setting periods. Since long setting periods cannot, however, usually be ruled out, the use of scanning microscopes hitherto known from practical use is limited, especially in the context of biological specimens, and thus problematic. There is thus a need for a reduction in the time required for optimum setting.

Method for setting the system parameters of a scanning microscope


Detection of a specific person with a specific person detecting system using surveillance cameras installed in various environments has not been successfully accurate. A monitoring system of the present invention includes an image pickup device capturing images, an updating type specified person detection server receiving captured images, extracting image feature quantities therefrom and storing image feature quantities and provisional person information of unspecified persons and the reliability thereof in real time, and a monitor station with an image searching function capable of searching an image afterward, which are connected via a network. The updating type specified person detection server adds the person information to a specified person list during system operation on the basis of an unspecified person list that is updated.

With increase in the number of incidents of crime and in the intensity of the crimes, the recent years have seen an increasing demand for a video monitoring system using an image pickup device such as surveillance camera, the system serving as a safeguard against crimes. The image pickup devices such as the surveillance cameras have broad utility and hence, surveillance camera systems which include the image pickup devices installed at multiple locations and manage the images captured at the plural locations are spreading. Such surveillance camera systems are operated at various locations such as shopping streets, airports, harbors, and power plants.
On the other hand, since the image pickup devices have become less expensive and easier to install, the image pickup devices are installed at an increasing number of locations. However, a heavier load than ever is imposed on a user responsible for operating the monitoring system for simultaneously monitoring the images captured at the multiple locations. With the purpose of reducing the load on the user responsible for the monitoring operation, there have been developed specific person detection for automatically identifying a person by processing images of the person captured by the surveillance cameras, an image searching technique for searching out the specific person from the images captured and recorded by the surveillance camera, and the like.
Now, referring to FIG. 9, description is made on the structures of devices and processors of a conventional person detection system. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a structure of the conventional person detection system. A reference numeral 900 represents a network, reference numerals 901-1 to 901-n represent image pickup devices, a reference numeral 902 represents a monitor terminal, and a reference numeral 903 represents a specified person detection server. In the monitor terminal 902, a reference numeral 921 represents an image display unit, and a reference numeral 922 represents a detected object indicator. In the specified person detection server 903, a reference numeral 931 represents a pre-register and a reference numeral 932 represents a specified person detector. A character 'n' represents a natural number.
A specified person detection system includes the image pickup devices 901-1 to 901-n, the monitor terminal 902, and the specified person detection sever 903 which are connected via the network 900.
The image pickup devices 901-1 to 901-n are imaging devices such as network cameras. The monitor terminal 902 is a an apparatus such as a PC (Personal Computer) which includes a display monitor such as liquid crystal display or CRT, a user input device such as keyboard and mouse, and the like. The network 900 is a communication network such as leased circuit interconnecting individual devices for data communications, intranet, Internet, wireless LAN (Local Area Network) or the like.
In FIG. 9, the image pickup devices 901-1 to 901-n convert the captured images to digital data and output the resultant image data to the monitor terminal 902 and the specified person detection server 903 via the network 900.
The monitor terminal 902 includes the image display unit 921 and the detected object indicator 922. The monitor terminal serves as a user interface which displays the images inputted from the image pickup devices 901-1 to 901-n via the network 900 or messages and the like based on detection signals inputted from the specified person detection server 903 via the network 900.
The image display unit 921 processes the images inputted from the image pickup devices 901-1 to 901-n via the network 900 and displays the resultant images on a display screen of an unillustrated display monitor of the monitor terminal 902.
The detected object indicator 922 responds to the detection signal inputted from the specified person detection server 903 via the network 900 and displays a message indicating the detection of the specified person on the display screen of the display monitor. Further, the detected object indicator 922 outputs an alarm sound indicating the detection of the specified person by means of an unillustrated speaker or the like, thus informing the user of the detection of the specified person.
The specified person detection server 903 includes the pre-register 931 and the specified person detector 932. The specified person detection server 903 is an apparatus such as a computer which includes: a control and operation part such as CPU (Central Processing Unit) or MPU (Micro-Processing Unit, Micro-computer); an internal memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory) or flash memory; and a storage medium such as HDD (Hard Disk Drive).
The pre-register 931 previously registers a face image of a person to be specified. This face image is an image as a collation object image previously prepared and is inputted to the pre-register 931. The face image may be inputted by any of methods of designating a file to save the face image, routing through the image pickup device 901-1 to 901-n, using a digital camera or scanner, and the like.
The pre-register 931 performs an operation of extracting an image feature quantity from the input face image and registering the image feature quantity on a specified person list. The image feature quantity includes: color distribution of the image, distribution of edge pattern composition and the like or combinations thereof, for example. The specified person list is, for example, a database on which information pieces including the name, professional affiliation and the like of the person can be registered in addition to the image feature quantity. The specified person list is stored in the storage medium such as HDD.
The specified person detector 932 performs an operation of searching out a given person from the images inputted from the image pickup devices 901-1 to 901-n via the network 900 and then determining whether or not the searched person is the above-described person to be specified.
Disclosed in a patent literature 1 is a technique in which the feature quantity is extracted from the captured image, whether the feature quantity meets a predetermined condition or not is determined, and the image the feature quantity of which meets the condition is displayed.


Well casing assembly for use in oil and gas wells, and especially deviated or horizontal wells, has an inner pipe member with threaded ends which permit a number of casing assemblies to be joined in a string. The inner pipe has a series of perforations along a segment of its length which are covered by an elongated screen member which prevents the passage of sand particles. A concentric outer protective cover member is devoid of perforations in regions which are radially opposite the inner screen to prevent damage to the screen. One or more perforated segments of the outer member are axially spaced from the screen member so that inward flow from a formation will have its energy and velocity reduced before it reaches the screen, thereby minimizing erosion of the screen surface. If desired, perforated flow control devices such as annular rings can be located between the inner pipe and outer member at the ends of the screen segment to allow a more uniform flow to the screen, and thus further reduce erosion.

