A plug cap assembly for use on a plug (10) comprises a plug cap (20) configured for releasable arrangement on at least a part of a plug head portion, and comprises a flexible connection member (21) having a first end and a second end, a flexible connection (23) between a cap top portion (26) and said second end, and a connection element (24; 24′) releasably connected to the plug or to a cable (9). The flexible connection member may be moved with respect to the connection element and a suspended length (1) may be adjusted such that it is less than a distance (d) between the suspension structure (25) and an adjacent vehicle body (3).

Electrical vehicles have batteries that typically are charged by means of a cable which is connected between a charging station and a receptacle on the vehicle. The connection between the cable and the receptacle is made by a designated plug, for example of the kind illustrated in FIG. 1. This plug 10 comprises a handle portion 11 at an end of a cable 9 and a head portion 12. The head portion comprises a number of female contact members (receptacles) 13 recessed in a collar 14, in the following also referred to as the plug end. The collar 14 is designed to fit into a complementary shaped receptacle (not shown) and the female receptacles 13 are designed to receive complementary shaped male contact pins (not shown), in the electric vehicle.
When the charging cable is not in use and disconnected from the vehicle, the plug head portion is oftentimes covered by a protective cap to prevent the contact members (receptacles) and the region inside the collar in general from becoming exposed to environmental factors such as moisture, water (e.g. rain), snow, dust or sand, and other contaminants.
The prior art includes KR 10-1618739 (B1), which discloses a releasable cap ("safety cover") for an electrical plug. The cap is configured for hiding a front terminal on the plug. The cap comprises a reinforcement portion which extends to one side of the cap body, and extends at a right angle to it. A strap is connected between the reinforcement portion and a fixing clip on the power cable.
The prior art also includes www DOT evse DOT corn DOT au SLASH type-2-cable-charging.html, which discloses a charging cable for electric vehicles, wherein each plug is furnished with a releasable cap. A band, folded in concertina shape, is connected between a side portion of the cap, near the cap opening, and the power cable in the vicinity of the plug. The plug head, band and cap are moulded as one piece.
The prior art also includes EP 2485338 A1, which discloses a protection cap and a charging connector. The protection cap is connected to the plug main body via a flexible or resilient string.
The prior art also includes CN 201682134U, which discloses a charging plug with a protective cover. The protective cover is connected to the plug cable via a chain.
When the charging cable is use and connected to the vehicle, for example for charging the vehicle battery, the protective cap has been removed from the plug end and is hanging down from the plug, suspended by a band, string or chain. One problem with this plug cap type is that the cap tends to bump into the side of the vehicle bodywork (for example influenced by gusts of wind) and thereby damaging the bodywork (e.g. scratches in paint and/or dents in bodywork), because it is arranged so close to the vehicle. Another problem with the prior art plug cap type, is that the cap itself in this position is exposed to environmental factors such as moisture, water (e.g. rain), snow, dust or sand, and may become contaminated. Furthermore, if the band should snap, the cap will become irreversibly disconnected from the plug and thus easily lost or misplaced.
An object of the invention is to remedy these shortcomings of the prior art, and to introduce a protective cap that has considerable advantages over the prior art.


Systems and methods for measuring gas flux are provided. The method includes obtaining one or more of wind speed data, gas content data, temperature data and humidity data over a period of time, computing a plurality of different gas flux values for said period of time using a corresponding plurality of different flux calculation algorithms, wherein each of the plurality of different flux calculation algorithms uses one, some or all of the measured data types to calculate gas flux values for one or a plurality of sub-periods of said period of time, and for each of the one or the plurality of sub-periods, determining an optimal flux calculation algorithm of the plurality of different flux calculation algorithms based on one or more quality indicators; and outputting, for each of the plurality of sub-periods, one or more optimal flux calculation values corresponding to the optimal flux calculation algorithm for the sub-period.

The present embodiments relate generally to systems and methods for measuring gas flux, and more particularly to systems and methods for measuring turbulent gas flux and automatically determining an optimal gas flux determination method from among multiple possible gas flux determination protocols.
The increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide and other traces gases (e.g. H2O, CH4, N2O, NH3, etc.) in the atmosphere and the resulting greenhouse effect and climate change have become important topics for scientific research. In order to understand the global carbon balance, it is necessary to determine the rate at which carbon dioxide, other trace gases, and energy exchange between the atmosphere and terrestrial and oceanic ecosystems. The air within a few hundred meters above the earth's surface is mostly turbulent, so that turbulent structures (vortices of variable sizes) called "eddies" are responsible for the vertical transport of most of the gases, including carbon dioxide and water vapor, and also heat and momentum between the surface and the atmosphere. Using various gas flux calculation methods, the rates of such transport can be calculated from simultaneous (often high-frequency) measurements of the vertical component of wind speed, the concentrations of carbon dioxide and water vapor, and the air temperature.
Currently, the main methods for computing turbulent gas flux rates, typically performed from towers, airplanes and other platforms, include Eddy Covariance, Eddy Accumulation, and Relaxed Eddy Accumulation methods.
The Eddy Covariance (EC) method is the most direct and reliable method for gas flux measurements available to date. EC is a dominating method used in most turbulent flux measurements. EC is used as a standard for other turbulent flux measurement methods, and for any atmospheric flux measurement methods. However, EC requires high-speed gas concentration measurements (e.g., 5-10 Hz or more) in addition to the high-speed vertical wind speed measurements (e.g., 5-10 Hz or more).
The Eddy Accumulation (EA) method is theoretically as reliable as EC, and it also requires high-speed vertical wind speed measurements, but it does not require high-speed gas concentration measurements. However, EA does need a highly sophisticated high-speed wind sampling system to distinguish updrafts from downdrafts, and another highly sophisticated high-speed system to sample gas into accumulation bags in proportion to the rates of the updrafts and downdrafts.
The Relaxed Eddy Accumulation (REA) method is a version of EA which does not require sampling in proportion to the rate of the updrafts and downdrafts. However, REA does also require a sophisticated high-speed wind sampling system to distinguish updrafts from downdrafts, while sampling into the accumulation bags is done at a constant flow rate. REA is not able to measure fluxes as reliably as EC or EA due to an empirical parameter required for calculations, but REA may be used for measuring fluxes of gas species for which no high-speed gas measurement devices are available. Both the EA and the REA methods also have built-in measurement uncertainties associated with system configurations and components such as valve systems, sampling delays, tube time delays and attenuation, etc.
A recent, bag-free methodology as described in U.S. Pat. No. 10,060,942, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes, includes taking high-speed vertical wind speed measurements (e.g., on the order of 5-10 Hz or more) and low-speed gas content (e.g., density or concentration) measurements (e.g., on the order of 5 Hz or less), without the need for the sophisticated and expensive high-speed hardware to separate gas samples (e.g., into accumulation bags) according to updrafts and downdrafts. A time series of high-speed vertical wind speed data is used as a guide to distinguish between updrafts and downdrafts: when vertical wind speed is upward (updraft), the low-speed gas content is recorded into a data structure in one location, or marked with one flag; when vertical wind speed is downward (downdraft), the low-speed gas content is recorded into a different location, or marked with a different flag. Eddy Accumulation or Relaxed Eddy Accumulation computations can be performed using the stored gas content data to determine gas flux. Such gas flux measurements are useful for measuring or estimating heat, water and CO2 exchange as well as methane and other trace gases.
There are also methods based on the slow measurements of gas concentrations at one or more levels, such as gradient, aerodynamic, Bowen ratio, and modeling techniques based on gas concentrations measurements at one or more levels.
However, in present systems, the firmware, processing codes and field operation regiments are generally designed to measure fluxes with only one of the methods.
However, some methods work better in some atmospheric and site conditions and work worse in other conditions, and vice-versa.
Therefore it is desirable to provide systems and methods that overcome the above and other problems.

Methods and apparatus for measuring gas flux


A method and system for inspecting and monitoring an elevator installation includes sending an autonomous flying object having at least one sensor to the elevator installation, and granting access to a hoistway of the elevator installation to the autonomous flying object. The autonomous flying object is positioned within the hoistway, and data collected by the associated sensor is sent to a remote elevator service center. The autonomous flying object and the associated sensor can be used to monitor and inspect the elevator installation on a temporary basis, for example for a specific number of hours, days or weeks. Once the autonomous flying object has gained access to the hoistway, the elevator installation can resume normal operation thereby keeping downtime to a minimum. After completing its tasks at one elevator installation, the autonomous flying object can be directed by the remote elevator service center to monitor and inspect another elevator installation.

Conventionally remote monitoring of elevators has been undertaken by providing multiple, dedicated sensors within the elevator installation to collect diagnostic data concerning the installation and to report any unusual or irregular states of the elevator to a remote service center by means of a communications network. The analysis of the data collected from the sensors can be performed locally, for example using a microprocessor and memory in an elevator controller, or alternatively the data can be transferred directly via the communications network so that the analysis can be conducted within a processor in the remote service center. Such systems and methods have been described in published patent documents EP1670178 and EP1415947.
The use of permanently installed sensors to continuously collect diagnostic data concerning the installation together with the associated storage, transmission and processing of that data can be deemed disproportionate or excessive since the unusual, irregular or faulty states of the elevator that the sensors detect occur only very infrequently.
Another traditional way of inspecting the installation is to send a service technician to the site to conduct the inspection manually, however for safety reasons such manual inspection necessarily requires the elevator to be taken out of commission. This downtime can cause considerable inconvenience to users of the elevator.

