A Mach-Zehnder modulator intensity modulating signal light using a simple drive circuit for the modulating voltage. The modulator includes two waveguides with respective multiple quantum well (MQW) structures. Well layers of the MQW structures of the two optical waveguides have different thicknesses or are made from different materials so the phase of light propagating through one waveguide advances and through the other waveguide is delayed in response to the same applied voltage. The phase-changed light signals are combined as an output light signal that is intensity modulated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a Mach-Zehnder modulator which modulates the intensity of laser light in response to an electric signal for of optical communications.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a Mach-Zehnder modulator of the prior art, as reported by D. M. Adams et al. (Electronics Letters 29th February 1996, vol.32, No.5 p485-486), for example, incident signal laser light is split to pass through two optical waveguides, each optical waveguide having a multiple quantum well structure (hereinafter referred to as "MQW") comprising an InGaAs well and an InGaAsP barrier is sandwiched by clad layers (having the same construction as that shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B)
When a positive modulating voltage is applied to the MQW of one branch optical waveguide and a negative modulating voltage is applied to the MQW of the other branch optical waveguide, refractive indices of the two branch optical waveguides change in the opposite senses due to the Stark effect of quantum confinement. That is, refractive index increases in one branch optical waveguide and decreases in the other branch optical waveguide.
As a result, the phase of the signal light transmitted in the optical waveguides gains in one optical waveguide and the delays in the other optical waveguide, and intensity of the output signal light can be modulated by synthesizing, i.e., combining, these signal lights.
The Mach-Zehnder modulator of the prior art, because of two branch optical waveguides having the same construction, has a problem in having different phases in the two optical waveguides requiring application of modulating voltages of opposite phases to the two optical waveguides, thus requiring a complicated drive circuit for the modulating voltage.


A dispensing food container having a bottom wall and a side wall connected to the bottom wall, thereby forming an inner chamber. A cover is displaceably mounted with respect to the side wall for varying the volume of the inner chamber. At least a portion of an outer peripheral portion of the cover forms a seal against an inner surface of the side wall. The cover has a cover through hole which is in communication with the inner chamber. A flanged nozzle can be used to facilitate transfer of the fluidized food from within the inner chamber to a cracker, a chip, a vegetable or the like.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a container for dispensing food wherein a cover of the container is forced toward a bottom of the container and results in a fluidized food being forced upward and through a cover through hole within the cover.
2. Description of Prior Art
Many food containers exist which hold fluidized food, such as various dips for chips, vegetables and the like. However, most conventional food containers require the user to scoop the food out with an utensil, such as a spoon, knife or the like. Other containers for food have various covers or lids for preserving the food during storage. Some conventional lids are for the purpose of retaining heat or preventing spillage of the fluidized food.
For example, U.S. Pat. Des. 287,919 discloses a drinking cup lid which has a relatively small through hole in the lid for allowing liquid within the drinking cup to flow from the cup, through the lid and into a special reservoir molded within the lid.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,812,121 teaches a dispensing container for liquids, powder, sugar and the like. The protective cover for the container has a flange with a cut away section. By squeezing or applying pressure about the periphery of the container, the container extends in a predetermined direction to form a spout through which liquid within the container can be poured. The spout extends through the cut away section of the lid when the container is compressed about its periphery.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,973,449 and Des. 276,118 disclose different covers for dishes or the like. According to the teachings of the '449 patent, the cover has openings for the exhaust of steam or vapor.
It is thus apparent that there exists a need for a container which provides easy dispensing of a fluidized food, such as dips for vegetables, chips, crackers and the like, particularly without requiring additional utensils for dispensing the food.


A method for the target recognition of target objects, in particular for the target recognition of the operating elements in a motor vehicle are disclosed herein. The method (and systems which incorporate the method) may employ various gaze tracking device, hand tracking devices, and combine inputs from the two based on a methodology for correlation.

The disclosure relates to a method for the target recognition of target objects, in particular for the target acquisition of operating elements in a vehicle.
A plurality of systems and methods can be gathered from the prior art which make possible a contactless interaction with virtual elements for users via graphic user surface, also designated in short as GUI for "graphical user interface". Such systems are used in technical areas in which a contamination by a direct contact with operating elements is undesired or in which operating elements lie out of range for a user.
Therefore, a control system for a vehicle is known from US 2014/0292665 A1 in which the control of operating elements is based on a camera-based following of the viewing direction, also designated as "gaze-tracking" or "eye-tracking" and on a camera-based or sensor-based recognition of gestures of the user. In order to control the operating elements, the following of the viewing direction and the control of gestures can be combined with one another, in which a processor unit or software recognizes an operating element fixed visually by the user. As such, an activation of the operating element or a release for further actions/functions of the operating element does not take place until a gesture recognition module recognizes an appropriately associate-able hand movement or finger movement of the user. The target acquisition of operating elements is therefore based substantially on following the view of the user without a geometric relationship to positional data of a performed gesture being required.
An improved target accuracy in the recognition of virtual elements may be achieved with the technical teaching disclosed in WO 2015/001547 A1. It suggests a method for the target recognition of virtual elements, wherein a spatial relationship between the direction of view and the indicating direction of an indicating gesture of the user is taken into consideration. The direction of the indication of a finger of the user is determined with a 3-D image recording device and compared with the viewing direction of the user. In as far as the alignment of the two directional vectors viewing direction and indicating direction takes place within a tolerance range an interaction with a virtual element or the contactless movement of the cursor via a display device can be realized by the user. However, the recognition of the three-dimensional relationship between the viewing direction vector and the directional vector of the indicating gesture requires a relatively high computer performance.
Another technical teaching that takes into account the combination of the viewing direction and the indicating direction as well as their spatial relationship in the recognition of targets of virtual elements is apparent from US 2014/184494 A1. It also suggests a solution for determining intersections of the directional vectors of the viewing direction and of the indicating direction with a representation plane for virtual elements.
The systems known from the prior art have the disadvantage that a successful target recognition of virtual elements must be preceded by an expensive calibration in which several individual objects must be aimed at by the user.

Method for the target recognition of target objects


A braking device 3 includes an outer race 10, brake cams 20 each having a brake surface 21, and an output-side rotating member 30 disposed radially inward of the brake cams 20. The braking device 3 includes a spring 81 provided between at least one pair of brake cams 20 among three brake cams 20 so as to urge the pair of the brake cams 20 to be separated from each other.

A braking device is used in a height adjustment mechanism for a car seat; such a braking device may be configured such that an output shaft rotates by the manipulation of a lever that is provided at an input-side and designed to be swung upward or downward but the output shaft does not rotate even when a force for lowering the seat due to weights of the seat and an occupant is applied to the output shaft (see, for example, Japanese Translation of PCT International Application, Publication No. 2002-511035).
This braking device includes an outer race having a cylindrical inner peripheral surface, a plurality of brake cams (clamping members) located opposite the inner peripheral surface, and an output-side rotating member (bolt with a wing) disposed inward of the brake cams. A rotating force imparted to the brake cams is transmitted from the brake cams to the output-side rotating member; however, even though a rotating force is imparted to the output-side rotating member, the brake cams do not rotate because forces applied to the brake cams by the output-side rotating member abutting on the brake cams act mainly as forces for pressing the brake cams against the outer race and the rotating force applied from the output-side rotating member to the brake cams does not overcome the frictional forces which could be generated between the brake cams and the outer race.


A high efficient gas fired frying apparatus for deep frying food is disclosed. The gas fired frying apparatus is comprised of a supply system for air and fuel gas, a compression system, a burner system, a combustion chamber, a heat exchanger system and an exhaust system. The air and fuel gas are mixed and pressurized prior to being introduced to the burner system. The burner system works in conjunction with the combustion chamber to support combustion by balancing the premixture velocity with the flame velocity such that smooth and complete combustion occurs. The high velocity components of combustion are directed through a heat exchanger which transfers the heat to the cooking oil. The exhaust system recovers additional energy from the products of combustion and a catalytic converter may be added for removal of unwanted pollutants.

This invention relates to a frying apparatus. More particularly, this invention relates to a gas-fired frying apparatus for use in restaurants and institutional kitchens for frying fish, poultry, potatoes and other foods in a frypot containing frying oil.
The current state of the art for deep fryers is apparatuses which are comprised of a vat or frypot in which a quantity of cooking oil is heated to a predetermined temperature for so called deep fat frying. There are several long standing concerns and problems associated with these types of apparatuses.
The first problem with a deep fat frying apparatus is its relatively low efficiency as compared to modern day residential furnaces or commercial boilers. With the rising cost of fuel gas coupled with the question of its long term supply, it is imperative that a higher efficiency level for all fuel gas appliances be obtained. The apparatus within this invention has addressed this issue by reaching a higher level of unit efficiency. The unique features of the pressurized combustion process within this invention provides for an even higher level of efficiency by utilizing an auxiliary heat recovery system which can bring the units overall efficiency to approximately 90%.
Another concern with deep fat frying apparatus is the cost of the cooking oil. The health conscious trend of consumers has caused most restaurants/institutional kitchens to go to higher cost vegetable oils for cooking. Since the cost of the oil is the most costly component of the deep fat frying operation, any reduction in the amount of oil used is beneficial. One design within this invention in an apparatus that requires approximately 12% less cooking oil.
Still another concern with deep fat frying equipment is environmental issues. The future allowable emission levels for such equipment will surely be lower. This will present a problem for the restaurant/institutional kitchen because of the fact that this type of equipment is often one of the most widely used and most important cooking apparatuses within the operation. The apparatus presented in this invention addresses this concern by producing lower emissions and the apparatus has the flexibility to further accommodate toxic emissions or materials via a catalytic converter.
Still another concern with deep fat frying equipment is the overall taste and quality of the foodstuffs as all the above issues come to bear. Deep fat frying apparatuses used in restaurants and institutional kitchens, including so called fast food dispensers, must be capable of rapid warm up and maintaining a uniform temperature of the cooking oil over a specific time period including when relatively large loads of raw foodstuffs are placed in the frypot. These apparatuses must accommodate foodstuffs from potatoes to poultry, each with its own unique heating requirements, while maintaining consistency and uniformity of taste. Much research and testing has been done to determine the optimum frying time/temperature within a given cooking oil to ensure quality of taste. This invention provides for the pre-programming of a time/temperature function and, when combined with the unique features of the invented apparatus, will provide for precise control of these stringent time/temperature functions in a highly efficient manner. This flexibility ensures the quality of taste for a variety of foodstuffs with minimum energy consumption.