1. Field of Invention
This invention pertains to well casings of the type that are utilized in subterranean drilling for and pumping of natural resources such as oil and gas.
2. Related Art and Other Considerations
The world remains greatly dependent upon subterranean natural resources such as oil and gas for energy production. To this end, improved methods and apparatus are continually sought for extracting fluids such as oil and gas from underground formations.
A typical oil or gas well includes an elongated pipe string made up of a plurality of casing assemblies, each of which has both a cylindrical inner pipe and a concentric outer member. Both the outer member and the inner pipe are perforated. The perforations in the outer member allow inflow from a formation into an annular region between the outer member and the inner pipe. The inner pipe has a screen covering its perforations so that particulate matter entrained in the fluid will be removed from the fluid before the fluid flows from the annular region into the inner pipe and is directed axially through the inner pipe to the surface for fluid recovery.
The perforations on the outer member are normally of a sufficiently large size, such as 0.25", so as to not retain sand from the formation. Perforations of such a size would usually protect an internal screen member located beneath the perforations from being damaged. However, in some formations, sharp projections, such as in pockets of shale, can cause damage to an underlying screen if they should penetrate the perforations on the outer member and deform a portion of the screen surface, causing an enlarged opening therein. This is particularly true when the well is deviated at an angle to the vertical, or horizontal, causing the outer member to bear on the formation wall with a considerable force as it is run into the well bore. Moreover, in situations of high fluid flow, the fluid entering through the perforations of the outer member can impinge on certain areas of the screen with sufficient velocity and force so as to damage the screen. For a screen formed by rods and wires, for example, too great a force of the incoming particulate containing fluid applied to a small area of the screen can cause enlargement of the slot openings formed by the wires. Such enlargement would not only reduce the effectiveness of the screen but would cause a reduced pressure drop in the area, and thus cause even more particulate containing flow to impinge on the wires so as to produce further widening and thereby render the screen useless for its intended purpose.
In order to reduce the energy of fluid forces applied to screens in well casing assemblies, it has been proposed to have the outer member provided with slots or openings which are shaped so as to cause the fluid flowing radially through the openings to move a short distance axially before it again flows radially inwardly through a screen member. In this regard, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,560 to Voll et al. However, the structure shown in this patent does not address the problem of screens being damaged when protrusions of subterranean formations enter the perforations and deform the underlying screen surface. While it has been known in the prior art to form inlet and outlet perforations at offset locations with respect to concentric pipes, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,604,386 to Byerly, perforation placement has not been taught or suggested for protection of screens located inside casing assemblies.
What is needed, therefore, and an object of the present invention, is apparatus for protecting well screens from damage otherwise occasioned by protrusion and/or fluid force. Another object is to provide improved flow distribution in high flow sections of the formation so as to reduce erosion of the well screens.

Well casing assembly with erosion protection for inner screen


An interlocking mechanism includes an axial member reciprocating in a width direction of arrangement of first and second front doors by linking with an opening/closing operation of a side door. A stop member is provided rotatably and fixed in the width direction to the axial member. A restriction member presses the axial member toward the side door and having a pressing/urging member that urges the stop member in one of rotating directions. A pressing claw presses the stop member in the other of the rotating directions in a state where the second front door and the side door are closed. A restriction claw abuts on the stop member when the first front door is closed in a state where at least one of the side door and the second front door is open. An interlock switch is actuated by an actuator being inserted into the interlock switch.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an interlocking mechanism and an image forming apparatus having an interlocking mechanism.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a case where an apparatus having an openable/closable door is provided with an interlocking mechanism so that devices provided inside the apparatus are not actuated while the door is open. Such an interlocking mechanism includes, for example, an actuator provided to a cover and an interlocking switch provided to an apparatus body, wherein, when a door is closed and the actuator is inserted into the interlocking switch, the devices inside the apparatus are set in an actuatable state. If the apparatus has a plurality of doors, the interlocking mechanism may be provided individually for each of the doors, which may increase a number of parts and a manufacturing cost of the apparatus and make the structure of the apparatus complicated.
Thus, there is suggested, for example, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. H10-162684, a structure with which a single interlocking apparatus can deal with two doors provided on side surfaces of an apparatus body substantially perpendicular to each other. In this structure, the two doors must be located close to each other, and, thereby, it may be difficult to deal with a plurality of doors that are located remote from each other.
Accordingly, it is desirous to provide an interlocking mechanism having a simplified structure, which can deal with a plurality of doors located remote from each other, without increasing a manufacturing cost of an apparatus to which the interlocking mechanism is incorporated.

Interlocking mechanism and image forming apparatus having the interlocking mechanism


A system and method for reconstructing pathways in large genetic networks from genetic perturbations comprises an analysis method and system that applies a recursive algorithm for determining the path between every gene pair in an arbitrarily large genetic network from large-scale gene perturbation data and reconstructs all direct and indirect regulatory gene interactions in the network. Graph theory mathematics is applied to genetic network reconstruction in the following manner: Genetic perturbation data is used to identify all genes accessible from a perturbed gene to generate an accessibility list for the gene. Graph theory mathematics is applied to the accessibility list and its graph to determine a condensation of the graph as defined by the condensation's accessibility list. Graph theory mathematics is applied to the accessibility list, such as through a recursive algorithm performed on a desktop computer, to obtain an adjacency list for the gene that characterizes a genetic network.

Most techniques to analyze genetic networks monitor changes in the expression of many genes under changing environmental conditions, in different physiological stages, or in different genetic backgrounds to identify genes with similar expression in order to cluster them. However, this approach suffers from the problem that correlated expression can only point to regulatory interactions between genes. It cannot be used to infer such interactions. In addition the number of modules and the number of isolated genes inferred from correlated expression are likely underestimates, because gene perturbation studies preferentially perturb a sample of interesting regulatory genes with many interactions and not an unbiased random sample.

System and method for reconstructing pathways in large genetic networks from genetic perturbations


A computer-implemented method, a computer system and a computer program product generate a custom display for a virtual meeting. The method includes obtaining a plurality of virtual meeting information from a server. The method also includes capturing virtual meeting session data with a device. The virtual meeting session data is selected from a group consisting of audio data, video data and images of a screen of the device. The method further includes determining a current virtual meeting status and a participant emotion based on the virtual meeting session data and the plurality of virtual meeting information. In addition, the method includes predicting a virtual meeting end time and a participant status based on the current virtual meeting status and the participant emotion. Lastly, the method includes displaying the virtual meeting end time and the participant status in a meeting dashboard on the device.

Embodiments relate generally to progress of virtual meetings and, more specifically, to predicting the progress of a virtual meeting and the status of a participant and displaying the results to the participants in a meeting dashboard.
It may be useful to collaborate with others in a professional or personal setting using videotelephony services on the Internet and/or to conduct "virtual meetings". Videotelephony may enable the reception and transmission of audio-video signals by users in different locations, thereby providing a means to communicate video and voice between people in real time. Each meeting participant may communicate a video image of themselves along with audio of their voice using a personal computing device, such as a smart phone, tablet computing device, or personal computer. Each person attending a virtual meeting may participate from any location the person chooses. A person may attend from an office location or from home. Virtual meeting software applications may include a dashboard display with audio and video from participants, as well as information that is relevant about the virtual meeting and its participants.

