The present invention relates to a method for decreasing the contents of metals, metalloids, nitrate and nitrite, respectively, in raw water flowing through a basin (1), whereby water containing either oxygen, oxygen-releasing substances, naturally occurring micro-organisms and/or substrates therefore is intermittently introduced to the basin (1) through horizontally arranged infiltration/extraction means (2) above and below the injection pipes of raw water, and by alternating the withdrawal and infiltration of conditioned water between the horizontal means so that essentially a vertical flow of water is created between these means, thereby creating a reaction zone for purification of raw water before it reaches the central extraction well. The water to be purified is fed into the basin by horizontally arranged feeding pipes (5) and the extraction of purified water from said at least one extraction well (3) is such that a substantially negative pressure is created around said at least one extraction well (3). The invention relates also to an apparatus for carrying out the method.

As used herein, the term artificial ground water is used for infiltrated surface water, and by the term raw water is meant ground water, artificial ground water, or surface water.
In many places, potable water requiring treatment and purification for removal of iron and manganese is treated in a water treatment plant by adding oxygen to the water. This leads to precipitation of impurities, which are filtered out to leave purified water. Oxygen is typically added to the water in the form of pure oxygen, or by aeration of the water through the use of a cascade aerator. Because the concentration of oxygen necessary to precipitate metal ions from solution is comparatively low, iron and manganese are precipitated through the filtration process described above, wherein the filter encompassed one or more layers of sand through which the water is passed. Capital investment and operating costs for such a purification plant are high since the sand layers which function as the filter material must be regenerated from time to time to enhance the removal of the precipitated metal ions of manganese and iron.
Alternatively, ground water has been purified in situ as described in Swedish Patent Specification No. 6903544-2. Water containing oxygen or oxygen-releasing substances was introduced intermittently into an aquifer through a number of satellite wells or satellite pipes, arranged vertically at a predetermined distance and surrounding an extraction well or extraction pipe.
As used herein, the term "satellite wells" is used to indicate any means arranged vertically in an aquifer by which treated water may be introduced into a filter, basin, aquifer or similar purification or filtration system through which such water is to be purified. However, it is to be understood that "satellite wells" are also used to withdraw water for introduction into other satellite wells. Representative examples of satellite wells include wells, pipes, hoses, tubes and similar devices.
Oxygenated water introduced into an aquifer creates a suitable environment for the growth of certain microbes enhancing chemical and metabolic adsorption, oxidation and precipitation of compounds in the existing ground layers, thereby utilizing the ground layers as a reaction and filtration medium. The microbes employed are often organisms being active primarily in zones created between oxidizing and reducing conditions. Water containing oxygen or oxygen-releasing substances was added intermittently over a period of approximately twenty-four (24) hours. During the addition of oxygenated water or water containing oxygen-releasing substances, the extraction well could not be used as a purified water source since concurrent use of the extraction well and the satellite wells would cause the failure of the filtration mechanism or a disturbance in its operation, resulting in a deterioration of the quality of water. To extract water on a continuous basis, two or more extraction wells or suitable means for storage has been required to circumvent the above-described disadvantages, enabling the withdrawal of purified water to be alternated between at least two extraction wells or between the well and the storage means. Regeneration was performed on the dormant extraction well or wells if necessary during withdrawal of purified water from the alternate extraction source.
To eliminate the drawback with a discontinuous extraction of water another alternative of ground water purification in situ has been described in Swedish Patent Specification No. 8206393-4. An advantage of that invention is the elimination of the need for two or more extraction wells, permitting purified water to be pumped continuously from a single extraction well.
During the operation oxygenated/conditioned water is fed to at least one but less than all of the satellite wells, and simultaneously with such introduction, water is drawn from at least one satellite well for the purpose of creating a purification zone for the adsorption, transformation, oxidation, precipitation or volatilization of contaminants. In particular, water conditioned with oxidizing agents or other beneficial additives is utilized to reduce the concentration of impurities from untreated water, rendering the water "purified." The water fed to the satellite wells may consist of conditioned water drawn from at least one other satellite well and if desired also a portion of the purified water drawn from the extraction means.
By changing the plurality of satellite wells into which conditioned water is introduced, and by alternating the satellite wells from which water is withdrawn, the user optimizes the purification zone in which contaminants are precipitated. Any number of satellite wells greater than two may be used in this system, depending upon the size of the purification system, hydrogeologic conditions, biogeochemical conditions, the concentration of impurities contained in the water, etc. Conditioned water may be introduced into the satellite wells for a predetermined period, ranging from a few hours to a few days or longer.
The process according to Swedish Patent Specification No. 8206393-4 also enables the continuous filtration and purification of raw water utilizing a basin, wherein a filter comprised of naturally occurring or man-made material is contained and utilized. For example, soil may be excavated to form a basin-shaped cavity with a mantle surface, and a sealing layer of clay, concrete, plastic, water-resistant cloth or the like may be applied to the mantle surface to form an inner wall. Satellite wells for the introduction of conditioned water, are arranged vertically inside the mantle within the basin, and the basin is filled with a filter material, such as sand. The extraction means may be located in the centre of the basin; the satellite wells for introducing treated water are arranged between the mantle and the basin centre, around the interior of the periphery of the inner wall of the basin, so as to enable the introduction of conditioned water into the purification system through a plurality of the satellite wells, extraction of water through at least one satellite well and the continuous withdrawal of purified water through the extraction means. In the man-made aquifer, water is intermittently drawn from at least one satellite well, is conditioned and is further introduced into at least one other satellite well. Alternating the satellite wells used for recharge with the satellite wells used for withdrawal of water in this manner effectively alternates the purification zones utilized for the precipitation of contaminants.
WO02/48469 describes means and methods for purification of water, where these also can be used in an artificial aquifer, e.g. a basin filled with sand or similar material. In the description, the tightening cloth against the ambient soil is said to be arranged below the soil surface, which means that the top part is open against the atmosphere. The same arrangement is also true for the Swedish Patent Specification No. 8206393-4. This will give rise to an overflow and out wash of material from the basin because of the high water pressures that are built up in the basin from the infiltration of raw water and recharge into the satellite wells.
EP 04749194.9 describes a method for decreasing the contents of metals, metalloids, nitrate and nitrite, respectively, in raw water flowing through a basin containing naturally occurring filter material, whereby in case of decreasing the contents of metals or metalloids water containing oxygen or oxygen-releasing substances and/or metabolic reactions of naturally occurring micro-organisms and in the case of decreasing the contents of nitrate and nitrite water containing denitrification organisms and/or substrates therefore is intermittently introduced to the basin through a number of satellite wells arranged around at least one extraction well for purified water. The method is characterized in that said water containing oxygen or oxygen-releasing substances and/or metabolic reactions of naturally occurring micro-organisms or denitrification organisms and/or substrates therefore is homogeneously distributed by satellite wells arranged vertically in said basin, and the water to be purified is fed into the basin by horizontally arranged feeding pipes and that the extraction of purified water from said at least one extraction well is such that a substantial negative pressure is created around said at least one extraction well.
Moreover, according to said document the basin is hermetically sealed by a material impermeable to air and water and that all inlets and outlets through the material are impermeable to air and water.
When water is purified by passing through a reaction zone created by a plurality of satellite wells arranged vertically and surrounding an extraction well, the flow pattern from the satellite wells of injected water becomes generally parallel to the flow pattern of the water to be purified. When this generally parallel flow pattern is established, a discontinuous radial purification pattern develops between the satellite wells and between the satellite wells and the extraction well, resulting in that the raw water being poorly purified. This gradually reduces the operability of the extraction well due to precipitation of iron and manganese, which occurs in the aquifer within close proximity to the extraction well.

Method and apparatus for decreasing the content of impurities in raw water


A face mask has mask material and ties or ear loops coupled to the mask material. The face mask is flat until worn. The mask material has an outside and an inside, which inside is designed to be against the wearer's face when the mask is worn. A deformable nose strip is provided near a top edge of the mask material. The nose strip is preformed into a contour for fitting about a nose. The contour bows out from the inside to the outside. A wearer donning the mask intuitively knows to orient the contour to the wearer's nose, wherein the inside is automatically positioned against the wearer's face.

