There are provided servo motors and servo control units for n shafts. A setting device previously sets parameters for servo control individually for each of the n shafts and previously sets parameters for servo control for a synchronizing operation. Data which determines synchronization conditions of servo motors of respective shafts is applied, when required, by an input device independently of setting by the setting device. The data which determines the synchronization conditions includes, for example, data of combination of synchronized shafts and data of section for synchronization. A moving pattern preparation device determines servo motor shafts to be synchronously controlled on the basis of the synchronization condition determining data applied through the input device and prepares a moving pattern to a target position on the basis of the parameters for servo control set by the setting device with respect to each servo motor shaft to be synchronously controlled. Positioning control data corresponding to the prepared moving pattern is supplied to the servo control unit corresponding to each shaft to synchronously control the servo motor corresponding to each shaft. The synchronization conditions can be changed, when required, by the input device.

This invention relates to a synchronization control system for plural-shaft servo motors and, more particularly, to a synchronization control system capable of changing synchronization conditions as desired even during driving.
Among industrial machines incorporating a servo control system such as a robot, there is one which controls an operation of an object of control by a cooperative movement of plural shafts. For example, a double-shaft servo control is employed for moving a single object of control (e.g., an arm of a robot) two-dimensionally and a triple-shaft servo control is employed for moving it three-dimentionally. For winding an article unwound from a supply roll on a take-up roll, a double shaft servo control is made with the take-up roll and the supply roll. There are also numerous other examples among control systems of industry machines or other machines which perform a servo control of plural shafts synchronously or asynchronously.
In prior art synchronization control systems for plural-shaft servo motors, desired contents for control parameters of the following items are programmed beforehand by manual inputting or teaching, and driving of the servo motor is effected on the basis of this program:
(1) Combination of servo motor shafts which become an object of a synchronized driving.
(2) Type of interpolation defining a locus of the object of control from one set position to a next set position (e.g., linear interpolation or arc interpolation).
(3) Acceleration or deceleration time of the object of control moved by the synchronization control of plural shafts (i.e., acceleration or deceleration time relating to a resultant composite vector of plural shafts which are synchronously controlled).
(4) Moving speed at a constant speed of the object of control moved by the synchronization control of plural shafts (i.e., moving speed at a constant speed of a resultant composite vector of plural shafts which are synchronously controlled).
In the above described synchronization control system according to the program, the start point or passing point or end point of movement is used as a step of programming and, therefore, it is not possible to change contents of the program at a desired moving position during actual driving of the servo motor. When, for example, an object of control is moved by cooperation of plural shafts, these plural shafts need not always be synchronously controlled, but, in some cases, they may only need to be synchronously controlled in a desired necessary section. In such case, the prior art system is inconvenient in that contents of synchronizing or non-synchronizing program cannot be changed at desired position. Not only in such case but in others, such inconvenience tends to make the prior art system inflexible, and, therefore, improvement has been desired.

Synchronization control system for servo motors


A low cost portable high speed quantitative system for diffuse optical spectroscopic imaging of human tissue. The hybrid system (CWFD) can measure absolute optical properties from 660 nm to 980 nm and recover all tissue chromophore concentrations. The standalone FD module can be utilized to measure scattering at every measurement and recover deoxygenated and oxygenated hemoglobin concentrations. The CW module can operate concurrently with the FD module to also measure water and lipid. The high temporal resolution and large signal-to-noise ratio of the CWFD system may be used to explore tissue oximetry, vascular occlusion, and paced breathing models to measure and analyze tissue hemodynamics response to changes in blood flow. Continuous monitoring of vasculature response to various modified blood perfusion conditions can provide information about local tissue metabolism and physiological state (dysfunction).

Field of the Technology
The invention relates to the field of medical devices and methods, namely an optical instrument and a computational model for scanning and imaging of human body composition including tissue water, lipid, oxygenated hemoglobin and deoxygenated hemoglobin content.
Description of the Prior Art
Diffuse optical spectroscopic imaging (DOSI) methods provide a low-cost, non-invasive approach for obtaining critical information regarding the structure and function of tissue. They use Near Infrared (NIR) light between 650 and 1000 nm to interrogate tissue to depths of several centimeters beneath the surface including the brain, breast, bone, abdomen and muscle. Also, the low energy output and non-ionizing radiation of the NIR spectrum causes no damage to the tissue, making DOSI a viable method for medical imaging purposes. Access to important physiological processes in the human body requires penetrating through 2-3 cm of tissue. DOSI provides information about tissue function and structure through the detection of four major components found in tissue: oxygenated hemoglobin, deoxygenated hemoglobin, water, and lipids
Tissue acts as a highly scattering turbid medium with low absorption when interacting with NIR light. As photons enter the tissue, they undergo multiple scattering and absorption events that cause the photons to diffuse in random directions. Diffusion models have been developed for light-tissue interactions to study subsurface tissue characteristics. Three main modalities currently exist for measuring tissue optical properties: continuous wave (CW), frequency domain (FD), and time domain (TD) imaging. The CW (time-unresolved) method provides qualitative information by measuring only relative changes in tissue components. This technique provides fast measurements and simple circuit designs, but is unable to separate scattering from absorption in a single measurement. Moreover, these techniques assume constant scattering and neglect possible changes in scattering occurring during a continuous measurement. This assumption can introduce significant errors when accurately calculating absorber concentrations in the tissue.
In contrast, TD and FD methods (time-resolved) provide quantitative approaches to optical imaging by separating absorption from scattering. A TD technology implements a short pulse beam (<100 ps) into tissue that broadens as it reaches the detector due to the scattering and absorbing events within the tissue. Despite its ability to obtain both scattering and absorption information, time domain imaging has a few limitations that prevent the translation of this technology to a portable real-time clinical friendly system. TD's optoelectronic high cost and complex circuitry reduces spectral bandwidth; thereby in applications such as breast cancer, information about water and fat content are inaccessible.
The FD modality implements the Fourier transform of the TD approach. On the source side, the FD system modulates the light source intensity with a Radio Frequency (RF) signal as the light enters the tissue. On the detector side, the AC amplitude, DC average intensity, and phase shift are measured using photon detectors. These amplitude and phase measurements are made at multiple frequencies and are subsequently fed into a frequency-domain diffusive analytical model of light propagation for a (semi)infinite medium to extract optical properties (absorption and scattering). FD also has limited spectral bandwidth similar to TD modality. However, FD circuit complexity, cost, and size are improved in comparison to TD. Because a limited number of wavelengths can affect the recovering of chromophore concentrations significantly, a large wavelength range is required. Achieving this goal, covering a large spectral bandwidth, using time-resolved techniques requires tunable sources or a large collection of laser diodes resulting in a bulky slow expensive system with complex maintenance requires tunable sources or a large collection of laser diodes resulting in a bulky slow expensive system with complex maintenance.
One strategy for overcoming both time-resolved and time-unresolved technique limitations is development of a hybrid method that utilizes both modalities in tandem to extract near-infrared absorber concentrations accurately. Our group has developed a combined broadband quantitative platform to recover absolute NIR absorption and scattering spectra of biological tissues. The quantitative information is provided by the Frequency Domain Photon Migration (FDPM) module while large spectral bandwidth from 650 nm to 998 nm with step of 0.5 nm (697 wavelengths in total) is provided by the steady state module. Four tissue chromophore concentrations are extracted from broadband spectra. Although this platform is powerful and has rich information content, however it has a few limitations such as speed, cost and size. Depending on media attenuation and required source-detector spacing, a single tissue measurement with this system can take up to 5 seconds.
What is needed is an apparatus and method for expanding spectral bandwidth and improving acquisition speed in diffuse optical spectroscopic imaging which also improves system costs and dimensions in order to lower barriers to clinical access. The apparatus and method should also be an inexpensive integrated method for continuous spectroscopic imaging in human tissues.

