The conveyance apparatus includes a first engaging portion of a first planetary gear unit and a second engaging portion of a second planetary gear unit, and a stopping member movable to a first stop position to stop a first engaged gear, and to a second stop position to stop a second engagement gear, in which a pivot fulcrum of the stopping member is arranged at an intersection between an extension line of a vector of a force that the first engaging portion receives from the first engaged portion under a state in which the stopping member is at the first stop position, and an extension line of a vector of a force that the second engaging portion receives from the second engaged portion under a state in which the stopping member is at the second stop position.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a driving force transmission apparatus, a sheet conveyance apparatus including the driving force transmission apparatus, and to an image forming apparatus including the driving force transmission apparatus.
Description of the Related Art
The image forming apparatus includes a plurality of conveyance rollers configured to convey sheets, and a conveyance roller drive mechanism configured to drive those conveyance rollers. With use of those conveyance rollers, the sheets are conveyed from a sheet receiving cassette or a sheet stacking tray sequentially to an image forming unit configured to form images, and to a sheet delivery tray.
Further, there is given another type of image forming apparatus including a standard or optional conveyance unit configured to convey the sheets with their front and back surfaces being inverted to each other so as to perform duplex printing involving image formation on both a first surface and a second surface of each of the sheets.
In the conveyance unit of various types of apparatus, an operation of switching a forward rotation direction and a reverse rotation direction of the conveyance rollers to each other is performed so that the sheet that has already been subjected to printing on its first surface is switched back and fed into the image forming unit again for printing on its second surface.
In this context, the rotation directions of the conveyance rollers are switched by performing control to switch rotation directions of a motor configured to drive the conveyance rollers, or switched with use of a reverse drive mechanism as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-140980. In the method as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-140980, the image forming apparatus need not include a dedicated motor for the conveyance rollers to be subjected to switching between a forward rotation and a reverse rotation, and hence the image forming apparatus can be relatively inexpensively manufactured.
However, in a conveyance roller drive mechanism used in the image forming apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-140980, as illustrated in FIG. 13 of the present invention, in a pair of planetary gear mechanisms 104 and 105 to be used in combination with each other, only sun gears 100 and 101 including projecting portions need to be formed into different shapes. Specifically, tooth profiles of the projecting portions of the sun gears 100 and 101 of the planetary gear mechanisms are inverted to each other as illustrated in FIG. 13. The reason is as follows.
Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 13, rotation directions J1 and J2 of the pair of planetary gear mechanisms 104 and 105 are reverse to each other. Distal ends of an engaging arm 102 that is pivotable about a shaft by a solenoid 103 are engaged with the sun gears 100 and 101 of the planetary gear mechanisms. When the distal ends of the engaging arm 102 are selectively engaged with the sun gears in this way, rotation of any one of the planetary gear mechanisms 104 and 105 can be stopped. For this reason, as described above, the tooth profiles of the projecting portions of the sun gears 100 and 101 of the planetary gear mechanisms are inverted to each other.
Thus, the pair of planetary gear mechanisms are not mountable compatibly with each other, and hence operators need to take great care not to make a mistake in assembly of the apparatus. Further, in addition to reduction in assembly work efficiency due to the above-mentioned problem, there are problems of a manufacturing cost for a die set for forming the inverted tooth profiles of the projecting portions of the sun gears as described above, a management cost for components, and the like.
Still further, in a case where the planetary gear mechanisms are further downsized, an interval between the projecting portions inevitably decreases, which leads to a difficulty in arranging the engaging arm.
Yet further, in a case where the projecting portions of the pair of planetary gear mechanisms are formed into the same shape, as illustrated in FIG. 14 of the present invention, the force F in a direction of disengaging an engaging arm 107 is generated in a projecting portion 106 on one side. In order to counteract this push-out force F, for example, a tension spring 108 may be used to apply an urging force to the engaging arm 107. However, in order to switch positions of the engaging arm 107, a driving force greater than a force of the spring needs to be applied. Thus, there may be caused another problem of an upsizing of a switching actuator such as the solenoid.

Driving force transmission apparatus, sheet conveyance apparatus, and image forming apparatus


