Time-slot interchange (TSI) switches include an input buffer that is configured to receive at least first and second groups of serial input data streams and an output driver that is configured to generate at least first and second groups of serial output data streams. A control circuit is also provided. This control circuit is electrically coupled to the input buffer and output driver. The control circuit is configured to provide programmable group-based output drive enable control to the at least first and second groups of serial output data streams that is independent of per-channel output stream programming. This per-channel output stream programming is defined by mode bits within the switch's connection memory.

Conventional time-slot interchange (TSI) switches utilize both data and connection memories to control routing of a plurality of input and output data streams. As illustrated by FIGS. 1 and 2A, a conventional TSI switch may be operated under microprocessor control and each input data stream (RX) and output data stream (TX) may be configured as a serial stream of multi-bit (e.g., 8-bit) channels that are partitioned into fixed-duration frames. These multi-bit channels may be multiplexed in time and/or space between any one of a plurality of the input data streams and output data streams, as illustrated by FIG. 3. Conventional TSI switches are disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,510,597 and 6,259,703 to Mitel Corporation. In sub-rate switching applications, 1-bit, 2-bit and 4-bit channels may be provided.
A TSI switch typically enables a user to perform manual microprocessor-based programming of individual connection memory entries with data memory addresses and switching mode data when the switch is actively processing serial data streams. Such manual operations may be time consuming and require substantial microprocessor bandwidth. The performance of conventional test and debugging operations on downstream elements in a communication path may also be complicated by the presence of a TSI switch in the path. In particular, to enable test and debugging operations to be performed on downstream elements, it may be necessary to set the TSI switch into a one-to-one RX-to-TX routing mode with constant delay. Unfortunately, this routing mode inherently results in multiple frames of delay through the TSI switch during debugging.
Conventional TSI switches may also provide global or per-channel high-impedance (high-Z) output control associated with the output data streams (TX). For example, output enable (OE) bits within a connection memory (CM) of the TSI switch may be set to provide per-channel high-impedance output control. Global high-impedance output control of all output data streams may be provided by an output drive enable (ODE) pin of the TSI switch. This pin may operate in conjunction with an output standby (OSB) bit within a control register (CR) in the TSI switch. These conventional per-channel and global high-Z control features are more fully illustrated below in Table 1.
TABLE 1TX StreamOE bit in CMODE pinOSB bit in CROutput Status0Don't CareDon't CarePer-ChannelHigh-Z100Global High-Z101TX Enabled110TX Enabled111TX Enabled
Notwithstanding these TSI switches, there continues to be a need for switches that can be programmed and operated more efficiently and facilitate more efficient testing and debugging operations.

Time-slot interchange switches having group-based output drive enable control and group-based rate matching and output enable indication capability


A fuel distribution manifold for a combustor of a gas turbine includes an annular flange having an outer surface that extends circumferentially around the flange. A primary fuel plenum extends circumferentially within the flange. A first orifice and a second orifice extend radially through the outer surface of the flange to provide for fluid communication into the primary fuel plenum. The first orifice includes an inlet that is adjacent to the outer surface. The second orifice includes an inlet that is adjacent to the outer surface. A fuel distribution cap extends partially across the outer surface of the flange. The fuel distribution cap includes an inlet port. A fuel distribution plenum is at least partially defined within the fuel distribution cap. The fuel distribution plenum is in fluid communication with the inlet port and with the first orifice inlet and the second orifice inlet.

A combustion section of a gas turbine generally includes a plurality of combustors that are arranged in an annular array around an outer casing such as a compressor discharge casing. Pressurized air flows from a compressor to the compressor discharge casing and is routed to each combustor. Fuel from a fuel nozzle is mixed with the pressurized air in each combustor to form a combustible mixture within a primary combustion zone of the combustor. The combustible mixture is burned to produce hot combustion gases having a high pressure and high velocity. The combustion gases are routed towards an inlet of a turbine of the gas turbine through a hot gas path that is at least partially defined by an annular combustion liner and an annular transition duct that extends downstream from the combustion liner and terminates at the inlet to the turbine. Thermal and kinetic energy are transferred from the combustion gases to the turbine to cause the turbine to rotate, thereby producing mechanical work. For example, the turbine may be coupled to a shaft that drives a generator to produce electricity.
In particular combustors, a combustion module is utilized to inject a generally lean fuel-air mixture into the hot gas path downstream from the primary combustion zone. The combustion module generally includes an annular fuel distribution manifold and a fuel injection assembly that extends between the fuel distribution manifold and the inlet to the turbine. The fuel injection assembly generally includes an annular combustion liner that defines the hot gas path within the combustor. The fuel injection assembly further includes a plurality of radially extending fuel injectors, also known as late lean fuel injectors that are fluidly coupled to the fuel distribution manifold. The fuel injectors inject the lean fuel-air mixture into the hot gas path downstream from the primary combustion zone. As a result, the combustion gas temperature is increased and the thermodynamic efficiency of the combustor is improved without producing a corresponding increase in the production of undesirable emissions such as oxides of nitrogen (NOx).
The fuel distribution manifold includes an annular flange that extends radially outward and circumferentially around the fuel distribution manifold. The flange includes a plurality of axially extending bolt holes arranged circumferentially around the flange and a fuel plenum that is defined within the flange. The flange is bolted to an outer casing that surrounds the combustor to form a seal therebetween. Fuel is delivered to the fuel plenum through an inlet port that extends outward from the flange.
Current fuel distribution manifold designs use a singular inlet orifice that provides for fluid communication between the inlet port and the fuel plenum. At least one of the bolt holes is skipped in order to provide a sufficient inlet area of the inlet orifice to meet the required fuel flow rate to the fuel plenum during late lean fuel injection operation of the combustor. By skipping the one or more bolt hole(s) an uneven preload between the outer casing and the flange results, thereby potentially resulting in leakage of the compressed working fluid around the flange.
A second issue with having a single inlet orifice is that the flow velocity of the fuel through the inlet orifice is undesirably high. In addition, when cold fuel flows into the inlet port and through the inlet orifice, various thermal issues result at an intersection joint formed between the inlet port and the inlet orifice which may impact the overall durability of the fuel distribution manifold. Therefore, an improved fuel distribution manifold, in particular an improved inlet configuration for routing the fuel into the fuel plenum of the fuel distribution manifold would be useful.

Fuel distribution manifold for a combustor of a gas turbine


The invention relates to a process for isolating a phenyl ester salt from a mixture comprising sulfolane (tetrahydrothiophene-1,1-dioxide). The invention includes adjusting the temperature of a mixture comprising a phenyl ester salt and sulfolane to a temperature of about 100-150xc2x0 C. This step leads to the formation of a mixture comprising a solid phenyl ester salt and sulfolane. Next, the solid phenyl ester salt is separated, while maintaining the temperature of the mixture at about 100-150xc2x0 C. The invention also relates to a process that includes adding a sufficient amount of a solvent to a mixture comprising a phenyl ester salt and sulfolane to decrease the viscosity or the density of the mixture. The solvent added has a density less than about 1.20 g/cm3 at 100xc2x0 C. or a viscosity of less than about 2.56 centipoise at 100xc2x0 C. The embodiments of the invention may be used alone or in combination. This invention may be used for the isolation of a variety of phenyl ester salts, including but not limited to sodium 4-sulfophenyl-6-[(1-oxynonyl)amino]hexanoate, sodium 4-(nonanoyloxy) benzenesulfonate, and sodium benzoyloxybenzenesulphonate.

