A method for managing negotiations between parties, comprising the steps of: storing a selected document having a plurality of negotiable clauses; creating a first retrievable display relating to the document; updating the document as the clauses are modified by the parties, so that each clause corresponds to the last of the modifications; creating a plurality of respective, retrievable clause displays for all modifications of the clauses as each clause is negotiated; creating a retrievable summary display for the clauses; and, visually coding the retrievable displays to distinguish between clauses which have not been negotiated and clauses which have been agreed to, and so that updated clauses which have not yet been agreed to are attributed to one of the parties, whereby the negotiations can be tracked by reviewing the visually coded displays. All of the steps can be implemented at an Internet web site.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of negotiations, and in particular, to a document management system for tracking and recording on-going negotiations at a micro-level and a macrolevel.
2. Description of Related Art
Negotiations are very unstructured affairs in almost every respect. Negotiations are adversarial by nature, even when the parties have a genuine desire to reach an agreement. The adversarial character is reflected by almost every aspect of the process. Firstly, each party desires to control the paperwork. Computers have alleviated this issue to some extent. Many word processing programs have a revision tool by means of which revisions can be made on a tentative or provisional basis, and be coded by color or underlining, in a manner that some or all of the revisions can be accepted at a later time and automatically implemented. If the parties have the same software the document can be transferred back and forth, but there is no easy way to track the changes or determine the status of uncoded clauses.
There is a long-felt need for obviating the counter-productive desire to control the paperwork. In the event the paperwork is shared by transmission between parties, there remains a long-felt need to obviate having to have the same, if not completely compatible word processing systems.
Negotiators keep independent notes which may never be seen by others, including the negotiator""s manager, except when a dispute arises as to the meaning or consequence of a previous change or position, or as to the reason certain clause language was accepted by one party, perhaps subject to another point being yielded by the other party. In this instance, the notes usually reflect the differing position of each party, so that the previously decided issue must be renegotiated. When negotiations take place over a period of time, or in a series of negotiating sessions, the parties often forget where the discussions were interrupted, forgetting either genuinely or by design. Parties are also prone to forget undocumented agreements to be implemented later, or in some cases, the parties clearly remember these issues differently.
Managers have a particularly difficult task in monitoring and evaluating the negotiating efficiency of the negotiators as there is little recorded information regarding how and why certain clauses were agreed to in a manner more favorable to one party than the other. Once again, those personal notes can represent, or can be made to represent, a very selective record.
There is a long-felt need for a system for managing and tracking negotiations, which facilitates generation of a complete, on-going and accurate historical written record of the entire negotiation, and which enables each party to determine the status of every clause in an agreement at any time. Such a negotiation management system can benefit both the negotiators and the managers during the course of discussions, and can ultimately benefit the principals by improving the quality of the negotiations themselves.
It is frequently desired to incorporate predrafted clauses from form books and the like to speed implementation of proposed revisions and revisions which have been agreed to in terms, assuming appropriate language is adopted. Such clauses are available on CD ROMs, for example, but there is no integrated system available by which all parties can easily import such clauses into a document being negotiated.
There is a long-felt need for an integrated system by which predrafted clauses can be easily imported into a document being negotiated by any party and at any time.
Finally, it is often helpful to conduct negotiations on neutral ground. Negotiations conducted in-person can be conducted in a rented facility, but this is often an unacceptable expense and inconvenience, and in any event, often takes place in a host city or location associated with one of the parties. In the event negotiations take place at a distance, for example by transmission of a document in some form back and forth between the parties, only one party has access to the document at a time. This can be inconvenient, if not a source of considerable frustration.
There is a long-felt need to establish a neutral ground which provides each long-distance negotiator with equal and essentially unrestricted access to the document being negotiated and an associated record of the negotiations.
Each of the long-felt needs of the prior art is satisfied by the negotiation management system taught herein, which can be embodied as a method for managing negotiations, a method for facilitating negotiations and a computer apparatus programmed for enabling the methods to be practiced.
The negotiation manager, or management system, taught herein is a universal document management system which allows two or more parties to divide a proposed contract, or a draft letter of agreement, into specific issues that can then be edited during a series of iterations until both parties feel an optimum xe2x80x9cwin/winxe2x80x9d agreement has been reached. A core feature of the system is a so-called xe2x80x9cbracketingxe2x80x9d facility which allows a clause to be physically and visually isolated from within a base or starting document. The bracketed clause is then copied to respective positions associated with each party, but visible to both parties, at which each party can take turns making respective revisions. As each party makes changes in the wording of the bracketed, or targeted clause, the system records all changes until mutually acceptable language is finally proposed and the bracketed issue can be identified as having been agreed to.
The system also enables the negotiators to make an instant assessment of any and all issues so as to balance tradeoffs and track the conflict. For example, the system can allow the parties to track struggles to define a suitable up-front payment in relation to a final agreement on annual minimums. As the up-front payment request increases, the parties would be expected to lower the annual minimums.
Each recorded change to a bracketed clause becomes a revision to the base document, which is continually updated. In effect, the parties are creating a series of draft agreements during the negotiation process. The system also allows the parties to create new issues and treat them as bracketed items in their own right. When each new issue is created, the draft agreement is updated to include the new issue and the system brackets the issue in the system itself. The new language, in effect, becomes another draft clause that can be reciprocally edited until it is suitable for the final agreement.
Two management features help the negotiators keep track of the negotiation process even when negotiations take place over a matter of weeks, or longer, and involve dozens of disputed issues. The first feature is visual coding, one example of which is color coding. Each clause in the base document can be color coded to distinguish between clauses which have been agreed to and clauses which have not been negotiated. The bracketed clauses can be color coded to identify the party originating that version of a modified clause as the modified clause automatically appears in the updated document. The document can then be color coded to further distinguish clauses which are being negotiated and to identify which party has made the most recent proposal. This has the subtle but very significant effect of unambiguously tracking the turn taking obligations of the parties. This technique virtually abolishes the kind of crunch strategies which are bound up with aggressive win/lose negotiations. In other words, this program helps negotiators avoid the so-called xe2x80x9cJapanesexe2x80x9d type of turn taking evasion, in which bottom line judgments are avoided by saying xe2x80x9cYour proposal might be difficult.xe2x80x9d Such a strategy can sometimes pressure an opposing negotiator into making a change in his or her most recent proposal, thus leading the negotiator into the trap of negotiating with him or herself. The system virtually forces both parties to make concrete changes to the agreement until a mutually agreeable endpoint is attained.
A second major management feature is a color coded bracket summary page. This page provides a convenient overview of all the issues at dispute in the negotiation. Issues that have been agreed to show up as brackets of a first color, consistent with the color coding of the document. The color RED, for example, can identify issues containing language offered up by the party of the first part, often the initiator of the agreement effort and the author of the initial draft document. Brackets that are the color BLUE, for example, can indicate that the language suggested by the party of the second part is currently featured in the full text of the agreement as it is now worded. Simply by noting the color of the bracket, a negotiator is focused on issues that require special attention and creative new responses. Clauses which have been agree to can, for example, be coded by the color GREEN, both in the document and by the summary bracket. Many other kinds of visual coding can be utilized.
These two management features allow negotiators to maintain an overarching perspective toward the negotiation. As such, if a single issue becomes a major sticking point, the program helps the negotiators bypass dozens of pages of complex jargon and dozens of resolved conflicts so they can bring all their attention to bear on the troubled issue.
The system provides a unique historical record of the negotiation at both a microscopic and macroscopic level. At the microscopic level of a single bracketed issue, each change made by a participant is recorded in a linear list so that the sequence of moves that was made to attain a final solution can be reviewed by the participants or by a high level manager. In this sense, the system is the first tool designed to hold negotiators accountable for the quality of the conflict they generate during the process of negotiation. A manager can rapidly discover instances where his or her negotiator allowed important changes to be introduced into the agreement as a cost free capitulation. In fact, the historical record of every bracketed issue can be printed at any time. As a further tool to help explain matters of strategy or issues of settlement philosophy, the system allows annotations or other notes to be generated and recorded as part of the issue summary.
