An infinite variable transmission with input shaft (52), planetary carrier (28), planetary pulleys (36) and planetary gears (32) with planetary axles (30) equiangularly disposed on the carrier (28). Variable pitch pulley (41) adjust a serpentine belt (38) which adjust the rotation of the planetary gears (32) to adjust the output shaft (20).

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is generally concerned with power transmissions, particularly continuously variable transmissions, and more specifically transmissions for use in rotational machines requiring continuous, infinitely adjustable output speed and output torque while maintaining nearly constant rotational speed of the input prime mover.
2. Background Art
A continuously variable transmission suitable for automotive applications has been sought for nearly a century. It has even longer been recognized that pedal-driven vehicles would operate most efficiently if the propulsive ground wheel rotational speed were varied such that the input pedal rotational speed remains nearly constant, independent of the incline of the path. Tools designed to remove material in a manufacturing process (lathes, drills, mills, routers, and the like) often benefit from precise selection of the tool speed at the interface with the workpiece. For cost and power efficiency reasons, such tools typically are powered by synchronous electric motors. Both machine power sources (such as electric motors or internal combustion engines) and human propulsion operate most efficiently at fixed rotational speeds or within a limited range; however, the final application of the driving power usually requires a different or broader range of speeds. For all applications, whether for machine powered equipment or human powered vehicles, a transmission device combining the desirable characteristics of high torque capacity, high efficiency, compact size, light weight and competitive manufacturing cost has yet to be achieved.
3. Background Art
Currently, speed adjustment is normally accomplished by the use of control devices incorporating numerous selective discrete fixed ratio elements (usually gears).
Continuously variable speed control systems (transmissions) are an alternative means for speed adjustment, but tend to occupy large volumes, are heavy, often use some sort of belt system to adjust the speed, or use complicated ratchet and overriding clutch mechanisms. Most known continuous speed control systems offer the capability of producing adjustable speed in only one direction and require a clutch to uncouple the prime mover from the output. Generally, all known variable speed control systems have limited power transfer capabilities.
High power applications, usually involving a limited range of speed variation, such as in construction and agricultural equipment, are currently obtained using hydrostatic drives operating in low flow, high fluid pressure regimes, or hydraulic torque converters operating in high fluid flow, low pressure conditions, or limited slip differential transmissions, all of which suffer significant energy loss. Continuously variable transmissions have yet to be suitably integrated into high-speed/high-power applications such as standard motor vehicles. Continuously variable transmissions to date have yet to exceed the approximately 150 hp rating.
Infinitely Variable Versus Continuously Variable Transmission
Several devices have been proposed for achieving continuously variable output speed, some of which include infinitely variation capability. A xe2x80x9ccontinuously variablexe2x80x9d transmission is a transmission in which the ratio of output rotation speed to input rotation speed can be varied continuously from a first value to a second value, both values having the same algebraic sign. A continuously variable transmission may also include a discrete, usually separately actuated, reverse gearxe2x80x94having an algebraic sign different from the first and second value. An xe2x80x9cinfinitely variablexe2x80x9d transmission is a transmission in which the ratio of output rotation speed to input rotation speed can be varied continuously from a first value to a second valuexe2x80x94where the first and second values can have different algebraic signs. Thus, the xe2x80x9cinfinitely variablexe2x80x9d transmission includes the xe2x80x9cinfinitexe2x80x9d condition where the ratio of the input rotation speed to the output rotation speed is indeterminate, i.e., infinite. Thus xe2x80x9cinfinitely variablexe2x80x9d transmissions may be characterized as a subset class of xe2x80x9ccontinuously variablexe2x80x9d transmissions, in that both classes have the capability to continuously control output speeds with generally fixed input rotational speed. However, infinitely variable transmissions offer a broader range of capability and applications due to their ability to drive output speeds to nearly zero while theoretically producing output torques approaching an infinite condition, limited only by the slip or load carrying capabilities of internal components.
Classes of Continuously/Infinitely Variable Transmissions
Both continuously variable and infinitely variable transmissions can be classified into five types.
The first type, which is the oldest and probably most extensively employed, includes two variable pitch pulleys connected by a belt with provision for varying the diameters of the pulleys and thus the speed ratio. While such devices are efficient, they characteristically are high in volume and weight, and have a limited range of speed variation. There have been at least two major improved variants to this basic dual variable pitch pulley concept. The power-limiting component in this design typically is either the belt reaching the limit of its tensile strength, or the friction between the belt and the pulley of smaller diameter. In a device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,720,113 to Van Dorne, the belt is changed from transferring torque via tension to transferring torque via compression. In the Van Dorne device, compression links are carried by a series of thin bands, the links conforming to each other to form a semi-rigid bar between the two variable pitch pulleys. The failure mode for the endless belt is changed from a tensile failure to one of buckling instability of the links, or material compression failure, both of which potentially allow a greater load than can be achieved by a tensile member. However, the speed adjustment range is limited.
A second major variant has been termed the Positive Infinitely Variable (PIV) variable speed drive used routinely in industrial applications. Within the definition used in this disclosure, the PIV is a misnomer because the speed control devices do not have a speed range where the output can be continuously varied to a negative algebraic sign. A feature of the PIV is the replacement of the belt by an endless chain, each link of the chain containing a series of transverse conforming rods that engage the edges of pulleys containing radial groves in the contact faces. This design eliminates slip between the endless belt-like member that transfers the torque and the mating variable pulley. While a speed variation range of as high as 6 is reported for such devices, the power ratings typically are below 30 hp.
A second type of continuously variable transmission includes single contact traction or friction drives using various schemes which rely on metal-to-metal rolling contact friction, sometimes using lubricant shear as the traction mechanism. Examples of such devices include cone on cone devices wherein two cones each of equal and opposite pitch are mated to contact at single points but in such a way that the summed circumference of the combined assembly is constant. Examples and variants of this type are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,392,394 to Hofbauer and U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,675 to Kraus.
Another example of continuously variable transmission is the ball and disc type. In this class of drive mechanism, the rotational axis for a ball element is usually at a substantially right angle to the rotational axis of a disc element. The ball element, which is constrained to have a surface of rotation, is positioned so that when it is pressed against the rotating disc element, the ball element is driven by the disc. By moving the ball element along a radius of the disc element, a variable speed drive can be obtained from the ball element. The efficiency of such mechanisms is highly dependent on the quality of contact between the two traction elements, the cleanness of the surfaces, and degree of wear of each of the elements. While substantial speed variation can be achieved, such devices a typically limited to sub-horsepower ratings, and are difficult to maintain.
The third type of continuously adjustable speed devices are hydraulic drives, typically driving hydraulic motors using variable displacement pumps. Such devices are termed hydrostatic drives because they operate at high fluid pressures, but with low displacement. Other variable speed hydraulic drives combine both gear sets and the hydrodrive mechanism to allow for infinitely variable capability. Examples are disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,015 to Johnson and U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,768 to Zulu. Such devices have proven reliable in high power and high torque applications, but at the cost of very low efficiency.
The fourth type of continuously variable speed control is in the general category of ratcheting drives. Such drives, as taught for example by Pires (U.S. Pat. No. 5,1334,115), Gogins (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,116,083, 4,194,417, 4,333,555, 4,936,155, and 5,392,664), and Mills (U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,702) are all characterized as completely mechanical and function by generating variable amplitude oscillation by positioning control rings or cams eccentrically to the input drive. Generally a plurality of eccentric positions are used for a single revolution of the input shaft with connecting arms transferring forward portion of the oscillating motion generated in each arm to an output gear through over riding clutches, or other mechanical diode devices. To reduce output torque ripple, such devices typically use an increasing number of oscillating elements, and auxiliary linkages to smooth the rectified motion to an acceptable level for a given application.
The inventions described and claimed herein fall generally within a broad, fifth type of continuously variable speed control mechanism generally characterized by the use of one or more epicyclical gear arrangements. Some known devices of this type contain elements of both the ratcheting drive and epicyclical control, for example the device of U.S. Pat. No. 5,334,115 to Pires. The common element of control in this type of transmission is the unique motions associated with epicyclic systems. One significant distinction between the present invention and various known versions of this category of transmissions is the manner in which the output motion is connected to the input, and the means by which rotary force is imparted to each of the epicyclic components. Also of note in any particular version is whether and how the planetary carrier (spider), the planetary assemblies, the encircling ring gear, the sun gear, or auxiliary xe2x80x9cmoonxe2x80x9d gears that attach and circulate about a portion of the circumference of planetary assemblies, interact. Many of the known devices rely on some type of friction device to create a change of speed that is then amplified, or smoothed by the epicyclic system.
By way of example, the following United States Patents describe various epicyclical type systems: U.S. Pat. No. 4,567,789 to Wilkes; U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,703 to Wilkes et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 1,445,741 to Blackwell; U.S. Pat. No. 2,745,297 to Andrus; U.S. Pat. No. 2,755,683 to Ryan; U.S. Pat. No. 3,251,243 to Kress; U.S. Pat. No. 3,503,279 to Sievert et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,861,485 to Busch; U.S. Pat. No. 4,599,916 to Hirosawa; U.S. Pat. No. 4,546,673 to Shigematsu; U.S. Pat. No. 4,644,820 to Macey et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,672,861 to Lanzer, U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,323 to Cowan; U.S. Pat. No. 3,944,253 to Ripley; U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,936 to Smirl; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,518 to Moroto. An epicyclical speed reduction mechanism has been described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,360,380 to Nottle, that purportedly produces variable output speed without using variable pulley belt drives or friction devices.
Several embodiments of the invention are described in this application. These are all capable of continuously varying the output speed and torque through forward, neutral, and reverse while the input shaft remains constant in rotational speed and direction. Each of the devices share: 1) the highly desirable features of compactness of both width and diameter; 2) use of efficient epicyclic gear components to achieve the infinitely variable gear-ratio feature; 3) integral features allowing for direct, independent speed control of the planetary elements driven from the input shaft; 4) coaxially aligned input and output shafts; and 5) a relatively small number of components for inexpensive, reliable manufacture.
The primary difference among the embodiments herein is in the means by which the independent speed control of the planetary gears is achieved, for which three principal means are presented. The first means is a serpentine belt or chain mechanism where the planetary gears are powered directly via belt pulleys or chain sprockets and an endless belt or chain is configured in a serpentine arrangement around three planetary drive pulleys and a central, rotationally fixed variable pitch pulley member. The chain drive permits significantly higher torque applications than the endless belt version, but is not continuously adjustable (rather is incrementally adjustable to integer values of the chain pitch). Central to the chain drive is a mechanical iris pulley member that can expand or contract to various diameters corresponding to the integer incremental values of the chain pitch, supporting an adjustment chain or beaded interface band in traction with the drive chain, and a mechanism for extension and retraction of the adjustment chain or beaded interface band. In this description and in the claims, a beaded interface band is functionally equivalent to a linked chain to serve as an adjustment chain.
The second means relies neither on belts nor chains for speed control, employing instead a set of tapered split races, coaxially aligned with the input and output shafts, that provide traction and position control to rollers mounted on swing arms coaxially aligned with each of the planetary gears and attached to the planetary carrier. Control means are provided to move the split tapered races relative to each other in axial extent which, by means of mating rollers and planetary moon gears meshed with each planetary, controls the speed of the planetary gears. The design allows for very high torques to be transferred to the output shaft throughout a wide range of speed variation by virtue of the addition of more swing arms and planetary elements providing for multiple points of engagement between rollers and races, as well as the positioning of the arms so that self locking between the rollers and races occurs as the output torque increases.
The third means combines the power from two prime movers of which one or both have speed adjustment capability. This dual input design allows for coaxial alignment of the input shaft from one of the prime movers with the output shaft, but requires the input from the second prime mover to be offset.
Other objects, advantages and novel features, and further scope of applicability of the present invention will be set forth in part in the detailed description to follow, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Infinitely variable epicyclic transmissions