A method for data regeneration of protected data is provided wherein an error rate of a reception signal with error correcting code is identified. A sampling time and a decision threshold are provisionally varied in a predetermined range until an optimum sampling time and an optimum decision threshold are recovered by identifying the transmission error during this procedure. As a result, additional transmission errors have no influence due to the error correction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for data regeneration of protected data wherein, based on error correction, a sampling time or a sampling threshold may be provisionally shifted without having an error-corrected output signal exhibit inadmissibly high data rates.
2. Description of the Prior Art
By comparing a sampled data signal to a data signal not yet sampled, a control criterion may be acquired that serves for the phase or/and frequency readjustment of a clock generator. Such a phase detector is described in IEEE, Journal of Lightwave Technology, Vol. LT-3, No. 6, pages 1312 through 1314. For extremely high data rates, small differences in running time caused either by tolerances or by temperature changes in the modules employed lead to the fact that signals are not sampled at an ideal point-in-time. Likewise, temperature changes can shift the sampling threshold, so that an optimum distinction between, for example, two statuses no longer may be established. Above all, however, changes in the transmission pulse shape, influences of the transmission path, pulse distortions of the reception side and asymmetrical influences on the two logical statuses transmitted prevent the definition of an optimum sampling threshold and of an optimum sampling time.
An object of the invention is to specify a method for optimum data regeneration.
This object is achieved by the method recited in claim 1.
Advantageous developments are recited in the subclaims.
The method has the great advantage that, on the basis of the error correction, it allows the sampling time or/and the sampling threshold to be shifted provisionally without having the error-corrected output signal exhibit inadmissibly high data rates.
Just like the sampling time, the sampling threshold can be varied in order to determine an optimum decision threshold.
Accordingly, in an embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided for data regeneration which includes the steps of: acquiring a control criterion for a phase locked loop from a reception signal; generating a sampling clock signal; continuously monitoring a transmission error rate to control the phase locked loop; provisionally modifying a controlled phase shift of the sampling clock signal compared to the reception signal and, thus, the sampling time; and identifying and setting an optimum sampling time based on the transmission error rates measured at different sampling times.
In an embodiment of the method, the sampling time is set.
In an embodiment of the method, the sampling time is modified only within a predetermined range.
In an embodiment of the method, the sampling time is only modified until a predetermined error rate is measured.
In an embodiment of the method, a provisionally set, new sampling time is only retained when the error rate monitored for the new setting lies below the error rate of a preceding time interval.
In an embodiment of the method, following a modification of the sampling time in only one direction, a lasting, new rated position is set when the measured error rate becomes lower.
In an embodiment of the method, the optimum sampling time is identified from the measured error rates only after a modification of the sampling time in both directions and a resetting thereof is implemented.
In an embodiment of the method, the modification of the sampling time occurs by a predetermined amount.
In an embodiment of the method, the modification of the sampling time is limited to specific time spans.
In an embodiment, the method further includes the step of employing a plurality of interleaved codes for data protection, wherein the data regeneration at a reception side occurs in different processing paths and the transmission errors are separately identified, and wherein the sampling times are modified for only one of at least two data streams.
In an embodiment of the method, the sampling times are modified with the assistance of an adjustable delay element.
In an embodiment of the method, the sampling times are modified via a correction voltage supplied to a controllable oscillator of the phase locked loop.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, a method for data regeneration is provided which includes the steps of: acquiring a control criterion for a phase locked loop from an encoded reception signal; generating a sampling clock signal; continuously monitoring a transmission error rate to control the phase locked loop; provisionally modifying a decision threshold for the reception signal; and identifying and setting an optimum decision threshold based on the transmission error rates given different decision thresholds.
In an embodiment of the method, the decision threshold is set.
In an embodiment of the method, the decision threshold is modified only within a predetermined range.
In an embodiment of the method, the decision threshold is only modified until a predetermined error rate is measured.
In an embodiment of the method, a provisionally set, new decision threshold is retained only when the error rate identified for a new setting lies below the error rate of a preceding time interval.
In an embodiment of the method, following a modification of the decision threshold in only one direction, a lasting, new rated position is set when the measured error rate becomes lower.
In an embodiment of the method, the optimum decision threshold is identified from the measured error rates only after a modification of the decision threshold in both directions and a resetting thereof is implemented.
In an embodiment of the method, the modification of the decision threshold occurs by a predetermined amount.
In an embodiment of the method, the modification of the decision threshold is limited to specific time spans.
In an embodiment, the method further includes the step of employing a plurality of interleaved codes for data protection, wherein the data regeneration at a reception side occurs in different processing paths and the transmission error rates are separately identified, and wherein the decision threshold is modified for only one of at least two data streams.
When the identified error rate of the new sampling time set provisionally lies above the error rate of the preceding sampling time, the previously employed sampling time (or the previously employed sampling threshold) is initially retained and a shift of the sampling time in the other direction is provisionally implemented in order to identify the optimum sampling time.
It is also advantageous that the sampling time and the sampling threshold be adjusted only within a predetermined range. What is thereby assured is that the data regeneration still works even upon a malfunction of the control. Given interleaved error-correcting codes, the monitoring and readjustment of sampling time and sampling threshold can occur in different data paths, each of which are individually optimized. This parallel processing is also required for technological reasons given high data rates. The other data path can serve as comparison criterion. The ranges wherein the sampling time and the sampling threshold move can be determined from the previously measured error rate and from the error rate occurring during the change.
It is also meaningful that, given a newly formed connection, the ranges for readjustment of sampling time and sampling threshold, as well as the change rate, are initially selected greater than given a connection which already exists. It is advantageous in this method that no second data path need be provided, this serving only for determining the optimum sampling time and the optimum sampling threshold that are then transmitted on the actual data path. In this method, an optimum setting and data regeneration no longer can be achieved due to tolerances in the various data paths.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention are described in, and will be apparent from, the Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments and the Drawing.