At the macroscopic level, the program allows the parties to print complete versions of the agreement at the conclusion of every round of negotiations. Without having to incur the tremendous legal cost and distressing delay associated with having lawyers draft interim agreements, persons using the system stay in full control of the entire process. When the final agreement is tentatively completed, the most current version of the agreement can be given to lawyers for minor revisions. The final agreement can thus be prepared for formal signatures in extremely rapid order.
The system can be compatible with virtually every word processing system and a base or starting document can be imported from almost any source. For example, the system can operate with rich text format, a format to and from which almost every word processing program can convert text. The record of the negotiations can be enhanced by first establishing a bibliographic record of the participants and by associating date and time stamps with each revision, indeed with each proposed revision of the agreement. Each negotiation has a permanent running clock.
One or more sources of predrafted clauses can be easily integrated with the system to enable both parties to easily peruse and import appropriate language for implementing agreed upon terms.
The system can be implemented by a software application running on a computer, for example a personal computer of each party. The system can also be implemented at an Internet web site, which would serve as a neutral venue and which could be accessed by the parties, alone and together, at any time of the night or day. This is particularly useful for negotiators whose local time zones are literally day and night to one another. Such an Internet web site can become a virtual negotiating center for a plurality of ongoing negotiations regarding different matters and between different parties. The document and associated record remain at the web site and thus eliminate the need to transmit documents back and forth. The issue of controlling the paperwork is also obviated
A method for managing negotiations between parties, in accordance with an inventive arrangement, comprises the steps of: storing a selected document having a plurality of negotiable clauses; creating a first retrievable display relating to the document; updating the document as the clauses are modified, so that each clause corresponds to the last of the modifications; and, visually coding the first retrievable display to identify clauses which have not been negotiated, whereby the negotiations can be tracked by reviewing the visually coded display.
The method can further comprise the step of visually coding the first retrievable display to distinguish between clauses which have not been negotiated and clauses which have been agreed to. The method still further comprise the step of visually coding or further visually coding, as appropriate, the first retrievable display so that those of the updated clauses which have not yet been agreed to are attributable to one of the parties.
The method can further comprise the steps of: creating a plurality of respective retrievable clause displays for all the modifications of the clauses as each clause is negotiated; and, visually coding the plurality of respective retrievable clause displays so that the modifications are attributable to respective ones of the parties.
The method can further comprise, alone or together with the preceding step, the steps of: creating a retrievable summary display for all the clauses, each clause being represented by a summary identifier; and, visually coding each summary identifier consistent with the step of visually coding the plurality of respective retrievable clause displays.
The visual coding, or further visual coding as appropriate, can be implemented by the step of visually coding by at least one of: foreground color; background color; font face; font style; borders; and, brackets.
The method can further comprise the step of first recording bibliographic information identifying the parties and the parties"" negotiators. The selecting step can comprise the step of importing the selected document from another application. Date and time information can be associated with each of the modifications. The modifications can be implemented by linking to at least one source of selectable clauses and copying selected ones of the selectable clauses. Retrievable notes relating to respective ones of the negotiated clauses can also be recorded.
The method can further comprise the steps of: storing all information recorded in connection with the negotiations in at least one data file, whereby the at least one data file can be sent back and forth between the parties. Alternatively, the method can further comprise the steps of: storing all information recorded in connection with the negotiations on an Internet web site; and, enabling access to the information by the parties over the Internet.
A method for facilitating negotiations, in accordance with a further inventive arrangement, comprises the steps of: enabling at an Internet web site a selection of a document having a plurality of negotiable clauses; creating at the Internet web site a first retrievable display related to the document; providing authorized parties access to the retrievable display over the Internet; updating the document as the clauses are modified during the negotiations, so that each clause corresponds to the last of the modifications; and, visually coding the first retrievable display to identify clauses which have not been negotiated, whereby the negotiations can be tracked.
The method can further comprise the step of visually coding the first retrievable display to distinguish between clauses which have not been negotiated and clauses which have been agreed to. The method also further comprise the step of further visually coding the first retrievable display so that those of the updated clauses which have not yet been agreed to are attributable to one of the parties.
The method can further comprise the steps of: creating a retrievable summary display for all the clauses, each clause being represented by a summary identifier; and, visually coding each summary identifier. The summary identifier can be visually coded consistent with the steps of visually coding and further visually coding the first retrievable display.
The method can further comprise, with and without the step of creating the retrievable summary display, the steps of: creating a plurality of respective retrievable clause displays for all the modifications of the clauses as each clause is negotiated; and, visually coding the plurality of respective retrievable clause displays so that the modifications are attributable to respective ones of the parties.
The visual coding, or further visual coding as appropriate, can be implemented by the step of visually coding by at least one of: foreground color; background color; font face; font style; borders; and, brackets.
The method can further comprise the step of first recording bibliographic information identifying the parties and the parties"" negotiators. The selecting step can comprise the step of importing the document from another application. Date and time information can be associated with each of the modifications. Sources of selectable clauses can be made available at the web site for copying by the parties to implement the modifications. Retrievable notes relating to respective ones of the negotiated clauses can also be recorded.
A computer apparatus programmed with a routine set of instructions stored in a fixed medium, in accordance with another inventive arrangement, comprises: means for selecting a document having a plurality of negotiable clauses; means for creating a first retrievable display relating to the document; means for updating the document as the clauses are modified, so that each clause corresponds to the last of the modifications; and, means for visually coding the first retrievable display to identify clauses which have not been negotiated, whereby the negotiations can be tracked by reviewing the visually coded display.
The computer apparatus can further comprise means for visually coding the first retrievable display to distinguish between clauses which have not been negotiated and clauses which have been agreed to. The computer apparatus can also further comprise means for further visually coding the first retrievable display so that those of the updated clauses which have not yet been agreed to are attributable to one of the parties.
The computer apparatus can further comprise: means for creating a plurality of respective retrievable clause displays for all the modifications of the clauses as each clause is negotiated; and, means for visually coding the plurality of respective retrievable clause displays so that the modifications are attributable to respective ones of the parties.
The computer apparatus can further comprise, with and without the means for creating a plurality of respective retrievable clause displays: means for creating a retrievable summary display for all the clauses, each clause being represented by a summary identifier; and, means for visually coding each summary identifier consistent with the visually coding of the plurality of respective retrievable clause displays. Each summary identifier is visually coded consistent with the visual coding the first retrievable display and the visual coding of the plurality of respective retrievable clause displays.
The visual coding and the further visual coding can be implemented by at least one of: foreground color; background color; font face; font style; borders; and, brackets.
The computer apparatus can further comprise: means for accessing sources of selectable clauses; and, means for copying one of the selectable clauses to implement the modifications.
The computer apparatus can further comprise: each of the means being operable at an Internet web site; and, means for providing authorized parties access to the Internet web site for negotiating and tracking the negotiations.
A method for managing negotiations between parties, in accordance with yet another inventive arrangement, comprises the steps of: storing a selected document having a plurality of negotiable clauses; creating a first retrievable display relating to the document; updating the document as the clauses are modified by the parties, so that each clause corresponds to the last of the modifications; creating a plurality of respective, retrievable clause displays for all modifications of the clauses as each clause is negotiated; creating a retrievable summary display for the clauses; and, visually coding the retrievable displays to distinguish between clauses which have not been negotiated and clauses which have been agreed to, and so that updated clauses which have not yet been agreed to are attributed to one of the parties, whereby the negotiations can be tracked by reviewing the visually coded displays. All of the steps can be implemented at an Internet web site.