A solid free form fabrication (SFF) system and method is used to fabricate a three-dimensional structure in a continuous manner from successive layers of feedstock material. The system includes a gas shielding structure that is configured to protect a targeted region from oxidation. The system further includes a positioning arm coupled to the deposition head and moveable to align the deposition head with a targeted region of the three-dimensional structure and a plurality of control components coupled to the positioning arm for controlling a position of the positioning arm and operation of the deposition head. The gas shielding structure is formed as either a parallelepiped structure or a half disc structure and may be conformable to at least one surface of the three-dimensional structure.

Solid free-form fabrication (SFF) is a designation for a group of processes that produce three dimensional shapes from additive formation steps. SFF does not implement any part-specific tooling. Instead, a three dimensional component is often produced from a graphical representation devised using computer-aided modeling (CAM). This computer representation may be, for example, a layer-by-layer slicing of the component shape into consecutive two dimensional layers, which can then be fed to control equipment to fabricate the part. Alternatively, the manufacturing process may be user controlled instead of computer controlled. Generally speaking, a component may be manufactured using SFF by successively building feedstock layers representing successive cross-sectional component slices. Although there are numerous SFF systems that use different components and feedstock materials to build a component, SFF systems can be broadly described as having an automated platform/positioner for receiving and supporting the feedstock layers during the manufacturing process, a feedstock supplying apparatus that directs the feedstock material to a predetermined region to build the feedstock layers, with the individual layers solidifying prior to deposition of the next layer. An energy source is directed toward the predetermined region. The energy from the energy source modifies the feedstock in a layer-by-layer fashion in the predetermined region to thereby manufacture the component as the successive layers are built onto each other.
One recent implementation of SFF is generally referred to as ion fusion formation (IFF). With IFF, a torch such as a plasma, gas tungsten arc, plasma arc welding, or other torch with an orifice is incorporated in conjunction with a stock feeding mechanism to direct molten feedstock to a targeted surface such as a base substrate or an in-process structure of previously-deposited feedstock. A component is built using IFF by applying small amounts of molten material only where needed in a plurality of deposition steps, resulting in net-shape or near-net-shape parts without the use of machining, molds, or mandrels. The deposition steps are typically performed in a layer-by-layer fashion wherein slices are taken through a three dimensional electronic model by a computer program. A positioner then directs the molten feedstock across each layer at a prescribed thickness.
There are also several other SFF process that may be used to manufacture a component. SFF processes can be sub-divided into subcategories such as additive manufacturing with further sub categories of direct metal deposition (DMD) and selective laser sintering (SLS) to name just a few. DMD is a process whereby metal is melted then placed where needed to build a three-dimensional part. SLS on the other hand spreads a layer of powder on a table then selectively fuses the appropriate portion to build a three-dimensional component. Typically, during the SFF process a desired shape is built in a chamber with inert gas or a vacuum to protect the liquid and solidified metal from oxidation. It would be an advantage to be able to build components especially large components with localized shielding to protect the deposit in lieu of a gas tight or vacuum tight chamber. However, most of the gas shields constructed for IFF systems are cylindrical shaped for use with relatively small components. These small cylindrical shaped shields effectively protect the top deposition layer of the workpiece being built, thereby enabling a sound interface with the next layer. These cylindrical shields are not effective in protecting the sides of the workpiece from oxidation. However, this current generation of all cylindrical shields has been effective because the limited oxidation on the sides of the workpiece is machined away subsequent to fabrication of the workpiece.
One of the greatest potential advantages but also a great challenge of SFF processes, and more particularly ion fusion formation (IFF) processes is that of achieving a net shape build or near net build, thereby reducing or eliminating the need for subsequent machining. As machining is reduced, the overall cost of the component is reduced. Thus, protecting of the sides form oxidation and therefore reduction of machining due to oxidation would be most beneficial. Accordingly, SFF systems, but most especially IFF may benefit from localized shielding for large structures, especially plate or plate like structures. Current localized shielding deigns do not cover sufficient area to protect the sides from oxidation. While these issues are most directly suited to IFF, any solutions could also be suited to other energy beam forms of SFF such as laser based systems, electron beam systems, or the like.
Hence, there is a need for a shielding structure that minimizes side aspect oxidation of a workpiece fabricated using solid free-form fabrication (SFF) processes.

Gas shielding structure for use in solid free form fabrication systems


A containment assembly is disclosed for a turbofan engine. The containment assembly comprises a forward fence, an aft fence, a fan track liner, an intermediate casing member, an outer casing member, and an annular nesting cavity. The fan track liner is disposed axially between the forward and aft fences. The intermediate casing member is disposed radially outward of at least a portion of the fan track liner. The outer casing member is disposed radially outward of at least a portion of the intermediate member. The annular nesting cavity is bounded at least in part by the intermediate casing member and the outer casing member.

Gas turbine engines used in civil aviation require the ability to contain a fan blade during a Fan Blade Off (FBO) event. During a FBO event, significant damage is typically expected to the engine. By certification regulation, no high energy debris—such as the detached fan blade—may be permitted to exit from the front or side of the engine casing. Designing a gas turbine engine to meet the FBO containment requirement is challenging, as debris from the FBO event tends to flow downstream and interact with downstream engine components, causing further damage that is difficult to predict and model. Downstream damage may cause unbalanced loads in the engine, severely impacting engine performance and the ability to control the aircraft. Downstream damage could also potentially cause compromised structures which may not survive windmill loading during the time it takes to land after a FBO event.
Gas turbine engines currently rely on reinforced casings and mounting structures proximate the fan to withstand the damage expected from a FBO event and meet aviation authority regulations. However, these casings and structures add substantial weight to the engine, resulting in reduced aircraft range and/or fuel efficiency.

Fan containment assembly having a nesting cavity


The present invention relates to compositions and methods of use of anti-ADAMTS13 autoantibodies and fragments thereof. In one aspect, the invention includes a composition comprising an isolated anti-ADAMTS13 autoantibody or fragment thereof. In other aspects, methods are described for generating an in vivo model of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) comprising introducing at least one anti-ADAMTS13 autoantibody or fragment thereof into a model organism and identifying an anti-autoimmune reagent for treating TTP.