Hand-held optical scanner for real-time imaging of body composition and metabolism

The Regents of the University of California


A thin-film perpendicular magnetic recording and reproducing head including a magnetic member defining a return path and having a narrow groove formed in one of its principal surfaces in parallel to a sliding surface adapted to face a magnetic recording medium, a non-magnetic material filling the groove, and a multilayer film assembly formed above the groove and consisting at least of a thin-film conductor coil, an interlayer insulating film, a thick main pole film, a main pole film and a protective film formed one upon another. The magnetic member is connected to the main pole film through a via hole portion, and is exposed on the sliding surface in the vicinity of the main pole film so as to face the recording medium. A thin magnetic film serving as a magnetic shield covers the protective film and the sidewall surface of the head and is joined to the sidewall surface of the magnetic member.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to thin-film heads which are used for the perpendicular magnetic recording and reproduction of data or information in a computer, tape or videotape recorder, or like apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The magnetic recording and reproduction of data or information from a recording medium, such as a floppy or rigid disk, has usually been carried out by magnetizing its magnetic layer in the direction of its surface and utilizing the residual magnetization thereof. This way of magnetic recording has, however, a drawback. As a higher recording density is attained by recording signals having a shorter wavelength, an increase of diamagnetism in the recording medium causes a reduction of residual magnetic flux density and thereby results in the failure of the medium to exhibit a satisfactory output for reproduction.
A great deal of research and development work has, therefore, been accomplished to obtain a practically useful magnetic head of the perpendicular recording type which can magnetize the magnetic layer of a recording medium in the direction of its thickness to reduce diamagnetism when recording signals having a short wavelength to achieve an improved recording density. While a variety of constructions have been proposed for this type of magnetic head, a single-pole head of the one-sided access type is the most suitable type from a standpoint of practical use.
The recent requirements for a higher recording density and a shorter access time have, however, created a demand for a smaller and lighter magnetic head. Attention has, therefore, come to be drawn to a thin-film head of the perpendicular magnetic recording type.
A known thin-film perpendicular magnetic recording and reproducing head is constructed as shown by way of example in FIGS. 5a and 5b of the accompanying drawings. FIG. 5a is a front elevation of the transducer portion of the head which faces a recording medium 30, and FIG. 5b is a vertical section thereof. The head comprises a magnetic member 1 formed from, e.g. soft ferrite, a non-magnetic material 3 laid on it and defining a gap layer, a thin-film conductor coil 4 on the non-magnetic material 3, an insulating layer 5 covering the coil 4, a thick-film magnetic layer 7 formed on the insulating layer 5 from, e.g. a Permalloy, Sendust, or amorphous cobalt alloy, a main pole film 8 formed on the layer 7 which prevents the magnetic saturation of the film 8 during recording, and a protective film 9 formed on the film 8 for protecting the head.
The main pole film having a very small thickness has its end portion exposed in the end surface of the head, facing the recording medium, as shown in FIGS. 5a and 5b, and a magnetic flux is, therefore, concentrated on the exposed end of the main pole film, so that the recording of signals is effected by a strong magnetic interaction which occurs between the exposed end of the main pole film and the magnetic layer of the recording medium facing it. The perpendicular magnetic recording type of head can, therefore, achieve a higher recording density than what can be achieved by the older type of head which magnetizes the magnetic layer of the recording medium longitudinally along its surface. The thin-film head has, however, been found to present a serious problem which is due to the very small thickness of its main pole film. It is so easily affected by an external magnetic field which is slightly produced by, e.g., a spindle, or head driving motor, that its output for reproduction is greatly lowered, or even disappears.
Attempts have, therefore, been made to shield the source of any such external magnetic field. Those attempts have, however, been found not only to add to the complexity of apparatus design, but also to be unable to eliminate the influence of any such magnetic field completely. As a consequence, it has been very difficult to obtain a reliable recording and reproducing head.
A solution to this problem has been proposed by, for example, the Japanese patent application laid open to the public under No. 129909/1987 or 129926/1987. It is a magnetic head of the type in which a head chip comprising a main magnetic pole and an auxiliary magnetic pole, as hereinabove described, is mounted within a concavity formed in a magnetic material block serving as a magnetic shield. This type of head has, however, been found difficult to make sufficiently small and light in weight to be a thin-film head. Moreover, its special construction has been found to imposed a great restriction on the shape in which it can be made.

Thin-film perpendicular magnetic recording and reproducing head having thin magnetic shield film on side surfaces


Disclosed herein is a water heating and dispensing system adapted for use in an automobile, utilizing an exhaust pipe heated coil for the heat transfer. To accommodate the varying levels of exhaust heat the coil is adjustable in its position relative the pipe, thus providing varying amounts of heat transfer. Included further is a pressure regulating valve for releasing any in the system steam and a dispensing assembly for dispensing both cold and hot water. Also included are various electrically operated indicating lights and control inputs for indicating the heat range to which the water is to be brought up. In the normal mode, i.e. during the time when water is not dispensed, the hot water circuit is connected in a recirculation mode, the normal convective currents in the water providing sufficient circulation to exchange heat. The dispensing assembly, furthermore, includes an enclosed cavity in which cups may be placed, thus retaining the cups against inadvertent spillage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hot water heating devices, and more particularly to heating devices adapted to recover heat out of the exhaust pipes of an automobile.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hot water heaters adapted for use in automobiles have been known in the past. Hot water heaters of the prior kind either utilized the electrical power generated during the course of operating an automobile or recovered heat dissipated by the exhaust system. In most instances the use of electrical power, particularly in the amounts necessary to heat large volumes of water, entails an additional load on the engine, thus increasing fuel consumption and wear. For this reason the use of the free heat dissipated in the exhaust has been preferred, such heat losses heretofor being normally wasted or not recoverable. The disadvantage of using such prior art exhaust heated warmers is the lack of control over the temperature reached, resulting in a condition which may lead to steam explosion. This last danger is particularly pronounced since most of the prior art exhaust heated systems do not include any provisions for modifying the heat input to the heater coils or to replenish water lost as steam. Thus, under situations where large amounts of heat are generated in the exhaust pipe, e.g., during the course of a long uphill climb, the prior art exhaust systems, even if correctly sized for normal operation, will lack the requisite safety margin for such additional heat inputs. The danger of overheating water is therefore always present in such exhaust heated systems, either requiring elaborate safety provisions, or precluding the use thereof because of products liability considerations.


The problems caused by chemical and thermal shrinkage of hard roll covers, are reduced by the inclusion of one or more intermediate compressive layers between the metal roll and the outer cover, or "topstock". A compressive layer has the properties of being rigid enough to allow the cover to be applied to the roll, and compressible enough to buffer and absorb the stresses which occur as the cover is shrinking during processing.. In one embodiment, the intermediate compressive layer comprises a three dimensional fabric that is filled preferably with a thermoset resin system which cures at lower temperature than cover. In a second embodiment, the precise amount of shrinkage in the roll can be predetermined to a high enough degree of accuracy so that a depth for the fabric layer can be used to compensate for the amount of shrinkage, thereby eliminating the need for filling. In a third embodiment, the compressive layer is comprised of a wax material.. The problems caused by chemical and thermal shrinkage are further reduced through a method based on applying a polymeric cover layer over one or more intermediate compressive layers, curing at an elevated temperature, and, allowing the cover to shrink during curing or hardening.

Covered rolls are used industrially in demanding environments where they are subjected to high dynamic loads and temperatures. For example, in a typical paper mill, large numbers of rolls are used not only for transporting the web sheet which becomes paper, but also for processing the web itself into finished paper. These rolls are precision elements of the system which are precisely balanced with surfaces that must be maintained at specific configurations.
One type of roll that is particularly subjected to high dynamic loads, is a calender roll. Calendering is employed to improve the smoothness, gloss, printability and thickness of the paper. The calendering section of a paper machine, is a section where the rolls themselves contribute to the manufacturing or processing of the paper rather than merely transporting the web through the machine.
In order to function properly, calender rolls must have extremely hard surfaces. For example, typically, the calender rolls are covered with an epoxy resin having a Shore D hardness within the range of 84-95 and an elastic modulus within the range of 1,000-10,000 MPa. Epoxy resins with such characteristics are cured at relatively high temperatures. Currently, such resins are cured at temperatures of 110.degree. C.
It is well known that the higher the curing temperature, the higher will be the thermal resistance of the resulting cover. Furthermore, present day demands of the paper mill require rolls, particularly calender rolls, with higher thermal resistances. Thus, it would be desirable to produce covers for such rolls which can be cured at 150.degree.-200.degree. C. However, prior to the present invention, curing at such high temperatures caused so much stress that the cover tended to crack, rendering it unusable. A discussion of the physical chemistry of such a roll cover can be found in a paper entitled, "The Role Of Composite Roll Covers In Soft And Super Calendering, " J. A. Paasonen, presented at the 46 eme Congres Annuel Atip, Grenoble Atria World Trade Center Europole, October 20-22, 1993, the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Indeed, one important challenge to the manufacture of roll covers is to develop roll covers that can withstand the high residual stresses caused during manufacturing. Problems from residual stresses are most significant in the harder (higher stiffness) compounds and often result in cracking, delamination, and edge lifting.
Residual stresses not only promote the undesirable cracking and/or edge lifting tendency of the cover, but they often cause premature local failure or shorter than desired life cycles. This is especially true for high performance, hard polymeric roll coverings where the basic approach has been to tolerate a production level of residual stresses that are still acceptable from a products performance standpoint. Therefore, there is a need to develop methods of cover construction that reduce residual stresses in the product.
Consideration of residual stresses is especially critical during the manufacture of the roll cover. In particular, heating and curing processes must be given careful consideration as these conditions are the most significant factors in the development of such stresses. Residual stresses develop in polymer based covers as a result of the mismatch in thermal expansion properties between and/or among the cover materials and the core materials and from chemical shrinkage. Polymers typically have a coefficient of thermal expansion that is an order of magnitude greater than steel.
A suggestion to alleviate stresses from processing is to wrap a cover and bond it to an intermediate layer, which is processed and cured at a lower temperature level than the cover. Or cast the cover separately and bond it to the metal core at a lower temperature than the casting temperature. Thus, the thermal stresses that would arise from cooling down from the cure temperature would be reduced. Although, low temperature adhesives are available, these adhesives have poor high temperature strengths. In general, high cure temperatures are required for high temperature performance.
In addition, manufacturing costs would be raised by the necessity of having to produce the cover first as a separate cylindrical structure, and then, fitting it over the roll core at a lower processing temperature than was required for processing the cover. These casting methods require that an open cavity be created between the cover and the roll core which necessitate multiple process steps and the use of inner mandrels. Even if the cover is separately manufactured via a centrifugal casting method, additional costs and steps are required for an outer mold.
Another possible solution is to develop a cover material having a thermal shrinkage as close to the metallic core as possible. While composite structures may be developed with the expansion coefficients tailored to match the metal core, such methods are expensive and may not produce the desired thermomechanical response for the certain industrial applications. Thus, the need exists to develop methods to reduce the residual stress levels in current production materials.

