Systems and apparatus for increasing combustion efficiency during combustion of a carbon-containing fuel such as a fossil fuel. The systems and apparatus utilize catalytically reactive particles within a reaction chamber, typically silica or alumina, that interact with waste exhaust gases produced during combustion of the fuel in order to produce a degrading atmosphere of hydroxy radicals or other reactive species. The degrading atmosphere apparently migrates to the source of combustion and increases the efficiency of combustion as evidenced by the reduction or elimination of soot and other pollutants normally produced. Typically, the reaction chamber is maintained at a temperature in a range from about 30° C. to about 600° C. Moisture is provided by the waste exhaust gases in order to catalyze formation of hydroxyl radicals by the catalytically reactive particles. The systems and apparatus can be adapted to be used in combination with diesel engines or other internal combustion engines and industrial burners. Such systems also reduce nitrogen oxides (NOx), SO2 and CO2 typically found in exhaust gases.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is in the field of pollution control and combustion efficiency relating to the combustion of carbon-containing fuels. More particularly, the present invention is in the field of increasing combustion efficiency in order to eliminate or reduce the quantity of combustion products like soot, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and other pollutants that are otherwise produced by internal combustion engines, such as diesel engines, and industrial burners, such as those that burn coal, fuel oil or other carbon-containing fuels.
2. Review of the Relevant Technologies
Modern society has mastered the art of producing new goods but struggles to dispose of its wastes. One problem associated with the modern economy involves pollutants that are produced by burning carbon-containing fuels, mainly fossil fuels, such as by internal combustion engines and industrial burners. The incomplete combustion of carbon-containing fuels such as gasoline, diesel fuel, fuel oil, coal, wood, biomass and even natural gas can result in the generation of pollutants such as carbon particulates, hydrocarbons, soot, oily substances, carbon monoxide (CO) and other pollutants. Such pollutants collect in the atmosphere and can cause all manner of health problems and smog. In response to the build-up of atmospheric pollution governments have attempted to legislate strict controls on the output of pollution generated by carbon-containing fuels.
In response to pollution caused by gasoline-powered internal combustion engines, catalytic converters have been developed and mandated to reduce the levels of incomplete combustion pollutants emitted into the environment by gasoline-powered vehicles. Catalytic converters are typically positioned in-line with the exhaust and muffling system of an internal combustion engine and are generally able to catalytically convert most of the unburnt hydrocarbons and CO into CO2 and water. Conventional catalytic converters contain palladium or platinum, which are coated on top of carrier beads or pellets made of inert and heat-resistant materials such as ceramics in order to increase the surface area of the active catalyst and keep them from simply blowing out the exhaust pipe.
Although modern catalytic converters can be used to convert unburnt hydrocarbons and CO into carbon dioxide (CO2) and water, they are generally only feasible for use with relatively clean burning systems such as gasoline-powered vehicles. They generally are not suitable for use with diesel engines. Because of the nature of diesel engines, both in terms of the fuel that is burned, as well as the way in which the fuel is burned, diesel engines produce substantial quantities of soot and other unburnt hydrocarbons which are too plentiful to be efficiently converted into CO2 and water using reasonably sized and priced catalytic converters known in the art. As a result, researchers have struggled for years to find an effective and economical way to remove pollutants from the exhaust stream of diesel engines.
More recently, public concern has translated into increased political pressure to strengthen emission standards for diesel engines. There is a possibility that emission guidelines will be imposed in certain states that may be difficult, if not impossible, to meet in an economically feasible manner. As a result, there is an acute need to develop improved diesel engines that are able to run more efficiently and produce less pollution that must otherwise be removed from the waste exhaust stream.
Besides diesel engines, researchers have struggled to find ways to effectively and economically address the tremendous quantity of pollutants generated by industrial burners, such as those that burn coal, fuel oil, or natural gas. In response to pollution controls directed to industrial burners, sophisticated scrubbers and after burners have been developed in attempts to satisfy such pollution standards. However, these and other pollution reduction means can be quite expensive, both in retrofitting older industrial burners as well as in the fabrication of new ones.
Even assuming one could construct a perfectly effective catalytic converter for carbonaceous particulates, hydrocarbons and CO, the end result would still be the generation of equal or greater amounts of CO2 compared to what is presently being generated. Although inert and non-polluting, CO2 is still of concern to environmentalists due to the fear that the buildup of excessive amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere has resulted in detectable global warming, although a minority of scientists remain skeptical, and will eventually result in catastrophic climatic changes if the world continues to generate CO2 in high quantities. Since there does not appear to be any end in sight of the need to burn fossil fuels, the concentration of CO2 will invariably continue to increase indefinitely.
In view of the foregoing, it would be an advancement in the art to provide methods and systems that could effectively and inexpensively eliminate, or at least substantially reduce, the quantity of unburnt or partially burnt combustion products produced by diesel engines and other internal combustion engines in an economically feasible manner.

Methods and systems for reducing or eliminating the production of pollutants during combustion of carbon-containing fuels


A tool assembly includes a first part, a second part, an operation member, two second tool units, and two first connection members. The first part has a first space, two first rails, two first engaging portions, two second spaces and two first connection portions. The second part has a head and a receiving portion which is insertion in the first space and includes receiving units for receiving first tools therein. Two second rails are formed on the second part and slidably engaged with the first rails. The operation member is connected to the second part. The two second tool units are pivotably connected to the two first connection portions and located in the two second spaces. The second tool units each have second tools which are pivotable about the first connection portion corresponding thereto. The first tools can be removed from the receiving units and connected to the operation member.

1. Fields of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tool assembly, and more particularly, to a tool assembly having multiple different tools.
2. Descriptions of Related Art
The conventional tool assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,119,560, and comprises a handle having an elongated body which has oppositely disposed handle ends. A first tool means comprises sleeve means, and means for pivotally connecting the sleeve means to the handle disposed adjacent one handle end. The sleeve means comprises means for removably receiving at least one tool bit. The sleeve means is pivoted from an inoperable position adjacent the handle to an operable position disposed away from the handle. The at least one said tool bit is disposed in the sleeve means in the operable position. A second tool means comprises means for engaging a tool element, and means for pivotally connecting the second tool means to the handle adjacent the other handle end. The second tool means is pivoted to an operable position to engage the tool element. There is a telescoping magnet means and means for connecting the telescoping magnet means to the handle. The means for connecting the telescoping magnet means comprises means for pivotally connecting the telescoping magnet means to said handle. The hand tool is alternatively operable as a first tool, a second tool or a telescoping magnet.
However, the outer sleeve and the inner sleeve can only receive the first and second drive bits, the number of the drive bits is limited and the space for the drive bits cannot be expandable. The first and second drive bits are all received in the inner sleeve, when the user wants to use the second bits, the second bits have to be removed from the outer sleeve, and then connected to the inner sleeve in reverse direction. The steps are complicated and inconvenient.
The present invention intends to provide a tool assembly to eliminate the shortcomings mentioned above.


A noise eliminator for a radio receiver comprises an automatic gain control amplifier for amplifying a noise signal extracted from an intermediate-frequency signal or a detector output signal of the receiver, a circuit for producing a faithfully pulsating noise signal and an average noise signal from the output of the amplifier circuit, an operational circuit for detecting an impulse noise component through a comparative operation of the pulsating noise signal and the average noise signal, and a gate circuit for controlling a signal transmission in the receiver in accordance with the detected impulse noise component.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates principally to a noise eliminator for a radio receiver, and more particularly to an improvement capable of achieving effective elimination of an impulse noise such as an ignition noise from an internal combustion engine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In advance of an explanation on the noise eliminator of the present invention, a conventional device of this kind will be described briefly.
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a known noise eliminator which comprises a noise detection circuit 3 for detecting an impulse noise signal which arrives from an FM detector 2 in an FM receiver, a control-pulse forming circuit 4 for producing a control pulse signal out of the noise signal detected by the circuit 3, and gate circuits 5 for controlling the signal paths at outputs of a multiplex demodulator 12 by the control pulse signal obtained from the circuit 4. In this network, an FM noise is detected by introducing the FM detection output into a 100 KHz high-pass filter 6 and a rectifier 7. The noise signal thus detected is amplified by an amplifier 8 and then is fed to a monostable multivibrator 9 in the control-pulse forming circuit 4 so as to trigger the multivibrator 9. After being integrated by a unidirectional integrator 10, the output of the multivibrator 9 is shaped into a desired waveform by a waveform shaper, e.g. a Schmitt trigger circuit 11 to become a control pulse signal, which is then fed to the gate circuits 5. In response to arrival of the control pulse signal, the gate circuits 5 serve to interrupt the output signal paths of the multiplex stereo demodulator 12 to prevent the noise from appearing in the demodulated output signals.
In such a noise eliminator as described above, however, there exists difficulty in properly setting the absolute triggering level for the monostable circuit 9 due to the variety of the noise component level which varies in accordance with the antenna input level. If the triggering level is relatively low, the gate circuits are frequently rendered nonconductive and the transmission of the demodulator output signals is unnecessarily interrupted resulting in poor efficiency of the signal transmission. On the contrary, when the triggering level is relatively high, the impulse noise will not be eliminated effectively.

c/o Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha, No. 10-1, Nakazawa-cho


An adjustable mask system (100) includes a cushion with a seal (130) having the ability to change size and/or shape. The seal is preferably a one-piece, continuous member without interruptions. To effect adjustment of the size and/or shape of the seal, an actuator may be provided, which may take the form of a dial (190).