Current therapeutic approaches to the treatment of antibody-mediated autoimmune disease are generally limited to the use of systemic immunosuppression with its attendant side effects rather than therapy that solely targets just the pathogenic autoantibodies.
The acquired form of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is an example of an autoimmune disorder that the majority of patients have reduced activity levels of the VWF-cleaving protease ADAMTS13 due to the development of autoantibodies that inhibit its function. Decreased ADAMTS13 activity results in the accumulation of ultralarge VWF (UL-VWF) multimers that foster systemic platelet aggregation in the microcirculation when coincident with additional factors, such as endothelial injury, and can lead to severe thrombocytopenia, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, varying degrees of organ dysfunction, and death.
First-line therapy for TTP is non-specific comprising daily therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE), which reduces mortality from ˜90% to ˜20%, presumably by repeated depletion of a fraction of circulating autoantibodies as well as replenishment of ADAMTS13 levels until the disease resolves on its own. Depending on a patient's response to TPE, systemic immunosuppressive agents including corticosteroids and the B-cell depletion agent rituximab, and, less commonly, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, or cyclosporine, may be used in conjunction with TPE. Notwithstanding improvements in the recognition, early initiation of therapy, and the use of combination therapies, the mortality for patients diagnosed with TTP has remained relatively constant since the initial introduction of TPE over 25 years ago.
Recently, a number of alternative therapeutic approaches for TTP have been proposed including the infusion of excess quantities of recombinant ADAMTS13 to override autoantibody inhibition, and the development of agents that would target UL-VWF multimers either by reducing their size or by blocking their interactions with platelets. However, it is not clear that these approaches would necessarily obviate the need for TPE and/or agents that induce generalized immunosuppression since these modalities affect pathogenesis downstream of the effects of the autoantibody-mediated ADAMTS13 inhibition, rather than by affecting the pathogenic ADAMTS13 inhibitors themselves. Moreover, there is the potential downside of inhibiting normal hemostatic processes that are mediated through some of the same pathways.
There is a need in the art for the development of more effective and targeted therapies to treat thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). The present invention addresses this need.

Human monoclonal autoantibodies to ADAMTS13 and uses thereof

The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania


Described are techniques for performing compression and decompression of statistical data. This data may be used in connection with performing optimizations. A delta value for each statistic is determined representing a difference between a current value and a previous value. Delta values are stored in a statistics table in a compressed form using a monotonic compression scheme. Small tables are used to determine decompressed values estimating the observed values. Statistical information is stored and represented in a statistics table and an events table. Statistical information is selectively fetched and loaded into memory from a storage device. Indexing techniques are used to force physical continuity of the rows of the statistics table on a storage device in accordance with a specified retrieval order.

1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to computer systems, and more particularly to techniques for data storage.
2. Description of Related Art
Computer systems may include different resources that may be used by one or more host processors. Resources and host processors in a computer system may be interconnected by one or more communication connections. These resources may include, for example, data storage devices such as the Symmetrix™ family of data storage systems manufactured by EMC Corporation. These data storage systems may be coupled to one or more host processors and provide storage services to each host processor. An example data storage system may include one or more data storage devices, such as those of the Symmetrix™ family, that are connected together and may be used to provide common data storage for one or more host processors in a computer system. An example of operation and management of a data storage system is the Symmetrix data storage system as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,819,310, Vishlitzky et al., entitled "Method and Apparatus for Reading Data from Mirrored Logical Volumes on Physical Drives", issued Oct. 6, 1998, which is herein incorporated by reference, U.S. Pat. No. 5,592,432, entitled "Cache Management System Using Time Stamping for Replacement Queue", issued Jan. 7, 1997, Vishlitzky et al., which is herein incorporated by reference, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,381,539, issued on Jan. 10, 1995, entitled "System and Method for Dynamically Controlling Cache Management", Yanai et al., which is herein incorporated by reference, all of which are assigned to EMC Corporation of Hopkinton, Mass.
There may be a need within a computer system to collect statistics and other data. For example, in connection with performing data operations within a data storage system, an optimizer may be used to perform certain optimizations, such as those in connection with increasing disk performance of devices with the data storage system. Such optimizations may include, for example, performing logical device swapping. Data collection of statistics, such as measurements related to device performance, may be obtained and utilized by the optimizer. For example, statistics may be gathered regarding data storage operations, such as read and write operations, for devices in a data storage system.
The amount of data in the form of statistics collected over a predetermined time period may be a large amount, for example, in systems that have a large number of physical and/or logical devices. The amount of data may increase as the number of devices increases.
Efficient techniques may be used in connection with storage of the statistics, such as those used by the optimizer since there may be a large amount of data. Additionally, the optimizer may be invoked frequently to perform optimization determinations using these statistics. Thus, efficient retrieval techniques may also be used in connection with accessing the statistics.
One technique may store all the statistics in virtual memory. This may provide the advantage of ease of implementation. Additionally, the memory management may be performed by the underlying operating system, for example, in connection with memory page swapping operations used with virtual memory management systems. However, this technique of storing all the statistics in memory may exceed the amount of virtual memory as the amount of statistics collected increases. Additionally, as the amount of statistics increases, relying on the virtual memory management techniques of a system may result in performance decreases due to the large amount of page swapping that may occur as data is accessed for use by the optimizer. The physical ordering of data may not match the logical ordering of requested data.
Thus, it may be desirous to have an efficient technique for use in storing large amounts of data, such as statistics, and additionally utilizing efficient retrieval techniques as the data may have to be accessed frequently that overcomes the disadvantages of prior techniques.

Optimizer improved statistics collection


A linked multilayer woven fabric for use in the production of structural composite materials has a base weave comprising twenty-eight weft yarns which are distributed in eight columns containing alternately four superimposed yarns and three superimposed yarns such that they are in a staggered arrangement on seven levels, and twelve warp yarns which are arranged in four parallel planes each containing three superimposed parallel warp yarns. In each plane, one of the warp yarns connects the upper outermost weft yarn of one of the weft columns containing four weft yarns to the corresponding weft yarn of the following base weave group via the upper intermediate weft yarn of the weft column midway between the other two columns, a second of the warp yarns connects the upper intermediate weft yarn of said one column to the corresponding weft yarn of the following base weave group via the lower intermediate weft yarn of said midway column, and the third warp yarn connects the lower intermediate weft yarn of said one column to the corresponding weft yarn of the following base weave group via the lower outermost weft yarn of said midway column.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optimized textile weave, of the linked multilayer type, which can be used in the production of composite material components which are highly stressed and/or subjected to impacts. By way of example, such components include wide-chord fan blades for civil aircraft engines, structural casing arms for civil or military aircraft engines, and self-stiffened aircraft panels or leading edges.
The subject of the invention is therefore a woven fibrous fabric, constituting a textile preform for the production of such components, which may be preimpregnated by means of liquid, for example using the "RTM" (Resin Transfer Moulding) injection process, or by means of gas. For this purpose, the textile preform must satisfy a number of criteria or conditions:
the use of fibres which have very high mechanical performance characteristics but which a priori are brittle during weaving, such as high-modulus carbon fibres; PA1 the use of carbon fibres having an unusual and high linear density, for example consisting of 48 or 96 kilofilaments, or even more; PA1 the optimum degree of interlinking in the thickness direction of the fabric; PA1 the possibility of producing composite materials having a high volume fraction filled by fibres, in particular a fraction of greater than 57% for structural composite materials; PA1 linearity of the weft yarns in the fabric; PA1 a low linkage angle (in particular less than 15.degree.) between the warp yarns and the weft yarns and the possibility of unbalanced weaving so as to compensate for the non-linearity of the warp yarns and to adjust the properties in the plane of the fabric, (for example, with a proportion of 70% warp yarns and 30% weft yarns); PA1 the possibility of reversing the unbalanced weaving (by rotating the weave through 90.degree.) so as to improve the linearity; and PA1 the formation of a linked fabric which is highly deformable. PA1 a first of said at least three parallel warp yarns connects the upper outermost weft yarn of one of said columns containing at least four weft yarns to an upper intermediate weft yarn of a second column of at least four weft yarns spaced from said one column by at least twice said predetermined spacing, and returns to the upper outermost weft yarn of a column containing at least four weft yarns spaced from said one column by at least four times said predetermined spacing; PA1 a second of said at least three parallel warp yarns connects an upper intermediate weft yarn of said one column to a lower intermediate weft yarn of said second column, and returns to an upper intermediate weft yarn of said column of at least four weft yarns which is spaced from said one column by at least four times said predetermined spacing; and PA1 a third of said at least three parallel warp yarns connects a lower intermediate weft yarn of said one column to the lower outermost weft yarn of said second column, and returns to a lower intermediate weft yarn of said column of at least four weft yarns which is spaced from said one column by at least four times said predetermined spacing;
2. Summary of the Prior Art
So-called "1D" and "2D" textile structures, depending on whether their fibres extend in a single direction or in two different directions, do not satisfy the abovementioned constraints. So-called "3D" multilayer structures (having fibres arranged along three directions in space) may approach, at least partly, the desired objectives in the field of application of the invention. However, with regard to multilayer structures having more than three fibre directions ("4D", "5D", "9D", "11D", these cannot be exploited on an industrial scale because of the extreme complexity of their production using automatable processes.
Thus, we shall look in more detail at multilayer structures of the "3D" type.
Among these structures, stitch-linked "3D" multilayer fabrics are known which fully meet the linearity of the warp yarns and which have the advantage of including reinforcing yarns at other angles. However, this method of linking does not make it possible to impart good impact resistance to the composite materials obtained.
Also known are "3D" multilayer fabrics linked by weaving, the orthogonal "3D" fabric being the weave which has the best linearity of warp and weft yarns and which resists compression well. However, in order for this fabric to provide the desired volume fraction of fibres, the "3D" fabric must be compressed in such a way that the yarns arranged along the third direction, which are corrugated rather than linear, do not contribute to load transfer.
Although "non-orthogonal 3D" multilayer fabrics are more suitable, they have the drawback of having linkage angles which are too high, this being the case for simple weaves of the multilayer taffeta, multilayer satin or multilayer twill type, and also more elaborate weaves, such as that known by the name "3X".
The particular fabric of the "non-orthogonal 3D" type, also known as "2.5D", described in FR-A-2,610,951 is the weave known hitherto to be the most optimized, having a low expansion and a high percentage of surface occupied, but with a low linearity. However, the restrictive definition of this fabric gives it angular characteristics prejudicial to the impact strength and limits the reversible textile definitions (by rotation of the weave through 90.degree.) to constructions of low density, unless a high number of additional layers is added, which is prejudicial to industrial automation.