The present invention is generally related to the analysis of chemical compositions of hydrocarbons and hydrocarbon blends. This method applies specifically to the problem of analyzing extremely complex hydrocarbon-containing mixtures when the number and diversity of molecules makes it impossible to realistically identify and quantify them individually in a reasonable timeframe and cost. The advantage to this method over prior art is the ability to separate and identify chemical constituents and solvent fractions based on their solvent-solubility characteristics, their high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) adsorption and desorption behaviors, and their interactions with stationary phases; and subsequently identify and quantify them at least partially using various combinations of non-destructive HPLC, destructive HPLC, and stand-alone detectors presently not routinely used for HPLC but reconfigured to obtain spectra on the fly. This analytical method is especially useful for, but not limited to, asphalt binders and asphalt binder blends, modified asphalts, asphalt modifiers, asphalt additives, polymer-modified asphalts, asphalts containing rejuvenators and softening agents, asphalts containing recycled products, aged asphalts, and air-blown asphalts, which may contain wide varieties of different types of additives and chemistries, and forensic applications, and environmental pollutant identification.

Knowing the chemical composition of hydrocarbons (including but not limited to petroleum oils and asphaltic materials) is critical in applications such as improving the performance of bituminous roadways, bridges, roofs or other infrastructure, as well as improving refining and oil production efficiency or even in forensic applications such as the identification of the nature of pollutants in case of environmental catastrophes like oil spillage, or the nature of defective products in case of early asphalt pavement failures, to name a few. Certain embodiments of the inventive technology disclosed herein combine innovative features that provide a comprehensive, automated separation of oils in a manner that has not yet been achieved. This separation provides quantitative information about the relative amounts of several fractions using automated, normal phase chromatography coupled with a novel solubility-based separation of asphaltenes, saturates, naphthenes, two subfractions of aromatics, polars (resins), and three solubility subfractions of asphaltenes. The generated data provide valuable insight into compositional differences between different oils and asphalt binders, and various additives, polymers or modifiers, the internal chemical changes which occur due to aging or processing, modification, blending, and processing generally. The results can be used in establishing compatibility, blending, formulating, modifying and for predictive modeling, process control, and improving processing efficiency and yield, inter alia.
Adsorption Chromatography Petroleum Separations:
Separating a material into its constituent parts is often necessary in defining its composition. Separations of oils using normal phase chromatography have been around for several decades. One early version of such type of analysis was developed by Corbett who separated asphalts into saturate, naphthene aromatic, polar aromatic and asphaltene fractions.
A similar procedure was described by Jewel et al., in which crude oil or asphalt was separated into saturate, aromatic, resin, and asphaltene (SARA) fractions.
Using well known procedures, before these separations can be performed, the oils are usually first separated into two solubility classes by a gravimetric separation utilizing a low polarity hydrocarbon solvent such as isooctane, pentane, or heptane. The soluble material is by definition called the maltenes or petrolenes. The insoluble material is, by definition, called asphaltenes. The gravimetric asphaltenes/maltenes separation typically takes 24 hours. The chromatographic separation of maltenes takes another day. Certain conventional techniques to separate the maltenes employ gravimetric open-column normal-phase adsorption chromatography using polar stationary phases such as activated silica gel or activated aluminum oxide. If the asphaltenes are to be further separated gravimetrically into two solubility subfractions such as cyclohexane soluble and cyclohexane insoluble, it may take an additional day.
Again, using conventional methods, the maltenes are often separated into three fractions by normal-phase liquid chromatography: saturates, aromatics, and resins/polars. The saturates fractions consist of both linear, branched and naphthenic fully saturated organic molecules of low polarity containing carbon and hydrogen and essentially no heteroatoms.
A molecule in the aromatics fraction contains mainly carbon and hydrogen, possibly some thiophenic sulfur, few if any heteroatoms, and is distinct from the saturate fraction by containing one or more aromatic rings. The resins and asphaltenes fractions both contain many aromatic rings including highly colored pericondensed aromatic structures, with many polar substituents.
Rod Chromatography:
Approaches for SARA separation can be divided into two main groups. The first method that has been widely utilized uses a technique known as thin-layer chromatography (TLC), and when combined with flame ionization detection (FID) becomes semi-automated. This is known as the Iatroscan method in which capillary thin layer chromatography is conducted with whole oils on silica or alumina rods as a stationary phase, followed by evaporating the elution solvent and then slowly passing the rods through the flame of a flame ionization detector to provide information on the relative amounts of the fractional zones on the rod. The Iatroscan system typically elutes the fractions in a sequence of solvents consisting of a linear alkane, cyclohexane, toluene, and dichloromethane: methanol mixtures. However, the Iatroscan method has severe drawbacks including variable response factors for the different fractions, relatively high amounts of polar compounds retained near the spot location on the TLC rod, and aromatics grouping together to act like resins during separation. The separation is not very repeatable and there is a chronic problem with the strongly adsorbed, asphaltene material which does not migrate up the rod.
Column Chromatography:
The second type of method requires initial precipitation of the asphaltenes by dissolving the sample in an excess of an alkane before further separation of the maltenes into the saturate, aromatic, and resin (SAR) fractions by liquid chromatography. Typical methods for the asphaltene separations are described in ASTM D3279, ASTMD4124 or similar. Many variations of the SAR separation have been developed using amino, cyano, or alumina columns including several automated or semi-automated methods utilizing high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
Radke et al. described a semi-automated, medium pressure liquid chromatography system to separate maltenes involving three analytical columns and three pre-columns in which the pre-columns had to be re-packed between each injection. Variations for automated separations of the maltenes are typically performed using silica gel derivatized with aminopropyl or cyano functional groups. These typically do not provide fully resolved separations of saturates and aromatics and irreversible adsorption occurs on the columns due to resins and soluble asphaltene-type component molecules. A published version of an HPLC SARA method in the laboratory that uses chemically bonded aminosilane stationary phase for an automated SAR separation of crude oil maltenes has been evaluated and, while the authors claim that it also works on bituminous material, no data were presented to support this assertion and attempts to desorb the most polar fractions of asphalt from their system were unsuccessful, resulting in poor recovery and fouling of the column. Fan and Buckley developed a method that used two aminosilane columns. However, HPLC SARA methods that use chemically bonded aminosilane stationary phase of crude oil maltenes result in fouling of the column because of irreversible adsorption of resins. While their system appears to work well for crude oils, the most polar components of the resins fraction of asphalt became irreversibly bonded to the column. Further, the saturates and aromatics fractions are not completely separated in the Fan and Buckley system. It was evident that a new system was needed for asphalt and heavy oils that performs the SAR separation without fouling the column and that allows full recovery of the resins fraction.
This inventive technology, in embodiments, is a SARA (saturates, aromatics, resins and asphaltenes) procedure that involves a novel combination of two modes of separation/analysis—an asphaltenic mode (which may be non-chromatographic and, instead, solubility based) and an adsorption chromatography mode dedicated to the separation and/or analysis of saturates and possibly also aromatics and resins—for hydrocarbons such as, e.g., bitumen and oils, including but not limited to petroleum oils, asphalt, coal liquids and shale oils.
The new techniques and capabilities provide more powerful methods to analyze extremely complex hydrocarbon blends. Unlike prior art, which separate hydrocarbon blends into very generic composition fractions, this new method allows much finer separation of compounds in multiple dimensions according to the following (in exemplary, non-exhaustive manner): their solubility parameters, their solubility elution behaviors, their chromatographic adsorption behaviors, their chromatographic desorption behaviors, their molecular weights, and their responses to varieties of configurations of detectors arranged to obtain chemical information and measurement of chemical moieties.
The SAR-AD (SARA) separation is greatly expanded to include additional detection capabilities for improved chemical compound analysis including quantitative applications, and the separation capability is broadened to include a chromatographic application to determine the molecular weight profiles of the analyzed samples, as described further below.

Methods for analyzing hydrocarbons and hydrocarbon blends for chemical compositions

The University of Wyoming Research Corporation


An apparatus, system, and method for the secure attachment and restraint of a pipe end within a fitting is disclosed. The invention includes a mechanical restraint apparatus that is integral and monolithic with the flange of a bell of a spigot-and-bell joint architecture, along with one or more internally disposed grooves within the bell that receive a circumferential gasket, in order to maintain a seal about the pipe end when it is inserted into the bell. The inventive apparatus combines features of mechanical connections and push-on connections.