Face masks are worn in medical environments, such as surgical operating rooms, in order to minimize the transfer of contaminants. In an operating room, the surgeons, nurses, and other personnel wear face masks so as to filter out contaminants from their breathing and to minimize the risk of infection to the patient undergoing the surgical procedure. In addition, the face masks serve to protect the medical personnel from infectious agents that may emanate from the patient.
Another use for face masks is in clean rooms. Such clean rooms are used, for example, in semiconductor manufacturing. The face masks reduce particle emissions from the human workers.
Early face masks were made of cloth and were sewn together. In the 1960's, masks began to be made from disposable non-woven fabrics. At first, the disposable fabrics were sewn; later the masks were made by ultrasonically bonding the materials to each other.
One general type of face mask is flat and is typically rectangular in shape. Flat face masks are typically pleated in the mask body to allow for some fitting of the mask to the curvature of a human face. A flat face mask can be of the 4-tie variety or the ear loop variety. In the 4-tie variety, ties extend out from the mask body which are then tied around the back of the wearer's head. The ear loop variety has elastic loops that fit around the ears of the wearer; no tying is needed.
The prior art flat face mask has a flat nose strip along the top edge. To use, the face mask is placed against the face, with the nose strip located on the bridge of the nose. The user presses the nose strip to form a contour around the nose.
Another type or style of face mask is the "cone" or "cup-shaped" mask, which is a molded bowl-shaped mask with an elastic band that extends around the back of a wearer's head. Such cone masks are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,807,619 and 4,536,440. They have a shaping layer of thermally bonded fibers, which layer provides the cone shape. The shaping layer is made by molding webs of thermally bonding fibers in heated molds, which molds are at temperatures above the softening point of the thermally bonding fibers.
Flat face masks typically have a body with three layers, namely an outer layer, a middle filtration layer and an inner layer. The inner layer is chosen so as to be comfortable on the skin. The outer layer can irritate the skin. Therefore, it is desirable to properly orient the mask to the skin, so that the inner layer is against the skin. In addition, the face mask typically has a fluid resistant layer and has an anti-microbial layer. These fluid resistant masks and anti-microbial masks perform satisfactorily only if they are worn correctly, with the outer layer on the outside and the inside layer against the wearer.
Identifying the proper orientation of a flat face mask has proven difficult. People frequently don a flat face mask with the inner layer facing out, in an inside out orientation.
In many masks, the inner and outer layers are the same color, making identification of the inside particularly difficult. In some prior art flat face masks, the inner layer and outer layer are different colors. Even with this color differentiation however, problems persist in correctly donning the face mask. Furthermore, some prior art face masks have the word "inside" imprinted on the inner layer. However, health care workers still don the masks inside out.


A dartboard positioning device and method includes a housing that has a back wall, a front wall, a first side wall, a second side wall, a top wall and a bottom wall. The back wall is arcuate and abuttable against an edge of a dartboard. A center mark indicator is positioned on the first side wall. A distance measuring assembly is positioned in the housing and is adapted for determining a distance from the center mark indicator to a selectable point. A laser pointer mounted on the first side wall defines the center mark indicator and is adapted for directing a point of light away from the housing. The laser pointer is angled with respect to the housing so that the point of light strikes a floor surface spaced 7′ 9.25″ from the first side wall when the center mark indicator is positioned 5′ 8″ above the floor surface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to measuring devices and more particularly pertains to a new measuring device for aiding a person in simultaneously determining the correct height of a dartboard and the proper distance between the dartboard and a toe line marker.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of measuring devices is known in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 3,752,588 describes a device adapted for indicating the distance between first down markers on a football field. Another type of measuring device is U.S. Pat. No. 3,741,662, which measures first down distance and which also emits a visible lie on a football field. Another such device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,609,307 which includes an assembly adapted for aiding a person in determining proper placement of a pool rack on a pool table.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the need remains for a device that allows a person to not only measure a proper height for the positioning of a dartboard on a wall, but that also provides and indication of where a toe line marker is to be drawn so that a person using the dartboard knows the proper distance to be standing from the dartboard. It is preferred that both of these measurements may be taken simultaneously to allow a more accurate, as well as more efficient, measurement.


The present disclosure relates to systems and devices for positioning and placing multiple electrodes in a target surgical site. A guide block is disclosed which introduces electrodes into target tissue and includes an elongated, generally rectilinear bar having a plurality of slots defined therethrough. Each of the slots is configured to selectively receive and retain a corresponding electrode therein. The rectilinear bar is malleable and selectively bendable from a substantially linear configuration to a substantially curved configuration to facilitate positioning the guide block relative to target tissue.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to ablation electrode systems and, more particularly, to systems, devices and methods for positioning and placing multiple electrodes in a target surgical site.
2. Background of Related Art
The use of radiofrequency electrodes for ablation of tissue in a patient's body is known. In a typical situation, a radiofrequency electrode comprising an elongated, cylindrical shaft with a portion of its external surface insulated is inserted into the patient's body. The electrode typically has an exposed conductive tip, which is used to contact body tissue in the region where the heat lesion or ablation is desired. The electrode is connected to a radiofrequency power source, which provides radiofrequency voltage to the electrode, which transmits the radiofrequency current into the tissue near its exposed conductive tip. This current usually returns to the power source through a concentric electrode in a bipolar system or through a reference electrode in a monopolar system. The reference electrode may comprise a large area conductive contact or pad connected to an external portion of the patient's body.
In some applications, e.g., wedge resections (segmentectomies) or tumor ablation procedures, multiple electrodes are inserted into the body in an array or partial array to enlarge ablation volumes and specifically define resection areas. For example, in some particular applications, arrays of high frequency electrodes are inserted into tumors and energized to create an ablation volume depending upon the particular positioning of the electrodes. The electrodes are typically placed in a dispersed fashion throughout the tumor volume to cover the tumor volume with uniform heat, typically above about 45° C. The electrodes may be sequentially applied with high frequency voltage so that each electrode heats in sequence its neighboring tissue and then shuts off. Then, the next electrode does the same in a time series. This sequence of cycling the voltage through the electrodes continues at a prescribed frequency and for a period of time until the tumor is ablated.
Desirably, a configuration of radiofrequency electrodes, which can accomplish ablation in the range of 4 to 6 cm diameter or greater for the purpose of adequately treating large cancerous tumors in the body are necessary to effectively destroy the tumor and combat cancerous cells from spreading. It is further necessary that such an electrode system involve a simple geometry, reduced numbers of tissue insertions, facilitate planning of needle placement, and facilitate planning of heat ablation geometry and distribution. Typically, an introducer is provided for this purpose and to facilitate the insertion of a "cluster" of electrodes into the body for performing tissue ablation. The introducer includes a body portion including one or more holes formed therein for selectively receiving a respective elongate shaft of the electrodes therethrough. The holes of the introducer orient and space each electrode relative to one another according to the geometry of the introducer.


A method for controlling the drive unit of a vehicle considers several desired input quantities of different priority in the formation of a desired value. At least one output quantity of the drive unit is adjusted in dependence upon the desired value input quantities. For adjustment, a desired value is formed which considers the desired value input quantities in the sequence of their priority.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,778,883 discloses a method for controlling the drive unit of a vehicle. At least one output quantity of the drive unit is adjusted in dependence upon desired value input quantities. To make an adjustment, one of the desired value input quantities is applied which is selected from the received desired value input quantities. In addition to the desired value input quantities, characteristic quantities are received which describe the type of adjustment of the desired value input quantities. To control the drive unit, these characteristic quantities are selected independently of the desired value inputs. The characteristic quantities include dynamic requests and priorities.
A method and an arrangement for controlling the torque of the drive unit of a vehicle are known from German patent publication 197 39 567. In this method and arrangement, a desired torque value for adjusting the charge is formed from several desired values and at least one desired torque value for adjusting power parameters of an internal combustion engine, which effect a rapid torque change, is formed from several desired values. The two desired torque values are different and the formation of these desired torque values is based on at least one different and/or corrected desired value.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,991,669 discloses a method wherein coordinators are pregiven for a vehicle and these coordinators undertake the resource requirement and the resource distribution of the control systems of the vehicle, inter alia, on the basis of received peripheral conditions such as a desired dynamic or priority.
In engine controls for commercial vehicles, requirements of external control apparatus with respect to engine torque or the desired rpm must be considered in various applications. The different applications having a variable type and number of requests should be mastered with an engine control software so that the engine control, without changes, can coordinate and realize all requests of the external control apparatus together. For this purpose, standard formats for torque desired values and rpm desired values are defined in SAE J 1939-71 and standard limits as well as priorities are defined in four ratings for their coordination. A selection logic is given for the evaluation of the requests while considering the priority. The present requests are sequentially reduced by comparison to a resulting request. In each comparison, that desired value is selected having the greater priority. With like priorities, the more actual desired value is selected. The lower limit is selected for limitations of equal priority.