Remote elevator monitoring and inspection


A radio frequency (RF) transceiver is provided. The RF transceiver comprises a transmit path comprising an output coupled to an RF antenna, a feedback path comprising an input coupled to the output of the transmit path, and a DC offset calibration module comprising a first input coupled to an output of the feedback path, a second input to receive a first signal and an output connected to an input of the transmit path. The DC offset calibration module is operable to determine a first direct current (DC) offset of a closed-loop path comprising the transmit path and the feedback path and determine a second DC offset based on the feedback path exclusive of the transmit path.

Direct current (DC) offsets in the transmit baseband path of a radio frequency (RF) transceiver can degrade the error vector magnitude (EVM) performance as well as the carrier suppression performance associated with a transmitted signal. These DC offsets typically are present as a result of circuit level mismatches and process-related variations in the transmit baseband signal paths. Such DC offsets may arise from, for example, digital-to-analog converters (DACs), gain amplifiers and baseband analog filters.
In light of the signal processing difficulties introduced by DC offsets, a number of techniques have been developed to reduce the DC offset in a transmitted signal. These conventional techniques typically employ considerable additional circuitry in the form of analog baseband correction loops, high-precision RF power detector, or RF demodulator to correct for DC offsets, thereby increasing the complexity and cost of implementing DC offset calibration in RF transceiving systems. Accordingly, an improved technique for DC offset correction would be advantageous.

System and method for DC offset correction in transmit baseband


A transreflector is made by forming a series of spaced parallel stripes of a conductive material on one surface of a synthetic resin carrier film. The film is placed against the surface of a mold defining the desired concave internal curve for the transreflector, and the mold cavity is closed by placing over the film in spaced relationship a second mold half having the desired convex external curve for the transreflector. A fluid synthetic resin is introduced into the mold cavity to form the desired transreflector element with spaced parallel stripes disposed on the internal concave surface thereof. The carrier film is removed from the transreflector element with the conductive material stripes remaining on the transreflector element.

The present invention relates to transflectors for use in radar and microwave antennas, and, more particularly, to a method of making precision transflectors from synthetic resin.
Transflectors are widely employed in antennas utilized in radar and microwave installations to serve as a reflector for waves of a particular polarization. Generally, such reflectors are concavo-convex structures having on the concave surface a grid of parallel fine wires disposed at closely spaced intervals which are dependent upon the frequency of the waves impinging thereon. The grid serves as a polarizer for the electromagnetic radiation and the convex surface functions as a focusing reflector for the component of radiation whose polarization is parallel to the wires.
May et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,574,258 granted Apr. 13, 1971 discloses such a transflector which is produced by securing a grating of wires to the surface of a synthetic resin sheet material which is then deformed to provide the desired concavo-convex configuration for the structure.
Ruze U.S. Pat. No. 2,930,039 granted Mar. 22, 1960 discloses a radiowave antenna in which finely divided wires are embedded in synthetic plastic bodies.
Damonte et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,340,535 granted Sep. 5, 1967 discloses an antenna in which wires are embedded between layers of synthetic resin.
Chang et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,937,425 granted Jun. 26, 1990 produces a transreflector by coating a substrate with an organometallic compound and then pyrolyzing the coating by high intensity focused light to produce the conductive grid.
Huguenin et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,455,589 granted Oct. 3, 1995 describes forming transflector by depositing a dielectric layer on a lens and then forming the metal grid on that dielectric layer.
The techniques heretofore employed attempted have involved tedious and difficult alignment of wires or deformation a closely spaced grid, or tedious techniques for removing metal to leave a grid of finely spaced conductors. Yet it is essential to the optimum operation of the transflector that the conductive stripes be parallel and uniformly spaced at small intervals. Precision alignment and spacing is difficult to obtain with such procedures and the cost of achieving a substantial degree of precision is quite high in such procedures.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel method for producing transreflectors which may be easily practiced to produce transreflectors with a high degree of precision for the reflective grid.
It is also an object to provide such a method for making transflectors which is relatively simple and economical.
Another object is to provide novel transreflectors in which a series of closely spaced fine lines of metal are firmly bonded to a synthetic resin body of the transflector.

Synthetic resin transreflector and method of making same


A positioning device for a ball bearing slide includes a positioning member and a releasing member and is incorporated with a mobile track and a fixed track. The positioning member is pivoted to the mobile track. The releasing member is inserted into the mobile track. The positioning member includes a resilient lever having a taper block to hold against the fixed track to restrict the mobile track in both directions. The positioning member further includes a protruding post. The releasing member is provided with a hollowed trough to link to the positioning member to release the bi-way restriction.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention is a positioning device for a ball bearing slide, and more particularly to one that exercises bi-way restriction to prevent a mobile track from retracting and falling out of position when it is pulled out in relation to a fixed track, and is provided with a releasing member to release the restriction or to remove the mobile track.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
The prior art as taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,549,773, 5,255,983, 5,542.759, 5,730,514, and 6,502,910 discloses a retainer to directly hold a mobile track from falling out of a fixed track when the mobile track is pulled outwardly while by directly operating the retainer, the mobile track is released from the fixed track. However, the operation requirements of a ball bearing slide is not limited to retaining or releasing of the mobile track, further operations of preventing the mobile track from being retracted and later having the mobile track to retract after its positioning status is released may be considered and solved.

Positioning device for a ball bearing slide


A method for forming an ultra thin die electronic package includes disposing a first polymer film on a first substrate, applying a first adhesive layer to the first polymer film, disposing at least one die on the first adhesive layer, disposing a second polymer film on at least one additional substrate, applying a second adhesive layer to the second polymer film on at least one additional substrate, applying a second adhesive layer to the second polymer film, and attaching the first substrate and the at least one additional substrate via the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer such that the at least one die is interspersed between. The method also includes forming multiple vias on a top and/or bottom side of the first and the additional substrate(s), wherein the multiple vias are directly connected to the die, and forming an electrical interconnection between the first substrate, the at least one additional substrate and a die pad of the at least one die.

The present invention relates generally to ultra thin die electronic package and interconnects, and more particularly, to a process for forming electric interconnects to ultra thin components.
Electrical devices have become ubiquitous in society and have assumed many forms. Many of the most commonly encountered devices include portable or notebook computers, cell phones, personnel digital assistants (PDA's), printers, hand held computer games, and the like. Technological advancements have allowed these devices to provide many previously unimagined conveniences. Users have come to expect more and more from these devices, such as being smaller, faster, and more durable.
Electronic packaging is a major discipline within the field of electronic engineering, and includes a wide variety of technologies. It refers to enclosures and protective features built into the product itself and not to shipping containers. It applies both to end products and to components.
Interconnects wherein the die are thinned and attached or connected to rigid PCB boards and wire bonds are formed to make electrical contact are known. The wire bonds must be encapsulated to prevent damage, thus increasing assembly height and overall volume. The rigid PCB limits the wiring to one side of the die and the rigidity of the substrate prevents physical flexibility of the resultant electronic assembly and increases thickness.
As the technology is gradually moving towards reducing the size of the interconnect including the thinness of the die, it is becoming increasingly difficult to handle and connect to these thinned structures.
Therefore, there is a need for a process for forming an ultra thin die electronic package and interconnect.


A sprinkler head vegetation shield that includes a sloping wall defined by a single-piece curved plate. A lip extends horizontally away from the wall along an upper perimeter thereof for supporting the shield adjacent a sprinkler head without attachment thereto. A notch is located substantially near a lower perimeter of the sloping wall and configured to accommodate movement of the sprinkler head relative to the plate.

The present invention generally relates to lawn sprinkler systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to a protector shield, for lawn sprinkler heads, of various configurations and sizes suited to meet the needs of sprinkler heads in various locations of the lawn and which serve to prevent fouling of the sprinkler head and back splashing on to fencing and walls.
Pop-lawn sprinkler heads are attached to underground water lines, and are normally located below ground level. When the water is turned on, the head pops up out of the ground, so that water can be sprayed onto the lawn.
Oftentimes, such sprinkler heads are protected with a plate or the like to prevent being broken or otherwise damaged by lawnmowers or automobiles.
In the case of residential sprinkler systems, an overriding concern is that grass or weeds, over time, grow around the sprinkler heads. The excessive growth can occur to such a degree that it virtually covers the sprinkler heads and seriously interferes with their proper operation.
It has become an increasing gardening practice to trim around such sprinklers with a cord or spinning weed trimming machine. However, it has been found that such practice make for aesthetically unpleasing areas surrounding the sprinkler head.
Vegetation shields for sprinkler heads are known in the art. However, these are typically complicated in use and installation. Many of these shields are directly attached to the sprinkler itself. Yet others are formed in sections which must be assembled. Most of these shields are not visually appealing.
Another problem with sprinkler systems is that the sprinkler can wet sidewalks which are to be traversed by the homeowner, or wet and discolor adjacent fences or walls. Previous back splash guards have been attached to the sprinkler itself.
Accordingly, there is a continuing need for a sprinkler head vegetation shield which prevents fouling of the sprinkler head by stopping the growth of grass and/or weeds. The sprinkler head shield should be versatile and visually appealing. The sprinkler head shield should also be capable of forming a back splash to prevent discoloring of adjacent walls and fences. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides other related advantages.