Linked multilayer fabric for structural composite materials

Societe Nationale D'Etude et de Construction de Moteurs D'Aviation "Snecma"

Societe Cotton Textiles Pour Materiaux Innovants "CTMI"


A server includes: a first data storage device that stores therein data for use in service provided by the server; a backup data storage device that stores therein backup data for data stored in a second data storage device of another server; a service provision unit that provides the service by using the data stored in the first data storage device and by using the backup data stored in the backup data storage device; an update information creation unit that creates update information representing a content of the updating of the first data storage device; an update information transmission unit that transmits the created update information to the another server; and an update information reception unit that receives update information which is transmitted from the another server, and reflects the content of updating of the second data storage device on the backup data stored in the backup data storage device.

There have been known various technologies each for backing up an apparatus (a server) which provides service to client terminals.
For example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. Hei 07-66829, there is disclosed a related technology which backs up an e-mail server by multiplexing a plurality of e-mail servers. In this related technology, each of the plurality of e-mail servers has the function of copying and storing therein the contents of mailboxes included in some of the other ones of the plurality of e-mail servers. Further, a client terminal utilizes e-mail service by accessing one of available ones of the plurality of e-mail servers. Further, even when a fault has occurred in an e-mail server among the plurality of e-mail servers, to which a client terminal has been in a state of making an access, the client terminal can continue to utilize the e-mail service by accessing another available one of the plurality of e-mail servers.
Further, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-274053, there is disclosed a related technology with respect to a method of performing mirroring of mails from an e-mail server to a backup server. In this related technology, when performing a mail addition or deletion process on mailboxes, the e-mail server creates copying information on a mail-by-mail basis with respect to mails targeted for the mail addition or deletion process. Further, the e-mail server transmits the copying information to the backup server. The backup server performs a mail addition or deletion process on mailboxes of the backup server itself on the basis of the received copying information. In this way, in this related technology, the contents of the mailboxes are kept the same between the e-mail server and the backup server. As a result, in this related technology, even when operation has been switched from the e-mail server to the backup server, it is possible to continuously provide client terminals with the e-mail service.
Further, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-259945, there is disclosed a related technology which backs up a plurality of cards (corresponding to a plurality of servers) mounted on a radio network controller. In this related technology, the radio network controller includes a spare card and a plurality of cards each providing a corresponding one of processes (services) needed for controlling the wireless network. Each of the cards stores self-data therein, and additionally, stores therein backup data for data stored in any other one of the cards. Further, each of the cards is configured to, when the self-data has been changed, transmit copy data resulting from copying the changed self-data to any other one of the cards which stores therein backup data for the self-data, and cause the any other one of the cards to store therein the copy data as the backup data. Further, in this related technology, when a fault has occurred in one of the cards, the radio network controller continues its processing by copying backup data for data of the faulty card from one of the cards which stores the backup data therein to the spare card, and using this spare card as substitute for the faulty card.


The present invention provides a gas turbine engine surge control system comprising a pressure transducer positioned for sensing compressor discharge pressure, a hot wire anemometer positioned for sensing compressor discharge flow and temperature, means for electronically processing the signals from the sensors to obtain corrected compressor discharge flow without the use of look-up tables, and means for modulating a surge control valve based on corrected flow to prevent surge. The means for electronically processing said sensed signals incorporates means for canceling the dynamic response of the hot wire anemometer so as to have the effect of accelerating the response rate of the anemometer to match the response rate of the discharge pressure transducer.

To prevent compressor surge, gas turbine engines employ surge control systems. These control systems use corrected discharge flow W.sub.dc, defined by equation (1), from the compressor to sense the proximity of surge. EQU W.sub.dc =(W.sub.d .times..sqroot.T.sub.a /T.sub.s )/(P.sub.d /P.sub.s)(1)
Where W.sub.d is compressor discharge air flow, T.sub.a is discharge temperature, T.sub.s is standard day temperature, P.sub.d is total discharge pressure, and P.sub.s is standard day pressure.
Shown in FIG. 1, is a conventional pitot-static flow sensor used by some surge control systems to determine corrected discharge flow. Compressor discharge air flows through a conduit 2 and then is directed to the aircraft and/or overboard. The sensor includes a total pressure transducer 4 for measuring the total pressure in the conduit and a delta pressure transducer 6 for measuring the difference between total and static pressure in conduit 2. The sensor also has a variable volume chamber 8, a filter 10, and a directional control orifice 12. An electronic control box, ECB 14, containing a microprocessor receives the signals from the transducers, calculates (P.sub.d -P.sub.static)/P.sub.d and uses this calculated value to enter a look-up table or algorithm to determine W.sub.dc. If W.sub.dc is above a specified value indicative of a possible surge the ECB will command the surge control valve 16 to open. Disadvantages to this type of control system are the complexity of the pitot-static flow sensor and the dependence on look-up tables or algorithms. As the engine ages, these tables and algorithms become less and less representative of actual engine conditions, resulting in significant differences between the W.sub.dc used in the ECB and the actual W.sub.dc in the engine.
FIG. 2 shows a much simpler arrangement that only uses the total pressure transducer and a hot wire anemometer. The pressure transducer provides a pressure signal, and the hot wire anemometer provides both a signal proportional to discharge flow, and a temperature signal. The ECB receives these signals and then calculates the corrected discharge flow, thus eliminating look-up tables. A disadvantage to this system is the slow dynamic response of the hot wire anemometer to an abrupt or step change in flow. Because surge can occur very rapidly and cause catastrophic damage to the engine, the slow dynamic response of hot wire anemometers has limited their effectiveness in surge control systems.
Accordingly, there is a need for a surge control system in which the dynamic response of a hot wire anemometer is canceled from the measurement of compressor discharge flow without adversely affecting the accuracy of the measurement.

Method for canceling the dynamic response of a mass flow sensor using a conditioned reference


In a liquid crystal display, an image-defining data voltage is simultaneously applied to a main pixel electrode (MPE) and an electrically isolatable sub pixel electrode (SPE) to thereby respectively define a main pixel voltage and a sub pixel voltage. The MPE defines one plate of a first capacitor whose other plate receives a first common voltage whose voltage level can be varied after the image-defining data voltage is applied. Thus the main pixel voltage is shifted up or shifted down according to the voltage variation of the first common voltage. The SPE defines one plate of a second capacitor whose other plate receives a second common voltage. By causing the main pixel voltage to be of greater absolute amplitude than the sub pixel voltage, a side visibility of the liquid crystal display can be enhanced. Also, the liquid crystal display utilizes a liquid crystal having a dielectric anisotropy and an elastic constant ratio within a specific range, so that an undesirable increase of a black brightness effect is reduced and thus image contrast is not adversely affected.