Covered roll and a method for making the same


A holder, in various embodiments, holds a previously opened, now recapped, bottle, partially filled with an effervescent liquid, in an inverted position. The effervescent liquid forms a gas seal about the interior of the replaced cap. In some embodiments, a liquid drip basin portion of the holder is included to collect, if necessary, some possible seepage. Preferably, the holder is shaped to place the bottle, as so supported in the holder, on the inside door shelves of a refrigerator.

There have been many advances in the art of bottling, capping, and sealing of containers. There has not however ever been an effective method of resealing opened bottles having effervescent liquid therein, using the original cap. Threaded caps are used extensively in the capping of containers having effervescent liquid inside, and are very effective on the first seal, however after the container is opened, the effervescent liquid therein begins to lose its "fizz", due to the loss of gas. By replacing the cap, the escapement of gas is slowed but not stopped due to the continued escapement of gas past the now unsealed, but replaced cap. Racks or container supports for supporting bottles are known in the art, most particularly for wine bottles. These racks or supports ordinarily support the bottle if sealed with a cork in a mostly horizontal position with the liquid therein in contact with the cork, to insure that the cork remains moist, because a dried-out cork is difficult to remove and/or may crack during removal. However, in the pas, if the bottle has been sealed with a threaded cap or a cap other than a cork, it is racked or supported in a manner that will prevent the liquid from coming in contact with the cap to prevent leakage. However, the self life of an opened then recapped container of effervescent liquid stored in this "prior art" position, is limited to hours, due to continued gas escapement.
The prior art devices for supporting containers in a mostly horizontal position are not suitable for supporting "state of the art" effervescent liquid containers, partially because of size and shape and the possible seepage that can occur around the cap if not replaced properly, but also because of the preferred storage place, the conventional refrigerator. The numerous varieties of liquids inside the various containers that may well entice a person to have three or four opened, partially consumed containers to store at any one time.

Portable holder to support a recapped container of effervescent liquidinan inverted position to retain the liquids freshness

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A rapid thermal processing system for large area substrates, such as glass panels for flat panel displays, includes a processing chamber, a transport assembly for transporting a substrate through the processing chamber, and a heating assembly for heating the substrate. The heating assembly includes a bank of elongated heating elements disposed in the processing chamber. The heating elements have longitudinal axes aligned with the substrate transport direction. In one embodiment, heating elements on one side of the substrate have longitudinal axes aligned perpendicular to the substrate transport direction and heating elements on the opposite side of the substrate have longitudinal axes aligned parallel to the substrate transport direction.

Systems for rapid thermal processing of glass panels for flat panel displays are known in the art. Such systems include a heating assembly and a transport assembly within an enclosure. Glass panels having one or more coatings enter the system in a horizontal orientation and are transported through the system on rotating quartz cylinders. The glass panels pass through a series of preheating zones at increasing temperatures. The preheating zones contain infrared heaters that are oriented perpendicular to the direction of movement of the glass panels. The panels then move through a region where they are exposed to intense ultraviolet radiation supplied by a xenon arc lamp mounted in a reflector. The panels then move through a cooling zone and exit the system at the end opposite the first preheating zone.
An important parameter in the operation of rapid thermal processing systems is temperature uniformity across the surface of the glass panel or other substrate. Prior art systems have provided generally satisfactory performance but have had certain drawbacks.
The system requires a non-contact temperature measurement technique. An optical pyrometer, which measures temperature based on sensed infrared energy, is typically utilized. The conventional prior art approach is to mount a pyrometer sensing head in a fixed position such that a line profile at one location along the direction of workpiece motion is produced. This configuration has limited temperature measurement capability and thus limits the ability to achieve uniform heating.
Prior art rapid thermal processing systems typically utilize long filament infrared heaters positioned at 90.degree. to the direction of glass panel movement. This arrangement produces excellent longitudinal uniformity, but limited lateral uniformity due to edge effects. It is therefore desirable to provide a lamp configuration having improved lateral heating uniformity. Lateral uniformity refers to uniformity in a direction perpendicular to the direction of substrate movement.
As noted above, glass panels typically enter the rapid thermal processing system at one end and exit at the opposite end. The distance between the entrance end and the exit end increases as the dimensions of the glass panels being processed increases. This distance may be unacceptable in some fabrication facilities.
A method for selectively heating a film on a substrate, such as a glass substrate for a flat panel display, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,073,698 issued Dec. 17, 1991 to Stultz. A semiconductor wafer heating chamber, including an optical element between a light source and a wafer and an optical pyrometer for measuring wafer heating, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,755,654 issued Jul. 5, 1988 to Crowley et al. A long arc lamp for semiconductor wafer heating is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,906 issued Apr. 11, 1989 to Stultz.
All of the known prior art rapid thermal processing systems have had one or more of the drawbacks discussed above. Accordingly, there is a need for improved methods and apparatus for rapid thermal processing of large area substrates.

Heating assembly for rapid thermal processing system


Methods and systems are provided for adjusting and diagnosing one or more canister purge valves in a fuel vapor recovery system. In one example, a method may include adjusting one or more canister purge valves in a passage coupled to a fuel vapor canister of the fuel vapor recovery system to allow flow between an intake passage and an intake manifold of the engine based on engine operating conditions. Further, the method may include indicating the one or more canister purge valves are degraded and based on a change in air-fuel ratio after adjusting the one or more canister purge valves.

Vehicles may be fitted with evaporative emission control systems such as onboard fuel vapor recovery systems. Such systems capture and reduce release of vaporized hydrocarbons to the atmosphere, for example fuel vapors released from a vehicle gasoline tank during refueling. Specifically, the vaporized hydrocarbons (HCs) are stored in a fuel vapor canister packed with an adsorbent which adsorbs and stores the vapors. At a later time, when the engine is in operation, the evaporative emission control system allows the vapors to be purged into the engine intake manifold for use as fuel. The fuel vapor recovery system may include one more check valves, ejectors, and/or controller actuatable valves for facilitating purge of stored vapors under boosted or non-boosted engine operation.
Various approaches have been developed for detecting fuel vapor leaks and/or degraded components in such fuel vapor recovery systems. However, the inventors have recognized several potential issues with such methods. The inventors have recognized that, in particular, it may be difficult to diagnose one or more valves controlling flow of purge gases from the fuel vapor canister to the intake passage upstream of the compressor (e.g., during non-boosted conditions). For example, it may be difficult to determine if a check valve positioned downstream of a compressor purge valve and upstream of an ejector and intake passage, upstream of the compressor, is stuck in an open position. If this check valve is stuck in an open position, during natural aspiration (e.g., non-boosted) operation, intake air through the open path may be sucked into the engine. This unmetered air may cause the air-fuel ratio to decrease (and become leaner than desired), thereby increasing NOx emissions. Specifically, the inventors have recognized that it may be difficult to diagnose a position of this check valve during regular boosted or non-boosted (e.g., vacuum) modes without the aid of additional sensors. However, adding sensors for this diagnosis may increase engine costs and complicate engine control.
In one example, the issues described above may be addressed by a method for adjusting one or more canister purge valves arranged in a flow passage coupled to a fuel vapor canister, an intake manifold, and an intake passage upstream of a compressor, to allow flow through the flow passage between the intake passage and intake manifold and not to the canister; and indicating the one or more canister purge valves are degraded based on a change in air-fuel ratio following the adjusting. In this way, a position of the one or more canister purge valves may be diagnosed and undesired airflow from the intake passage to intake manifold which may result in unrequested enleanment may be detected, thereby increasing engine air-fuel control and increasing engine efficiency.
As one example, the one or more canister purge valves may be a single, three-way canister purge valve arranged at a junction between a first passage coupled to the canister, a second passage coupled to the intake manifold, and a third passage coupled to the intake passage. A controller may actuate the three-way canister purge valve to move into a first position that is open to the intake passage and intake manifold and closed to the canister. As a result, intake air may be allowed to flow from the intake passage to the intake manifold. However, if the canister purge valve is degraded (e.g., doesn't move when commanded) or is stuck in a position that is open to the intake manifold and intake passage, intake air may have been flowing into the intake manifold from the intake passage via the canister purge valve both before and after the command to move the valve into the first position (and thus the air-fuel ratio may not change after commanding the valve into the first position). Thus, by monitoring a change in air-fuel ratio after commanding the canister purge valve into the first position, the controller may determine whether the canister purge valve is in the commanded position or not. This may allow the controller to diagnose a position or functioning of the canister purge valve without the use of additional sensors or control routines, thereby decreasing engine costs and control complexity. Additionally, by diagnosing a stuck or degraded canister purge valve, undesired lean engine operation may be detected and the controller may take corrective action to reduce a degradation in engine performance resulting in the lean air-fuel ratio. For example, the controller may increase fuel injection to compensate for the excess air flowing to the intake manifold via the canister purge valve. In this way, engine control may be increased and engine output may be maintained at a requested level.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.

