A fluorovinyl ether having the formula EQU XRfCF.sub.2 OCF.dbd.CF.sub.2 (I). wherein X represents --H, --Cl, --Br, --F, --CO.sub.2 R, --CONRR', --SO.sub.2 F, ##STR1## or --COF and R represents a C.sub.1 -C.sub.10 alkyl group; R' represents --H or a C.sub.1 -C.sub.10 alkyl group; Rf represents a C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 bifunctional perfluoro-containing group is produced by reacting an iodine-containing ether having the formula EQU XRfCF.sub.2 OCF.sub.2 CF.sub.2 I (II). in the presence of a catalytic component selected from the group consisting of Mg, Cu, Zn, Zn-Cu, Zn-Cd, Zn-Pd, Zn-Hg, Sn, Sb, organomagnesium compounds and organolithium compounds.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for producing a fluorovinyl ether. More particularly, it relates to a novel process for producing a fluorovinyl ether by a deiodofluorination of a specific iodine-containing ether with a metal component.
2. Description of Prior Arts
It has been known that fluorovinyl ethers have been produced by a reaction of a fluoroolefin with an alkali metal alkoxide as the production of methoxytrifluoroethylene. However, such process is not suitable for the production of perfluorovinyl ethers because of low yield and difficult industrial operation.
It has been known that perfluorovinyl ethers can be produced by reacting a fluorinated acid fluoride with hexafluoropropylene epoxide and converting the product by a thermal reaction as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 1617/1963 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,114,778.
The process for using hexafluoropropylene epoxide as the starting material is remarkably effective as the process for producing fluorovinyl ethers. However, it is seriously disadvantageous because of expensive process in view of the commercial availability and the yield.
The inventors have studied to provide a process for producing fluorovinyl ehters without using hexafluoropropylene epoxide. As a result, the following facts have been found.
An iodine-containing fluoroether can be produced at high yield by reacting an acid fluoride with tetrafluoroethylene, I.sub.2 and KF. The iodine-containing ether can be easily reacted with a metal such as zinc in an organic solvent and the reaction product is easily converted by heating into the corresponding fluorovinyl ether at high yield.
It has been well-known that Rf'I (Rf' represents a perfluoroalkyl group) into R"f--CF.dbd.CF.sub.2 (R"f represents a perfluoroalkyl group) with an organomagnesium compound or Zn-Cu as disclosed in J.O.C. 36 364. (1971) and Tetrahedron 33, 2061, (1977). However, the isomerization of the product is carried out to decrease the yield of the object compound and the separation and the isolation are not easy.
The isomerization of the fluorovinyl ethers having the formula XRfCF.sub.2 OCF.dbd.CF.sub.2 is not resulted to give high selectivity in the production and the separation and the isolation of the product are remarkably easy.
The vinyl etherification by the deiodofluorination is suitable for the production of the perfluorovinyl ether.


The invention relates to a coffee product which will evoke a decreased gastric acid response upon ingestion. The coffee product has been processed in such a manner that a majority of the malic acid has been removed from the coffee and, importantly, a majority of the chlorogenic acid has been retained.

There has been speculation since the mid-1940's that coffee contains a gastric acid secretagogue (a stimulant of the production of digestive acid in the stomach) distinct from its caffeine content That early research has been reconfirmed over the years by numerous investigators who showed that decaffeinated coffee retains a majority of coffee's ability to increase the secretion of acid by the stomach
Normal food intake leads to gastric acid secretion because of the action of only a few food constituents and the direct effect of stomach distention. Caffeine, coffee, calcium ions, alcohol and the digestion products of protein are the only commonly ingested food components known to increase gastric acid output The gastric acid secretagogue component of decaffeinated coffee has been the subject of speculation and debate throughout the scientific community.
Early attempts in the food art to produce a "stomach friendly" coffee, that is a coffee which will produce less or no heartburn in susceptible individuals, centered upon the deacidification of coffee such as by chemically neutralising the acids present in coffee by the addition of a food-grade alkaline agent.
Farr and Horman (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,160,042 and 4,204,004) teach a method of reducing the caffeine and/or chlorogenic acid content of coffee by treatment with particles of carob pods which absorb the caffeine and chlorogenic acid. Magnolato (U.S. Pat. No. 4,278,696) teaches a process for deacidifying a coffee extract by contacting it with chitosan in divided form and recovering the resultant deacidified extract. This patent stresses the importance of the removal of chlorogenic acid since it is the predominant acid found in coffee. However, other acids including malic acid are also reduced by the treatment. Another process, described in U.S. Patent No. 4,317,841 to Brambilla and Horman, teaches the reduction in the acidity of a coffee extract by electrodialysis. The non-cathodic extract is collected, contacted with subdivided chitosan and, after removal of the chitosan, is mixed with at least a part of cathodic extract to provide a deacidified coffee extract.
DE No. 3,239,219 having a disclosure date of Apr. 26, 1984 entitled "Process for the Reduction of the Chlorogenic Acid Content of Raw Coffee" teaches a process involving the contacting of an aqueous extract of green coffee beans with a polymer anion-exchange resin, this resin having been loaded by adsorption with at least one nonacidic coffee extract constituent in order to exchange the acids present in the aqueous extract to produce a reduced chlorogenic acid green coffee. The object of this invention is to produce a coffee product which would reduce irritation of stomach mucosa and not cause stomach acidity.
PCT International Publication Number WO 87/04598 having a publication date of Aug. 13, 1987 entitled "Coffee And Process For Its Production" teaches a coffee product with an increased chlorogenic acid content. This elevated chlorogenic acid level is said to improve the digestibility of coffee by reducing human acid secretion. The physiology studies reported in the patent application were performed on human male and female subjects. However, the p or methodology utilized in the studies including the lack of proper scientific controls render the results questionable at best.
There remains a need in the art to produce a stomach friendly coffee by selectively removing malic acid and without sacrificing the large percentage yield loss and flavor penalty which results from the removal of a majority of chlorogenic acid as taught by prior art references.

Coffee product with reduced malic acid content


The tilt pad journal bearing assembly includes a conduit within the bearing housing for supplying lubricant hydrostatically to each tilt bearing pad. The conduit includes a flexible segment coupled at respective opposite ends to the tilt pad and to a quick connect/disconnect coupling extending through an aperture in the side wall of the bearing housing. A supply line is coupled to each supply conduit adjacent the side wall by the quick connect/disconnect coupling. The flexible segment within the bearing housing accommodates the rocking motion of the tilt pad and the design and routing of the external supply line is therefore not dependent on any requirements of the bearing assembly. To service the bearing assembly, a set screw is unscrewed, permitting a portion of a coupler, together with a bushing to be withdrawn through the aperture into the interior of the housing for withdrawal with the tilt pad as a discrete sub-assembly.

In many tilt pad journal bearing assemblies, tilt pads are provided with a high pressure fluid, i.e., a lubricating oil, providing a thin film bearing surface for lifting the shaft in the absence of a hydrodynamic film. Conduits for supplying the fluid to the tilt pads must accommodate the motion of the pads relative to the fixed bearing components, i.e., the bearing housing, as well as afford ease of servicing. In previous designs, one or more steel pipes were employed within the bearing housing to transmit oil between the stationary bearing housing wall and the tilt pad. O-ring seals were used at each end of the pipe to permit movement of the pad relative to the bearing housing. O-rings, however, have a tendency to leak during flexing and eventually the O-rings wear through use. Another prior design provided a fixed pipe for carrying oil to the tilt pad, the pipe being fixed at one end to the pad and the other end to a flexible hose outside of the bearing housing. A flexible gasket was required to enable movement of the pipe and pad to seal the low pressure oil within the bearing housing assembly where the high pressure piping exits the bearing retainer. The gasket has been found to provide excessive oil leakage. Where a flexible conduit has been used between the tilt pad and a connection to a fluid supply line external to the bearing housing, a tight fitting is still required at the bearing housing. Because there is no access within the bearing housing to disconnect the hose from the tilt pad bearing in order to remove the tilt pad bearing, the entire hose from its external connection with the fluid supply line must be withdrawn through the bearing housing with the tilt pad bearing when the tilt pad bearing is removed for servicing. This external connection not only had to be accessible, but required a particular design of the bearing support to accommodate the connection, the hose and also the flexing of the hose to permit the bearing pad to tilt. This placed a limitation on the design of the support with respect to the type and routing of that portion of the supply line.

Tilt pad journal bearing assembly with self-contained hydrostatic lift provisions


A compressed wood product includes a wood whose shape is taken while a volume decreased by compression is previously added, wherein a direction intersecting a fiber direction of the wood is set to a compression direction, and the wood is formed by being subjected to compressive force.