1. Field of Invention
The present disclosure of invention relates to liquid crystal displays (LCD's). More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a liquid crystal display capable of achieving a wide viewing angle.
2. Description of Related Technology
In recent times, in order to improve over a narrow viewing angle of conventional liquid crystal display devices, various driving methods for the liquid crystal display device have been developed, including a patterned vertical alignment (PVA) mode, a multi-domain vertical alignment (MVA) mode, and a super-patterned vertical alignment (S-PVA) mode.
An LCD device using the S-PVA mode typically includes pixel areas each having two sub-pixels, and each of the two sub-pixels includes a main pixel electrode and a sub pixel electrode to which different voltages are applied in order to form liquid crystal domains having different grays from each other in the pixel area. Since human viewers watching the S-PVA mode LCD device perceive an phantom intermediate value of the two gray-scales being present between the main pixel electrode and the sub pixel electrode, the S-PVA mode LCD device helps to prevent or reduce deterioration of a side visibility aspect of the displayed image due to distortion of a gamma curve under an intermediate gray scale, thereby improving the side visibility of the S-PVA mode LCD device.
The S-PVA mode LCD devices may be classified into a coupling capacitor type (CC-type) and a two-transistor type (TT-type) according to the driving method thereof.
The CC-type S-PVA mode LCD device further includes a coupling capacitor inserted between the main pixel electrode and the sub pixel electrode. This coupling capacitor drops a voltage level of a main data voltage applied to the main pixel electrode to thereby apply the dropped data voltage to the sub pixel electrode as a sub pixel voltage having a lower voltage level than that of the main pixel voltage.
The TT-type S-PVA mode LCD device applies the main pixel voltage and the sub pixel voltage having different voltage levels to the main pixel electrode and the sub pixel electrode, respectively, using two separate thin film transistors.
In comparison with the TT-type S-PVA mode LCD device, the CC-type S-PVA mode LCD device has disadvantages, such as deterioration in brightness and relatively poor side visibility. On the other hand, the TT-type S-PVA mode LCD device has better brightness characteristics and side visibility than the conventional CC-type S-PVA mode LCD device. However, since two transistors are required in the TT-type S-PVA mode, its manufacturing cost increases substantially, and it is difficult to adopt the TT-type S-PVA mode to a high-speed driving method because the number of TFT's that must be individually controlled by separate gate control signals is double that present in a CC-type S-PVA mode LCD device.
Meanwhile, in case of a storage swing method in which a wide viewing angle is achieved by changing a voltage applied to a storage electrode that is overlapped with a pixel electrode, brightness and side visibility characteristics are superior, and a manufacturing cost is low. In the storage swing method, brightness and side visibility characteristics are improved as a voltage variation increases; however, transmittance in a black brightness range undesirably increases and thus causes a drastic decrease in a contrast ratio when the voltage variation of the storage electrode is increased.


A method is performed to compile input data including a plurality of pulse sequences, hardware parameters obtained from a computing device, and a mathematical model with time-dependent control parameters to decrease a computation time of the input data. The method also includes providing the input data to the computing device to allow the computing device to run a computation of the input data. The method further includes converting the pulse sequences into memory-aligned arrays to decrease the computation time of the input data. The method includes calculating optimized output data using an adaptive step size computation to decrease the computation time needed to compute the output data.

It is often of interest to simulate the time dynamics of quantum computing systems under the influence of time-dependent control parameters and uncontrolled environmental noise. The memory and time requirements of such simulations can grow exponentially. The time requirements of the simulations can be offset by expressing the system in terms of sparse matrices. Less information is discussed in relation to optimizing the inputs and minimizing the simulation or computation time in the quantum computing systems. In particular, less information is currently available on optimizing the time-dependent coefficients that are part of the input data.
An adaptive step size differential equation can be beneficial to minimizing the runtime of a simulation in a quantum computing device. However, incorrect results for the input data can occur for systems where large portions of the evolution do not change the state of the system. More specifically, large portions of the input data do not cause the simulation time to be decreased, and often lengthen the simulation. Further, a control pulse that is later applied during the simulation often does not decrease the simulation time due to the large amounts of input data currently running within the quantum computing system.
Accordingly, given the large portions of input data running on a quantum computing device, a need exits to minimize the run time or simulation of this input data, and to deliver output data in a time efficient manner. An adaptive step size differential equation that calculates a minimum step size of the input data cannot always effectively minimize the run time or computation time of the input data.
The illustrative embodiments recognize that input data that consists of pulse sequences that are compatible with the hardware parameters of the quantum computing device can help to minimize the simulation of the input data during a simulation. A user can query the quantum computing device to determine the hardware parameters of the quantum computing device. The quantum device can transmit to the user a list of its hardware parameters. The user can then determine if the current pulse sequence that the user has generated is compatible with the hardware parameters of the quantum computing device. The quantum computing device can also send to the user a pulse sequence library so the user can see the pulse sequence that can successfully run on the quantum computing device. The user can then incorporate the pulse sequences that can successfully run on the quantum computing device with the list of hardware parameters in the input data.
The illustrative embodiments also recognize that time-dependent control parameters can be incorporated into the input data to minimize the simulation time accordingly. The input data can include a mathematical model of the quantum computing device. The mathematical model can be a Hamiltonian of the quantum computing device. The Hamiltonian can initially be expressed as a string function. Before being inputted onto the quantum computing device, the Hamiltonian can be expressed as a sparse matrix with time-dependent control parameters. The Hamiltonian expressed as a sparse matrix with the time-dependent control parameters can be part of the input data that is inputted into the quantum computing device.
The illustrative embodiments recognize that input data with pulse sequences compatible with the hardware parameters quantum computing device, hardware parameters of the quantum computing device, and a mathematical model of the quantum computing device with time-dependent control parameters can reduce the simulation time on a quantum computing device. The input data consisting of the pulse sequences, the list of hardware parameters of the quantum computing device, and the mathematical model (Hamiltonian) can be inputted onto the quantum computing device to run a computation or simulation of the input data. The quantum computing device can convert the pulse sequences into memory-aligned arrays to allow for more efficient computation, wherein the simulation time of the input data can be reduced. An adaptive step size differential equation can be used to determine a minimum step size of the smallest pulse sequence among the plurality of pulse sequences.
The illustrative embodiments recognize the quantum computing device can compute various calculations of the input data. The quantum computing device can pause the simulation to compute external conditions which are affecting the computation of the input data. The external conditions can include noise properties of the quantum computing device which are being applied to the input channels. The inputted data are input through the input channels. The input channels can include drive (d), measure (m), and control (u) channels. The external conditions can also include additional input data (pulse sequence, further hardware parameters, and additional variables for the Hamiltonian). The quantum computing device can compute measurements of the input data. The measurements can include state vector snapshots, or the positions of the input data at one or more time intervals during the simulation. The measurements can also include expectation values for the input data.
The illustrative embodiments depict determining a minimum step size allowed for the input data using an adaptive step size differential equation. The minimum step size allowed can be a fraction of the smallest pulse sequence of the pulse sequences included in the input data.
The illustrative embodiments also recognize that the quantum computing device can execute a program of routines during a code generation step to determine any additional changes occurring to the input channels during the simulation. During the program routines, the quantum computing device writes a program of routines that compute the values of all of the input channels of the quantum computing device at one or more time intervals. The quantum computing device also includes any external conditions and frame changes that are applied to the input channels in computing the values of the input channels at one or more time intervals. The quantum computing device can also compute the numerical values of all of the variables of the Hamiltonian or mathematical model included in the input data. The variables of the Hamiltonian can include the time-dependent control parameters that assist in optimizing the simulation time in the quantum computing device.
In illustrative embodiments, the quantum computing device can accordingly produce output data while optimizing the simulation time of the input data. The simulation time of the quantum computing device is minimized by using the time-dependent control parameters in the Hamiltonian, the pulse sequence in conjunction with the hardware parameters of the quantum computing device, and the adaptive step size differential equation.
In illustrative embodiments, the process for the quantum computing device can also be implemented on a classical computer or classical computing device. The input data with the pulse sequence and Hamiltonian with time-dependent control variables can also minimize the simulation time of the input data in a classical computing device.
The illustrative embodiments provide input data with time-dependent control variables into a computing device, with calculations of the input data being performed to minimize the computation time of the input data within the computing device. The illustrative embodiments also provide a computer program product and a computer system to minimize the computation time of the input data.

Optimizing time-dependent simulations of quantum computing architectures

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


Provided is a film-forming composition substantially free of organic solvent which includes an aqueous dispersion of polymeric microparticles prepared by emulsion polymerization of a monomeric composition containing (1) at least 10 percent by weight of one or more vinyl aromatic compounds; (2) 0.1 to 10 percent by weight of one or more carboxylic acid functional polymerizable, ethylenically unsaturated monomers; (3) 0 to 10 percent by weight of one or more polymerizable monomers having one or more functional groups capable of reacting to form crosslinks; and (4) one or more polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated monomers. Each of (1), (2), (3) and (4) are different one from the other and at least one of (3) and (4) is present in the monomeric composition. Multi-layer composite coatings and coated substrates also are provided.