The use of Nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (nasal CPAP) to treat Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB) was pioneered by Sullivan, e.g., see U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,310. Apparatus for providing nasal CPAP typically comprises a source of air at positive pressure (for example, from 2-30 cm H2O provided by a blower or flow generator), some form of patient interface or respiratory mask system (for example a nasal or full-face mask system), and an air delivery tube.
Respiratory mask systems typically include some form of cushioning element (a "cushion"), a sealing element and some form of stabilizing element (for example, a frame and headgear). The cushioning and sealing elements may be formed in one piece, or more than one piece, or may be separate structures. Cushioning and sealing elements may be formed from different portions of a single structure. Headgear may include an assembly of soft, flexible, elastic straps. They may be constructed from a composite material such as foam and fabric.
The frame may be a rigid, semi-rigid, or soft structure that allows for the connection of the cushion, headgear and air delivery tube. The frame can be made of polycarbonate, silicone or various other materials.
In many conventional mask systems, it is necessary to provide a range of different sized components (cushions, frames) in order to fit a wide range of patients. While these mask systems are acceptable for their intended purpose, a need has developed in the art to provide a mask system to address limitations associated with conventional mask systems.

Adjustable mask system and related methods


A composition and method for removing copper-containing post-etch and/or post-ash residue from patterned microelectronic devices is described. The removal composition includes water, a fluoride ion source, an alkanolamine, sulfuric acid, and an organic acid. The compositions effectively remove the copper and cobalt-containing post-etch residue from the microelectronic device without damaging exposed low-k dielectric and metal interconnect materials.

The present invention relates to cleaning compositions that can be used for a variety of applications including, for example, removing unwanted resist films, post-etch, and post-ash residue on a semiconductor substrate. In particular, the present invention relates to cleaning compositions useful for the removal of residue, preferably copper-containing post-etch and/or post-ash residue, from the surface of substrates, preferably microelectronic devices, and methods of using said compositions for removal of same.
The background of the present invention will be described in connection with its use in cleaning applications involving the manufacture of integrated circuits. It should be understood, however, that the use of the present invention has wider applicability as described hereinafter.
In the manufacture of integrated circuits, it is sometimes necessary to etch openings or other geometries in a thin film deposited or grown on the surface of silicon, gallium arsenide, glass, or other substrate located on an in-process integrated circuit wafer. Present methods for etching such a film require that the film be exposed to a chemical etching agent to remove portions of the film. The particular etching agent used to remove the portions of the film depends upon the nature of the film. In the case of an oxide film, for example, the etching agent may be hydrofluoric acid. In the case of a polysilicon film, it will typically be hydrofluoric acid or a mixture of nitric acid and acetic acid.
In order to assure that only desired portions of the film are removed, a photolithography process is used, through which a pattern in a computer drafted photo mask is transferred to the surface of the film. The mask serves to identify the areas of the film which are to be selectively removed. This pattern is formed with a photoresist material, which is a light sensitive material spun onto the in-process integrated circuit wafer in a thin film and exposed to high intensity radiation projected through the photo mask. The exposed or unexposed photoresist material, depending on its composition, is typically dissolved with developers, leaving a pattern which allows etching to take place in the selected areas, while preventing etching in other areas. Positive-type resists, for example, have been extensively used as masking materials to delineate patterns on a substrate that, when etching occurs, will become vias, trenches, contact holes, etc.
Increasingly, a dry etching process such as, for example, plasma etching, reactive ion etching, or ion milling is used to attack the photoresist-unprotected area of the substrate to form the vias, trenches, contact holes, etc. As a result of the plasma etching process, photoresist, etching gas and etched material by-products are deposited as residues around or on the sidewall of the etched openings on the substrate.
Such dry etching processes also typically render the resist mask extremely difficult to remove. For example, in complex semiconductor devices such as advanced DRAMS and logic devices with multiple layers of back end lines of interconnect wiring, reactive ion etching (RIE) is used to produce vias through the interlayer dielectric to provide contact between one level of silicon, silicide or metal wiring to the next level of wiring. These vias typically expose, Al, AlCu, Cu, Ti, TiN, Ta, TaN, silicon or a silicide such as, for example, a silicide of tungsten, titanium or cobalt. The RIE process, for example, leaves a residue on the involved substrate comprising a complex mixture that may include, for example, re-sputtered oxide material, polymeric material derived from the etch gas, and organic material from the resist used to delineate the vias.
Additionally, following the termination of the etching step, the photoresist and etch residues must be removed from the protected area of the wafer so that the final finishing operation can take place. This can be accomplished in a plasma "ashing" step by the use of suitable plasma ashing gases. This typically occurs at high temperatures, for example, above 200 degrees C. Ashing converts most of the organic residues to volatile species, but leaves behind on the substrate a predominantly inorganic residue. Such residue typically remains not only on the surface of the substrate, but also on the inside walls of vias that may be present. As a result, ash-treated substrates are often treated with a cleaning composition typically referred to as a "liquid stripping composition" to remove the highly adherent residue from the substrate. Finding a suitable cleaning composition for removal of this residue without adversely affecting, e.g., corroding, dissolving or dulling, the metal circuitry has also proven problematic. Failure to completely remove or neutralize the residue can result in discontinuances in the circuitry wiring and undesirable increases in electrical resistance.
Cleaning of post-etch residues remains a critical process step for any low-k dielectric material to succeed. As the dielectric constant of the low-k material pushes below 2.4, the chemical and mechanical sensitivity increases (e.g., chemical strength decreases, etc.), thereby requiring shorter process times and/or less aggressive chemistries. Unfortunately, shorter process times generally translates to more aggressive chemistries which can have a detrimental effect on the low-k dielectric material, as well as other stack materials (e.g., copper, etch stop, etc.).
Also, new uses for various metals are being developed that create challenges for removing their residues. One such example is the use of cobalt as an insulation of diffusion barrier layer layer to prevent the migration of copper into a wafer or dielectric layer. Cobalt-containing post-etch residue is very difficult to remove from, for example, via walls. Thus, improved cleaning chemistries with very high selectivity are desired.
Prior art stripping compositions include, for example: U.S. Pat. No. 7,399,356 (Aoyama), U.S. Pat. No. 6,755,989 (Wojtczak), U.S. Pat. No. 7,250,391 (Kanno), U.S. Pat. No. 7,723,280 (Brainard), U.S. patent application Publication No. 2006/0016785 (Egbe); U.S. patent application Publication No. 2006/0178282 (Suyama), U.S. patent application Publication No. 2006/0237392 (Auger), U.S. patent application Publication No. 2006/0270573 (Ikemoto), U.S. patent application Publication No. 2007/0078073 (Auger), and U.S. patent application Publication No. 2009/0301996 (Visintin). Such prior art stripping compositions for removing the etching residue suffer, however, from significant drawbacks. For example, their use tends to erode copper wire exposed on the bottoms of via holes. Moreover, where porous interlayer low-k dielectrics are concerned, prior art stripping compositions either etch the porous interlayer dielectric materials or include components that adsorb into the pores thus increasing the dilectric constant, k, of the dielectric materials, which may potentially negatively impact the performance of the ultimate device.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a cleaning composition for back end of the line cleaning operations that effectively cleans substrates comprising porous interlayer dielectric layers, but does not significantly etch metals (e.g., Cu, Al) or the porous low-k dielectrics, and that does not significantly negatively impact the dielectric constant of the porous low-k films.