Negotiation manager incorporating clause modification and markers for tracking negotiation progress


Measuring of endotoxin using a reaction of a horseshoe crab hemocyte lysate with endotoxin in a solution can be carried out in the presence of a water-soluble polysaccharide containing .beta.-1,3-glucosidic linkage and/or a water-soluble polysaccharide derivative containing .beta.-1,3-glucosidic linkage.

This invention relates to a process for measuring endotoxin by using a reaction of a hemacyte lysate (amoebocyte lysate) of horseshoe crab (hereinafter abbreviated as "AL") with endotoxin, in which a factor present in AL which reacts with .beta.-1,3-glucan to cause coagulation reaction (hereinafter referred to as ".beta.-1,3-glucan sensitive factor") is inactivated, and the endotoxin alone is specifically measured.
Endotoxins are lipopolysaccharides present mainly in cell wall of Gram-negative bacteria and are known as pyrogens. Therefore, the measurement of endotoxin concentration in a sample is one important measurement in the fields of medical science, pharmacy and microbiology.
At present, as a method for measuring endotoxin, the so-called Limulus test utilizing the phenomenon that an extracted AL solution (hereinafter abbreviated as "AL solution") is activated by endotoxin to form gel clot is widely employed because of its simplicity, convenience, low cost, etc.
However, it was found that AL solution reacts not only with endotoxins but also with carboxymethylated .beta.-1,3-glucan to undergo coagulation [Kakinuma et al., Biochem. Biophys. Research Communication, 101 (2), 434- 439 (1981)]. It was proved that this phenomenon is caused by the reaction of .beta.-1,3-glucan sensitive factor present in AL solution with .beta.-1,3-glucan or a derivative thereof (Iwanaga et al., Bacterial Endotoxin, published by Verlag Chemic, 365-382, 1984).
Therefore, most of commercially available Limulus test reagents react not only with endotoxins but also with .beta.-1,3-glucan, so that it is difficult to judge which of endotoxin, .beta.-1,3-glucan and a mixture thereof is present in a sample, by the Limulus test. Thus, the specificity of such Limulus test reagents is a problem.
In order to solve this problem, there has been reported a method for preparing a reagent specific for endotoxins by removing .beta.-1,3-glucan sensitive factor from AL solution [Japanese Patent Appln. Kokai (Laid-Open) Nos. 58-13516 and 59-27828]. However, all the methods disclosed in these references require a very troublesome procedure of treating AL solution, for example, by a gel filtration method or a chromatographic method using a carrier having heparin, dextran sulfate or the like attached thereto, to separate the AL solution into a fraction of proclotting enzyme, a fraction of .beta.-1,3-glucan sensitive factor, and a fraction of a factor which reacts with endotoxin to cause coagulation (hereinafter abbreviated as "endotoxin sensitive factor"), and to remove the .beta.-1,3-glucan sensitive factor. Therefore, for preventing AL solution or the fractions obtained therefrom from being contaminated by endotoxin during the separation procedures, there are required, for example, facilities used exclusively for carrying out said procedures. Moreover, the above methods are further disadvantageous in that the individual fractions should be properly mixed again in order to obtain a reagent specific for endotoxin.
On the other hand, the above reference of Kakinuma et al. [Biochem. Biophys. Research Communication, 101 (2), 434-439 (1981)] describes the following fact. AL solution reacts not only with endotoxin but also with carboxymethylated .beta.-1,3-glucan to undergo coagulation reaction, but when carboxymethylated .beta.-1,3-glucan is added in a large amount (10 .mu.g/ml or more), it does not cause coagulation reaction, and when a large amount (10 .mu.g/ml) of endotoxin is further added to the solution, coagulation reaction still occurred. However, the amount (10 .mu.g/ml) of endotoxin added in said reference is as large as about 200 times the permissible concentration of endotoxin in distilled water for injection or the like [for example, the standard value (the permissible concentration in a sample) of endotoxin according to the XX edition of U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) is 0.25 EU/ml or 0.05 .mu.g/ml)]. Since such an amount is far greater than the amount which is normally measured as endotoxin using AL solution, application of the above fact for measuring endotoxin has been inconceivable.


An apparatus for movably joining structures is disclosed. In one embodiment of the invention, the apparatus provides at least one rotational degree of freedom of movement, while providing electrical coupling. In another embodiment of the invention, the apparatus provides at least two rotational degrees of freedom of movement.

Generally, a joint is a configuration by which two or more parts are joined. Many kinds of joints exist, such as fixed joints, rotational joints and translational joints. A fixed joint locks two parts together so that they cannot move with respect to each other. A rotational joint, on the other hand, allows the rotation of one part with respect to another part about a common axis. A translational joint allows one part to translate along a vector relative to another part.
Joint structures are classified into various categories depending on the field of study. For example, in anatomy, joints are classified as fibrous, cartilaginous and synovial. These categories classify anatomical joints based upon the magnitude of motion the joint permits. Fibrous joints allow no movement, cartilaginous joints allow a small magnitude of movement, and synovial joints allow the largest magnitude of movement. In robotics, on the other hand, joints are classified as revolute, prismatic, helical, cylindrical, spherical and planar. These categories classify robotic joints based upon the types of motion the joint permits. Joints may also be classified based upon the degrees of freedom of motion the joint permits.
In mechanical engineering, degrees of freedom (DOF) describe flexibility of motion. A mechanism that has complete freedom of motion, even if only in a limited space, has six degrees of freedom. Three modes are translational, each moving in one of three spacial dimensions (e.g. x, y, and z). Three modes are rotational, each changing angles around one of three perpendicular axes. The six degrees of freedom are often described as moving up and down (or heaving), moving left and right (or swaying), moving forward and backwards (or surging), tilting up and down (or pitching), turning left and right (or yawing), and tilting side to side (or rolling).
A single joint structure may provide zero degrees of freedom (e.g. fixed or fibrous joints), one of the six degrees of freedom (e.g. rotational or translational joints) or a combination of the six degrees of freedom delineated above (e.g. synovial joints). Additionally, a combination of joint structures may provide complete freedom of motion.


A reciprocating internal-combustion engine having at least two gas intake ports (3) with gas intake valves (6), at least one gas exhaust port (4) with a gas exhaust valve (7) and at least one ignition device (14) per cylinder (1) is provided. The engine can also include a combustion chamber (1.1) formed by a cylinder cover (2.1) and a crown (11.1) of a piston (11). A trough-shaped recess (12) can be provided in the piston crown (11.1) and is bounded by a trough base (12.1) and side walls (16). The recess (12) can intersect a roof ridge (11.2) on the piston crown (11.1) and the trough base (12.1) slopes towards a fuel injection nozzle (8) and ends in a wall zone (12.2) extending steeply upwards on its side facing the fuel injection nozzle (8).