Color-plus-clear coating systems formed from the application of a transparent topcoat over a colored basecoat have become increasingly popular in the coating industry, particularly for use in coating automobiles. The most economically attractive color-plus-clear systems are those in which the clear coat composition can be applied directly over the uncured colored base coat. The process of applying one layer of a coating before the previous layer is cured, then simultaneously curing both layers, is referred to as a wet-on-wet ("WOW") application. Color-plus-clear coating systems suitable for WOW application provide a substantial energy cost savings advantage.
Over the past decade, there has been an effort to reduce atmospheric pollution caused by volatile solvents which are emitted during the painting process. However, it is often difficult to achieve high quality, smooth coating finishes, particularly clear coating finishes, such as are required in the automotive industry, without including organic solvents which contribute greatly to flow and leveling of a coating. Organic solvents also can be selected to control rheology of the coating as it is applied, particularly on vertical surfaces. By contrast, water-based coatings which contain little or no organic solvent can exhibit "sagging" or running upon application especially in a high humidity environment. Moreover, in addition to achieving near-flawless appearance, automotive coatings must be durable and chip resistant, yet economical and easy to apply.
Recently, to facilitate throughput in some automotive assembly plants, manufacturers have demanded that the primer-surfacer coating be applied in one coat, as opposed to the conventional two-coat application. The one-coat application can simplify the coating process and reduce capital investment by elimination of a spray booth and related equipment from the coating line. However, in a one-coat application, to achieve desired film-thicknesses, the primer coating composition must be applied using a high fluid delivery rate. When a water-based primer is applied at these high fluid delivery rates, particularly in a high humidity environment (e.g., 75% relative humidity at 75° F. (23.9° C.)), a very wet film usually is obtained and sagging or running of the applied wet coating can result.
The use of powder coatings to eliminate the emission of volatile solvents during the painting process has become increasingly attractive. Powder coatings have become quite popular for use in coatings for automotive components, for example, wheels, axle parts, seat frames and the like. Use of powder coatings for clear coats in color-plus-clear systems, however, is somewhat less prevalent for several reasons. First, powder coatings require a different application technology than conventional liquid coating compositions and, thus, require expensive modifications to existing application lines. Also, most automotive topcoating compositions typically are cured at temperatures below 140° C. By contrast, most powder coating formulations require a much higher curing temperature. Further, many powder coating compositions tend to yellow more readily than conventional liquid, coating compositions, and generally result in coatings having a high cured film thickness, often ranging from 60 to 70 microns.
Powder coatings in slurry form for automotive coatings can overcome many of the disadvantages of dry powder coatings, however, powder slurry compositions can be unstable and settle upon storage at temperatures above 20° C. Further, WOW application of powder slurry clear coating compositions over conventional base coats can result in mud-cracking of the system upon curing. See Aktueller Status bei der Pulverlackentwickluna fur die Automobilindustrie am Beispiel fuller und Klarlack, presented by Dr. W. Kries at the 1st International Conference of Car-Body Powder Coatings, Berlin, Germany, Jun. 22-23, 1998, reprinted in Focus on Powder Coatings, The Royal Society of Chemistry, Sep. 2-8, 1998.
Some aqueous dispersions are known to form powder coatings upon application at ambient temperatures. Although applied as conventional waterborne coating compositions, these dispersions form powder coatings at ambient temperature which require a ramped bake prior to undergoing conventional curing conditions in order to effect a coalesced and continuous film on the substrate surface. Also, many waterborne coating compositions contain a substantial amount of organic solvent to provide flow and coalescence of the applied coating.
The automotive industry would derive a significant economic benefit from an essentially organic solvent-free coating composition which meets the stringent automotive appearance and performance requirements, while maintaining ease of application and properties, such as sag and crater resistance. Also, it would be advantageous to provide an organic solvent-free clear coat composition which can be applied by conventional application means over an uncured pigmented base coating composition (i.e., via WOW application) to form a generally continuous film at ambient temperature which provides a cured film free of mud-cracking.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Organic solvent-free film-forming compositions, multi-layer composite coatings, and related methods


Various embodiments of the invention provide methods and systems for providing a distributed computing platform. Tasks for execution are received from a remote computer and a set of computation users are identified to execute the set of computation task segments. The tasks are distributed to the set of computation users a solution segment is received from each computation user in the set of computation users to generate a set of solution segments, which are combined into a solution.

The global online population has reached over 2 billion users, or about 30% of the world's population. The average Internet user spends about 16 hours on the Internet every month, while that figure doubles for users in the United States. This equates to approximately 35 billion hours of online user time—an equivalent to almost 4 million years aggregated every month.
For most people, browsing the Internet is not a computationally-intensive activity, and considering the constantly-evolving hardware profile of an average user, the processing potential of their hardware is generally underutilized. This leaves many idle computation cycles that can be harnessed for constructive purposes.
In addition, there are people, entities, and organizations that benefit heavily from distributed computing. For example, some users run high-performance computing applications that perform computationally-intensive tasks in fields such as quantum mechanics, weather forecasting, climate research, oil and gas exploration, molecular modeling, and physical simulations. Other users deal with big data applications, with data sets so large and complex, they are impossible to process using conventional processing techniques. For these applications, users need to capture, curate, store, search, share, transfer, analyze, and visualize data. They also need to find correlations in data for business trends, determine research quality, prevent diseases, link legal citations, combat crime, and determine real-time roadway traffic conditions. Still other users use distributed computing to perform rendering animation, cryptography searches, bioinformatics, face recognition, climate models, genetic algorithms, and many more applications.
Most of the users of distributed computations have a choice to either build on-premises data centers, or use private and public cloud computing services such as Amazon Web Services (AWS). These solutions require physical data centers to perform the computations, independent of whether they are on-premises systems, or in the cloud on the premises of third parties. Most data centers run at maximum capacity, at any demand, wasting about 90% of the electricity that is pulled off the grid. Combined with underutilization, the energy wasted in these data centers is about thirty times the amount used for actual computation. Worldwide, data centers use about 30 GW of electricity, roughly equivalent to 30 nuclear power plants. Thus, the costs associated with these solutions are dominated by administration, and raise the price of the associated distributed computing services.
Another element of the online infrastructure that has helped ease the delivery and distribution of information is content delivery networks ("CDNs"). CDNs serve content to end-users with the goal of high availability and high performance. They serve many different types of content for a large fraction of the Internet, including web objects (text, graphics and scripts), downloadable objects (media files, software, and documents), applications (e-commerce and portals), live streaming media, on-demand streaming media, and social networks. CDN nodes are usually geographically diversified, often over multiple backbones. These services help to reduce bandwidth costs, improve page load times, or increase global availability of content. The number of nodes and servers making up a CDN varies, depending on the architecture. Some may reach thousands of nodes with tens of thousands of servers on many remote points of presence (PoPs).

Distributed cloud computing platform and content delivery network


The emergency vehicle alert system may be used for detection of selected sound frequency signals emitted by warning devices of vehicles. A sensor may sense a selected sound frequency signal spectrum and may be in communication with multiple operational amplifiers. The operational amplifiers may be biased to detect a warning device sound source within 50 feet and within 1,500 feet of the sensor. The detection of a warning device sound source may be communicated to a warning indicator to activate the warning indicator.

This invention relates to apparatus for detection of selected sound frequency signals emitted by sirens of emergency vehicles or warning signals from vehicles such as trains. The new apparatus may detect a selected sound frequency signal spectrum emitted by various siren or warning sound sources from at least two distinct distances from a sensor to provide a user with a warning of the presence of an emergency vehicle and the relative distance of the emergency vehicle.
Various types of emergency vehicle siren detection systems may be currently known; however, these systems tend to be complicated, elaborate apparatus. The system may involve digital signal processing and programming as part of the detection and differentiation process for detecting sirens of emergency vehicles. There may be a need for a simple, easy to apply siren or warning signal detection system.