An apparatus is provided for the selective disengagement of a fluid transmission conduit which is insertable through a second conduit for communication to a zone within a well bore, and for control of fluid transmission from the zone upon disengagement of the fluid transmission conduit. The apparatus defines a sealing means, usually a packer assembly, which communicates with the interior of the fluid transmission conduit for isolating an annular area between the fluid transmission conduit and the second conduit and above the zone. Valve means carried by the fluid transmission conduit and communicating with the sealing means is manipulatable between open and closed positions for selective isolation of fluid flow through the sealing means to the fluid transmission conduit. Conduit disengaging means are defined above the valve means for communication with and carriage by the fluid transmission conduit, the conduit disengaging means being responsive to manipulation of the fluid transmission conduit after manipulation of the valve means to closed position for disengagement of the fluid transmission conduit.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for isolating a production zone in a subterranean well when tubing is retrieved therefrom without killing the well or encountering liquid backflow through the tubing as it is retrieved.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In order to recover oil in production zones after economical primary production operations have terminated, produced salt water from other zones or reservoirs is injected into the production zone by means of injection wells to cause migration of the remaining oil to the producing well. This water may be expected to have a high solids content and, often, because of exposure to air at the well surface, the water also will contain dissolved oxygen, the combined features of dissolved oxygen in the water and salt water being utilized as the liquid injection medium defining a highly corrosive environment for the tubing.
In order to recover the remaining oil in the production zone at an economical rate, the flow rate is increased by maintaining a high water injection pressure which also may ultimately increase the initial and normal pressure of the production zone in the vicinity of the injection well bore.
Because of the high pressure and high corrosive environment, it is desirable to run tubing within the casing, the tubing carrying a packer apparatus for sealing engagement along the I.D. of the casing within the tubing-casing annulus above the injection zone to completely isolate the annular area thereabove from the injection fluids. The packer apparatus normally is designed to selectively latch and sealingly receive the bottom exterior end of the tubing string, so that it may be removed from the packer apparatus, leaving the packer apparatus sealingly intact.
Oftentimes, because of the increased production zone pressure, the injected fluid will backflow through the upper end of the tubing at the top of the well as it is being retrieved. If precautions are not taken, the backflow will result in the need for auxiliary disposal means and procedures to avoid potential environmental damage in the vicinity of the well site. Lack of precautions also may result in loss of oil production through the production well, since the injected salt water fluid is reversed by the backflow, thus reducing the migration of the production toward the production well.
Typically, backflow problems have been avoided by seating of a wire line blanking plug into the bore of an on-off sealing connector, the plug preventing flow of fluid in either direction so that the tubing string may be pulled out of the well bore and rerun without backflow of the injected salt water. Such a procedure is not entirely satisfactory because it may be assumed that the tubing string has suffered considerable chemical deterioration resulting from oxygen corrosion and scale deposits, such that the time consuming and costly running and sealing engagement of a plug by wire line cannot be reliably accomplished. Alternatively, a weighted fluid may be injected into and circulated through the tubing-casing annulus into the well bore above the packer to balance the reservoir pressure and thus prevent a salt water backflow. This procedure is quite costly, is time consuming, and can lead to additional problems when the weighted fluid is removed from the well, i.e., problems encoutered in preventing inadvertent injection of the weighted fluid into the formation.
Similar problems and solutions as those set forth above are found in salt water disposal operations. Additionally, the need to retrieve tubing strings is encountered in artificial lift wells in which gas lift mandrels must be relocated. If the well is capable of flowing at a reduced rate without artificial lift applications, a means for isolating the flow of fluid through the tubing string must be utilized.
In all of the above circumstances, a safety device is necessary to prevent any fluid flow due to unforeseen circumstances while the tubing is being retrieved and subsequent thereto.
The present invention obviates the problem set forth above by providing a method and apparatus for selectively retrieving a tubing string, the lower opened end of which is sealingly insertable through the bore of a packer which, in turn, is sealingly engaged onto the inner wall of the casing above an injection or other zone, the tubing retrieval being accomplished with mechanical valve means being provided to isolate the well flow therethrough and prevent backflow of the injection medium.