Fuel vapor purging diagnostics for a multi-path purge ejector system


A device for storing data in a distributed file system, the distributed file system including a plurality of deduplication storage devices, includes a determination unit configured to determine a characteristic of first data to be stored in the distributed file system; an identification unit configured to identify one of the deduplication storage devices of the distributed file system as deduplication storage device for the first data based on the characteristic of the first data; and a storing unit configured to store the first data in the identified deduplication storage device such that the first data and second data being redundant to the first data are deduplicatable within the identified deduplication storage device.

The invention relates to a device and to a method for storing data in a distributed file system having a plurality of deduplication storage devices.
Data deduplication, i.e., the reduction and elimination of redundant data within a storage or memory device, is a data reduction technique already used in many contemporary enterprise storage stacks. For example, US 2010/0161554 A1, U.S. Pat. No. 7,747,584 B1 and EP 2256934 A1 disclose deduplication capable systems.
On one side, deduplication may lead to significant cost reductions directly resulting in a competitive advantage for customers as it enlarges the effective storage capacity, while on the other side its integration into flash-based storage provides manufacturers the possibility to reduce write amplification, thereby substantially extending flash endurance. The latter explains the recent growth in data deduplication-capable storage solutions being closely coupled with the recent growth of flash systems. While an I/O indirection property required by deduplication is a natural property of flash storage controllers, the drastically improved access times compared to traditional spinning disks may require fast index lookups for efficient inline deduplication.
Deduplication is typically performed at the file system level or block layer, but only the latter achieves high bandwidth when executed inline, i.e., within the storage devices. Also, network and clustered file systems (e.g., NFS, HDFS, Google FS, GPFS, etc.) are mostly agnostic to the underlying storage devices being deduplication-capable. In a likely near-future scenario, where most block devices participating in a network file system may offer data deduplication, their deduplication services could be underutilized because the same deduplicatable data might be spread over many deduplication-capable devices. Moreover, the perceived per-device capacity utilization at the file system-level might differ significantly from the actual one with possible implications in load balancing efforts.
Accordingly, it is an aspect of the present invention to improve the deduplication when storing data in storage devices which are deduplication-capable.

Storing data in a distributed file system

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


A hydraulic pump comprises at least one alternating-cycle piston (20) having a suction phase and a delivery phase, and sliding in a fixed cylinder (22). The pump possesses in addition a nonreturn suction valve (32) placed between a source of fluid under low pressure (28) and a working chamber (30) defined in the cylinder, and a nonreturn delivery valve (34) placed between the working chamber (30) and an output chamber (16) for the fluid under high pressure, connected to an application circuit 10, 12). The output chamber (16) possesses a wall (40) which is movable as a function of the pressure which prevails in the output chamber (16), the movable wall (40) being capable of controlling the locking of the delivery valve (34) in an open position substantially during the greater part of the suction phase when the pressure in the output chamber (16) is greater than a given pressure, in such a way that the suction valve (32) stays closed in a corresponding manner.

The present invention relates to a hydraulic pump comprising at least one alternating-cycle piston having a suction phase and a delivery phase.
Such a pump is, for example, described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,883,327 in an application to a braking circuit of a vehicle possessing an antilock device of the wheels.
The application described in the afore-mentioned document possesses serious disadvantages. For example, it is known that during the periods of pressure reduction in the brakes controlled by an electrovalve, the pressure of the fluid coming from the pump is directly applied to the working chamber of the master cylinder, and results in very unpleasant sensations for the driver.
In addition, during the periods of active operation of the antilock device, the pump is permanently working under high pressure, which leads to premature fatigue of its components.


The present invention relates to methods and kits for the treatment of breast cancer based on hormone receptor status of progesterone receptor and estrogen receptor comprising the administration of a taxane alone, in combination with at least one other and other therapeutic agents, as well as other treatment modalities useful in the treatment of breast cancer. In particular, the invention relates to the use of nanoparticles comprising paclitaxel and albumin (such as Abraxane®) either alone or in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents or radiation, which may be used for the treatment of breast cancer which does not express estrogen receptor and/or progesterone receptor.

The failure of a significant number of tumors to respond to drug and/or radiation therapy is a serious problem in the treatment of cancer. In fact, this is one of the main reasons why many of the most prevalent forms of human cancer still resist effective chemotherapeutic intervention, despite certain advances in the field of chemotherapy.
Cancer is now primarily treated with one or a combination of three types of therapies: surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Surgery is a traditional approach in which all or part of a tumor is removed from the body. Surgery generally is only effective for treating the earlier stages of cancer. While surgery is sometimes effective in removing tumors located at certain sites, for example, in the breast, colon, and skin, it cannot be used in the treatment of tumors located in other areas, inaccessible to surgeons, nor in the treatment of disseminated neoplastic conditions such as leukemia. For more than 50% of cancer individuals, by the time they are diagnosed they are no longer candidates for effective surgical treatment. Surgical procedures may increase tumor metastases through blood circulation during surgery. Most of cancer individuals do not die from the cancer at the time of diagnosis or surgery, but rather die from the metastasis and the recurrence of the cancer.
Other therapies are also often ineffective. Radiation therapy is only effective for individuals who present with clinically localized disease at early and middle stages of cancer, and is not effective for the late stages of cancer with metastasis. Radiation is generally applied to a defined area of the subject's body which contains abnormal proliferative tissue, in order to maximize the dose absorbed by the abnormal tissue and minimize the dose absorbed by the nearby normal tissue. However, it is difficult (if not impossible) to selectively administer therapeutic radiation to the abnormal tissue. Thus, normal tissue proximate to the abnormal tissue is also exposed to potentially damaging doses of radiation throughout the course of treatment. There are also some treatments that require exposure of the subject's entire body to the radiation, in a procedure called "total body irradiation", or "TBI." The efficacy of radiotherapeutic techniques in destroying abnormal proliferative cells is therefore balanced by associated cytotoxic effects on nearby normal cells. Because of this, radiotherapy techniques have an inherently narrow therapeutic index which results in the inadequate treatment of most tumors. Even the best radiotherapeutic techniques may result in incomplete tumor reduction, tumor recurrence, increasing tumor burden, and induction of radiation resistant tumors.
Chemotherapy involves the disruption of cell replication or cell metabolism. Chemotherapy can be effective, but there are severe side effects, e.g., vomiting, low white blood cells (WBC), loss of hair, loss of weight and other toxic effects. Because of the extremely toxic side effects, many cancer individuals cannot successfully finish a complete chemotherapy regime. Chemotherapy-induced side effects significantly impact the quality of life of the individual and may dramatically influence individual compliance with treatment. Additionally, adverse side effects associated with chemotherapeutic agents are generally the major dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) in the administration of these drugs. For example, mucositis is one of the major dose limiting toxicity for several anticancer agents, including the antimetabolite cytotoxic agents 5-FU, methotrexate, and antitumor antibiotics, such as doxorubicin. Many of these chemotherapy-induced side effects if severe may lead to hospitalization, or require treatment with analgesics for the treatment of pain. Some cancer individuals die from the chemotherapy due to poor tolerance to the chemotherapy. The extreme side effects of anticancer drugs are caused by the poor target specificity of such drugs. The drugs circulate through most normal organs of individuals as well as intended target tumors. The poor target specificity that causes side effects also decreases the efficacy of chemotherapy because only a fraction of the drugs is correctly targeted. The efficacy of chemotherapy is further decreased by poor retention of the anti-cancer drugs within the target tumors.
Due to the severity and breadth of neoplasm, tumor and cancer, there is a great need for effective treatments of such diseases or disorders that overcome the shortcomings of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation treatment.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Breast cancer therapy based on hormone receptor status with nanoparticles comprising taxane


When a dehumidifying heating operation is performed by a heat-radiating operation of the interior condenser and a heat-absorbing operation of the exterior heat-exchanger and the evaporator, a control device of an air conditioner for vehicle decreases the valve opening degree of the electronic expansion valve to be equal to or less than a predetermined opening degree before opening the solenoid valve for dehumidification in a closed state, opens the solenoid valve for dehumidification after decreasing the valve opening degree of the electronic expansion valve to be equal to or less than the predetermined opening degree, and then increasing the valve opening degree of the electronic expansion valve to be greater than the predetermined opening degree after opening the solenoid valve for dehumidification.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air conditioner for vehicle.
Description of Related Art
In an air conditioner of the related art performing a dehumidifying heating operation by a heat pump cycle, when a heat-exchange medium in a gas phase state is decompressed and expanded by decompression means (a capillary tube), the flowing sound increases. Therefore, for example, a method in which a refrigerant flow passage (an auxiliary bypass pipe) is provided for circulating a refrigerant (a bypass medium which bypasses through an auxiliary expansion valve) capable of cooling the heat-exchange medium in advance prior to the decompression and expansion, and in which an opening of a valve (the auxiliary expansion valve) which sets the amount of refrigerant to be introduced to the refrigerant flow passage is increasingly changed as the temperature of the heat-exchange medium increases has been known (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. H11-254957, for example).