In reciprocating internal-combustion engines with spark ignition and direct fuel injection, the fuel is injected directly into the working space of the engine by means of an injector. With respect to the time of this injection, there are two basic operating modes.
In so-called homogeneous operation, the fuel is injected early into the combustion chamber, in general during the inflow of the combustion air, i.e. when the intake valve is open. Good homogenisation of the fuel/air mixture is thereby achieved. This operating mode is favourable when the engine is operating at high load.
In so-called stratified-charge operation, injection does not take place until after the gas intake valve has closed, when the piston passes into the region of its top dead centre position during its upwards movement. The intention here is that the fuel is only mixed with some of the fresh air contained in the cylinder and also only in a locally limited manner before it is ignited by the ignition device. This operating mode is preferably employed when the engine is operating at partial load or no load. The advantage is that the engine can be operated without throttling the intake air and without the fuel-to-air ratio in the vicinity of the ignition device being too lean for reliable ignition.
For these operating modes, different methods of introducing the fuel into the cylinder chamber and forming the mixture have become known and can be divided into two categories:
In the so-called jet-guided methods, the injection jet is aimed directly at the ignition device. The injected fuel cloud mixes with the combustion air and is ignited by the ignition device. Accordingly, reliable stratified-charge operation is only ensured if the ignition device is positioned very close to the injector. This has the disadvantage that only an extremely small, operating-point-specific ignition window is available and, accordingly, adjustment of the jet diffusion for large performance characteristic ranges is critical. In addition, the injectors used have to be manufactured with great precision. Even small tolerances or changes in the injector during long-term operation lead to disadvantageous boundary conditions for ignition.
The ignition conditions in stratified-charge operation can therefore only be ensured by an exact geometric relationship between the ignition device and the injection jet. Consequently, the known methods in this category are carried out without a defined or strong charge movement. In homogeneous operation, however, this movement for improving the homogenisation of the fuel/air mixture is absent, resulting in output losses and an increase in fuel consumption with correspondingly increased pollutant emissions.
This method has the further disadvantage of increased wear and shortened life of the ignition devices caused by direct injection onto the ignition device.
The so-called wall-guided methods are based on the fact that, in stratified-charge operation, the fuel injection jet is deflected onto the injection device by the part of the combustion chamber wall formed by the piston crown. This is assisted by a strong charge movement. This method avoids direct injection onto the ignition device. Tolerances and the operating state of the fuel injectors are less critical than in the above-described jet-guided methods.
A disadvantage of these methods is that, when the fuel is injected directly into the cylinder chamber, it travels as far as a combustion chamber wall, in particular the piston crown, with the result that in certain operating states there is incomplete combustion, leading to increased emission of unburned hydrocarbons and increased emission of soot. This method has hitherto been carried out with a fuel injector on the intake side and, from the point of view of orientation and direction of rotation, is based on the formation of a specific cylindrical flow of the cylinder charge in the injection direction, which guides the mixed jet to the ignition device via the piston crown. This pattern of the charge movement can be achieved by steeply upright intake ports (EP 0 558 072 B1 and DE 197 08 288 A1), resulting in a correspondingly greater overall height of the engine. According to another proposed solution, the desired movement pattern of the cylinder charge is achieved by a particular formation of the intake port or, for example, the geometry in the seat region of the intake valve (EP 0 463 613 B1), although this has disadvantageous effects on the flow quality of the intake system and thus on the full-load operation of the engine. In both cases, the injection jet is aimed at a recess in the piston crown so that, during stratified-charge operation, fuel which is still liquid strikes the piston crown. The mixture forming there is then guided towards the ignition device in contact with the wall of the piston crown.
With this method, the strong charge movement necessary in stratified-charge operation has a disadvantageous effect during homogeneous operation owing to the resulting harsh combustion noises and increased wall heat losses.
WO01/49996A discloses a reciprocating internal-combustion engine having two gas in-take ports with gas intake valves and at least one gas exhaust port with a gas exhaust valve and at least one ignition device per cylinder, and having a combustion chamber formed by the cylinder cover and the crown of the piston, which is guided in the cylinder in a reciprocating manner, wherein the piston crown on the one hand and the cylinder cover on the other hand are substantially roof-shaped in vertical section, and wherein in each case one of the roof surfaces is associated with the gas intake valves and the other roof surface is associated with the gas exhaust valve, and the orientation of the roof surfaces of the cylinder cover corresponds to the orientation of the roof surfaces of the piston crown. A trough-shaped recess is provided in the piston crown and extends over the region of the roof ridge on the piston crown and thus over both roof surfaces. The fuel injection nozzle opens into the cylinder near the inlet region of the gas intake port next to the gas intake valve. The ignition device is arranged in the cylinder cover close to the vertical cylinder axis.
Owing to the roof-shaped formation of the cylinder cover and also the piston crown, a combustion chamber is formed which is only slightly creviced so that, in conjunction with the trough-shaped recess in the piston crown, movement of the cylinder charge towards the fuel injection nozzle is produced. As the gas intake ports open into the combustion chamber at an angle, a tumble flow is formed during the intake stroke and initially flows into the combustion chamber along the cylinder cover and is then guided back towards the fuel injection nozzle by the trough-shaped recess. The flow is also maintained during the compression stroke.
In particular during stratified-charge operation, air is guided towards the fuel injection nozzle via the piston crown, and the fuel is then injected into the air. Improved mixture preparation is achieved in the immediate vicinity of the gas intake valve if, during stratified-charge operation, fuel injection takes place after closure of the intake valve at a time at which the piston is close to its top dead centre position during its upwards movement. In the region of the injection valve, the air flow changes direction and is guided towards the ignition device. In spite of the reduced combustion chamber volume, a long free jet path with optimum mixture formation is then available for the fuel in the direction of the air flow in the cylinder towards the ignition device. This produces only a slight coating of fuel on the cylinder walls. The particular formation of the combustion chamber in combination with the position of the fuel injection nozzle permits very flat guiding of the jet, enabling the fanned-out jet to enter the combustion chamber in the region of the trough-shaped recess in the piston crown in a satisfactory manner and almost without wetting the piston crown, also during stratified-charge operation, so that an optimum fuel/air mixture reaches the ignition device.

Reciprocating internal-combustion engine with direct fuel injection by means of an injector arranged on the intake side


A method of, and apparatus for, real-time imaging are described employing a plurality of contact electrodes (1) located for example around the thorax (2) with simultaneous measurement of potential between adjacent pairs of electrodes (1), digital demodulation of the potentials, and measurement and division of the drive current into the potential measurements before image reconstruction by the use of transputers (20, 22, 24 and 26).

This invention relates to a real-time electrical impedance tomography (EIT) system to provide for example blood flow imaging.
Tomography systems are described in GB-PS 2 119 520B or GB-PS 2 160 323B (U.S. Pat. No. 4,617,939 corresponding to both the content of the U.S. patent being incorporated hereinto by reference) or WO 89/09564 on which the present applicants/inventors are named as inventors, and in which the impedance imaging system consists of a data collection system (the data being measured potentials between pairs of electrodes in a series of contact electrodes attached around a human or animal body, and in which another pair is a "drive" pair between which currents are caused to flow) and an image reconstruction system. Frames of data could be collected serially by the data collection system at twenty-four frames per second but image construction could only be carried out at approximately one frame per second. Whilst this is not a disadvantage in extracting certain slowly changing physiological data there are other data requirements where it is necessary to produce images much more quickly--for example, when observing blood flow in the body during the cardiac cycle.
In order to produce a system able to produce images much more quickly two developments are required. Firstly, a much faster digital processor or computer in order to implement the image construction algorithm rapidly. Secondly, the data collected from the human body has to be improved in quality and in particular the noise level reduced. In the previous system noise level could be reduced by averaging signals over several seconds before constructing an image. However, averaging is not possible in a system running rapidly in real-time and therefore the noise level must be reduced by other means.

Real-time electrical impedance tomography system


A laminar “precured” or “replacement” tread for wheeled vehicles operating at night on retreaded tires is made more readily visible when grooves in the tires are provided with elastomeric strips or bands in which are embedded retroreflective elements such as transparent glass or synthetic resinous microspheres (referred to herein as “beads”). Upper surfaces of longitudinal ridges in a flat curing mold lend themselves to supporting the strips which are then precisely positioned in grooves defined by the ridges, when the flat tread is cured.