The power converter extracts the accumulated energy accumulated in a snubber capacitor (a first capacitor) from the second capacitor in a series circuit, composed of a second capacitor and a diode, which is provided in parallel with that snubber capacitor, and uses it as the driving power source for a self-turn-off-semiconductor device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to power converters and more particularly, high voltage, large capacity power converters which connect in series multiple self-turn-off-semiconductor devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, power converters which can supply high voltages and large currents have been desired. In particular, the ability to supply 2000.about.3000 A or more at 100.about.500 KV is required by DC transmission and the like.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the overall composition of a prior art power converter and of a switch unit. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the control signal supply circuits for the gate circuits which compose the power converter in FIG. 1.
In FIG. 1, AC power source 1 is connected to converter 3 via transformer 2.
This converter 3 provides self-turn-off-semiconductor devices which are bridge-connected. The following is the description of the case when the composition uses gate turn-off thyristors (hereafter, referred to simply as "GTO") as one example. The DC current which is the output of this converter is smoothed via DC reactor 4 and supplied to DC circuit (load) 5.
The parts to which symbols 61 and 71 are assigned are GTOs. The parts to which symbols 81 and 91 are assigned are diodes. When GTOs 61 and 71 turn off, the current which was flowing in GTO 61 and 71 is led to capacitor 101. Capacitor 101 operates as a so-called snubber capacitor which restricts the forward voltage rising rates dv/dt of GTOs 61 and 71 to the permitted values for the GTO elements or less when GTOs 61 and 71 turn off. The charge accumulated in capacitor 101 is regenerated to AC power source 1 or DC circuit 5 via converter 3 when GTOs 61 and 71 turn on. The above GTOs 61 and 71, diodes 81 and 91 and capacitor 101 compose U-phase switch unit 111.
U-phase switch units 112.about.11n are composed in the same way.
Also, V-phase switch units 121.about.12n, W-phase switch units 131.about.13n, X-phase switch units 141.about.14n, Y-phase switch units 151.about.15n and Z-phase switch units 161.about.16n are composed in the same way.
Converter 3 is composed by bridge-connecting arms 11.about.16 which are formed from the above U-phase switch units.about.Z-phase switch units.
In FIG. 2, the composition of the arms is illustrated, taking U-phase arm 11 as an example.
The parts designated by symbols 191.about.19n and 201.about.20n are gate circuits which output gate signals 171.about.17n and 181.about.18n in order to turn on or turn off the respective GTOs 61.about.6n and 71.about.7n.
The control signals which control the turning on and off of each gate circuit 191.about.19n and 201.about.20n are transmitted from control system 25 via control signal lines 231.about.23n and 241.about.24n. Generally, optical cables are used for control signal lines 231.about.23n and 241.about.24n, and optical insulation is performed between control system 25 and gate circuits 191.about.19n and 201.about.20n.
The power for driving gate circuits 191.about.19n and 201.about.20n is obtained from power supply unit 27. Power supply unit 27 is connected to AC power source 26 which is obtained externally such as utility lines, and outputs a stabilised AC voltage with little voltage fluctuation. Insulation between power supply unit 27 and gate circuits 191.about.19n and 201.about.20n is performed by transformers 211.about.21n and 221.about.22n.
V-phase arm 12, W-phase arm 13, X-phase arm 14, Y-phase arm 15 and Z-phase arm 16 are composed in the same way.
The following is a description of the operation of a prior art power converter, referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.
For example, in the state in which U-phase switch unit 111 is turned on, arm current I branches into a current flowing in the path of GTO 61 and diode 81 and a current flowing in the DC circuit of GTO 71 and diode 91 inside the U-phase switch unit.
When GTOs 61 and 71 turn off, arm current I shifts the conducting path to diode 81, capacitor 101 and diode 91. When capacitor 101 is charged, U-phase switch unit 111 becomes off by diodes 81 and 91 turning off.
When GTOs 61 and 71 turn on once again, capacitor 101 discharges the accumulated charge to AC power source 1 or DC circuit 5 via GTOs 61 and 71. After the discharge of capacitor 101, diodes 81 and 91 turn on, and arm current I branches as described above.
U-phase switch units 112.about.11n also operate in the same way.
The above operation is also performed by each of the other switch units 121.about.12n, 131.about.13n, 141.about.14n, 151.about.15n and 161.about.16n.
However, with the above-mentioned power converter, when used as a high voltage, large capacity power converter, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, U-phase arm 11 is composed by connecting in series a large number of switch units 111.about.11n. In consequence of this, gate circuits 191.about.19n and 201.about.20n are required for respective switch units 111.about.11n.
As described above, the insulation of gate circuits 191.about.19n, and 201.about.20n and power supply unit 27 is performed by transformers 211.about.21n. However when, for example, U-phase arm 11 becomes high-voltage, it is sometimes difficult to keep insulation by transformer because the voltages to earth in the primary sides and secondary sides of transformers 211.about.21n differ greatly.
In this case, power cannot be supplied for driving gate circuits 191.about.19n and 201.about.20n. Therefore, this becomes an impediment to producing a high voltage, large capacity power converter.


A loudspeaker cone body made of paper may include a chemically-bound nanomaterial, such as a carbon nanotube. The carbon nanotube may be chemically bound to a functionalizing agent having a chemical group chemically bound to one or more papermaking additives, such as a sizing agent or a wet strength agent, a dry strength agent, a resin or cellulose-containing papermaking stock material typically present in a paper loudspeaker cone body, such as pulp. Acoustic-related loudspeaker performance characteristics such as stiffness to weight ratio and an acoustic damping of the loudspeaker cone body may be altered by incorporation of the nanomaterials chemically bound to the loudspeaker cone body.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to loudspeaker cones and methods and systems for making loudspeaker cones, and more particularly relates to paper-based loudspeaker cones and methods for making paper-based loudspeaker cones.
2. Related Art
A loudspeaker cone is a well-known part of mid and low frequency loudspeaker designs. A loudspeaker cone body desirably has a sufficient amount of stiffness with minimized weight. This is known as stiffness to weight ratio. A specific modulus, Ys=Ye(Young's Modulus)/specific gravity, is a figure of merit useful to compare and rank alternate materials and compositions. Therefore, loudspeaker cones, and other diaphragms useful for electro-acoustic transducers, are desirably light in weight, high in rigidity (Young's modulus, E), well damped (tan delta), and characterized by a high ratio between the Young's modulus (E) and the density (ρ). Preferred materials for electro-acoustic transducer diaphragms therefore have a high specific modulus (E/ρ) and/or desirably high sound propagation velocity, v,=√(E/ρ).
Although current methods for making loudspeaker cones produce loudspeaker cones with satisfactory specific modulus and/or sound propagation velocity further improvements and enhancements are desirable.

Harman International Industries, Incorporated


A current switching device includes stationary contacts, and movable contacts which are movable between a position in which the movable contacts engage the stationary contacts and a position in which the movable contacts separate from the stationary contacts. The movable contacts are mounted on a movable contact holder. A magnetic locking element includes a permanent magnet and is pivotally mounted about a fixed axis. An actuation armature is connected to the contact holder and is movable to move the contact holder. The actuation armature is movable in proximity to the magnetic locking elements such that the actuation armature is locked to the magnetic locking element by magnetic attraction with the movable contacts engaging the stationary contacts. An opening armature is movable between a rest position and a position in proximity to the magnetic locking element, such that the opening armature is locked to the magnetic locking element by magnetic attraction. When the opening armature is in proximity to the magnetic locking element, the magnetic attraction between the actuation armature and the magnetic locking element is reduced such that the actuation armature is freed to permit the movable contacts to separate from the stationary contacts. A tripping device is sensitive to a current overload and causes the opening armature to move to the position in proximity to the magnetic locking element.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a current switching device controlled manually by a manual control element and comprising, in a box, a magnetic locking element with a permanent magnet that cooperates both with an actuation armature acting on a bridge of moving contacts cooperating with stationary contacts of a pole and with an opening armature that can be displaced by protective means that are sensitive to overloads or excess currents.
2. Description of the Related Art
Lock mechanisms are used in single- or multi-phased circuit breakers. A known mechanism comprises a manual control element (button) able to compress the springs that apply the moving contacts against the stationary contacts. Furthermore, this mechanism can receive opening orders from trip mechanisms that act to cause the rapid opening of the contacts. They almost always combine protection from overloads and from short circuits.
French patent 1,464,396 and British patent 1,355,035 describe magnetic-type mechanisms comprising a permanent magnet that works with an armature displaced by a trip mechanism, and an armature that is integral with the moving contact. The approach of the armature associated with the trip mechanism frees the armature that is integral with the moving contact. If it is desired to produce a device with several poles, just as many magnet mechanisms are necessary.


A swing trainer device includes a laser beam mechanism having a laser beam light source and batteries for emitting a laser beam, and further includes a laser beam attachment member which is essentially a flexible sleeve having an open first end which is removably engaged about the end of either the handle of a golf club or the barrel of a bat, and further having an open second end which is securely engaged about the end of the back portion of the laser beam mechanism. A laser beam is directed away from and in the same plane as the handle of the golf club or the barrel of the bat. This swing trainer device is swung in a single plane to help the user maintain a consistent swing each and every time through muscle memorization.

This invention relates to a swing trainer device and the method of using the same which is attachable to the end of the handle of any golf club and to the end of the barrel of any bat and which allows the player to instantly see the path of his/her swing and to correct or alter the path of his/her swing immediately.
The games of golf and baseball are played by striking the ball with a golf club and a bat. For either game, the player must have developed a particular swing which allows the player to effectively strike the ball on a consistent basis. In golf for the player to be competitive, the player must have perfected his/her swing in order to hit the ball the same way each and every time so that the player will know how to address the ball for each and every shot so that the player will hit the ball not only for distance but also for accuracy. If the player does not have the same swing each and every time, he/she will not be able to hit the ball accurately and for distance each and every time.
In baseball for the player to be competitive, the player must be able to hit a pitched baseball, and since the pitched baseball more often than not travels in a straight path, the player who has developed a level swing rather than an upper swing or a looping swing has a much better chance of making contact with the pitched baseball. For either game, it is difficult for the player to visualize whether or not he/she has a good swing without either someone in person watching his/her swing or the player being filmed while swinging and then watching the film later.
One known prior art is a GOLF SWING TRAINING DEVICE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,888, issued on Aug. 13, 1996 and invented by John T. Pellegrini and which comprises a light source generating a parallel light beam and also comprises a threaded fastener attached to the light source and which is threaded into the end of the handle of the golf club.
Another known prior art is a GOLF SWING TRAINING DEVICE, U.S. Pat. No. 3,820,795, issued on Jun. 28, 1974 and invented by David L. Taylor and which comprises a snap fitting attachment for the hosel of the golf club, a light source carried by the snap fitting attachment and directing a light beam upwardly, and a hosel entrance opening on the attachment.
Another known prior art is a LASER BEAM GOLF SWING TRAINING DEVICE, U.S. Pat. No. 3,953,034, issued on Apr. 27, 1976 and invented by Rodney L. Nelson and which comprises a laser beam source mounted on the shaft of the golf club and a convex mirror located on the golf club head between the club face and hosel to spread the laser beam into a fan of light and project the same forwardly and downwardly at a 90 degree angle to the golf club face.
None of the prior art discloses a swing trainer device and the method of using the same as disclosed in the present invention.