The present invention generally relates to methods and devices for coupling pipes together and more particularly relates to a integral restraining mechanism for an end of a pipe that sealingly holds another pipe, conduit, valve housing, or similar member in coupled relationship with the pipe.
Over the years, various devices and methods have been used to couple pipe of all types with other pipe, valves, various pipe fittings, hydrants, and miscellaneous connections, where pipe is secured to another member and thereafter subjected to internal fluid pressure which tends to separate the pipe from the member to which it is coupled. Typical uses for a variety of such pipe devices are sewer systems, water distribution systems, and the like. The pipe and fittings used in such systems have been traditionally fabricated from ductile iron pipe, but in recent years plastic pipe such as pipe made from polyvinyl chloride (i.e. PVC pipe) has been used in certain applications. It is also been common in such systems to use fittings and valves made primarily for use with cast and ductile iron pipe.
Many pipe systems must accommodate high hydraulic pressures. When coupling two lengths of pipe together or when coupling a length of pipe to a fitting or a valve, the joint must resist these high pressures that would tend to both separate the joint and also force the liquid out of the joint. Joint architectures in general use are of the bell and spigot type where the pipe is inserted into a receiving circular recess that encloses the pipe end. To capture and hold the pipe end within the recess, a fitting is used to secure the pipe end. Two principal types of fittings, the push-on joint fitting and the mechanical joint fitting, are in general use today.
The push-on joint fitting, as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 3,963,298, issued to Seiler, receives the pipe end and frictionally holds it within the bell. The pipe end and the bell are first cleaned to remove any debris. A gasket, which is usually shipped separately, is then placed inside the bell in a gasket seat by looping the gasket and forcing it into place, compressing the gasket slightly in the circumferential direction which causes the gasket to remain in place. The pipe is then cut to size and plain end of the pipe is mechanically beveled or tapered, as by grinding, in order to push it past the gasket in the fitting into the bell.
A jacking mechanism may then be attached to the pipe end and the bell in order to force the tapered end of the pipe past the gasket until the pipe bottoms out in the socket. A considerable force is required to insert the pipe end past the gasket; with short lengths of pipe, control during the insertion action becomes problematic, since the short piece of pipe tends to buckle out of alignment during the force application, hence the necessity for complicated special rigging to provide this force in a controlled way. The pipe end and the bell may be lubricated with a soft soap or other applicable lubricant in order to reduce the force requirement.
In some cases, joint restraint is provided by special gaskets with steel clips, molded into the gasket. In these cases, the joint must be jacked in the reverse direction after assembly to insure that the clips have locked onto the pipe. If disassembly is necessary, thin shims must be hammered into the joint to lift the clips out of their locked positions prior to jacking the joint apart with the special rigging.
Since the assembly of these push-on fittings can be a complicated and time consuming, most fittings in use today are mechanical joint fittings. They are standardized to conform to the requirements of ANSI/AWWA C111/A21.11, "Rubber-Gasket Joints for Ductile-iron Pressure Pipe and Fittings". A mechanical joint consists of a tapered gasket seat, a tapered or wedge shaped gasket, and a follower ring or "gland". Both the bell of the fitting and the gland are provided with a flange having axial bolt holes. While regular bolts can be used, special "T-Bolts" are generally used to connect the gland to the bell. The number of bolts required may depend upon the pipe diameter, ranging from four on a 3-inch pipe and eight on a 12-inch pipe, up to thirty-two on the 48-inch pipe.
In assembling the joint in the field, the pipe end and bell are cleaned to remove debris that might interfere with the seal. The gland is then placed over the pipe end with its special compression "lip" of the gland directed toward the pipe end. The gasket may then be lubricated as before and stretched over the end of the pipe with its tapered surface toward the pipe end. Beveling or tapering of the pipe end is not required, as with the push-on fitting. The pipe end may then be inserted into the bell with minimal force until the pipe end bottoms out in the socket, thus avoiding the use of special rigging. The gasket is then brought forward and inserted into the gasket seat, where it is caulked or pounded into place as necessary. The gland is brought into position touching the gasket, and T-bolts are inserted into holes provided about the bell and through the holes in the gland where they are captured by nuts. The bolts must be tightened in a "star" pattern, in order to maintain alignment during tightening, first tightening one bolt then the opposite bolt, 180° from the first, then the bolt 90° from the last bolt, and so forth, until all bolts have at least 75 to 90 ft.-lb. placed on them for sizes 3-inch through 24-inch and more for the larger sizes. This is an arduous and time consuming task and requires experience, skill, and strength on the part of the worker. The environmental conditions present in the field when the gland is installed, i.e. rain, snow, freezing temperatures, and the like, may further complicate the process.
One problem associated with the T-bolt tightening process as described above is that adjoining bolts loosen as one bolt is tightened to bring the gland closer to the bell. As tightening proceeds, a bolt is brought into the required torque range, the next bolt is also brought the torque range, and so forth, until all of the bolts have been tightened at least once; if the first bolt is then checked, it is found to be loose and not torqued properly. The act of tightening all bolts will necessarily loosen some of the bolts. These bolts must again be tightened and re-tightened until all bolts are within the specified torque range. This process may ordinarily be repeated five or more times until the torque on all bolts is stabilized.
Another problem is that, after tightening, if the joint is left for about thirty minutes, the bolts will lose torque, because of what is commonly referred to as "cold flow" of the gasket. Although if the original torque level was above the 75 ft.-lb. level the joint will not ordinarily leak, the fact of the loss of torque makes determining the cause of a leak very confusing. It is often very difficult to determine if the bolts were or were not tightened properly.
Most fittings are also installed in a trench, making access to the bolts on the bottom of the joint a problem. The most frequent complaint is a leaky joint caused by loose bolts on the bottom of the joint usually due to the difficulty of getting to these bolts.
One benefit of a mechanical joint is that the joint requires no unusual equipment to assemble. Second, if a mistake is made, the mistake at least can be remedied since disassembly is reasonably simple. Disassembly of a push-on joint is complicated, requiring special tools, and often results in having to cut the pipe in order to separate the joint. Although skill and some strength are required to assemble a mechanical joint, mistakes can be corrected without having to replace the pipe and/or fitting.
Other variants of pipe joints and fittings exist. The prior art patents describe two mechanisms having somewhat similar actions. One is referred to as a "Bayonet locking ring". The bayonet ring is a gland ring having integral protruding segments on its outer surface which interact with like integral segments in the bell of a pipe to retain the ring in the bell. This bayonet ring imparts no forward motion and can usually be rotated by hand. This mechanism is referenced in Bram, U.S. Pat. No. 3,765,706, Oct. 16, 1973. A second mechanism is a "Breech Lock" ring also having integral protruding segments on its outer surface which interact with like segments in the bell to retain the gland ring and also impart forward motion when the ring is rotated. Such a mechanism can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,402,531, Sep. 6, 1983, to Kennedy. These segments have an inclined surface and can either be an interrupted single thread screw or separate and wedge-like. In this invention, the segments are separate and wedge-like. The breech lock ring is usually used also to compress some type of gasket and must be tightened using more force than can be applied by hand.
In order to keep the joint from separating, the pipe must be firmly attached through use of an attachment means to the other pipe or to the fitting. To keep the joint water-tight, a gasket is typically inserted between the pipe end and the other pipe or fitting and held firmly in place by the attachment means. Generally the attachment means may be comprised of a separate restraining device, or restrainer ring, that grasps a pipe and maintains the pipe in firm abutment with a gasket between the pipe end and the other pipe or fitting, in order to prevent water from escaping from the joint. Typically the other pipe or fitting has a bell-shaped flange that receives and surrounds the pipe end and gasket a short distance.
The principal problem presented by such joints is gripping or grasping the pipe. Pipe joint restraining devices relying on friction alone are very unpredictable. To restrain reasonable amounts of internal pressure in pipe, it has been found necessary to create a groove in the surface of the pipe deep enough and wide enough to provide adequate shear strength to resist large axial loads created by the pressure. The soft character of PVC pipe has made it necessary to create grooves around the outer surface of the pipe over a major portion of its circumference without either damaging the pipe or reducing the capability of the pipe to withstand pressure. To create a system using PVC pipe to resist high axial loads, one or more parallel grooves should be provided about the external circumference of the PVC pipe, the groove having sufficient depth along almost the entire circumference. The radial loads on the pipe must be kept at a minimum to prevent damage to the pipe, as by crushing, after the groove has been formed. The pipe joint restraining device must include a thrust resisting engaging means that remains in these external circumferential groove or grooves.
A substantial number of prior art patents show a wide variety of apparatus and methods for attachment to grip a pipe. Several devices have used an inclined plane to create enough mechanical advantage to grip a pipe to prevent separation. See the following U.S. Patent Numbers: Gammeter, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,898,623; Yano, 3,594,023; Sato, 3,937,500; Felker, 4,070,046; Yamaji, 4,417,754; and Hattori, 4,438,954. These devices all provide a separate external annular mechanism having no limit to the travel of the wedging member, and thus there is little or no limit to the radial deflection of the pipe ring due to the extreme radial force. Also, these devices require extremely strong rings and pipe if high pressures and large diameter pipe are restrained.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,920,270, issued to Babb, provides a front flange on his grip ring which could be used as a limit to the travel of the wedge. However, if the pressure continues to increase after the wedge reaches its limit, the result is a toggle which creates extreme radial force on the pipe as the wedge overturns.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,092,036, issued to Sato, shows a wedging action with a limit in the form of a rear wall in a housing which contacts the wedge at the rear and thus stops the travel of the wedge. Actual experience with this device used on ductile-iron as well as PVC pipe indicates that because of the oval shaped hole in the top of the housing a toggle action around the intersection of features 28 and 43 in FIG. 7a as a pivot point allows the rear tooth to disengage and the front tooth to dive into the pipe. This action increases the radial stress in large diameter pipe at very high pressures, i.e., 500 psi.
Toggling has also been used to grip the surface of the pipe in joint restraint designs. Dillon, U.S. Pat. No. 1,930,194, Hashimoto, U.S. Pat. No. 4,647,083 and Moussiaux, British Patent 1,403,671, show toggling or Belleville spring devices. Toggling involves pivoting about a point slightly off the vertical center line of the mechanism. As the pivot point passes the vertical, deflection of the pipe or the groove usually remains. In Hashimoto, for a 12 inch pipe and a 1 inch toggle arm the maximum groove depth would be approximately 0.026 inch.
The key to a reliable restraint means for PVC pipe, especially on larger diameters, is the ability to reliably create these grooves. Other devices such as those described in Roche, U.S. Pat. No. 4,336,959 and Bradley, U.S. Pat. No. 4,568,112 form grooves in the pipe with side bolts connecting two half rings. This does not produce enough force to reliably create multiple grooves completely around a large diameter pipe such as 12 inch through 30 inch pipe. The result is slippage on the pipe and premature failure. Tests on large diameter versions of these devices have shown that grooves are created only near the side bolts. When the pressure is increased, shear failures in these limited grooves cause sudden slippage and impact on the highly stressed PVC pipe. The result is sudden premature bursting of the pipe itself at pressures well below those required by the AWWA standard.
As can be seen, there is a need for a mechanical fitting for a pipe joint that allows the joint to be fabricated in less time than the time it takes to fabricate a joint using a separate gland and gasket, that does not require special tools or jacking mechanisms to engage the items forming the joint, and that can be assembled in inclement weather or adverse conditions in a shortened time period.