In a measuring tool, following operations are carried out. In a preset operation, a displacement is detected in response to an instruction from an operating section, and the detected displacement is stored in a storage as a measurement reference value (Xc). In a measurement value computing operation, a measurement value is calculated based on a difference between the present displacement and the measurement reference value (Xc). A judgment operation belongs to the preset operation. In the judgment operation, a movable member is judged to be stationary relative to a stationary member when a variation of the displacement detected by the detector at an interval of a predetermined time (T1) has continuously been within a permissible range for a predetermined time. When the movable member is judged to be stationary with respect to the stationary member in the judgment operation, the displacement is stored in the storage as a measurement reference value (Xc).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a measuring tool for measuring a displacement of a movable member relative to a stationary member.
2. Description of Related Art
Calipers, micrometers, indicators, test indicators, height gauges, and scales are known as digital measuring tools for measuring dimensions and the like of an object. Such measuring tools are provided with a stationary member, a movable member arranged movable relative to the stationary member, a detector for detecting a displacement of the movable member relative to the stationary member, and a display for displaying the displacement of the movable member relative to the stationary member detected by the detector.
For example, as shown in FIG. 1, a test indicator 1 includes: a body 10; a stylus 11 penetrating the body 10 and supported swingable around a supported portion 111; an encoder 12 having an electrode 121 provided to a closer end to the body 10 of the stylus 11 and a detector head 122 which is provided to the body 10 and electrostatically coupled with the electrode 121 to detect a displacement of the stylus 11 relative to the body 10; a display 13 for digitally displaying the displacement of the stylus 111 relative to the body 10 detected by the encoder 12; and an operating section 15 for a so-called preset operation.
The test indicator 1 arranged such is a measuring tool for measuring a height and the like of an object 2 from a displacement of the stylus 11 obtained when a contact portion 112 provided to an end of the stylus 11 is contacted to the object 2.
The test indicator 1 can also work out a comparison and the like of a plurality of objects by carrying out the preset operation.
In order to compare heights of two objects, firstly, the contact portion 112 of the stylus 11 is brought into contact with an upper surface of one object, and the operating section 15 is operated. The displacement then of the stylus 11 is stored as a measurement reference value. Next, the contact portion 112 of the stylus 11 is contacted to the upper surface of the other object. Consequently, the difference between the displacement of the stylus 11 at this time and the measurement reference value previously stored is displayed on the display 14, thereby enabling comparison between the heights of the two objects.
As an example of such an indicator, there is disclosed a test indicator which has a detector that electrically senses a moire fringe generated by a displacement of a stylus enabling a precise measurement (Patent Document: JP-UM-B-02-45762).
However, a conventional test indicator such as one in Patent Document can not precisely determine a measurement reference value since an operating section for handling a preset operation is provided to the body.
This problem will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7.
In FIGS. 5 to 7, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents a displacement of the stylus. The curve shows the displacement of the stylus that occurs during the preset operation. An operation state and a stored measurement reference value are illustrated in a timing chart under the curve.
FIG. 5 shows a displacement of the stylus 11 during the preset operation with a conventional test indicator 1.
A preset operation starts with bringing the stylus 11 into a stationary state by, for example, contacting the contact portion 112 of the stylus 11 to the object. The stationary state marks time point t0. Next, an operating section 15 of the body 10 is operated. The operation marks time point t1.
As illustrated by a curve in FIG. 5, since the stylus 11 is stationary from t0 to t1, the displacement remains at y0. When the operating section 15 of the body 10 is operated at t1, force is also transmitted to the body 10 integrated with the operating section 15 to vibrate the body 10. Since the encoder 12 detects a relative displacement of the stylus 11 with respect to the body 10, the vibration of the body 10 is sensed as a displacement of the stylus 11.
Although the measurement reference value is stored in response to the operation of the operating section 15, the storing takes place at time point t2, slightly later than time point t1 at which the operating section 15 has been operated. Since t2 is immediately after the operation of the operating section 15, the body 10 is vibrating considerably The displacement of the stylus 11 stored as the measurement reference value is y1, which is different from the displacement y0 at an actually stationary position. Therefore, the stored measurement reference value includes an error equal to y1−y0.
A well-known way to prevent such an error in the measurement reference value is to provide a time lag between the operation of the operating section 15 and the storing of the measurement reference value.
FIG. 6 illustrates the displacement of the stylus 11, the operation state of the operating section 15, and the timing of storing the measurement reference value in case of the preset operation with time lags.
FIG. 6 differs from FIG. 5 only in that a considerable time lag T is provided between t1 and t2. Since the vibration of the body 10 has settled at time point t2 after a considerable time lag T, the displacement y0 at the actually stationary position can be stored as a measurement reference value.
However, according to such a way of providing a time lag, the time lag needs to be determined longer than the time it takes for the vibration of the body 10 to settle. Since the vibration of the body 10 varies in accordance with, for example, an environmental condition, there are times when the time lag T is too long with respect to a vibration continuation time T0, as shown in FIG. 6. In this case, time equivalent to T−T0 is wasted, which is not preferable in terms of work efficiency.
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, there are cases in which the time lag T is too short with respect to the vibration continuation time T0. In this case, since the vibration of the body 10 is not settled at time point t2, the displacement of the stylus 11 stored as the measurement reference value is y2, which is different from the displacement y0 at the actually stationary position. An error equal to y2−y0 is inevitable.
Such an error in the measurement reference value has been found not only with test indicators but also with various measuring tools whose operating section for controlling a preset operation is provided on a body.


A feed assembly for a pack seal tester includes a vertically extending housing having a top opening for receipt of packages therein and a bottom opening for discharge of packages therefrom. The housing includes a feed hopper comprised of two parallel movable opposed spaced C-shaped sidewalls. A piston plate is aligned to remove packages from the bottom opening and into a package test chamber, the package test chamber being in alignment with the bottom opening. The package test chamber includes means to align said packages at a preselected position for testing by a pack seal tester.

This invention relates to an automated feed assembly for a manually operated pack seal tester and more particularly relates to an apparatus for automatically feeding packs of cigarettes to a manual pack seal tester which provides for the stacking of a plurality of cigarette packages and advancing the packages to a measuring head of a pack seal tester.
In the manufacturing of a number of products and particularly packages of cigarettes, the packages are wrapped with a transparent film, such as polyethylene or the like. Since the wrapping of these packages occurs at high rates of speed, it is imperative that a close watch be made of products leaving these wrapping machines to see that the wrapped packages conform to preselected specifications. In order to maintain the quality control of these wrapped packages, from time to time operators grab packages for sample testing to determine if the packages have been wrapped to these specific specifications. These grabbed sample packages are taken by the operator and manually placed on the head of a pack seal tester wherein the pack seal tester is provided with a vacuum cup with a vertically movable pin inside the cup which penetrates and breaks the transparent film. A vacuum is then pulled on the package to a preselected psi and if the pack will not withstand a certain pressure, the wrapping machine must be shut down and appropriate adjustments made so that the plastic transparent films will provide for an adequate wrap of the package.


The invention provides a compact yet high-zoom-ratio zoom lens system for use with lens shutter cameras, which is well corrected for aberrations albeit being made up of a small number of lenses. The zoom lens comprises a first lens group G1 of positive refracting power, a second lens group G2 of positive refractive power and a third lens group G3 of negative refracting power. The lens groups move for zooming from the wide angle side to the telephoto side, with a separation between the first and second lens groups becoming wide and a separation between the second and third lens groups becoming narrow. At least one lens group has a diffractive surface therein, and satisfies 1.8<.beta..sub.T /.beta..sub.W <4.0 where .beta..sub.T and .beta..sub.W are transverse magnifications of the lens group having a diffractive surface at the wide-angle end and the telephoto end of the lens system.