The additional safety provided by reflective elements on tires is well known. Such elements are provided on the sidewalls of tires to make a vehicle more readily identifiable in a side view at night; and in the grooves of tires to make a vehicle more readily identifiable in an end view at night. This invention is directed to reflective circumferentially continuous grooves in the tread of a tire, to provide better visibility and cosmetic enhancement over and above that provided by tail lights on a vehicle, and especially directed to retreaded tires used on large trucks.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,946,782 to Petrasek et al provides reflective elements in adjacent circumferential grooves of a tread so they provide an indication of the speed at which the tire is rotating—a particularly helpful feature at night when a person with impaired depth perception has difficulty estimating the speed of approaching or retreating lights mounted on a vehicle. Though they state that "These reflective elements are preferably molded into the tire during the vulcanizing or curing operation.", and "Great care must be taken in this method so that the reflective elements are properly located on the external surface of the green tire to correspond with the desired locations in the molded, cured product;", they failed to disclose how one might position a strip in the grooves of a hot mold. They also failed to realize that it was critically important to isolate the reflective elements from the tread surface with an effective barrier layer. This oversight is confirmed by the disclosure that "Alternatively, the reflective elements may be placed on the protrusion of the mold itself (sic)" and "The reflective elements will be transferred to and vulcanized to the finished product during the curing operation." (col 3, lines 54–67). Clearly there is no suggestion how one might position a bead-coated strip, bead side against the hot vertical circular face of a "protrusion" of the mold (of the male portion of the mold which will form a groove) and have the strip remain in position. The statement that "Possibly, the elements may also be cemented onto the finished tire after it has been molded." (col 4, lines 3–4) ignores the fact that it is impractical to do this by any known method, and if done, there is no disclosure as to what type of adhesive will keep the strip securely in place when the tire is on a vehicle travelling at high speed on a highway.
Aside from dealing with the problem of staining, one skilled in the art will appreciate that cementing elastomeric strips into the valleys of grooves in a cured tire is impractical. Equally impractical is trying to secure strips in the circumferential grooves of a typical tire retreading mold lying open in a generally horizontal plane (so that the tread lies in a generally vertical plane), the mold being in a curing press, as the strip is easily displaced when the green retread is cured. By "displaced"is meant that the strip does not lie flat on the floor of the valley of the groove and portions of the strip are forced over onto the sides of one or the other opposed walls of the groove, asymmetrically, usually on the lower surface of one or the other walls.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,382,908 to Palmquist et al discloses a tire on which glass beads are cured to the sidewall using a laminate of neoprene and disclosing various other vulcanizable materials none of which is identified as being impermeable to staining-components present in the rubber of the sidewall. Staining is not a severe problem in a sidewall compound; many sidewall compositions are non-staining. They also state "However, reflective treatments using reflex-reflective elements embedded in rubber, such as neoprene, natural and styrene-butadiene rubber, exhibit useful but less durable properties." (see col 5, lines 57–60).
Though the glass beads on the sidewall are stated to be abrasion resistant and relatively durable, they are nevertheless subject to damage when the sidewall scuffs a curb. Commonly available substrates, in which retroreflective glass beads are embedded, are relatively degradable in direct sunlight, such degradation being due to staining. Since the sidewall of a tire is exposed to far more direct sunlight than the valleys in the grooves of a tread it is more susceptible to uv degradation.
Still further, when muddied or coated with road dust, the glass beads on a sidewall are not self-washing unless the tires are run through water deep enough to bury the sidewalls; so muddied glass beads on sidewalls must be washed, as is typically done in a "car wash". There is no suggestion that the strip be placed in the valleys of grooves in a tread where the strip is susceptible to staining by ingredients in a "retread compound", and Palmquist et al were evidently unaware of the pitfalls and advantages of so doing. Pitfalls include positioning the strip in the curing mold so it is molded substantially precisely in a groove, and choosing a thermally stable, non-staining elastomer for a substrate; advantages include having the strip protected against damage by direct sunlight and abrasion when tires are run on hard pavement, as large trucks usually are, and having a strip which is self-washing.

Method of manufacturing precured tread with reflective grooves


An electrical connector system has two connectors, one of which is included in a module mateable with the other connector in a pluggable manner. The other connector includes an elongated guide rail and a connector block in which are retained two or more electrical contacts. The guide rail by use of snap projections and recesses (11) may extend through an opening in a computer enclosure. A latch member is attached to the end of the guide rail in a manner that releases the latch member from the guide rail if the latch member is bumped or jarred to minimize the likelihood of damaging it. A grounding strip embedded in the guide rail makes electrical contact with the bezel through which it extends to protect against EMI. The ground strip includes raised contact portions (41) that engage a conductive bottom cover (39) of the module (72) and lower contact portions (53) for surface mount to a system circuit board (26).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electronic connector systems and, more specifically, to low-profile connector systems for user-removable electronic modules, such as transceiver modules that interface with a computer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electrical connectors are used to interconnect circuit cards and other electronic modules or assemblies in computers and other equipment. Various international and industry standards define the type of connectors used to interface computers to external communication devices such as modems, network interfaces, and other transceivers. A well-known type of transceiver developed by an industry consortium and known as a gigabit interface converter (GBIC) or serial optical converter (SOC) provides an interface between a computer and an Ethernet, Fibre Channel or other data communication environment. In co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/216,014, a connector system is described that includes an optoelectronic transceiver module of this type that conforms to the Small Form Factor (SFF) standard. The SFF standard specifies a module enclosure 9.8 mm in height by 13.5 mm in width and allowing a minimum of 24 transceivers across a standard rack opening. The connector system includes a connector that is mountable on a circuit card of a computer and into which the transceiver module can be plugged. The connector has a guide rail and cam system that facilitates mechanical mating with the transceiver module. The connector can be mounted on a circuit card behind a bezel of the computer enclosure, with the guide rail extending through an opening in the bezel. The connector further has a connector block with an array of electrical contacts that facilitate electrical mating with complementary contacts of the transceiver module. A user mates the transceiver module with the connector by sliding the module over the end of the guide rail that protrudes through the bezel, and sliding it along the guide rail until the cam fully engages the transceiver module and full mechanical and electrical contact is established. At approximately the point at which the transceiver module becomes fully engaged with the connector, a latch member at the distal end of the guide rail engages a complementary latch member on the module.
Because the guide rail of the above-described connector system protrudes through the opening in the bezel, the latch member at its distal end is subject to being inadvertently bumped or jarred. If the force of such an impact is severe enough, it could damage the latch or guide rail or damage the integrity of the soldered electrical connections between the guide rail and the circuit board upon which it is mounted.
It would be desirable to minimize the likelihood of the above-described damage occurring. The present invention addresses this problem and others in the manner described below.
The present invention relates to an electrical connector system having two connectors in which one of the connectors is included in a module mateable with the other connector in a pluggable manner. The other connector is mountable on a circuit board and includes a body and two or more electrical contacts. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the body of the mountable connector includes an elongated guide rail with a latch member at its distal end that snaps off if it experiences a jarring force to prevent damage. A snap engagement portion on the latch member mates with a mating snap engagement portion on the distal end of the guide rail. If the latch member snaps off, one can reattach it by snapping it back onto the guide rail. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the guide rail includes an electrical contact at its distal end that is mateable with the bezel of a computer enclosure in which the connector may be mounted. The mountable connector can be mounted on a circuit board in the computer enclosure, with the guide rail extending through an opening in the bezel. The electrical contact between the bezel and the mountable connector can enhance EMI shielding for the signals carried by the connector system.
In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the body of the mountable connector is definable by three mutually perpendicular axes and includes a connector block at the proximal end of the guide rail, which is elongated in the direction of the first axis. The connector block retains the contacts, which are spaced from one another in the direction of the first axis. The electrical contacts of the mounted connector may be arrayed in two or more rows, each parallel to the second axis and having two or more contacts. The body, including the connector block, has a very low profile, and in certain exemplary embodiments it is preferably less than about 10 mm in height, i.e., the dimension defined by the third axis, to accommodate the Small Form Factor standard and to facilitate surface-mounting the bottom of the body on the circuit board. The body also includes a cam that, in response to a force of the module being moved along the guide rail, redirects the force in a direction having a component along the third axis so as to cause relative motion and resulting electrical contact between the contacts of the module connector and the contacts of the mounted connector. A cam on the connector block has two complementarily inclined ramp sections. When the module, guided by the guide rail, is moved into initial engagement with the cam, the first ramp lifts the module, including the electrical contacts of its connector, above the connector block of the mounted connector. When the module is moved further into engagement with the cam, the second ramp lowers the module connector onto the connector block, with the contacts of the module connector lowering onto and making contact with the contacts of the mounted connector. The camming motion minimizes wiping between the mating contacts. In addition, the contacts of the mounted connector are preferably somewhat resiliently deflectable to promote good electrical contact.
The foregoing, together with other features and advantages of the present invention, will become more apparent when referring to the following specification, claims, and accompanying drawings.