Mechanically restrained push-on pipe connection


An object of the present invention is to provide a process for laminating works together that are capable of giving laminates a high bonding strength ensured therein. The process for laminating works together laminates a work composed of a resin to a work composed of a resin or glass, the process including a surface activation step of treating a laminating surface of at least the work composed of a resin with vacuum ultraviolet ray or with atmospheric pressure plasma, and a bonding step of bonding together the two works stacked on each other such that a laminating surface of one of the works abuts a laminating surface of the other work, wherein in the surface activation step, the treatment of the laminating surfaces with vacuum ultraviolet ray or with atmospheric pressure plasma is terminated when an accumulated treatment quantity of the vacuum ultraviolet ray or the atmospheric pressure plasma applied to the laminating surfaces is within an initial drop range shown in a variation curve of a water contact angle on the laminating surfaces with respect to the accumulated treatment quantity.

In biochemistry fields, technique using a microreactor for e.g., separation, synthesis, extraction or analysis of a minuscule quantity of reagents have been recently attracting attention. The microreactor is composed of a microchip having a small substrate composed of e.g., silicon, a silicone resin or glass on which a channel for analysis at a micro scale is formed by a semiconductor micro fabricating technique.
A reaction analysis system using such a microreactor is referred to as a micro total analysis system (hereinafter called "μTAS"). The μTAS provides effects such as the increase in a ratio of a surface area to a volume of reagents, and therefore enables a reaction analysis at a high speed with high precision leading to the provision of a compact and automated system.
Allowing the microchip to include a flow path called a microchannel which has regions exerting various functions, such as a reaction region having a reagent placed thereon, makes it possible to form microchips employable in various applications, the applications including analysis in the fields of chemistry, biochemistry, pharmacy, medical science and veterinary science, such as genetic analysis, clinical diagnosis and drug screening, synthesis of compounds and environmental measurements.
Such microchips have a typical structure in which a pair of substrates facing each other are bonded to each other, with the surface of at least one of the substrates having a microchannel (approximately measuring, e.g., from ten to several hundred micrometers in width, from ten to several hundred micrometers in depth). A substrate for forming the microchips used in most cases is a glass substrate, which is readily producible and allows for optical detection. Also, recent years have seen the ongoing development of microchips made of a resin substrate, which is lightweight, more unlikely to break than the glass substrate, and is inexpensive.
Conceivably, processes for laminating substrates together in the production of microchips involve the use of an adhesive or the use of heat sealing, and yet these processes have problems as follows.
Problems with the lamination process using an adhesive include the adhesive's exuding into the microchannels thereby clogging the microchannels or narrowing part of the microchannels, consequently causing the channels to have a non-uniform diameter; and disordering homogenous properties of wall surfaces of the channels.
Problems with the lamination process using heat sealing include the crushing of channels during a heating stage caused by the sealing carried out at a temperature exceeding heat melting temperature, and the failure of channels to retain a predetermined cross-sectional shape, which would lead to the difficulty in giving the microchip higher functions.
In view of the above circumstances, a method proposed recently is the application of vacuum ultraviolet ray onto the surface of the substrates thereby activating the surface of the substrates, and then laminating the resultant substrates together (see Patent Literatures 1 to 5).


An integrated system is described for testing, marking, inspecting and shipping completed semiconductor integrated circuit parts in a modified standard shipping tray by the combined use of a novel tray cover and an appropriately designed burn-in board assembly. A specially designed tray cover is placed on the modified shipping tray containing multiple integrated circuit parts which have been encapsulated and singulated. The cover is designed to hold the parts securely and precisely in specific individual location. Openings in the cover permit marking and inspecting of the parts by known means, when desired. A burn-in board is appropriately connected to the exposed leads of the parts, from beneath the tray and burn-in and other tests are conducted. Defective parts are identified and replaced. The special cover and burn-in board are removed from the shipping tray, which is then covered with a standard cover or stacked with other completed trays, to be stored or shipped.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the procedures and containment steps taken in inspecting, marking and testing finished semiconductor parts and preparing them for shipping.
2. Description of Prior Art
Common and conventional procedures used with finished semiconductor parts prior to shipping usually involve burn-in, testing an marking of the parts and then placement of the parts in standard containers for shipment or storage. Each of the described steps usually requires individual handling of the parts and manual transfer from one location, station or tray to another, with appropriate connection and disconnection of the parts at each point in the procedure. Such handling of the finished parts is a common source of breakage and component failure of the parts which, of course, affects the quality and performance of the finished product.
This invention seeks to minimize such failures by eliminating much of the standard handling and consolidates and simplifies the procedures taken with the final product prior to shipping.

Semiconductor testing and shipping system


According to an embodiment, a recognition device includes a generation unit to select, plural times, groups each including learning samples from a storage unit, learn a classification metric for classifying the groups selected in each selection, and generate an evaluation metric including the classification metrics; a transformation unit to transform a first feature value of an image including an object into a second feature value using the evaluation metric; a calculation unit to calculate similarities of the object to categories in a table using the second feature value and reference feature values; and a registration unit to register the second feature value as the reference feature value in the table associated with the category of the object and register the first feature value as the learning sample belonging to the category of the object in the storage unit. The generation unit performs the generation again.

In object (pattern) recognition, there is a method for learning a metric space of learning data having a plurality of learning samples and reducing the dimension thereof. According to this method, a linear transformation matrix is calculated (learned) which is used for performing a transformation such that a distance between learning samples belonging to different categories increases, and the calculated linear transformation matrix is applied to the learning data. In a recognition process, an object as a recognition target is recognized by applying the calculated linear transformation matrix to data of an image including the object as the recognition target or the like.
However, according to a conventional method as described above, it is difficult to acquire high accuracy of recognition in a case where the data of an object as a recognition target has a distribution different from that of learning samples, and the amount of calculation during the learning is large. Accordingly, it is difficult to apply such a conventional technology to a recognition device in which data or learning samples that become a recognition metric of object recognition are sequentially added.