The invention relates to an improved process for the isolation of phenyl ester salts from mixtures comprising sulfolane (tetrahydrothiophene-1,1-dioxide), such as a crude reaction mixture in which a phenyl ester salt is synthesized.
Phenyl ester salts, as known in the art, have been used in detergents and as bleach activators for fabric laundering and cleaning applications. The synthesis, isolation, and purification of phenyl ester salts which are used as bleach activators, is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,717,188, 5,650,527 and 5,523,434. The isolation of these phenyl ester salts is typically by techniques such as filtration or centrifugation.
In most cases, the isolation or separation steps must be done at low temperatures in order to minimize or avoid unacceptable losses of product. Centrifugation is usually done at temperatures below about 100xc2x0 C. In fact, equipment rated for use above about 100xc2x0 C. is difficult to obtain. However, by collecting the product at temperatures lower than about 100xc2x0 C., several problems are encountered. For instance, allowing the mixture to cool to temperatures below 100xc2x0 C. or to ambient temperature as described in the art, is not a satisfactory method for the isolation of many phenyl ester salts. Although filtration or centrifugation at these temperatures may be possible, the process is often too slow to be economical for large scale production. At typical reaction concentrations, the mixture becomes almost solid and cannot be readily moved for isolation. While the mixture may be made more tractable by dilution with a solvent, the result is loss of product due to increased solubility as well as a large downstream flow of solvent, which must be purified and recovered.
Another approach used to isolate detergents and bleach activators is to remove the solvent by vacuum distillation at temperatures up to 200xc2x0 C. This approach is usually unsatisfactory for several reasons. Particularly for large scale production, the evaporation of the reaction solvent is expensive. Further, impurities present in the reaction mixture remain with the product, and must be removed in subsequent steps. In addition, degradation of the solvent and reaction components at the high temperatures required for drying imparts undesired color and impurities to the product. When the phenyl ester salts are made in a reaction mixture comprising sulfolane as the solvent, the degradation of the solvent is a particular problem at elevated temperatures.
Another problem associated with the isolation of phenyl ester salts from reaction mixtures occurs when the product is in the form of very fine crystals. These fine crystals rapidly form a layer upon the filter medium that is virtually impervious to the penetration of liquid, thus blinding the filter or centrifuge. When the mother liquid is viscous, these types of crystals do not settle well on sedimentation style devices. Separation is problematic when the density of the solid and the reaction solvent are similar. Slurries of fine crystals are also difficult to pump or transfer from one vessel to another at typical reaction concentrations and low temperatures.
Patents that describe techniques for the isolation of phenyl ester salts using filtration or centrifugation are discussed below, however, these techniques are typically carried out at temperatures of less than 100xc2x0 C. The abstract of Japanese Patent Number 8,245,549 describes the isolation of a sulfonate from a solvent having a boiling point of less than 100xc2x0 C. by centrifugation. The Abstract of Japanese Patent No. 58,157,760 describes the preparation of m-xylene-4-sulfonic acid in which centrifugation is used in product recovery after crystallization. Japanese Patent No. 4,103,567 describes the separation of alkoxybenzene sulphonic acid salts, such as sodium 5-chloro-2-(2-methoxyethoxy) benzenesulfonate, in which the product is recovered by centrifugation. The Abstract of East German Patent DD 295, 349 describes the production of basic phenolate-containing calcium sulfonates, which involves centrifuging or filtering to remove solid oil-insoluble components. U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,773 relates to the centrifugation or isolation of an alkyl ester sulfonate surfactant composition at a temperature of 10-43xc2x0 C. U.S. Pat. No. 5,523,434 teaches a process for manufacture of phenol sulfonate esters of N-nonanoyl-6-aminocaproic acid, which includes centrifugation at low temperatures for isolation. U.S. Pat. No. 5,650,527 describes a method of isolation wherein the reaction solvent is removed by either evaporation, or crystallization followed by filtration.
Accordingly, what is needed is a process for the isolation of phenyl ester salts from reaction mixtures comprising sulfolane which avoids the following: high temperatures, excessive dilution with cosolvent, excessive problems with pumping or transferring the mixture, blinding of the filter medium, and undesirable solvent interactions. The invention described below answers this need.
The invention discloses an improved process for the isolation of a phenyl ester salt directly from a mixture comprising sulfolane (tetrahydrothiophene-1,1-dioxide). For example, the invention relates to the improved isolation of a phenyl ester salt from the crude reaction mixture in which the phenyl ester salt is synthesized. Any of the following steps, taken alone or in combination will improve the isolation of a phenyl ester salt from a mixture comprising sulfolane: (i) centrifugation or filtration within an optimal temperature range of about 110-150xc2x0 C., (ii) addition of a solvent in amounts of about 2-4% based on weight of the crude reaction mixture to reduce the viscosity and/or density of the mother liquid prior to filtration or centrifugation, and (iii) slow cooling of the crude reaction mixture at a rate of about 8-10xc2x0 C. per hour. Advantageously, the invention avoids excessive dilution with sulfolane, excessive problems with pumping the mixture, problems related to viscosity and/or density, blinding of the filter medium, or addition of large amounts of a cosolvent.
Additionally, this invention is an improvement over the practice of filtering or centrifuging at high temperatures of above 150xc2x0 C., where these higher temperatures result in less complete separation of the phenyl ester salt from the solvent due to the increased solubility at that temperature. This loss of product often leads to the recycling of the filtrate or centrate with concomitant loss of efficiency, loss of product, and loss of product quality.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, this invention is used to isolate sodium 4-sulfophenyl 6-[(1-oxynonyl)-amino]hexanoate, sodium 4-(nonanoyloxy) benzenesulfonate, or sodium benzoyloxy benzenesulphonate, which are phenyl ester salts used as bleach activators.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention are discussed in the detailed description that follows, and will be obvious from that description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. It is to be understood that both this summary and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not intended to restrict the invention.
This invention relates to a process for the isolation of a phenyl ester salt from a mixture comprising sulfolane (tetrahydrothiophene-1,1-dioxide), such as a crude reaction mixture in which a phenyl ester salt is synthesized.
Phenyl ester salts are used as bleach activators in laundry detergents and other cleaning formulations. As shown in the reaction scheme below, the phenyl ester salt is hydrolyzed upon nucleophilic attack by a perhydroxide anion to yield a peroxy acid that acts as a bleaching agent, and a substituted phenolic anion.
To be effective as a bleach activator, the phenyl ester salt must readily react with a perhydroxide anion to produce (activate) the corresponding peroxyacid within the length of time and at the temperature of a typical wash cycle. Employing the process of the invention improves the perhydrolysis rate of phenyl ester salts. Advantageously, then, this invention improves the efficacy of the detergent containing a phenyl ester salt bleach activator. The process of the invention can be used with any phenyl ester salt.
Exemplary phenyl ester salts, which are used as bleach activators, are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,634,551; 4,852,989; 5,391,780; 5,393,905; 5,393,901; 5,414,099; 5,466,840; 5,523,434; 5,650,527; and 5,717,118; as well as in published PCT applications WO 94/18159, WO 95/07883, WO 96/16148, and WO 99/09004. These U.S. Patents and published PCT applications are incorporated herein in their entirety.
Examples of phenyl ester salts which may be isolated and recovered using the process of this invention include compounds described by formula (I) or (II) below:
R1 is selected from C1-C22 alkyl, C2-C22 alkenyl, C2-C22 alkynyl, C3-C22 cycloalkyl, and C6-C14 aryl. Preferably, R1 is selected from C6-C10 alkyl, and C6-C10 aryl.
R2 and R5 are each independently selected from hydrogen, C1-C22 alkyl, C2-C22 alkenyl, C2-C22 alkynyl, C3-C22 cycloalkyl, and C6-C14 aryl. Alternatively, in formula II, R2 and R5, together with the nitrogen carrying them, form a C3-C10 heterocycle. This heterocycle may or may not contain additional heteroatoms selected from: nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, and phosphorous. Preferably, R2 is hydrogen, and R5 is selected from hydrogen, C6-C10 alkyl, and C6-C10 aryl.
R3 and R4 are each independently selected in each instance from hydrogen, C1-C10 alkyl, C2-C10 alkenyl, C2-C10 alkynyl, C3-C10 cycloalkyl, and C6-C10 aryl. The R3 and R4 groups, together with the carbon carrying them, may form a C3-C1 cycloalkyl group. This cycloalkyl group may or may not contain heteroatoms selected from: nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, and phosphorous. Preferably, R3 and R4 are independently selected in each instance from hydrogen and methyl.
The substituent Y on the phenyl ring is selected from SO3xe2x88x92M+, CO2xe2x88x92M+, SO4xe2x88x92M+, and N+(R7)3Xxe2x88x92. M represents a cation, and may be selected from hydrogen, ammonium and alkali metal atom. R7 in each instance is independently a C1-C4 alkyl group. X is an anion, and may be selected from a halide, hydroxide, methylsulfate, or acetate ion. Preferably, Y is selected from SO3xe2x88x92M+, and CO2xe2x88x92M+; where M is a sodium ion.
The phenyl ring may also be further substituted with 1 to 4 other substituents. The substituents may be electron-withdrawing or electron-donating groups. The substituents may, for example, be chosen to adjust the perhydrolysis rate, to adjust the hydrophilic/hydrophobic nature of the phenyl ester salt, or to adjust the solubility of the phenyl ester salt. Possible groups include, but are not limited to, hydroxyl, halogen, C1-C10 alkyl, C2-C10 alkenyl, C2-C10 alkynyl, C3-C10 cycloalkyl, and C1-C10 alkoxy, and amino groups. When the phenyl ester salts are to be used as bleach activators, it is also desirable to have electron-withdrawing groups on the phenyl ring, to facilitate nucleophilic attack by a perhydroxide anion. In general, a substituted phenol is the preferred leaving group, however there may be other acceptable leaving groups, as will be evident to one of ordinary skill in the art. The substituted phenyl group should be sufficiently reactive for the reaction to occur within an optimum time frame, such as a wash cycle. The leaving group should also be sufficiently stable to ensure that the rate of back reaction will be negligible. However, the substituted phenyl group should not be too reactive, as this may lead to storage and stability problems in a bleaching or detergent formulation.
The value of xe2x80x9cmxe2x80x9d is 0 or 1 and represents the presence or absence of an amido group in the compound. Acceptable values for xe2x80x9cnxe2x80x9d may range from about 0 to 20, and preferred values for xe2x80x9cnxe2x80x9d include from about 0 to about 6.
The bleaching effectiveness of the resulting peroxy acid resulting from the phenyl ester salt may be related to its hydrophilic/hyprophobic balance. This balance, related to the choice of xe2x80x9cmxe2x80x9d and particularly xe2x80x9cnxe2x80x9d, affects the solubility of the peroxy acid in water. In addition, the hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance determines which types of stains and soils that the molecule will bleach most efficiently. The presence of an amido group in the phenyl ester salt may impart certain desirable features to a bleach activator, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,989. For example, in certain circumstances, the presence of an amido group has been found to lower the vapor pressure and/or increase the melting point of the resulting peroxyacid thereby increasing the stability of the peroxyacid. Additionally, it is generally preferred to choose the value of xe2x80x9cnxe2x80x9d and various substituents to increase the water solubility of the peroxyacid.
For the various substituents of the phenyl ester salts of formula (I) or (II), the alkyl, alkenyl, and alkynyl groups may be straight or branched. The alkyl, alkenyl, and alkynyl groups may be optionally substituted with halogen, alkoxy groups, or water-solubilizing groups. In addition, these groups may also be substituted with various steroids, natural products and fatty acids, as known in the art.
A xe2x80x9cwater-solubilizing groupxe2x80x9d is a substituent that increases the solubility of a compound in aqueous solution. Exemplary water-solubilizing groups include, but are not limited to, quaternary amine, sulfate, sulfonate, carboxylate, phosphate, phosphonate, polyether, polyhydroxyl, boronate, and amide groups such as xe2x80x94CONH2 and CONHCH3. The water solubilizing groups may also include sulfo, sulfonamido, carbonamido, sulfamoyl, carbamoyl, hydroxyl, and salts thereof.
The C2-C22 alkenyl and C3-C22 alkynyl groups represent straight or branched chain hydrocarbon radicals containing 2 to 22 carbons in the chain and which contains at least one of a carbonxe2x80x94carbon double bond and/or at least one of a carbonxe2x80x94carbon triple bond.
The C3-C22 cycloalkyl heterocycles and rings may contain more than one degree of unsaturation and may be unsubstituted or substituted. The heterocycles and cycloalkyl rings may be optionally substituted with halogen, alkoxy groups, or water-solubilizing groups. These rings may be monocyclic, bicyclic, or polycyclic. In addition, these cycloalkyl rings may or may not contain one or more heteroatoms in the ring. Acceptable heteroatoms are selected from: oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur and phosphorus.
The C6-C14 aryl ring may be monocyclic, bicyclic, or polycyclic. In addition, the aryl ring may contain one or more heteroatoms. Appropriate heteroatoms include oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus. Both the C3-C22 cycloalkyl rings and C6-C14 aryl rings may be substituted with appropriate C1-C4 alkylaryl, hydroxy, C1-C4 alkanyloxy, halogen or water-solubilizing groups. The term xe2x80x9carylxe2x80x9d includes carbocyclic aryl groups containing up to fourteen carbons, e.g., phenyl and naphthyl. The term xe2x80x9carylxe2x80x9d also includes heterocyclic aryl groups such as a 5 or 6-membered heterocyclic aromatic ring. These heterocyclic aromatic rings may also contain other heteroatoms selected from: oxygen, nitrogen, sulphur, and phosphorous. These heterocyclic aryl rings may be optionally fused to one or two phenyl rings or another 5 or 6-membered heteroaryl ring. Examples of such ring systems include thienyl, furyl, pyrrolyl, imidazolyl, pyrazolyl, thiazolyl, isothiazolyl, oxazolyl, isoxazolyl, triazolyl, thiadiazolyl, oxadiazolyl, tetrazolyl, thiatriazolyl, oxatriazolyl, pyridyl, pyrimidyl, pyrazinyl, pyridazinyl, thiazinyl, oxazinyl, triazinyl, thiadiazinyl, oxadiazinyl, dithiazinyl, dioxazinyl, oxathiazinyl, tetrazinyl, thiatriazinyl, oxatriazinyl, dithiadiazinyl, imidazolinyl, dihydropyrimidyl, tetrahydropyrimidyl, tetrazolo-[1,5-b]pyridazinyl and purinyl, benzoxazolyl, benzothiazolyl, benzimidazolyl, indolyl, and the like. The aryl groups may be substituted or unsubstituted as discussed above for the alkyl, alkenyl, and alkynyl groups.