The present invention relates generally to an optical system comprising a diffractive surface having a lens action based on a diffraction phenomenon, and more particularly to a compact yet high-zoom-ratio zoom lens system comprising a diffractive surface, which is used with lens shutter cameras, etc.
For lens shutter cameras (hereinafter called LS cameras for short) with built-in zoom lenses, many makers have recently developed a variety of products now widely accepted to many users because of their convenience and ease of use. Thus, it appears that LS cameras have steadily spread as commodities. A variety of LS cameras having an ever higher zoom ratio are now proposed with new values added thereto. However, the body size of currently available cameras become large with increasing zoom ratios. This is not always preferable for users. To solve such size problems, on the other hand, ultra-compact cameras are put forward with much importance given to portability. However, all available cameras have both merits and demerits; compact yet high-zoom-ratio cameras are greatly needed. Thus, phototaking lens systems to meet such demands are expected.
JP-A 4-37810 discloses a three-group zoom lens system having a zoom ratio of 2.6, which comprises, in order from the object side thereof, a positive lens group, a positive lens group and a negative lens group, about 10 lenses in all. The diameter of the first lens group is reduced by locating a stop on the side of the second lens group nearest to an object, and aberrations are well corrected by the optimization of the design of the second lens group. The total length of the zoom lens system set forth therein is much shorter than ever before. However, the total length of the lens arrangement (the length from the first surface to the final surface) is still great due to many lenses.
JP-A 8-286110 discloses a three-group zoom lens system which comprises, in order from the object side thereof, a positive lens group, a positive lens group and a negative lens group, and only two lenses for each group, six lenses in all. The zoom ratio achieved is in the range of 3.0 to as high as about 3.3. However, correction of aberrations is insufficient at each lens group, and chromatic aberrations at the telephoto end in particular become too large for correction.
JP-A 5-173069 discloses a similar zoom lens system, and one example given therein is directed to a specific zoom lens system consisting of six lenses in all and having a zoom ratio as high as 3.6. The length of the lens arrangement is short due to a reduced number of lenses. However, this system is not preferable because a vitreous material showing anomalous dispersion is used for correction of aberrations, resulting in cost increases.
On the other hand, JP-A 5-188296 discloses a similar three-group zoom lens system which comprises a positive lens group, a positive lens group and a negative lens group, and achieves a zoom ratio of 2 with a lens arrangement consisting of five lenses. The length of the lens arrangement is very short with well-corrected aberrations. However, the zoom ratio is very low. These prior systems are all designed to achieve correction of aberrations by use of an aspherical glass lens, and are unavoidably expensive.
The applicant, too, has filed Japanese Patent Application No. 8-326457 to propose a three-group zoom lens system of the positive, positive and negative type, which achieves a zoom ratio of 2 with a lens arrangement consisting of five lenses. The cost of this lens system is brought down by making use of an aspherical plastic surface. Aberrations are well corrected with a reduction in the length of the lens arrangement. However, the zoom ratio is still low.
An object of the present invention is to make proper use of a diffractive surface, thereby making high the zoom ratio of a zoom lens system which is constructed of a short lens arrangement comprising a small number of lenses at low costs yet with well-corrected aberrations.
For a better understanding of the present invention, the lens action of the diffractive surface is then explained. While a conventional lens is based on the refraction of light at a medium interface, the lens action of the diffractive surface is based on the diffraction of light. Now consider the incidence of light on such a diffraction grating as shown generally in FIG. 1. Emergent light upon diffraction satisfies the following equation (a): EQU sin.theta.-sin.theta.'=m.lambda./d (a)
where .theta. is the angle of incidence, .theta.' is the exit angle, .lambda. is the wavelength of light, d is the pitch of the diffraction grating, and m is the order of diffraction. Consequently, if the pitch of a ring form of diffraction grating is properly determined according to equation (a), it is then possible to converge the incident light on one point, i.e., impart lens action to the diffraction grating. Here let r.sub.j and f the radius of a j-th ring on the grating and the focal length of the diffractive surface, respectively. Then, the following equation (b) is satisfied in a region of first approximation: EQU r.sub.j.sup.2 =2j.lambda.f (b)
For a diffraction grating, on the other hand, a bright-and-dark ring form of amplitude-modulated type grating, and a phase-modulated type grating with a variable refractive index or optical path length are known. In the amplitude-modulated type, for instance, the diffraction efficiency (defined by the ratio between the quantity of incident light and the quantity of the first order of diffracted light) is about 6% at most because plural orders of diffracted light are produced. In the phase-modulated type, too, the diffraction efficiency is about 34% at most. If the diffraction grating is modified such that its section is of such saw-toothed shape as depicted in FIG. 2, however, the diffraction efficiency can theoretically be increased to 100%. Even though actual losses are taken into account, a diffraction efficiency of at least 95% is then obtainable. Such a diffraction grating is called a kinoform. In this case, the height of each tooth is given by EQU h=m.lambda./(n-1) (c)
where h is the height of the tooth, and n is the index of refraction of a substrate.
As can be predicted from equation (c), a diffraction efficiency of 100% is achievable at only one wavelength. FIG. 3 illustrates a specific wavelength vs. diffraction efficiency relation at 550 nm design wavelength. As the wavelength goes away from the design wavelength, the diffraction efficiency decreases greatly. With decreasing diffraction efficiency, the rest of light exists as unnecessary light. In the case of an optical system used under white light, care should be taken of a flare problem due to such unnecessary light.
How to design the diffractive surface is now explained. The diffractive surface may be designed by some known methods. However, the present invention makes use of an ultra-high index method. According to this method, the diffractive surface is known to be equivalent to a refractive surface having an ultra-high refractive index at null thickness. At this time, the index of refraction n(.lambda.) at any wavelength is given by EQU n(.lambda.)=1+{n(.lambda..sub.0)-1}.lambda./.lambda..sub.0 (d)
where .lambda. is an arbitrary wavelength, .lambda..sub.0 is a reference wavelength, and n(.lambda..sub.0) is the index of refraction at wavelength .lambda..
The diffractive surface has two important features when used in the form of a lens. The first feature is aspheric action, as already noted. If the pitch of a diffraction grating is properly determined, it is then possible to converge light on one point. The second feature is that dispersion is very large or, in another parlance, a so-called Abbe's number is found to be -3.45 from equation (d). Chromatic aberrations several tens times as large as that of a conventional glass material are produced with a minus sign or in the opposite direction. It is also found that strong anomalous dispersion is obtained with a low partial dispersion ratio.
An example of applying such a diffractive surface to optical systems used under natural light is known from an article "Hybrid diffractive-lenses and achromats", Appl. Opt. 27, pp. 2960-2971. This prior publication shows an example of calculation in the case where, based on the principle of correction of paraxial chromatic aberration, the diffractive surface is used in combination with a single glass lens to make correction for longitudinal chromatic aberration. Specifically, the publication shows that the plane side of a plano-convex lens is constructed of a diffractive surface for the achievement of achromatization, and refers to the resulting secondary spectra. The publication also shows the results of achromatization by a diffractive surface and doublet combination.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,543,966 shows an example of achromatization by use of a singlet and diffractive surface combination. This example is applied to a so-called film camera for the purpose of making high the performance of a phototaking optical system comprising a positive meniscus lens convex on the subject side and a stop by disposing a diffractive surface on the image-side surface of the lens, thereby making correction for chromatic aberrations.
"Diffractive optics at Eastman Kodak Company", SPIE, Vol. 2689, pp. 227-254 shows applications of the diffractive surface to a variety of optical systems. In particular, this publication exemplifies an application of the diffractive surface of a phototaking zoom lens system for LS cameras, wherein a doublet in the first lens group in a three-group zoom lens system of the positive, positive and negative type is replaced by one diffractive element. For lack of design data, however, details of that application cannot be understood.