1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a compressed wood product including a compressed wood and an electronic device exterior material including the compressed wood product.
2) Description of the Related Art
Examples of a portable electric device which can be operated on hand include a camera, a mobile communication device (mainly cellular phone), an IC recorder, a PDA, a portable television, a portable radio, and remote controls for various home appliances. Usually, synthetic resins (ABS, polycarbonate, acrylic, and the like), light metals (aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, magnesium, and the like) are used as the exterior material for a portable electronic device due to industrial mass production. Such synthetic resins and light metals constituting the exterior material are oriented to industrial products while appropriate strength is obtained, so that there is no individual difference in appearance. Further, in the synthetic resins and the light metals constituting the exterior material, a flaw and discoloration are generated in long-term use. However, the flaw and the discoloration only impair the worth of the electronic device.
Therefore, it is thought that one may use wood which is of a natural raw material as the exterior material. Because the wood has various kinds of grain, the wood has the individual difference and individuality. Although the flaw and a change in color shade are generated in the long-term use in the wood, they become the unique feel and texture of the wood to cause users to feel an affinity.
However, when the wood is three-dimensionally processed for the exterior material, there is a fear for strength of the wood. Specifically in the exterior material made of wood, when the same strength as that of the synthetic resins or the light metals is demanded, since the increase in thickness of the wood is required, the wood is not suitable for the exterior material of the portable electronic device. On the other hand, in the exterior material made of wood, when the same size as that of the exterior material formed of the synthetic resins or the light metals is demanded, the strength is decreased because the thickness is made smaller. Therefore, in the conventional art, there is a technology in which the strength is obtained by compressing the wood as described below.
Conventionally a method is well known in which the wood softened by absorbing moisture is compressed and held to fix a shape, then is sliced in a compression direction to obtain a plate-shaped primary fixed product, the primary fixed product is formed in a formed product having a predetermined three-dimensional shape while heated and absorbed, and the shape of the formed product is fixed to obtain a secondary fixed product (for example, see Japanese Patent No. 3078452).
A method, in which a woody material compressed in a state in which the softening treatment is performed is temporarily fixed and then is recovered in a form to perform forming, is conventionally well known as a method of three-dimensionally processing the woody material (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-77619).

Compressed wood product and electronic device exterior material


The invention provides a method of fundoplication of the stomach to the esophagus comprising introducing an esophageal manipulator (72) into the stomach lumen (10), maneuvering the manipulator within the lumen so as to create an intussusception (48) of the esophagus (14) into the stomach, introducing a stapler (68) to the lumen of the stomach, and stapling the intussuscepted esophagus to the stomach operation of the stapler is from within the lumen of the stomach. The invention also provides a medical or surgical stapler comprising an elongated body (80) having a passageway (70) which is adapted to receive a medical component such as a forceps (72) or fluid.

Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is a major problem with serious consequences in both the pediatric and adult population. GER includes reflux or regurgitation of stomach contents up into the esophagus. Occasionally the stomach contents, including acids, are aspirated into the pulmonary tree. GER is especially serious in infants, but many adults are also troubled with the symptoms. Frequent complications include esophagitis and esophageal stricture, intractable vomiting, asthma, and aspiration pneumonia. In infants and children GER has been associated with a wide spectrum of symptoms including vomiting, failure to thrive, recurrent aspiration pneumonia, apnea, sudden infant death syndrome, and brain damage. There is also a high incidence of GER in patients who have undergone correction of esophageal atresia or abnormal esophageal narrowing.
The gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) is an anatomical region including the junction of the stomach and esophagus. The GEJ combined with the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) forms a valve between the stomach and esophagus. The LES is formed of circular bands of muscle at the distal esophagus near the stomach. Incompetence of the valve contributes to symptoms of GER. In the last three decades improved understanding of the pathophysiology of GER has led to development of a variety of surgical procedures designed to construct a competent valve at the GEJ. Although usually effective, all are associated with significant morbidity and the risk of recurrence.
Fundoplication is a surgical treatment for GER. This corrective surgery typically involves a major operation with a large incision to expose the stomach and lower esophagus. Without penetrating the stomach, the esophagus is pulled down below the hole in the diaphragm through which the esophagus is normally admitted. Then a portion of the stomach, the fundus, is plicated or gathered up and wrapped around the distal end of the esophagus and sewn in place from the outside of the stomach and esophagus. FIG. 1a is a schematic of a conventional fundoplication of a stomach 2 to an esophagus 4. Suture line 6 represents surgical fixation of folds 8 to create the fundoplication. Folds 8 are in the fundal region of stomach 2. Folding the fundus up and around the distal end of esophagus 4 forms the fundoplication. The stomach lumen 10 is not entered. Suture line 6 holds folds 8 in place; it does not represent repair of a gastric incision.
Some current anti-reflux procedures are the Nissen, Thal, and Belsey. All these procedures require an abdominal or thoracic incision to wrap the stomach around the esophagus. The Belsey can require surgical removal of part of a rib. Each procedure takes about two hours to perform and they are attended by significant morbidity and mortality. In addition to being lengthy surgical procedures, spontaneous undoing of the plication is a major problem. Slippage has been the major cause of operative failures.
The most commonly performed operation for correction of GER in infants and children has been the Nissen fundoplication. The Nissen is associated with postoperative complications of small bowel obstruction, paraesophageal hernia, wrap slippage, and the gas-bloat syndrome. Although another procedure, Thal fundoplication, appears to have fewer postoperative complications, it has not been as widely used due to a higher rate of recurrent GER.
Successful techniques for the surgical treatment of gastroesophageal reflux appear to have several features in common: 1) lengthening of the indraabdominal portion of esophagus, 2) decreasing the angle of His, 3) construction of a valve mechanism at the GEJ, and 4) forming a complete or partial gastric wrap around the esophagus to augment extra-esophageal pressure (pressure originating outside the esophagus and acting on the esophagus). Recent technical advances in endoscopic surgery allow performance of a growing number of operations a minimally invasive manner.
A schematic of a conventional flexible endoscope 1 is shown in FIG. 1B and a cross-sectional area of its insertion tube 21 is shown in FIG. 1C. Endoscope 1 typically includes a depressible button 3 to control air and water influx, a control 5 to manipulate suction, and a control head 7. A biopsy channel inlet 9 is typically located on control head 7, as is an eye piece or viewing aperture 11. Endoscope 1 communicates with an external air and/or suction device through end 13 and to an external light source through end 15. Knob 17 controls up and down deflection of a flexible tip 23 at the distal end of insertion tube 21 and knob 19 controls left/right deflection of tip 23. A cross-sectional view of insertion tube 21 includes a lens 25, a light source 27, an air and water channel 29, and a biopsy and suction channel 31.
In use, the operator inserts distal tip 23 down the esophagus of an anesthetized patient and into the patient's stomach. The operator can manipulate control knobs 17 and 19 to view an area of interest. Air and water can be injected into the patient's stomach to assist in viewing an area clearly. Air, water and other fluids can be removed by use of the suction. The availability of flexible fiberoptic endoscopes has facilitated the development of new surgical procedures and approaches.

Method for performing a gastric wrap of the esophagus for use in the treatment of esophageal reflux

The Regents of the University of California


A temperature compensation system (300) is provided for compensating measurements from a sensor (240). A temperature transducer (310) is placed in close proximity to a manufacturing workstation as a means of measuring the ambient temperature associated with the workstation (200). A reference workpiece (100) is placed within a sensing zone of the sensor (240). The system (300) includes a temperature compensating module (320) that is connected to the sensor (240) and to the temperature transducer (310) for determining a baseline measurement of the reference workpiece at a reference temperature. The temperature compensating module (320) is further adapted for collecting a plurality of measurements of the reference workpiece over a plurality of temperatures for establishing a relationship between these measurements and their corresponding temperature values. In addition, a workpiece measuring module (330) is also connected to the sensor (240) and to the temperature transducer (310) for measuring a first workpiece at a first temperature, whereby the sensor measurement is compensated for temperature using this relationship. In this way, the temperature compensation system (300) compensates the sensor measurement for physical changes in any of the components of the workstation that are caused by fluctuations in ambient temperature. Rather than compensate for ambient temperature changes, the temperature compensation system (300) may also be adapted to compensate sensor measurements based on process driven temperature changes (i.e., a "hot" workpiece).

The present invention relates generally to machine vision equipment, and more particularly, relates to an apparatus and method for temperature compensation of three-dimensional measurements from a non-contact sensor in a workpiece manufacturing station.
Demand for higher quality has pressed manufacturers of mass produced articles, such as automotive vehicles, to employ automated manufacturing technology to assemble, weld, finish, gauge and test manufactured articles. Machine vision is a key part of today's manufacturing environment. Machine vision systems are used with robotics and as in-process gauging equipment to monitor and improve the manufacturing process and thereby improve quality and reduce cost of the articles produced.
In a typical manufacturing environment, there may be a plurality of different non-contact sensors, such as optical sensors, positioned at various predetermined locations within the workpiece manufacturing, gauging or testing station. The workpiece is placed at a predetermined, fixed location within the station, allowing various predetermined features of the workpiece to be examined by the sensors. Preferably, all of the sensors are properly positioned and carefully calibrated with respect to a fixed frame of reference, such as a common reference on the workpiece or at the workstation.
Achieving high quality manufactured parts requires highly accurate, precisely calibrated machine vision sensors. Not only must a sensor have a suitable resolution to discern a manufactured feature of interest, the sensor must accurately measure with respect to an external frame of reference so that relevant data regarding the manufactured parts can be reported.
One area of concern with sensor accuracy is measurement variations caused by temperature changes at the workpiece manufacturing station. Typically, the entire manufacturing assembly facility will experience significant fluctuations in temperature throughout the workday. As the temperature changes, the entire workpiece manufacturing station changes, including each of its various components. It may be possible to model the response of each component of a workstation with respect to changes in temperature. For instance, it is known that all of the components that comprise the inspection station: the workpiece, the tooling that transports and secures the workpiece in the station, the sensor mounting structure, the sensor mounting hardware, and the sensors, will expand and contract with temperature variations and that these physical changes in the components of the workstation will also cause deviations in the resulting measurements. Consequently, the enormity of the task of accurately modeling each of the relevant components in the typical manufacturing workstation can be readily appreciated.
Therefore, rather than attempting to empirically develop suitable compensation data to correct the response of each workstation component, a temperature compensation system of the present invention employs a system approach. Each of the components of the workstation that may be affected by variations in temperature are viewed as a system. A characteristic curve is determined that represents resulting variations in a sensor's measurements caused by changes in temperature. In this way, the characteristic curve incorporates all of the variables in the system that may affect a measurement from that particular sensor and thus provides an accurate means for providing temperature compensation for the sensor measurements.