Method for controlling the drive unit of a vehicle


An endovascular stapler for securing an endograft to a vessel is disclosed. The stapler includes a staple housing adapted for storing at least one staple therein. The staple housing having an exit area for discharge of the at least one staple therethrough. The stapler also includes an actuating assembly adapted for discharging the at least one staple through the exit area and a displacement mechanism in operative association with the staple housing near the exit area. The displacement member is operative for pushing the exit area against the endograft when discharging the at least one staple therethrough. The displacement mechanism may comprise a balloon adapted to be inflated and deflated positioned near the exit area. The unbent staples may be shaped as elongate W shapes, or may alternatively be straight wire segments. The staples may be bent upon discharge.

The present invention relates to a stapling device for use in the fixation of endovascular grafts to the walls of vessels. Fixation of grafts utilizing the present invention may be conducted during initial implantation. However, the present invention may also be utilized to arrest the vexing complication of proximal or distal migrations following the prior implantation of such grafts.
It is well known that endovascular grafts may be inserted into the human body during numerous medical procedures. Grafts are typically inserted into vessels and held in place by friction, such as with self-expanding or balloon expandable stents. The grafts may also be affixed to vessels with hooks or barbs.
The grafts may be formed from synthetic materials, such as polyester, expanded polytetraflouroethylene ("ePTFE"), or others. The grafts may also be formed of natural vessels harvested from other areas of the body or from a donor mammal. Notwithstanding the various materials utilized, migration of the grafts over time remains a problem.
Caudad device migration is known to lead to a Type 1 endoleak with aneurysm sac reperfusion, enlargement and rupture. Cephalad device migration may lead to coverage of the renal artery orifices and renal insufficiency.
Such device migration is caused by many factors. One known factor is poor patient selection. Patients with cone shaped aortic necks, severe neck tortuosity, short necks or who have a laminated thrombus present at the landing site are generally susceptible to device migration problems. Other device migration issues are caused by changing aortic morphology following device implantation. Finally, migration may be caused by device structural fatigue and device design related issues. Even absent these conditions, device migration has been found.
Treatment of caudad migrations have traditionally been conducted by the addition of "sleeves" to the proximal end of the graft in an effort to regain purchase between the graft and the vessel it is attached to in order to maintain a seal between the two. More drastic options include resorting to conventional surgery. These late conversions are, unfortunately, associated with a high mortality rate.
Treatment options for the cephalad migrations are even less attractive. In the face of continued migration, resignation may be the only option as such migration may lead to renal insufficiency requiring hemodialysis. To permit device removal, a typical conversion in this case involves supra-celiac aortic cross-clamping, and its associated problems.
Prior attempts at fixation of migrating devices, including additions of hooks, barbs, tackers, and other fastening devices have proven to be insufficient or impractical. It would therefore be advantageous to provide an endovascular stapling device which may be used to adequately arrest existing migrations, as well as secure new grafts in a manner likely to eliminate future migration. Actual fixation of the graft to the aortic neck at multiple points will also prevent the aorta itself from enlarging.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A universal joint includes two joint yokes that, respectively, have two yoke arms that each start from a connection portion. Through an eye portion distanced from the connection portion, bearing bores extend in which respectively, a journal of a journal cross by means of interposition of rolling members and of a bearing bushing are supported. On the outside of the yoke arms, a bulge is respectively provided towards the connection portion and adjacent to the bearing bore and over a partial circumference of the same, which bulge has, towards the bearing bore, a groove. A circumferential groove, belonging to a retaining trunnion projecting from the base of the bearing bushing, is arranged opposite to the groove. Between the two, a securing element is arranged that engages with an engagement portion in the groove and with a retaining portion facing away from the same, in the circumferential groove of the retaining trunnion. As the groove for receiving the securing element, which serves for the retainment of the bearing bushing in the bearing bore, is not designed to extend circumferentially fully around the bearing bore, the material thickness on the free end of the yoke arms can be reduced on the outside.

The invention relates to a universal joint with a securing element that serves to secure a bearing bushing supporting a journal cross and that is received in a bearing bore of a yoke arm of a joint yoke.
German Patent No. 34 46 456 C1 describes an axial retainment of a bearing bushing in a yoke eye of a joint yoke of a universal joint. Adjacent to the bearing bore, in an area of the same projecting to the outside over the base of the bearing bushing, an annular groove extending over the complete circumference is provided. On two diametrically opposite positions of the eye portion, a groove is respectively provided, into which a securing ring, formed in cross-section as an angle ring with projections, can be inserted and can then be turned for the retainment so that the projections engage in the groove. The securing of the ring against rotation is then carried out by means of a grub screw. Thus, for the securing ring, a type of bayonet locking is selected.
When articulating the joint yokes of a universal joint relative to each other, the yoke arms of the one joint yoke engage mutually in a gap between the yoke arms of the other joint yoke. The yoke arms of a joint yoke are connected to a connection portion. The yoke arms project from the connection portion of the joint yoke in an offset manner relative to the longitudinal axis. The free ends of the yoke arms dip, respectively, into the gap between the yoke arms of the other joint yoke. The larger the distance of the outer contour of the yoke arms in the area of their ends distanced to the connection portion from the articulation center of the joint, the larger is the rotational circle when articulating the two joint yokes to each other. Basically, it is necessary especially for the universal-jointed shafts, designed for a high capacity of torque, to design the individual joint yokes of a universal joint to be as compact as possible, i.e., to keep the rotational diameter as small as possible.
Therefore, the invention has the object to provide a universal joint that, when maintaining the capacity of articulation of the joint yokes of the universal joint to each other, is formed more compact, i.e., has a smaller rotational diameter.


Group key management techniques are applied to generating pair-wise keys for point-to-point secure communication applications. Nodes participating in a secure communication group each receive a group key and associated policy information. When a first node wishes to establish a secure point-to-point connection to a second node, the first node derives a pairwise key from the group key and policy information, for example, by hashing the group key and information identifying the two nodes. As a result, a pairwise key is generated without exchanging negotiation messages among the two nodes and without expensive asymmetric cryptographic computation approaches.

Computer-based encryption techniques often require generating a cryptographic transform for use only by two parties to a communication session. Such cryptographic transforms may be used as pairwise keys that are applied to message-authentication codes, encryption, or for other purposes. For example, such a cryptographic transform is needed to establish an encrypted virtual private network (VPN) communication session between two network devices, such as routers.
In one approach for generating cryptographic transforms for use by only two parties, a certificate authority (CA) that forms a part of a public key infrastructure (PKI) in a network generates digital certificates. Each party to a secure communication session receives a digital certificate. Using the digital certificates, one party can authenticate itself to another party, and the parties can then generate and exchange secure session keys. While PKI approaches are secure and scalable, few networks presently use them, because of the perceived complexity of installing and maintaining the CA, and the high cost of commercial CA products. While some CAs cost less and are easier to install and maintain, they are not generally accepted for a variety of business reasons.
Another past approach involves distributing pre-shared keys to all parties that may potentially participate in secure communications. A pre-shared key is a key that is known to all (usually two) parties to an encrypted communication. They can be used in symmetric encryption and decryption algorithms, which are computationally more efficient than the public-key encryption and decryption techniques used in PKI, or to generate a hashed message authentication code (HMAC). When used correctly, such pre-shared group keys can provide a valid and secure system. However, pre-shared keys often are distributed manually, which is tedious and not scalable to fully meshed networks containing thousands of nodes.
To address these problems, some networks use one key for all parties in a particular security domain; such keys are termed pre-shared group keys, which serve as authenticators in authenticated key exchange protocols. For example, using pre-shared group keys, when routers in a particular security domain need to set up a VPN, the routers use the pre-shared group keys to authenticate each other prior to negotiating a session key for encrypting communications between themselves. This approach presents problems when a key is compromised and needs to be revoked, expires, or needs to be changed for any other reason. Changing a pre-shared group key requires contacting all parties that have the group key to provide a new group key. In a complex enterprise network comprising thousands of routers, group key revocation potentially requires sending management instructions to all the routers, which is costly, time-consuming, and undesirable. Automated management of pre-shared authentication keys is preferable.
Further, pre-shared keys also are often selected by a network administrator in a manner that does not result in acceptable levels of security. For example, selecting keys that are derived from dictionary words, or that are otherwise non-random, greatly reduces the security of the system. There is a need for a way to automatically generate highly secure keys.
Past group key approaches also are not directly applicable to generating a cryptographic transform only for use by two parties. In group key approaches, all group members have the same shared symmetric cryptographic key for encryption or authentication of session data, and any group member can send a message to any other group member, or to multiple group members using multicast techniques. Although two group members may have a need to establish a private security association among only them, in past approaches, setting up pairwise session keys has required use of asymmetric cryptographic techniques, which are computationally expensive to perform, and which introduce significant latency into packet transmission. It would be useful to have a way to use group key principles to set up pairwise session keys among peer members in a group using more computationally efficient symmetric cryptographic techniques.
Further, when a cryptographic transform is needed for two-party or peer-to-peer communication, the fact that the two parties often are members of a larger group is of interest. For example, two routers that participate in a particular VPN may be members of a larger group of all routers in a network, any of which may potentially participate in one or more other VPNs. Groups often define access control properties of group members that may be useful in establishing pairwise keys.
Group Domain of Interpretation (GDOI) is a mechanism used with Internet Key Exchange (IKE) that provides a means for distributing and managing keys for groups of mutually trusted systems. However, distributing a group key using GDOI entails as much complex processing as IKE to set up a Security Association (SA) at each of the parties to a group. Therefore, in past approaches GDOI has been used only for distributing group keys on a relatively infrequent basis, and not for distributing pairwise keys for use in VPNs and other two-party communication mechanisms whenever there is a need to establish one. Nevertheless, a network may benefit from the capability to set up two-party, peer-to-peer secure communication among members of the group even based on the group keys have already been distributed. These benefits include automated management of pre-shared entity-authentication keys for IKE or other key-establishment protocols. The benefits also include reduced computation and message latency for IPsec ESP or other data-security protocols.
Based on the foregoing, there is a clear need for an improved mechanism for generating pairwise cryptographic transforms for use in secure communication sessions among two parties who are members of a group that has a previously established group shared secret or group key.
There is a particular need for a mechanism for generating pairwise cryptographic transforms for use in secure communication sessions among two parties that can automatically generate highly secure pairwise keys based on previously established group shared secrets or group keys.
There is a need for such a mechanism that is scalable for use with thousands of parties, that is easy to implement, and that provides practical key management, including easy revocation of keys and deletion or addition of group members.
The approaches described in this section could be pursued, but are not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated herein, the approaches described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.