In addition, the term xe2x80x9carylxe2x80x9d includes arylene groups. The term xe2x80x9carylenexe2x80x9d defines a divalent carbocyclic aryl hydrocarbon moiety containing up to fourteen carbons, e.g., o-, m- and p-phenylene, and those substituted with one or two groups selected from C1-C4-alkyl, C1-C4-alkoxy or halogen.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, the invention relates to phenyl ester salts such as sodium 4-sulfophenyl-6-[(1-oxynonyl)amino]hexanoate, sodium 4-(nonanoyloxy) benzenesulfonate, or sodium benzoyloxy benzenesulphonate.
The phenyl ester salt to be isolated may be from a reaction product mixture with the reaction solvent (or a portion thereof) removed. Or, the starting phenyl ester salt may be the product after drying. Preferred dryers are mechanically agitated dryers capable of handling viscous material such as a Porcupine dryer from Bethlehem Corporation, Easton, Pa. or a List dryer from List Corporation, Acton, Mass. Alternatively, the starting phenyl ester salt may have been previously worked up to remove unwanted impurities, reaction by-products, solvent, color bodies, etc. The synthesis of phenyl ester salts which may be used as bleach activators, is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,634,551, 4,852,989, 5,393,905, 5,523,434, 5,650,527, and WO 94/18159, which are hereby incorporated in their entirety.
In a preferred method for synthesizing phenyl ester salts, sodium 4-hydroxybenzenesulfonate, acetic anhydride and a carboxylic acid are heated in the presence of one or more catalysts to temperatures of about 155-175xc2x0 C., in sulfolane as the reaction solvent. Allowing the crude reaction mixture to cool to temperatures below 100xc2x0 C. or to ambient temperatures, is not a satisfactory method for isolation of the phenyl ester salt. Filtration at these lower temperatures is generally too slow to be economical for large scale production. In addition, at typical reaction concentrations, the mixture becomes almost solid and cannot be easily moved or transferred. Although the mixture may be made more tractable by diluting the mixture with a cosolvent, the disadvantages include loss of product due to solubility in the cosolvent and additional steps to recover and/or purify the solvent and cosolvent.
In an attempt to keep the mixture more manageable, filtration or centrifugation of the crude reaction mixture was attempted at temperatures above about 150xc2x0 C. Although at these higher temperatures, the rate of filtration was acceptable, the result was less complete isolation of the desired product from the sulfolane due to increased solubility of the phenyl ester salt at the higher temperatures. While centrate or filtrate containing the product may be recycled to improve the yield, the product quality deteriorates and the process becomes less efficient. Thus, it is important that as much product as possible be recovered in the first pass through the isolation device.
It has been found that the following processes, taken alone or in combination, improve the isolation of a phenyl ester salt from mixtures comprising sulfolane: (i) centrifugation or filtration at temperatures within an optimal range of about 110-150xc2x0 C., (ii) addition of a solvent in amounts of about 2-4% based on weight of the crude reaction mixture to reduce the viscosity and density of the mixture or slurry prior to filtration or centrifugation, and (iii) slow cooling of the crude reaction mixture, preferably at a rate of about 8-10xc2x0 C. per hour.
This invention covers a process for the isolation of a phenyl ester salt from a variety of mixtures comprising sulfolane. For example, if the phenyl ester salt is formed during the course of a reaction which uses sulfolane as the reaction solvent, then the mixture may be the slurry which is formed by cooling the crude reaction mixture to a temperature where the phenyl ester salt precipitates out of solution. Additionally, the mixture may comprise a phenyl ester salt and sulfolane during a re-crystallization step, wherein the phenyl ester salt is first dissolved at an elevated temperature, and then re-crystallized by adjusting the temperature to within a temperature range of about 110-120xc2x0 C.
In a preferred embodiment, the mixture is a crude reaction mixture. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,650,527 describes a reaction wherein the phenyl ester salt is typically synthesized at temperatures between 155-175xc2x0 C. in sulfolane. According to the first step of the process described by this invention, the temperature of the crude reaction mixture is adjusted to an optimal temperature range, of about 100-150xc2x0 C., and preferably between about 110-120xc2x0 C. It has been found, unexpectedly, that the isolation of the phenyl ester salt is improved when the crude reaction mixture is adjusted to this optimal temperature range. At temperatures below the optimal range, the mixture becomes too viscous to handle or separate, while at higher temperature loss of product to centrate or filtrate increases. However, within the optimal temperature range, the solid phenyl ester salt can be recovered economically and in good yields.
If the temperature is adjusted batch-wise to the optimal temperature range, by cooling, the cooling step may be effected by methods known in the art. Examples of such methods include removal of heat via an external jacket using a circulation fluid which is colder that the reactor, use of internal coils inside the reactor with a similar media, and/or adiabatic evaporation of the solvent.
Crystals of molecules of large molecular weight and geometric complexity normally grow very slowly. Hence, the rate of cooling must be carefully controlled to avoid supersaturation of the solution that leads to formation of fine crystals, poor crystal shape or inclusion of mother liquor, or co-precipitation of impurities. To avoid these unwanted events a rate of cooling of about 5 to about 15xc2x0 C. is generally acceptable. Preferably the cooling rate will be about 7 to about 12xc2x0 C./hr.
Further, if a mixture or slurry containing a phenyl ester salt and a solvent is at temperature below the optimal temperature range, the mixture may be adjusted, e.g. by heating, to bring the mixture within the optimal temperature range. In this situation, another solvent or additional sulfolane may optionally be added to the mixture or slurry prior to the heating step.
One factor that must be considered in all isolations is the presence of impurities in the crystallization mixture. It is well known that impurities may change both the solubility and the nature of the crystals, as well the viscosity and density of the solvent and thus their ability to be filtered or centrifuged. In general, minimizing the amount of impurities improves the ability to filter or centrifuge. Contaminants may include unreacted starting material, or undesired byproducts. For instance, centrifugation is often hampered by low conversion of starting material, which results in a higher proportion of impurities. For a laboratory-scale reaction, the conversion is generally better controlled and consequently the separation results were normally better than what was experienced in a large-scale pilot plant.
The concentration of the phenyl ester salt in the mixture or slurry fed to the isolation device is preferably in the range of about 18-25 weight percent, although much wider concentration ranges, in the range of from about 10 to about 40 weight percent of solids are within the scope of the invention. If a crude reaction mixture is used, solvent may optionally be added to bring the concentration of the phenyl ester salt to the desired concentration. However, the temperature of the mixture comprising the phenyl ester salt should be adjusted or maintained within the optimal temperature range.
The step wherein the solid phenyl ester salt is separated from the mixture should be carried out while maintaining the temperature of the mixture within the optimal temperature range, of about 100-150xc2x0 C. The separating step may be carried out by any method known in the art, including but not limited to, filtration and centrifugation.
If filtering is used, the filter should be preheated to the optimal temperature range and well insulated to avoid temperature loss during the filtration. Further, for large applications, the filtering process can be effected in batch or continuous mode. The filter media should be selected to withstand the temperature requirements, provide sufficient wettability, avoid chemical degradation, and provide fast filtration with good yields. The pore size of the media must be selected only after the crystal size distribution is available. Examples of batch filters include but are not limited to a pressure nutsche, a vacuum nutsche, a plate and frame filter press, and an auto-filter dryer. The continuous equipment examples include a rotary vacuum filter, a rotary pressure filter, a candle filter, and a belt filter. In each of these applications it is advantageous to prewet the filter media with hot sulfolane. Since filtration rate decreases with increasing cake thickness, careful control of the cake depth is necessary. Production of large lumps during discharge of the cake from the filter causes unnecessary difficulties in further processing. To avoid this, the cake should be discharged while hot.
When centrifugation is used to isolate the phenyl ester salt, the centrifugation mechanism employed can be either a sedimentation centrifuge or a filtration centrifuge. In a filtering centrifuge, the cake is produced on a perforate basket that allows the mother liquor to flow through the perforations, in a manner similar to cake filtration. Here, however, the centrifugal force is the driving force for separation. Sedimentation style centrifuges depend on the differences in density between the solids and the liquid to provide a means to settle the solids. The solids or the liquid can then be removed to obtain the other phase.
Regardless of the type of centrifuge used, the unit should optimally be preheated to the desired temperature and maintained at this temperature during the entire process. For filtering style centrifuges, prewetting of the filter media with sulfolane is desirable, but not necessary. Centrifugation can be performed in either a batch wise or continuous manner. Batch centrifuges have limited capacity in solids collection. Examples of filtering batch centrifuges that could be used to isolate phenyl ester salts include a vertical or horizontal basket centrifuge and an inverting basket centrifuge. Continuous filtering centrifuges usually have stricter requirements in terms of crystal size. Examples of these centrifuges include a pusher and a screen-bowl centrifuge. Sedimentation style centrifuges can operate in batch or continuous mode as well. Examples of the former include the tubular bowl and the disc centrifuge, while examples of the later include the opening bowl disc stack and the solid-bowl continuous-scroll decanter. Here the batch centrifuges provide more flexibility in residence times and g-force whereas the continuous units provide much greater capacity and are much less labor intensive. Regardless of the device used, it must optimally be designed to allow operation within the desired temperature range with little ambient heat loss. The ability to flush with fresh solvent may also be desirable.
It has also been found that the addition of a solvent to a mixture comprising a phenyl ester salt and sulfolane will reduce the viscosity and/or density of the mixture, when the density or viscosity of the solvent added is lower than that of sulfolane. For example, a density of less than about 1.20 g/cm3 at 100xc2x0 C. or a viscosity of less than about 2.56 centipoise at 100xc2x0 C. is required. Additionally, this solvent should be selected such that is not reactive with any of the components in the reaction mixture, does not hydrolyze the product, and has a density and viscosity lower than sulfolane. Suitable solvents may be selected from a variety of acids, alkanes, ketones, alcohols, and other organic acids. Preferred solvents are propionic acid, pentanol, n-butyl alcohol, methylpropyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, methyl isopropyl ketone, and heptane. The preferred boiling point of the solvent is above 90xc2x0 C., and more preferably the boiling point of the solvent is above 100xc2x0 C.
Exemplary solvents used in this step, include a variety carboxylic acids. Acceptable forms of the carboxylic acid, include aqueous solutions of the acid, and concentrated/glacial forms of the acid. According to the process described in this invention, it has been observed that the addition of acid to the reaction mixture improves handling characteristics such as filterability or centrifugeability, which results in improved isolation of the phenyl ester salt.
In a highly preferred embodiment, acetic acid is used. The acid appears to reduce the viscosity and density of the mixture. The amount of acid added to the mixture comprising the phenyl ester salt and sulfolane should generally be below about 10% and preferably between about 2% and about 4%, based upon the weight of the reaction mixture. The addition of excessive amounts of acid should be avoided, as this may lead to decomposition of the phenyl ester salt, resulting in lower yields.
The acetic acid should be added at a temperature at which decomposition is unlikely to occur. For example, in the production of sodium 4-sulfophenyl 6-[(1-oxynonyl)-amino]hexanoate, if the acid is added at temperatures above 150xc2x0 C., there is observed a significant amount of decomposition. Because many of the other phenyl ester salts in the art contain functionality such as ester or amide groups, decomposition at higher temperatures under acidic conditions may also be a concern. Preferably, this step is carried out while maintaining the temperature of the reaction mixture within the optimal temperature range of about 100-150xc2x0 C.
To avoid decomposition of the product, it is necessary to isolate the phenyl ester salt prior to any substantial decomposition of the phenyl ester salt. Therefore, the acetic acid may optionally be added immediately prior to the collecting step, in order to avoid loss of yield due to degradation of product over prolonged times. Typically, the product is collected within about an hour of the addition of the acetic acid.
The step of separating the solid phenyl ester salt from the mixture may be accomplished by the methods discussed previously, such as filtration or centrifugation. This step is carried out while maintaining the temperature of the mixture comprising the phenyl ester salt and sulfolane within the optimal temperature range.
It has also been found that the isolation of a phenyl ester salt from a mixture may be improved by controlling the rate at which the reaction mixture is cooled during crystallization. For instance, the isolation of phenyl ester salts from reaction mixtures is difficult when the product is in the form of fine crystals. To aid in the separation, the cooling of the crude reaction mixture to the separation temperature should be controlled to allow maximum growth of the crystals. If the reaction mixture is cooled too rapidly, small crystals are formed which can blind the filter or centrifuge. Accordingly, the cooling of the mixture should be as slow as is consistent with good economics. For batch processes this is done by reducing the rate at which the temperature is lowered in the vessel. In order to cool the mixture xe2x80x9cslowerxe2x80x9d in continuous processes, the residence time in the vessels must be increased by increasing the number of stages or increasing the vessel size.
Each of the embodiments of the processes described by this invention may be used individually or in combination, to improve the isolation of a phenyl ester salt.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, this invention relates to processes to improve the isolation of phenyl ester salts including sodium 4-sulfophenyl-6-[(1-oxynonyl)amino]hexanoate, sodium 4-(nonanoyloxy) benzenesulfonate, or sodium benzoyloxy benzenesulphonate. Although, as discussed above, the processes of this invention may be used to improve the isolation of a broad range of phenyl ester salts.