Status prediction for meetings and participants

International Business Machines Corporation


A metal laminate gasket for an engine fitting a cylinder liner into a cylinder block is formed by laminating multiple metal plates, and includes a first laminate portion clamped between the cylinder block and the head block; a second laminate portion clamped between the cylinder liner and the head block; a connecting portion formed between the first and second laminate portions and made thinner than the first and second laminate portions; and a damper bead formed in the connecting portion for allowing the second laminate portion to follow the movements of the cylinder liner. Thus, the metal laminate gasket for the engine with the cylinder liner can follow the intricate movements of the cylinder liner accompanied by a high-powered engine.

The present invention relates to a metal laminate type gasket for an engine with a cylinder liner fitted into a cylinder block.
In an engine with a cylinder liner fitted into a cylinder block, the cylinder liner moves intricately accompanied by a high-powered engine, so that a head block is affected by the intricate movements of the cylinder liner. Accordingly, the cylinder head gasket is also required to follow the intricate movements of the cylinder liner as much as possible.
More specifically, for example, a gasket as shown in Japanese Patent No. 3113642, i.e., as shown in FIG. 2, a gasket forming a sealing portion 42 by folding back a first metal plate 31 at the rim of a combustion chamber 35, and laminating a second metal plate 32 to the first metal plate 31, includes a connecting portion 44 formed by only the first metal plate 31 between a sealing portion 42 and a laminated portion 41 of the first and second metal plates 31, 32. When the connecting portion 44 is located between the cylinder block and the cylinder liner, and the gasket is installed between the cylinder block and the head block, the gasket can follow the intricate movements of the cylinder liner to a certain extent.
However, when the cylinder liner moves intricately in a direction of the axis line of the cylinder liner relative to the cylinder block, the force of expanding and contracting in a horizontal direction in FIG. 2 acts on the connecting portion 44. Even if a bead 31a is provided in the sealing portion 42 of the first metal plate 31 as shown in FIG. 2, the bead 31a is highly compressed between the cylinder liner and the cylinder head for sealing. As a result, the bead 31a cannot act shock-absorbingly relative to the above-mentioned force. Also, when the bead 31a forcefully acts, the sealing function of the sealing portion 42 is deteriorated.
An object of the invention is to provide the metal laminate type gasket for the engine constituted by fitting the cylinder liner into the cylinder block, in such a way as to be able to follow intricate movements of the cylinder liner accompanied by the high-powered engine.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.


A new and distinct variety of blackberry plant named ‘DrisBlackTwentyFour’, selected for the flavor, size, and firmness of the fruit, as well as the vigor and health of the plant, is disclosed.

Blackberry is the common name for a multitude of plant species bearing dark purple to black aggregate fruit in the genus Rubus of the family Rosaceae. Most blackberries are within the subgenus Rubus.
Native chiefly to the northern temperate regions, blackberries are now being cultivated as a valuable fruit crop in many areas of the world, particularly in Europe, North America and Central America. Recognized for their high contents of antioxidants, dietary fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin K. Blackberry fruit are typically consumed as fresh fruit, individually quick frozen fruit, or in prepared foods, such as purées, juices, jellies, jams, grocery items, baked goods, and snack foods.
Globally, Mexico is the leading producer of blackberries, with nearly the entire crop being produced for export into the off-season fresh markets in North America and Europe. The Mexican market is almost entirely from the cultivar 'Tupi' (also spelled as 'Tupy'). In the United States, Oregon is the leading commercial blackberry producer, followed by the state of California.
Blackberries are perennial plants that typically bear biennial stems (known as "canes") from a perennial root system. The two cane types are primocanes, or first-year canes, which are usually vegetative, and floricanes, which are the same canes and produce fruit in the next growing season. In its first year, a new cane, the primocane, grows vigorously to its full length of three to six meters in a growth habit of erecting, arching, or trailing along the ground and bearing large compound leaves with 3, 5, or 7 leaflets; it does not produce any flowers. In its second year, the cane becomes a floricane and stops elongating, but the lateral buds break to produce flowering laterals that bear fruit.
Recently, primocane-fruiting blackberry varieties have been developed that are capable of flowering and fruiting on first-year canes. Primocane-fruiting blackberry varieties have several advantages, including potential of two crops on the same plant in the same year, reduction in pruning costs by mowing of canes, avoidance of winter injury, and production of fruit in an extended geographic area. However, primocane-fruiting blackberry varieties are also subject to a number of challenges, such as poor heat tolerance, lesser fruit quality, and low yield.
Blackberry is an important and valuable commercial fruit crop. Accordingly, there is a need for new varieties of blackberry plant. In particular, there is a need for improved varieties of blackberry plant that are stable, high yielding, and agronomically sound.

Blackberry plant variety named ‘DrisBlackTwentyFour’


PD1-CD70 fusion proteins are provided. Accordingly, there is provided a PD1-CD70 fusion protein comprising a single amino acid linker between the PD1 and the CD70. Also there is provided a PD1-CD70 fusion protein, wherein the PD1 amino acid is 123-166 amino acids in length and/or wherein the PD1 amino acid sequence comprises SEQ ID NO: 2 and/or wherein the fusion protein is in a form of at least a homo-trimer. Also provided are polynucleotides and nucleic acid constructs encoding the PD1-CD70 fusion protein, host-cells expressing the PD1-CD70 fusion protein and methods of use thereof.