Recognition device, recognition method, and computer program product


Disclosed is a bullet shell for hunting guns, preferably those having barrels with “rifled choke” rifling. The shell comprises a bullet made of a solid material and a thin-wall plastic envelope. On its surface, the bullet has a trapezoidal groove delimiting nose and heel portions of the bullet. The envelope enclosing the bullet is made of identical longitudinal halves having a cylindrical outer surface and an inner surface matching with the surface of the bullet. A peripheral flat collar of a width of b and a height of b1=0.5b is provided at the bullet nose portion end surface. The collar passes into a taper boring with an apex angle α=120±5°, and the envelope protrudes by b2=b1 beyond the plane of the bullet collar. The bullet shell offers improved longitudinal stability when shooting through minor obstacles (bushes, grass) and improved grouping of up to 60 mm at 100 m.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to bullet shells with a solid bullet and is suitable for firing hunting guns, preferably the guns having rifled choke barrels, within a range of up to 100 m.
2. Description of the Related Art
Rifled choke barrels were invented over 100 years ago and never gained wide acceptance due to the lack of good bullet shells suitable for the same. The patent for the rifled choke was granted to British colonel G. V. Fosberry as early as 1884. The essence of the invention consists in that the choke narrowing of a conventional smoothbore shotgun barrel is provided with rifles enabling a lead bullet to be twisted about an axis after it has passed through the rifled choke. Until 1910, the patent for the rifled choke was owned by Holland & Holland. At the time when Fosberry obtained his patent the smoothbore gun bullets had a speed not exceeding 350 m/s. However, the rifled choke is ineffective when shooting with the lead bullets whose speed exceeds 400 m/s. Long-lasting and unsuccessful experiments with various lead bullet designs for the rifled choke resulted in that a lot of gun makers tended towards the opinion that rifled chokes is a deadlock. However, the problem lies in the lack of bullet shells for such guns able to work, i.e. rotate about an axis at speeds exceeding 400 m/s and leaving the bore with no lead coating. The bullets used for rifled choke guns are usually made of a lead alloy with the following content: 85% of lead, 10% of tin and 5% of antimony. As the lead bullet passes through the rifled choke, a significant leading of the rifles occurs even after several shots whereby the grouping of shots notably deteriorates. To ensure a good grouping, it is necessary to remove the lead coating after a few shots are fired, which is a rather time and labor consuming process. It should also be noted that when a lead bullet whose speed exceeds 400 m/s enters the rifled choke its rotating bands get cut off so that no rotary motion is imparted to the bullet, i.e. the rifled choke is ineffective at speeds exceeding 400 m/s. Due to these critical factors, such a brilliant invention as the rifled choke has now been out of wide use for over 120 years in hunting wild animals within a range of up to 100 m.
Principal bullet shell designs for the hunting guns having bores with the rifled choke are known, which comprise a single-component bullet made of a lead alloy (V. P. Kostenko, "Bullets for Smooth-Bore Hunting Guns", Moscow, The Ruchenkins Publishers, 2003, pages 139-140, FIG. 71).
As shown by the live hunting tests of many years and by indoor shooting from the smoothbore hunting guns and rifled choke guns, the main disadvantages of the prior art solutions over the claimed invention are poor internal and external ballistic characteristics thereof, i.e. increased aerodynamic resistance due to a low flight speed of the ammunition (bullet) and lack of longitudinal stability (i.e. the ammunition longitudinal axis misaligns with the direction of its flight resulting in somersaulting so that the ammunition reaches the target at an angle). All that leads to an insufficiently lasting conservation of the kinetic energy which is particularly required for killing big animals. In addition, the above solutions are characterized by an insufficient obturation as the bullet passes through the gun bore at firing because no sealing required at firing is ensured to prevent a powder gas blow-back. All that leads to insufficient stopping effect, low destructive ability and does not rule out a ricochet due to a low hitting accuracy, kill distance and penetrating performance.
The prior art closest to the claimed invention is a bullet shell for hunting guns, comprising a bullet made of a solid material with a trapezoidal groove provided on the side surface thereof, the groove delimiting a nose and a heel portions of the bullet, and a thin-wall plastic envelope enclosing the bullet, the envelope being made of two identical longitudinal halves having a cylindrical outer surface and an inner surface matching in contour with the side surface of the bullet (RU 2308672, F 42 B 30/02, Oct. 10, 2007).
This bullet shell has two significant disadvantages: 1—low longitudinal stability as the bullet passes through bushes and when shooting in a strong wind, 2—formation of huge wound hematomas in the body of an animal. However, when the bullet moves in the clear field with no obstacles such as grass, bushes, and in no wind, the grouping of shots and longitudinal stability may be referred to as excellent.
It is therefore an object of the invention to eliminate the above disadvantages. The technical effect of the invention consists in improving the external ballistics when shooting through minor obstacles (bushes, grass).

Bullet shell for smoothbore and rifled choke hunting guns


A medication delivery pen is provided with an indicator that displays the time of last injection through interaction between a cap and pen body assembly. When a user requires an injection the cap is removed from the pen and a dose is set by turning a dose setting knob to the desired dose as displayed in a window in the pen. After the desired dose is set using the dose setting knob, injection is achieved by pushing an actuator button. After injection the user replaces the cap on the pen such that indicia on the cap align with indicia on the body of the pen to display the day and time of day of the last injection, thereby providing the user with means for remembering when the last injection was administered by aligning indicia on the cap with indicia on the pen body assembly, without having to otherwise write or record the day and time of the last injection.

1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to an indicator for medication delivery pens that displays the time of last injection.
2. Description of Related Art
Hypodermic syringes are used to deliver selected doses of medication to patients. The prior art hypodermic syringe includes a syringe barrel having opposed proximal and distal ends. A cylindrical chamber wall extends between the ends and defines a fluid receiving chamber. The proximal end of the prior art syringe barrel is substantially open and receives a plunger in sliding fluid fight engagement. The distal end of the prior art syringe barrel includes a passage communicating with the chamber. A needle cannula may be mounted to the distal end of the prior art syringe barrel, such that the lumen of the needle cannula communicates with the passage and the chamber of the syringe barrel. Movement of the plunger in a proximal direction draws fluid through the lumen of the needle cannula and into the chamber. Movement of the plunger in a proximal-to-distal direction urges fluid from the chamber and through the lumen of the needle cannula.
Medication to be injected with the prior art hypodermic syringe often is stored in a vial having a pierceable elastomeric seal. Medication in the prior art vial is accessed by piercing the elastomeric seal with the needle cannula. A selected dose of the medication may be drawn into the chamber of the syringe barrel by moving the plunger a selected distance in a proximal direction. The needle cannula may be withdrawn from the vial, and the medication may be injected into a patient by moving the plunger in a distal direction.
Some medication, such as insulin is self-administered. The typical diabetes patient will require injections of insulin several times during the course of a week or day. The required dose of insulin will vary from patient to patient, and for each patient may vary during the course of the day and from day to day. Each diabetes patient will establish a regimen that is appropriate for his or her own medical condition and for his or her lifestyle. The regimen typically includes some combination of a slow or medium acting insulin and a faster acting insulin. Each of these regimens may require the diabetes patient to periodically self-administer insulin in public locations, such as places of employment or restaurants. The required manipulation of the standard prior art hypodermic syringe and vial can be inconvenient and embarrassing in these public environments.
Medication delivery pens have been developed to facilitate the self-administration of medication. One prior art medication delivery pen includes a vial holder into which a vial of insulin or other medication may be received. The vial holder is an elongate generally tubular structure with proximal and distal ends. The distal end of the prior art vial holder includes mounting means for engaging a double-ended needle cannula. The proximal end also includes mounting means for engaging a driver and dose setting apparatus as explained further below. A disposable vial for use with the prior art vial holder includes a distal end having a pierceable elastometric seal that can be pierced by one end of a double-ended needle cannula. The proximal end of this prior art vial includes a plunger slidably disposed in fluid tight engagement with the cylindrical wall of the vial. This prior art medication delivery pen is used by inserting the vial of medication into the vial holder. A prior art pen body then is connected to the proximal end of the vial holder. The pen body includes a dose setting apparatus for designating a dose of medication to be delivered by the pen and a driving apparatus for urging the plunger of the vial distally for a distance corresponding to the selected dose.
The user of the pen mounts a prior art double-ended needle cannula to the distal end of the vial holder such that the proximal point cannula of the needle cannula pierces the elastomeric seal on the vial. The patient then selects a dose and operates the pen to urge the plunger distally to deliver the selected dose. The dose selecting apparatus returns to zero upon injection of the selected dose with this prior art medication delivery pen. The patient then removes and discards the needle cannula, and keeps the prior art medication delivery pen in a convenient location for the next required medication administration. The medication in the vial will become exhausted after several such administrations of medication. The patient then separates the vial holder from the pen body. The empty vial may then be removed and discarded. A new vial can be inserted into the vial holder, and the vial holder and pen body can be reassembled and used as explained above.
The above described reusable medication delivery pen is effective and much more convenient for self-administration of medication than the typical hypodermic syringe and separate medication vial. However, the disassembly of the pen to remove empty medication vials and to insert new ones is an inconvenience. As a result, disposable pens have been developed. The prior art disposable medication delivery pen includes a vial of insulin or other such medication permanently encapsulated therein. The patient need merely connect a double-ended needle cannula to the disposable pen for each administration of medication. The prior art disposable pen can be discarded when the supply of medication permanently encapsulated therein has been exhausted.
Disposable medication delivery pens offer certain conveniences to the patient who is required to self-administer medication. However, neither prior art disposable mediation delivery pens nor reusable medication delivery pens have addressed the problem of a user not remembering when the last injection was administered. Since the typical diabetes patient will require injections of insulin several times during the course of the week and may lose track of when the last injection was made, it is important to provide means for informing the user of the time of last injection.

Time of last injection indicator for medication delivery pen


This invention relates to a process for the preparation an epoxide-reactive compound having a functionality of at least 3, a molecular weight of from about 250 to about 1,900, and an OH number of from about 85 to about 1,400. This process comprises reacting (a) an organic compound which is free of ether groups, having a molecular weight of from about 60 to about 600, and containing from about 2 to about 8 reactive sites; with (b) cyanuric chloride; optionally, in the presence of (c) one or more catalysts; wherein the functionality of the resultant epoxide-reactive compound equals three times the functionality of (a) said organic compound minus three. This invention also relates to further reacting the epoxide-reactive compound produced by the above process with an alkylene oxide, optionally in the presence of a catalyst to form a polyether polyol having a functionality of at least about 3, a molecular weight of from about 300 to about 18,000, and an OH number of from about 10 to about 565.