Zoom lens system having a diffractive surface


A process for the crosslinking of at least one polymer selected from polysaccharides and derivatives thereof, which is carried out in an aqueous solvent by the action of an effective and non-excessive amount of at least one crosslinking agent, characterized in that it is carried out on a mixture containing at least one low-molecular weight polymer and at least one high-molecular weight polymer. A process for the preparation of an injectable monophase hydrogel of at least one crosslinked polymer selected from polysaccharides and derivatives thereof is also disclosed. Crosslinked polymers and injectable monophase hydrogels, respectively, are obtainable by each of said processes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to:                a novel process for the crosslinking of at least one polymer selected from polysaccharides and derivatives thereof;        a process for the preparation of an injectable monophase hydrogel of at least one such polymer; and        the crosslinked polymers and injectable monophase hydrogels respectively obtainable by each of said processes.
The hydrogels in question, based on said crosslinked polymers, have numerous outlets, especially as filling materials in plastic, cosmetic and dental surgery, in ophthalmology, in orthopedics, etc., as products for preventing tissue adhesions, in general surgery, in urology, etc. Said hydrogels are particularly suitable for repairing vocal cords. The outlets indicated above for products of this type, without implying any limitation, are familiar to those skilled in the art.
The invention is the result of a genuine effort to optimize the operation of crosslinking the polymers in question with a view to obtaining injectable monophase hydrogels that are of particular value in respect of the following compromise: on the one hand mechanical properties and remanence, and on the other hand injectability (with acceptable injection forces and injection needle diameters).
It is pointed out here that the term "injectable" employed in the present text, with reference to both the hydrogels of the prior art and the hydrogels of the invention, denotes manual injectability by means of syringes equipped with conventional needles (having a diameter of between 0.1 and 0.5 mm). Within the framework of the present invention, it is possible in particular to formulate hydrogels that can be injected through hypodermic needles of 30 G½, 27 G½, 26 G½ and 25 G.
2. Discussion of Related Art
According to the prior art, hydrogels, especially injectable hydrogels, have already been prepared from polysaccharides and derivatives thereof—especially hyaluronic acid salts—having a zero, low or high degree of crosslinking.
With reference to the specific problem of injectability, biphase compositions have been proposed whose continuous phase, in particular, is based on such hydrogels. The continuous phase serves as a plasticizer, injection vehicle for a disperse phase. This disperse phase is more or less solid and more or less differentiated from the continuous phase. Thus:                the biphase compositions described in patent application EP-A-0 466 300 consist of two bioabsorbable phases—continuous and disperse—and take the form of slurries. Said two phases are advantageously prepared from fibers of Hylan (natural hyaluronic acid chemically modified in situ in order to facilitate its extraction from the tissues);        the biphase compositions described in patent application WO-A-96 337 51 also have two bioabsorbable phases with a better separation, the disperse phase consisting of insoluble fragments of a highly crosslinked polymer hydrogel (selected from hyaluronic acid and its salts);        the biphase compositions described in patent application WO-A-00 014 28 contain a non-bioabsorbable disperse phase (particles of at least one hydrogel of a (co)polymer obtained by the polymerization and crosslinking of acrylic acid and/or methacrylic acid and/or at least one derivative of said acids) suspended in an aqueous solution of a crosslinked or non-crosslinked polymer selected from proteins, polysaccharides and derivatives thereof.
These biphase systems are not fully satisfactory insofar as they are associated with justifiable fears of uneven flow during injection and particularly after injection, a more rapid disappearance of the continuous phase (having a zero or low degree of crosslinking) and hence an at least partial loss of the desired effect, especially filling effect.
Monophase hydrogels, developed from the same types of polymers, were therefore also proposed in parallel.
In patent applications WO-A-98 356 39 and WO-A-98 356 40, the product in question is not an injectable hydrogel but a product of solid consistency. Said patent applications in fact describe ocular implants used to temporarily fill a surgically created void. The hydrogel developed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,716,154 is proposed as a substitute for the vitreous body. The polymer in question (sodium hyaluronate) has a very low degree of crosslinking in order to obtain an injectable hydrogel. The monophase hydrogel described in patent application WO-A-02 057 53 is laden with an antiseptic that is effective in protecting it from free radicals after implantation. Patent application WO-A-02 063 50 describes a process capable of generating this type of hydrogel that is very homogeneous throughout.
All these monophase hydrogels were obtained from high-molecular weight polymers crosslinked using an effective and non-excessive amount of at least one crosslinking agent, in an aqueous solvent.
In the light of this prior art, the inventors wished to improve the efficacy of crosslinking of the polymer in question, especially in order to improve the degradation resistance (remanence) of the implanted hydrogel while at the same time preserving the possibility of injecting said hydrogel under acceptable conditions.
To improve the crosslinking efficacy, the inventors initially considered using more crosslinking agent. This approach was quickly discarded on the grounds that it inescapably causes denaturation of the polymer in question and chemical contamination of the crosslinked product obtained.
Said inventors then considered increasing the concentration of polymer in the reaction mixture. In the same way, this second approach had to be discarded, a priori, because of the polymers conventionally used hitherto, namely high-molecular weight polymers. Thus sodium hyaluronate is always used with high molecular weights (Mw≧106 Da, ≈2·106 Da, 3·106 Da) at concentrations close to the maximum concentration, which is about 105-110 mg/g. Using it at a higher concentration is difficult (the viscosity of the reaction mixture becomes too high) and inescapably causes problems of solubility, poor homogeneity, etc.
Concentrating the reaction medium, on the other hand, is found to be possible with low-molecular weight polymers (sodium hyaluronate of molecular weight 300,000 Da, having an intrinsic viscosity of 600 ml/g (those skilled in the art are perfectly familiar with the relationship between these two parameters: molecular weight (M) and intrinsic viscosity (η), which is given by the Mark-Houwink formula: M=kηα, the values of k and α depending on the nature of the polymer in question), can be concentrated from 110 to 200 mg/g). Unfortunately the crosslinked polymer obtained generates an inhomogeneous, injectable biphase hydrogel under these conditions.
In such a context, the inventors surprisingly established that associating low-molecular weight polymer(s) with high-molecular weight polymer(s) affords an excellent compromise, namely the possibility of generating, for a non-excessive degree of crosslinking (equivalent to that of the prior art), an injectable monophase hydrogel which has improved mechanical and remanence properties. This low-molecular weight/high-molecular weight association makes it possible to obtain a hydrogel that more than satisfies the following specifications:                monophase;        better mechanical properties and remanence than the equivalent products of the prior art;        unaffected or even improved injectability that is still possible with conventional injection forces using conventional injection devices.
The key factor of the crosslinking process of the invention therefore lies in the concentration of the reactants (which is greater than that of the reaction mixtures of the prior art due to the use of low-molecular weight polymer(s)), although the crosslinking of said concentrated reactants is "governed" by the use of high-molecular weight polymer(s), which guarantee the homogeneity of the crosslinked product obtained and then of the hydrogel obtained.

Cross-linking of low and high molecular weight polysaccharides preparation of injectable monophase hydrogels and polysaccharides and hydrogels thus obtained


One arbitrary point on an upper surface of a workpiece and two points at arbitrary heights on a tapered section of the workpiece are measured using a contact detector disposed on an upper wire guide of a wire electric discharge machine to calculate the shape accuracy and tapered angle. Based on the calculated data, the upper and lower wire guide support positions of the upper and lower wire guides are calculated. Using the calculated upper and lower wire guide support positions, electric discharge machining is performed on the workpiece.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wire electric discharge machine having a taper angle correction function using a contact detector and a calculation method for wire support positions of a wire electric discharge machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
When a taper machining is performed on a workpiece by a wire electric discharge machine, the wire support positions of the upper and lower wire guides for supporting the wire electrode are measured by a jig or the like through short-circuit detection of the wire electrode, and the measured wire support positions are set in the controller.
A known technique for correcting the angle of a wire electrode is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-24839. In this technique, the taper angle is corrected through contact of a wire electrode by using a specific jig without performing machining actually. Another known technique for automatically plumbing a wire electrode is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-320266.
If electric discharge machining of a workpiece is performed actually, the bending of the wire electrode is increased due to discharge heat, error is included in the taper angle, and the machining precision degrades. In the above technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-24839, no effects of electric discharge machining are considered, so the machining precision of a machined object degrades. In addition, measurement of the workpiece is not made on the electric discharge machine, so additional machining or subsequent finishing is not supported. The technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-320266 is applicable only to the correction of the angle of a wire electrode, so it is not applicable to tapering in which the correction of both the angle and dimensions is performed.
As described above, the prior art method performs tapering by measuring the support positions (hereinafter referred to as wire support positions) of a wire electrode using a jig before machining and setting the measured data in the controller. Upon completion of tapering, the machined object is measured by a measuring instrument such as a tool maker's microscope or three-dimensional measuring instrument, a correction value is calculated from the measured error, the calculated measurement value is input to the controller, and then re-machining is performed.
Accordingly, the prior art technique is inconvenient in that a measuring instrument is required separately from a wire electric discharge machine and a correction value needs to be calculated according to a mathematical expression. In addition, if a machined workpiece is removed from a wire electric discharge machine, predetermined measurement is performed, and the machined workpiece is mounted on the wire electric discharge machine again, then a deviation arises between the previous and current mounting positions. This makes it very difficult to perform re-machining such as modification after measurement.

Wire electric discharge machine and calculation method for wire support positions of wire electric discharge machine


A method and system for processing data originating from, for example, a joystick type device using attitude sensing, are disclosed. The data is processed using a predefined instruction set, and the current and past states of various parameters, to enable image manipulation and other outputs which do not amount to a direct plotting of, say cartesian position data from an analog joystick. The inventive arrangement allows for virtual output states, temporal modulation of inputs, and enhanced functionality such as automatic power reduction, and autopilot functionality.

Various devices have been used to control the movement of objects on computer screens, both in the context of games and of application software. Examples include various forms of joystick, mouse and trackball devices. These all provide a simulated movement on the screen in response to a change in position of mechanical parts on the device, for example movement of the ball in a mouse or trackball.
More recently, various devices have been proposed for use in so-called virtual reality systems. These devices tend to be expensive, and rely on complex sensor arrangements arranged in a glove or the like, hard wired to a relatively powerful processor. Such devices rely on a triangulation method to locate the hand held or operated part within a limited field.
All of the above devices provide raw data which is processed by the main computer system, so as to provide movements of images on the screen.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a control system and method, which utilises the positional, attitudinal, movement or similar data to provide additional features for the overall system.