Apparatus for selective disengagement of a fluid transmission conduit and for control of fluid transmission from a well zone


A resonator element includes a substrate vibrating in a thickness-shear vibration mode, a first excitation electrode disposed on one principal surface of the substrate, and has a shape obtained by cutting out four corners of a quadrangle, and a second excitation electrode disposed on the other principal surface of the substrate, and a ratio (S2/S1) between the area S1 of the quadrangle and the area S2 of the first excitation electrode fulfills 87.7%≦(S2/S1)<95.0%.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a resonator element for exciting a thickness-shear vibration, a resonator, an electronic device, an electronic apparatus, and a mobile object.
2. Related Art
An AT-cut quartz crystal resonator for exciting a thickness-shear vibration as a vibration mode of the principal vibration is suitable for miniaturization and higher frequency, and has a frequency-temperature characteristic showing an excellent cubic curve, and is therefore used in a variety of fields such as an oscillator and electronic equipment. In particular, in recent years, due to the progress in speeding up of the processing speed of transmission communication equipment and OA equipment, or increase in capacity of communication data and a processing amount, a demand of increase in frequency to the AT-cut quartz crystal resonator as a reference frequency signal source used therefor is increasing. In general, in order to realize the AT-cut quartz crystal resonator with a higher frequency excited in the thickness-shear vibration mode, the thickness of the vibrating portion is decreased to thereby achieve the higher frequency.
However, if the thickness of the vibrating portion is decreased for achieving the higher frequency, there arises a problem that the adjustment sensitivity of the frequency increases to degrade the frequency tuning accuracy, and thus the production yield of the resonator is degraded. To cope with this problem, JP-A-2002-111435 (Document 1) discloses the fact that the margin in tuning the frequency can be increased in the resonator of the temperature compensated oscillator by increasing the pulling sensitivity by decreasing the capacitance ratio γ (=C0/C1; here, C0 denotes an equivalent parallel capacitance, C1 denotes an equivalent series capacitance) of the resonator by roughly evenly cutting out the four corners of a rectangular excitation electrode so that the area ratio between before and after cutting out the excitation electrode is 95% through 98%.
Further, in the paragraph [0024] of Document 1, there is a description reading that "if the area ratio is lower than 95%, it results that the vibrating portion making an actual contribution to the vibration is cut out from the excitation electrode section, and the equivalent series capacitance C1 is decreased, which makes it unachievable to obtain the effect of decreasing the capacitance ratio γ."
However, if the capacitance ratio γ can be decreased by cutting out the four corners of the excitation electrode to achieve the area ratio of 95% through 98% as disclosed in Document 1 mentioned above, although it is sufficient for the electrical characteristics of the temperature compensated oscillator, in the resonator used for the voltage controlled oscillator, there is a problem that it is unachievable to obtain the pulling sensitivity sufficient to compensate the frequency adjustment accuracy thus deteriorated.
Therefore, it is necessary to realize the resonator making it possible to enlarge the pull range of the voltage controlled oscillator in, for example, the high-frequency band (equal to or higher than 200 MHz).

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Resonator element, resonator, electronic device, electronic apparatus, and mobile object


A system and associated processes to enable a multi-tenant platform operator or administrator to make more optimal decisions with regards to the allocation of platform infrastructure resources (such as computational capabilities, data storage, etc.) among one or more tenants or accounts. In some embodiments, the inventive methods construct a data “signature” for a set of identified users, accounts, or tenants, where the signature contains data regarding the user, account, or tenant's “consumption” of platform infrastructure resources.

A multi-tenant architecture provides a means for multiple accounts (tenants) and users to store and access their data, and to utilize specific applications that reside on a remote platform. The platform is typically implemented as a set of servers or server groups, and is administered and operated by another party that provides use of the platform infrastructure as a service to the accounts and each account's users. This service may provide data storage, computational processing power, data analytics, and applications or workflows that may be executed with reference to an account's data (in whole or in part, and account-wide or user-specific). In some cases, such services have been described as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), cloud-based services, web-services, or remote services.
The applications that reside on a platform may be used to process certain of a user's data by instantiating an occurrence of the application within the user's account; for these types of uses, the applications may include ones utilized to operate a business, such as ERP, CRM, HR (HCM), eCommerce, and financial applications. Tenant customizations to the operation of the architecture may include custom functionality (such as the capability to perform tenant or user-specific functions, workflows, data processing, or operations) built on top of lower level operating system functions.
Some multi-tenant service platforms may offer the ability to customize functions or operations at several different levels of the service platform, from aesthetic modifications to a graphical user interface to providing integration of components and/or entire applications developed by independent third party vendors. This can be very beneficial, since by permitting use of components and/or applications developed by third party vendors, a multi-tenant service can significantly enhance the functionality available to tenants and increase tenant satisfaction with the platform.
In other cases, the applications may be ones used by a platform operator or administrator to manage the platform's operation, such as by managing the allocation of the resources available to the platform users. In this use case, the applications may be used to monitor events within a set of the users of an account, to manage an aspect of an account or set of accounts, or to determine metrics relating to the events initiated by a user, a set of users, an account, or a set of accounts, etc. In such cases, the resources being allocated and re-allocated may include access to computational data processing capabilities, data storage capacity, pre-processing/optimization techniques, etc., and may be distributed among multiple sources (servers, server groups, data storage elements, etc.).
Platform operators and administrators need to be able to alter how platform resources are allocated to (and used by) each account or a set of accounts in order to ensure optimal use of the resources, respond to system operational problems, or to execute a business plan involving segmented levels/qualities of service. Embodiments of the inventive system and methods are directed to providing ways to characterize resource usage data by account or tenant, and to process that data to enable platform operators and administrators to make more optimal decisions regarding allocation or allocation changes for platform infrastructure resources. Such decisions may involve placement of a new tenant or set of users' accounts on a specific server or server group, reallocation of one or more accounts, tenants, or users to a specific server or server group, or adjusting constraints or conditions on a tenant's or a set of users' access to certain platform resources.
Embodiments of the inventive system and methods are directed to overcoming the limitations associated with conventional approaches to providing these management capabilities, both individually and collectively.