Removable latch and bezel EMI grounding feature for fiber-optic transceivers


A piezoelectric actuator for use in controlling the path length, for example, in a ring laser gyro is made of two piezoelectric discs attached to a metallic structure for exerting a push-pull force thereon to move the metallic structure in an oil can fashion. The piezoelectric actuator is attached to a dual diaphragm mirror assembly in such a way as to impart a strictly linear motion to the mirror assembly without any deliterious rotational effects. The actuator can easily be optimized for varying diaphragm stiffness by adjusting the thickness of the metallic structure to which the piezoelectric discs are attached. The mirror assembly and actuator are designed to minimize the influence of temperature changes on the position of the path length mirror.

This invention relates to a ring laser gyros, and more particularly to an actuator for controlling laser light path length in a ring laser gyro by changing the position of a mirror.
Prior art path length actuators for ring laser gyros are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,160,184 ("Piezoelectric Actuator") issued to Bo Ljung. Such actuators generally comprise a plurality of piezoelectric discs assembled into a stack. A stack can implement the required stroke if it is made sufficiently large.
The main disadvantage with prior art designs is their complexity; the designs involve many piezoelectric elements and many adhesively bonded interfaces. This complexity affects the cost of the actuator and the reliability. Moreover, it is difficult if not impossible to optimize the piezoelectric stack to a particular spring constant of the mirror assembly. This causes the designer to choose a massive stack which can provide sufficient force to move the path length mirror the required distance.
Further disadvantages arise in bonding a stack of piezoelectric discs with adhesive. Maintaining electrical contact to an outside source requires the use of conductive adhesives, which unfortunately are poor in quality an can lose their conductive properties over time. In addition, because the thermal coefficient of expansion for piezoelectric materials changes as a function of age, a match to other low expansion materials used in the ring laser gyro construction is difficult or impossible.
A stack of piezoelectric wafers is usually rigid not only axially but also rotationally. If the stack is imperfectly bonded, it will rotate by tilting when energized. It is common that such stack tilt will couple into the mirror. Such a rotation, if it is larger than 0.01 seconds of arc, is deliterious for the ring laser gyro. Such tilts cause a displacement of the laser beams inside the gyro, which under certain conditions can cause a bias shift.
An object of the present invention is to provide a structurally simple, inexpensive and reliable path length actuator wherein the transmission of torques from the actuator to the mirror is minimized if not eliminated. Another object of the present invention is to provide such an actuator in which the circuit energizing the piezoelectric elements has a maximum conducting life and in which the structural mountings of the piezoelectric elements maintain a high level of strength. Yet further objects of the present invention are to provide such an actuator in which the matching of the spring constant of the piezoelectric assembly to the spring constant of the mirror assembly is facilitated and in which differential thermal expansion is compensated.

Laser light length control assembly for ring laser gyro

Kearfott Guidance & Navigation Corporation


Actuation systems and methods for actuating a telescopic structure are provided. The actuation system can include a chain cartridge including a drive chain engageably coupled to a drive mechanism actuated by an actuator coupled to a power supply. The drive chain can include a plurality of inter-connected links conveying at least one cable within an interior space of each inter-connected link. The system can also include a telescopic structure including a plurality of segments configured to extend and retract telescopically and conveying the drive chain therein. The drive chain can couple to a distal segment of the plurality of segments. The drive mechanism can impart a linear translation force on the plurality of inter-connected links to cause the distal segment to extend or retract from the telescopic structure. Methods of actuating the actuation system described herein are also provided.

Actuation of a telescopic structure can be required in a variety of environments and/or applications to perform an objective task using the telescopic structure. Often actuation systems configured to actuate a telescopic structure include expensive, large, and complex designs which can be limited in their ability to sense interaction forces in the environment. Traditional actuation systems are usually complex, heavy, and large compared to the objective tasks to be performed. In addition, traditional actuation systems often do not include efficient gear trains, which can require complex sensor and processing architectures to determine actuation forces and contact sensitivity based on received interaction forces experienced in application environments.
Personal, assistive robots can include complicated articulation and actuation systems, which can cause such robots to be expensive and difficult to use. As a result, such robots may be financially unattainable for users needing assistive robotic devices and may create a reduced user experience when performing objective tasks. Such robots may be large and heavy due to the complicated articulation, which can limit its ability to provide assistive articulation when accessing, reaching, or otherwise interacting with objects in a particular environment.
Accordingly, there is a need for actuations systems configured to actuate a telescopic structure in a mobile, assistive robot that can support articulation in multiple degrees of freedom. Benefits of such actuation systems can include lower component and manufacturing costs, less complicated designs, ease of deployment in a wider variety of environments, and increased user experience when performing objective tasks.


Examples of the present disclosure provide a method, apparatus and computer program configured to cause performance of the following: detecting movement of a device; detecting at least one ambient condition of the device; and determining whether to trigger an alert in dependence upon the detected movement and the detected at least one ambient condition.

A user, when not actively using a device such as a hand portable electronic device (e.g. a mobile/smart phone, wireless communications device, media player, PDA . . . ) would typically carry the device on their person by placing it in a pocket. Conventional portable devices are not always optimal with regards to reducing the risk of the device being misplaced, lost or stolen due to movement of the device, such as the device falling out of a user's pocket onto a chair.
The listing or discussion of any prior-published document or any background in this specification should not necessarily be taken as an acknowledgement that the document or background is part of the state of the art or is common general knowledge. One or more aspects/examples of the present disclosure may or may not address one or more of the background issues.


A rotational speed sensing device for sensing a rotational speed of a rotating member includes a pulsar ring having a plurality of wall portions, a permanent magnet, a coil, a first magnetic member and a second magnetic member. The first magnetic member is provided for forming a first magnetic circuit which includes at least the inner side of the coil. The first magnetic member has a plurality of projections that are alternately positionable during rotation of the pulsar ring in a first position in which the projections oppose the wall portions and in a second position in which the projections do not oppose the wall portions while the pulsar ring is rotating. The second magnetic member is provided for forming a second magnetic circuit which does not include the inner side of the coil in such a manner that the magnetic resistance of the second magnetic circuit is lower than the magnetic resistance of the first magnetic circuit when the projections are located in the second position.

A conventional rotational speed sensing device is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-open publication No. 5(1993)-94771 published without examination on Dec. 24, 1993. The rotational speed sensing device disclosed in this document is illustrated in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10.
As shown in FIG. 9, the rotational speed sensing device includes a pulsar ring 104, a permanent magnet 105, a coil 108 and a magnetic member 106. The pulsar ring 104 is fixed to a rotating member 101 and the rotating member 101 is rotatably supported on a cylindrical member 103 via a plurality of balls 102. The cylindrical member 103 is fixed to a shaft 100. As shown in FIG. 10, the pulsar ring 104 has a plurality of generally equally spaced apart projections 104a, with the projections being disposed in the circumferential direction of the pulsar ring 104.
The permanent magnet 105 is disposed between the pulsar ring 104 and the cylindrical member 103 and is fixed to a housing 111 that is fixed to the cylindrical member 103. The permanent magnet 105 has an N-pole for generating magnetic flux and an S-pole for receiving magnetic flux generated by the N-pole.
The coil 108 is disposed between the pulsar ring 104 and the cylindrical member 103 and is formed around a bobbin 107 that is fixed to the housing 111. The coil 108 substantially opposes the permanent magnet 105 and generates a voltage corresponding to the magnetic flux which passes through the inner circumferential side of the coil 108 in the axial direction of the rotating member 101. One end of the coil 108 is connected to a first terminal 109 and the other end of the coil 108 is connected to a second terminal 110.
The magnetic member 106 is disposed at the inner circumferential side of the coil 108 and is fixed to the housing 111. The magnetic member 106 is provided for forming a magnetic circuit with the permanent magnet 105, the pulsar ring 104 and the inner circumferential side of the coil 108. As shown in FIG. 10, the magnetic member 106 has a plurality of projections 106a corresponding to the projections 104a on the pulsar ring 104. The magnetic member 106 is alternately located relative to the pulsar ring 104 in a first position in which the distance between each projection 106a and each wall portion 104a is relatively small and in a second position in which such distance is relatively large.
The operation of the convention device described above is as follows. When the rotating member 101 is rotated, the pulsar ring 104 rotates with the rotating member 101. Since the magnetic member 106 is alternately positioned relative to the pulsar ring 104 in the first and second positions during this time, the magnetic resistance between each projection 106a of the magnetic member 106 and each projection 104a of the pulsar ring 104 varies, whereby magnetic flux which passes through the inner circumferential side of the coil 108 in the axial direction of the rotating member 101 varies. As a result, the coil 108 generates voltage corresponding to the magnetic flux which passes through the inner circumferential side of the coil 108 and this voltage is picked up by the terminals 109, 110 so that the rotational speed of the rotating member 101 can be detected.
In the above-described device, since the magnetic circuit which includes the inner circumferential side of the coil 108 is only formed by the magnetic member 106 when the magnetic member 106 is located relative to the pulsar ring 104 in the second position, magnetic flux which passes through the inner circumferential side of the coil 108 may be fully decreased during this time. In other words, the difference between the magnetic flux which passes through the inner circumferential side of the coil 108 when the magnetic member 106 is located in the first position relative to the pulsar ring 104 and the magnetic flux which passes through the inner side of the coil 108 when the magnetic member 106 is located relative to the pulsar ring 104 in the second position is relatively small. Thus, the output of the coil 108 is relatively small.
To increase the output of the coil 108, the permanent magnet 105 must be enlarged or the number of turns of the coil 108 must be increased. Unfortunately, this makes the rotational speed sensing device undesirably larger and more expensive.