An image forming apparatus includes a controller configured to, each time an unpaired first pattern element formed on a recording medium is conveyed over a particular distance in a conveyance direction in response to a conveyor rotating by a first amount, control an image former to form a second pattern element to be paired with the unpaired first pattern element thereby forming a first test pattern, and each time an unpaired third pattern element formed on the recording medium is conveyed over a specific distance in the conveyance direction in response to the conveyor rotating by a second amount, control the image former to form a fourth pattern element to be paired with the unpaired third pattern element thereby forming a second test pattern. At least one of the first and second amounts is a non-integer multiple of a rotation amount of the conveyor that makes a single rotation.

Technical Field
The following description relates to aspects of an image forming apparatus, and a method and a computer-readable medium therefor.
Related Art
Heretofore, various image forming apparatuses have been known such as serial printers (e.g., inkjet printers and dot impact printers) and electrophotographic page printers (e.g., laser printers and LED printers).
Further, an image forming apparatus has been known that is configured to form test patterns on a recording medium, so as to form a high-quality image by suppressing a conveyance distance error caused when the recording medium is conveyed. For instance, the known image forming apparatus may be configured to divide a single rotation (i.e., one-cycle rotation) of a conveyance roller into a plurality of angle sections, and form a ruled line along a main scanning direction each time the recording medium is conveyed over a distance corresponding to an individual angle section of the conveyance roller. Thereby, a test pattern group including a plurality of ruled lines arranged in a sub scanning direction is formed on the recording medium.
Further, the known image forming apparatus may be configured to detect an interval between two adjoining ruled lines in the sub scanning direction, calculate an average value of a plurality of intervals detected for a specific one of the angle sections, and adjust a conveyance distance for the same specific angle section of the conveyance roller based on the calculated average value.

Image forming apparatus, and method and computer-readable medium therefor


The present invention provides a die holder with one or more pre-located recessed areas or voids into which cutting dies can be quickly and easily inserted and secured. The die holder mounts quickly to the cylinder, and can be quickly removed for alternative operations. The die holder can be made according to the operator needs for different types, sizes and positions of dies. Unused voids can be filled with ‘blank’ blocks to achieve a consistent or uniform surface height for the full 360 degree area of the die cylinder. The present invention further provides a removable scrap control apparatus that is not attached permanently to the die cylinder on which it is used, which permits the use of a multiple blade die or a plurality of single blade dies on the same die cylinder without requiring permanent holes, slots or other means to accommodate the scrap control apparatus on the die cylinder or anvil cylinder.

Conventional methods of attaching dies to cutting machines require the step of positioning dies individually on the die cylinder, and then using several fastening screws to secure each die to the die cylinder. The type and style of die used must be compatible with the cutting machine for proper operation. Attaching and removing conventional dies is a time consuming process, and incorporating into the dies the hardware necessary to mount conventional dies adds to the expense of manufacturing these dies.
For effective operation, conventional methods also require attaching layers of rubber between each of the mounted dies to provide a consistent surface height around the circumference of the die cylinder.
Current systems also use various mechanisms built in to the rotary cutting machine, such as holes or slots in the anvil cylinder, to remove scrap from the web material being cut. As needed, pins are inserted into and removed from holes in the die cylinder. This adds to the time required to prepare a cutting machine for operation.

Die holder assembly for rotary cutting system


A system is for establishing a collection of well foundations, the well foundations being formed of suction-foundation units arranged to be driven down into an unconsolidated mass. An alignment template includes several through cut-outs, each arranged to receive a suction-foundation unit. The alignment template placed over the unconsolidated mass, forms a means of positioning the suction-foundation units before the suction-foundation units are driven down into the unconsolidated mass. A method of establishing a collection of well foundations is described as well.

When establishing a collection of several wells in a location in a field where hydrocarbons are being extracted, it is often important to space the wellheads evenly in a predetermined pattern with a view to, among other things, being able to prefabricate components that form interconnections between the wellheads. When such collections of wells are to be established in subsea fields, a prefabricated frame structure is often used, which is put down on the sea floor to form a model or template for how the different wells are to be established relative to each other. In addition, the frame structure functions as a foundation for the wellheads and associated elements. Such a frame structure may weigh several hundred tonnes, and it is complicated and expensive both to transport it to the field and to place it on the sea floor. Because of the great weight, there is also a limit to how many wellheads such a frame structure may comprise.

System and method for establishing a multi-well foundation comprising an alignment template for suction foundation units


A dosing unit for an ambulatory infusion system, including a metering pump unit including a dosing cylinder and a piston, the piston in sealing sliding engagement inside the dosing cylinder; a valve unit having a filling port and a draining port, the filling port being couplable with a liquid drug reservoir, the draining port being couplable with an infusion site interface, and a shut-off body movable between a filling position where it couples the filling port with the dosing cylinder and a draining position where it couples the dosing cylinder with the draining port; and a valve driver coupler coupled to or integral with the shut-off body and being the output element of a step switching mechanism. Also disclosed is a drive unit that may be used in combination with a dosing unit, an ambulatory infusion system and a method for coupling a dosing unit and a drive unit.

The present disclosure lies in the field of dosing units for an ambulatory infusion system. The disclosure lies further in the field of drive units for use in combination with a dosing unit as well as in the field of ambulatory infusion systems for infusing a liquid drug into a patient's body over an extended time period. Furthermore, the disclosure lies in the field of methods for coupling a dosing unit and a drive unit.
Ambulatory infusion devices are well known in the art for example in the therapy of diabetes mellitus by continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) as well as in pain therapy or cancer therapy and are available from a number of supplies, such as Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Germany, or Medtronic MiniMed Inc., CA, USA.
According to a classic and well-established design, those ambulatory infusion devices or systems are typically of the syringe-driver type. A number of drawbacks of such devices are known in the art. In particular, they have a limited precision because they involve delivering very small drug amounts, typically in the nanoliter range, out of a drug cartridge having an overall drug volume in the millilitre range. Therefore, additional concepts and architectures have been proposed which use a dedicated dosing unit downstream from the drug reservoir, comprising, e.g., a micro membrane pump or a micro piston pump and are adapted to couple to a drug reservoir and especially designed for precise metering of small volumes. While several designs for such dosing units are known in the art, they are rather complex, most of them are expensive and/or critical with respect to large scale manufacture.
The EP1970677A1 discloses a system with a miniaturized metering piston pump with a dosing cylinder that is repeatedly coupled to and filled from a larger reservoir, followed by coupling the dosing cylinder to an infusion site and infusing the liquid drug out of the dosing cylinder in incremental steps and over an extended time period. For alternatively coupling the dosing cylinder to the reservoir and the infusion site, a valve system is proposed.

Ambulatory infusion system including a step switching mechanism for valve control


A method of manufacturing a bridge-type ball screw (1) with a bridge member (5) fit into a nut bridge window (6). The bridge member (5) has a linking groove (5a) with a rolling track that acts as a circulating path. After the bridge member (5) is fit into the nut bridge window (6), a cylindrical mandrel (8), with projections (9), is inserted into the nut (3). An upper die (10) restricts the upper surface of the bridge member (5) and is lowered while the nut (3) is held between the upper die (10) and the mandrel (8). A connection part is subject to plastic working by the projections (9) of the mandrel (8). The bridge member (5) is simultaneously deformed by the upper die (10) to secure the bridge member (5) into the nut bridge window (6).