A description is given of a method and a device for the calibration of an image pick-up device which is sensitive to magnetic fields and for the imaging by means of such an image pick-up device. The image pick-up device is notably an image intensifier in X-ray systems such as, for example, systems provided with a C-arm. Calibration is performed essentially by forming and storing a look-up table whereby a plurality of magnetic field data acting on the image pick-up device is associated with calibration data required for correcting the distortions caused thereby. During imaging, the magnetic field data acting on the image pick-up device during the formation of an image is measured and the calibration data associated with this magnetic field data in the table is read out and used for the correction of the acquired image.

The invention relates to a method and a device for the calibration of an image pick-up device which is sensitive to magnetic fields, and also to a method and a device for imaging by means of such an image pick-up device, notably an image intensifier in X-ray systems, for example, X-ray systems provided with a C-arm. The invention also relates to an X-ray system provided with devices of this kind.
The images acquired by image intensifiers in X-ray systems are liable to be distorted under the influence of external magnetic fields surrounding the image intensifiers. This problem is encountered notably when the image intensifier is attached to an arm (C-arm) which is rotatable about a patient. This is because it has been found that surprisingly the magnetic field strengths may deviate strongly in different locations within an examination room. This is due to the fact that the numerous electrical and metallic components of devices customarily present in such a room and equipment as well as shields which are made partly of a ferromagnetic material have a significant effect on the magnetic field in their vicinity. In this case the external magnetic fields have a different effect on the image distortions in every position of the image intensifier. Because of the magnetic fields which strongly vary within a room, the foregoing applies even more to mobile X-ray systems which can be displaced within the room.
EP 0 479 618 discloses a method and a device enabling the correction of magnetic and geometrical distortions in an X-ray image. To this end, a calibration is performed by means of a test object provided with a grid and a calibration table is created in which the calibration data determined is associated with each pixel position in the image. The images subsequently acquired are then corrected on the basis of this table.
However, this approach has a significant drawback in that, if the external magnetic field changes after the calibration, a new calibration must be carried out before each imaging operation. In the case of a mobile X-ray system which is used in various locations it is also necessary to perform a new calibration before each imaging operation.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide a method and a device which enable comparatively simple and reliable calibration of an image pick-up device which is sensitive to magnetic fields.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a method and a device which enable such a calibration to be carried out in such a manner that it need not be repeated in the case of a varying magnetic field.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a method and a device which are suitable for the compensation of the effects of magnetic fields on the imaging in particular in mobile X-ray systems.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a method and a device for imaging which are conceived notably for use in conjunction with an image pick-up device calibrated in accordance with the invention and is optionally conceived also for surgical navigation.
Finally, it is an object of the invention to provide an X-ray system which is suitable in particular for mobile applications and in which the described effects of magnetic fields can be compensated for without requiring a significant amount of additional hardware.

Method and device for calibrating an image pick-up device sensitive to magnetic fields and for imaging by means of such an image pick-up device


The present invention is directed to compositions comprising semifluorinated compounds and their use as medicaments for topical administration to the eye.

Semifluorinated alkanes are compounds composed of at least one non-fluorinated hydrocarbon segment and at least one perfluorinated hydrocarbon segment. Linear, unbranched semifluorinated alkanes of the general formula CF3(CF2)n(CH2)mCH3, wherein n and m are integers denoting the number of carbon atoms of the respective segment are described for various applications, for example commercially for unfolding and reapplying a retina, for long-term tamponade as vitreous humour substitute (H. Meinert et al., European Journal of Ophthalmology, Vol. 10(3), pp. 189-197, 2000), and as wash-out solutions for residual silicon oil after vitreo-retinal surgery.
Semifluorinated alkanes of the formula CF3(CF2)n(CH2)mCH3 are described in other applications.
WO 2011/073134 discloses solutions of ciclosporin in a semifluorinated alkanes of the formula CF3(CF2)n(CH2)mCH3, optionally in the presence of a co-solvent such as ethanol, wherein the semifluorinated alkane functions as a liquid drug delivery vehicle for ciclosporin for topical treatment of keratoconjunctivitis sicca.
WO2014/041055 describes mixtures of semifluorinated alkanes of the formula CF3(CF2)n(CH2)mCH3 (which may be alternatively expressed as F(CF2)n(CH2)mH). These mixtures are described to be ophthalmically applicable as tear film substitutes or for treating patients with dry eye syndrome and/or meibomian gland dysfunction.
A nomenclature which is frequently used for semifluorinated compounds having linear and unbranched segments is FnHm, wherein F means a perfluorinated hydrocarbon segment, H means a non-fluorinated segment, and n and m define the number of carbon atoms of the respective segment. For example, F3H3 is used for perfluoropropylpropane, CF3(CF2)2(CH2)2CH3, i.e. 1-perfluoropropylpropane.
Semifluorinated alkanes of formula CF3—(CF2)5—CH(CH3)—(CH2)5—CH3 and compositions comprising CF3(CF2)5(CH2)7CH3 and CF3—(CF2)5—CH(CH3)—(CH2)5—CH3 however have not been described, in particular for ophthalmic applications. It is therefore an object of the invention to provide compositions comprising such compounds, in particular in respect of their use in compositions for use in ophthalmic applications.

Semifluorinated compounds and their compositions


Examples of rotor speed reduction using a feed-forward rotor speed control command are provided. In one example, a computer-implemented method includes: receiving, by a processing device, flight command indicative of a change in a flight characteristic of an aircraft comprising a rotor; generating, by the processing device, a change in load factor based on the flight command; generating, by the processing device, a change in rotor speed based on the change in load factor; generating, by the processing device, a rotor speed command based on the change in rotor speed to a flight controller to cause the aircraft to change a rotor speed of the rotor; and changing, by the processing device, the rotor speed of the rotor responsive to the rotor speed command.

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to controlling rotor speed, and more particularly, to rotor speed control using a feed-forward rotor speed reduction command.
Certain aircraft (e.g., helicopters) utilize rotors to create propulsion and lift for flight. By reducing the rotational speed of the rotor, main rotor efficiency can be increased. This increases efficiency of the overall aircraft, enabling the aircraft to fly further, longer and/or faster hence more economically.

Rotor speed control using a feed-forward rotor speed command


An improved spray delivery system and method for aerosol containers is provided. The system and method provide improved selectable spray pattern characteristics. In addition, the system is provided with multiple automatic features to prevent unintended actuation of the aerosol container as well as an override system to selectively disable these characteristics and automatically return the device to a safety position without requiring the user to see the device.