This invention relates to a process for the preparation an epoxide-reactive compound having a functionality of at least 3, a molecular weight of from about 250 to about 1,900, and an OH number of from about 85 to about 1,400. This process comprises reacting (a) an organic compound which is free of ether groups, having a molecular weight of from about 60 to about 600, and containing from about 2 to about 8 reactive sites; with (b) cyanuric chloride; optionally, in the presence of (c) one or more catalysts; wherein the functionality of the resultant epoxide-reactive compound equals three times the functionality of (a) the organic compound minus three. This invention also relates to further reacting the epoxide-reactive compound produced by the above process with an alkylene oxide, optionally in the presence of a catalyst to form a polyether polyol having a functionality of at least about 3, a molecular weight of from about 300 to about 18,000, and an OH number of from about 10 to about 565.
High functionality polyether polyols with acceptable viscosities are used as the isocyanate-reactive component in the production of rigid polyurethane foams. Polyether polyols are conventionally prepared by the alkoxylation of a suitable starter, which contains one or more OH or NH groups in the presence of a suitable catalyst. Commonly used rigid foam polyols have OH-numbers from 350 to 650, viscosities at 25xc2x0 C. range from 300 mPaxc2x7s to 35,000 mPaxc2x7s. Suitable starter materials used to produce polyether polyols include glycols, glycerin, trimethylolpropane, sorbitol, sucrose, and aliphatic and aromatic amines. Propylene oxide is the most commonly used alkylene oxide. Further, in order to produce rigid polyurethane foams it is necessary to employ a polyether polyol with a functionality greater than 3. Therefore, the alcohols employed to produce a polyol must have a high functionality in order to admix and react with the alkylene oxides and obtain a functionality greater than 3.
It is known to prepare sucrose polyether polyols by reacting sucrose with alkylene oxide in an aqueous solution in the presence of sodium hydroxide. See, for example, LeMaistre, et al., J. Org. Chem., 13, p. 782, (1948). U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,085,085 and 3,153,002 disclose a process based on this reaction in which sucrose is reacted at elevated temperatures with ethylene oxide or propylene oxide in a concentrated aqueous solution in the presence of potassium hydroxide catalyst.
Most processes for sucrose based polyether polyols described in the literature involve the reaction of the sucrose with alkylene oxide in volume. This reaction has the advantage that products of high functionality (i.e. 7 to 8) are obtained and that the reaction time is short. In this way the sucrose is suspended in the alkylene oxide. However, in this way polyether polyols with high viscosity normally between 40,000 and 400,000 centipoises at ambient temperature, are obtained. This is not practical since problems are caused in the handling of the high viscosity polyether polyol in normal foaming machines. Also, there is a risk represented by handling large quantities of alkylene oxide within the reactors at the reaction temperature due to the high vapor pressure, which makes this highly explosive.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,941,769 discloses a process in which sucrose is reacted with epoxide in an organic; dispersing agent such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene or chlorobenzene (boiling range 80xc2x0-180xc2x0 C.). This process has some serious disadvantages, however. First, the dispersing agents lower the reaction capacity by 10-40%. Second, the dispersing agent must be removed at the end of the production process. The products obtained by this process have high functionalities and high viscosities (104,000-400,000 mPaxc2x7s) due to the degree of alkoxylation. These also exhibit an intense brown color.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,380,502 discloses the use of polyether polyols made by alkoxylating a mixture which is from 20 to 80 wt. % sucrose and 80 to 20 wt. % formitol. This reference teaches that the polyether polyols prepared therein exhibit a color ranging from clear to yellowish.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,230,824 discloses a, method for preparing a sucrose based polyether polyol which involves the use of a polyalkylene polyamine as both co-initiator and catalyst for the alkoxylation reaction of sucrose. This reference reports that the resulting polyether polyols are very high in color content.
U.S. Pat. No.4,996,310 discloses a polyol-polyether having a molecular weight between 400 and 900, a viscosity between 500 and 3,500 centipoises at 25xc2x0 C., and a content of ethylene oxide between 40% and 75% by weight. The polyether polyol is prepared by a process which comprises the steps of: (a) forming a suspension of sucrose in a triol; (b) reacting the mixture obtained in the prior step with propylene oxide in the presence of a catalyst; (c) suspending sucrose in the mixture obtained in the prior step; (d) oxyethylizing the mixture of step (c); and (e) eliminating the volatile components of the mixture and the catalyst.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,625,045 discloses a method for preparing high functionality, low viscosity, light colored sucrose-based polyethers polyols by reacting a starter mixture containing i) sucrose, ii) a low molecular weight, relatively high valency alcohol and/or an alkoxylation product of such an alcohol and iii) an alkali metal hydroxide, with an alkylene oxide at a temperature of from about 90xc2x0 to about 130xc2x0 C. and at a pressure of from about 0.3 to about 4 bar excess nitrogen pressure. These sucrose based polyether polyols are suitable for use in rigid polyurethane foam applications.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,332,936 describes a method for making polyether polyols from solid initiator compounds containing from 4 to 8 hydroxyl groups. The method involves dissolving the solid initiator compound in a solvent such as dimethyl formamide prior to alkoxylation. The method is particularly useful in making high functionality sucrose-based polyether polyols that can be readily processed at moderate temperatures and give low color products. These polyether polyols are particularly suited for the production of rigid polyurethane foams.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,810 discloses that urea is an effective catalyst and co-initiator for the alkoxylation of aqueous sucrose solutions and results in polyether polyol products with low color content.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,446,313 describes a process for the manufacture of a polyether polyol by reaction between an organic compound containing 2 or more active hydrogen atoms in the molecule and an alkylene oxide in the presence of a catalyst comprising a tertiary amine. Suitable tertiary amine catalysts have the formula NRRxe2x80x22 in which R is a cycloalkyl or cycloalkenyl group and each Rxe2x80x2 may be an alkyl, cycloalkyl or cycloalkenyl group.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,596,059 discloses polyoxyalkylene polyether polyols suitable for preparation of flexible polyurethane foams. These are prepared by oxyalkylating an aqueous solution of one or more polyhydric, hydroxyl-functional solid initiators under conditions where both water as well as initiator are oxyalkylated. The polyether polyols have calculated functionalities of between about 2.2 and 4.0 and hydroxyl numbers in the range of 10 to 180. The polyether polyols may be used to prepare soft, high resiliency polyurethane flexible foams at low isocyanate indexes.
EP 491233A1 discloses low viscosity, high functionality polyetherols obtained by reaction of a compound containing 2 to 8 active hydrogen in the form of hydroxyl groups, thiol groups, primary amino groups and/or secondary amino groups with one or more epoxides in the presence of a base to form an intermediate. This intermediate is further reacted with a q-valent compound that contains at least one epoxy group and at least one chlorine or bromine atom to form the polyetherols. The chlorine containing compounds referred to are epichlorohydrin types molecules.
EP 671424B1 discloses a process for the production of a high functionality, modified polyether polyol by reacting n moles of a starting polyether polyol having a functionality of x with m moles of a compound having a functionality of y which compound has groups that are reactive with hydroxyl groups. The product of nx is described as greater than the product of my. If more than one starting polyether polyol is used, the value of x for each polyether polyol may be the same or it may be different. The polyether polyol produced by this reaction is a high functionality, modified polyether polyol having a total functionality of (xcexa3nx-my)/m.
Applicants""copending U.S. application Ser. No. 10/016,846, filed the same day as the present application and which is commonly assigned, describes a process for the preparation of a polyether polyol having a functionality of at least about 3, a molecular weight of from about 560 to about 35,000 and an OH number of from about 10 to about 1,100. The process comprises reacting (a) a polyether polyol containing one or more ether groups, with (b) cyanuric chloride, optionally, in the presence of (c) one or more catalysts. The functionality of the resultant polyether polyols equals three times the functionality of (a) the polyether polyol, minus three. This copending application also describes the process of reacting a polyether polyol, formed by the stated reaction with cyanuric chloride, with an alkylene oxide, optionally in the presence of a catalyst, to form a higher molecular weight polyether polyol. The resultant polyether polyols are also disclosed.
The advantage of this invention is that it gives a versatile process for producing polyol starters of any desired functionality under relatively mild conditions. High temperatures and temperatures are not required ( less than 100xc2x0 C., atmospheric pressure are possible). These high functionality starters can then be used in the production of higher molecular weight polyols.
As is evident from the above, there is no method for the production of high functionality epoxide-reactive component based on cyanuric chloride.
An object of the present invention is to form an epoxide-reactive component from known, commercially available organic compounds. Another object is to react these epoxide-reactive components, with an alkylene oxide, optionally in the presence of a catalyst, to form polyether polyols. Both the epoxide-reactive component and the polyether polyol made therefrom can be used in polyurethane rigid foam applications. A further object is to form the isocyanate-reactive component and the polyether polyol made therefrom with functionalities of at least 3. In addition to meeting the stated functionality object, the process according to the present invention produces polyether polyols that exhibit increased reactivity towards isocyanates.