Dual Signaling Proteins (DSP), also known as Signal-Converting-Proteins (SCP), which are currently known in the art as bi-functional fusion proteins that link an extracellular portion of a type I membrane protein (extracellular amino-terminus), to an extracellular portion of a type II membrane protein (extracellular carboxyl-terminus), forming a fusion protein with two active sides (see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,569,663 and 8,039,437, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein).
PD1 is a surface co-inhibitory receptor of the immunoglobulin super family. PD1 is expressed on T cells, B cells, monocytes, natural killer cells, dendritic cells and many tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). PD1 has two known ligands: PDL1 (also named B7H1; CD274) and PDL2 (B7DC; CD273), that are both co-inhibitory. PDL1 is expressed on resting T cells, B cells, dendritic cells (DC), macrophage, vascular endothelial cells and pancreatic islet cells. PDL1 is also known to be expressed in various types of cancers, especially in NSCLC, melanoma, renal cell carcinoma, gastric cancer, hepatocellular as well as cutaneous and various leukemia cancers, multiple myeloma and others. PDL2 expression is seen on macrophages and dendritic cells alone and is far less prevalent than PDL1 across tumor types. The expression of PDL1 is induced by multiple pro-inflammatory molecules, including types I and II IFN-γ, TNF-α, LPS, GM-CSF and VEGF, as well as the cytokines IL-10 and IL-4, with IFN-γ being the most potent inducer. The tumor micro-environment upregulates PDL1 expression, thereby, promoting immune suppression. In response to immune attack, cancer cells overexpress PDL1, which binds to PD1 receptor on T cells, inhibiting the activation of T-cells, thus suppressing T-cell attack and inducing tumor immune escape. PD1/PDL1 pathway regulates immune suppression by several mechanisms:                Induce apoptosis of activated T cells        Restrain cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL-CD8) activity        Inhibit the proliferation of T cells        Facilitate T cell anergy and exhaustion        Enhance the function of regulatory T cells        Restrain impaired T and NK cell activation and IL-2 production.
CD70 is the activating ligand of the CD27 receptor, a member of the TNF receptor superfamily and a potent activation-induced T cell costimulatory molecule. In human, CD27 is exclusively expressed in the lymphoid lineage, namely, by T, B and NK cells and their immediate precursors. CD27 is already present on naive CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Upon activation, naive CD4+ and CD8+ T cells transiently upregulate the expression of CD27. Activated dendritic cells are equipped to induce T-cell priming, because they possess higher levels of co-stimulatory molecules at the cell surface. These include the CD28 ligands CD80 and CD86 and the CD27 ligand CD70.
Additional background art includes:
International Patent Application Publication No. WO2017059168;
International Patent Application Publication No. WO2001/049318;
International Patent Application Publication No. WO2016/139668;
International Patent Application Publication No. WO2014/106839;
International Patent Application Publication No. WO2012/042480;
US Patent Application Publication No. 20150183881;
US Patent Application Publication No. US20070110746;
US Patent Application Publication No. US20070036783; and
U.S. Pat. No. 9,562,087.


Provided is a fingerprint sensor using a microlens including the microlens changing a path of light reflected by a fingerprint structure, and an optical-TFT checking the fingerprint structure from the light whose path is changed. Since the microlens including the spherical lens to change the path of light is provided, the amount of light incident on the light measuring area can be maximized. Also, since the noise such as dispersed light is exhausted by the spherical lens outside the light measuring area, the effect by the noise can be minimized.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light reflection type fingerprint sensor, and more particularly, to a fingerprint sensor which improves the light efficiency of an optical-TFT (thin film transistor) in a unit cell by using a microlens.
2. Description of the Related Art
As information communication devices become smaller, cheaper, and modularized, personal information security devices through obtainment of bioinformation of an individual are gradually made small and thin. A typical bioinformation is a fingerprint. A method of recognizing a physical system that is conventional security device has been replaced by bioinformation obtainment method. There are various methods of obtaining the bioinformation and a typical device therefor is a fingerprint sensor. The fingerprint sensor that is presently used includes an optical type using an image sensor and a prism and an electrostatic type using the difference in thickness of a pattern of a fingerprint structure.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a unit cell of a light reflection type fingerprint sensor that is an example of a conventional fingerprint sensor. Referring to FIG. 1, the unit cell of the fingerprint sensor includes a light emitting portion 10, a transparent substrate 20, an optical-TFT 30, and an electric-TFT 40. TFTs 30 and 40 are manufactured on the transparent substrate 20 that is a glass substrate. A backlight of a liquid crystal display device can be used as the light emitting portion 10.
An input light 12 emitted by the light emitting portion 10 and transmitting the TFTs 30 and 40 is reflected by a fingerprint structure 50. The reflected light is converted to an electric signal by the optical-TFT 30 formed on the substrate 20 and stored as electric charges. The stored electric charges are converted to an electric signal by the electric-TFT 40. When the electric signal is measured and processed in an appropriate method, the fingerprint structure 50 by the optical reflection can be checked.
In the optical reflection type fingerprint sensor of FIG. 1, there is a limit in reducing the size of a light source and an accurate image cannot be obtained because information is obtained from a reflected image. Also, in a fingerprint sensor using a contact light emitting device that is another type of the fingerprint sensor, since light is dispersed at a boundary surface between a light receiving device and a transparent insulation adhesive, adjacent pixel is affected.

Eletronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


The current invention provides a device that produces a three-dimensional object with custom art work from an electronic signal. More particularly, the preferred implementation is a device for making masquerade-type masks, and includes a digital camera that captures a front-on image of an individual's face and converts the captured image to an electronic signal that is downloaded into a personal computer. The computer is utilized to select an image, process that image to remove background, scale the image to correspond to the dimensions and features of a facial die that will be used to mold the mask, and to provide for special effects processing of the selected image. An ink jet plotter is then directed to print the processed image upon thin, flat plastic, which is aligned with the facial features of the die and deformed to skin tight conformance with the die by a vacuum-forming process. The finished mask bears art work, upon its convex exterior, that realistically imitates the face of the individual which served as the model for the mask.