Swing training method with game ball hitting implement


The invention provides the use of water-miscible liquid cyclic acetals for adsorbing a nucleic acid to a solid phase such as a substrate with a silica surface. To this end, the invention also provides compositions comprising said acetals. Methods are disclosed and claimed to purify nucleic acids from samples, as well as kits useful for performing these methods. The nucleic acids purified by a method of the invention are suited for assays aiming at the detection of a target nucleic acid.

Since the structure of DNA was deciphered by Watson & Crick in 1953 (Watson, J. D. and Crick, F. H. C., Nature 171 (1953) 737-738) investigation and handling of nucleic acids becomes an integral part of biochemistry molecular biology. Despite the availability of a number of isolation methods an commercial kits for performing such methods, new developments for fast and easy isolation or purification of nucleic acids with high yield and purity are still of major importance.
Nucleic acids are highly susceptible to enzymatic degradation. In 1968 Cox described the chaotropic agent guanidine HCl as an inhibitor of enzymatic nuclease activity (Cox, R. A., Methods Enzymol 12B (1968) 120-129). Besides a strong denaturing effect on proteins high concentrations of chaotropic agents also mediate cell lysis. Therefore chaotropic agents, particularly guanidine thiocyanate, are widely in use for nucleic acid isolation.
A first principle of nucleic acid isolation from a biological sample uses an organic solvent, particularly phenol, for the separation of nucleic acids from the remaining organic sample components. The phenol extraction is followed by a salt precipitation of the nucleic acid from an aqueous phase (Stallcup, M. R. and Washington, L. D., J. Biol. Chem. 258 (1983) 2802-2807, and Schmitt, M. E., et al., Nucl. Acid Res. 18 (1990) 3091-3092). Although this method results in nucleic acids with high yield and purity the major drawbacks are the use of poisonous reagents, the time consuming and labor intensive workflow. Due to these disadvantages automation of this isolation principle is not amenable to automation, or only to a very limited extent.
Another principle of nucleic acid isolation makes use of solid inorganic material, particularly silica, to which nucleic acids are adsorbed from an aqueous liquid phase such as a lysate of a biological sample. In 1979 Vogelstein and Gillespie described a method for isolating nucleic acid from agarose gel slices by binding nucleic acids to silica particles in presence of highly concentrated sodium iodide (Vogelstein, B. and Gillespie, D., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 76 (1979) 615-619).
In addition it was found that the binding of nucleic acids to the solid phase was increased by the addition of anionic or cationic or neutral detergents, in particular TRITON-X100 (Union Carbide Chemicals & Plastics Technology Corporation), sodium dodecyl sulfate, NP40, and TWEEN 20 (ICI Americas Inc.).
Adsorption of a nucleic acid to the solid phase is usually performed in the presence of a potent denaturant such as a chaotropic agent (Boom, R. et al., J. Clin. Microbiol. 28 (1990) 495-503; U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,809). For the isolation process the biological material is mixed with a solution containing the denaturant. The resulting mix is brought into contact with the solid phase material whereby nucleic acid molecules are bound to the surface of the solid phase. Afterwards the solid material is washed with solutions containing decreasing chaotropic salt concentrations and increasing alcohol concentrations, in particular ethanol, in order to further purify the bound nucleic acids from other organic material and contaminating agents. In the last step the solid material is brought into contact with a low salt solution or water under alkaline pH in order to remove the bound nucleic acid from the solid phase. The complete workflow comprises a sample lysis step, a binding step, one or more washing steps, and an elution (desorption) step.
The solid phase can be arranged in different conformations. In a first design the solid phase is in fleece shape and embedded in a plastic device. An example therefor is a micro spin column (EP 0 738 733). This design is preferentially used in workflows which are performed manually. In a second design magnetic silica particles are used as a solid phase (Bartl, K., et al., Clin. Chem. Lab. Med. 36 (1998) 557-559). This design is preferentially used in automated workflows.
A further improvement of this method was observed when aliphatic alcohol (i.e., ethanol or isopropanol) or polyethylene glycol is added to the solution at the binding step (U.S. Pat. No. 6,383,393).
US 2002/10192667 A1 discloses purification of nucleic acids by addition (in buffer) of a chaotrope and an organic solvent such as the cyclic ether compound 1,4-dioxane, after which the mixture is passed by an inorganic support such as silica, onto which the nucleic acids bind. Other examples of added organic solvents in the binding buffer include the aliphatic ethers ethylene glycol dimethyl ether, ethylene glycol diethyl ether, propylene glycol dimethyl ether, propylene glycol diethyl ether, diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, diethylene glycol diethyl ether, tetrahydrofuran, the aliphatic esters propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, and ethyl lactate, and the aliphatic ketones hydroxyacetone, acetone, and methyl ethyl ketone.
US 2005/0079535 discloses the use of acetone, acetylacetone, acetonitrile, dimethylsulfoxide, diethylketone, methylethylketone, methylpropylketone, isobutylmethylketone, gamma-butyrolactone, gamma-valerolactone, propylene carbonate, and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone as well as the use of the cyclic diether dioxane in the binding buffer, in order to adsorb a nucleic acid to a solid phase such as silica.
The methods for the isolation/purification of nucleic acids of the state of the art have certain disadvantages. Such disadvantages relate to, e.g., purity, selectivity, recovery rate, laboratory safety and convenience, as well as to the speed of the isolation/purification process.
E.g., in protocols using a phenol/chloroform extraction, residual phenol is often a problem for certain post isolation procedures, particularly for enzymatic reactions such as a digestion with a restriction enzyme, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), or a ligase-mediated reaction. Generally, elevated concentrations of residual reagents from the purification/isolation process may pose a problem. It is therefore desired to keep residual amounts of the reagents used during the purification procedure as low as possible in the purified nucleic acid. Another potential problem related to purity is the coextraction of certain substances from the adsorption matrix (leaching). It is therefore desired to keep residual amounts of compounds liberated during the purification procedure by leaching as low as possible in the purified nucleic acid.
The chemical properties of the reagents used in the isolation/purification process determines the quality of the nucleic (yield, purity and size) as well as their performance in down-stream workflows, including polymerase or reverse transcriptase based enzymatic reactions (Mullis, K. and Faloona, F. A., Methods Enzymol 155 (1987) 335-350). Furthermore, additional properties of the reagents like toxicity, as well as physical and chemical aspects like flash point and vapor pressure are of major importance.
Hazardous substances often bear environmental risks and cause high costs for waste management. Their use can be restricted based on the required technical and/or operational safety measures to be taken. The hazardous potential of buffers used in the isolation/purification of nucleic acids is chiefly influenced by the choice of the organic compound which promotes adsorption of the nucleic acid to the solid phase. With respect to the environmental burden it is desired to reduce the use of toxic or harmful agents as far as possible. Also, the flash point of a flammable organic compound, that is the lowest temperature at which it can form an ignitable mixture with oxygen, is desired to be high. This parameter particularly influences the costs of production of kits for nucleic acid purification. An organic compound with a flash point below room temperature has to be handled in specially equipped production facilities which prevent the development of explosive vapour. In addition, restrictions apply to the transport of such organic compounds. A low flash point is usually correlated with a high vapor pressure. As a consequence, certain organic compounds, particularly lower alcohols, tend to evaporate from solutions and therefore lead to variations in concentration over time. This effect also influences stability during storage as well as the handling of liquids with a high vapor pressure in an automated pipetting instrument. Avoiding substances with low flash points and a tendency to evaporate in the isolation/purification process would make the production of solutions for the purification of nucleic acids simpler and more economical. In addition, compounds with a low vapour pressure are desired as they increase the utility of nucleic acid isolation kits by eliminating a major source of pipetting error, thereby increasing the reliability of such kits.
The problem underlying the present invention therefore was to provide alternative compounds to promote the adsorption of a nucleic acid to a solid phase.
The inventors have surprisingly found that adsorption of a nucleic acid to a solid phase is effectively accomplished when a water-miscible liquid cyclic acetal is used in the adsorption solution.

Use of acetals for isolation of nucleic acids