Isolation of phenyl ester salts from mixtures comprising sulfolane


A device and method of use for facilitating the axial connection of small diameter wires, and in particular for connecting a guidewire to an extension guidewire. Using a male/female interconnecting arrangement, the end of a guidewire is connected axially to the end of an extension guidewire using a device having a first body member including a channel or groove located on the upper surface of the first body member, the channel having a cross-section corresponding to that of the larger guidewire and dimensioned slightly wider so that the guidewires are in a sliding fit in the channel; and a second body member dimensioned to fit over the first body member as a cover, the second body member having a transparent portion located over the channel, the transparent portion being curved throughout its length to effect magnification and provide visual assistance thereof. The guidewires are placed end to end in the channel under the transparent magnifying portion so that positioning and aligning the guidewires to axially interconnect the male and female connectors of the guidewires can be done quickly and easily.

Guidewires are routinely used in medical procedures where a catheter is introduced into a patient's arteries or veins. In cardiovascular procedures such as angioplasty and valvuloplasty, a guidewire is inserted by a physician into the patient's blood vessel and advanced until the distal end of the guidewire reaches the location to be treated. Once the guidewire is placed, a catheter is slid over the guidewire and advanced until it is positioned with its distal end at the diseased location within the patient.
In certain cases the in-situ catheter may be changed during the cardiovascular procedure. For example, a physician may use several balloon dilatation catheters having balloons of progressively increasing size to unblock a stenosis in the patient's artery. It is important to perform the catheter exchange without moving the position of the guidewire from the location to be treated so that the guidewire can be used to direct the new catheter to the same location.
One method of exchanging catheters is to attach one end of an extension guidewire to the proximal end of the in-situ guidewire and withdraw the catheter over the extension guidewire while leaving the in-situ guidewire in place. A new catheter can then be advanced over the coupled guidewires, and the extension guidewire can be disconnected after the new catheter is placed at the location to be treated within the patient's blood vessel. The two guidewires are typically attached using a female connector on the end of one guidewire and a male connector on the one end of the other guidewire, the interconnection of which can be releasably secured.
With respect to guidewires used in coronary artery catheterization, a major disadvantage with the interfitting connectors is that they have very small diameters, which makes positive alignment of the coupling extremely difficult to see and accomplish under the conditions in which these procedures are performed. Moreover, the length of an extension guidewire is typically in the order of 125 cm., which makes its handling somewhat awkward when a physician or attendant is attempting to align the proximal end of the in-situ guidewire with the end of the extension guidewire. As a result of these difficulties, the procedure of connecting an extension guidewire to an in-situ guidewire is tedious, painstaking, time consuming and has some risk of guidewire movement or improper alignment of the in-line connection involved. All of this adds to the spiralling cost of medical procedures using guidewires and catheters.
Thus, there is a need for a device and method, heretofore unavailable, which provides visual assistance while facilitating the positive alignment of a small diameter guidewire and an extension guidewire, when connecting their ends together.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device which has a guidewire alignment channel and a magnifying media positioned thereover, for facilitating the end-to-end connection of a small diameter guidewire and an extension guidewire placed therein.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of connecting a guidewire to a guidewire extension by positioning the end of the guidewire and the end of the extension guidewire in-line to each other in a confined space that contains a magnifying media positioned thereover so that a positive connection of the two wires can be achieved quickly and easily.
It is still another object to provide a device for connecting a guidewire to a guidewire extension that is simple in design and use, and economical to manufacture.
The foregoing objects and advantages of the invention are illustrative of those which can be achieved by the present invention and are not intended to be exhaustive or limiting of the possible advantages which can be realized. Thus, these and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description herein or can be learned from practicing the invention, both as embodied herein or as modified in view of any variations which may be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the present invention resides in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