A cupholder assembly is adapted for use in a vehicle for supporting containers. The cupholder assembly includes a housing having a receiving aperture formed therein. A tray is slidably connected within the receiving aperture for sliding movement between storage and use positions. The first and second cupholder arms are pivotally connected to the tray for pivotal movement between fully extended and fully retracted positions. Each cupholder arm includes a side wall for supporting a side of a container. Pivotal movement of each cupholder arm with respect to the tray is sufficiently frictionally inhibited to facilitate infinite adjustment of the cupholder arms between the fully extended and fully retracted positions for supporting containers of various sizes. The frictional inhibition is facilitated by a pinching structure in cooperation with a rubber portion on each cupholder arm. The cupholder arms are frictionally inhibited when the tray is in the extended use position, and are free to rotate as the tray moves from the use position toward a stored position within the housing. Infinite adjustability of the cupholder arms is accomplished.

The prior art includes a variety of cupholders or container holders which are used for supporting cups, cans or other beverage containers in vehicles which are selectively accessible to the vehicle passengers or occupants.
Some such cupholder devices include adjustability features for holding containers of various sizes. However, such adjustable cupholders generally require some sort of gearing structure for incremental adjustment of the cupholder arms. Such incremental adjustment may not be sufficient to hold cupholders of certain sizes because it may not provide a snug fit for holding the container. Also, such designs typically require that the cupholder arms be collapsed fully before they can be adjusted outward to receive a larger container. This may be inconvenient or awkward for a vehicle occupant, particularly the driver.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a collapsible vehicle cupholder structure which is infinitely adjustable for firmly securing containers of various sizes, and which does not require collapse prior to adjustment for receiving a larger container.


The invention concerns an electric power transmission cable, particularly for an overhead power line, comprising at least one central composite ring (1) formed of fibers impregnated by a matrix, of which the specific breaking strength is greater than 0.4 MPa·m3/kg and at least one layer of conductive wires (3) nested within one another, made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy and windings around said ring (1), said cable having an outer diameter at ambient temperature called the initial diameter (Di) and the ratio between the thermal expansion coefficient of the conductive wires (3) and that of the central ring (1) is greater than three. According to the invention, said conductive wires (3) nested within one another are of a geometry such that the increase in the outer diameter of one length of said cable shorter than 45 m, during an increase of temperature lasting two to four minutes, from ambient temperature to a temperature between 150 and 240° C., is less than or equal to 10% of the initial diameter (Di), said cable being subject to a mechanical tension between 10% and 30% of the nominal breaking strength of the cable. The invention also concerns a conductive wire geometry enabling such a level of expansion of the diameter.

Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electric power transmission cable in particular for an overhead line.
It relates more specifically to an electric power transmission cable, in particular for an overhead electric power line, comprising at least one central composite core consisting of fibers impregnated by a matrix and the specific strength of which is greater than 0.4 MPa·m3/kg and at least one layer of mutually interlocking conductive wires, made of aluminum or of an aluminum alloy and wound around this core.
Description of the Related Art
Such a cable is described in patent document EP 1 816 654.
This electric power transmission cable, in particular for an overhead electric power line, comprises a central composite core consisting of fibers impregnated by an epoxy resin matrix and two layers of conductive wires of Z- and S-shaped cross section, made of aluminum or of aluminum alloy, wound around the core. Optionally, the core may be covered with a layer of insulating material.
Such conductive wires are shaped wires according to the standard IEC 62219.
Such a cable may comprise a single central core, as represented, or three central cores.
It may also comprise one or more lavers of conductive wires 3.
The operating temperature of such a cable may reach 200° C. or more. It therefore turns out, since all of the components of the cable are blocked at the ends by anchorages, that, during an increase in the temperature of the conductive wires, from ambient temperature to the operating temperature of the cable, the layers of conductive wire have a tendency to swell as a result of the difference in expansion coefficient of the core and of the conductive wires, and the conductive wires have a tendency to come out of their layer which may lead to a dislodgement of the wires out of their layer. It is even possible to observe the formation of a squirrel cage type positioning of the conductive wires which has a tendency to be reduced when the thermal stress has stopped.
It is to be feared that after a certain number of thermal cycles, one or more conductive wires do not return to their correct place within their layer and thus give rise to an increase in the corona effect and also an increase in noise nuisance.

Electric power transmission cable particularly for an overhead line


Embodiments of the disclosure may include a method and apparatus for improving the efficiency and extending the operation time between recharges or replacement batteries of a portable audio delivery system. The audio delivery system may include a processor, an audio processing device, a speaker, and a rechargeable power source. The audio delivery system is generally configured to generate and/or receive an audio input signal and efficiently deliver an amplified, high quality audio output signal to a user. In some embodiments of the disclosure, the audio processing device of the audio delivery system may include a switch mode power supply (SMPS), a signal delay element, an envelope detector, and a switching signal amplifier.

Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method and apparatus of delivering a high quality audio output from an audio device that is powered by a power source that has a limited energy storage capacity.
Description of the Related Art
The popularity of portable music players has increased dramatically in the past decade. Modern portable music players allow music enthusiasts to listen to music in a wide variety of different environments without requiring access to a wired power source. For example, a battery-operated portable music player such as an iPod® or a wireless speaker coupled to an iPod® or similar device is capable of playing music in a wide variety of locations without needing to be plugged in. Conventional portable music players and/or wireless speakers are typically designed to have a small form factor in order to increase portability. Accordingly, the batteries within such devices are usually small and only provide several hours of operation before the batteries need to be recharged or replaced.
As a result, the speakers within conventional portable music players and conventional wireless speakers often times have a dynamic range covering only a fraction of the frequency spectrum associated with most modern music. For example, modern music often includes a wide range of bass frequencies. However, the speakers within a conventional portable music player or wireless speaker usually cannot play all of the bass frequencies due to physical limitations of the speakers themselves, or because of the way the amplifying circuitry in the portable music player or wireless speaker are driven causes the useable power found in the batteries within the device to discharge rapidly. The power supply in conventional portable music players and wireless speakers is commonly limited by a finite energy storage capacity provided by the battery. The rate of energy consumption by the device determines the time of operation of the device until the battery needs to be recharged or replaced.
A power amplifier in an audio device receives an input signal, and using a power supply voltage, produces an output signal having the same shape but larger magnitude than the input signal. Typical conventional audio devices use linear types of power amplifiers, such as class A and AB amplifiers, due to simplicity and in most cases desirable sound quality is provided using these types of amplifiers. The efficiency of most of these analog amplifiers is poor, thus reducing the time of operation of the audio delivery device between charges of a battery-type power supply.
Power amplifiers are used in the output stages of audio devices to drive a loudspeaker load. Typical loudspeakers may have nominal impedance in a range between about 4 ohms (Ω) and 8Ω, but the actual load impedance varies with frequency. Power amplifiers must be able to supply the high peak currents and peak voltages required to drive these loudspeakers and operate efficiently with a dynamic range of voltage amplitude as part of audio input signal data. The "rail" voltage provided to the amplifier needs to deliver sufficient power to ensure that the highest amplitudes of an input signal can be amplified in the same proportion as the lower amplitudes without distortion. However, there is an efficiency penalty for providing excess rail voltage to the amplifier for a given input signal. Excess rail voltage causes inefficiency and rapidly discharges power from a power source, such as a battery. Alternatively, if insufficient rail voltage is provided to the amplifier, then distortion may occur in the amplified signal.
Therefore, there is a need for an audio device that solves the problems described above. There is also a need for an amplifier containing an audio device that has improved efficiency, while preventing signal distortion.

Audio delivery system having an improved efficiency and extended operation time between recharges or battery replacements


The present invention relates to an optical element fixing component having a hollow portion which includes an optical element. The optical element fixing component is made from a non-crystalline alloy, and a ratio of a linear expansion coefficient of the optical element fixing component toward a linear expansion coefficient of the optical element is 1.5 or less.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical element fixing component and an imaging unit.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, an optical element used in an optical device such as an endoscope or a camera is fixed to the device by a lens barrel. In the past, the lens barrel used to fix the optical element was manufactured by using a resin or metal material.
A lens barrel using the resin material is manufactured through injection molding due to the satisfactory moldability of the resin, and has characteristics such that the productivity thereof is excellent compared with a lens barrel obtained by using a metal material. As a lens barrel using the resin material, for example, there is known an endoscope lens barrel shown in Japanese Patent Application, Publication No. 2006-122498.
The lens barrel using the metal material is manufactured through cutting or die-casting, and has characteristics such that the strength and durability thereof are excellent compared with a lens barrel using the resin material. As a lens barrel using the metal material, for example, there is known an endoscope lens barrel shown in Japanese Patent Application, Publication No. 2006-075341.
In addition, as a lens barrel using the resin or metal material, for example, there are known camera lens barrels shown in Japanese Patent Application, Publication Nos. 2004-148525 and 2007-140401. Meanwhile, as methods of bonding the optical element to the lens barrel, there are known bonding through solder (refer to Japanese Patent Application, Publication No. 2007-140401), bonding through thermal caulking (refer to Japanese Patent Application, Publication No. 2004-147032), and bonding through adhesive.