Method and apparatus for temperature compensation of measurements from a non-contact sensor


A thermostat is disclosed which includes a bimetal element in the form of an elongated strip and a trip mechanism formed by an elongated metal strip and a member having a U-shaped portion operative as a spring and an arm portion projecting from one leg of the U-shaped portion to form a reset lever. The trip mechanism operates electrical contacts on metal strips and has an over-center operation to provide a snap action. The thermostat is connectable in series with a cooking temperature control thermostat of a popcorn cooking machine to protect against dangerously high operating temperatures.

In a popcorn cooking machine of a known type, an electric heating element is mounted on a container and a cooking temperature control thermostat is connected in series with the heating element to control the cooking temperature. The cooking temperature control thermostat is usually mounted on the outside of the cooking container and typically has a rotatable knob or other adjustable control for adjusting the cooking temperature which may be on the order of from 400.degree. to 500.degree. F.
Such machines usually operate quite satisfactorily for substantial periods of time and although problems have developed, they have not been recognized and dealt with, apparently because they usually develop only after relatively long periods of use. One of such problems is that the cooking temperature control thermostat may fail to open when the operating temperature exceeds the desired operating temperature. When this happens, the temperature may rise quite rapidly and if, without realizing that the cooking temperature control thermostat has failed, the operator places oil in the container, the oil will not only burn but may splatter to burn the operator. In a typical machine, the temperature will rise at a rate of about 50.degree. F. per minute from a normal operating temperature of 475.degree. F. to reach a temperature of 650.degree. F. in a little over three minutes at which temperature the oil will burn. If a longer time has elapsed, the temperature may be over 900.degree. F. and the reaction is almost explosive.
Such failures of the cooking temperature control thermostats are very likely to occur after prolonged periods of use because such thermostats typically comprise a bimetal element or the like which is effective to move two contacts apart to break the circuit and allow the heating element to cool, the contacts being then re-engaged to again complete the circuit. With the repeated cycling movements produced in long periods of use, a possible malfunction of the thermostat is likely and cannot be readily avoided by improvements in design.
The prior art also has deficiencies in that thermostats which might be effectively used for protecting against the aforementioned problems have not been available. The provision of a meltable fuse element for opening the circuit when a high temperature is reached is a possibility but is not a practical solution. Mechanical forces applied to the cooking container during normal operation can cause a fuse to be broken before the melting temperature thereof is reached and the replacement of a fuse can be a frustrating problem to the operator of a machine especially where the fuse is of a special type which is not generally available.
Thermostats which include bimetal disc elements or the like have had constructions such as not to be suitable for protecting against the aforementioned conditions. For example, one problem is that they have not been operative to open a circuit at a relatively high temperature without having the undesirable feature of being operative to reset themselves at a lower but still elevated temperature.
Thermostats of the type having elongated connections between a temperature sensing point and a point where electrical contacts are located and operated are not at all suitable for use in popcorn popping machines or the like.
As a result of the failure to recognize the problems involved and as a result of the inadequacies of the prior art devices, there has been no solution to the aforementioned dangerous problems which can result from failures of the cooking temperature control thermostats of popcorn popping machines or the like.

Thermostat for popcorn cooking containers or the like


Data, transmission comprises when sending data to a receiver through a channel, receiving, through the channel, at least one reference signal sent by the receiver; and resending the data according to the at least one reference signal. The present application further discloses other methods and apparatuses for transmitting data. Using the various embodiments, an issue that quality of service (QoS) cannot be ensured due to a lag of a reference signal in conventional data transmission is avoided, and the quality of data transmission can be improved.

In future wireless communication services, high requirements are raised on quality of service (QoS) of an end-to-end service, for example, in scenarios such as remote control of surgical equipment or remote control of a vehicle, an end-to-end latency needs to be not greater than 1 ms, so as to avoid a sense of a lag in an operation process. To meet the extremely high QoS requirements, multiple technical challenges exist, one of which is to accurately determine channel quality to determine a proper means for data transmission.
In an existing Long Term Evolution (LTE) time division duplex (TDD) technology, a dedicated reference signal is designed, so as to help a receiver to determine channel quality.
However, the LTE TDD is implemented in a half-duplex mode, and receiving a signal and sending a signal are not happened simultaneously; and therefore, a reference signal used for determining channel quality and data are sent in different subframes respectively. Channel quality obtained by receiving the reference signal may differ greatly from that when the data is sent. In this case, if the data is still sent according to the previously obtained channel quality, it is very likely that the QoS requirements cannot be met.

Method and apparatus for transmitting data


An oral hygiene device for use with a sink having hot and cold water lines includes a storage mount and a housing removably coupled thereto. The housing includes hot and cold water inputs and an outlet. The housing also includes first and second channels coupling the inputs to the outlet. The device includes piping tees and flexible tubing for connection to a sink's water lines. The device includes adjustable temperature valves in the first and second channels, respectively, for regulating amounts of hot and cold water passing through the channels. An adjustable volume valve is included for determining a volume of water exiting the outlet. The storage mount may be installed on a sink adjacent the faucet so that the oral hygiene device is a permanent fixture.

The present invention relates generally to oral hygiene devices and, more particularly, to an oral hygiene device that is installed as a permanent fixture in a bathroom sink environment.
Thorough dental care is a very important part of one's health and personal hygiene and, while brushing and flossing are the primary and traditional methods for keeping one's teeth clean, there are other devices that may aid or contribute to in maximizing one's oral health. Oral irrigators may help keep teeth clean by shooting a jet of water into areas that may be difficult to reach with a toothbrush.
Various devices have been proposed in the art for irrigating a person's oral cavity and for loosening food particles or plaque from one's teeth using high pressure water streams. Although assumably effective for their intended purposes, the existing devices and patent proposals do not provide a permanent sink fixture and offers improved control over the volume, velocity, and temperature of water flowing through the device.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have an oral hygiene device that provides a permanent sink fixture that satisfies the limitations or disadvantages of the existing devices and proposals in the prior art.


The present invention addresses the need in the art by providing a novel approach to the correction of errors in check bits in an encoded data word. The invention consists of a check bit output latch 16 which stores check bits generated by a check bit generator 14 and outputs the newly generated check bits to memory 12 when a single error occurs in the word located in the check bits. The data is corrected so the newly generated check bits are correct and can be latched out to memory 12 at the same time the data is latched out. The invention includes a syndrome generator 18, an error corrector 34, and an error detector 36. The present invention provides a powerful performance boost to error detection and correction circuits by correcting check bits in memory with newly generated check bits when no errors in the data word are detected.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to error detection and correction codes. More specifically, the present invention relates to techniques for correcting check bit errors.
While the present invention is described herein with reference to illustrative embodiments for particular applications, it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Those having ordinary skill in the art and access to the teachings provided herein will recognize additional modifications, applications, and embodiments within the scope thereof and additional fields in which the present invention would be of significant utility.
2. Description of the Related Art
A typical memory chip is a square array of data-storage cells. The 64K chip, for example, consists of an array of 256 by 256 data-storage cells. Each cell stores one bit, a 0 or a 1. The 0's and 1's stored in a memory chip are represented by the presence or absence of negative electric charge at sites in the silicon crystal. Each site has an electrical property which makes it a potential well or electronic trap for negative charge. When a 0 is to be stored in a given cell, the potential well at the site is filled with electrons. When a 1 is to be stored, the well is emptied of electrons. When the cell is read, its negative charge is measured. If the charge exceeds a certain value, the stored bit is declared to be a 0, otherwise it is declared to be a 1.
Errors can occur when a cell loses its charge, or if an uncharged potential well acquires a charge. Hard errors occur when a given cell is stuck at 0 or stuck at 1 or toggling between 0 and 1.
Error correcting codes help correct most errors that occur when data is stored or read from computer memories. Error correcting codes, such as the Hamming Code, group data bits together with parity bits into a codeword using an encoding algorithm. The parity bits act as checks for the data bits. Errors occurring in the storing or reading of data bits from the computer memory are detected and corrected with a decoding algorithm.
High speed Error Detection and Correction (EDC) chips use a Modified Hamming Code (MHC) to perform single error correction/double error detection (SEC/DED). The MHC technique generates check bits from an input data word which are stored along with the data as a total word in memory. Most MHC chips read the data in from memory and generate new check bits which are compared with the check bits read from memory to generate syndrome bits. The syndrome bits are then ORed to determine if any errors have occurred. If a single error has occurred, the syndromes are sent through a matrix decoder which determines the location of the error. If the error occurs in the data word, the data word is corrected and output. If the error occurs in the check bits, the data is correct and can therefore be output directly, but the check bit error is usually ignored and remains in the memory.
Check bit errors are usually detected by most error detection and correction chips and can be corrected externally. However, additional circuitry is generally required. Correcting check bit errors externally also requires additional processing time which significantly affects the performance of the chip.
Thus, there is a need in the art for an improved system for correcting check bit errors which does not adversely affect the processing speed of the system.