This invention relates to a process for the preparation an epoxide-reactive compound having a functionality of at least 3, a molecular weight of from about 250 to about 1,900, and an OH number of from about 85 to about 1,400. This process comprises reacting (a) an organic compound which is free of ether groups, having a molecular weight of from about 60 to about 600, and containing from about 2 to about 8 reactive sites; with (b) cyanuric chloride; optionally, in the presence of (c) one or more catalysts; wherein the functionality of the resultant epoxide-reactive compound equals three times the functionality of (a) said organic compound minus three. This invention also relates to further reacting the epoxide-reactive compound produced by the above process with an alkylene oxide, optionally in the presence of a catalyst to form a polyether polyol having a functionality of at least about 3, a molecular weight of from about 300 to about 18,000, and an OH number of from about 10 to about 565.
The epoxide-reactive compounds produced according to the present invention have a functionality of at least 3, preferably about 4 to 8, a molecular weight of from about 250 to about 1,900, preferably from about 300 to about 700, and an OH number of from about 85 to about 1,400, preferably from about 700 to about 1,300. These epoxide-reactive compounds are formed by the reaction of (a) an organic compound containing at least two epoxide-reactive sites; with (b) cyanuric chloride; optionally, in the presence of (c) one or more catalysts. The functionality of the resultant epoxide-reactive compound is equal to three times the functionality of (a) the organic compound minus three. The functionality of the resultant epoxide-reactive compound, f(p), can be represented by the following formula:
f(p)=(3xc3x97f(a))xe2x88x923,
wherein:
f(a): represents the functionality of the organic compound (a).
Component (a) comprises an organic compound that is free of ether groups, has a molecular weight of from about 60 to about 600, and contains from about 2 to about 8 reactive sites. Any presently known low molecular weight organic compound that is free of ether groups and meets the functionality and molecular weight requirements as stated can be used as component (a). Preferably, these organic compounds are not formed with ethylene or propylene oxide, but rather contain hydroxyl groups and/or amine groups and/or thiol groups.
Suitable ether-free organic compounds to be used as component (a) in the process of the present invention include known starter compounds having molecular weights of 60 to 600, and having from 2 to 8 hydroxyl groups, 2 to 8 thiol groups and/or 1 to 4 amino groups. Specific examples of starter compounds from which suitable organic compounds may be made include: ethylene glycol, 1,2-propylene glycol, 1,4-butanediol, hexamethylene glycol, bisphenol A, trimethylolpropane, glycerol, pentaerythritol, sorbitol, water, methylamine, ethylamine, propylamine, butylamine, aniline, benzylamine, o- and p-toluidine, xcex1- and xcex2-naphthylamine, ammonia, ethylenediamine, propylenediamine, 14-butylene-diamine, 1,2-, 1,3-, 1,4-, 1,5- and 1,6-hexamethylenediamine, o-, m- and p-phenylenediamine, 2,4-, 2,6-tolylenediamine, 2,2xe2x80x2-, 2,4- and 4,4xe2x80x2-diamino-diphenylmethane and diethylenediamine, or mixtures of these compounds. Also suitable are thiol alcohols or thiol amines such as, for example, 1-thioglycerol, thiosorbitol, 2-mercaptoethanol, 2-aminoethane- thiol, 2-aminothiazole, etc.
Component (a) is present in the reaction with (b) cyanuric chloride in amounts such that there are from 1 to 5 moles of component (a), for each 1 mole of component (b), the cyanuric chloride. Preferably, component (a) is present in an amount such that there are from 2 to 3 moles of the organic compound (a) for each 1 mole of component (b), the cyanuric chloride.
When optional component (c), the catalyst(s), is present in the reaction, it is present in an amount such that there are 0.1 to 1.0 equivalent of the catalyst(s), per 1 equivalent of cyanuric chloride, component (b). Suitable catalysts are well known in the art of polyether polyol production such as catalysts suitable in the alkoxylation process. Examples of suitable catalysts include alkali hydroxides, e.g., potassium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide, an amine catalyst, preferably a tertiary amine, DMC (double metal cyanide) catalysts and mixtures thereof. If present in the reaction, preferably the catalyst is sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide.
The reaction of (a) an organic compound which is free of ether groups, has a molecular weight of about 60 to about 600, and contains from about 2 to about 8 reactive sites, with (b) cyanuric chloride, optionally, in the presence of (c) one or more catalysts to form the high functionality epoxide-reactive compound can be represented by the following formula I.
wherein:
each R: individually represents an alkyl group containing from 2 to 10 carbon atoms, which may optionally be substituted with 10 one or more heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of nitrogen atoms, sulfur atoms and mixtures thereof; an alicyclic group containing from 3 to 15 carbon atoms, which may optionally be 1 5 substituted with one or more hetero- atoms selected from the group consisting of nitrogen atoms, sulfur atoms and mixtures thereof; an aryl group containing from 4 to 14 carbon 20 atoms, which may optionally be substituted with one or more hetero- atoms selected from the group consisting of nitrogen atoms, sulfur atoms and mixtures thereof; or an 25 aralkyl group containing from 5 to 15 carbon atoms, which may optionally be substituted with one or more heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of nitrogen atoms, sulfur atoms and mixtures thereof;
each X: individually represents an oxygen atom, a nitrogen atom, a sulfur atom, or a NH group;
each Y: individually represents an OH group, an NH2 group or an SH group;
m equals 1 or 2;
and
n is greater than or equal to 0, except for when X represents an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom or a nitrogen atom, then n is greater than or equal to 1.
The process according to the invention can be described as follows. The organic compound (a) and, if present, the catalyst (c) are added to a reactor under nitrogen. The cyanuric chloride (b) is added such that the exothermic reaction is maintained at 40xc2x0 C. or less. After all the cyanuric chloride (b) is added, the solution is then heated for about 1 to about 2 hours at about 80 to about 90xc2x0 C.
Optionally, any suitable solvent, such as, for example, acetone or acetonitrile may be present in the reaction. If such a solvent is present, it is preferably added to the starting organic compound (a) and the catalyst (c) (when present), before the cyanuric chloride is added. The solvent is present in amounts such that there are about 0.2 to 5 ml of solvent per gram of component (a).
Another aspect of the present invention comprises the epoxide-reactive compounds produced by the above described process. These epoxide-reactive compounds are characterized as having a functionality of at least 3, a molecular weight of from about 250 to about 1,900 and an OH number of from about 85 to about 1,400, and correspond to the general formula:
each R: represents an alkyl group containing from 2 to 10 carbon atoms, which may optionally be substituted with one or more heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of nitrogen atoms, sulfur atoms and mixtures thereof; an alicyclic group containing from 3 to 15 carbon atoms, which may optionally be substituted with one or more heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of nitrogen atoms, sulfur atoms and mixtures thereof; an aryl group containing from 4 to 14 carbon atoms, which may optionally be substituted with one or more heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of nitrogen atoms, sulfur atoms and mixtures thereof; or an aralkyl group containing from 5 to 13 carbon atoms, which may optionally be substituted with one or more heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of nitrogen atoms, sulfur atoms and mixtures thereof;
each X: individually represents an oxygen atom, a nitrogen atom, a sulfur atom, or a NH group;
each Y: individually represents an OH group, an NH2 group or an SH group;
m equals 1 or 2;
and
n is greater than or equal to 0, except for when X represents an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom or a nitrogen atom, then n is greater than or equal to 1.
The process of the present invention further comprises (1) reacting (d) the epoxide-reactive compound having a functionality of 3 to 15, a molecular weight of from about 250 to about 1,900, and an OH number of from about 85 to about 1,400, and which is produced by the above process; with (e) an alkylene oxide; optionally, in the presence of (f) one or more catalysts; wherein the functionality of the resultant polyether polyol is greater than or equal to the functionality of said epoxide-reactive compound.
The alkylene oxide (e) reactant is suitably of the class conventionally employed in the production of polyol polyethers. Preferred alkylene oxides are ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, butylene oxide, tetrahydrofuran, styrene oxides and mixtures thereof. If desired, one alkylene oxide may be initially utilized in a first stage of the etherification reaction and another alkylene oxide in a later stage. The amount of alkylene oxide used in the reaction according to the invention, relative to the quantity of polyol converted, determines the functionality and molecular weight of the polyether product.
Suitable catalysts (f) are well known in the art of polyether polyol production such as catalysts suitable in the alkoxylation process. Examples of suitable catalysts include alkali hydroxides, e.g., potassium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide, an amine catalyst, preferably a secondary or tertiary amine, DMC (double metal cyanide) catalysts and mixtures thereof.
Process conditions for the alkoxylation reaction are known in the art. Thus, reaction temperatures between about 50xc2x0 and 160xc2x0 C., as have typically been employed for the alkoxylation of active hydrogen containing compounds, may suitably be utilized in the process of the invention.
Temperatures between 80xc2x0 and 130xc2x0 C. are generally preferred. Since it is desirable to maintain the alkylene oxide in the vapor state, pressures up to the standard vapor pressure of the alkylene oxide at the reaction temperature are preferred; particularly preferred are pressures in the range of from about 1 to 10 atmospheres.
It is preferred, but not necessary, to include the step of alkoxylation in the present invention to yield high functionality polyether polyols. The epoxide-reactive compounds formed by reacting an organic compound which is free of ether groups, with cyanuric chloride, optionally, in the presence of one or more catalysts, shows an increased reactivity with respect to isocyanates. The polyether polyols, obtained after the step of alkoxylation also shows a high reactivity with respect to isocyanates and are particularly suitable for the production of cellular or non-cellular polyurethanes in accordance with the general methods described in the literature, for instance by reacting the polyether polyols, possibly admixed with other active hydrogen atoms-containing compounds, with organic polyisocyanates, if desired in the presence of other substances, such as foaming agents, surface-active agents, flame-retarding agents and other additives known in the art.
In addition to exhibiting increased functionality over the starting epoxide-reactive compounds, the process of the present invention unexpectedly yielded polyether polyols with increased reactivity toward isocyanates. Polyether polyols prepared according to the invention exhibit a faster reaction rate than conventional polyether polyols. Since the reactivity of the resulting polyether polyols is higher, less catalyst is necessary in formulations to subsequently form polyurethanes from them.