Device for connecting a guidewire to an extension guidewire


A method and apparatus for performing a random access (RACH) procedure is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method performed by a wireless communication node, includes: performing a plurality of random access (RACH) procedures with a wireless communication device on a first frequency resource set and a second frequency resource set, wherein the plurality of RACH procedures each comprises: receiving a first message on a first frequency resource from the wireless communication device, wherein the first frequency resource is selected from the first frequency resource set; transmitting a second message on a second frequency resource to the wireless communication device within a pre-determined time window, wherein the second frequency resource is selected from the second frequency resource set; receiving a third message on the first frequency resource from the wireless communication device; and transmitting a fourth message on the second frequency resource to the wireless communication device.

Over the past few decades, mobile communications have evolved from voice services to high-speed broadband data services. With further development of new types of services and applications, e.g., enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive Machine-Type Communication (mMTC), Ultra Reliability Low Latency Communication (URLLC), etc., the demands for high-performance data transmission on mobile networks will continue to increase exponentially. Based on specific requirements in these emerging services, wireless communication systems should meet a variety of requirements, such as throughput, latency, data rate, capacity, reliability, link density, cost, energy consumption, complexity, and coverage.

Method and apparatus for performing multiple RACH procedures


The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a novel compound having RET inhibitory activity. The present invention also provides a pharmaceutical preparation that is useful for the prevention and/or treatment of RET-related diseases, particularly cancer, based on RET inhibitory activity. The present invention provides a compound represented by Formula (I):

Various protein kinases are present in vivo, and are known to be involved in a wide range of functional regulations. RET is a receptor tyrosine kinase identified as one of the proto-oncogenes. RET binds to the glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and GDNF receptor to form a complex, which enables RET to perform physiological functions through intracellular phosphorylation signaling (Non-patent Literature 1). A study reports that in normal tissues, RET contributes to kidney development and neurogenesis during fetal life (Non-patent Literature 2). Some studies indicate that in cancers, such as lung cancer, thyroid cancer, breast cancer, pancreas cancer, and prostate cancer, the translocation, mutation, and overexpression of RET enhances its activation to thereby contribute to cell growth, tumor formation, or tissue infiltration (Non-patent Literature 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8). In addition, RET is known to be a poor prognostic factor of cancer, as indicated in some reports that the translocation of RET and its enhanced activation level are also inversely correlated with prognosis in cancer (Non-patent Literature 9, 10, 11, and 12).
Therefore, an inhibitor capable of inhibiting RET activity is thought to be useful as a therapeutic agent for diseases associated with abnormally enhanced RET signaling pathways.
It is expected, for example, that in cancers involving translocated, mutated, and overexpressed RET, the administration of a medicament capable of specifically inhibiting RET will selectively and intensively suppress the proliferation of cancer cells and contribute to the treatment, life prolongation, and improvement in quality of life of cancer patients.
As such compounds having RET inhibitory activity, PP1 is known (Non-patent Literature 13). In PP1, a p-tolyl group is bonded to a fused ring pyrimidine skeleton. PP1 is known to exhibit high inhibitory activity against not only RET but also Src (Non-patent Literature 14), c-Kit, Bcr-Abl (Non-patent Literature 15 and 16), and others. For example, as side effects, the inhibition of Src may lead to abnormally enhanced bone formation, and the inhibition of Lck may suppress T cells (Non-patent Literature 17 and 18). Since multikinase inhibitors inhibit not only RET but also various signaling pathways to inhibit cell growth and other functions, the inhibitors raise concerns about possible various side effects, which may require dose reduction and/or drug holidays, thus leading to insufficient RET inhibitory activity. From the standpoint of side-effect reduction, RET inhibitors that have high inhibitory activity against RET with low inhibitory activity against other kinases have been desired.
Non-patent Literature 19 and Patent Literature 1 disclose a substance with a fused pyrimidine skeleton to which a ring structure is attached through an amide bond. This compound is described as having Aurora kinase inhibitory activity.
Patent Literature 2 discloses a pyrrolopyrimidine derivative that selectively inhibits Tie-2, TrkA, and its family member TrkB.
Patent Literature 3 discloses a pyrrolopyrimidine derivative that selectively inhibits Tie-2 and its family members.
Patent Literature 4 discloses a pyrrolopyrimidine derivative that is a potassium channel modulator.
Patent Literature 5 discloses a pyrrolopyrimidine derivative that has a therapeutic effect on diabetes.
Patent Literature 6 and 7 disclose a heterocyclic substituted cyclopentane compound that inhibits adenosine kinase.
Patent Literature 8 discloses a pyrrolopyrimidine derivative that has a vinyl group or an ethynyl group.
Patent Literature 9 discloses a fused pyrimidine derivative that has a BTK inhibitory activity.
However, none of Patent Literature above specifically discloses or even suggests an RET inhibitory compound with a fused pyrimidine skeleton that contains an amino group at the 4-position and a ring attached through an amide bond.

Fused pyrimidine compound or salt thereof

Abstract: wherein A, R2, and X are as defined in the specification; or a salt thereof.


A vacuum regulating valve has high controllability, wherein the opening of a valving member can be quickly and accurately controlled by using a small and inexpensive electric motor. In accordance with a signal indicative of a pressure set value and a pressure signal from the pressure sensor, the main controller in the valve control section outputs a signal for setting the opening of the valving member to a motor controller that controls the electric motor, and performs control to cause a pilot fluid to be supplied to a pressure receiving chamber of the piston, thereby causing the piston to move to the position of abutment with the stopper.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vacuum regulating valve for the use of, for example, creating a pressure reduction in a chemical-reaction vacuum chamber included in a physical or chemical machine or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a semiconductor manufacturing system, for example, chemical processing such as etching is performed inside a vacuum chamber. In this case, a vacuum pump is used to create a pressure reduction in the vacuum pump, and a vacuum valve is used to open and close an external flowchannel connecting between the vacuum pump and the vacuum chamber. As disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1, a vacuum valve of the aforementioned type includes two ports individually connected to a vacuum pump and a vacuum chamber, an internal flowchannel interconnecting the ports, a valve seat formed in the internal flowchannel, a valving member that opens and closes the valve seat, and a piston that drives the valving member to perform the open and close operation. The stroke of the piston as it is corresponds to the valve opening in a state where the valving member is open.
However, the vacuum in the vacuum chamber produces fluctuations depending on an increase and decrease in the amount of reaction gases, so that an amount corresponding to the fluctuations has to be compensated for to maintain the interior of the chamber at a necessary vacuum. However, such a vacuum valve is not inherently intended for regulating the vacuum pressure (negative pressure) in a vacuum chamber through the opening of such a valving member. Even if attempt was made to regulate the opening of the valving member, the opening would not be able to be quickly and accurately regulated.
In order to easily regulate the opening of a valving member of a vacuum valve of the above-described type, it is considered appropriate to form a configuration such that a stopper made accurately positionally adjustable is provided, and a piston as described above is driven to the position of abutment with the stopper (see Patent Document 2).
In this case, the positional adjustment of the stopper has to be performed quickly and accurately, so that it is advantageous to drive the stopper by using an electric motor. For the electric motor, a small and inexpensive electric motor can be used if it is used only for positional adjustment of the stopper. However, the piston is compressed thereby at high driving force against the stopper. As such, the stopper has to be supported to withstand the high driving force. In addition, it is difficult to drive the stopper under the effects of the driving force by using a small electric motor, so that countermeasures therefor have to be taken into consideration.
References
(Patent Document 1) Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 08-178126
(Patent Document 2) Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-310607


A shipping box (1) for shipping of high-value, highly sensitive objects, especially framed paintings, or painting stabilized in terms of shape in some other way, has a frame having side walls (3), a bottom wall (4) and a top wall (5) which forms a cover, and can be completely sealed, the walls of the shipping box (1) being lined with vacuum insulation panels (6).