Method and apparatus for generating pairwise cryptographic transforms based on group keys


An input signal applied to a terminal receiving an external signal (e.g. a data input/output terminal DQj) is transmitted by an input signal line. A p well formed in a main surface of a p substrate is electrically isolated from the p substrate by an n well and a triple n well. The p well and the n well receive a potential level of the signal input line. An n diffusion layer is formed in a main surface of the p well and receives an external power supply potential Vdd.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory device, and particularly to a semiconductor memory device, and particularly to a configuration of a semiconductor memory device operable in response to a rapidly applied external signal.
2. Description of the Background Art
Rapid operation of a semiconductor memory device requires rapid changes in the rising and falling of a signal externally input to the semiconductor memory device.
This results in setting high driving capability of a signal driver circuit of an external device which provides data to the semiconductor memory device.
However, the interconnections on the board where a semiconductor memory device is actually mounted equivalently have, for example, a parasitic, distributed inductance component. Accordingly, a larger change rate of an input signal relative to time causes a greater disturbance in waveform of the signal taken into the semiconductor memory device.
FIG. 12 shows how the waveform of an input signal changes with time in a semiconductor memory device. In the figure, the high level of the input signal is the level of a potential VIH and the low level of the input signal is the level of a potential VIL.
When the input signal starts to rise from a low level to a high level at time t1, the waveform of the signal taken into the semiconductor memory device exceeds potential level VIH and results in a so-called overshooting waveform, as described above.
When the input signal similarly falls from a high level to a low level at time t2, the waveform of the input signal has an undershoot due to a parasitic inductance component existing in an interconnection on the board.
However, the presence of such overshoot and undershoot in the waveform of an input signal causes unstable operation of the semiconductor memory device and also degrades the stability in operation of the exact system configured on the board where the semiconductor memory device is mounted.
Accordingly, the waveforms of input signals are shaped generally in semiconductor memory devices to suppress generation of the overshoot and undershoot of the input signals.
FIG. 13 is a circuit diagram showing a configuration of a clamp circuit 700 which is on-chip incorporated into semiconductor memory device, for shaping input waveforms.
In FIG. 13, an n-channel MOS transistor Q1 is provided between a signal line 704 transmitting a signal applied to an input pad 702 and a power supply potential Vdd. An n-channel MOS transistor Q2 is also provided between signal line 704 and a ground potential GND. The gate of n-channel MOS transistor Q1 is connected to signal line 704 and is in diode connection such that the direction from signal line 704 towards power supply potential Vdd is a forward direction.
Similarly, the gate of n-channel MOS transistor Q2 is coupled with ground potential GND and is in diode connection such that the direction from ground potential GND toward signal line 704 is a forward direction.
FIG. 14 is a cross section for illustrating a configuration in cross section of clamping circuit 700 shown in FIG. 13.
N-channel MOS transistors Q1 and Q2 are both provided in a p-type well 722 formed in the main surface of a p-type substrate 720.
P-type well 722 is biased to e.g. a substrate potential Vbb supplied from a substrate potential generating circuit (not shown) which receives an external power supply potential and a ground potential to generate a negative substrate potential.
With the configuration of clamp element 700 shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, n-channel MOS transistor Q1 is turned on when the level of an input signal is higher than a potential Vdd+Vth, wherein Vth represents a threshold voltage of n-channel MOS transistor Q1.
Meanwhile, the back bias of n-channel MOS transistor Q1 is potential Vbb and a potential Vsb between the substrate and the source of n-channel MOS transistor Q1 is thus Vsb=Vdd+.vertline.Vbb.vertline. in providing a clamping operation. Thus, n-channel MOS transistor will be affected by large substrate effect. Note that .vertline.Vbb.vertline. represents the absolute value of substrate potential Vbb.
Accordingly, when a threshold voltage Vth of n-channel MOS transistor is 0.8 V in the normal substrate bias state, the threshold voltage rises to e.g. a Vth of approximately 1.2 V due to a large substrate effect.
Thus, the configuration of clamp circuit 700 shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 has a disadvantage that clamping effect cannot be effectively provided.
Furthermore, the configuration shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 is disadvantageously less resistant to input surge, since the clamp elements are both formed of n-channel MOS transistors and the oxide films of the n-channel MOS transistors are destroyed by input surge. It is thus difficult to employ the configuration of clamp circuit 700 shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 in the devices practically used.
FIG. 15 is a circuit diagram showing a configuration of a clamp circuit 800 as another example of the clamp circuit which is on-chip incorporated into a semiconductor memory device.
Clamp circuit 800 has a p-channel MOS transistor Q3 provided between signal line 704 and power supply potential Vdd.
The gate of p-channel MOS transistor Q3 is coupled with power supply potential Vdd and is thus in diode connection such that the direction from signal line 704 toward power supply potential Vdd is a forward direction.
The remaining configuration is similar to the configuration of clamp circuit 700 shown in FIG. 13, and hence the identical portions are designated by the identical reference characters and the description thereof is not repeated.
FIG. 16 is a cross section for illustrating the configuration in cross section of clamping circuit 800 shown in FIG. 15.
P-channel MOS transistor Q3 is provided in an n-type well 820 formed in the main surface of p-type substrate 720, and n-channel MOS transistor Q2 is provided in a p-type well 822 provided adjacent to n-type well 820.
N-type well 820 is biased to power supply potential Vdd and p-type well 822 is biased to ground potential GND.
P-type substrate 720 is required to be biased to the ground potential due to following reason: for the configuration of clamp circuit 800 shown in FIG. 16, a p-type diffusion region 824 corresponding to the drain region of p-channel MOS transistor Q3 connected to the input signal line and n-type well 820 are forwardly biased when the potential level of an input signal reaches or exceeds Vdd+Vbi, wherein Vbi represents a forward threshold voltage of pn junction. Furthermore, since the substrate is of p-type, a pnp bipolar transistor configured of p-type diffusion region 824, n-type well 820 and p-type substrate 720 is turned on.
Thus, clamp current flows from p-type diffusion region 824 to p-type substrate 720. Accordingly, if p-type substrate 720 is supplied with potential from a substrate potential generating circuit (not shown), for example, the clamp current will flow into the substrate potential generating circuit.
The clamp current flowing into the substrate will cause a positive potential in the substrate. This will induce latch-up phenomenon in CMOS circuit, which is fatal to proper operation of DRAM.
P-type substrate 720 is thus required to be biased to ground potential GND.
Meanwhile, in operating as a clamp element, pn junction is advantageously greater in current absorbing ability than MOS transistor.
Accordingly, it can be said that the configuration of clamp circuit 800 is more desirable than that of clamp circuit 700 shown in FIG. 13 in that clamp circuit 800 further suppresses overshoots of input signals.
FIG. 17 is a circuit diagram showing a configuration of a clamp circuit 900 as still another example of the clamp circuit which is on-chip mounted in a semiconductor memory device.
In clamp circuit 900, a pn junction diode Q4 is connected between input signal line 704 and power supply potential Vdd such that the direction from signal line 704 toward power supply potential Vdd is a forward direction, and a pn junction diode Q5 is connected between ground potential GND and input signal line 704 such that the direction from ground potential GND toward input signal line 704 is a forward direction.
FIG. 18 is a cross section for illustrating the configuration in cross section of clamp circuit 900 shown in FIG. 17.
In FIG. 18, an n well 820 formed in a main surface of p-type substrate 720 is supplied with power supply potential Vdd.