Perhaps the simplest method of forming a stylized, three-dimensional object, such as a mask, is simply to carve the mask out of a suitable material, such as wood. Once the shape of the object has been developed, any desired texture or art work, such as paint, may be added to the object's exterior. Thus, for example, many masquerade-type masks and other three-dimensional objects are formed by simply molding a plastic or latex material to a detailed three-dimensional surface and painting the convex exterior of the three-dimensional surface using a silk screening or similar process.
Early masks and other three-dimensional objects were carved from wood, with engravings or other art work added to the exterior of the mask for additional artistic effect. This task, however, has been greatly simplified in recent years with the advent of plastics and other synthetic compounds. Such material may be suitably molded and dried, producing the desired three-dimensional object, such as a mask. Other materials require a precipitated chemical reaction during the molding process, to produce a rigid material from one that was originally soft or liquid. Alternatively, many such plastics exist as hard, rigid materials at room temperature, and are heated to allow the material to be deformed, and then cooled so that the deformed material regains its rigidity as a molded three-dimensional object. These processes are currently used to manufacture a vast number of goods used in contemporary living.
It is not uncommon for color and other art work to be added to these plastics, either before the molding procedure, or afterwards. For example, where a uniformly colored plastic is desired, the plastic is typically colored by a dye, which is added prior to the molding procedure. Alternatively, art work seen upon the exterior of the plastic is typically added either before or after the molding process has been completed as is frequently done, for example, in the manufacture of plastic-based masquerade-type masks, referred to above.
Relatively recently, procedures have been developed which allow stylized art work to be added to a plastic prior to a molding process. Typically, this procedure is used with hard plastics and synthetics which allow the art work to survive a heat-treatment procedure, which is used to mold and form these materials. Since the temperature break down of the art work, due to the chemical constituency of the inks employed in such processes, is higher than the temperature required to soften and deform the plastics, the art work survives the heat-treatment procedure. Often, this procedure is assisted by a vacuum-formation process. Using such a process, one may cause a heat-treated sheet of plastic to be sucked against a die in skin-tight conforming relation, and then cooled in that position. Once the plastic has been deformed to the desired three-dimensional shape, it may be removed from the die that was used to deform the plastic, and trimmed.
These newer procedures generally employ a silk screen or lithographic process to apply the desired art work to flat sheets of plastic prior to molding. As such, these procedures have proven ideal for mass-production, as large rolls of plastic sheets may be used to create large quantities of the same item, which are simply cut and trimmed from the sheets after the deformation process, to yield the finished product.
These procedures have enabled near-effortless production of thousands of identical products, using a assembly-line techniques. For example, a particular lithographic or silk-screen design may be repeatedly used many thousands of times, assisted by automated vacuum-forming machinery, which rapidly molds and cuts the desired stylized, three-dimensional object from rolls of plastic.
However, the foregoing procedures are not without their limitations. In particular, there exists no practical method of stylizing desired three-dimensional objects which are intended to be unique. For example, the silk screen and lithographic processes described are cost-feasible only when large quantities of the desired objects are created.
Also, one purpose of creating stylized three-dimensional objects is to imitate real life objects. For example, where masquerade-type masks are concerned, it is sometimes desirable to produce masks that resemble the appearances of contemporaries. However, the silk screening and lithographic processes described do not lend themselves readily to producing complicated art work. Since the silk screen and lithographic designs need time for creation, one's design thoughts cannot be created in real time, and error in creating the silk screen or lithographic designs detracts from realistic imitation.
In addition, the heat-treatment of pre-stylized materials, such as plastics and synthetics, results in distortion of the printed image during the deformation process. Thus, creating the silk screen and lithographic designs involves some labor in predicting and accounting for distortion in the actual design itself, so that the finished product accurately bears the desired art work.
From the foregoing, it will be apparent that there exists a definite need for an apparatus and method which allows the practical, low-cost production of stylized, three-dimensional objects in real time. In the case of one particular example, discussed above, there has existed a need for a device and procedure that would allow the construction of masquerade-type mask bearing the appearance of contemporary figures, yet not be labor intensive or require extensive artistic design.
Also, there has existed a need for an apparatus and method which allows for practical, low cost production of unique objects, and that would not require, for example, a labor intensive design when only a single product is requested. Additionally, it would be all the better if an apparatus or method could provide for accurate replication of art work, and eliminate error inherent in manually imitating desired art work, or in labor-intensive design to compensate for distortion to the art work caused during the deformation process.
The current invention satisfies these needs and provides for ready manufacture of stylized, three-dimensional objects through utilization of pre-deformation art work.

Method and apparatus for forming a stylized, three-dimensional object


The combination of amlodipine with atorvastatin metabolite shows a synergistic antioxidant effect on lipid peroxidation in human low-density lipoproteins and membrane vesicles enriched with polyunsaturated fatty acids. Inhibition of oxy-radical damage by this drug combination was observed at therapeutic levels in a manner that could not be reproduced by the combination of amlodipine with other statins or the natural antioxidant, vitamin E. The basis for this potent activity is attributed to the chemical structures of these compounds and their molecular interactions with phospholipid molecules, as determined by x-ray diffraction analyses. This combination therapy can be used to treat cardiovascular disorders, especially coronary artery disease, by increasing the resistance of low-density lipoproteins and vascular cell membranes against oxidative modification.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of mortality in the developed world, and is associated with substantial morbidity as well. Typically, the patient with CAD has several concomitant conditions, including hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia, increasing overall risk for poor outcomes and complicating treatment.
Among antihypertensive therapies, the lipophilic dihydropyridine-type calcium channel blocker CCB) amlodipine besylate (AML) is a very well-tolerated agent with an established record of safety and effectiveness for the treatment of hypertension and angina. A potential therapeutic role for AML in the treatment of patients with CAD was recently shown in the Prospective Randomized Evaluation of the Vascular Effects of Norvasc® (AML) Trial (PREVENT). This three-year trial evaluated the effects of AML compared to placebo on the development and progression of atherosclerotic lesions in coronary and carotid arteries among patients with documented CAD (Byington R P, Miller M E, Herrington D, et al. Rationale, design, and baseline characteristics of the Prospective Randomized Evaluation of the Vascular Effects of Norvasc Trial (PREVENT). Am. J. Cardiol. 1997; 80:1087–1090). The results of PREVENT showed impressive clinical benefits with AML therapy, including an overall 30% reduction in major documented events or procedures (Byington R P, Chen J, Furberg C D, Pitt B. Effect of amlodipine on cardiovascular events and procedures. J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. 1999; 33:314A and Pitt B, Byington R P, Hunninghake D B, Mancini J, Miller M E, Riley W. Effect of amlodipine on the progression of atherosclerosis and occurrence of clinical events. Circulation 2000; 102:1503–1510). AML therapy was also associated with a significant slowing in the progression of carotid atherosclerosis, as measured by B-mode ultrasonographic assessments (Byingyton R, Riley W, Booth D, et al. Effect of amlodipine on progression of carotid atherosclerosis in patients with documented heart disease. Am. J Hypertens. 1999; 12:42A–43A and Pitt B, Byington R P, Hunninghake D B, Mancini J, Miller M E, Riley W. Effect of amlodipine on the progression of atherosclerosis and occurrence of clinical events. Circulation 2000; 102:1503–1510). The clinical benefit seen with AML in CAD has not been previously reported with other CCBs, including dihydropyridine-type agents that have been used to examine this question (Waters D, Lesperance J, Francetich M, et al. A controlled clinical trial to assess the effect of a calcium channel blocker on the progression of coronary atherosclerosis. Circulation 1990; 82:1940–1953; Lichtlen P R, Hugenholtz P G, Rafflenbeul W, et al. Retardation of coronary artery disease in humans by the calcium-channel blocker nifedipine: Results of the INTACT study (International Nifedipine Trial on Antiatherosclerotic Therapy). Cardiovasc. Drugs Ther. 1990; 4:S1047–S1068; Borhani N O, Mercuri M. Borhani P A, et al. Final outcome results of the Multicenter Isradipine Diuretic Atherosclerosis Study (MIDAS). A randomized controlled trial. JAMA 1996; 276:785–791). This observation has led to interest in potential antiatherogenic properties of AML, including antioxidant effects that are independent of calcium channel modulation (Mason R P, Leeds P R, Jacob R E, et al. Inhibition of excessive neuronal apoptosis by the calcium antagonist amlodipine and antioxidants in cerebellar granule cells. J. Neurochem. 1999; 72:-1448–1456; Tulenko T N, Laury-Kleintop L, Walter M F, Mason R P. Cholesterol, calcium and atherosclerosis: Is there a role for calcium channel blockers in atheroprotection? Int. J. Cardiol. 1997; 62 (2 Suppl):55S–66S; Kramsch D M, Sharma R C. Limits of lipid-lowering therapy: The benefits of amlodipine as an anti-atherosclerotic agent. J Hum. Hypertens. 1995; 9 (Suppl 1:S3–S9); and Mason R P, Walter M F, Trumbore M W, Olmstead E G, Mason P E. Membrane antioxidant effects of the charged dihydropyridine calcium antagonist amlodipine. J. Mol. Cell. Cardiol 1999; 1:275–281.
Hypolipidemic therapy has also been demonstrated to be very useful in reducing morbidity and mortality associated with CAD. The ortho- and para-hydroxylated metabolites of atorvastatin ATM have been shown to exhibit antioxidant effects in lipoprotein preparations (Aviram M, Rosenblat M, Bisgaier C L, Newton R S. Atorvastatin and gemfibrozil metabolites but not the parent drugs, are potent antioxidants against lipoprotein oxidation. Atherosclerosis 1998: 138:271–280). The ortho-, meta-, and para-hydroxylated metabolites of atorvastatin (ATM) and their methods of preparation are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,385,929.
However, no pharmaceutical composition currently exists that treats both hypertension and hyperlipidemia. Such a pharmaceutical composition would have several benefits. For example, the multiple risk factors for arterial and related heart disease that are often present in an individual patient could be targeted simultaneously. Additionally, the ease of taking one combined dosage could significantly enhance patient compliance with therapeutic regimens.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a combination therapy that will treat the multiple pathological processes involved in arterial and related heart disease.
These include, but are not limited to, hypertension and hyperlipidemia. It is also an object of is invention to develop useful and convenient dosage levels and forms of such a combination therapeutic. Preferably, this pharmaceutical composition would have synergistic effects on these hallmarks of arterial and related heart disease, such that the individual effects of the components of this composition would be enhanced by their combination.
Thus, this invention encompasses a therapeutic goal for the treatment of CAD that entails the development of drugs that can simultaneously target multiple underlying disease processes that contribute to atherosclerosis, thereby altering the course of the disease. Therefore, using this invention, CAD therapy may have increased positive outcomes if the use of an antihypertensive agent and HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor was combined in a single delivery system.