The ball screw has a screw shaft, nut, balls and a circulating mechanism. The screw shaft has a helical screw groove on its outer circumference. The nut has a helical screw groove on its inner circumference. The nut is mated with the screw shaft. The large number of balls are accommodated within a rolling track formed by the opposite screw grooves. The circulating mechanism enables the rolling track to act as a circulating track. It is used as a motion conversion mechanism to linearly drive the screw shaft by rotating the nut.
In general, there are various types of ball circulating mechanisms in the ball screw. One of which is a bridge-type mechanism. The bridge-type ball screw has a linking track for the screw grooves. The bridge members are mounted on a nut to make a rolling track a circulating track. Thus, its structure is relatively simple and compact.
In such a bridge-type ball screw, the bridge member, for circulating balls, is fit into a through hole formed in a cylindrical barrel of the nut. However, steps are caused in the ball transfer part that connects the nut screw grooves and the circulating grooves, formed as "S"-shaped curves, on an inner surface of the bridge member. These steps cause abnormal noise and thus reduce the life of the ball screw. A ball screw 51 is known and shown in FIG. 6 that can solve these problems. The ball screw 51 has a screw shaft 52 formed with a helical screw groove 52a on its outer circumference. A nut 53 has a screw groove 53a on its inner circumference and is mated with the screw shaft 52. A large number of balls 54 is accommodated within a rolling track formed by the opposite screw grooves 52a, 53a. Instead of the bridge members, this ball screw 51 uses a circulation groove (linking track) 53b formed by plastically working the inner circumference of the nut 53. Then, the screw groove 53a is formed by cutting with a rotary tool.
This prior art ball screw guides balls 54 between the nut screw groove 53a and the circulation grooves 53b without causing abnormal noise or torque variation (catching etc.). Thus, it suppresses life reduction (e.g., see JP2012-82961 A1).
However, this prior art method cannot avoid the generation of steps or edges due to the variation of the plastic working and cutting working. In addition, the formation of the screw groove 53a, by a rotary tool, needs a very long cycle time. Thus, it is not preferable due to the increase in the manufacturing cost.
Another ball screw 59 has been proposed as shown in FIG. 7. In this ball screw 59, balls 57 are set in a nut screw groove 56 and a bridge member 58. A circulation groove (linking groove) 58a is mounted on the nut 55. When assembling the ball screw 59, it is possible to efficiently eliminate the step between the nut screw groove 56 and the bridge circulation groove 58a by mounting the bridge member 58, coated with a coating layer 60, on a boundary surface 58b of the bridge member 58 forming a boundary with a surface 56a of the screw groove 56; engaging the nut 55 with a screw shaft; circulating the balls 57 between the screw groove 56 and the circulation groove 58a; and cutting protruded portion 60a, of the coating layer 60, into the screw groove 56 from the surface 56a of the screw groove 56 (e.g., see JP 2014-145463 A).
However, in the prior art ball screw 59, it is believed that the coating layer 60 would be peeled off by repeated passing of the rolling balls 57. Thus, the durability and reliability, as well as life of the ball screw, would be impaired. Additionally, abnormal noise would also be caused by the peeled debris.

Bridge-type ball screw and manufacturing method thereof


A method and apparatus for combining baseband signals from a large aperture antenna array in which none of the individual baseband signals has a sufficiently high signal-to-noise ratio to be used as a correlation or reference signal for phase adjusting the remaining baseband signals. More specifically, the invention provides a means whereby the baseband output signals of all but one of the receivers associated with each of the antennas are summed and used as a correlation reference for the baseband signal not contained in the summed signal, thereby providing a plurality of correlation or alignment loops, each having an output signal related to the phase difference between its input baseband signal and the summed signal. The invention further provides a means for subtracting an output or error signal generated in one of the correlation loops whose baseband signal has a predetermined phase delay from all the other alignment loops, thereby avoiding interaction and reflection effects in the signal combiner. A variable phase delay means for each of the other baseband signals is controlled by its corresponding correlation loop. The invention discloses how a plurality of loops operating in the above manner provides a means for adjusting the phase of each baseband signal so that they will all be in phase with each other and can thus be added to provide a composite signal output having a higher signal-to-noise ratio than any of the individual baseband signals.

The invention relates to the field of large antenna/receiver arrays in which output signals of the individual receivers are to be phase adjusted so that they can be coherently added, thereby producing an output signal having a greatly improved signal-to-noise ratio over that of any of the individual receiver output signals.
The concept of phase adjusting signals derived from a plurality of antenna/receiver arrays so that the signals can be coherently added is not new. One such system is described in an article entitled "Analysis of the Signal Combiner for Multiple Antenna Arraying" by R. A. Winkelstein, JPL Deep Space Network Progress Report 42-26, Pages 102-118, dated Apr. 15, 1975. However, in order for this system to perform properly, one of the receiver outputs or baseband signals must have a sufficiently high signal-to-noise ratio to serve as a reference for correlation with the other baseband signals so that their phases can be adjusted accordingly. If all receiver baseband signal-to-noise ratios are below a certain minimum level, then individual loop correlations for phase adjusting the baseband signals take an excessive amount of time, thereby seriously degrading alignment accuracy. Thus, conventional signal combiners are unable to satisfactorily provide a composite signal when there is a lack of a single strong signal to act as a phase reference for the remaining signal control loops. The present invention solves this problem by providing a means whereby all of the signals can be phase-correlated with one of the selected signals even though none of the individual signals has a sufficiently high signal-to-noise ratio to act as a reference for the control loops of the remaining signals. It has been found that in a typical system using a plurality of loop correlators to phase adjust the individual signals, one of the signals should have a signal-to-noise ratio greater than 0 dB. However, a system according to the present invention utilizing a 10 antenna array has been shown to operate with individual baseband signal-to-noise ratios as low as -7.7 dB.

Baseband signal combiner for large aperture antenna array

Frosch; Robert A. Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, with respect to an invention of


A method of and system for analyzing a two-phase flow in a conduit in which acoustic energy is transmitted through a conduit and into the flow therein; return echoes are detected, one or more flow indicator quantities are computed from the return echoes; and the mass flow rate and/or the flow quality is determined from the computed flow indicator quantities.