Rotational speed sensing device provided with a pair of magnetic members each having a plurality of projections


A material pushing apparatus is disclosed that has a central blade, at least one removable side plate attached to the central blade and a segmented scraping edge flexibly attached to the central blade along the bottom longitudinal edge of the blade. A position sensor is attached between the blade and the scraping edge and produces a position signal that is displayed to indicate the relative position between the blade and edge in order to characterize the amount of downward pressure applied to the scraping edge. Other aspects and features of the disclosed apparatus include a tilt sensor and display, and an improved coupler having shock-absorbing features and a cam-type clamping arrangement.

A material "pusher" or "pushing apparatus" or "containment plow" as described for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,755 to Weagley, hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, generally includes at least one side extending forward and perpendicular from a mold board or central blade to assure that the material to be displaced is contained and remains in a position along and ahead of the pusher, and is not directed or permitted to roll off either side, as is the case with conventional plows.
Conventional pushers or containment plows, particularly those having sides and wear shoes that extend in front of the central blade, often experience difficulty in tracking the surface being plowed. In particular they may fail to thoroughly clean material (e.g., snow, ice) from depressions in such surfaces because the scraping edge of the plow is unable to contact a depressed surface, or when one side of the plow is lifted as the side wear shoe passes over a raised region. The disclosed material pusher includes a number of features that are designed to significantly improve the surface outcome or performance of such devices. For example, the disclosed embodiments avoid rigid contact with the surface being plowed ahead of the blade or scraping edge. And the use of a segmented, two-edged scraping edge, allows small sections of the overall scraping edge to adapt to depressions in the surface being plowed so that "bird bath" (puddle) depressions are not missed. Moreover, the use of flexible/compliant materials, the re-positioning of wear shoes and an improved coupling mechanism that rigidly attaches the apparatus to a bucket, yet provides a degree of compliance between the loader and the pushing apparatus, enable the apparatus to reliably track the surface being cleared. These improvements, along with on-board sensors to monitor down pressure and/or tilt of the apparatus, assure that the apparatus can be effectively employed to provide improved material pushing performance when compared to conventional containment plows.
Accordingly, the following disclosure is directed to aspects and embodiments of an improved pusher or containment plow including an equipment coupler having a shock absorbing compliant interface, an improved chassis manufactured using tab and slot components, wear shoes that are disassociated from the side plates of the plow chassis, and a multi-component scraping edge, where the tilt of the pusher and/or the aggressiveness of the edge is monitored by a sensor system. Also disclosed are side plates having external reinforcing gussets and a compliant lower working surface for moving snow or other materials over large areas such as parking lots, roadways, and runways, for example.
In some embodiments, the disclosed material pusher can be affixed as an extension to the bucket of a front end loader or backhoe, and accordingly the material pusher may be interconnected via an engagement of the bucket within a receiving structure located on the backside of the pusher. For example, attached to the back of the moldboard. In other embodiments one of a number of quick-coupling mechanisms known for use on skid steer and other heavy equipment buckets and attachments may be employed.
In accordance with an aspect of one embodiment disclosed herein, there is provided a material pushing apparatus, comprising: an upstanding central blade, including a longitudinal edge along a bottom side of said blade, and at least one removable side plate attached to and extending generally forward from the central blade near an end thereof; a scraping edge flexibly attached to the central blade along the bottom longitudinal edge; and a position sensor for monitoring relative position between the scraping edge and central blade, and producing a position signal representing the relative position.
In accordance with another aspect disclosed herein there is provided a method for operating a material pushing apparatus, said apparatus comprising a material pushing apparatus, including an upstanding central blade, having a longitudinal edge along a bottom side of said blade, and at least one removable side plate attached to and extending generally forward from the central blade near an end thereof; a scraping edge flexibly attached to the central blade along the bottom longitudinal edge; a position sensor for monitoring relative position between the scraping edge and central blade, and producing a position signal representing the relative position; a tilt sensor for monitoring relative tilt angle of the central blade, and producing a tilt signal representing the relative tilt angle; a visual indicator; and a processor; said processor operating in accordance with a program stored in memory associated with said processor, to periodically receive at least one of the position signal and the tilt signal as inputs and to update at least one output signal in response thereto, where a representation of the output signal is displayed on the visual indicator.
In accordance with a further embodiment, there is disclosed a material pushing apparatus, comprising: an upstanding central blade, including a longitudinal edge along the bottom side of said blade, and left and right vertical side plates attached to and extending generally forward from or near each of the ends of the central blade, said side plates being bolted on and detachable from the blade, and including a flexible skirting on the bottom thereof, said skirting being inwardly biased and held at the bottom edge of the side plates; a scraping edge(s) flexibly attached to the central blade along the bottom longitudinal edge, where the scraping edge includes both forward facing and rearward facing components that are angularly oriented and spaced apart; a coupler flexibly attached to the rear of the blade for attaching the pushing apparatus to a bucket of a vehicle for moving the pushing apparatus, said coupler including a plurality of C-shaped receivers, at least one of said receivers including opposed upper and lower arms extending rearward relative to the central blade and forming a slot therebetween for receiving an edge of the bucket, wherein at least one of said arms further includes a cam having a high friction surface thereon (e.g., teeth) for contacting a surface of the bucket when the bucket is placed in the slot, the cam thereby affixing the bucket to the coupler (without the need for additional chains or other binding devices); a sensor for monitoring the relative position between the scraping edge and blade, and optionally including a visual indicator to reflect change in the relative position); and a pivotable wear shoe attached to and behind the central blade to provide a further ground contact surface behind the apparatus when in operation.
Also disclosed with respect to yet a further embodiment is a pushing apparatus including an inverted "V" or angled scraping edge(s) for attachment along the lower longitudinal edge of a pusher moldboard, comprising: a plurality of rigid sections; said sections being compliantly or flexibly attached along a bottom edge of the blade so as to be displaceable in order track the surfaces being plowed and provide improved surface outcome, as well as to yield to other irregularities within the surface being plowed (e.g., curbs, manhole covers, sewer grates, etc.), thereby preventing damage to the irregular object as well as the scraper blade section.
The various embodiments described herein are not intended to limit the disclosure to those embodiments described. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the various embodiments and equivalents set forth. For a general understanding, reference is made to the drawings. In the drawings, like references have been used throughout to designate identical or similar elements. It is also noted that the drawings may not have been drawn to scale and that certain regions may have been purposely drawn disproportionately so that the features and aspects could be properly depicted.

Pro-Tech Manufacturing and Distribution, Inc.