Synergistic effects of amlodipine and atorvastatin metabolite as a basis for combination therapy


Optionally substituted p-aminophenol compounds, easily converted into the N-acylated derivatives thereof, are prepared by hydrogenating the corresponding nitrobenzene, in solution in a saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid, notably acetic acid, in the presence of an effective amount of a protonic acid.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the preparation of p-aminophenols from the corresponding nitrobenzenes, and, more especially, to the preparation of p-aminophenolic compounds and N-acylated derivatives thereof that are optionally substituted on their respective aromatic nucleii.
The present invention more particularly relates to the preparation of p-aminophenol, a valuable compound economically, because it is a useful intermediate for the production of N-acetyl-p-aminophenol ("APAP").
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known to this art to prepare p-aminophenols from phenylhydroxyl amines via the Bamberger Rearrangement (E. Bamberger, Ber., 27, 1347, 1548 (1894)).
Phenylhydroxyl amines are prepared by a careful reduction of nitrobenzene.
A direct route for the preparation of p-aminophenol entails the catalytic reduction of nitrobenzene. This reaction is carried out in an aqueous medium, in the presence of a strong acid, and in particular sulfuric acid, as well as a hydrogenation catalyst, generally platinum deposited onto a support.
p-Aminophenol production can be accompanied by the formation of byproducts such as aniline, 4-amino-4'-hydroxydiphenyl amine, 4-amino-4'-hydroxydiphenyl ether, 4,4'-dihydroxydiphenyl amine and 4,4'-diaminodiphenyl ether.
In order to limit the formation of byproducts, it is also known to this art to include additives in the process sequence, which are either catalyst poisons such as sulfur compounds (U.S. Pat. No. 4,571,437), or surfactants (U.S. Pat. No. 4,176,138).
The processes described in the aforesaid patents consequently require the use of supplementary additives.


Each data carrier of multiple data carriers is assigned a time slot within which to communicate with a base station. The base station allocates the time slots by acknowledging receipt of a data carrier's unique identifier during the assigned time slot. Each data carrier stores its assigned time slot, and communicates only when a time-slot counter indicates the occurrence of the assigned time slot.

1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a data carrier which is constructed for contactless communication with a station which is at least suitable for reading, and includes receiving means for receiving data blocks and transmission means for transmitting data blocks, and includes a circuit with a receiving terminal for receiving data blocks received by means of the receiving means and with a transmission terminal for outputting data blocks to be transmitted by means of the transmission means, and with time slot determination means which are arranged so as to determine each time slot of possibly repeatedly, successively running time slot sequences, each of which consists of a given number N of successive time slots, and with first processing means which are arranged to process a selection data block which is transmitted by a station in order to initiate a selection operation and is received via the receiving terminal and serves to select the data carrier from a plurality of data carriers, and with second processing means which are arranged to process, after the processing of a received selection data block by means of the first processing means, an identification data block which is stored in the circuit of the data carrier and can be applied, after its processing by means of the second processing means, during the duration of an nth time slot of a time slot sequence and via the transmission terminal, to the transmission means for transmission to a station, where 1≦n≦N, and with third processing means which are arranged to process, after correct reception in a station of an identification data block transmitted by the data carrier to this station, an acknowledge data block which is transmitted by this station to the data carrier and is received via the receiving terminal and is capable of setting the circuit of the data carrier to a selected state.
The invention also relates to a circuit which includes the following means, namely a receiving terminal for receiving received data blocks, and a transmission terminal for outputting data blocks to be transmitted, and time slot determination means which are arranged so as to determine each time slot of possibly repeatedly successively running time slot sequences, each of which consists of a given number N of successive time slots, and first processing means which are arranged to process a selection data block which is transmitted by a station, being at least suitable for reading, in order to initiate a selection operation and is received via the receiving terminal and serves to select the circuit from a plurality of circuits, and second processing means which are arranged to process, after the processing of a received selection data block by means of the first processing means, an identification data block which is stored in the circuit and can be applied, after its processing by means of the second processing means and during the duration of an nth time slot of a time slot sequence, to the transmission terminal for transmission to a station, where 1≦n≦N, and third processing means which are arranged to process, after correct reception in a station of an identification data block transmitted by the circuit to this station, an acknowledge data block which is transmitted by this station to the circuit and is received via the receiving terminal and is capable of setting the circuit to a selected state.
2. Description of Related Art
A data carrier of the kind set forth in the first paragraph and a circuit for a data carrier of the kind set forth in the second paragraph are known, for example from the patent document U.S. Pat. No. 5,539,394 A. When a known data carrier of this kind is present, together with a plurality of similar data carriers, within the communication range of a station which is at least suitable for reading, a data carrier can be selected in each time slot during a selection operation where a time slot sequence is executed. During such a selection operation, each selected data carrier transmits its identification data block to the station so that after such a selection operation the station knows the identity of the data carriers selected in the course of the executed selection operation. Subsequently, the station can address each selected data carrier individually in order to execute at least one communication operation with each selected data carrier, for example a read operation or a write operation or another operation.
It is a drawback of the known data carrier that, after selection of a given number of such known data carriers, in order to carry out a communication operation each of the selected data carriers must be addressed by way of a separate instruction so as to activate the relevant communication operation. The individual addressing of each selected data carrier by means of a respective instruction leads to a comparatively long communication interval; this is detrimental considering the need for as fast as possible communication with an as large as possible number of data carriers. Furthermore, because of the individual addressing of each selected data carrier by way of a respective instruction, a station arranged to communicate with the selected data carriers must generate and transmit a number of instructions which corresponds to the number of selected data carriers and hence produce a number of modulation steps, proportional to the number of instructions, in a carrier signal which serves for the transmission of the instructions to the data carriers and is in this case amplitude modulated; consequently, comparatively high levels occur in the range of the side bands of the amplitude modulated carrier signal used to transmit the instructions; in many countries this gives rise to conflicts with the rules and regulations concerning radio interference or radio interference limits.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Data carrier including a circuit with time slot determination means and time slot fixation means