An electric machine has a base body in which a stator of the electric machine is arranged. The electric machine has a rotor shaft which is mounted in the base body in bearings for rotation. The electric machine has a pick-up element connected in fixed rotative engagement with the base body and which taps a voltage present on the rotor shaft. The pick-up element is electrically connected to the base body via a capacitor and/or an ohmic resistor. A capacitance value of the capacitor is at least 1 nF. A resistance value of the ohmic resistor is between 10 mO and 10 O.

The present invention relates to an electric machine,                wherein the electric machine has a base body in which a stator of the electric machine is arranged,        wherein the electric machine has a rotor shaft which is rotatably mounted in the base body by way of bearings,        wherein the electric machine has a pick-up element which is connected to the base body in a mechanically rotationally fixed manner and which taps a voltage occurring in the rotor shaft.
The present invention furthermore relates to a rail vehicle,                wherein the rail vehicle has at least one wheel axle and at least one electric machine,        wherein the at least one wheel axle is connected to a rotor shaft of the at least one electric machine directly or by way of a gear train assembly.
The present invention further relates to a rail-mounted car set which has a sequence of rail vehicles coupled to one another.
The above-cited subject matters are generally known. With regard to the electric machine, reference is made purely by way of example to DE 10 2007 019 828 B3 and U.S. Pat. No. 7 193 836 B2.
In electric motors, shaft voltages can occur in the rotor shaft, thereby inducing bearing currents. The bearing currents are essentially undesirable, but not really disruptive in every case. The most serious type of bearing currents are what are referred to as EDM bearing currents (EDM=electric discharge machining), because bearing currents of said type very quickly lead to bearing damage. With bearing currents of said type an electric arc is produced between the rollers and the race of the bearings. As a result thereof the lubricating grease burns and craters are produced in the bearing shells.
In addition to EDM bearing currents, capacitive bearing currents, conventional shaft voltages, high-frequency circular current and capacitive rotor ground currents can also occur.
In order to eliminate and suppress bearing currents it is known in the prior art to provide the electric machine with a pick-up element which is connected to the base body in a mechanically rotationally fixed manner and which taps a voltage occurring in the rotor shaft. The prior art cited in the introduction reveals embodiments of said type.
However, this approach is problematic, in particular in the case of rail vehicles. The reason for this is that the pick-up element causes an electrically conductive connection to exist from the rail by way of the wheel axle and possibly a gear train assembly to the motor housing. The connection can exhibit a very low impedance. As a result it can happen that a considerable amount of an operating current which is injected by another rail vehicle (in particular a rail vehicle of a different train) as a return current into the rail flows through the rail vehicle. This can cause interference to the communications equipment on the rail vehicle or the vehicle grounding system, in particular the shield of data lines, can be overloaded. This danger is present especially in the case of long vehicles having car bodies made of aluminum, since as a result the vehicle makes such a large conducting cross-section available that the specific resistance per meter of car length is less than the specific resistance per meter of rail. For this reason tapping devices of the above-cited type are not used in rail vehicles in most cases.

Electric machine, rail vehicle and rail-mounted car set


A messenger service method is provided that includes determining whether a user has created information for activating a search in a communication session. The communication session may be between the user and at least one other participant. The method includes transmitting the created information and a message input by the user. The method includes receiving a search result. The received search result may be generated based on the message and the information.

Field
Example embodiments relate to a method and/or system for providing a multi-user messenger service.
Description of the Background
A messenger application of a mobile terminal, such as a smartphone, may be performed using a translation robot configured to translate contents of conversations, a knowledge robot configured to perform an information search, and the like. However, only a one-to-one conversation, for example, a one-to-one chat between a single robot and a single user may be performed in the related art. For example, in the related art, a user may select a robot having a desired (or alternatively, predetermined) function, may create a chat room with the selected robot, and may perform only a one-to-one chat with the selected robot within the chat room.
Accordingly, in order to have a chat with a robot while a user is proceeding with a chat with another user in a created chat room, the user may need to leave the current chat room, select the robot, and then open a new chat room with the robot. Even though the chat room for chatting with the robot is already opened, the user may need to leave the current chat room in which the user is having a chat with the other user.

Method and system for providing multi-user messenger service


A curable composite direct filling composition, comprising a polymerizable resin containing at least one acrylic monomer and a finely divided organic filler having an Izod milled notch strength of at least about 1 joule/cm and a flexural strength of at least about 34 MPa.

This invention relates to curable composite direct filling materials for dental restoration. More particularly, it relates to compositions containing an organic filler.
Direct filling materials are compositions useful for repairing damaged teeth in situ. Direct filling materials containing curable acrylic binder resins such as methyl methacrylate, the reaction product of bisphenol A with glycidal methacrylate, and other resins containing acrylic functionality together with suitable catalysts such as peroxides, hydroperoxides, and photoinitiators (e.g. benzoin ethers) have been widely used for repairing teeth due to their realistic appearance and ease of preparation and use, see "Dental Applications," Encyclopedia of Polymer Science and Technology, 4, 727 (Wiley, 1966). In addition, such resins have also been used to manufacture artificial teeth and denture bases, id at 728, 733. Unfilled (i.e., pure) curable acrylic binder resins generally suffer from polymerization shrinkage and poor durability. These drawbacks have been reduced in direct filling applications, in part, through the addition of inert fillers (see U.S. Pat. No. 3,066,112). The combination of binder plus filler is commonly referred to as a composite direct filling material. Currently used fillers for curable acrylic binder resins generally are inert inorganic materials in the form of finely divided irregular particles, fibers or beads, present in from about 35 to about 80 percent by weight of the total composite direct filling material. Many publications have stressed that suitable filler materials should have low coefficient of thermal expansion, high compressive strength, and high Rockwell Hardness in order to prevent loosening of the cured direct filling material, increase wear resistance, and reduce polymerization shrinkage, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,066,112, and 3,503,128, "Dental Applications" id at 734-736, and Lee, Orlowski, and Kobashigawa, Handbook of Dental Restoratives (1973) pg. 2.20-2.21.
Commonly used inorganic fillers include fused silica, quartz, glass, various mineral silicates (e.g. .beta.-eucryptite, lepidolite, petalite, spodumene, beryl, topaz and zircon), silicon carbide, and alumina. In general, composite direct filling materials which are fully loaded with inorganic fillers (i.e. combined with the highest workable volume loading) are the most wear-resistant currently available composite direct filling materials. However, composite direct filling materials containing finely divided inorganic fillers and acrylic binder resins do not polish as easily as unfilled acrylic binder resin.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,923,740 describes a composite direct filling material containing finely divided cured polymethyl methacrylate as a filler, alone or in conjunction with an inorganic filler. Composite direct filling materials which are wholly or partly filled with finely divided polymethyl methacrylate have better polishability (i.e. better surface finish after polishing with ordinary dental tools) than composite direct filling materials which are fully loaded with inorganic fillers, but generally have poorer durability (i.e. poorer wear resistance in vivo) than such fully inorganically filled composite direct filling materials.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a composite direct filling material with an abrasion resistant, resilient surface that has greater durability than composite direct filling materials (that are fully loaded with inorganic materials) while providing good polishability. It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a composite direct filling material with low polymerization shrinkage and low solubility in mouth fluids. It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a dental restorative material useful for the manufacture of replacement teeth or denture bases. Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention.

Durable, polishable direct filling material

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company


A method tests a ceramic socket insert of a hip joint endoprosthesis in which, in use, a spherical head articulates against a functional inner surface of a ceramic socket insert which is anchored in a pelvic bone by means of a socket housing. The method includes providing the ceramic socket insert in a holding arrangement, applying a predetermined pressing force to a predetermined sub-area of the functional inner surface of the ceramic socket insert, and applying a supporting force to a sub-area of an outer surface of the ceramic socket insert to counteract the pressing force. The predetermined sub-area of the functional inner surface symmetrically surrounds a pole of the inner surface of a ceramic socket insert. The predetermined force is such that stresses generated in the ceramic socket insert are higher than stresses generated in the case of a physiological load.