Meanwhile a p well 922 provided adjacent to n well 920 is supplied with ground potential GND.
Input signal line 704 is connected to a p-type diffusion region 924 provided in a main surface of n-type well 920. Input signal line 704 is also connected to an n-type diffusion region 926 formed in a main surface of p-type well 922.
Such a configuration results in forward bias of p-type diffusion region 924 connected to the signal line and n well 920 when the potential level of an input signal reaches or exceeds potential Vdd+Vbi, as in clamp circuit 800 described with reference to FIG. 16. Since the substrate is also of p-type in this example, a pnp bipolar transistor configured of p-type diffusion region 924, n well 920 and p-type substrate 720 is turned on.
Thus, clamp current flows p-type diffusion region 924 to p-type substrate 720, as in the example shown in FIG. 16. That is, the p-type substrate in clamp circuit 900 shown in FIG. 18 must also be connected to ground potential GND.
In this example, the clamp element is a pn junction diode and is thus larger in current absorbing ability than MOS transistor. Furthermore, the use of a pn junction diode as a clamp element dispenses with oxide film and thus has an advantage that oxide film is not destroyed by input surge.
It is thus greatly advantageous to configure a clamp circuit by employing a pn junction diode.
FIG. 19 shows a configuration in cross section of a memory cell array portion in a semiconductor memory devices particularly in a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), and FIG. 20 is a plan view of the configuration of the memory cell array.
In FIG. 19, p-type well 740 is provided in a main surface of p-type substrate 720. A memory cell is arranged in p-type well 740.
In general, each memory cell is configured of a single n-channel MOS transistor 750 and a single memory cell capacitor (not shown).
N-channel MOS transistor 750 is referred to as an access transistors and opens and closes the connection between one electrode of the memory cell capacitor and a selected pair of bit lines.
P-type well 740 is fixed at a negative voltage Vbb lower than the ground potential to increase the threshold voltage of the access transistor and increase the holding time of electric charge stored in a memory cell.
P-type well 740 is also provided with an n-type MOS sense amplifier 752 which is responsive to the data read from a memory cell for amplifying the potential level of a pair of bit lines connected to the selected memory cell.
An n-type well 742 is provided adjacent to p-type well 740. Provided in n-type well 742 is a p-channel MOS type sense amplifier 754 which cooperates with n-channel type MOS sense amplifier 752 to amplify the potential level of a pair of bit lines in response to the data stored in a selected memory cell. The potential level of n-type well 742 is fixed at a power supply potential Vcc of the p-channel MOS type sense amplifier, wherein power supply potential Vcc represents an internal power supply potential down-converted from external power supply voltage Vdd by a voltage-down converter (not shown) mounted in the semiconductor memory device.
Another n-type well 744 is also provided adjacent to p-type well 740. Formed in n-type well 744 is a p-channel type MOS transistor 756 of the transistors which configure a word driver circuit for driving the potential level of a selected word line. In general, the high level output from a word driver for driving a word line is a level of voltage Vpp higher that of internal power supply voltage Vcc in order to avoid the effect of voltage drop caused by the access transistor. Voltage Vpp is generated from external power supply voltage Vdd by means of a booster circuit mounted in the semiconductor integrated circuit device.
N-type well 744 is thus fixed at the potential Vpp level.
Referring now to FIG. 20 the memory cell array is divided into a plurality of memory cell blocks, each provided with a band of sense amplifiers SAB. Each memory cell block is also provided with a band of word drivers WDB provided with the word driver circuits shown in FIG. 19 such that the band of word drivers WDB and the band of sense of amplifiers SAB intersect with each other.
FIG. 21 is a cross section of another example of a memory cell array configuration of a conventional DRAM.
The memory cell array shown in FIG. 21 is similar in plan configuration to the memory cell array shown in FIG. 20.
In the configuration shown in FIG. 21 also, n-channel MOS transistor 750 included in a memory cell, n-channel MOS sense amplifier 752 configuring a sense amplifier, and n-channel MOS transistor 758 configuring a word driver are provided in p-type well 740 formed in a main surface of p-type substrate 720.
P-type well 740 is fixed at a negative voltage Vbb lower than ground potential GND to increase the threshold voltage of the access transistor and increase the holding time of electric charge stored in the memory cell.
Provided adjacent to p-type well 740 is n-type well 742 within which p-channel MOS sense amplifier 754 configuring a sense amplifier is provided The potential level of n-type well 742 is fixed at internal power supply voltage Vcc.
The configuration shown in FIG. 21 is different from that shown in FIG. 19 in that the word driver circuit for driving a word line is constituted only by n-channel MOS transistor 758.
Thus, a circuit of so-called self-boost type is applied as the word driver in the configuration shown in FIG. 21.
Accordingly in driving the potential level of a word line in the configuration shown in FIG. 21, the word driver circuit requires the sequence of providing a precharge operation followed by a boost operation.
As a result, it disadvantageously takes longer time to activate a word line and access speed is thus delayed, as compared with the configuration shown in FIG. 19.
In both FIGS. 19 and 21 also, the potential level of the p-type substrate is held at the potential level of the p-type well, i.e., substrate potential Vbb.
Accordingly, use of clamping circuits 800 and 900 shown in FIGS. 15 to 18 in DRAMs with the configurations shown in FIGS. 19 and 21 entails the following disadvantage: in both clamp circuit 800 in FIG. 15 and clamp circuit 900 in FIG. 17, the potential level of the p-type substrate need be ground potential GND. By contrast, in both of the configurations shown in FIGS. 19 and 21, the potential level of the p-type substrate must be substrate potential Vbb. Accordingly, the exact clamp circuits 800 and 900 cannot be applied to the DRAM shown in FIG. 19 or 21.
Such a disadvantage can be solved by employing a configuration of a DRAM which has a cross sectional configuration as shown in FIG. 22.
The DRAM in FIG. 22 is different in cross sectional configuration from that shown in FIG. 19 as follows.
More specifically, in the configuration of the DRAM shown in FIG. 22, p-type well 740 is electrically isolated from p-type substrate 720 by the introduction of a triple n-type well 746.
In other words, the configuration shown in FIG. 22 allows the potential level of p-type well 740 to be held at substrate potential Vbb, the potential level of n-type well 744 to be held at boosted potential Vpp, and the potential level of the p-type substrate to be set at the ground potential.
The configuration shown in FIG. 22, however, entails the following disadvantage.
More specifically, the configuration shown in FIG. 22 needs an n-type well 748 provided between p-type well 740 and n-type well 742 and adjacent to p-type well 740 so that p-type well 740 is completely surrounded by an n-type well.
Thus, n-type well 744, triple n-type well 746 and n-type well 748 completely surround p-type well 740 and the potential level thereof is held at boosted potential Vpp.
Meanwhile, the potential level of n-type well 742 provided with p-channel MOS sense amplifier 754 need be held at internal power supply potential Vcc and accordingly an isolation band 780 need be provided between n-type wells 748 and 742.
The provision of such an isolation band will, however, increase the area of the memory cell array and hence chip area if a plurality of bands of sense amplifiers are provided in the memory cell array, as shown in FIG. 20.
The potential level of p-type well 740 can also be set at substrate potential Vbb and the potential level of the p-type substrate can be set at ground potential GND by, for example, fixing the potential level of triple n-type well 746 to Vcc.
In this example, p-type well 740 need be completely surrounded by triple well 746, n-type well 748 and a new n-type well provided between n-type well 744 and p-type well 740 so that it is electrically isolated from the p-type substrate.
In this example, an isolation band is required between n-type well 744 provided with p-channel MOS transistor 756 configuring a word driver and the new n-type well provided to surround p-type well 740.
Accordingly, the area of the memory cell array and hence chip area will also be increased in this example if a plurality of word drivers are provided in the memory cell array, as shown in FIG. 20.