In an embodiment, a UE determines to load a web page via a mobile browsing application on the UE. The UE obtains, from a web server, web page resource information for loading the web page on the UE. The UE loads the web page using the web page resource information and identifies one or more hints for assisting one or more mobile browsing applications on at least one other UE to perform an initial load of the web page, which the UE then reports to a hints server. The hints server collects hints from the UE as well as other UEs, evaluates their relevance and generates and/or updates a crowd-sourced hints list based on their perceived relevance. The hints server provides the crowd-sourced hints list to a target UE, and the target UE uses the crowd-sourced hints list to load the web page.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments relate to web acceleration based on hints derived from crowd sourcing.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is typical for mobile devices to execute web browsing applications that load web pages from one or more web servers via the Internet. An initial load of a web page will typically require processing at a given mobile device as well as the web server providing the web page before the web page can be loaded on the given mobile device (e.g., DNS resolution, web-page redirection, etc.). The processing associated with the initial load of the web page can be cached by the given mobile device as web page information, such that subsequent loads of the web page can be performed more quickly than the initial load of the web page. Each mobile device loading a particular web page for the first time may experience these initial loading delays, which can degrade performance of the web browsing application.

Web acceleration based on hints derived from crowd sourcing


A system and method for determining the actual torque being applied by an impact tool to a shaft of a fastener is disclosed, wherein an equation having a set of parameters that represent the time-amplitude curve of the individual pulses produced by the impact tool are used to correlate the impact tool pulses and the residual torque in the fastener without requiring knowledge of the torque of the fastener joint.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to control of the torque being applied to a body by an impact or impulse tool. More specifically, the invention is a method and apparatus that determines a best mathematical expression for representing individual pulses generated by an impact tool and solving the expression to accurately control the torque being applied to a body.
2. Description of the Related Art
Impact tools (also referred to as impulse or pulse tools) are commonly used in the assembly of large fasteners, such as automotive wheel lug nuts. They are able to deliver large torque forces from a physically compact device and can be operated manually.
As described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,655,471 to Cripe, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, Impax tools operate by applying sequential pulses of torque to a body, in this case a threaded fastener. If the amplitude of the applied torque is high enough to overcome the static friction force of the fastener, the fastener will turn. If the duration of the pulse is short enough, the average operator can manually operate the device. Unfortunately, there is little correlation between the torque within the fastener body applied by an impact tool and the torque observed by the operator. Therefore, impact tools have not been used where accurate control of a fastener torque is important. Rather, controlled-torque assembly processes have been performed manually by an operator with a torque wrench, or in an automated system with a torque-monitored, (non-impact) motor-driven tool, to fine-tune the torque to a pre-determined value. However, these tools are not practical for assembly of large, high-torque fasteners, such as automotive wheel lug nuts.
The most common method of providing the user with a sense of the torque being applied to a fastener is to equip an impulse tool with a torque meter on the tool output shaft. The torque meter is able to electromechanically observe the torque pulses being delivered to the fastener and can be programmed, through an electronic controller, to automatically shut off the impulse tool when a desired torque is reached. A torque meter can produce electronic voltage signals that may be converted to determine the actual torque being applied to a fastener. Some kind of mathematical function is required, however, to convert torque signals from the torque meter into an electronic signal that the controller can use to provide the mechanical feedback (i.e., an automatic shut off) needed by an operator.
Several methods of performing the torque meter data collection and mathematical signal conversion are disclosed in the related art. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,655,471, Cripe et al. disclose using characteristics of a series of pulses to estimate the actual torque being applied to a fastener. In particular, the patent discloses using a collarless torque transducer sensor and induction coils arranged on and around an impact tool shaft to collect imputed torque signals representing the amplitude and duration of each torque pulse. The amplitude and duration of the torque pulse are subtracted from a torque signal and the resulting difference is integrated over time to obtain a fastener angular velocity signal. The angular velocity signal is integrated over time to obtain a displacement signal which can be converted to a torque signal. The resulting estimated torque value is used to determine whether or not to shut off the impact tool.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,311,786 to Giardino et al. discloses using a collarless torque meter and induction coils to collect imputed torque signals acting over a time duration (i.e., an impulse, which is defined as a series of pulses). Knowing the impulse, the torque arm, and the pulse time duration, an accurate measure of the torque can be derived from a determination of the impulse. The impulse value can also be multiplied by a coefficient of proportionality prior to determination of the torque. The coefficient of proportionality is a predetermined value based on the size of the particular tool, e.g., it may vary based on area of magnetic field and manufacturing tolerance. A disadvantage of this method is that it ignores individual pulses and integrates impulses over time.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,366,026 and 5,715,894 to Maruyama et al., disclose controlled impact tools in which direct torque measurements are used. Direct torque measurements are made by measuring the force component of torsional stress on a shaft, as exhibited by a magnetic field about a tool output shaft, at the point in time of impact. Torque is related to the force component times the length of torque arm for a particular pulse. One problem with the methods disclosed in those two patents is that the devices measure torque at a given point in time, which may not accurately represent the true torque because torque measurements fluctuate over time, even after a large number of impacts are applied.
Thus, before the present invention, there was no system or method for dynamically calculating the torque being applied to a fastener by an impact tool using the characteristics of individual pulses over a period of time. There remains, therefore, the need for such a system to better control impact tools and prevent under- or over-tightening and loosening of fasteners or other shafts by impact tools.