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a shipping box for shipping of high-value, highly sensitive objects, especially framed paintings or paintings stabilized in terms of shape in some other way, with a frame which preferably has four side walls, a wall which forms the bottom and a wall which forms the cover, so that the shipping box can be completely sealed.
This invention is explained below using a preferred application for framed paintings. However, it should always be kept in mind that the teaching of the invention can also be used for other correspondingly high-value, highly sensitive objects, especially art objects such as wood panels, altar panels, reliefs, and optionally, also statuettes.
2. Description of Related Art
To ship paintings in frames, flat boxes made of wood are used as shipping containers; the painting in the frame is placed in the box in soft cushion material, especially in foam plastic. These boxes are then shipped vertically. The painting is tightly surrounded on all sides by cushion material in order not to be damaged when vibration and impacts occur during shipping.
Published European Patent Application EP 0 636 546 A2 and corresponding U.S. Pat. 5,518,118 describe, as a special protective measure, a combination of a special shipping holder for painting frames and a separate shipping box in which the shipping holder is installed. Such a shipping box with an inside shipping holder can then, in turn, be inserted into an outer shipping box which, for its part, is lined with shock-absorbing materials, especially foam plastic material. The present invention is intended as an improvement over this known shipping box for shipping of high-value, highly sensitive objects.
In shipping boxes of the type under consideration, the use of shock-absorbing systems of various types is known, all of which are designed to expose the highly-sensitive object to as little mechanical load as possible during shipping.
Lining the interior of a shipping boxes with an insulation material, for example, an insulation plate made of compressed wood fibers, a fiber insulation panel which also regulates the humidity within the box, is known.
One special problem in shipping boxes which have been known for decades for shipping of high-value, highly sensitive objects is heat protection, especially fire protection. For a long time, applying fire protection paint to the outside of the outer shipping box was the only approach. However, even without a fire situation, the existing shipping boxes are problematical, as before, with respect to maintaining a certain temperature in the interior where the highly-sensitive object is located. It must be considered here that these shipping boxes, when being shipped between continents, are exposed to great fluctuations in outside temperatures, for example, due to waiting times at airports, etc. To date, it has not been possible to make shipping boxes of the type under consideration such that they provide a relatively constant temperature for the highly sensitive object in the interior.

Shipping box for shipping of highly-value high sensitive objects

Hasenkamp Internationale Transporte GmbH


A multiple analog signal converter (100) simultaneously converts multiple analog signals (104,106) to digital signals (112, 114) using a single analog to digital converter (ADC) 102. A first analog signal (104) at a first center frequency and a second analog signal (106) at a second center frequency are processed by the ADC (102) to generate a composite digital signal (110) comprising a first digital signal (112) corresponding to the first analog signal (104) and a second digital signal (114) corresponding to the second analog signal (106). The composite digital signal (110) is digitally frequency shifted to recover the second digital signal (106). The first digital signal (104) is recovered by digitally filtering the composite digital signal (110). In some circumstances, a first radio frequency (RF) signal (118) and a second RF signal (122) are frequency shifted to generate the first analog signal (104) and second analog signal (106).

1. Field
The invention relates in general to analog to digital conversion and more specifically to an apparatus, system, and method for processing multiple signals in an analog to digital converter.
2. Background
Analog to digital converters (ADCs) are often used in receivers to convert an analog signal to a digital representation. The analog signal is sampled to produce a series of samples represented by numerical values. In conventional systems utilizing ADCs, a single ADC is used to convert each analog signal to a digital signal. The size and cost of conventional devices increases as the number of analog signals that must be simultaneously converted increases.
Accordingly, there is a need for an apparatus and system for simultaneously converting multiple analog signals to digital signals using a single ADC.

Conversion of multiple analog signals in an analog to digital converter


A fluidized bed reactor includes a plurality of nozzles for introducing a fluidizing gas wherein at least some of the nozzles are provided with a plate proximate to the nozzle inlet which redirects the flow of the fluidizing gas to the nozzles. By providing a plate at the inlet of the nozzles the following is accomplished. Even flow distribution of the fluidizing gas through the nozzle is achieved. The pressure drop through the nozzle remains relatively high thus insuring good fluidizing gas acceleration which eliminates the adherence of the fines to the interior surface of the nozzle.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for use in fluidized solid systems and, more particularly, an apparatus which is particularly useful in the direct reduction of iron ores in a fluidized bed process.
A fluidized process of considerable importance relates to the direct reduction of iron ores. In typical fluidized processes for the reduction of iron ores, iron oxides are progressively reduced in a vertical vessel (reactor) having a single reduction stage or, more commonly, a series of reduction stages. In such processes, the ore to be reduced is fed into the top of the vessel and flows downwardly in counter current relationship to the flow of a fluidizing gas ascending in the vessel. The fluidizing gas comprises a hot reducing gas which consists generally of carbon monoxide, hydrogen and other known gas mixtures.
The fluidizing gases are delivered to the fluidizing bed for contact with the iron ore through a plurality of nozzles and provided in a horizontal wall disposed within the vessel. There is a considerable problem caused by the fouling and plugging of these nozzles particularly in fluidized processes for the direct reduction of iron ores. The fouling or plugging of the nozzles is associated with adherence of "fines" of metallic particles which adhere to the inner walls of the nozzles, build up on the inner walls and eventually plug the nozzles completely. It has been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,910,769 to provide a baffle at the fluidizing gas inlet in combination with conical shaped nozzles so as to provide a preferential flow through the nozzles in a manner which would avoid adherence of the fines to the interior wall surface of the nozzles. While such a design has proven to be beneficial, the design has resulted in problems particularly with respect to the outer rings of nozzles. It has been found that the baffle plate causes a preferential deposition of the fines in the outer rings of the nozzles and, more particularly on a portion of the wall of the outer ring of the nozzles. This build-up results from a flow caused by the baffle plate which results in strong cross-flow at the nozzle inlets. Accordingly, the principal object of the present invention to provide a mechanism which eliminates the cross-flow at the nozzle inlets of the outer ring of nozzles thereby eliminating the excess build-up of fines on the outer ring of nozzles.

Furnace apparatus for fluidized bed processes


An induction heating cooker includes a plurality of heating coil blocks including one or more heating coils, a plurality of inverters to supply a high-frequency voltage to each of the heating coils, and a controller to control operations of the plurality of inverters to alternately supply the high-frequency voltage to each heating coil block and detect a heating coil, on which a container is placed, from among the heating coils belonging to each of the plurality of heating coil blocks. Using this configuration, it is possible to reduce the influence of magnetic field interference between adjacent heating coils when detecting the position of the container and to increase container position detection accuracy.

1. Field
Embodiments relate to an induction heating cooker able to heat a container regardless of the position of the container on a cooking plate.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an induction heating cooker supplies high-frequency current to a heating coil so as to generate a strong high-frequency magnetic field in the heating coil and generates eddy current in a cooking container (hereinafter, simply referred to as a container) magnetically coupled to the heating coil through the high-frequency magnetic field such that the container is heated by Joule's heat so as to cook food.
In such an induction heating cooker, a plurality of heating coils to provide a heating source is fixedly mounted inside a main body forming appearance. In addition, a cooking plate on which a container is placed is provided on an upper side of the main body. On this cooking plate, a container mark is formed at a position corresponding to the heating coil so as to enable a user to accurately place a container.
However, in order to cook food (heat the container) using such an induction heating cooker, the user needs to accurately place the container at a specific position of the cooking plate. That is, if a user does not place a container at an accurate position, food is not evenly heated.
Accordingly, a new induction heating cooker to cook food, regardless of the position of the container on a cooking plate, by arranging a large number of heating coils below the entire surface of the cooking plate has been developed.
If food is cooked using the newly developed induction heating cooker, it is necessary to perform an operation (container position detection operation) to detect a position where a container is placed on a cooking plate after a user places the container on the cooking plate and before a cooking operation starts.
In order to detect the position of the container on the cooking plate, a method of enabling high-frequency current to flow through the plurality of heating coils arranged below the cooking plate, measuring the value of current flowing through the heating coils, and detecting whether or not the container is placed on the heating coils using the measured current is used.
In the newly developed induction heating cooker, since the small-sized heating coils are densely arranged below the entire surface of the cooking plate, a distance between the heating coils is very small. In such an induction heating cooker, if high-frequency current is simultaneously supplied to all the heating coils in order to detect the position of the container, magnetic field interference occurs between adjacent heating coils and thus a container position detection error may occur. That is, when current flowing through any one heating coil (first heating coil) is measured to detect whether or not a container is placed on the heating coil (first heating coil), noise occurs by magnetic field interference with adjacent heating coils (second and third heating coils). Accordingly, it may be erroneously determined that the container is placed on a heating coil although the container is not actually placed on the heating coil. At this time, as a distance between heating coils is decreased, magnetic field interference with the adjacent heating coils is increased.
If a cooking operation is performed in a state in which a container position detection error has occurred, a heating coil on which the container is not actually placed is also driven. Thus, unnecessary power is consumed and an inverter (circuit element) included in the induction heating cooker may be damaged.

Induction heating cooker and method of controlling the same


A radar device includes a transmission antenna and a reception antenna that is a structure different from the transmission antenna. The transmission antenna includes a single or a plurality of transmission element antennae and a transmission dielectric substrate where the single or the plurality of transmission element antennae is positioned, and a length in a first direction of the transmission antenna is longer than a length in a second direction of the transmission antenna, and the second direction is orthogonal to the first direction. The reception antenna includes a single or a plurality of reception element antennae and a reception dielectric substrate where the single or the plurality of reception element antennae is positioned, a length in a third direction of the reception antenna is longer than a length in a fourth direction of the reception antenna, and the fourth direction is orthogonal to the third direction.

Conventionally, to prevent collision of an automobile with a target, a radar device including a transmission antenna and a reception antenna is arranged in the automobile. An example of the target is an automobile which travels on the front side of the automobile in a case where the automobile in which the radar device is arranged travels or an obstacle positioned on the front side of the automobile in a case where the automobile in which the radar device is arranged travels. The transmission antenna emits a radio wave, and the reception antenna receives a reflected wave from the target. A distance from the automobile to the target is obtained based on a time from a time when the transmission antenna emits the radio wave to a time when the reception antenna receives the reflected wave. A radar device having a square antenna surface has been proposed (for example, refer to Patent Literature 1).