Polyether polyols with increased functionality


A projection television set having an enclosure housing a screen, an optical unit and a mirror, wherein the optical unit and mirror are capable of projecting an image onto the screen. The enclosure is preferably constructed from hollow plastic extruded panels. In addition, the enclosure preferably includes a duct extending upwardly from a lower portion of the enclosure to exhaust heat radiating from components housed therein to the exterior of the enclosure toward the top of the enclosure.

The present invention relates generally to projection television sets, and more particularly to a projection television set enclosure.
Projection television (PTV) sets are a popular alternative to picture tube television sets, as they provide relatively large viewable screens that cannot be efficiently produced using conventional picture tubes. PTV sets typically include an enclosure housing an optical unit, a mirror, and electronic components for receiving and projecting an image onto a screen assembly mounted on the front of the enclosure. The optical unit typically includes three projection tubes having a cathode ray tube (CRT) optically coupled to a projection lens. The three projection tubes project a red, a green, and a blue image on to a screen of the PTV.
The conventional enclosure is typically divided into two compartments, an upper and a lower compartment. The CRTs and the printed wiring boards (PWB) are typically mounted in the lower compartment, the mirror and screen are mounted in the upper compartment, and the projection lens tends to extend from the lower compartment to the upper compartment. The upper compartment is typically sealed tightly in order to protect the inside of the compartment from dust and other foreign materials. The lower compartment typically includes ventilation holes, positioned adjacent the top and bottom of the compartment, to exhaust heat radiating from the CRTs and the PWBs.
Although durable, conventional enclosures or cabinets, which are formed from wood or molded plastic, are typically big, bulky and, as a result, quite heavy. As the screens of the PTVs increase in size, the cabinets become bigger and heavier. In an effort to reduce the size and weight of the PTVs, manufacturers have begun shrinking the size of the cabinets. However, shrinking a conventional cabinet to reduce the size and weight of a PTV, means shrinking the lower compartment. When the lower compartment is shrunk, much of the peripheral space surrounding the CRTs and PWBs is eliminated and the ventilation holes are drawn closer together. As a result, heat radiation problems tend to arise that can lead to deterioration in component performance and reliability.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a durable PTV cabinet that is lighter and smaller, and that includes high heat radiation performance characteristics.
The present invention is directed to an improved enclosure or cabinet for PTVs. The PTV enclosures or cabinets of the present invention tend to reduce the overall weight and size of the PTVs, and improve heat radiation performance and, thus, PTV component performance and reliability. In one particularly innovative aspect of the present invention, the enclosure or cabinet includes panels that are formed from extruded material such as plastic. Moreover, an enclosure in accordance with the present invention preferably comprises hollow or partially hollow channels within the extruded panels.
In another particularly innovative aspect of the present invention, the enclosure or cabinet includes a ventilation duct having a first opening adjacent a lower compartment or the heat radiating components and a second opening adjacent the top of the enclosure or cabinet. Preferably, the first opening opens into the interior of the lower compartment of the enclosure, or simply adjacent the heat radiating components, and the second opening opens to the exterior of the enclosure at a location adjacent the top of the enclosure. Alternatively, the first opening of the ventilation duct opens to the interior of the enclosure adjacent the heat radiating components or lower compartment and the second opening also opens into the interior of the upper compartment adjacent the top of the enclosure.
In yet another innovative aspect of the present invention, the ventilation duct is formed from a hollow or partially hollow channel of an extruded enclosure panel.
Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from consideration of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Enclosure for projection television sets

Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America, Inc.


A linear motion guide unit generally includes a rail, a slider, a plurality of rollers provided in a roller guide channel defined between the rail and the slider and a plurality of balls provided in a ball guide channel defined between the rail and the slider. The roller guide channel is defined between an inner inclined guide surface formed at a shoulder of the rail and an outer inclined guide surface formed in the slider and the ball guide channel is defined between an inner guide groove having a Gothic arch-shaped cross section and an outer guide groove having also a Gothic arch-shaped cross section.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a linear motion rolling contact guide unit, and, in particular, to a stability enhanced linear motion guide unit particular suitable for use as a linear motion guide unit of various machining tools and measuring devices.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A linear motion rolling contact guide unit is well known in the art and it generally includes a rail, a slider and a plurality of rolling members interposed between the rail and the slider. Such a linear motion guide unit is typically used in various machines and equipment, such as machining tools and measuring devices, for guiding a linear motion at high accuracy. FIG. 5 illustrates a typical prior art linear motion guide assembly including such a linear motion guide unit. As shown, the linear motion guide assembly includes a pair of rails 1 and 2 which extend straight and in parallel, two pairs of linear motion guide units, each pair including front and rear linear motion guide units 3 and 4, and a sliding table 5 which is fixedly mounted on the two pairs of linear motion guide units for supporting thereon any moving parts of machining tools or measuring devices.
As illustrated in FIG. 6, each of the linear motion guide units 3 and 4 has a basic structure which includes a rail A, which corresponds to rail 1 or 2 in FIG. 5, a slider B, which is generally U-shaped and thus is slidably mounted on the rail in a straddling fashion, and a plurality of rolling members C, or balls in the illustrated example. In the structure illustrated in FIG. 6, the rail A is generally rectangular in cross section and thus has a pair of opposite side surfaces, each of which is formed with an inner guide groove extending in parallel with the longitudinal axis of the rail A. In addition, the slider B is formed with a pair of endless circulating paths, each including a load path section, a return path section and a pair of curved connecting path sections connecting the corresponding ends of the load and return path sections, and the rolling members C are provided in the endless circulating paths to roll therealong endlessly. Each of the load path sections defines an outer guide groove located opposite to the corresponding inner guide groove of the rail.
In the structure shown in FIG. 6, balls are used as the rolling members C and each of the inner and outer guide grooves has a Gothic arch-shaped cross section so as to have an increased stability due to preloading and reliable and secure bearing of a load in all directions. On the other hand, use may be made of rollers as the rolling members C so as to obtain an increased stability against repetitively fluctuating loads and a prolonged servicelife.
In reality, various kinds of loads are applied to the sliding table 5 and thus to each of the sliders B in various directions, the linear motion rolling contact bearing assembly shown in FIG. 6 would not provide sufficient stability since only balls are used as rolling members C. It is thus conceivable to use both of balls and rollers as rolling members to obtain an increased stability in operation; however, a mere replacement of balls with rollers in one of the pair of endless circulating paths would not be enough because the characteristics differ between the endless circulating path including balls and the endless circulating path including rollers.

Stability enhanced linear motion guide unit


The date driving mechanism of a watch comprises a date driving wheel having a partially teethed portion engaged with teeth of a calendar driving wheel which in turn drives a calendar display dial so as to advance the calendar display dial a given amount each rotation of the date driving wheel. A cam integral with the date driving wheel engages a pivotal control member so as to hold the control member against the calendar driving wheel normally to restrain movement of the date dial. The cam has a flat side so as to release the calendar driving wheel from restraint when being driven by the teethed portion of the date driving wheel, thereby relieving load on the date driving wheel. The control member has a resilient arm which yields to permit manual correction of the calendar display.

The present invention relates to a data driving mechanism of a watch. In a conventional data driving mechanism, a date dial is driven by a data finger mounted on a date driving wheel is when the date driving wheel turned around. In this case, the date dial is positioned by thrusting the date dial in a horizontal direction by a data dial control portion and the spring power of a date jumper. However, the spring power is a load which decreases the stepping torque of the watch. There is no problem if the watch is driven by a main spring as the motive power since the stepping torque of the watch is high. However, in an analogue quartz crystal watch recently developed, the stepping torque of the watch has become exceedingly small since a micro motor is used as the motive power. Accordingly the date jumper of the conventional type is a heavy load for the watch. With the advance of electronics, a long life analogue quartz crystal watch has come into practical use. However, in order to attain a long life, the current consumption should be made small and thereby it is necessary to decrease the date driving resistance since the power of micro motor becomes small. By way of a mechanism to decrease the date driving resistance, a date driving mechanism using an intermittent gear device (Geneva gear) has been proposed. In this case, however, it is disadvantageous that the date correcting mechanism cannot be easily realized and thereby a complicated intermittent gear mechanism using a clutch wheel has been used.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a data driving mechanism which decreases the load in case of date driving using a wheel which engages a date dial, a member which restrains rotation of the date driving wheel and a cam which controls the restraining member.