A two phase flow in a conduit is a flow which includes both gas and liquid, or gas and solid, or liquid and solid. An example of a gas/liquid two phase flow is water and air flowing in a pipe; an example of a gas/solid two phase flow is coal particles and air flowing in a pipe. Ultrasonic methods for determining the presence of a two phase flow in a conduit are known. See, e.g., US statutory invention registration No. H608. Essentially, an ultrasonic pulse is sent transversely through a pipe and if the flow is single phase (i.e. all liquid), a return pulse is detected after a time lag as a return echo which is strong and reasonably sharp off the far wall of the pipe. If gas bubbles are entrained in the liquid, there are multiple small reflections and diffusion or attenuation of the main return echo off the far wall of the pipe. If a two phase flow with a defined gas/liquid interface is present in the pipe, the return echo is fairly strong but earlier in time than in the situation where there is only liquid flow since the return echo bounces off the gas/liquid interface instead of the far wall of the pipe. Finally, if the flow has a defined gas/liquid interface and also gas bubbles in the liquid, there are multiple small reflections due to the bubbles in the liquid and the return echo is both attenuated and earlier in time than would be the case with only liquid flow. Such measurement methods, however, which only detect the presence of a two-phase flow, do not completely define the two phase flow.
Quality is the mass fraction of the two-phase flow that is in the gaseous phase. Quality together with mass-flow determines the amount of energy (enthalply) that is convected by the flow and thus is a key variable used to define the status of the flow system. Accordingly, quality and/or mass flow measurements are needed to fully define the flow. One reason that mass flow rate and the quality measurements are needed is to adjust the rate of one phase of the flow in a system.
A typical liquid/gas two phase flow comprises a liquid film in contact with part or all of the conduit wall (depending on flow parameters and flow orientation with respect to gravity). The liquid is largely separate from a continuous or intermittent vapor flow. Since an identifiable liquid-vapor interface exists, it is possible to analyze the geometry, flow rate, and axial pressure drop behavior of the liquid and vapor flow separately, equating boundary conditions as appropriate. If the thickness of the liquid flow in the conduit can be determined, various flow models can be used to predict film thickness versus quality for a number of mass flow rates. See, for example, Wallis, G. B., One-dimensional Two-Phase Flow, McGraw-Hill, New York, N.Y., 1969, pages 51-54, and 315-374; Lockhart, R. W. and Martinelli, R. W, "Proposed Correlation of Data for Isothermal Two Phase, Two Components Flow in Pipes", Chemical Engineering Progress, Volume 45, No. 1, 1949, pages 39-48; and Deissler, R. G., "Heat Transfer and Fluid Friction for Fully Developed Turbulent Flow of Air and Super Critical Water with Variable Fluid Properties", Transactions, ASME volume 76, No. 1, 1954, page 73.
But the precursor step of detecting the thickness of the liquid flow using ultrasonic methods is troublesome. The presence of bubbles of gas in the liquid flow, the presence of large waves of liquid traveling in the conduit, small scale thickness changes in the liquid/vapor interface, and other similar "chaotic" conditions within the conduit severely affect the ability to determine film thickness using ultrasonic techniques. If one or more of these conditions are present within the conduit, a plot of the return echoes from an ultrasonic transducer is not a good indicator of film thickness. Moreover, a low flow rate with a high quality results in a highly chaotic flow as does a high flow rate with a low quality. Such chaotic flows render known film thickness measurement techniques unreliable.
Therefore, a trace of the return echoes from such a chaotic flow alone is seemingly not a good indicator of film thickness. Other techniques for measuring the thickness of the liquid film that is usually in contact with the wall of the conduit include sampling, thermal probes, film conductivity or capacitance measurements, and gamma densitometry. Although each of these techniques exhibits strengths and weaknesses, no technique offers the advantages of reflective-mode ultrasound. Ultrasound techniques are non-invasive, offer rapid response, excellent long term accuracy and sensitivity, and are applicable to all working fluids over a very broad range of temperatures. Moreover, even if non-ultrasonic thickness measurement techniques are used, the various flow models used to evaluate flow quality and mass flow rates are based on a number of assumptions which can lead to inaccuracies. On the other hand, quality and/or mass flow measurements cannot be accurately taken without measuring film thickness or a related parameter, void fraction. Flow meters, for example, do not indicate how much of the flow is liquid or gas and flow meters cannot be used in all situations.
A typical gas/solid two phase flow, such as coal particles entrained in an air flow, generally comprises a rope like structure of coal particles travelling in the pipe. There are no current techniques which accurately measure the amount of coal in the pipe. Trial and error methods commonly used in coal power plant operation, can result in poor efficiency and air pollution. In order to optimize combustion, the amount of coal and the amount of air delivered to the burner must be known.
Therefore, in addition to determining the presence of a two phase flow, considerable research has been performed on various means of actually measuring two-phase flows. These efforts have largely attempted to characterize an average value of some aspect of the flow, such as a pressure drop, void fraction, film thickness, velocity, or density. One problem with this approach is that knowledge of any single value is not sufficient to define a two-phase flow. Two-phase flows comprise two separate flows (of phase A and Phase B) that interact in extremely complex ways. If average values are used, at least two independent quantities must be measured to define the flow. In addition, a given pair of observations, such as a pressure drop and a velocity, often does not provide a sensitive indication of the flow rates of phase A and phase B for a broad range of conditions. Thus, different combinations of observations are often needed for different flow conditions.
There are applications that can be well served by suitably developed instruments based on currently known averaging techniques. However, there are many more applications for which combinations of currently available averaging measurements will not provide desirable results. For example, some applications demand a completely non-invasive flow measurement. Others may be geometrically constrained, so that only instruments of a given size or shape may be used. Other applications may require accurate flow measurement over an extremely broad range of flow conditions. Still others may be very cost-driven, so that the instrument must be very inexpensive. The current invention offers the advantage that any meaningful measurement technique, used rapidly and persistently, can be used to determine the flows of both phases. Since every application permits at least some meaningful flow observation to be made, the current invention ensures that a practical instrument can be developed.
The approach of the subject invention arises from simple, but profound observations about two-phase flows. First, they are deterministic, in that they satisfy the laws of physics. Thus, while their evolution is extremely complex, there is an underlying order to the flow behaviors. The behavior of a given wave, particle, or bubble, although complicated, is not truly random.
Second, since they are deterministic and behave in a complex fashion, they are likely to be chaotic. The word "likely" is used here because it has not yet been proven in generality that fluid turbulence satisfies the mathematical definition of chaos. It is not yet known what (if any) kinds of complex behaviors are possible that are neither chaotic nor random. It currently is not possible to make generalities about the behaviors of such a system. For want of a more conclusive answer from topologists, and since the view of two-phase flows as chaotic is consistent with the evidence so far available, the current invention assumed that the two-phase flows of interest are chaotic.
Two-phase flows are dissipative, i.e. given the opportunity, any work that is imposed on them is eventually lost to viscosity. Thus, given an arbitrary initial condition (e.g., means of mixing at the inlet to the flow conduit), a two-phase flow will settle into a pattern of behavior that is similar to that of other flows with the same flows of phase A and phase B but different initial conditions. Actually, it is difficult to prove this conclusively without generating many flow conditions with a variety of initial conditions and comparing their properties in detail. However, it is a basic tenet of the arts of fluid mechanics and two-phase flow that this is the case: if this were not the case, it would not be possible to generate models or correlations of two-phase flow behaviors. This is also consistent with the properties of dissipative chaotic systems.
If two-phase flows are dissipative and chaotic, then key statements can be made about their behaviors. Principal among these is the existence of a single underlying behavior, a "strange attractor", the shape of which changes as flow parameters change. The strange attractor is an extremely complicated path (in mathematical phase space) that defines all trajectories of the system with time. It is limited to a finite portion of phase space and is a single unending, open (i.e., never repeating) path in which points that are initially near one another diverge rapidly from one another with time (called sensitivity to initial conditions). The conclusions that can be drawn from the existence of a strange attractor are far-reaching. The principal conclusion for current purposes is that any observation of the system behavior, made over a period of time, is a mapping of the strange attractor. If the observation is made with constant time increment between measurements, it is a smooth mapping. Any smooth mapping of a strange attractor contains an amount of information about the system behavior that is comparable to any other smooth mapping with the same time increment and measurement sensitivity. Thus, any of a variety of measurement methods may be used with a two-phase flow with equal conviction that meaningful information is obtained.
This line of discussion is fairly well established in the art of chaos theory, but by itself is not sufficient to permit the measurement of two-phase flows. The reason for this is that the argument does not disclose how the evolution of the flow observations can be related to the flow conditions. In fact, various researchers have attempted to relate two-phase flow conditions to time-series measurement. The best known of these are Jones, O. C. and Zuber, N., "The Interrelation between void fraction fluctuations and flow patterns in two-phase flow" Int'l J. of Multiphase Flow, v2, page 273-306, 1975; Hubbard, M. G., and Dukler, A. E., "The Characterization of Flow regimes for Horizontal two-phase flow: 1. statistical analysis of wall pressure fluctuations", Proceedings of the 1966 Heat Transfer and Fluid Mechanics Institute, Saad, M. A. and Miller, J. A. eds., Standard University Press, pages 100-121, 1966. Jones and Zuber identified liquid-gas flow regimes from the probability density function of X-ray attenuation measurements. Hubbard and Dukler identified flow regimes from frequency spectra of pressure signals from liquid-gas two-phase flows. In neither of these cases was the flow rate of either or both phases determined.
The technical literature has many references describing efforts to examine or develop instruments of various kinds to measure or characterize two-phase flows. Overviews include Hsu, Y. Y., and Graham, R. W., Chapter 12: Instrumentation for Two-Phase Flow, in Transport Processes in Boiling and Two-Phase Systems, McGraw-Hill, 1976; and Mayinger, F., Chapter 16: Advanced Optical Instrumentation, in Two-Phase Flow and Heat Transfer in the Power and Process Industries, Bergles, A. E., et al, editors, Hemisphere Publishing Company, 1981. The bulk of these efforts have generated results of sufficiently limited application to have remained largely of research interest. True two-phase flowmeters, i.e., instruments that purport to define the flows of both phases A and B, are not widely available on the commercial market.
In industrial practice, the most widely used instruments for two-phase flows have been photon attenuation instruments. These instruments determine the attenuation of photons (typically microwaves or gamma rays) as they pass through the flow. The greater attenuation of one phase than the other (essentially from higher density) is used to characterize the portion of the flow channel cross section that is filled with each phase. Alternatively, this may be viewed as characterizing the average density of the flow. Depending upon the specific geometry of the instrument, it may be rendered more or less sensitive or the distribution of the phases across the flow channel, and thus may be used to identify the flow regime (e.g., bubbly, slug, stratified, annular, or mist flows). These instruments provide only a rough indication of the flow condition, because their sensitivity to the amount of each phase that is present is limited. In particular, gamma densitometers are highly sensitive to even trace quantities of lead in a flow, severely limiting their accuracy in many applications of interest (most notably in petroleum pipelines). Despite the limitations of these instruments in their originally intended embodiment, they could be used to advantage with the current invention to accurately determine the flows of phases A and B.
To generate useful information about the flow rates of phases A and B, an attenuation measurement must be combined with some indication of flow velocity. Such an indication may be obtained by making attenuation measurements at two closely spaced stations along the flow duct and cross-correlating the resulting signals. The time delay of the peak in the cross-correlation curve corresponds to an approximate time delay for flow propagation. Dividing the spacing of the instruments by this time delay provides a characteristic velocity. The average flow density and this velocity can be correlated to the flow rates of phases A and B. Correlation is needed to correct for the inevitable "slip" that occurs between phases (because they do not flow with identical velocity).
Even with suitable calibration, the accuracy of cross-correlated attenuation measurements is limited because of the poor sensitivity of the density measurement for many flow conditions. This limited accuracy is implied in U.S. Pat. No. 4,683,759 to Skarvaag et al, wherein, this basic idea is used to measure liquid-gas two-phase flows. However, the determination of liquid and gas flow rates is discussed for only one specific flow regime, called slug flow, in which the liquid and gas flows are largely intermittent, and the peak in the cross-correlation function quite sharp.
Other instrument systems have been devised to observe two-phase flows. In U.S. Invention registration H608 to Goolsby, an ultrasonic measurement technique is used to determine whether gas is present in a liquid flow. In this instrument, echo-mode ultrasound is used to determine the location of the second major reflection interface (the first being between the liquid and the tube wall). If the time-off-flight of the acoustic wave is less than that associated with a full tube (second reflection from the far wall), then a liquid-gas interface is present. Actually, this approach has been used to study two-phase flows quantitatively for quite a few years.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,291 to Lynnworth, an ultrasonic method of determining flow density is described. This technique is based on the different attenuation rates of torsion waves in a body depending upon the density of the fluid in which the body is immersed. Various embodiments are described that render the instrument more or less sensitive to the distribution of the phases in the flow duct. This instrument is limited to liquid-liquid or liquid-gas two-phase flows. One unfortunate aspect of this instrument is its intrusiveness into the flow. The protrusion of the instrument into the flow raises the potential for damage to the instrument from debris carried by the flow, generates an undesirable pressure drop and flow disruption, and requires seals between the instrument and the flow duct which reduce the reliability of the flow system. Another unfortunate aspect of this instrument is that no single embodiment is described that determines the average density across the entire flow cross section. Thus, each embodiment is applicable to a limited range of flow regimes. Further, the issue of fluid wetting is not addressed: if the liquid wets the material of the sensor, the apparent density may be skewed strongly toward the liquid density. Even with these limitations, the mechanism of this measurement approach could be used with the current invention to provide an accurate determination of the flow rates of phases A and B.
The aforementioned patent states that the density measurement may be combined with acoustic velocimetry to determine the flow rates of both phases. In acoustic velocimetry, an acoustic wave is propagated by one transducer downstream through the flow and its time-of-flight to another transducer measured. A second wave is propagated upstream to determine the propagation time against the flow. Comparison of these propagation times determines both the effective speed of sound of the flow and its propagation velocity. If acoustic velocimetry works in two-phase flows at all, the measurements would be very sensitive to the flow regime. For example, in annular flow, a continuous liquid film is in contact with the flow duct wall. Any acoustic waves that enter the flow will effectively "short circuit" through the liquid (with its very high sonic velocity and relatively low attenuation) so that only the liquid velocity (skewed by the acoustic wave path) would be measured. By contrast, in stratified flow, a liquid flow on the bottom of the flow duct is effectively separated from a gas flow in the top of the duct. If acoustic waves traveling through the liquid can couple sufficiently with the gas flow, then a velocity that is an average of the liquid and gas velocities will be measured. This velocity would be quite different from (much higher than) that of an annular flow, even though annular flows often occur at much higher velocities. Thus, the calibration of the instrument output with different flow conditions would involve some very strong nonlinearities likely to result in poor accuracy.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,124 to Kline describes a different ultrasonic instrument for determining a fluid density. This technique is based on determining the velocity of sound and rate of attenuation of acoustic energy in the fluid. Because this technique relies on multiple reflections of the acoustic energy, which would be extremely difficult to detect in two-phase flows, it probably could not be applied to a two-phase flow.
AEA Technology, of the United Kingdom, has publicized a two-phase flowmeter for use in oil and gas fields [Anonymous, "Non-Intrusive Meter Measures Oil and Gas Flows", competitive Edge, Issue 4, pg. 3, Spring, 1994. This instrument uses a pulsed neutron beam which counts hydrogen, carbon, oxygen, and chlorine atoms passing the sensing point. Short bursts of radiation are used to activate oxygen atoms, which can be tracked as they move to define a flow velocity (a second measurement method). This instrument employs two averaging techniques to determine the flow rates of (potentially) several phases. However, it depends upon the phases being of distinct compositions to define their flow rates separately. If the two phases were of the same composition (a so-called single-component two-phase flow), then only a total flow measurement would be obtained. While this system may prove effective for its intended application in oil fields, its cost, complexity, and operational limitations will limit its use elsewhere.