The invention discloses a method for compensating temperature in a system for tire pressure monitoring which is especially implemented by detecting a tire pressure and/or by detecting a tire pressure loss. The method is especially characterized in that the temperature is compensated by determining the gas temperature in the tire by way of at least two items of temperature information and by taking the determined temperature as a basis for said tire inflation monitoring. One significant advantage of this method involves that externally active temperature changes, such as a heat-emitting brake disc causing the wheel rim of the tire and, hence, also a temperature sensor arranged thereat to be heated more intensely than the gas in the tire, do not lead to an indication error with respect to the tire pressure (or a spurious alarm).

Systems for tire pressure detection are known in the art where the tire pressure is determined on the basis of tire pressure measuring modules measuring the tire pressure and emitting a corresponding test value to a receiver installed in the vehicle (also referred to as TPMS, i.e. 'Tire Pressure Monitoring System'). A module of this type can e.g. be mounted close to the valve in the wheel rim or can be structurally united with the valve. A prior art system founding on pressure measurement uses in each wheel a co-rotating wheel module that is integrated into the valve and measures the tire pressure and the tire temperature by means of corresponding sensors. This data is transmitted in wireless manner to a receiver installed in the vehicle and processed in an electronic evaluating device. The received and processed test values are used either to indicate a pressure value or to produce alarm signals when the tire pressure falls below predetermined threshold values, i.e. when tire pressure loss is detected.
The employment of a system of direct measurement such as TPMS necessitates indicating a tire pressure value, which is independent of ambient conditions, in particular temperature. This is because it is generally felt to be unpleasant when a pressure value shown on the control panel undergoes excessive variations, although e.g. only the driving condition or the outside temperature has changed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,074 discloses a method of detecting, evaluating and displaying a value of a tire pressure, wherein an information signal that represents a detected pressure is compared with a large number of specifically selectable, desired curves of values. These curves of values illustrate pressure ranges for respectively defined values of the ambient temperature and the inner tire temperatures (as well as the ambient pressure, as the case may be) with defined tolerance ranges respectively depending thereon. A corresponding signal is produced when it results from the comparison that the actual tire air pressure is outside the tolerance range. Further, the information signal can be compared with a desired tire pressure that is associated with a predetermined maximum speed. It is then possible to issue a maximum safe speed in dependence on the result of the comparison.
Thus, the ambient temperature is taken into account in this method when detecting, evaluating and displaying a tire pressure or its allowable value. However, this method, exactly as the TPMS method initially referred to, still suffers from the problem that the temperature, which is measured by a sensor e.g. in the valve in a per se known fashion, generally is the wheel rim temperature, yet not (necessarily) the actual temperature of the gas in the tire.
This is because the wheel rim temperature, above all with relatively quick temperature variations, does not correspond to the temperature of the gas in the tire. It may occur, for example, that the brake disc of the motor vehicle and, as a consequence thereof, also the wheel rim heats up relatively quickly, with the result that a temperature gradient develops between tire and wheel rim and the gas temperature is initially essentially lower than indicated by the sensor signal.
Further, it may occur that the ambient temperature changes suddenly and significantly (the motor vehicle is e.g. driven out of a garage). Due to different heat conductions and a differing specific heat of the materials and the related significantly quicker variation of the temperature of the wheel rim compared to the tires mounted, this change may also lead to the said undesirable temperature gradients or to faulty measurements of the gas temperature.
Further, methods for tire pressure loss detection are known in the art that operate without pressure sensors such as the system DDS (Deflation Detection System) of Continental Teves, Frankfurt am Main. A change of the rolling circumference of the tire that is caused by a pressure change is detected and evaluated in these systems. Like in the above-mentioned systems, it may be desirable in these or other systems to indicate a pressure value irrespective of the gas temperature in the tire, on the one hand. On the other hand, there is the problem that a sensor used to detect and compensate this temperature will not indicate the actual gas temperature in the tire due to external influences such as a hot brake disc, but indicates a higher temperature (maybe also a lower temperature under different influences) so that temperature compensation is effected wrongly.

Method for compensating temperature in a tire pressure monitoring system


The present invention is a pneumatic grinder, with a housing, an air chamber stand, and a rotor. The air chamber stand includes a cylinder, an upper cover and a lower cover. The cylinder is fitted with an inlet hole and an exhaust hole. There is a lateral exhaust hole assembled on the upper cover or lower cover or both covers and provided with a vertical internal borehole section linking the air chamber within the air chamber stand, and a transverse external borehole section. The air exhaust capacity of the air chamber stand is increased, markedly reducing turbulence and improving rotational speed and strength of the rotor. The vibration of rotor is efficiently reduced for the users, thereby improving significantly the torque, performance and quality of the pneumatic grinder with better applicability.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a pneumatic grinder, and more particularly to an innovative pneumatic grinder with exhaust holes on an air chamber stand.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98.
The operation of a pneumatic grinder is mainly implemented through a rotor in an air chamber stand. Since inlet holes and exhaust holes are separately set onto the wall of the air chamber stand, the rotor is driven by air that is guided into the air chamber stand from the inlet hole. When the rotor is rotated to a preset angle, air is discharged from the exhaust hole, so that the rotor can continuously drive the eccentric seat of the pneumatic grinder to generate vibration.
During operation of the aforementioned pneumatic grinder's rotor, the torque relies a lot on the performance of the exhaust process. However, since the exhaust holes of the typical air chamber stand are only set on the wall in a fine-mesh pattern, a poor exhaust effect is often observed, leading to turbulence within air chamber stand and lower rotational speed and torque of the rotor. If the rotor vibrates strongly, the users may find it uncomfortable to hold firmly, bringing about depressed working behavior and poor performance and quality.
Thus, to overcome the aforementioned problems of the prior art, it would be an advancement in the art to provide an improved structure that can significantly improve efficacy.
Therefore, the inventor has provided the present invention of practicability after deliberate design and evaluation based on years of experience in the production, development and design of related products.


A device for generating an x-ray point source includes a target, and an electron source for producing electrons which intersect with the target to generate an x-ray point source having a size which is confined by a dimension of the target.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a device and method for generating an x-ray point source and, in particular, a device a method for generating an x-ray point source by geometric confinement.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional imaging methods commonly produce an x-ray image of an object by examining the attenuation that the object causes when placed between an x-ray source and a detector. Photographic film images produced by this method in the medical field are widely familiar.
However, images so obtained are limited in resolution by physical size of the x-ray source. Therefore, although in theory x-ray images can be produced down to angstrom resolution, in practice this is not possible because of the typically large dimensions of the x-ray source.
In addition, in order to obtain x-ray beams with resolution on the order of 300 angstroms, synchrontron and x-ray optics equipment costing millions of dollars is required. Therefore, high resolution imaging, is currently very expensive.

Device and method for generating an x-ray point source by geometric confinement

International Business Machines Corporation


An arrangement and method using power more efficiently for signal amplification. The approach is particularly advantageous in application environments where digital information is converted to the analog domain and carried at a variety of different magnitudes. One embodiment involves a signal processing and amplifying arrangement including a digital-to-analog converter, an amplifier and a control signal selection circuit. The digital-to-analog converter receives a digital signal and outputs, in response to the digital signal, an analog signal. The amplifier amplifies the analog signal using power received from a high-level supply and a low-level supply, at least one of which has a variable setting in response to a control signal. The amplifier is configured and arranged to amplify the analog signal. The control signal selection circuit is responsive to the digital signal, and is used for selecting the control signal to cause the supplies to the amplifier to track the expected magnitude of the analog signal.