System and method for controlling an impact tool


A method is disclosed for applying phosphate coatings to surfaces of zinc, iron, aluminum, and the alloys thereof by wetting with a phosphatizing solution containing divalent cations and phosphate to form a liquid film, and subsequently drying on the liquid film wherein the metal surfaces are wetted with a phosphatizing solution, which is free from elements of sub-groups 5 and 6 of the Periodic Table, said phosphatizing solution containing:. 0.5 to 8 g/l nickel; PA1 2 to 20 g/l manganese; PA1 18 to 170 g/l of phosphate (calculated as P.sub.2 O.sub.5);. and has an acid number of 0.4 to 0.8, such that after drying on, a phosphate layer having a weight per unit area of 0.3 to 3.0 g/m.sup.2, is obtained, where in the case of phosphatizing surfaces of iron, aluminum or the alloys thereof, the phosphatizing solution necessarily contains 0.5 to 5 g/l of zinc, and in the case of phosphatizing surfaces of zinc or zinc alloys the phosphatizing solution either contains zinc or is free from zinc.

In the metal-processing industry, the method of producing phosphate coatings by means of aqueous zinc phosphate solutions is employed on a large scale. The phosphate layers produced by means of this method on the treated metal surfaces are particularly useful to facilitate sliding, as a preparation for the chipless cold working and for protection against corrosion and as a surface for applying lacquer.
Such phosphatizing solutions usually have a pH-value between 1.8 and 3.8 and contain zinc and phosphate ions as main components. In addition to the cation zinc further cations may be present, e.g. ammonium, calcium, cobalt, iron, potassium, copper, sodium, magnesium, manganese. To accelerate the formation of the phosphate layer, oxidants such as bromate, chlorate, nitrate, nitrite, organic nitro compounds, perborate, persulfate or hydrogen peroxide are generally added to the phosphatizing solutions. To optimize the layer formation on certain materials, there is for instance added fluoride, silicofluoride, boron fluoride, citrate and tartrate. Due to the large number of individual components and their possible combinations there is obtained a plurality of different compositions of the phosphatizing solutions.
A special type of phosphatizing method is represented by what is called the low-zinc methods. The phosphatizing solutions used here contain zinc in concentrations of only about 0.4 to 1.7 g/l and in particular on steel produce phosphate layers with a high content of phosphophyllite, which provides for a better lacquer adhesion and a higher resistance to sub-surface corrosion of the lacquer than is commonly achieved through formation of phosphate layers on the basis of hopeite from phosphatizing solutions with a higher zinc content (DEA-22 32 067, EP-A-15 021, EP-A-39 093, EP-A-56 881, EP-A-64 790, K. Wittel: "Moderne Zinkphosphatierverfahren-Niedrig-Zink-Technik", Industrie-Lackierbetrieb, 5/83, p. 169 and 6/83, p. 210).
A comparatively novel development are the phosphatizing methods which among experts are referred to as trication methods. These are low-zinc phosphatizing methods, where by using nickel in amounts of e.g. 0.3-2.0 g/l and manganese in amounts of e.g. 0.5-1.5 g/l phosphate coatings are obtained which are characterized by an increased alkali resistance and are thus important for cathodic electro-dipcoating, in particular of car bodies.
Especially for phosphatizing galvanized or hot-dip galvanized steel strip, methods have been developed which allow the formation of a phosphate layer corresponding to the trication method within a contact time of 3-8 sec. (EP-A-111 246).
The above-mentioned phosphatizing methods have in common that the phosphatizing solution is brought in contact with the workpiece surfaces to be treated by dipping, flow coating or spraying. After the chemical reaction and upon formation of the firmly intergrown crystalline phosphate layer, the removal of phosphatizing chemicals remaining on the surface requires a rinsing treatment, which is usually performed in several stages. As a result, rinsing solutions are produced, which cannot be disposed of in this form, but must rather be supplied to a liquid-waste disposal system.
Although various suggestions were made for reducing or totally eliminating the amounts of rinsing water, rinsing in what is called a rinsing water cascade for instance involves a considerable reduction of the rinsing water produced. A processing of the rinsing waters even produced in a reduced quantity is, however, inevitable. To avoid rinsing waters it has been proposed to employ a zinc phosphatizing method, whose phosphatizing solutions are composed such that virtually all components can be precipitated by means of calcium hydroxide. In this way, the processing of the rinsing water is facilitated considerably, and at the same time this method has the advantage that water of sufficient quality can be recovered for the process. (DE-C-23 27 304). However, such a process has the disadvantage that due to the request for a precipitability of the constituents of the phosphatizing solution the freedom for the adaptation of the composition of the phosphatizing solution to practical requirements is greatly restricted. Finally, methods of producing a conversion coating are known, where after a possibly necessary cleaning and rinsing with water coating solutions are applied and subsequently dried-on. The application of the treatment solution can be effected by dipping or spraying with subsequent squeezing off the excess solution or by means of roll coating, where only the required amount of liquid is applied onto the metal surface. The process of drying on, which is performed subsequent to the application of the treatment liquid, can in principle already be effected at room temperature. In general, it is, however, common practice to employ higher temperatures, where preferably temperatures between 50 and 100.degree. C. are chosen. Such method designed for the preparation of metal surfaces for the subsequent coating with organic layers consists in wetting the metal surface with a phosphatizing liquid that has a pH-value of 1.5 to 3, is free from chromium and in addition to metal phosphate contains soluble molybdate, tungstate, vanadate, niobate and/or tantalate ions (EP-B-15 020). The cationic component of the metal phosphate in solution may be formed by calcium, magnesium, barium, aluminum, zinc, cadmium, iron, nickel, cobalt and/or manganese.
One disadvantage of the last-mentioned method is that due to the required additions of molybdate, tungstate, vanadate, niobate and tantalate ions the method is more expensive than the conventional phosphatizing methods, and another disadvantage is that the phosphate coatings obtained do not satisfy all the requirements existing today, e.g. as regards the alkali resistance and thus resistance in a subsequent cathodic electro-dipcoating as well as the desired corrosion resistance, in particular in conjunction with a subsequent lacquer coating.

Method of applying phosphate coatings to metal surfaces