The invention relates to a method for testing ceramic socket inserts of hip-joint endoprostheses.
Currently, hip-joint endoprostheses consist, as a rule, of modularly constructed systems. A metal shaft with a pin, on which a spherical head is placed, is anchored in the femur. The spherical head articulates against a socket or a socket insert. A socket is implanted directly in the femur, whilst a socket insert is first inserted in a socket housing which is then anchored in the pelvic bone.
In addition to components for endoprostheses of the hip joint made of metal and plastics material, there are also components that are made of high-purity, high-density ceramic material. These components, present significant advantages, in contrast to components made of different materials, such as complete biocompatibility and maximum wear resistance. Doubts exist, however, regarding the mechanical strength of such components, since ceramic materials are brittle, which means that instances of non-homogeneity of the material, for example micro-cracks, represent an increased risk of fracture in the event of loading. The reliability against defects resulting from components that are risk-attendant can be increased if these components are successfully detected and eliminated out by means of a suitable test after they have been produced. It is not, however, possible to detect components that are risk-attendant with any certainty by means of the usual non-destructive testing methods, for example X-ray testing, ultrasonic testing or dye-penetration methods.
For these reasons, method have been developed with which it is possible to test, in particular, components of hip-joint endoprostheses that are made of ceramic materials. For example, a method for testing ceramic sockets or socket inserts of hip-joint endoprostheses is known from DE 197 18 615 A1, in which a force is allowed to act on the inner surface of the latter in such a way that all the volume elements of the socket or socket insert respectively that are under a load, when physiologically loaded, become loaded and stresses are generated thereby that are higher, by a defined factor, than the stresses that are generated in the case of the physiological load.
In the case of the known overload tests, the so-called proof tests, carried out on ceramic socket inserts, the difficulty lies in generating the same stress ratios during the test that prevail in the case of a socket insert that is inserted in a socket housing, which in turn is implanted in a hip joint, and is loaded with a spherical head.
It is not possible to insert the socket inserts into the socket housings for testing purposes in order to be able to carry out a proof test as a quality control after production. After testing, it would be impossible to remove the socket inserts from the respective socket housing again without damage. Moreover, on account of the manufacturing tolerances of socket inserts and socket housings, reproducibility of the contact ratios between the components would not be guaranteed. This is necessary, however, since in a proof test it must be possible to repeat the most unfavourable case of stress distribution caused by the contact of the components.
The object of the present invention is therefore to propose a testing method with which a distribution of stresses is attained in the socket inserts comparable to those stresses that occur in loaded socket inserts which are inserted into a socket housing which in turn is implanted in the pelvic bone.
The object is achieved by introducing the testing force into the socket insert by way of a predetermined sub-area of the functional surface, which symmetrically surrounds the pole of the inner functional surface of the socket insert, and by applying a supporting force that counteracts the testing force simultaneously to a sub-region of the outer surface of the socket insert.
In the testing method in accordance with the invention, a supporting force acts on a sub-region of the outer surface of the spherical cap-shaped socket insert at the same time as the action of the testing force. During testing, the supporting force is increased as the loading by the testing force increases. The testing force is introduced by way of a predetermined sub-area of the inner surface of the socket insert, the inner spherical cap, which symmetrically surrounds the pole of the socket insert. As a result, stresses are generated in the socket insert in the same way as stresses also occur in an actual case of loading in the socket insert. The whole outer surface of the socket insert with conically shaped regions is displaced during testing under sufficiently uniform tensile strain.
The size of the sub-area of the functional surface of the socket insert, upon which the testing force acts, is predetermined by the height of the section which is covered by the sub-area. The height of the section is to amount to approximately 15% to 30% of the maximum inside diameter of the functional surface of the socket insert. Such is the height of a spherical section that goes right into the socket insert and by way of which the testing force is mechanically introduced into the socket insert by means of a die or the space in which the testing force is applied by means of a pressure fluid under pressure that, as a result of the predetermined height of the section, a loaded area is created that renders possible optimum simulation of the actual loading of a socket insert.
The testing force increases linearly up to a predetermined maximum value which is to be attained within approximately 10 seconds. Like the testing force, the supporting force likewise increases linearly and amounts to approximately 10% of the testing force. The testing force is introduced perpendicularly in the direction of the pole of the functional area. The supporting force is introduced in the opposite direction. To this end, for example, a die can press against the outer surface of the socket insert, with it being possible to generate the supporting force hydraulically, pneumatically or with springs.
It is advantageous to use, as a basis in each case, the maximum diameter of the functional areas of the socket inserts as a criterion for the level of the testing forces. For example, in the case of a socket insert having a maximum diameter of the functional area of 28 mm and a service life of 20 years that is to be guaranteed, a testing force of 13 to 15 kN is selected.
If the testing force is introduced mechanically by means of a spherical section that is arranged at the end of the die, the material of this section is not to damage the functional surface of the socket insert during testing. Moreover, it must be guaranteed that manufacturing tolerances are compensated for. For this reason, it is advantageous if at least one surface layer of the section consists of a material that is softer than the material of the socket insert and has a module of elasticity of approximately 300 to 1500 MPa. Plastics materials, in particular polytetrafluoroethylene, have proved to be suitable.
The socket inserts are held in the holding support of the testing device in accordance with the invention in a so-called receiving ring. The receiving ring supports the socket inserts in the edge region of the maximum outer periphery. The wall of the opening of the receiving ring extends, so as to be adapted to this wall region, in a conical manner. Whilst the outside diameters of the receiving rings are constant, the diameters of the receiving openings can be different in accordance with the outside diameters of the socket inserts. As a result, advantageously it is possible to be able to test socket inserts with different diameters of the functional areas in one and the same receiving arrangement, merely by changing the receiving rings.
In a further advantageous development of the invention, is a narrow ring made of a ductile material laid between the receiving ring and the socket insert. The ring can, for example, be made of copper or another soft metal or even of a suitable plastics material. With the aid of this ring of ductile material it is possible to reconcile manufacturing tolerances and compensate for possible structures, for example surface roughness. Furthermore, when the testing force is acting, friction-associated, uneven jamming and tilting of a socket insert inside the receiving ring are avoided. The withdrawal of a socket insert out of the receiving ring and the subsequent removal of the ring of ductile material are possible without a tool and thus without the risk of damage to the socket insert.

Method for testing ceramic socket inserts of hip joint endoprostheses

Ceramtec AG Innovative Ceramic Engineering


A VDSL splitter device adapted to receive a multi-frequency signal that includes a POTS signal portion and a VDSL signal portion and outputs separate POTS and VDSL signals. The VDSL splitter device includes an input port that receives the multi-frequency signal, a POTS output port, and a VDSL output port. The VDSL splitter also includes a POTS signal conditioning network electrically connected to the input port and the POTS output port. The POTS signal conditioning network receives the multi-frequency signal from the input port and outputs the POTS signal at the POTS output port. The VDSL splitter device also includes a VDSL signal conditioning network electrically connected to the input port and the VDSL output port. The VDSL signal conditioning network includes a voltage blocker and a VDSL high-pass filter, and is adapted to receive the multi-frequency signal from the input port and outputs the VDSL signal at the VDSL output port.

The plain old telephone service, or POTS, is the service that delivers analog voice signals to a customer's home or office. These analog voice signals are generally transmitted at a frequency of less than 4 kHz via twisted pairs of copper wires. These same twisted pairs of wires often carry digital signals at significantly higher frequencies. For example, a twisted-pair wire may carry a very high digital subscriber line (VDSL) signal operating in the range of 25 kHz to 8.5 MHz, and above.
When such an incoming signal is received at a customer premise, it must be split into separate low- and high-frequency signals. The low-frequency analog signals will be distributed through the location's telephone network across unshielded twisted-pair wires, with the high-frequency signal sent to a gateway device for distribution to local devices such as personal computers, set-top boxes, and so on. The VDSL signal may be distributed across a 100 ohm VDSL twisted pair network within the customer premise, or in other cases may need to be distributed across a 75 ohm coaxial cable network. Either way, separation of signals must be accomplished without introducing unwanted interference into the digital signal.
Interference may be introduced into the VDSL signal from a number of sources. The low-frequency POTS signal may create transient interference signals during operation, for example, during on-hook, off-hook, and ringing. Other outside sources, including sources at a customer location or premise, or from a central office, may introduce electromagnetic interference or other types of interference into the VDSL signal.
Such interference must be prevented from being introduced into the VDSL signal, or removed from the signal, without significant data loss. This becomes especially true for video signals, a critical component of VDSL signals.
A number of splitter devices for interfacing customer premise equipment to the telephone network are already known in the industry. Many of these known splitter devices tend to incorporate extensive electronic schemes that include frequency splitters, multiple low-pass, high-pass, and bandpass filters, along with other active electronic devices. However, these known devices still often fail to satisfactorily eliminate transient signals introduced into the VDSL signals from the POTS circuit operation, especially in the higher frequency ranges. Furthermore, these devices tend to be sensitive to environmental changes, less robust, and sometimes more expensive than simpler analog devices.
On the other hand, industry has often slimmed analog splitters and filters as lacking the performance required for conditioning today's higher-and-higher frequency DSL signals. Analog filters with passive elements that are able achieve the steep roll-off characteristics necessary to separate voice and data signals require the use of higher-order filters. However, such higher-order filters tend to be complex, difficult to design, and relatively expensive due to the use of multiple inductors. Further, such designs tend to be very application specific, and do not always provide an interference free signal without significant data loss.
Therefore, a need exists for a simplistic, yet high performance, splitter device connected to a telephone company network that separates an incoming multi-frequency signal into separate low and high-frequency outputs with minimal distortion and data loss.


A vertical-lift and horizontal flight aircraft, which can be operated in a horizontal flight mode, as soon as ground clearance is made. And, because of its unique design is very stable in flight, is very light, has a low drag resistance factor and is versatile in the configurations that can be made from a basic platform. The aircraft is primarily disk shaped with the aircraft body in the center surrounded by a lift assembly housing, an outer body lift surface and a propulsion thrust unit mounted aft of the central body compartment. The lift assembly housing is parallel with the aircraft body and contains an inner drive ring, with attached lift blades, facing inward toward the body compartment and an outer drive ring, with attached lift blades, facing outward toward the outer body lift surface. Electromagnetic motors power each drive ring. The inner and outer lift assemblies are composed of a drive ring; lift blades, a drive ring guide-way and electromagnetic motors. The inner and outer drive rings counter-rotate to alleviate any possible torque effect. Each drive ring is controlled independently, and synchronized to achieve positive directional control. As the drive rings rotate, the attached lift blades move through the air to create lift. The pitch of the lift blades can be fixed or variable. Once the aircraft is airborne and the forward motion is attained, air moving over the outer body lift surface provides the lift for horizontal flight. An electric control mechanism will synchronize the speed of the two counter-rotating lift assembly drive rings for flight control purposes. This will allow the body to rotate, or maintain a steady course. Flight directional flaps will control the direction of the aircraft.