Method and system for analyzing a two phase flow


An output shaft is a hollow shaft and passes through a gearbox. Holes for mounting also pass through the gearbox. The holes are located at the vertexes of a square or rectangle. And the output shaft, which is displaced (offset) relative to the square's (or rectangle's) center, is located on one diagonal of the square. This structure provides a variety of possibilities of assembling the gear device with a big motor, and the amount of projection of the faces of the gearbox from the output shaft can be kept as small as possible.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motor-equipped orthogonal gear device which can be mounted to a mating machine in various ways, which is lightweight, compact and highly efficient and which is ideal for uses in physical distribution equipment, especially in chain conveyors.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, in the physical distribution equipment market, especially in the chain conveyor market, there has been increased need for "motor-equipped orthogonal gear devices". The "motor-equipped orthogonal gear device" has a motor, and the motor shaft and output shaft of device are orthogonal.
The reason why "motor-equipped" is demanded is as follows. For example, in a physical distribution system comprising a plurality of chain conveyors, it is efficient for portions of the system to be operated only when it is necessary for these portions to operate. In this case, it is convenient that each individual chain conveyor is driven independently. Also, a disposition of individual chain conveyors is often changed in order to change the conveying path. In this case, too, it is convenient that each individual chain conveyor is driven independently.
On the other hand, the reason why "orthogonal gear device" is demanded is as follows. The largest size (the size of longitudinal direction) of motor-equipped gear devices is in axial direction of the motor. In order to improve the spatial efficiency, it is the best arrangement that the direction of the largest size (the direction of the motor shaft) is parallel to the chain conveyor. However, in order to drive the shaft of the chain conveyor, the axis of the output shaft of the gear device must be parallel to the axis of the shaft of the chain conveyor. Accordingly, the output shaft axis of the gear device and the motor shaft axis must be orthogonal.
By the way, a motor-equipped orthogonal gear device is nothing but one of the component of the mating machine (a chain conveyor and the like). Furthermore, the mating machine is also nothing but one of the component of the overall physical distribution system. Accordingly, in relation with the overall physical distribution system, it often happens that various members, which are obstructive to the installation, exist around the mating machine on which the gear device is to be mounted. It also often happens that it is not possible to leave an installed motor in use just as it is, in the case when, for example, a mating machine must be newly added in the vicinity of the motor.
In such cases, the gear device must be rotated by 180.degree. to install it, or a gear device whose shaft is extended in the opposite direction must be used.
Japanese Published Application 2-53656 discloses a method for providing two types of flange series (product variations) so as to facilitate such work.
Also, Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Application 2-22450 discloses a technique in which a gearbox directly coupled with a motor is in the shape of a hexahedron, and holes for mounting are present on faces of the gearbox that do not directly face the motor.
However, with the above-described publicly known conventional methods, there are the following difficulties that still have to be overcome.
The method disclosed by Japanese Published Application 2-53656 involves the problem that gear devices of two types of flange series (product variations) have to be designed and provided in order to allow a 4-direction (0.degree., 90.degree., 180.degree., 270.degree.) rotatable mounting. Furthermore, when a gear device has to rotate in relation with the disposition of a mating machine, there is the problem that it is not always possible to freely rotate the gear device itself. That is, in order to secure four mounting directions, two types of product variations are always necessary, and there is a disadvantage that a change in the position of the holes for mounting against the output shaft occurs, if the identical device is merely rotated.
Furthermore, the following problem is associated with the method disclosed by Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Application 2-22450.
FIG. 1 shows an example of a motor-equipped gear device which relates to an embodiment of the present invention described in detail hereinafter and which is used in a mating machine (chain conveyor) that is part of a physical distribution system. As shown in this example, in chain conveyors for example, the length Sa, Sb from the center Os of the output shaft 62 to the outer circumference of the gearbox 64 must be smaller than the turning radius Rc of the chain conveyor C in order to avoid interference with an object W being conveyed on the chain conveyor C. The center Os of the output shaft 62 in such gear devices is therefore often displaced (offset) from the center Ob of the holes for the mounting.
If the technique disclosed by Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Application 2-22450 is applied in this case, then the spirit of the disclosure demands that the holes for mounting shall be provided at the vertex positions of a square being arranged "coaxial" to the output shaft. The arrangement of the holes for mounting must therefore be such that the pitch thereof is relatively smaller when it is compared with the overall size of the gearbox. Accordingly, the capability of the mounting bolts accommodating the reactive force of the torque of the drive shaft tends to become small considering the size of the gearbox.
As in the example of Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Application 2-22450, in devices using a worm reduction gear, the efficiency of the worm reduction gear itself is low and the transmission torque is small considering the size of the gearbox. Therefore, even such a bolt arrangement is certainly adequate.
However, when a high-efficiency and large-torque reduction gear is required as in conveyor applications, the mounting force by the bolts must provide a large securing strength. Therefore, the method of Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Application 2-22450 is not practical, because it does not allow the holes for mounting to be arranged near the outer circumference of the gearbox.