System and methods for optimal allocation of multi-tenant platform infrastructure resources


A sander is provided and includes a housing, a power supply, a motor, a switch, and a switch actuation mechanism. The housing extends from a proximal end to a distal end and includes a first convex upper surface having a surface area A1. The power supply is coupled to the distal end of the housing. The motor is disposed within the housing and is powered by the power supply to drive an output member. The switch is in electrical communication with the power supply and is operable to selectively power the motor. The switch actuation mechanism is pivotably coupled to the proximal end of the housing and operable to actuate the switch. The switch actuation mechanism includes a second convex upper surface having a surface area A2.

Electric power tools, such as sanding tools, often utilize electrical switches and switch actuation mechanisms to control the flow of electrical power to the tool. Proper design and placement of the switch and the switch actuation mechanism on an electric power tool, such as a power sander, can improve the design and operation of the sander. For example, if the switch actuation mechanism does not clearly indicate whether the switch is in an "ON" or "OFF" position, then the sander may inadvertently begin operating when the sander is connected to a power source. In addition, if the switch actuation mechanism is difficult to actuate, then power to the sander may be inadvertently disrupted while operating the sander.
In order to improve the performance of power sanding tools and other electric power tools, it may be desirable to have an improved switch assembly, including an improved switch actuation mechanism.
This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.


A driving apparatus for an elevator includes rotary elements disposed in such a manner as to be in contact with a circumferential surface of an input shaft adapted to be rotationally driven by an electric motor device so as to rotate as the input shaft rotates, a cylindrical element disposed in such a manner as to be in contact with the rotary elements on an inner circumferential surface thereof so as to rotate as the rotary elements rotate, and a sheave provided on an outer circumferential side of the cylindrical element and configured so as to be wound therearound with ropes for lifting up and/or down a moving cage of the elevator. A brake device is disposed in a radial direction of the sheave for braking a brake disc constructed so as to extend in the radial directions and secured to the sheave.