Semiconductor memory device clamping the overshoot and undershoot of input signal by circuit with PN junction


A method and device for feeding sheet material, whereby the sheet material is fed in a given traveling direction along one face of a plate by a fluid bed movable along the face in the traveling direction; the fluid bed being formed by at least one jet of fluid, which is directed in a direction substantially tangent to the face and concordant with the traveling direction, and is fed inside a window formed through the plate.

The present invention relates to a method of feeding sheet material.
The present invention may be used to advantage for feeding sheets of wrapping material to a folding station of a cellophaning machine for cellophaning packets of cigarettes, to which the following description refers purely by way of example.
On cellophaning machines, the packets for wrapping are fed successively through a folding station along a first path extending in a first direction; corresponding sheets of wrapping material are fed successively to the folding station along a second path extending in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction; and each sheet is arrested at the folding station in such a position as to interfere with the first path and be carried off and folded into a U by the respective packet traveling through the folding station, and so commence the formation of a tubular wrapping about the packet.
On known cellophaning machines of the above type, the sheets of wrapping material are fed through and arrested at the folding station by a pair of suction belts, which extend in the second direction, engage two opposite peripheral longitudinal portions of the sheet, are separated by a distance greater than the width of the packets, and are located on either side of the path along which the packets are fed.
The two suction belts described pose several drawbacks, on account of the normally limited amount of space available, and the complex structure resulting from the pneumatic suction devices of the belts at the folding station.
Moreover, the belts generate concentrated low-pressure regions, which are unsuitable for conveying relatively thin sheet material, particularly material of a few microns in thickness.

Method and device for feeding sheet material


An antenna module includes: a feeding branch, a first branch, a second branch, a third branch and a grounding branch; the feeding branch is connected to a feeding point, and the grounding branch is connected to a grounding point; the first branch and the third branch are concave branches; the second branch is a bent branch; the feeding branch, the first branch, the second branch, the third branch and the grounding branch are connected in sequence to form an annular structure with a slot, the slot is located between the feeding branch and the grounding branch, and the slot is internally insulated.

With the development of communication technologies, the multi-network era has arrived, with a variety of communication networks such as the 4th generation mobile communication technology (4G), wireless fidelity (WIFI), and the 5th generation mobile communication technology (5G) gradually on the rise. As different communication networks have different frequency bands, a terminal may need to support the frequency bands of multiple communication networks, in order to be compatible with different communication networks and meet the radiation performance requirements of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antennas.

BEIJING XIAOMI MOBILE SOFTWARE CO., LTD.


A non-porous membrane suitable for use in removing dissolved oxygen in a fuel deoxygenator device in an aircraft is produced by solvent casting. A first membrane layer is deposited on a substrate. A second membrane layer is deposited on top of the first membrane layer. Subsequent membrane layers may be deposited on top of the second membrane layer as desired. The resulting non-porous membrane allows little or no leaking of fuel across the membrane.

This invention relates to a method for producing a non-porous polymer membrane and a fuel deoxygenator device that uses the non-porous polymer membrane to remove dissolved oxygen from fuel.
In a fuel system such as for an aircraft, fuel is mainly used to generate power. However, it also may be utilized as a coolant for various systems of the aircraft. Effective use of jet fuel as a coolant allows increases in operating temperatures of the aircraft and more efficient operation of the aircraft systems.
Jet fuel, like many other liquids, may absorb quantities of atmospheric gases. When jet fuel is in contact with air, oxygen from the air dissolves into the fuel. The absorbed gases may alter the chemistry of the fuel and affect the performance of the aircraft. For instance, the dissolved oxygen may react when heated above about 150° C. to form a free radical species. The free radical species initiate autoxidation reactions in the jet fuel that lead to the formation of carbonaceous deposits called "coke".
The presence of dissolved oxygen and coke deposits has several detrimental effects. First, the coke deposits may be carried through the fuel delivery system of the aircraft and hinder the functionality of various components in the system. Second, the presence of oxygen and formation of coke deposits limit the use of the jet fuel as a coolant. For instance, jet fuel with dissolved oxygen forms coke deposits above about 150° C., so the operating temperature of the aircraft system cooled by the jet fuel is limited to about 150° C. to minimize the formation of the coke deposits. On the other hand, if the jet fuel is deoxygenated, it may be heated to about 450° C. without forming significant coke deposits.
There is at least one existing method of gas separation that may be suitable for removing dissolved oxygen from the jet fuel; however, the existing membranes for use with this method are not suitable. The method involves transferring a gas between two fluids through a membrane filter. This known method has been used for separating a particular gas from a mixture of gases or separating a particular gas dissolved in an aqueous solution but has not been entirely successful for jet fuel because of insufficient quality of the membranes.
One device for removing dissolved oxygen uses a gas-permeable membrane disposed within the fuel system. As fuel passes along the permeable membrane, oxygen molecules dissolved in the fuel diffuse out of the fuel across the gas-permeable membrane. An oxygen partial pressure differential across the permeable membrane drives oxygen from the fuel, which is unaffected and passes over the membrane.
Conventional gas-permeable membranes used in the above devices are produced using known methods such as solution casting, melt casting, or other coating technique. The conventional membranes produced using these techniques have not yielded a membrane of sufficiently high quality for separation of oxygen in jet fuels though.
One of the primary detriments of conventional membranes is the effect of "micropores" in the membrane. Micropores are the free volume space between the molecules of the polymer that makes up the membrane. The free volume space forms a pathway, or micropore, through the membrane that enables molecules to permeate, i.e. migrate, from one side of the membrane to the other side of the membrane. In conventional membranes the size of the micropores is too large, allowing fuel, for example, to migrate into and infiltrate the membrane. As fuel infiltrates the membrane, the membrane becomes less effective in removing dissolved oxygen and incapable of sufficiently removing dissolved oxygen from the fuel.
Accordingly, a leak-free non-porous membrane is needed for removing dissolved oxygen from fuel.

Method for producing a non-porous membrane


A pneumatic buffing machine including a housing having an internal chamber in which a pneumatically driven motor set is mounted. The motor set includes an eccentric block for driving a grinding disc. A skirt shade is screwed under a bottom of the housing by means of outer thread and inner thread. The skirt shade has a large diameter section and a small diameter section. The skirt shade is formed with a central through hole. The eccentric block of the motor set is passed through the through hole and accommodated in the large diameter section. A shoulder section is formed between the large diameter section and the small diameter section and adjacent to the outer thread of the small diameter section. A top end of the small diameter section serves as a stopper section. When the skirt shade is screwed into the chamber of the housing, the bottom end of the housing abuts against the shoulder section to tightly fix the skirt shade and the stopper section abuts against the bottom of the motor set to fix the motor set in the chamber of the housing.

The present invention is related to an improved pneumatic buffing machine, and more particularly to a pneumatic buffing machine in which the housing and the skirt are separately formed and the skirt shade is directly screwed into the housing without using any screws.
FIGS. 5 and 6 show a conventional pneumatic buffing machine. The buffing machine includes a housing 5 integrally having a skirt 51 for fitting with a dustproof shade 55. The housing 5 has an internal chamber 52 in which a pneumatically driven motor set 53 is mounted. A control seat 54 is disposed on one side of the housing. 5 for controlling intake and exhaust. Accordingly, the air is controlled to enter the chamber 52 of the housing 5 for driving the motor set 53. The motor set 53 further drives a grinding disc 56 at the bottom end of the motor set 53 for buffing a work piece.
A fixing member 6 is screwed in the chamber 52 of the housing 5 for fixing the motor set 53 in the chamber 52. The fixing member 6 is formed with an outer thread 61, while the wall of the chamber 52 is formed with inner thread 521 above the skirt 51, whereby the fixing member 6 can be screwed in the chamber 52 for stopping and fixing the motor set 53 in the chamber 52. The circumference of the fixing member 6 is formed with several notches 62 for a tool to screw the fixing member 6.
The housing 5 is integrally formed with a-skirt 51. Therefore, when screwing the fixing member 6 in the chamber 52, it is necessary to deeply extend the fixing member 6 into the housing 5 and then screw the fixing member 6 in the inner thread 521. It is hard to directly screw the fixing member 6. A special wrench 7 having two chucking pillars 71, 72 is needed for wrenching the fixing member 6. The chucking pillars 71, 72 of the wrench 7 are inserted into the notches 62 of the fixing member 6 as shown in FIG. 7 for screwing the fixing member 6 in the chamber 52. When extending the fixing member 6 into the chamber 52, the fixing member 6 tends to deflect. Therefore, it is hard to assemble the fixing member 6 with housing 5.
Moreover, in order to reduce vibration of the motor set 53 in operation, two rubber sleeves 532 are respectively fitted around two ends of the casing 531 of the motor. The rubber sleeves 532 contact with the housing 5 and the fixing member 6 for achieving a damping effect. However, when locked in the chamber 52, the fixing member 6 tightly abuts against the rubber sleeves 532. Therefore, the damping effect will be reduced or even the rubber sleeves 532 will be broken.
Furthermore, the housing 5 is integrally formed with the skirt 51 so that the housing 5 has a considerable length. In the case that the housing 5 is made of plastic, the elongated housing 5 will increase the deformation of the injected plastic. Therefore, the housing 5 tends to deform. This will affect the assembly of the components in the housing 5.
FIG. 8 shows another pneumatic buffing machine in which the housing 9 and the skirt 8 are separately formed. The skirt 8 is fixed under the housing 9 by means of screws. The top face of the skirt 8 is formed with several through holes 82. The bottom end of the housing 9 is formed with several thread holes 91 corresponding to the through holes 82. Several screws 81 are passed through the through holes 82 and screwed into the thread holes 91 to lock the skirt 8 under the bottom of the housing 9. The motor set 92 is fixed at top end of the skirt 8.
The skirt 8 is fixed under the housing 9 by means of screws 81. Therefore, the section of the housing 9, where the thread holes 91 are formed must have a certain thickness. With respect to a small-size pneumatic buffing machine, the housing 9 has a relatively thin wall on which the thread holes 91 can be hardly formed. Under such circumstance, it is impossible to fix the skirt 8 under the housing 9 by screws 81. Moreover, in the case that the wall of the housing 9 is formed with the thread holes 91, the thickness of the wall will be reduced to minify the strength of the housing 9.