Optical element fixing component and imaging unit


A packaged IC including insulated wire for electrically connecting conductive structures of the packaged IC. In some embodiments, the packaged IC includes an IC die attached to a package substrate, where bond pads of the IC die are electrically connected to bond fingers of the substrate with insulated wire. The insulated wire has a conductive core and an insulator coating. In some examples, the insulator coating includes an inorganic covalently-bonded substance that is not an oxide of the electrically conductive core such as, e.g., silicon nitride or silicon oxide. In one example, the insulator coating is applied to a conductive core by a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process such as a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD).

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to packaged integrated circuits (ICs) in general and specifically to insulated wires for packaged ICs.
2. Description of the Related Art
Packaged ICs utilize wires for electrically coupling conductive structures encapsulated in an IC package. For example, wires may be used to electrically connect bond pads of an integrated circuit (IC) die with devices of a package substrate. Wires may also be used to cross connect bond pads of a die in the package or to cross connect bond fingers of a substrate.
A problem with using wires in a packaged IC is that a wire may unintentionally short to other conductive structures of the packaged IC such as, e.g., other wires, pads, fingers, or the die. This shorting may occur during IC die encapsulation as, for example, from "sweeping," where the injection or transfer of the liquid molding encapsulant moves the wires against another conductive structure.
An insulator coating may be applied to wires utilized in an IC package. However such insulator coatings need to be compatible with wire bonding processes and provide the insulative electrical properties as desired. What is needed is an improved wire insulator coating for packaged ICs.
The use of the same reference symbols in different drawings indicates identical items unless otherwise noted.


A fluid filter having a substantially pot-shaped housing 10 in which is disposed a filter insert 11 including a pleated filter element 18 and end plates 19 and 20. The housing has a mounting flange 12 and a cover 13. The cover is connected to the mounting flange by a threaded connection or a bayonet connection. The fluid filter is attached by the mounting flange 12 to a supporting structure by at least one catch or a hinge in the form of a holding flange 29 and a projection 30.

This invention relates to a filter for fluids which has a substantially pot-like housing which comprises a mounting flange and a cover, and a filter insert disposed in the housing, which comprises a pleated filter element with end plates. As used herein the term "pot-like" refers to a cylindrical shape with at least one open axial end.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,538,626 (=EP 692,292) discloses a fluid filter, especially for oil or fuel in an internal combustion engine. This fluid filter consists of a filter housing with at least one fluid inlet and one fluid return passage, and a removable cover closing the filter housing in a leak-proof manner. A single replaceable filter insert is disposed in the filter housing. The fluid filter is affixed to a supporting structure by a hollow fastening screw forming a fluid passageway.
A disadvantage of this state of the art is to be seen in the fact that, in a fluid filter subjected to great pressure fluctuations, considerable sealing problems arise since it is mounted by a central screw. In a replaceable filter element which is regularly replaced and in which the gasket is also regularly renewed, such a danger would not exist to this extent in a filter which would assure over a long period of time a reliable seal with this kind of screw mounting.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,999 (=DE 3,918,347) discloses an air intake filter for internal combustion engines, which has a pot-like housing in which a filter insert is disposed. The mounting of the housing on a part of the engine is achieved by a track with a sliding block and supporting surfaces as well as snap catches. This construction, however, is unsuited to fluid filters since, as already mentioned, pressure fluctuations and elevated internal pressures can occur. An effective seal cannot be achieved with this type of mounting.


A modified metal matrix band includes a plastic member and a metal member. The matrix band 10 includes a first plastic member 12 operatively connected to a metal member 11. In another embodiment, the matrix band 20 includes a plastic member 23 operatively connected at one end to a first metal member 21 and at its other end to a second metal member 22. The metal members are for inserting between contact points of adjacent teeth, while the plastic member is adjacent the prepared cavity area to be filled.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dental matrix band, and more particularly to a matrix band having both a metal member and a plastic member.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Matrix bands are well known in the art and, to date, have either been made of all metal or all plastic. The metal matrix bands have typically been used almost exclusively until the development of light-cured posterior composite resins (plastic) fillings for bicuspid and molars that are cured by use of a fiber optic light source.
The formula for these light cured posterior composites was actively developed in the mid-1980's and continue to be modified today. These new posterior composites are specially formulated to resist wear from chewing. Previously developed composite resins (light cured or self cured) were not wear resistant enough to be placed in the back teeth (bicuspids and Molars) where fillings have to endure much more chewing pressure. Light cured posterior composites were developed as a replacement for silver amalgam fillings. They are more aesthetic than silver amalgam because they come in tooth matching colors. There has been some concern in dentistry about the mercury in silver amalgam fillings. The posterior composites contain no mercury.
For these reasons, there has been an increasing interest and use of composite resins in dentistry since the mid-1980's. Dentists want to see any new filling material have a "track record" before they fully accept and use the material. Recently published studies are concluding that these light cured posterior composites do stand up to the increased wear generated in the back teeth. Placing these types of fillings in teeth require difference procedures and skills than are required to place silver amalgam. Patients are showing more and more interest in these fillings primarily because of aesthetic considerations. There have been several instruments and devices that have come on the market in the last year that make placement of light cured posterior composites easier.
A plastic matrix band must be used to place this material because fiber optic light is used to cure it and plastic allows the light to reach the material while keeping it is the proper form in the cavity preparation. The problem with the all plastic matrix bands that are available today arises in the procedure of placing these around the tooth before filling the cavity. After the cavity is drilled out, many times only one side of the tooth is drilled away, and the other side of the tooth is intact and in contact with the adjacent tooth. The adjoining areas are called "contacts" or "contact points". The contacts between the teeth are usually very tight. To get proper form and marginal seal, the matrix band must be fitted around the whole tooth to be filled. The all plastic band can be very difficult to place between the tight contact point because the plastic band is very thin and extremely pliable. The band will usually tear or crumple up and will not slide through the contact point between the teeth. To get the plastic matrix band in place it is usually necessary to "wedge" the tooth. This entails pushing a small piece of wood or plastic that looks like a piece of toothpick between the teeth where the contact point is, thereby separating the teeth enough to allow the plastic band to slip between the contact point. Even with wedging, it is still sometimes difficult if not impossible to get all the plastic band in place. Pushing the wedge between the teeth is not comfortable for the patient and it takes valuable time to allow the teeth to separate. With the use of the wedge there is generally some bleeding of the gums which can contaminate the field of operation. Metal matrix bands are much easier to place between contacts because of their stiffness and very rarely require wedging.
The present invention addresses the problems associated with the prior art matrix bands and allows dentists to place light cured posterior composition resins more easily by giving them a more user friendly matrix band.