The present invention relates to a driving apparatus for lifting up and/or down a moving cage of an elevator.
Referring to FIG. 4, a conventional driving apparatus for use in an elevator will be described which is disclosed in JP-B-63-3823. This driving apparatus 1 has a speed reducer 2, an electric motor device 3 for rotationally driving an input shaft 2b of the speed reducer 2, a sheave 4 adapted to be rotationally driven by an output shaft 2d of the speed reducer 2, an ordinary electromagnetic brake device 8 mounted on the electric motor device 3 for braking the input shaft 2b, and an emergency electromagnetic brake device 9 mounted on the output shaft 2d for braking the output shaft 2d. When the input shaft 2b of the speed reducer 2 is rotationally driven by the electric motor device 3, the output shaft 2d rotates via a supporting shaft f and a supporting plate 2e at a slower speed resulting when the rotation of the input shaft is frictionally transmitted via a roller 2c, a roller 2g and a friction element 2h, and then the sheave 4 is rotationally driven. When the transmission of the power of the input shaft becomes impossible due to the friction generated by the roller 2c and the like, upon detection of this abnormal state, the emergency electromagnetic brake device 9 is activated and the brakes are applied to the output shaft 2d, whereby the sheave 4 is brought to a halt.
According to the driving apparatus for an elevator as described above, however, the emergency electromagnetic brake device 9 is secured to the output shaft 2d and is provided so as to extend in the direction of the input shaft, this making the brake device larger. In addition, the ordinary electromagnetic brake device 8 is also provided so as to extend in the input shaft direction. Thus, the entirety of the driving apparatus had to be made thicker with respect to the axial direction of the input shaft. This in turn serves to make larger an elevator room in a building where the driving apparatus and the like are placed. Additionally, the supporting shaft 2f which is coupled to the output shaft 2d is of a cantilever type in which the output shaft is supported on the supporting plate 2e, and this facilitates the deformation through deflection, which is not good in terms of the rotation transmission capability.
An object of the invention is to provide a driving apparatus for an elevator in which not only can a brake device be miniaturized but also the entirety of the driving apparatus itself can be made thinner in a direction of an input shaft.
With a view to attaining the above object, there is provided a driving apparatus for an elevator comprising an electric motor device, an input shaft adapted to be rotationally driven by the electric motor device, rotary elements disposed in such a manner as to be in contact with a circumferential surface of the input shaft so as to rotate as the input shaft rotates, supporting members fixed in such a manner as to rotatably support the rotary elements, a cylindrical element disposed in such a manner as to be in contact with the rotary elements on an inner circumferential surface thereof so as to rotate as the rotary elements rotate, a sheave provided on an outer circumferential side of the cylindrical element, adapted to rotate together with the cylindrical element and configured so as to be wound therearound with ropes for lifting up and/or down a moving cage of the elevator, and a brake device disposed in a radial direction of the sheave for braking a brake disc constructed so as to extend in the radial direction and secured to the sheave.
According to the invention, the rotation of the input shaft is transferred through frictional transmission to the cylindrical element and the sheave via the rotary elements to thereby rotate the cylindrical element and the sheave, but the rotary elements, cylindrical element and sheave are provided in diametrical directions of the input shaft and the brake device including the brake disc is provided in radial directions of the sheave, whereby the entirety of the brake apparatus can be made thinner in the direction of the input shaft. In addition, the brake disc is located radially outwardly of the sheave and this increases the radius thereof, whereby with the brake disc so constructed, in order to obtain a certain magnitude of braking force there is needed only a smaller magnitude of braking force than one needed with a brake disc other than the brake disc according to the invention. This helps miniaturize the brake apparatus. Note that in a case where there are provided a plurality of rotary elements, the plurality of rotary elements are disposed in such a manner as to be in internal contact with the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical element. In addition, the brake device can be installed such that it extends from the supporting member of the driving apparatus.
In addition, there is provided a driving apparatus for an elevator, wherein the rotary elements are provided in such a manner as to rotate about intermediate shafts, and wherein the intermediate shafts are rotatably supported by the supporting members at ends thereof. According to this construction, the rotary elements are supported in a stable fashion and they can rotate in a smooth fashion, whereby rotations from the electric motor device are transferred as far as the sheave in a smooth fashion, thereby making it possible to improve the rotational transfer capability.
Furthermore, there is provided a driving apparatus for an elevator, wherein there are provided a plurality of the brake devices. Since the brake device is disposed in the radial direction of the sheave, it is possible to set a plurality of, for instance, two brake devices, whereby if the same magnitude of brake torque as that which would be obtained with a single brake device is tried to be obtained with the entirety of the brake disc, the respective brake devices can further be miniaturized. In addition, one of the two brake devices may be adapted to be activated for operation at normal times and the other to be activated for operation for emergency.
The present disclosure relates to the subject matter contained in Japanese patent application No. Hei. 11-154508 (filed on Jun. 2, 1999), which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.


There is disclosed a device for testing the cure properties of a visco-elastic material sample enclosed under pressure between heated dies and on the top only of a rotor. The rotor overlying a cured elastomer sealing and heat-sink member subjects the sample to oscillatory shear, and the torque is measured as an indication of the viscosity of the sample.

One classification that may be made of curemeters would include devices wherein one of two heated dies is rotated or oscillated with respect to the other, and the resulting torque of the sample measured. Among prior art patents in this group would be
______________________________________ Veith et al U.S. 3,488,992 (1970) Uremo et al U.S. 3,479,858 (1969) Barker et al U.S. 4,552,025 (1985) Burnin et al U.S. 5,079,956 (1992) Putnam U.S. 4,953,406 (1990) Danko et al U.S. 4,343,190 (1982) Tosaki U.S. 4,584,882 (1986) ______________________________________
A second type of curemeters, and one to which the present invention primarily addresses itself, would include devices which utilize two dies, and additionally a third, rotor, member which is oscillated to derive the required test results. This group would include
______________________________________ Prewitt et al U.S. 4,546,438 (1985) Harris et al U.S. 3,531,996 (1970) Decker U.S. 3,681,980 (1972) Price et al U.S. 4,421,424 (1983) Turner et al U.S. 4,275,600 (1981) Wise U.S. 3,387,490 (1968) Beatty et al U.S. 3,182,494 (1965) Kitchen U.S. 4,559,812 (1985) ______________________________________
Several common threads run through the disclosures of the above-mentioned test devices: the test sample materials are located on top of as well as under the rotor head, i.e. the rotor head is embedded within the rubber samples during testing; and no means are provided for sealing off the sample material from the lower die. (Additionally, in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,221,500 to Gent (1993), there is no test cavity enclosed by a pair of dies, but rather the rotor impinges directly upon the wall of the article being cured).
When a test device of the above type is opened, a substantial labor- and time-consuming effort is required to remove the sample therefrom. In practice, it is found necessary to employ metal bars and other tools to break the cured rubber from around the embedded rotor head, and this effort frequently results in tearing of the sample. This then necessitates the disassembly of the rotor from the curemeter to complete the removal of the sample, and the cleaning of any detritus which may have collected around the rotor shaft and die. When the rotor is again inserted, it is extremely difficult to seat it at exactly its former level. Thus, while the previous series of test samples may have yielded a family of test curves fairly closely related, when the testing continues with the rotor replaced, at even a slightly different height, a new curve-series will be generated, slightly differently located. This will be further referred to hereinbelow.
The above procedures unnecessarily prolong the time the device must remain open before it is recharged with a new sample, and the result is a loss of heat which must be recovered when the device again closes. Furthermore, without the heat sink means of the present invention to provide some temperature control, unacceptable heat losses are also experienced from the rotor through its associated drive- and support-means.
The results of these shortcomings are that the successive testing of samples shows poor reproduceability of results, with test curves, as seen hereafter, which are not closely bunched together.