The invention describes a cathode ray tube in which the position of the electron beam (7, 8, 9) is determined in that detection strips (12, 13) are arranged between or below the individual phosphor strips of the phosphor layer (11). The detection strips (12, 13) each comprise a semiconductor component which amplifies the measured current signal. This renders the position determination of the electron beam (7, 8, 9) more definite and reproducible.

The invention relates to a cathode ray tube provided with a color picture screen, an electron gun for the emission of at least one electron ray, and a deflection device, which color picture screen comprises a front plate, a first set of detection strips and a second set of detection strips, a phosphor layer, a means for receiving signals generated by the detection strips, and a means for passing on correction signals to the deflection device.
A color cathode ray tube comprises a color picture screen, a neck, and a cone connecting the color picture screen to the neck, as well as an electron gun provided inside the neck for the emission of at least one electron ray. Deflection coils are present at the neck, deflecting the electron ray horizontally and vertically such that a raster of lines is created. In most cases, color cathode ray tubes have three electron guns for the three basic colors red, green, and blue, which are deflected as one whole by the deflection coils. The color picture screen has a phosphor layer in which the red-, green-, and blue-emitting phosphors are provided either as perpendicular strip triplets or in a pattern of dot triplets arranged in a triangle. To ensure that each of the three electron rays hits only the phosphors associated with it, a so-called shadow mask is provided immediately in front of the color picture screen. Each phosphor triplet is given exactly one opening in the shadow mask, for example a slot or a hole, through which three electron ray beams are passed at slightly different angles.
It is a disadvantage of such a shadow mask that almost 80% of the electrons do not pass through the shadow mask but hit the shadow mask and are subsequently removed. A further disadvantage of a shadow mask is that microphony effects may occur during operation. In addition, a shadow mask may become warped during operation owing to the heat generated therein, such that the openings of the shadow mask no longer occupy the correct positions.
A cathode ray tube with an arrangement for electron ray control is known from WO 00/38212 in which the position of the electron ray is determined in that conductor tracks are arranged under each phosphor strip. The position of the electron ray can be determined from the measured current difference between two adjoining conductor tracks, and a correction may be made, as necessary. Such cathode ray tubes are also denoted index tubes.
In this arrangement, the conductor tracks are covered wholly or partly by the phosphor layer. The phosphor layer itself is usually covered by a thin aluminum layer which is not in contact with the conductor tracks. The thin aluminum layer on the phosphor layer acts as a mirror and reflects light radiated inwards into the tube back in the direction of the front plate.
It is a disadvantage of this construction that only approximately 40 to 50% of the electrons emitted by the electron gun reach the conductor tracks. If the phosphor layer is not covered with an aluminum layer, approximately 70% of the electrons reach the conductor tracks. Owing to the low percentage of the electrons reaching the conductor tracks through the phosphor layer and generating a current signal there, the measured current signals are partly too small and insufficiently reproducible for enabling an unequivocal recognition and assignment of changes in the measured current difference at all times.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to avoid the disadvantages of the prior art and to provide an improved cathode ray tube.
This object is achieved by means of a cathode ray tube provided with a color picture screen, an electron gun for the emission of at least one electron ray, and a deflection device, which color picture screen comprises a front plate, a first set of detection strips and a second set of detection strips, a phosphor layer, a means for receiving signals generated by the detection strips, and a means for passing on correction signals to the deflection device, wherein the detection strips each comprise a semiconductor component.
The use of a semiconductor component in each detection strip renders it possible to increase the current signals generated by the detection strips by several orders of magnitude. The measured current signal thus becomes sufficiently strong, also in the case of small electron currents, for changes in the measured current difference to be unequivocally recognized and for a decision on a position change of the electron ray to be possible. The enlargement of the measured current signal lowers the achievable black luminance and improves the dark contrast.
It is preferred that the semiconductor component is chosen from the group of pn diodes and Schottky diodes.
A pn diode is the simplest form of a semiconductor component and can be manufactured in a simple and inexpensive manner. The high-energy electrons of the electron ray are absorbed in the pn junction of the semiconductor component and produce a large number of charge carriers there. The charge carriers are separated in the field which is being generated and are measured as an amplified electron current.
In a Schottky diode, the high-energy electrons of the electron ray are absorbed in the depletion zone present below the metal in the semiconductor, where they produce a large number of charge carriers. The charge carriers are separated in the field which is being generated and are measured as an amplified electron current.
It is particularly preferred that the pn diode comprises a first electrode, an n-conductivity layer, a p-conductivity layer, and a second electrode.
It is particularly preferred that the p-conductivity region of the pn diode is arranged at the side which faces the electron gun.
It is furthermore preferred that the phosphor layer is covered with an aluminum layer.
The thin aluminum layer on the phosphor layer acts as a mirror and reflects visible light which is radiated inwards into the tube back in the direction of the front plate. The efficiency of the index tube is enhanced thereby.
It may be advantageous that it is true for the height H of a detection strip that H greater than D, with D being the layer thickness of the phosphor layer.
The arrangement of the detection strips between the individual phosphor strips of the phosphor layer prevents high capacitances from arising between the detection strips and the aluminum layer. These capacitances may adversely affect the time constant in the determination of the position of the electron ray. A further advantage of this arrangement is that no current compensation can take place between two detection strips through electron conduction effects in the phosphor layer.
It may be advantageous in this embodiment that the detection strips have a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape.
It may furthermore be advantageous in this embodiment that that side of a detection strip which adjoins the front plate is narrower than the side of the detection strip which faces the electron gun.
Thanks to this embodiment, the provision of the aluminum layer can take place by known vapor-deposition processes without the detection strips and the aluminum layer becoming electrically interconnected. Furthermore, the provision of the aluminum layer and of the second electrode of the semiconductor component with the pn junction may take place in one and the same step.
It may also be advantageous that the detection strips are covered by the phosphor layer.
It is preferred in this embodiment that the electrode of a pn diode lying at the side of the electron gun comprises a transparent material.
In this embodiment, the current signal is mainly generated by the photoelectric effect, i.e. through absorption of the light emitted by the phosphor in the pn diode. In addition, high-energy electrons penetrating the phosphor layer without appreciable energy losses will contribute to the current signal.
It is also preferred in this embodiment that a dielectric layer is provided between the phosphor layer and the detection strips and between the phosphor layer and the front plate.
If the refractive index of the dielectric layer is lower than the refractive index of the front plate, the quantity of specularly reflected light can be reduced by the application of the dielectric layer on the entire picture screen. This enhances the luminance of the cathode ray tube and/or prevents the occurrence of unpleasant external reflections. The dielectric layer also prevents short-circuits from arising during aluminizing of the color picture screen owing to aluminum penetrating through the phosphor layer to the electrodes of the semiconductor component, which would render the entire color picture screen useless.

Cathode ray tube with arrangement for electron ray control


The white light spotlight for luminescence (e.g. biomarker) detection according to the present application includes: at least one solid state light emitting element to emit primary light, and a plurality of wavelength converting materials, to convert part of primary light into secondary light, provided as an array of independent wavelength converting domains, wherein different domains comprise converting materials producing different secondary light emission bands/peaks, each converting material being adapted to convert primary light into secondary light, wherein each converting material is adapted to contribute to the total emission spectrum with at least one emission band/peak and the total secondary light emission provided by said converting materials provides a broad band emission spectrum except for at least one defined narrow wavelength range in which the spotlight produces no or significantly reduced light emission, and wherein the combined light emission from the converting materials is controllable to form said spectrum.