The present invention is directed to a spray delivery system and method of use for aerosol products. The invention is more particularly directed to a novel actuator, device and method that provides an improved and specific pattern of spray for dispensing aerosol products.
The invention further relates to a spray delivery system and method that contains selectively engageable automatic mechanisms for preventing accidental or unintended spraying of the aerosol product. The novel features of the present invention are particularly useful for aerosols that utilize hazardous chemicals, such as insecticides or non-lethal incapacitating agents.
Aerosol spray containers have been well known in the art for decades. A typical aerosol container utilizes an assembly to actuate and release the pressurized materials in the canister and direct them toward an intended target. Such prior art containers have often utilized a spray through overcap consisting of a one piece housing and actuator. These containers are usually operated by directly pressing the actuator down to engage a valve stem and thereby release the pressurized material from the canister. Although devices of this type have at times been adequate to permit material to be sprayed from a pressurized canister, they have exhibited a number of drawbacks. To begin with, the spray pattern associated with such containers was generally imprecise or inconsistent. Such devices frequently exhibited a broad cone spray pattern with excessive turbulence and eddy currents. Such spray patterns have proven to be particularly troublesome in aerosol products containing hazardous or potentially irritating chemicals, particularly when used in windy or confined environments. Use of these devices frequently resulted in the spraying or contamination of unintended targets including the user.
In order to attempt to improve the spray characteristics of aerosols, a nozzle insert has sometimes added into the actuator. While this generally improved the spray characteristics, it still left other issues. For example, although such inserts were capable of focusing the output in a narrow stream, they did not perform well to precisely produce desired spray patterns that combined the characteristics of cone and stream type patterns. The resultant spray patterns were often so narrow that they required multiple sprays or excessive movement to cover an intended target. Likewise the force of the resultant streams was at times sufficient to cause injury upon contact with delicate areas such as the eyes. Additionally, most actuator/insert constructions did not permit one to select or modify a spray pattern of a given actuator.
Most of the available overcaps for aerosol products operate to dispense products in the same manner. The overcaps use an actuator to engage an aerosol valve stem to pass the pressurized product into the actuator for dispensing. A portion of the bottom of the overcap is usually attached to the outside diameter of the aerosol valve and container to render it non-removable. The pressurized product is typically dispensed by pressing the actuator into engagement with the aerosol valve stem. Typically, a spring biasing force must be overcome by the actuator in order to engage and depress the valve stem and dispense the product. Since it is desired to allow the user to dispense an aerosol product without necessitating the use of excessive force, the biasing force that must be overcome by pressing the actuator, has generally been relatively minimal. While this condition was necessary for intended operation of the aerosol container, it likewise made the undesired effect of potential unintended actuation and dispensing just as easy. This was a particular problem for any aerosols that contain active ingredients that could cause some degree of harm or discomfort to the user or surroundings. As a result, significant efforts have been directed towards making accidental dispensing of aerosol containers more difficult to occur.
A typical way of attempting to prevent the accidental, or otherwise unintended, dispensing of aerosol products has been to add a locking mechanism to the overcap. Most such mechanisms provide an additional piece on the aerosol overcap that requires the user to move the piece into a disengaged position in order to dispense the aerosol. Many of these devices, however, are either inconveniently located, difficult to operate with one hand or are themselves, readily unintentionally moved into engagement. An example of such a locking mechanism is a sliding lever on the side of the housing. In use, however, such a locking mechanism is often covered by the user""s palm or fingers when dispensing the product from the aerosol container. Such locking mechanisms frequently exhibit an additional drawback, in that once the actuator is in an unlocked position, it remains unlocked and makes the system available for unintentional operation. The mechanism does not lock automatically after dispensing, but instead requires the user to perform an additional intentional locking action to return the lever or the like to a position where it prohibits operation of the actuator.
Another type of known locking mechanism utilizes an actuator that rotates into engagement with a supporting portion of the housing to prevent the user from pressing the actuator except in certain pre-designated positions. Like the mechanism described above, however, once the actuator is rotated into engagement, it remains unlocked until the user performs an additional intentional locking action as such accidental dispensing is only partly prohibited and the user again must remember to relock the system to prohibit such circumstances after use. A further problem with these systems and the previously described lever locking mechanisms, is that there is still a significant chance that the device can reach a disengaged or unlocked position due to environmental or unintentional acts, rather than the intentional act of the user thereby freely permitting accidental dispensing of product from the aerosol.
Some locking mechanisms that have utilized a spring-loaded system to return the device to a locked condition after dispensing have also exhibited shortcomings. Such devices have often required two hands for operation. Those devices that permit some type of single-handed operation, usually required the user to see the locking device to operate them, thus rendering them useless, for example, in the case of darkness or engaging a potentially hostile person with a non-lethal incapacitating spray.
Another known type of overcap uses a trigger to actuate the aerosol valve to dispense the aerosol product. The trigger usually is a separate piece or more often a number of pieces that are added into the housing of the overcap. The trigger is generally contained in the housing by undercuts or the like. Because the trigger is added to the actuator system, it can be dislodged from the housing when dropped or struck making operation of the dispensing system impossible. Other known designs have used additional parts in the assembly to lock the trigger when not in use, thereby introducing additional complexity. Such designs have still not provided the combination of a self locking action once the actuator is released into a closed position, along with the advantages of an improved spray pattern and ease of operation with one hand. In addition, many of these mechanisms have had difficulty handling submergence in water, shock and extreme operating temperatures while providing quiet and consistent use.
In view of the above, it is apparent that there exists a need in the art for an improved aerosol spray delivery and dispensing method and apparatus that overcomes the problems and difficulties described. It is the purpose of this invention to fulfill the above described needs in the art, as well as other needs apparent to the skilled artisan from the following detailed description of this invention.
The spray delivery system of the present invention permits the dispensing of aerosol products in an improved, precise and specific pattern of spray. The spray of this delivery system, likewise selectively provides hybrid type spray patterns in a device and method that contains (i.) A first locking feature that prevents accidental or unintended dispensing of the product during shipment and prior to initial use that can be visually detected and must be removed in order to make use of the device; (ii.) A second locking mechanism that requires the user to depress a locking spring and the actuator in order to dispense product and automatically returns the device to a locking position after dispensing; (iii.) An override system force that the second locking mechanism that provides user with a means to disarm the second locking means for unencumbered use of the system; and (iv.) Offers a precise pre-selected spray pattern emanating from the actuator. These advantages are all provided in an easy to assemble spray delivery system that is compact and can be easily carried in the pocket of a user, can be operated with one hand, does not require user to be able to see the system to operate and has further safeguards to minimize the possibility of any of the material dispensed from the aerosol container through the system of coming into contact with the user.
This invention fulfills the above described needs in the art, and provides these and other advantages in a spray delivery system and method for aerosol containers, the system comprising:
a shell having a first wall with first and second apertures therein, a second wall, and a housing extending outwardly from said shell and surrounding said first aperture;
a lock having a first end with a depressible button and a second end with a spring, said button extending through said second aperture of said shell, said remainder of said lock being within said housing and movable from a first position wherein said button extends through said second aperture and outwardly from said shell an axial distance less than said housing, to a second position wherein said button is depressed and a substantial portion thereof is contained within said shell and said spring is compressed against said second wall of said shell and exerts a biasing force on said lock to automatically return it to said first position when said button is released; and
an actuator having a top, a nozzle and at least one projection extending downwardly from said top and slideably engaging a portion of said lock, said nozzle being contained and vertically movable within said housing, said projection further contacting said portion of said lock so that it is thereby prohibited from vertical movement when said lock is in said first position and being capable of vertical movements when said lock is in said second position.

Spray delivery system and method for aerosol products


A pillow filling apparatus includes an enclosed housing having an inlet chute for receiving polyester fiber material used as stuffing for the pillow. A pair of pincher rollers feed the fiber material into the housing, and a large fine-toothed roller is mounted adjacent the pinchers such that roller teeth pull and loosen fibers being fed by the pinchers. The large roller rotates at a speed great enough to throw the fibers from the roller into an air chamber. A fan is mounted to one side wall of the housing and produces an air current which is introduced into the air chamber of the housing through an inlet portal and exits the housing through an outlet portal. Fibers thrown by the roller into the air chamber are carried by the air current out of the housing through the outlet portal. A pillow tick is located at the outlet portal of the housing to receive the loosened and fluffed fiber materials.

One of the most basic requirements in pillow stuffing operations, is to prevent the presence of lumps and the like within the pillow after the tick is filled. Prior to the use of apparatus for blowing the stuffing into the tick, such lumps were not a problem.
However, with the advent of methods for blowing stuffing into a tick, the presence of lumps has become a serious problem. Typically, a fan was placed adjacent to the source of stuffing and would draw the fibers into the fan so as to be thrown outwardly and into a tick. Thus, the blades of the fan would mat the fibers and compress them as the forced air carried the fibers into the tick.
It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide an improved pillow stuffing apparatus.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a pillow stuffing apparatus which fluffs the stuffing material prior to insertion in a tick.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a pillow stuffing apparatus which prevents the lumping or matting of fibers after the fluffing operation has occurred and during the insertion of the stuffing material into a tick.
These and other objects of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.


A rope assembly that is adapted to extend between first and second attachment points comprises a line arranged to define a plurality of loops and at least one pair of organizers. The at least one pair of organizers is configured to engage the line such that line segments of the line between the at least one pair of organizers are maintained in a desired relationship with each other and such that the desired relationship facilitates transfer of loads through the rope assembly between the first and second attachment points.

A lifting sling is a structure, typically flexible, that allows a connection to be made between first and second attachment points to allow an item to be displaced or, more typically, lifted. For example, a crane may be connected to a load using a sling to allow the crane to lift the load. In this case, the first attachment point may be a hook on the end of the crane, and the second attachment point may be a hook formed by a cargo net or the like that secures the load for lifting.
Slings typically comprise at least an elongate, flexible body having end fittings connected to or formed at each end. The elongate body may be made of, as examples, fabric webbing, wire rope, chain, steel wire mesh, and/or rope round slings. The present invention is of particular significance when embodied as a rope round sling.
A rope round sling typically comprises a load bearing structure comprising load bearing material. The load bearing material typically takes the form of natural or synthetic fibers. The fibers are typically combined to form yarns, and the yarns are typically combined to form strands and/or other sub-components. The load bearing structure may thus take the form of a conventional rope structure spliced together or otherwise formed in the shape of an endless loop.
The load bearing structure is typically covered by a jacket to protect the load bearing structure from abrasion and/or potentially deleterious effects of the elements. The jacket may take the form of a fabric panel structure that is wrapped around the entire endless loop formed by the load bearing structure and secured in place. Alternatively, the jacket may take the form of a cylindrical fabric tube adapted to cover a central portion of the endless loop such that opposing portions of the endless loop form eyes that extend out of each end of the cylindrical fabric tube.
A rope round sling thus may be configured, with or without a jacket, to form first and second eyes adapted to be connected between the first and second attachment points as generally described above. To use a rope round sling in the context of a crane as described above, the crane hook will be passed through a first eye formed by a first portion of the load bearing structure and the load hook would be passed through a second eye formed by a second portion of the load bearing structure opposing the first portion. When the crane hook is raised, the load bearing structure will be placed in tension such that the load is raised with the crane hook.
The need exists for improved rope round slings that are capable of lifting increased loads for a given weight per length unit of the load bearing material.