The inkjet recording head comprises: pressure chambers in which nozzles for discharging ink are formed; diaphragms which form portions of walls of the pressure chambers; laminated piezoelectric elements which are disposed on the diaphragms at a side opposite from the pressure chambers and are formed by alternately laminating piezoelectric elements and electrodes for driving the piezoelectric elements in a lamination direction; and lead electrodes which mutually join the electrodes that impart a same electric potential of the laminated electrodes in a plane orthogonal to the lamination direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inkjet recording head and an inkjet recording apparatus, and more particularly to an inkjet recording head and an inkjet recording apparatus using this head in which the configuration of the electrode leads of a laminated piezoelectric element is designed to ensure higher nozzle density.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, one known example of an image recording apparatus is an inkjet recording apparatus (inkjet printer) that has an inkjet head (ink discharge head) with an alignment of multiple nozzles, and that forms an image on a recording medium by discharging ink from the nozzles while moving the inkjet recording head and the recording medium relatively to each other.
Various methods for discharging ink in inkjet printers are conventionally known. One known example is a piezoelectric system, wherein changes the volume of a pressure chamber (ink chamber) by deforming a diaphragm that constitute part of the pressure chamber due to the deformation of a piezoelectric body (piezoelectric element) so that controls the ink supply and the ink discharge to the pressure chamber.
The nozzles formed in the inkjet recording head are preferably arranged with higher density in order to improve the performance of such an inkjet recording apparatus and to record high quality images. High-density, two-dimensional arrangement of nozzles is being considered for the purpose of bringing about a page-width head that achieves higher-speed and higher-efficiency recording. In an inkjet recording apparatus in which piezoelectric elements are used, there are known apparatuses that use a laminated piezoelectric body in order to obtain high ink ejection force and excellent controllability.
In an inkjet recording head in which a piezoelectric element is used, the wiring of the lead electrode had to be redesigned in order to increase the efficiency of the production of such an inkjet recording head.
An example of a known wiring structure of a piezoelectric body that dispenses with connecting leads to the piezoelectric transducer to increase productivity comprises a first electrode on the surface facing the pressure chamber of the pressurizing actuator (piezoelectric element); a second electrode in which a portion thereof is provided to the same surface via a gap between the first electrode and which extends to the other surface of the pressurizing actuator; and a third electrode on the surface facing the pressurizing actuator of the pressure chamber, wherein wiring is brought out from one side (specifically, the surface on the pressure chamber side) of a single-layered piezoelectric element (refer to Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 57-167272, and other publications).
Also known is an inkjet recording head designed to eject ink droplets with high efficiency, in which electrode-formation material and piezoelectric material are alternately laminated, and in which a pressurizing actuator is configured so that an active area is formed in the center portion, and expansion and contraction occur in the direction of lamination, wherein the pressurizing actuator and a fixed plate form a contact area solely in the active area, and by fixing both components exclusively in the contact area, the active area alone expands in the direction of lamination when a drive signal is applied, the stress of the edge portion of the pressurizing actuator is low, and the degree of expansion in the direction of the electrode arrangement is made larger (refer to Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-226971, and other publications).
Also known is a structure in which an inactive portion of the piezoelectric body that is essentially not driven is provided to the external side of the active portion of the piezoelectric body, the effect of the electric field in the edge of the inactive portion of the piezoelectric body produced by the application of voltage to the active portion of the piezoelectric body is eliminated by a configuration in which the distance from the edge of the inactive portion of the piezoelectric body to the edge of the active portion of the piezoelectric body is substantially triple or more the thickness of the piezoelectric layer, and the inactive portion of the piezoelectric body is not driven. Although the piezoelectric layer is not laminated, the piezoelectric body and the electrode are formed into a stepped structure that prevents peeling and cracking in the edges of the active portion of the piezoelectric body (refer to Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-105281, and other publications).
Also known is a droplet ejection apparatus in which voltage is applied to the plates of piezoelectric material by using a first electrode and second electrode disposed inside the piezoelectric material in a configuration in which the piezoelectric material in the form of sheets is laminated, and droplets are ejected, wherein the piezoelectric material is formed across the entire surface of the liquid chamber, but the electrode pattern of the first electrode is formed so that the surface area thereof becomes sequentially smaller from the lower portion to the upper portion in the thickness direction of the plates of piezoelectric material, the electrode pattern of the second electrode is formed so that the surface area thereof becomes sequentially larger from the lower portion to the upper portion in the thickness direction of the plates of piezoelectric material, the plates of piezoelectric material are deformed in the expansion and contraction direction that is sloped in the direction of the surface thereof by applying voltage from the first and second electrodes to eject droplets, thereby improving the energy efficiency and imparting an adequate amount of deformation to the plates of piezoelectric material even if the drive voltage is low (refer to Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-292865, and other publications).
Another known art is one in which a nozzle plate, an ink flow channel plate, an insulating plate, a bimorphous polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) plate, and a flexible print substrate are sequentially laminated and an inkjet head is adhesively formed, wherein through holes for electrical connections are formed in the bimorphous PVDF plate and the flexible print substrate, and the head electrically connected from one side (refer to Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 61-79669, and other publications, and particularly FIG. 1 of Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 61-79669).
Also known is an apparatus in which a common electrode is formed and on both sides of a laminated piezoelectric member composed of two layers, individual electrodes are disposed in the boundary portion of the two layers, and the electrode layers are formed into steps (refer to Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-264389, and other publications, and particularly FIG. 6 of Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-264389).
However, there are drawbacks when a laminated piezoelectric body is used to achieve a higher nozzle density in the inkjet recording heads described above in that the head cannot be wired from the side, and it is difficult to achieve high-density integration. More particularly, it is difficult to dispose the laminated piezoelectric bodies in a high-density, two-dimensional arrangement because, in the laminated piezoelectric element of prior art cited in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-226971, for example, piezoelectric material and electrode formation material are alternately laminated, the resulting laminate with large dimensions is baked, and the laminate is then cut with a diamond saw or the like to manufacture a head.
Because such a laminate is cut into strips to manufacture a head, only rectangular laminated piezoelectric bodies can be fabricated, and the piezoelectric layers that form the laminate must have the same shape. Therefore, the surface area of the active portion of the piezoelectric body is made as large as possible, and there is a limit to increasing force from the piezoelectric body.
This is due to the fact that wiring is conventionally performed after the piezoelectric body is mounted in the inkjet recording head, and a gap is therefore required to prevent the wiring of adjacent piezoelectric elements from shorting, and work to provide side surface wiring is required.
Also, the apparatus cited in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-292865 is formed so that the size of the electrodes disposed inside the plates of piezoelectric material sequentially become smaller, and because the size of the plates of piezoelectric material covers the entire surface of the liquid chamber, the wiring from one surface of the piezoelectric body does not have a structure that allows a connection, and there is still a drawback in that it is difficult to achieve higher density.
The piezoelectric bodies cited in Japanese Patent Application Publication Nos. 57-167272 and 11-105281 are single-layered and not laminated piezoelectric bodies, the structure is completely different from inkjet recording heads that use laminated piezoelectric elements, and there is a drawback in that it is difficult to apply these bodies to art aimed at increasing density using laminated piezoelectric elements.
The art cited in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 61-79669 provides through holes to make electrical connections to a bimorphous PVDF plate and a flexible print substrate, and there the drawback is that it is difficult to achieve a higher density. Also, a configuration suitable for a method of connecting laminated piezoelectric bodies composed of a greater number of layers is not disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 61-79669.
In the apparatus cited in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-264389, the common electrode and individual electrodes are disposed adjacent to each other, and the drawback is that it is still difficult to achieve a higher density. Furthermore, a configuration suitable for a method of connecting laminated piezoelectric bodies composed of a greater number of layers is not disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-264389, either.