A data driven information processor circulates a data packet therein, while in accordance with a previously prepared data flow program the processor performs a plurality of types of operation including performing an arithmetic operation on data and accumulating a result of the arithmetic operation in an accumulation operation performed repeatedly. The accumulation operation is performed in the information processor only at a product-sum operation portion. While the operation is being performed, a data packet having stored therein data to be accumulated is not required to circulate round a loop formed of other components of the information processor. The accumulation operation can thus be performed fast.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to data processors and particularly to those having a function performing an operation calculating a plurality of sums for a result of an arithmetic operation.
2. Description of the Background Art
By the Applicant, techniques used in a data driven information processor to perform a product-sum operation (an operation to calculate the sum of a plurality of products) are disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open Nos. 6-60206 and 8-329038. The disclosures in the publications are based on to hereinafter describe a product-sum operation performed in a data driven information processor.
A data driven information processor processes data in an order in which the data become executable. As such, a program can be executed regardless of the order of entry of data and data can thus be processed in parallel.
FIG. 14 shows a configuration of a data driven information processor as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 6-60206, and FIGS. 15A and 15B show configurations in field of data packets in the FIG. 14 information processor. FIG. 15A shows a data packet 36 containing a field 51F having generation information stored therein, a field 52F having instruction information stored therein, a field 53F having destination information stored therein, and a field 54F having data stored therein. FIG. 15B shows a data packet 38 corresponding to data packet 36 with field 54F substituted by fields 54FA and 54FB each having data stored therein.
The FIG. 14 data driven information processor includes an input/output control portion 1, a program storage portion 2, a data pair generation portion 3, and an operation portion 4. The data driven information processor uses data packet 36 or 38 to externally communicate data. Input/output control portion 1 temporarily stores therein data packet 36 received external to the information processor or from operation portion 4, reads generation and destination information of the stored data packet, and in accordance with the read information outputs data packet 36 external to the information processor or to program storage portion 2 selectively.
Program storage portion 2 stores a data flow program having a plurality of sets formed of destination information and instruction information. When program storage portion 2 receives data packet 36 of FIG. 15A, it reads subsequent destination information and subsequent instruction information from the data flow program by addressing based on destination information of the received data packet 36, stores the read destination and instruction information to the received data packet 36 at fields 53F and 52F, respectively, and outputs the received data packet 36.
Data pair generation portion 3 receives data packet 36 from program storage portion 2, and if it is necessary, as determined in accordance with the instruction information in field 52F of the received data packet 36, data pair generation portion 3 stores data to data field 54F for executing the instruction information and outputs the received data packet 36. Otherwise, data pair generation portion 3 outputs the received data packet 36 as it is.
More specifically, data pair generation portion 3 receives data packet 36 from program storage portion 2 and allows a waiting of data packet 36 based on the packet's instruction information, as required. More specifically, if in accordance with the instruction information a decision is made that a waiting is required, two different data packet 36 matching in generation and destination information are detected and one of the detected two data packets 36 has its content of field 54F additionally stored to field 54F of the other data packet 36 so that the other data packet 36 is output in the configuration of data packet 38 shown in FIG. 15B. If a decision is made that a waiting is not required, the waiting is not provided and data packet 36 is output as it is.
Operation portion 4 receives data packet 38 or 36 from data pair generation portion 3, decodes the instruction information stored in the data packet at field 52F. In accordance with a result of the decoding, operation portion 4 performs an operation on data stored in the received data packet, stores a result of the operation to the received data packet as data, and outputs the data packet in the form of data packet 36 as shown in FIG. 15B.
Data packet 36 or 38 thus continues to circulate round a ring of input/output control portion 1, program storage portion 2, data pair generation portion 3 and operation portion 4 to allow an operation to proceed in accordance with the data flow program stored in program storage portion 2.
The data flow program stored in program storage portion 2 is represented by describing a flow of a data packet. This program description will be referred to as a "data flow graph." FIG. 16 shows a data flow graph corresponding to a product-sum operation performed in the FIG. 14 data driven information processor. The FIG. 16 data flow graph has nodes ND1–ND5 and ND10 and an arrow connecting each node. The arrow indicates a data flow. Nodes ND1 and ND2 indicate input nodes for inputting data and node ND10 indicates an output node for outputting data. Nodes ND3–ND5 are assigned instruction information, respectively, executed in operation portion 4. To perform an operation according to the instruction information assigned to nodes ND3–ND5, respectively, a corresponding data packet circulates round the FIG. 14 loop formed by input/output control portion 1 through operation portion 4. As such, performing a product-sum operation once in accordance with the FIG. 16 data flow graph requires circulating round the loop of the information processor of FIG. 14 more than once.
With reference to the FIG. 14 processor and the FIG. 16 graph, a procedure of a product-sum operation in accordance with the following equation:ACC=ACC+X*Y  (1)will be described, wherein ACC represents accumulation data, and X and Y represent operands (data to be operated on).
When expression (1) is executed in the FIG. 14 processor, in the FIG. 16 graph nodes ND1 and ND2 are assigned "Y" and X", respectively, and node ND3 is assigned "X" and "Y" and instruction information (a multiplication instruction "MUL") assign to node ND3 is executed and the operation's result is obtained. During this period, data flows, as follows: when data packet 36 having field 54F with "X" stored therein is output via input/output control portion 1 to program storage portion 2, in program storage portion 2 subsequent instruction information and destination information are read by addressing based on destination information of data packet 36, and they are stored to data packet 36 at fields 52F and 53F, respectively, and data packet 36 is output to data pair generation portion 3 and waits in data pair generation portion 3 for entry of data packet 36 having stored therein data ("Y") paired therewith.
A procedure similar to the above is followed to process data packet 36 having field 54F with "Y" stored therein. More specifically, data packet 36 is fed via input/output control portion 1 to program storage portion 2, where it has the subsequent instruction information and destination information stored thereto and it is then output to data pair generation portion 3, where a data pair of the received data packet and data packet 36 having waited with "X" stored therein is detected and data packet 38 having a data pair ("X" and "Y") stored at fields 54FA and 54FB is generated and output to operation portion 4, where in accordance with instruction information of data packet 38 "X" and "Y" are multiplied and data packet 36 storing the multiplication at field 54F is output to input/output control portion 1.
The multiplication thus obtained flows in the FIG. 16 graph, as follows: the multiplication follows an arrow to enter a left hand of node ND5, while node ND5 has a right input receiving a value of an accumulation provided at node ND4. In accordance with instruction information (an addition instruction indicated by "ADD") assigned to node ND5 a procedure similar to that followed for the aforementioned instruction information ("MUL") is followed to add the multiplication and the accumulation together. The addition is then fed to stored in node ND4. This storage is also regarded as a single operation. As such, in accordance with the FIG. 16 graph, performing a product-sum operation once entails circulating data round the FIG. 14 loop three times.
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open Nos. 6-60206 and 8-329038, data can circulate round the loop a reduced number of times to perform an operation faster.
In Japanese Patent Laying-Open No.6-60206 the FIG. 14 operation portion 4 is provided with an accumulator to perform a product-sum operation. With an accumulator incorporated in operation portion, as described above, a data driven information processor performs a production-sum operation, as represented in the data flow graph shown in FIG. 17. The FIG. 17 graph indicates that the FIG. 16 nodes ND3–ND5 are represented by a single node ND7 and simply executing an instruction information (a product-sum operation instruction "MULA") assigned to node ND7 can achieve a product-sum operation.
If the FIG. 17 graph is applied to perform expression (1), data flows, as follows: two arrows to node ND7 are respectively assigned "X" and "Y" to execute product-sum operation instruction MULA.
More specifically, in the FIG. 14 processor, data packet 36 having field 54F with "X" stored therein is fed through input/output control portion 1 to program storage portion 2, where subsequent destination information and instruction information are stored to fields 53F and 52F, respectively, and data packet 36 is output to data pair generation portion 3 and waits there for entry of data ("Y") paired therewith.
In accordance with a procedure similar to the above, data packet 36 having field 54F with "Y" stored therein is fed through input/output control portion 1 to program storage portion 2, where subsequent destination information and instruction information are stored to fields 53F and 52F, respectively, and data packet 36 is fed to data pair generation portion 3. In data pair generation portion 3 a data pair of input data packet 36 and data packet 36 having waited with "X" stored therein is detected and data packet 38 having fields 54FA and 54FB with "X" and "Y" stored therein is obtained and output to operation portion 4.
Operation portion 4 performs an operation based on content of data packet 38 and outputs data packet 36 with a result of the operation stored at fields 54F. In doing so, operation portion 4 allows a multiplication of "X" and "Y" to be accumulated by the accumulator therein and data packet 36 is output with the accumulation stored at field 54F.
Thus operation portion 4 incorporating an accumulator allows the FIG. 17 process to complete a product-sum operation by one third of a loop circulation frequency required for a product-sum operation performed in accordance with the FIG. 16 graph.
Furthermore in the data processor as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No.8-329038 a data packet is provided with an additional field serving as an accumulator to implement a product-sum operation. The data driven information processor disclosed in the publication has operation portion 4 improved as shown in FIG. 18. Operation portion 4 includes an operation circuit 24, an addition circuit 28, a shifter 30 and a selector 32. Operation portion 4 receives a data packet 42 having fields 51F-53F, as aforementioned, fields 62F and 64F storing data therein, and a field 66F storing therein data ACC of an accumulation of product-sum operations. Operation portion 4 outputs a data packet 40 having fields 51F–53F, as aforementioned, a field 58F storing data therein, and a field 60F storing accumulation data ACC therein.
Field 52F of data packet 42 fed to operation portion 4 contains instruction information providing operation circuit 24, shifter 30 and selector 32 with content of an operation to be performed in operation circuit 24, shiftability by shifter 30, and information on selection of input data by selector 32 and selection of a destination of data, respectively.
In operation, fields 62F and 64F in data packet 42 fed to operation portion 4 have stored therein operands ("X" and "Y") which are fed to operation circuit 24 and processed in accordance with corresponding instruction information and a result thereof is added by adder 28 to corresponding accumulation data ACC. The addition is shifted by shifter 30 by shiftability indicated by corresponding instruction information and it is then fed to selector 32. Selector 32 receives a value output from shifter 30, a value output from adder 28 and accumulation data ACC of field 66F and makes a decision based on corresponding instruction information as to which of the inputs is selected. In accordance with the decision, output data packet 40 can have field 60F updated in value, a result can be output to field 58F, an output from shifter 30 can be stored to field 58F, an output from adder 28 can be stored to field 60F, or the like.
While thus providing data packet 42 or 40 with data field 60F or 66F for storing accumulation data ACC renders the data packet large, data operation order or any other similar constraint can be eliminated to efficiently perform a product-sum operation.
The above-described, conventional product-sum operation process performs a single product-sum operation in a single operation as it is applied mainly to image data processing and it is intended to prevent a data packet residing in an information processor from resulting in poor efficiency of processing data. Accordingly, performing a product more than once entails circulating a data packet in a data driven information processor by the frequency of the product. With such a system, it is not suitable for example for finite impulse response (FIR) filtering or any other similar process increasing the frequency of execution of a product for a single product-sum operation. For example, for an FIR filtering of no more than 10 taps (i.e., product-sum is performed ten times), a data packet needs to circulate in a data driven information processor ten times. This means that the data packet moves past input/output control portion 1 through operation portion 4 ten times. If the data packet requires one unitary period of time to move past each portion, it would require as many as 40 unitary periods of time to circulate in the data driven information processor ten times.

Dual processor having a function calculating the sum of the results of a plurality of arithmetic operations