This invention provides a new and improved aircraft lift system for vertical take off and horizontal flight. More importantly, the stability, safety and efficiency are significantly improved. All of which will lead to a revolutionary means of air travel.
Presently, helicopters are the most common vertical lift aircraft. They generally employ a single main rotor with a torque-compensating propeller on a boom at the rear of the helicopter body. The body of the helicopter is located below the main rotor and is connected to the rotor system by an engine and transmission assembly, which drives the rotor. This configuration creates a great deal of torque, which has been partially compensated by the rear rotor. However, due to the dynamics of the aircraft speed, wind velocity and the rate of climb, the torque affect is never completely resolved. Consequently, the helicopter is a very unstable aircraft with a corresponding low safety factor.
In addition, the rotor blades, generally between two and five in number, are long and heavy, and are connected to a single rotor hub, resulting in the rotor hub being heavily stressed and unstable. Damage to one of the rotor blades can create imbalances, which can destroy the entire rotor system. Normal vibrations are also very difficult to dampen. The rotor blades, being free at one end, are easily damaged upon impact. The torque-compensating propeller, located on the tail of the body, consumes a significant amount of engine power and adds to the overall weight.
This configuration does not lend itself to horizontal flight. The long rotating blades and the large frontal image, all contribute to excessive drag, thus decreasing efficiency and increasing instability. In addition, the weight of the engine, transmission and fuel, further decreases the efficiency and increases the instability of the aircraft.
The Marine Corp is currently supporting the development of a Tilt-Rotor type of aircraft, which is a combination of the helicopter and the airplane. Rotor blades are positioned at the tip of each wing to provide lift during takeoff and rotated 90 degrees for normal flight. For this system to work, the blade tilting on each wing must be precisely synchronized to prevent a rolling effect. Due to uncontrolled conditions, such as wind velocity, rate of climb and load distribution this aircraft has yet to be proven airworthy, even after decades of research. To date, many problems of stability have occurred, bringing into question its possible airworthiness. In addition the weight of the power plant, transmission and fuel, severally restricts the payload capacity and range of this aircraft.
The above discussion points out the problems and deficiencies of current design for vertical lift aircraft. The aircraft design is focused around the power available from the reciprocating engine and the jet engine. This configuration has been carried over into the design of unmanned aircraft, posing flight control problems as well as limitations on the stealth ability and the size of the aircraft. The weight of the power plant, transmission and fuel must to be overcome before any payload weight is added. Then again for each pound of payload, a corresponding increase in the power plant, transmission and fuel is necessary. Add to this is the need to increase the size and weight of the aircraft structure to house the power plant, fuel storage and payload. The resulting aircraft package becomes ever more weighty, expensive and unstable. In the case of the airplane, we incur an additional expense to provide for increasing the take-off and landing space. In general, the helicopter is excessively heavy; due to the weight of the engine, transmission and fuel; and very unstable due to the inability to completely resolve the torque effect.
These limitations have been recognized, and with the present invention a new and revolutionary concept for aircraft lift and propulsion is available. One that has drastically reduced the overall weight of the aircraft and has also overcome the serious affect torque has upon aircraft operation safety and stability. By drastically reducing the weight of the power plant and fuel, and eliminating any torque effect, we can use an entirely new approach to aircraft design. A design, which is very stable in flight; i.e. has a high safety factor; is very quiet, easy to operate and has vertical-lift and horizontal flight capability.
The concept of the instant invention is based upon recently developed technologies in high power, lightweight, electromagnetic motors, lightweight batteries and a lightweight high capacity generator. This combination has provided the means to change entirely the aircraft structure and to drastically reduce the weight of the aircraft. The resulting aircraft package offers greater efficiency in fuel consumption, thereby lowering the cost of operation, a significant improvement in operating stability; i.e. no torque effect; and is very quiet due to an all-electric implementation. The major benefit of this configuration is stability in flight, which means easier handling characteristics and a considerable improvement in the safety factor.
The basic concept of the instant invention is taken from the helicopter, in that the rotor blades of the helicopter act much like the wing of an airplane. The present invention has taken this same principle, and instead of a rotor, spinning overhead, counter-rotating lift blades, surrounding the main body of the aircraft, provide the means for take off and flight. Two counter-rotating drive rings drive the lift blades, which are shaped much like an aircraft wing. Electromagnetic motors supply the power to spin the lift blade drive rings at high speeds, providing the lift for take-off and horizontal flight. By varying the current to the electromagnetic motors, the speed of the rotating blades can be regulated. The forward motion and steering function is achieved by the use of directional guide flaps mounted under the periphery of the aircraft and adjacent to the lift blades. These flaps will deflect the air from the rotating blades to cause either a turning action or to propel the aircraft forward. With the flaps extended, the aircraft will lift vertically, or allow the craft to settle in for a landing.
A high-energy lightweight battery has been recently developed to provide the power to drive the electromagnetic motors. When additional payload and range requirements are needed, a lightweight fuel cell or generator are available as options. The aircraft configuration can vary according to mission requirements. For short-range reconnaissance missions, the battery will suffice to power the aircraft and keep the noise level down to a whisper. For greater payloads and extended flight, the electromagnetic motors can be increased in size or number of units. Also, an on board generator, fuel cell, or micro-turbine are available to provide for additional generator capacity. With this configuration, the battery gets a boost during lift off and is re-generated during flight, thereby providing an additional safety factor for landing. This combination of high power to weight ratio provides the efficiency and safety to enable the aircraft to lift vertically, cruise, and hover for extended periods of time.
Additionally, an external thrust unit or motorized ducted fan unit can be added. Several options are available, such as a jet engine, a micro-turbine, or a ducted fan unit driven by either an electric motor, or a gas or diesel powered engine.
The electromagnetic motors are housed within the lift assembly housing. Magnets, embedded within the inner and outer lift assembly drive rings, interact with the electromagnetic motors to propel the attached lift blades in a counter-rotating motion, resulting in aircraft lift. The electromagnetic motors are battery powered and may be re-generated with an on-board generator. The aircraft can be powered solely by battery or with a hybrid battery generator, and/or fuel cell. Additionally, the forward motion can be powered with just the battery, by a jet engine, a gas, diesel or electric motor ducted fan unit, or a micro-turbine.
Control of the angle of flight and the steering function is achieved by the use of directional guide flaps mounted under the periphery of the aircraft and adjacent to the lift blades. The flaps are independently controlled to provide complete control of the aircraft during vertical lift and horizontal flight. Air moving downward from the rotating lift blades, and deflected by the directional guide flaps will cause the aircraft to turn, lift, or to propel the aircraft forward. With the flaps extended, the aircraft will climb vertically, when power is applied, or descend when power is decreased allowing the craft to settle in for a landing.
The central body compartment is the load-carrying unit and contains the battery, and/or generator, fuel cell, or micro-turbine, flight control mechanisms and other payload items as determined by the mission requirements. The body is attached to the lift assembly housing by means of tubular attachment support members. These tubular attachment members are also used to carry motor control cabling, electrical wiring, flight control cabling and other control mechanisms.

Vertical-lift and horizontal flight aircraft


A vertical axis wind turbine blade is revealed. The vertical axis wind turbine blade includes a blade frame formed by assembly plates disposed at regular intervals and blade bodies each of which pivoted between two adjacent assembly plates. Stoppers are disposed between the assembly plates and the blade bodies. The stopper is used to stop on one side of the blade body corresponding to a downwind surface of the assembly plate. The blade bodies pivotally connected to the blade frame move along with the blade frame to be in an open or a closed position. When the wind blows the upwind surface, the blade body is stopped by the stopper and in the closed position so as to receive the wind power. While the wind blowing the downwind surface, the blade body is in the open position to reduce the wind resistance. Thus the wind turbine efficiency is dramatically improved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vertical axis wind turbine blade, especially to a vertical axis wind turbine blade that prevents wind power applied to an upwind surface and a downwind surface at the same time so as to increase the power generation efficiency of the wind turbine.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, a wind turbine set uses wind-wheels to receive wind power and then convert the wind power to electricity. Now a vertical wind turbine is used to convert kinetic energy from air to mechanical energy and transmit the mechanical energy to generator sets for electricity production. A plurality of helical blades is connected to a rotor. By the design of the blades, wind acts on the blades to drive the rotor and the rotor is connected to generator sets. As a result, the kinetic energy of the air is converted to electric power. However, helical blades of the vertical axis wind turbines available now include upwind surfaces and downwind surfaces and the resistance over the whole downwind surface caused by wind is quite large. Thus the resistance is opposite to the pushing force over the whole upwind surface caused by wind and the opposing forces cancel each other partially. Therefore the power generation efficiency of the wind turbine is lowered.


A substrate processing apparatus is disclosed. The substrate processing apparatus includes a gas supply system which supplies a gas into a process chamber, an exhaust system which discharges the gas existing within the process chamber; and a gas supply pipe which supplies the gas into the process chamber via holes, and disposed inside the process chamber, where one end of the gas supply pipe is connected to the gas supply system, the other end of the gas supply pipe is connected to the exhaust system via a pipeline outside the process chamber.

A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is available as one example of a substrate processing apparatus. Furthermore, a vertical apparatus is known as one example of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of this kind includes a substrate holder (boat) configured to hold substrates (wafers) in multiple stages. A plurality of substrates is transferred from a transfer chamber to the substrate holder. While holding the substrates in place, a process gas is supplied from a nozzle installed in a process chamber of a processing furnace, thereby processing the substrates.