Inkjet recording head and inkjet recording apparatus


A cooking system for cooking several different food items at once over a single heat source. The cooking system includes a pan with a base panel, a peripheral sidewall upwardly extending from the base panel, and a handle extending from the peripheral sidewall. An insert rests on an upper edge of the peripheral sidewall of the pan. The insert comprises an upper panel and an abutting wall downwardly extending from a rear edge of the upper panel and engaging the base panel of the pan. The abutting wall is designed for confining food to an area of the pan not covered by the insert. The insert has a pair of depressions therein designed for receiving food therein.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cooking devices and utensils and more particularly pertains to a new cooking system for cooking several different food items at once over a single heat source.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of cooking devices and utensils is known in the prior art. More specifically, cooking devices and utensils heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 2,515,617; U.S. Pat. No. 867,086; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 383,354; U.S. Pat. No. 5,339,728; U.S. Pat. No. 4,495,861; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,402,714.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new cooking system. The inventive device includes a pan with a base panel, a peripheral sidewall upwardly extending from the base panel, and a handle extending from the peripheral sidewall. An insert rests on an upper edge of the peripheral sidewall of the pan. The insert comprises an upper panel and an abutting wall downwardly extending from a rear edge of the upper panel and engaging the base panel of the pan. The abutting wall is designed for confining food to an area of the pan not covered by the insert. The insert has a pair of depressions therein designed for receiving food therein.
In these respects, the cooking system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of cooking several different food items at once over a single heat source.


A remote instrument control and reporting system utilizes a host communication gateway based on hardware and software that interfaces with a field device, remote terminal unit, or control system that operates across multiple communications infrastructures to a common back end data delivery system. This design allows Modbus hosts or similar SCADA polled technologies, such as a field bus that utilizes various industrial protocols to control instruments at and acquire instrumentation data from physically isolated installations. In particular, this design is well suited for applications such as oil well electrical submersible pumps. The data is communicated through, for example, a low Earth orbit satellite into a host communications gateway that simulates within a host computer environment the same polling registers that the data was collected from in the remote locations.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to monitoring and controlling remote equipment and, in particular, to an improved system, method, and apparatus for command and control of electrical submersible pumps in oil wells via a host communication gateway to interface with a field device, remote terminal unit, or other instrumentation that operates across multiple communications infrastructures to a common back end data delivery system.
2. Description of the Related Art
The need for cost-effectively monitoring and controlling remotely-located oil wells has always been a challenge to the oil industry. Fortunately, recent technological innovations have significantly increased the efficiency with which such operations are managed. For example, a conventional or baseline installation incorporating a graphic motor switchboard or drive control system (GCS) 11 is shown in FIG. 1. In this installation illustrated, the GCS 11 is the primary control element. It is responsible for controlling components such as the downhole pump 13, motor 15, and associated tooling 17 (e.g., for gauging vibration, temperature, etc.), as well as gathering run time and operational information from these components.
The GCS 11 is typically a controller with Modbus protocol communication capabilities and offers an array of information that can be acquired via a Modbus interface. Modbus is an application layer messaging protocol at Level 7 of the OSI model (see, e.g., www.modbus.org). In a standard setup, the GCS 11 provides a standard Modbus RTU protocol 19 that supports, for example, a variety of function codes. The interface is typically run at, for example, 9600 baud and can provide a physical interface of either RS-232 or RS-485.
In this conventional network interface implementation, the GCS 11 is equipped to interface directly to any point in a multi-point Modbus host system 19 via a wired and wireless I/O interface 21 (and the like) to storage tanks 23 and other locations. The host system 19 issues a Modbus poll request for information from any of the GCS internal Modbus registers for subsequent display or application use. Commands to the GCS 11 are sent over the network in the same manner. However, this type of network topology does not lend itself well to the global communications (e.g., satellite) networks, and does not take full advantage of or leverage a TCP/IP based network infrastructure such as, for example, GEO VSAT, etc. Other limitations of this conventional Modbus poll/response network include: using the higher than necessary bandwidth, incapacity to be event driven, exclusively using the network medium, and being unable to offer authentication or encryption services. Thus, although conventional systems are workable an improved solution would be desirable.

System, method, and apparatus for command and control of remote instrumentation


A unitary fan inlet case and bearing support structure for a gas turbine engine includes an annular body having a radially inward ring connected to a radially outward ring via a plurality of struts. A platform protrudes radially inward from the radially inward ring. The platform includes a radially outward facing surface and a radially inward facing surface. The annular body is a single unitary structure.

Gas turbine engines, such as those utilized in commercial and military aircraft, include a compressor section that compresses air, a combustor section in which the compressed air is mixed with a fuel and ignited, and a turbine section across which the resultant combustion products are expanded. The expansion of the combustion products drives the turbine section to rotate. As the turbine section is connected to the compressor section via a shaft, the rotation of the turbine section further drives the compressor section to rotate. In some examples, a fan is also connected to the shaft and is driven to rotate via rotation of the turbine as well.
Gas turbine engines include rotating components and static components, with the rotating components being supported interior to the static components via one or more bearings. The bearings are supported within bearing support structures, and allow the rotating components to rotate relative to the static components.

Integrated fan inlet case and bearing support for a gas turbine engine


In an air conditioning system, a compressor, a condenser, and an indoor unit that functions as an evaporator during cooling, are provided in a circulation pathway of a refrigerant, in respective order during cooling. An additional heat exchanger is provided in the circulation pathway at a point that during cooling is between the condenser and the indoor unit. The additional heat exchanger is contained within a tank of a cooling device. The cooling device performs cooling of the additional heat exchanger by supplying water into the tank. Quantity of water supplied into the tank is controlled through open/close control of a control valve.

At present air conditioning systems, which are one type of heat exchanging system, are widely used for conditioning of air in homes, offices and shops. An air conditioning system has a configuration where a refrigerant repeatedly absorbs and radiates heat while circulating between an indoor unit and an outdoor unit.
It is no longer possible to use refrigerants that cause destruction of the ozone layer, such as R12 (CF2Cl2) and R502 (HCFC22/CFC115), therefore alternative refrigerants that have low ozone depletion potential such as HCFCs and HFCs must be used instead. Unfortunately, when one of the alternative refrigerants is used in an air conditioning system, there is a lower heat exchange efficiency than compared to when a conventional refrigerant such as R12 or R502 is used.
One art proposed for counteracting the negative effect of the lower heat exchange efficiency that occurs when one of the alternative refrigerants is used, is to enhance condensation of the refrigerant (for example refer to Patent Literature Configuration of an air conditioning system that uses the above art is explained below with reference to FIG. 10.
As shown in FIG. 10, the air conditioning system relating to the conventional art comprises an indoor unit 91 and an outdoor unit 92 that are connected to one another by refrigerant piping L91 and L97. The indoor unit 91 is provided with a heat exchanger that functions as an evaporator during cooling, and an expansion valve. The outdoor unit 92 is provided with a compressor 921, a condenser 922, and a flow pathway switching part 923. The compressor 921 and the flow pathway switching part 923 are connected by refrigerant piping L92, and the condenser 922 and the flow pathway switching part 923 are connected by refrigerant piping L93 and L94.
In the air conditioning system relating to the conventional art shown in FIG. 10, the outdoor unit 92 is further provided with an additional heat exchanger 93. The additional heat exchanger 93 is connected to the flow pathway switching part 923 in the outdoor unit 92 by refrigerant piping L95 and L96.
FIG. 10 shows an example of a circulation pathway (cycle) of a refrigerant during cooling.
In the air conditioning system relating to the conventional art shown in FIG. 10, through the configuration where the additional heat exchanger 93 is provided in addition to the condenser 922, decompression and condensation can be achieved in two steps, and a reduction in volume of the refrigerant can be achieved by conversion to liquid phase. In the above air conditioning system, by reducing the volume of the refrigerant, load on the condenser 921 can also be reduced, giving improved heat exchange efficiency.