A portable tree stand assembly includes a horizontal platform, which is easily mountable to a trunk of a tree. A vertical mounting structure is connected to a rear side of the horizontal platform and extends vertically downward from the horizontal platform. A cantilevered support structure is connected between a front side of the horizontal platform and a base of the vertical mounting structure, which allows an upper surface of the horizontal platform to be unobstructed. A plurality of spurs protruding rearwardly from the vertical mounting structure grip the surface of a tree without causing substantial damage to the tree. A link chain secures the stand to the tree without requiring cinching or tightening.

The present invention relates to a tree stand, commonly used for deer hunting. In particular, the present invention relates to a tree stand of the type that is packed into the woods, attached to a tree, and on which a hunter can stand while waiting for game to approach.
It is known to provide a tree stand assembly wherein a horizontal platform is supported on the tree trunk by gripping means which may extend integrally downwardly from a back end portion of the platform. Such a platform can be held against the tree trunk by hooking one link of a chain to one side of the back portion of the platform and another link of the same chain to the other side of the platform. Such a platform can be kept from slipping down the tree by providing large spikes at the bottom of the gripping means and driving those spikes into the tree trunk. See U.S. Design Pat. 306,348 granted to Baumeister on Feb. 27, 1990.
A deficiency of such prior art devices has been the necessity of pounding large spikes into the tree trunk to the detriment of the tree. Other stands have been developed which rely on actually screwing the stand into the tree at the top edge of the platform, and then either screwing a portion of the gripping means into the tree or pounding spikes on the bottom ends of the gripping means into the tree.
Such prior art devices are often made of iron or steel and are, consequently, heavy to carry into the woods and are even more difficult to carry out of the woods if the hunter is successful and has to also transport a deer or other large game animal out at the same time.
It is also known to provide portable deer stands which are built up on the spot by assembling metallic bars. These are inconvenient and, perhaps worse, the inevitability or possibility of the clash of metal on metal can do much to deter game animals from frequenting their regular trails along which the hunter is deploying a tree stand or other deer stand.
There is a need therefore for a tree stand assembly which could be easily carried into the woods and out of the woods again as a back pack. For a lightweight, easily mountable tree stand, which is capable of providing a sturdy, stable horizontal platform with minimal damage to the tree.


A coil (11) is connected in series to a primary winding (1a) of a flyback transformer (1). A series circuit of a capacitor (15) and a switching circuit (12) is connected in parallel to the coil (11). By turning on and off the switching circuit (12), the connection of the capacitor (15) to the coil (11) is switched, to thereby connect or disconnect the coil (11) in an AC fashion. Therefore, it is possible to realize a high voltage regulating circuit which can be made inexpensive.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to high voltage regulating circuits and, more particularly, to a high voltage regulating circuit for use in regulating a high voltage supplied to a cathode ray tube (CRT) of a television receiver or the like, for example.
2. Description of the Related Art
High voltages of from 25 kV to 28 kV must be applied to an anode of the CRT of the television receiver. Such high voltage is generally generated by a flyback transformer and must be controlled so as not to fluctuate because the high voltage fluctuation changes the size of raster or the focusing.
To regulate or stabilize the high voltage, the following two methods are known in the art:
In a first method which is known as a power source voltage modulation method, a high voltage output is detected and a high voltage is regulated by changing the power source voltage. In a second method which is known as a pulse width modulation method, a high voltage output is detected and a high voltage is regulated to be constant by changing the pulse width (pulse width of retrace).
Further, it is proposed to couple a second flyback transformer (flyback transformer for control) to the secondary side of the flyback transformer.
The above-mentioned two conventional methods are sufficient for stabilizing or regulating the high voltage. However, a tertiary output voltage of about 15 V to 200 V derived from the flyback transformer and the retrace pulse width in order to control the high voltage are fluctuated so that the television receiver must require a so-called separate system in which a horizontal deflection circuit and a high voltage generating circuit are separated and spaced apart or in substantially the same as the separate system.
Further, in the method of coupling the second flyback transformer to the secondary side of the flyback transformer, if a focusing voltage is obtained from an intermediate point of a high voltage coil, then this voltage is fluctuated due to the high voltage control. As a result, such fluctuated voltage cannot be used as the focusing voltage. Furthermore, the two flyback transformers are used, which unavoidably provides an expensive high voltage regulating circuit.
In addition, since these conventional methods are to primarily control the input voltage waveform itself of the primary winding of the flyback transformer, a large electric power portion (large current and large voltage) including the horizontal deflection circuit must be controlled, which needs the assembly parts of large capacity. From this standpoint, the conventional high voltage regulating circuit becomes expensive.


An electrostatic ink jet according to the present invention includes a head body having an ink chamber for holding ink liquid containing charged particulate material; an ejection port provided at one end of that head body and connecting to the ink chamber; an ejection electrode arranged near this ejection port and fed with an ejection voltage of the same polarity as the charge characteristic of the charged particulate material; a counter electrode arranged opposite to the ejection port via a recording medium; and a pair of stirring electrodes. The stirring electrodes are arranged in the direction reverse to that of gravity in the ink chamber. The stirring electrodes are fed with a stirring voltage for shifting the charge particulate material in the direction reverse to the direction of gravity, and that stirring voltage is generated before the generation of the ejection voltage. As a result, the toner particulates are prevented from precipitating before the ejection of ink, and their concentration in the ink liquid in the ink chamber is generally uniformized.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrostatic ink jet recording head which accomplishes recording to a recording medium by using charged particulate materials in ink, and more particularly to an electrostatic ink jet recording apparatus which prevents precipitation of charged particulate material in ink.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An electrostatic ink jet recording apparatus according to the prior art, as disclosed in PCT Publication number WO 93/11866, has an electrostatic ink jet recording head and a counter electrode arranged behind recording paper. The counter electrode is provided for generating an electric field between the recording paper and the ink jet recording head. The ink jet recording head has an ink chamber for temporarily storing ink liquid supplied from an ink tank or the like. An ejection electrode is formed at an end of the ink chamber and driven when the ink is ejected. The tip of that ejection electrode is opposite to the counter electrode. The ink liquid in the ink chamber is fed by its own surface tension to the tip of the ejection electrode, where an ink meniscus is thereby formed.
The ink liquid used with that ink jet recording head contains charged particulate material for coloring. While the charged particulate material is electrified in a positive polarity by a Zeta potential, the ink liquid maintains electric neutrality when no voltage is fed to the ejection electrode. The polarity of the Zeta potential is determined by the characteristic of the charge particulate material.
When a voltage of the positive polarity is fed to the ejection electrode, the positive potential of the ink liquid is enhanced. The charged particulate material is caused by an electric field working between the ejection electrode and the counter electrode to shift in the ink liquid toward the tip of the ejection electrode. The charge particulate material having reached the tip of the ejection electrode is strongly drawn toward the counter electrode by the electric field working between the tip of the ejection electrode and the counter electrode. When the Coulmob force between the charge particulate material at the tip of the ejection electrode and the counter electrode substantially surpasses the surface tension of the ink liquid, an agglomeration of the charge particulate material accompanied by a small quantity of liquid flies from the tip position of the ejection electrode toward the counter electrode, and adhere to the surface of the recording medium. As the agglomeration of the charge particulate material is caused by the application of a voltage to the ejection electrode to successively fly from the tip of the ejection electrode, printing is accomplished.
However, the charge particulate material of the ink liquid used in the electrostatic ink jet recording head is readily precipitated by gravity, and therefore does not distribute evenly in the ink chamber. As a consequence, charge particulates are not steadily supplied to the tip of the ejection electrode, and the quantity of the charge particulate material in the agglomeration flying from the ink ejecting position is inconstant. Accordingly, there is the problem of difficulty to accomplish steady printing.
Furthermore, when the ink liquid in the ink chamber is to be shifted toward the tip of the ejection electrode only by the ejection electrode and the counter electrode, precipitation of the charge particulate material extends the shifting time, making it difficult to achieve high-speed printing.

Electrostatic ink jet recording apparatus preventing precipitation of charged particulate material in ink liquid