Substrate processing apparatus, method of manufacturing semiconductor device, and recording medium


Method and apparatus of Inter prediction for video coding performed by a video encoder or a video decoder that utilizes motion vector prediction (MVP) to code a motion vector (MV) associated with a block coded with Inter mode are disclosed. According to one method, an initial MVP candidate list is generated for the current block. When candidate reordering is selected for the current block, target candidates within a selected candidate set are reordered to generate a reordered MVP candidate list and then the current block is encoded at the video encoder side or decoded at the video decoder sider using the reordered MVP candidate list, where the selected candidate set comprises at least partial candidates of the initial MVP candidate list.

Motion estimation/compensation is a powerful coding tool that has been used in various coding standards such as MPEG-2, H.264 and the emerging HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding) standard. The motion information derived at the encoder side has to be transmitted to the decoder side, which may consume sizeable bandwidth. In order to improve the coding efficiency for motion information, motion vector prediction (MVP) to coding a current motion vector (MV) predictively has been developed.
Merge Mode and AMVP Mode
For each Inter PU, one or two motion vectors (MVs) are determined using motion estimation. In order to increase the coding efficiency of motion vector (MV) coding in HEVC, HEVC motion vector prediction (MVP) to encode MV predictively. In particular, HEVC supports the Skip and Merge modes for MVP coding. For Skip and Merge modes, a set of candidates are derived based on the motion information of spatially neighbouring blocks (spatial candidates) or a temporal co-located block (temporal candidate). When a PU is coded using the Skip or Merge mode, no motion information is signalled. Instead, only the index of the selected candidate is coded. For the Skip mode, the residual signal is forced to be zero and not coded. In other words, no information is signalled for the residuals. Each merged PU reuses the MV, prediction direction, and reference picture index of the selected candidate.
For Merge mode in HEVC, up to four spatial MV candidates are derived from neighbouring blocks A0, A1, B0 and B1, and one temporal MV candidate is derived from bottom-right block, TBR or centre-block TCT as shown in FIG. 1. For the temporal candidate, TBR is used first. If TBR is not available, TCT is used instead. Note that if any of the four spatial MV candidates is not available, the block B2 is then used to derive MV candidate as a replacement. After the derivation process of the four spatial MV candidates and one temporal MV candidate, removing redundancy (pruning) is applied to remove any redundant MV candidate. If after removing redundancy (pruning), the number of available MV candidates is smaller than five, three types of additional candidates are derived and are added to the candidate set (candidate list). The encoder selects one final candidate within the candidate set for Skip or Merge mode based on the rate-distortion optimization (RDO) decision, and transmits the index to the decoder.
Since the derivations of Skep and Merge candidates are similar, the "Merge" mode referred hereafter may correspond to "Merge" mode as well as "Skip" mode for convenience.
The MVP technique is also applied to code a motion vector predictively, which is referred as AMVP (Advanced Motion Vector Prediction). When a PU is coded in Inter AMVP mode, motion-compensated prediction is performed with transmitted motion vector differences (MVDs) that can be used together with Motion Vector Predictors (MVPs) for deriving motion vectors (MVs). To decide MVP in Inter AMVP mode, the AMVP scheme is used to select a motion vector predictor among an AMVP candidate set including two spatial MVPs and one temporal MVP. Therefore, an AMVP index for MVP and the corresponding MVDs need to be encoded and transmitted for an AMVP-coded block. In addition, the Inter prediction direction to specify the prediction directions among bi-prediction and uni-prediction (i.e., list 0 (L0) and/or list 1 (L1)) associated with the reference frame index for each list should also be encoded and transmitted.
When a PU is coded in either Skip or Merge mode, no motion information is transmitted except the Merge index of the selected candidate since the Skip and Merge modes utilize motion inference methods (i.e., MV=MVP+MVD where MVD being zero) to obtain the motion information from the selected Merge/Skip candidate.
In AMVP, the left MVP is selected based on the first available one from A0, A1, the top MVP is the first available one from B0, B1, B2, and the temporal MVP is the first available one from TBR or TCT (TBR is used first, if TBR is not available, TCT is used instead). If the left MVP is not available and the top MVP is not scaled MVP, the second top MVP can be derived if there is a scaled MVP among B0, B1, and B2. The list size of MVPs of AMVP is 2 in HEVC. Therefore, after the derivation process of the two spatial MVPs and one temporal MVP, only the first two MVPs can be included in the MVP list. If after removing redundancy, the number of available MVPs is less than two, zero vector candidates are added to the candidates list.
Bilateral Template MV Refinement
Bilateral Template MV Refinement (BTMVR) is also referred as Decoder-side MV refinement (DMVR) in some literature. For example, in JVET-D0029 (Xu Chen, et al., "Decoder-Side Motion Vector Refinement Based on Bilateral Template Matching", Joint Video Exploration Team (JVET) of ITU-T SG 16 WP 3 and ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 29/WG 11, 4th Meeting: Chengdu, CN, 15-21 Oct. 2016, Document: JVET-D0029), Decoder-Side Motion Vector Refinement (DMVR) based on bilateral template matching is disclosed. The process of BTMVR is shown in FIG. 2, where block 210 is a current block. Initial motion vectors MV0 220a and MV1 220b for current block 210 are determined.
In BTMVR (i.e., DMVR), it uses two-stage search to refine the MVs of the current block. For a current block, the cost of current MV candidate is first evaluated. In the first stage search, the integer-pixel search is performed around the current pixel location. Eight candidates are evaluated. The horizontal distance, vertical distance or both between two adjacent circles or between the square symbol and the adjacent circle is one pixel. The best candidate with the lowest cost is selected as the best MV candidate in the first stage. In the second stage, a half-pixel square search is performed around the best MV candidate in the first stage. The best MV candidate with the lowest cost is selected the final MV for the final motion compensation.
When the underlying video data correspond to colour video, the Bilateral Template MV Refinement process may also be applied to the colour components. As is known in the field, colour video may be in various colour format, such as YUV or YCrCb colour components with different colour sampling formats such as 4:4:4, 4:2:2 and 4:2:0. For example, when the colour video is in the YCrCb420 format, the Cr and Cb chrominance components have half vertical resolution and half horizontal resolution of the Y luminance component. A motion vector derived based on the Y component needs to be scaled before the motion vector is used for the chrominance components.
Pattern-Based MV Derivation (PMVD)
FIG. 3 illustrates an example of FRUC (Frame Rate Up Conversion) bilateral matching mode, where the motion information for a current block 310 is derived based on two reference pictures. The motion information of the current block is derived by finding the best match between two reference blocks (320 and 330) along the motion trajectory 340 of the current block in two different reference pictures (i.e., Ref0 and Ref1). Under the assumption of continuous motion trajectory, the motion vectors MV0 associated with Ref0 and MV1 associated with Ref1 pointing to the two reference blocks shall be proportional to the temporal distances, i.e., TD0 and TD1, between the current picture (i.e., Cur pic) and the two reference pictures Ref0 and Ref1.
FIG. 4 illustrates an example of template matching FRUC (Frame Rate Up Conversion) mode. The neighbouring areas (420a and 420b) of the current block 410 in a current picture (i.e., Cur pic) are used as a template to match with a corresponding template (430a and 430b) in a reference picture (i.e., Ref0 in FIG. 4). The best match between template 420a/420b and template 430a/430b will determine a decoder derived motion vector 440. While Ref0 is shown in FIG. 4, Ref1 can also be used as a reference picture.
According to VCEG-AZ07, a FRUC_mrg_flag is signalled when the merge_flag or skip_flag is true. If the FRUC_mrg_flag is 1, then FRUC_merge_mode is signalled to indicate whether the bilateral matching merge mode or template matching merge mode is selected. If the FRUC_mrg_flag is 0, it implies that regular merge mode is used and a merge index is signalled in this case. In video coding, in order to improve coding efficiency, the motion vector for a block may be predicted using motion vector prediction (MVP), where a candidate list is generated. A merge candidate list may be used for coding a block in a merge mode. When the merge mode is used to code a block, the motion information (e.g. motion vector) of the block can be represented by one of the candidates MV in the merge MV list. Therefore, instead of transmitting the motion information of the block directly, a merge index is transmitted to a decoder side. The decoder maintains a same merge list and uses the merge index to retrieve the merge candidate as signalled by the merge index. Typically, the merge candidate list consists of a small number of candidates and transmitting the merge index is much more efficient than transmitting the motion information. When a block is coded in a merge mode, the motion information is "merged" with that of a neighbouring block by signalling a merge index instead of explicitly transmitted. However, the prediction residuals are still transmitted. In the case that the prediction residuals are zero or very small, the prediction residuals are "skipped" (i.e., the skip mode) and the block is coded by the skip mode with a merge index to identify the merge MV in the merge list.
While the term FRUC refers to motion vector derivation for Frame Rate Up-Conversion, the underlying techniques are intended for a decoder to derive one or more merge MV candidates without the need for explicitly transmitting motion information. Accordingly, the FRUC is also called decoder derived motion information in this disclosure. Since the template matching method is a pattern-based MV derivation technique, the template matching method of the FRUC is also referred as Pattern-based MV Derivation (PMVD) in this disclosure.
In the decoder side MV derivation method, a new temporal MVP called temporal derived MVP is derived by scanning all MVs in all reference pictures. To derive the LIST_0 temporal derived MVP, for each LIST_0 MV in the LIST_0 reference pictures, the MV is scaled to point to the current frame. The 4×4 block that pointed by this scaled MV in current frame is the target current block. The MV is further scaled to point to the reference picture that refIdx is equal 0 in LIST_0 for the target current block. The further scaled MV is stored in the LIST_0 MV field for the target current block. FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B illustrate examples for deriving the temporal derived MVPs for LIST_0 and LIST_1 respectively. In FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B, each small square block corresponds to a 4×4 block. The temporal derived MVPs process scans all the MVs in all 4×4 blocks in all reference pictures to generate the temporal derived LIST_0 and LIST_1 MVPs of current frame. For example, in FIG. 5A, blocks 510, blocks 512 and blocks 514 correspond to 4×4 blocks of the current picture (Cur. pic), LIST_0 reference picture with index equal to 0 (i.e., refidx=0) and LIST_0 reference picture with index equal to 1 (i.e., refidx=1) respectively. Motion vectors 520 and 530 for two blocks in LIST_0 reference picture with index equal to 1 are known. Then, temporal derived MVP 522 and 532 can be derived by scaling motion vectors 520 and 530 respectively. The scaled MVP is then assigned it to a corresponding block. Similarly, in FIG. 5B, blocks 540, blocks 542 and blocks 544 correspond to 4×4 blocks of the current picture (Cur. pic), LIST_1 reference picture with index equal to 0 (i.e., refidx=0) and LIST_1 reference picture with index equal to 1 (i.e., refidx=1) respectively. Motion vectors 550 and 560 for two blocks in LIST_1 reference picture with index equal to 1 are known. Then, temporal derived MVP 552 and 562 can be derived by scaling motion vectors 550 and 560 respectively.
For the bilateral matching merge mode and template matching merge mode, two-stage matching is applied. The first stage is PU-level matching, and the second stage is the sub-PU-level matching. In the PU-level matching, multiple initial MVs in LIST_0 and LIST_1 are selected respectively. These MVs includes the MVs from merge candidates (i.e., the conventional merge candidates such as these specified in the HEVC standard) and MVs from temporal derived MVPs. Two different staring MV sets are generated for two lists. For each MV in one list, a MV pair is generated by composing of this MV and the mirrored MV that is derived by scaling the MV to the other list. For each MV pair, two reference blocks are compensated by using this MV pair. The sum of absolutely differences (SAD) of these two blocks is calculated. The MV pair with the smallest SAD is selected as the best MV pair.
Local Illumination Compensation (LIC)
Local Illumination Compensation (LIC) is a method to perform Inter prediction using neighbour samples of the current block and a reference block. It is based on a linear model using a scaling factor a and an offset b. The method derives the scaling factor a and the offset b by referring to the neighbour samples of the current block and the reference block. Moreover, the LIC process can be enabled or disabled adaptively for each CU.
More details regarding LIC can be found in JVET-C1001 ((Xu Chen, et al., "Algorithm Description of Joint Exploration Test Model 3", Joint Video Exploration Team (JVET) of ITU-T SG 16 WP 3 and ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 29/WG 11, 3rd Meeting: Geneva, CH, 26 May-1 Jun. 2016, Document: JVET-C1001).
Advanced Motion Vector Resolution (AMVR)
To improve the coding gain, the Advanced Motion Vector Resolution (AMVR) has also been introduced recently. The AMVR can adaptively switch the resolution of Motion Vector Difference (MVD). The Motion Vector Difference (MVD) between a current MV and the MV predictor of a PU) can be coded with either quarter-pel resolution or integer-pel resolution. The switching is controlled at coding unit (CU) level and an integer MVD resolution flag is (conditionally) signalled.
More details regarding AMVR can be found in JVET-C1001 ((Xu Chen, et al., "Algorithm Description of Joint Exploration Test Model 3", Joint Video Exploration Team (JVET) of ITU-T SG 16 WP 3 and ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 29/WG 11, 3rd Meeting: Geneva, CH, 26 May-1 Jun. 2016, Document: JVET-C1001).
In JVET-E0076 (Chen et al., "EE5EE4: Enhanced Motion Vector Difference Coding", Joint Video Exploration Team (JVET) of ITU-T SG 16 WP 3 and ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 29/WG 11, the 5th JVET meeting, January 2017, Geneva, Document: JVET-E0076), a modified MVD coding method has been adopted. The modified MVD coding method includes two elements: a) 4-pel accuracy for MVD signalling (in addition to ¼-pel and integer-pel MVD accuracy, and b) switchable binarization and context model selection. According to JVET-E0076, a first flag is signalled to indicate whether ¼-pel MV precision for the luma signal is used in a CU. When the first flag indicates that ¼-pel MV precision for the luma signal is not used, another flag is signalled to indicate whether integer luma sample or four luma samples MV precision is used.
In the following disclosure, various techniques to improve the coding efficiency by utilizing the template of a current block and the template of one or more reference blocks, previous coded data or information are described.