Rope systems and methods for use as a round sling


A plastic bottle for spraying liquid has a liquid chamber defined by a sidewall. The sidewall terminates in a neck having a neck opening. A tube integrally formed alongside the sidewall leads from the bottom of the liquid chamber up to a nozzle. A top end of the tube is inclined away from the neck, and a squeeze bulb is in liquid communication with the tube. By squeezing the squeeze bulb, liquid is drawn from the liquid chamber, through the tube, and out through a nozzle attached to the top end of the tube.

A background of relevant information may be gained from a review of the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 4,418,843; 4,603,794; 4,972,977; 5,129,550; 5,289,948; 5,558,257; and 5,638,994.
A window cleaner spray bottle is an example of the kind of spray bottles which the present invention addresses. Hard surface sprayers, hair and cosmetic sprayers, and pesticide sprayers are additional examples of applications addressed by this invention.
Conventional spray bottles such as these, however, have numerous parts and are relatively expensive to manufacture and assemble. In fact, the spray mechanisms of these bottles often cost more than the product contained within the bottle. Also, the spray bottles are usually relatively complicated, so that many small parts must be handled and assembled during manufacture. For example, many spray mechanisms include piston-style pumps, trigger handles, tubes, and nozzles enabling variable spray configurations. Moreover, because some probability of failure during operation exists for each part, there are almost certainly a higher than necessary number of faulty bottles.
Another problem associated with conventional spray bottles is that some of the product is wasted. For example, a conventional window cleaner spray bottle contains a tube in the center of the bottle for drawing liquid up and into the spray mechanism. The tube stops short of the bottom of the bottle so that the bottom does not block liquid from flowing into the tube. Thus, when the bottle is almost empty, any liquid below the tube will remain in the bottle. Also, if more than the desired amount of product may be sprayed upon each application, there is a resulting waste, because neither the volume of the product to be delivered nor the duration of the spray can be easily controlled.
An additional important consideration is the spray bottle's be ease of use. Many people, especially the elderly and people with arthritic hands, may have difficulty manipulating conventional trigger sprayers. A significant force is required to depress the trigger of some spray bottles. Thus, it is desirable to provide a spray bottle with a trigger that may either be finger-driven or palm-driven and which achieves many available pounds per square inch (PSI) for spraying the liquid. It would also be desirable if the trigger included a finger grip configuration to insure proper placement of the user's hand, to improve user comfort, and to make the trigger easier to hold and squeeze.
Another consideration with respect to the ease of use involves large capacity sprayers. Large capacity sprayers, such as those currently used in the garden industry, require two hands. The large bottle or container must be carried in one hand, while the sprayer is held in the other. A large capacity spray bottle that can be held in one hand and be either finger-driven or palm-driven would be significantly less cumbersome and more efficient to use.
With the increasing emphasis that is being placed on environmental issues, the ability to refill the spray bottle with more product rather than to dispose of the empty bottle is extremely important. However, because many users may prefer to purchase a new bottle instead, spray bottles should be made of a recyclable material.
Yet another consideration is the cost of manufacturing such a spray bottle. Here, the considerations are directed to lowering a the cost of molds, and further reducing the cost of assembly and of spray bottle parts, such as the cap. However, these cost reductions must not reduce the reliability and serviceability of the spray bottle. For example, it should become easier to fill the bottle. Fewer squeezes should be required to expel the fluid. The spray should be atomized.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,994 (Libit et al.) discloses a spray or dispensing bottle with an integrally molded pump spaced apart from the rest of the bottle to permit liquid to be dispensed through the neck and sprayed out the top of the bottle. This bottle design routes the liquid through the neck of the bottle both during filling and dispensing. That is, when the bottle is being filled, the cap covering the neck of the bottle must be removed. Because the siphon tube which dispenses the liquid also extends through the neck and through the cap to the nozzle, the cap requires considerable engineering and cost to permit easy removal and reattachment to ensure that liquid flows as intended during both filling and dispensing. For example, the cap includes a ball valve and the associated tubes, which require more assembly steps than a simple screw-on or hinged cap would require.
Also, this bottle design directs dispensed liquid out through a nozzle in a direction approximately 90 degrees from the vertical. That increases the difficulty of spraying some very high and very low surfaces because the bottle must be tilted by the user to direct the nozzle. This tilting, in turn, may make spraying an awkward, uncomfortable task, and when the fluid level in the bottle is very low, the tilt may prevent liquid from reaching the siphon tube and nozzle.
The molded bottle with trigger bulb pump of the present invention offers improvements to the bottle shown in the Libit et al. patent.


The present disclosure is directed to a display fixture used to convey information to a consumer that is easily coupled to a display rack by inserting portions of the fixture into the product storage spaces of the display rack. The display fixture can include a display panel, a first arm, a second arm, and a third arm where the arms can be sized and configured for placement in the product storages space of an associated display rack.

In a retail setting, items for purchase, in particular clothing, are often stored and displayed on a display rack. Display racks generally include hanging racks and those with shelves or compartments for receiving the product. Regardless of the type of display rack used, it is desirable to draw the consumer's attention to the display and provide certain information about the product. Retailers may attach some type of permanent or semi-permanent signage to a display rack for conveying product and/or marketing information. For example, a metal or plastic frame-like fixture can be attached to the display rack and a temporary sign is inserted into/on the display window of the fixture to provide information to the consumer. While these display fixtures can be effective at providing information to the consumer, they are cumbersome, limited in size and design, and do not provide the durability one would expect from a more permanent fixture. Accordingly, a need in the art exists for a display fixture that is easily coupled to and removed from the display rack and also provides diversity in both size and style of the display surface.


A solid propellant gas generator comprising alkali chlorides, potassium fluorochlorinate, and aluminum which produces pure chlorinefluoride gas in the absence of other gaseous products.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to gas generators and is particularly directed to solid propellant gas generators for producing pure chlorinefluoride (ClF) gas in the absence of other gaseous products.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A multitude of solid propellant gas generators exist which are capable of producing mixtures of nitrogen trifluoride (NF.sub.3) and fluorine (F.sub.2) gases for the operation of continuous wavelength chemical DF or HF chemical lasers. These gas generators are all based upon a variety of NF.sub.4.sup.+ salts such as NF.sub.4 BF.sub.4.
Recent developments in the pulsed operation of chemical lasers indicate that higher efficiencies can be achieved if chlorinefluoride (ClF) gas is employed. The presence of NF.sub.3 degrades the performance which eliminates the systems based upon the NF.sub.4.sup.+ salts from consideration.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,003,771 describes a gas generator based upon potassium fluorochlorinate (KClF.sub.4) for use in chemical lasers. However, the gases produced from the systems described would yield a mixture of ClF.sub.3, ClF, F.sub.2, and Cl.sub.2 gases which would not lead to satisfactory pulsed laser performance.


There is provided a method for the preparation of tetramethylammonium aluminosilicate from tetramethylammonium hydroxide, a solid source of silica and a hydrolyzable aluminum compound. Tetramethylammonium aluminosilicate prepared by the above method is useful for the synthesis of M41S.

Tetramethylammonium (TMA) aluminosilicate is an important raw material for molecular sieve preparations. The soluble aluminosilicate salts of the quaternary ammonium cations, TMA in particular, are useful reagents for the synthesis of ultra large pore M41S. They are important as alkali sources of aluminosilicate dispersed on a molecular scale.
While the basic chemical principles would suggest that their preparation should be trivial, in practice, the apparently obvious approaches, such as described in the book "High-Resolution Solid-State NMR of Silicates and Zeolites" by G. Engelhardt and D. Michel, (published by John Wiley & Sons, 1987) on pages 96-99, have either failed or turned out to be impractical and/or inconvenient. Synthesis of TMA aluminosilicate, as reported by D. Hoebbel, G. Garzo, K. Ujszaszi G. Engelhardt, B. Fahlke and A. Vargha in Z. Anorg. Allg. Chemie., Vol. 484, pp. 7-21 (1982), involves dissolution of Al in TMA hydroxide, which is cumbersome and lengthy and liberates explosive hydrogen gas. Freshly precipitated Al hydrous oxide can also be used, but it requires multiple washing-of the gelatinous precipitate.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a convenient synthesis method for the preparation of TMA aluminosilicate. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a TMA aluminosilicate reagent for use in the synthesis of M4!S.

Synthesis of tetramethylammonium aluminosilicate and use thereof


The invention provides a method of, and apparatus for detecting and analyzing moving particles using an impact responsive transducer which generates a detection signal having an amplitude related to force of particle impact. The transducer output signal is monitored and when it exceeds a given threshold, any local maximum values are noted. Those values are compared to determine which has the overall maximum amplitude. A final signal is then generated in order to provide a representation of the maximum value, and hence the momentum and time occurrence of a particle impact.