Fluorescent biomarkers (biological markers) are fluorescent molecules that can be used for detecting a biological state or process, such as a pathogenic state or process or a particular cell or tissue type. Fluorescent biomarkers can for example be used for detecting diseases such as cancer. The fluorescent molecules can be injected into a patient or a biological sample and accumulate at the cancerous site. When irradiated with excitation light, the fluorescent molecules produce light emission of a predefined wavelength. Thus, cancerous tissue can be localized by localization of the fluorescent signal. However, the fluorescent signal can be difficult to detect, especially in a surgical environment which requires strong lighting.
US 2011/0082369 discloses an apparatus for displaying medical images during minimally invasive surgery. The apparatus is aimed at improving the clinical utility of the simultaneous display of a white light image of tissue and an enhanced image of tissue which has been made imageable e.g. by injection with fluorescing or emitting biomarker. The apparatus comprises a display device which displays a desaturated image of tissue and a color enhanced image combined with the desaturated image. The relative brightness between the desaturated image and the color enhanced image is set to provide improved information content.
However, there remains a need in the art for improved means of detecting fluorescent molecules, especially fluorescent biomarkers, not least in surgical environments.

Light source with adapted spectal output


An alarm for attachment to the handle of a suitcase and including a cover provided with contact faces and a conduction strip which activates a battery operated alarm when an unauthorized individual grips the cover to complete an electrical circuit.

The present invention relates to an alarm, and particularly to an alarm attachable to the handle of a suitcase.
Most conventional suitcases or briefcases are made without any alarm means and are therefore easily stolen when they are positioned somewhere away from the owners. As a result, there have been alarms developed specially for suitcases and the like.
Presently, commercially available suitcase alarms are designed for attachment to the suitcase during manufacturing and therefore cannot be easily removed for use on another suitcase. There is also a vibration-triggered suitcase alarm locked by secret codes, but this is not suitable for use during the riding of buses or cars because vibration from a vehicle can easily trigger the alarm, in addition, the secret codes have to be set after the alarm is taken out of the suitcase. It is inconvenient and time consuming to use such suitcase alarms.
It is therefore the purpose of applicant to develop a suitcase alarm which eliminates the above disadvantages in conventional suitcase alarms.


Embodiments of the present invention are directed to an apparatus, system and associated method of operation that allows medium weight Class II equipment to be shock tested using a Medium Weight Shock Machine (MWSM) in a manner that adequately simulates the required shock response exhibited when subjected to underwater explosion (UNDEX), Heavyweight testing utilizing a FSP. Advantageously, such an apparatus, system and associated method allows for testing of Class II medium weight (e.g., about 500-4500 lbs.) equipment (e.g., submarine and surface vessel equipment) utilizing an MWSM instead of Heavyweight testing utilizing a Floating Shock Platform (FSP). Testing of Class II medium weight equipment in this manner significantly reduces cost of testing such equipment and increases safety associated with testing such equipment.

Submarines and other types of military ships are examples of marine vessels that are subject to shock impacts such as, for example, those generated by energy from nearby explosions. Shock testing and qualification is essential to the certification process of critical equipment installed in such vessels. To ensure a level of resistance to damage resulting from shock-induced loadings, shock qualification testing must adequately simulate environment and input forces resulting in shock impacts exerted on the ship.
Testing requirements for equipment installed in such vessels are determined by their orientation, location and method of attachment to the ships structure. Class I equipment must meet specific shock test requirements when installed, without the use of resilient mounting hardware between the device and the ship's structure. Class II equipment is required to meet MIL-S-901 standards for shock resistance, but can do so with the use of resilient mounting parts when installed in its proper shipboard position when applicable.
Currently, shock qualification testing of Class II medium weight (i.e., 500-4500 lb) equipment typical to military seaworthy vessels requires underwater explosion ("UNDEX") testing utilizing a Floating Shock Platform (FSP), which simulates a marine vessel such as a submarine or other type of ship. This corresponds to the Heavyweight test category of MIL-S-901 ("Heavyweight test"). A Unit Under Test (UUT), which is a particular piece or pieces of equipment or simulated representation thereof, is mounted on the FSP in the same or comparable manner as it would be on an actual vessel on which it would be installed. The Heavyweight test subjects the FSP to a shock impact by a nearby underwater explosive charge. The FSP deck frequency and the underwater explosive charge size and depth are jointly configured to exhibit the desired frequency response and magnitude of the shock impact imparted on the FSP by the explosive charge.
Conducting a Heavyweight test utilizing a FSP is substantially more expensive than associated test of equipment on a Medium Weight Shock Machine (MWSM). The cost savings from the MWSM result from it being performed in a readily accessible and controlled environment on a laboratory test apparatus. The logistics and safety issues associated with Heavyweight testing are significantly increased compared to MWSM testing. It is not currently permissible to test Class II medium weight equipment using a MWSM because there is no existing MWSM fixture/method that adequately simulates the required dynamic environment when testing on the MWSM. As a result, medium weight Class II equipment has to be shock tested on FSPs that is substantially more expensive and schedule intensive than testing on a MWSM. Testing on a MWSM is on average at least five times less expensive than a Heavyweight test using a FSP.
Although much of the medium weight Class II equipment is light enough to be mounted in a MWSM, a technology, technique, or fixture does not currently exist that sufficiently replicates the environment seen during a FSP shock event. Therefore, an apparatus and associated method of operation that allows medium weight Class II equipment to be tested on a MWSM in a manner that adequately simulates the required dynamic response exhibited when subjected to Heavyweight test utilizing a FSP would be advantageous, desirable and useful.

Large displacement, tuned marine vessel deck simulating fixture for shock isolated equipment


An electron beam device in which an electron beam swept over a target causes the buildup of negative charges on the surface of said targets. The negative charges are neutralized by low-kinetic-energy positive ions emitted by an ion source whose output exceeds the number of ions necessary to neutralize the negative charges.

The invention is directed primarily to apparatus in which an electron beam is swept over a target and a narrow or accurate definition is required for the target area illuminated by the beam. An important example of such a device is a scanning electron microscope, in which an electron beam is swept over a target and secondary electrons or back-scattered primary electrons are collected to generate a signal representing the topographical features scanned by the beam. This signal is then suitably displayed, for example on a cathode ray screen, to provide an enlarged picture of the target. The resolution of the system depends in part on the narrowness of the electron beam and the accuracy with which the position of the beam is controlled.
When the target to be scanned has an electrically non-conducting surface, there is a buildup of negative charge on the surface due to the deposition of electrons from the scanning beam. The field associated with this charge diverts the beam and also spreads it somewhat, with a resulting adverse effect on resolution. It also disturbs the trajectories of the low-energy secondary electrons, thereby diverting a substantial portion from the electron detector and thus degrading the output signal. Moreover, the charge buildup can cause random, localized voltage breakdowns at the target surface, with a resulting deleterious effect on the image.
To overcome this problem the target surface is often rendered electrically conductive by coating it with a suitable conducting material. However, this is a time consuming procedure and it often masks some of the very features which one desired to perceive by means of the microscope. It may also prevent the use of concurrent analysis techniques such as X-ray analysis and Auger electron analysis.
The same problem is encountered in electron beam lithography. An image is traced on a target by an electron beam to control a subsequent etching process thereon. The electron beam is used in order to obtain higher resolution than is readily obtainable with the more conventionally used optical illumination. However, if the target is electrically non-conductive, charge buildup prevents attainment of the desired resolution, causes registration errors and results in other deleterious effects.
The problem is also involved with the examination of insulating specimens in scanning Auger microprobes and in electron microprobes. In Auger microprobes the charge buildup both disturbs the incoming primary beam and causes energy shifts in the Auger spectrum. In electron microprobes the primary beam disturbances are the predominant problem.
One proposed solution to this problem is the inclusion of a secondary electron gun in the vacuum chamber. This gun projects a beam of electrons having a relatively low energy (e.g. 1 keV). In this energy region, the beam causes a net discharge of electrons from the target, thereby tending to positively charge it. Ideally, the positive-charging effect of this beam can be stabilized in position and time to neutralize the negative-charging effect of the primary, high-energy beam, thereby limiting charge buildup on the target surface.
This method has several drawbacks, however. The neutralizing beam cannot be operated simultaneously with primary beam, because electrons emitted from the target as a result of impingement of the neutralizing beam will swamp the signal generated by primary-beam impingement. Therefore, the two beams must be turned on and off alternately, line-by-line or point-by-point. Also, the output of the electron detector must be interrupted when the neutralizing beam is on. Further complications result from the need to have the neutralizing beam accurately cover the area swept by primary beam on the target surface. Moreover, neutralization of negative charge buildup by means of electrons, which are themselves negative, is an inherently unstable process and care must be taken to avoid a runaway condition.

Ion charge neutralization for electron beam devices