Method and apparatus of reordering motion vector prediction candidate set for video coding


A heat exchanger assembly and subassembly having a combination of liquid line header and a series of spaced helically wound capillary tubes. The liquid line header is mounted such that capillary tubes may be connected therefrom to the appropriate feeder tubes or other connections of the heat exchanger. Capillary tubes are helically wound about the liquid line header such that a compact, neat capillary tube arrangement is provided with a short distance between the two ends of the capillary. A dummy header may be utilized such that the capillary tube extends through the dummy header to a feeder tube to feed the appropriate refrigerant circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention in general relates to heat exchanger assemblies and more particularly to the routing of capillary tubes to feed refrigerant into the circuits of the heat exchanger.
2. Prior Art
A heat exchanger, as used in an air conditioning system or a refrigeration application, is designed to have refrigerant flowing through tubes and a heat transfer media to be heated or cooled flowing in heat exchange relation with those tubes. In all but the smallest heat exchangers it is common to have more than one fluid flow circuit through the heat exchanger. Hence, it is necessary to make connections to each of the circuits so that they may be arranged in the appropriate configuration.
In refrigeration circuits it is additionally necessary when the heat exchanger is serving as an evaporator that the refrigerant undergo a pressure drop just before entering the circuit such that liquid refrigerant may be evaporated to a gas to absorb heat energy from the media to be cooled. Numerous expansion devices are known in the art to accomplish this pressure drop including a capillary tube. Such a tube is a small internal diameter tube of a predetermined length to achieve the desired pressure drop.
Heretofore, in multiple circuit heat exchangers it has been customary to utilize a capillary tube for each circuit in the heat exchanger and to connect each capillary tube at one end to a distributor and at the other end to each circuit of the heat exchanger. When the circuits of the heat exchanger become numerous the capillary tubes are wound like spaghetti about an end of the heat exchanger, all the capillary tubes originating from one point and terminating at the various circuits. In even more complex applications more than one distributor may be used such that there is considerable intertwining of capillary tubes and the concurrent problems are multiplied. A typical example of a single distributor feeding a series of capillary tubes for a heat exchanger may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,057,975. Therein, in FIG. 2 there is disclosed a complex coil having seven circuits, each fed by a separate capillary tube.
It has been found that when numerous capillary tubes are bent around, through, between or among hairpins, return bend headers, feeder tubes and other complex connecting piping at the end of the heat exchanger that these tubes end up in various complex positions, sometimes under stress and in positions where there is potential for the capillary tubes to either rub against an adjacent tube or another capillary tube. During operation of a refrigeration machine the utilization of a compressor or fan or the vibrations involved in transportation may cause the capillary tubes and other piping to rub against each other. Capillary tubes, by their very nature, are small in diameter and have relatively thin walls. Physical contact of a capillary with another component may result in damage to the capillary's function especially if its internal diameter is decreased. Complete failure of the capillary with concommitant failure of the refrigeration circuit caused by leakage of refrigerant may result from a capillary tube rubbing another object.
The present capillary tube arrangement allows the individual capillaries to be mechanically formed into a predetermined configuration prior to being integrated into the heat exchanger. Previous arrangments required individual manual forming of each capillary tube which was both time consuming and fatiguing.
It has also been found in units with complex capillary tube circuiting that the service or repair person may not be able to ascertain which capillary tubes are working properly by detecting the individual temperature thereof. It is conventional to place a hand on a capillary tube to ascertain its temperature to determine whether or not it is blocked. When many capillary tubes are located in a close region, it is impossible or very difficult to ascertain the temperature of each individual tube since heat energy is transmitted between them.
The capillary tube arrangement as disclosed herein incorporates a liquid header with the capillary tubes formed in a tightly wound spiral or helical configuration about the header. The header is mounted parallel to the piping end of the coil such that a neat arrangement of capillary tubes may be formed about the liquid line header. The location of the header is such that the capillary tube merely connects openings spaced along the header to the appropriate circuits spaced along the heat exchanger. The relative position of the header to the circuits of the heat exchanger acts to reduce the overall distance between openings to be connected. Since the overall length of a capillary of a predetermined internal diameter is a function of the desired pressure drop the distance between the liquid header and the circuit to be connected thereto must be less than this length. The length of a capillary tube greater than the distance between the header and the circuit is formed by winding the capillary tube into a helical configuration about the liquid line header such that the design length of the capillary tube is maintained the same and the location of that tube is tightly configured in a known location out of the way of the piping. This compact, neat arrangement provides for the elimination of the potential of rubbing among the various other components as is found when all the capillary tubes originate in a single distributor. Additionally, by separating the capillary tubes along the liquid header, it is possible for the service person to individually detect the temperature of each since they are spaced far enough apart so that the temperature of each may reflect whether or not that capillary tube is functioning properly. Consequently, the service person can place his hand on the capillary tube to ascertain whether or not it is hot or cold depending upon the operation of the unit.