It is known to detect particles, such as sand, moving in a flowing fluid, for example oil, with a sensor which generates a signal in response to particle impact. Such a sensor conventionally comprises a piezo-electric element coupled to the sensor housing so that collision of particles with the housing deform the element, causing the latter to generate a voltage signal which may be analysed to obtain information on the nature of the impact.
In conventional analysis techniques, the signal is amplified, unwanted frequency components filtered-out and a thresholding procedure is then applied in order to determine whether the amplitude of the signal is greater than a pre-determined threshold level. If that threshold is passed, the detection of an impact is registered in a counter.
Since the magnitude of the sensor signal is related to the force of particle impact, a series of different threshold levels may be employed in order to give an indication of the relative magnitudes of particle impacts. The energy dissipated on impact is proportional to the momentum of the particle involved, from which an indication of the mass of the particle can be obtained if the velocity of impact is known (or deduced from, for example, the flow-rate of the fluid).
An example of such an arrangement is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,240,287.
One disadvantage of such an arrangement is that an accurate measure of particle size is not obtained, since the various impact signals are merely sorted into a number of ranges dictated by the threshold levels.


The invention is a process for quenching a first synthesis gas mixture containing synthesis gas, molten flyash, water, and carbon dioxide and producing additional synthesis gas consisting of (a) passing the first synthesis gas mixture into a first quench zone; (b) introducing into the quench zone a mixture of a liquid carbonaceous quenching medium in a nitrogen or carbon dioxide carrier gas; (c) endothermically reacting the liquid carbonaceous quenching medium with the water and the carbon dioxide in the synthesis gas mixture, thus producing additional synthesis gas consisting of hydrogen and carbon dioxide, and wherein the additional synthesis gas is admixed with the first synthesis gas mixture to form a second synthesis gas mixture; (d) passing the second synthesis gas mixture to a second quench zone; (e) introducing into the second quench zone a cooling gas for admixture with the second synthesis gas mixture, thus cooling the second synthesis gas mixture, where the molten flyash is solidified, and thus forms a third synthesis gas mixture; and (f) passing the third synthesis gas mixture to a solids removal stage for removing the solidified flyash.

The combustion of a carbonaceous material such as a solid carbonaceous fuel by reaction with a source of gaseous oxygen is well known. In such a reaction, an amount of air or oxygen equal to or greater than that required for complete combustion is used, whereby the gaseous effluent contains carbon dioxide with little, if any, carbon monoxide. It is known also to carry out the gasification or partial oxidation of solid carbonaceous materials or fuels employing a limited quantity of oxygen or air so as to produce primarily carbon monoxide and hydrogen.
The gases resulting from partial combustion or gasification of solid carbon-containing fuels such as coal have value as residential, commercial, and industrial fuels. The resulting gases also have value as starting materials for the synthesis of chemicals and fuels and as an energy source for the generation of electricity. These uses have long been recognized and partial gasification has been practiced on varying scales throughout the world. In the case of coal gasification, a number of different gasification processes have been developed to take into account factors such as the coal source employed, the gasifying medium used and the use sought to be made of the product gas.
While these processes may be classified in a variety of ways, they generally fall into two distinct groups. The two groups are distinguished with respect to the condition in which the non-carbonaceous, mineral residue is removed from the gasification zone. The residue is removed as a dry ash in a nonslagging operation or as a slag in a slagging operation. These two processes are different primarily due to the temperatures employed in the gasification zone itself. The nonslagging gasifiers are operated at lower reaction temperatures, usually less than 1400.degree. C. This is below the temperature at which the contained ash will fuse. The temperatures employed in slagging gasifiers are usually 1500.degree.-2700.degree. C. These temperatures are sufficient to convert the dry ash into a molten slag.
Advantages exist for gasification processes in each of the two process groups. The processes employing slagging coal gasifiers, however, are generally considered to be the most flexible, at least in terms of the variety of coal feedstocks which can be employed. The operation of coal gasifiers under nonslagging conditions is generally limited to coals of low ash content because of the difficulty in removing ash with grates and other mechanical devices. In contrast, in operations at slagging conditions, almost any coal can be suitably employed because the ash becomes a free-flowing fluid. As a result, the fluid ash is quite simply and easily removed from the gasifier. A good general review of a variety of coal gasification processes appears in the Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, 2nd Ed., Vol. 10, pp. 353-388, Interscience (1966).
One process employing a slagging coal gasifier which has had rather wide application is the Koppers-Totzek process. This process, which is described in an article by F. Totzek in "Brennstoff-Chemie," Vol. 34, pp. 361-367 (1953), has the capability of handling just about any coal including lignites with up to 30% ash or mineral contents. A significant portion of the molten slag is removed at the bottom of the gasifier. However, the raw product gas of this process, like other processes employing slagging gasifiers, still contains a significant quantity of mineral matter. The mineral matter is in the form of a suspension or mist of molten or partly molten particles. In this molten state the ash is sticky.
The slag in coals is caused primarily because of the impure nature of coal and the mineral matter in typical coals. These impurities include mixtures of silica and various metal oxides. The molten or partly molten slag does not have a specific melting point. Instead it solidifies over a wide melting range which may cover many hundreds of degrees which can make processing difficult.
It is typically desired to cool the coal gasifier effluent prior to further processing. In a typical application, the gas leaving the reactor has a temperature, as a rule, higher than 1400.degree. C. (2552.degree. F.), preferably from about 2650.degree. F. to about 3000.degree. F., at which the ash is quite fluid. For further processing, this raw product gas is typically cooled down to, for example, 300.degree. C. In the cooling the gas will pass through a broad range of temperatures at which the slag is sticky. The slag from coal usually is sticky at temperatures greater than about 1800.degree. F. Once the slag particles are no longer sticky, they can be easily removed by known techniques such as cyclones, filters, or similar devices.
In the transition between being highly fluid molten liquid and solid nonsticky particles, these slag particles exhibit sufficient stickiness that they can cause extreme difficulties in processing. That is, the slag adheres to and forms deposits on walls, valves, outlets, etc., of process equipment immediately downstream of the gasifier. These deposits tend to build up and as a result interfere with good operation of the process and even lead to complete blocking.
A previous process has added coal directly to the cooling gas (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,054,424). Such a process is disadvantageous, however, since the gas mixture is cooled too much to provide complete reaction of the added coal particles. As a result, undesirable hydrocarbons such as ringed compounds may be formed that will have to be removed thus requiring additional processing. Another previous process, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,987,387, provides for diverting of vaporized slurry feed water (i.e., steam) in excess of that required for gasification temperature control. The excess is diverted for use in quenching the gasifier effluent. The diverted excess contains only trace amounts of reactive materials such as powdered or volatilized coal. The weight ratio of steam to coal is less than 1 to 0.1. The excess steam reacts with unreacted coal in the gasifier effluent as well as the trace coal in the excess steam. The addition of steam can cause plugging and fouling problems since it is a condensible substance. In a dry feed system, the addition of steam can wet the coal particles, forming a "mud." Any condensed steam will also have to be separated. Thus another separations unit is required.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have a process for cooling the product gas of a slagging coal gasifier in which the harmful effects of the stickiness of molten slag particles contained therein is minimized or even completely eliminated and the disadvantages of previously known processes are avoided.


A vibration isolator with a flange that extends from a piston. The piston may be coupled to a housing by a diaphragm. The diaphragm and flange define a balancing chamber that is in fluid communication with a leveling port. The flange is separated from the housing by a gap that provides fluid communication between the balance chamber and an inner chamber within which the piston moves relative to the housing. The piston is coupled to a support plate that is attached to a payload. The leveling port may be coupled to a leveling valve that varies the pressure within the balancing chamber and inner chamber to compensate for a disturbance applied to the isolator. The flange will provide a force that is opposite to the movement of the piston. The counteracting force minimizes oscillations in the isolator caused by releveling the support plate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to pneumatic vibration isolators.
2. Background Information
Vibration isolators are used to isolate vibration and shock loads applied to a working surface. For example, vibration isolators typically support the table of semiconductor fabrication equipment to isolate shock and vibration that would otherwise be caused by transmission of vibration from the floor to the table through the table support.
Some vibration isolators contain a piston that moves within an air filled cylinder. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,784,146 issued to Matthews and U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,108 issued to Houghton disclose vibration isolators that contain a pneumatic piston which is coupled to a support plate by a plurality of cables. The support plate is typically attached to a payload such as a table. The support plate may have a shaft that extends down into a damping fluid. Horizontal movement of the payload and attached support plate may be damped by movement of the shaft within the damping fluid. The cables allow the support shaft to translate within the piston.
The vibration isolator may be coupled to an air leveling valve that can vary the air pressure within the isolator and compensate for large system disturbances. By way of example, the disturbance may be caused by removing or adding weight to the payload, which causes an immediate upward or downward movement of the support plate, respectively. The isolators are typically designed to provide a relatively high leveling gain and vertical damping to quickly compensate for the system disturbance. Unfortunately, the high leveling gain may cause system oscillation. The high vertical damping may degrade isolation efficiency.
One embodiment of the present invention includes a vibration isolator with a flange that extends from a piston. The piston is coupled to a housing by a diaphragm. The diaphragm and flange define a balancing chamber that is in fluid communication with a leveling port. The flange is separated from the housing by a gap that provides fluid communication between the balance chamber and an inner chamber within which the piston moves relative to the housing.

Method for providing high vertical damping to pneumatic isolators during large amplitude disturbances of isolated payload