The demand for high-speed data communications has grown tremendously over the past several years. Mobile communications and internet access are two of the market drivers that have stimulated demand for data communications solutions around the world. Users have become attracted to mobile communications. Consequently, cellular/PCS technologies have experienced rapid growth. Similarly, the wired side of the network has experienced rapid growth and users are continuing to ask for additional speed. This need for speed is driven by several items, including the desire for remote office locations to appear to operate as quickly as one's main office environment and the need for higher speed internet access. Technologies are being developed and deployed to make this a reality. However, as with all new technologies, certain deficiencies in overall system operation need to be addressed and overcome if the markets are to realize their full potential.
One of the major problems with communications systems today is power consumption. Although much improved by yesterday's standards, excessive power consumption reduces the utility of mobile communications solutions by minimizing the battery life or the time between recharging sessions (in the case of rechargeable batteries). Most wired communications systems typically have access to some form of AC power. However, even wired communications systems must be concerned with the excessive dissipation of power for a variety of reasons. First, there are excessive costs to the communications provider ensuing from the consumption of power provided by the electric company. This cost concern is so serious that certain regulated industries have converted the long-term cost of electricity into a capital expense. Second, maintaining circuits at a reasonable operating temperature adds a host of design constraints, including the inclusion of additional fans, air conditioning, heat sinks and space for thermal ventilation. These constraints significantly increase the material, labor and maintenance costs associated with the system. Third, excessive heat may restrict the density of equipment, thereby increasing the size of the facility hosting the system and/or limiting the number of customers that can be served by a fixed size facility. This may require a service provider to construct new buildings in order to accommodate demand for their service. Accordingly, reducing the power consumption in communications systems can be a key aspect of any system design.
These concerns have been addressed to a large degree through advances in the digital domain through semiconductor integration and processing. Advances in integration have provided improved performance and reduced power consumption over the years by integrating functionality into a single chip. For example, integration of this type in many instances has eliminated the need to drive external buses and the associated capacitative nature of these buses. Advances in process technology continue to reduce power consumption as switching transistor geometries and capacitances are reduced as process technology "shrinks" the internal dimensions of semiconductor devices. Electric fields become higher as devices shrink, requiring the use of smaller supply voltages for semiconductor devices. These improvements will continue over time as advances carry technology to more circuits in smaller devices.
In the analog domain, however, little progress has been made to reduce the overall power consumption for certain classes of functions that are necessary in the communications world. Traditional amplifier design continues to lag behind the digital curve in terms of techniques to reduce overall power consumption. From cell phones to high-speed internet access technologies like ADSL, linear amplifiers are often required to deliver communications services to the end user.
Over the years, a variety of techniques have been used to improve the power efficiency of amplifiers. These techniques are well known and referred to as class A, B, AB, or C operation. These terms are used to describe the amount of time that an amplifier spends "in conduction." Class A amplifiers operate over the entire cycle of an input signal; class B amplifiers operate over slightly less than 180 degrees, and class C amplifiers are used in applications that conduct over a small portion of the input cycle. Class C amplifiers are non-linear and are typically used in applications in which input signals have constant amplitude envelopes. Class C applications are typically operated in a "tuned" environment that utilizes external tuned circuits to remove any unwanted harmonics associated with the highly nonlinear amplification caused by the class C conduction angles.
For applications that require minimal distortion, class A, and class AB (a combination of class A and class B operation that provides for efficiency and low distortion) amplifiers are typically the technologies of choice for most designers.
Class D, G and H emerged from efforts to improve power efficiency. Class D amplifiers use switching transistors and pulse width modulation (width is proportional to amplitude of input signal) techniques along with passive integrators to "reconstruct" a filtered representation of the input signal by integrating the series of "pulses." As the transistors in this "amplifier" were either on or off, the power dissipation in the amplifier was minimal. Unfortunately, the audio performance was poor and distortion was quite high. Class G amplifiers were an improvement on class D technology from an audio quality point of view; although their efficiency was not as good as the class D devices. Class G amplifiers attempt to reduce the amount of power dissipated in the amplifier's transistors. Typically, amplifiers must be able to amplify a wide range of input signals. This requires the amplifier to have large power supply "rails" (high-voltage supplies that connect across the output transistors that are used to "drive" the load). When the amplifier is amplifying small signals, there is a small AC voltage that is developed across the load; there is also a current that is passing through the load. This same current is passing through the output transistors. Unfortunately, the power transistors drop the balance of the supply voltage across themselves, while supplying load current. A simple calculation reveals that these devices dissipate a substantial amount of power. Indeed, a compromise for having large voltage rails is that efficiencies become quite poor as signal levels are reduced. Ideally, the power supply rails could be switched between two supply voltages depending on the level of the input signal. Small signals do not invoke the switching of the output devices to the higher voltage (or supply) rail. Instead, small input signals tend to be amplified using the lower voltage of the two output rails. As the input signal increases in amplitude, a point is reached where the lower railed output amplifier can no longer keep up with the increasing amplitude of the input signal. When this occurs, the output transistors automatically switch to the higher voltage rail. This allows the amplifier to respond to various signal levels without consuming excessive amounts of power.
Class H amplifiers tend to operate similarly to class G amplifiers with a primary exception being that class H amplifiers tend to have continuously variable rails that track the input voltages. When circuits monitoring the input detect the need for additional power (by virtue of increased input amplitude), special circuits rapidly increase the power supply voltage across the output transistors. Class H can provide even higher potential amplifier efficiencies (at the expense of complexity), than class G amplifiers. These amplifiers have been used for typical audio applications whose signals range from DC to 20 kHz.
Engineering present-day communication systems, where efficient use of power is a primary consideration, involves the design of system pieces using different types of integrated circuits and amplifier types. Typically, the integrated circuits and amplifier types are selected based upon sets of specifications defined for each of the system pieces. Consequently, each system piece carries with it the advantages and disadvantages of the associated power-consuming integrated circuit and amplifier type. Until the disadvantages are completely eliminated, there will continue to be a need for circuit arrangements and methods of using power more efficiently for communication systems and its system pieces.

Power amplifier arrangement and method for data signal interface


A network match making method and system matches an additional computer executing an instance of a client computer program with one or more other computers executing instances of client computer programs. The computers are linked by one or more communication links. A match maker computer program receives a request from the instance executing on the additional computer to match with an instance executing on another computer. A measurement request is sent to the instance executing on the additional computer. Communication attributes between the additional computer and each existing computer are measured and an existing computer is selected as a match for the additional computer if one of the communication attributes exceeds a minimum performance requirement. Existing computers can be further selected based on further attributes. If none of the communication attributes meets the minimum performance requirement, a match maker program waits for a further request. The communication attributes measured can relate to at least one parameter such as latency, packet lost rate, and bandwidth.

Computer networks are widely used to connect multiple computer systems together for communicating and sharing information. Computer networks can also be used to implement multi-user applications that allow multiple users to share in the operation of a computer program. Common examples are video and teleconferencing applications, online multiplayer games which allow multiple users to play a game with one another and online chat environments. A problem common to all such multi-user network applications is providing an efficient way to bring together groups of users to join in the running of a multi-user application. Today, the known solutions deal only with the users requirements such as which other people they wish to be matched with. These solutions provide little more than manual methods for the users to select the other users that they wish to be matched with. This is workable only when there are reasonable numbers of users in the pool of all users. It becomes unworkable when there are large numbers of users and when the application has special requirements for network performance or capabilities of the client and/or server computer systems used to implement the application.
Networked applications for multiple clients exist in three forms. Peer-to-peer applications are executed by multiple client computers with no server or servers required. All communication traffic during the execution of the application is directed between the clients. Other multiple client networked applications use a single server system. The server may execute some portion of the application that is to be shared by all of the clients while the remainder of the application is executed on the clients. The server can also act as a communications collection point. Some or all of the communication traffic is between each of the clients and the server. The clients may additionally communicate with one another as needed. Finally, multiple servers may be used in a multiple client application. Similar to the case of a single server, a portion of the application may be executed on the servers. The multiple servers can also provide communications collection points for the clients.

Network match maker matching requesters based on communication attribute between the requesters


A coating composition comprising a colloid of a thermoplastic, elastomeric polyurethane and a wax dispersible in water is applied to the surface of a substrate, drying rapidly to form a tough, durable, protective film bonded firmly to the surface.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a non-toxic, water-based coating composition which, when applied to the surface of a substrate, particularly leather and vinyl materials, dries rapidly to provide a tough, protective film bonded firmly to the surface. This invention also relates to the method of using this coating composition.
2. Background Discussion
It is desirable to apply protective coatings to a wide variety of materials. For example, vinyl or leather upholstery for furniture and automobiles, articles of clothing like shoes and jackets, and objects such as purses, wallets, etc. all have an enhanced appearance if coated with a liquid which forms a durable film after evaporation of the carrying agent for the film forming material. U.S. Pat. No. 3,597,373 illustrates a typical coating composition which uses hydrocarbon solvents for the film forming material. These solvents are irritating to skin and mucus membranes, or even toxic upon prolonged exposure. Another disadvantage of hydrocarbon solvent based resin coatings is that the film formed tends to be inflexible. To overcome this, plasticizers are blended in the coating. These plasticizers migrate from the film over a period of time and may leave on the surface of the film a sticky, oily residue. Expensive blocking agents are used to inhibit the migration of the plasticizers from the film's surface. Eventually, the film becomes brittle when the plasticizers have volatized or have been transferred due to contact with other substrates and are no longer present in a sufficient amount to maintain the desired flexibility. Antioxidants are used in hydrocarbon solvent based resin coatings to speed drying and prevent decomposition of the film by air oxidation. Stabilizers are also used in hydrocarbon solvent based resin coatings to impart ultraviolet light resistance to both the coating and the resulting film. These are expensive and sometimes toxic ingredients.

Water based plasticizer free poly urethane-wax coating & repair composition & method


A lever-type connector includes a first connector, a second connector, and a lever that rotates to fit the first connector and the second connector together, the first connector and the second connector being mounted into a mounting hole of a panel when the first and second connectors are in a fitted state. The lever includes a flexible locking portion. The first connector includes a locked portion with which the locking portion is engaged in a manner such that the lever rotates to bend the locking portion when the first and second connectors are properly fitted together. The locking portion includes a regulating portion positioned to face an edge portion of the mounting hole of the panel when the first connector and the second connector properly fitted together are mounted in the mounting hole so as to prevent the engagement between the locking portion and the locked portion from being released.

There are known lever-type connectors attached to a panel, the connectors each including a male connector housing as a first connector, a female connector housing as a second connector fittable into the male connector housing, and a lever that is provided with the male connector housing and rotates to fit the male connector housing and the female connector housing together, wherein the male connector housing and the female connector housing fitted together are mounted into a mounting hole of the panel (for example, PTL 1).
In such a lever-type connector, the lever has a guide formed substantially in front of the lever, wherein the guide is oblique to the mounting direction of the connector into the mounting hole and is brought into contact with an edge of the mounting hole when the lever is in a fitting position. In addition, a rear surface of the female connector housing is substantially flush with or in front of the guide when the lever is in a standby position and when the female connector housing is fitted in the male connector housing.
This configuration allows the guide to properly guide the lever-type connector into the mounting hole of the panel even if the lever-type connector is in an offset position from the mounting hole since the guide of the lever comes into contact with the edge of the mounting hole. Further, since the rear surface of the female connector housing is substantially flush with or in front of the guide when the lever is in the standby position, the user can push the rear surface of the female connector housing without interference of the guide.