Method for testing visco-elastic sample by rotor oscillation within a die-formed cavity


A shearing mechanism in which a male component mates into a female component, the male component having a first groove extending around the male component and the female component having a second groove extending around the female component, the first groove and the second groove cooperating when the male component is inserted into the female component to define an annular recess. A shearing component is provided within the annular recess, the shearing component having a shear load that is controlled by the material and size of the shearing component. An opening is provided within one or both of the male component and female component, the opening being aligned with the annular recess. Stress relief is provided.

The disclosed devices relate to sucker rod components, tubing drains and downhole tooling, assuring that components will detach at an applied pre-determined tensile load or pressure while eliminating the effects of torsion and bending on the shearing mechanism.
In a producing oil or gas well a rotating downhole pump is driven from the surface by a sucker rod string. The pump typically consists of a rotor which is attached to the sucker rod string and spins inside a stator. Sometimes it is necessary to remove the sucker rod string from the rotor. The shear coupling is threaded onto the sucker rod string near the pump and when a pre-determined axial load is applied to the shear coupling it separates allowing the sucker rod string to be removed.
Similar to sucker rod strings tubing string are formed of segments of tubing. The sucker rod and pump lie within the tubing string. Tubing drains thread between segments of tubing near the bottom of the string. The tubing drain is activated prior to removing the tubing from the well and is necessary to avoid lifting the weight of the fluid column and to avoid fluid contamination of the surface at the well site.
Presently most shear couplings are comprised of two components, one male component which mates with a female component, and a number of shear pins inserted into holes drilled transversely through both components of the shear coupling [U.S. Pat. No. 4,422,508]. Alternatively some shear couplings are comprised of single or multiple components with a reduced cross sectional area designed to shear when a pre-determined tensile load is applied [U.S. Pat. No. 2004/0202521 A1, U.S. Pat. No. 5,470,118]. Known shear mechanisms in shear couplings at this time are subject to combined axial, bending and torsion loading experienced in typical downhole production, and the bending and torsional loading is much greater in deviated wells than vertical wells because of well deviation and friction along the tubing string. The combined stress from axial, bending and torsion loading may result in early activation of the shear mechanism below the designed pre-determined axial load disrupting production. Additionally the bending and torsion loading fatigues the shear mechanism leading to early failure and disrupting production. Even designs utilizing keyways and shear pins are subject to torsional and bending loads at the pins. Not all circumferential displacement is taken up by the key and this displacement travels down through the male component of the shear coupling and is then transferred to the shear pins.
In a typical shear coupling comprising one male component, one female component, and multiple shear pins, the pins fit tightly or are press fit into the transverse thru holes and typically the key and keyway have a looser fit than the pins. The pins are typically aligned in a single plane through the axis of the shear coupling. If the shear coupling is bent downhole, this one plane is significantly stiffer than the rest of the shear coupling. When the shear coupling rotates, the uneven stiffness of the shear coupling exposes the shear coupling to undesirable loading conditions which lead to fatigue damage. As torque is applied to this type of shear coupling, the pins are subject to shear loads before the keyway experiences torsional loading because it takes less circumferential displacement for the pins to be loaded than the keyway. Additionally, a typical keyway has a small bearing area where the male and female halves of the keyway make contact. As the bearing area deforms additional torsion is applied to the pins. The combined tensile loading from string weight, torsion and bending loads can cause fatigue at the pins and keyway and may lead to premature activation of the shear mechanism. Accidental activation of the shear mechanism is costly at producing well sites.

Isolated shearing mechanism for downhole tools


An attachment for tension mounted shower rods to provide decorative accents to the shower rod. The attachment includes an L-shaped bracket extending from a circular member adapted to be positioned between the end of the shower rod and the wall. The L-shaped bracket is designed to extend out in front of the shower rod and accepts a decorative accent. The accent piece frictionally engages the bracket allowing exchange of accents for a variety of ornamental appearances.

I. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to decorative accents for a shower rod and, in particular, to a bracket selectively mountable to a tension mounted shower rod and adapted to receive a decorative accent piece.
II. Description of the Prior Art
Home interior decorating has extended to every room of the home including the bathroom. Shower curtains that match window treatments and decorative accents on countertops and wallpaper are conventional means of adding decorative touches to the bath. The shower rod provides a means for adding decorative hardware to the bath.
In the prior known shower rods, decorative designs may be formed directly in the body of the shower rod. However, such fixed designs provide no flexibility to the user and require substantial inventory to offer a complete line of designs. The designs may be formed along the length of the rod or as emblems molded or fixed to the rods.


A flight control device of an aircraft including a support, an action member attached to the support rotating freely around a primary axis, a rotary device including a stator, rotatably connected to the support around a secondary axis, and a rotor rotating freely relative to the stator around the secondary axis, the rotary device applying a force sensing torque on the rotor relative to the stator around the secondary axis, and a mechanical reducing gear, which connects, with a reduction ratio, rotation of the action member with rotation of the rotor, the mechanical reducing gear including a screw-nut system with rolling elements, including a screw, attached to the rotor, connected in rotation to the rotor around the secondary axis, and a nut fixed in rotation around the secondary axis relative to the stator and helically connected with the screw around and along the secondary axis via the rolling elements.

It is known to equip a flight control device with a force sensing device, the latter being designed to apply forces on the flight control device, so as to produce a sensation for the pilot.
A first known type of force sensing device, which can be described as "force-feedback device", is designed to apply, on the flight control device, forces connected to actual phenomena acting on the device being piloted by the control device. For example, forces applied on a control surface of the wing can lead to the production of torque on the control member of that wing, using the force-feedback device.
A second known type of force sensing device, which can be described as "artificial sensing device", is designed to apply, on the flight control device, forces not directly connected to phenomena acting on the aircraft. For example, an artificial sensing device can simply apply a force sensing torque on the flight control device, in particular to compensate for an oscillating torque phenomenon between the aircraft and the pilot (also called pilot-induced oscillations, or PIO). It is also possible to provide an artificial sensing device that is able to apply an artificial vibration, or a notching sensation, when the control device is moved, in order to inform the pilot that a particular event has occurred during piloting of the aircraft.
To generate the forces producing the sensations for the pilot via the flight control member, these force sensing devices comprise a rotating device for generating the sensation. The rotating device can be active, such as a four-quadrant motor; semi-active, such as a magnetic-rheological powder device; or passive, such as a generator, a nonpowered brushless motor, or a hydraulic rotary shock absorber.
In light of the significant forces required to provide a sensation perceptible by the pilot, the flight control member is mechanically connected to the rotary device generating the sensation via a mechanical reducing gear. Based on the application, the mechanical reducing gear has a reduction ratio comprised between 50 and 200. If a shock absorber is simulated, the shock absorption coefficient produced by the rotary device on the pilot's control member is multiplied by a factor comprised between 2500 and 40,000, for this reduction ratio range.
The application of such a mechanical reduction to an aircraft flight control device requires the mechanical reducing gear to generate particularly low friction, while having a particularly high efficiency. Furthermore, it is necessary for the play to be as small as possible, optionally zero, in order to guarantee appropriate precision and piloting comfort. Furthermore, it is necessary for the control to be gentle; i.e., for the friction and the efficiency to be constant and free of any undulation over the entire travel of the control device. These requirements must be satisfied for a relatively broad operating temperature range, for example between −40° C. (degrees Celsius) and 60° C. Indeed, the range relative to flight control devices is singularly demanding, not only due to the relative constraints of the aeronautics field, but also because it is necessary to ensure perfect control ergonomics for the pilot, who acts with great precision and sensitivity on the flight controls. The pilot will experience any defect existing within the mechanical reducing gear very quickly, where such a reducing gear could have been perfectly appropriate for other applications.
In the known devices, the mechanical reducing gear is generally made up of a gear train, which generally does not make it possible to meet all of the aforementioned requirements, some of which are antagonistic, namely the absence of friction and the absence of play.

Force sending device and a flight control device comprising such a force sensing device


The subject invention is related to the preparation of ceramic bodies wherein the crystal phase consists essentially of cesium-stuffed, hexagonal cordierite. The bodies are capable of use temperatures up to 1600.degree. C., exhibit nearly isotropic axial thermal expansions, and consist essentially, expressed in weight percent on the oxide basis, of about 11-13% MgO, 34-36% Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, 33-42% SiO.sub.2, and 10-22% Cs.sub.2 O.

Cordierite (2MgO.2Al.sub.2 O.sub.3.5SiO.sub.2) has a structure which is commonly viewed as a two-dimensional framework. Thus, in cordierite, two-dimensional, co-planar sheets consisting of hexagonal rings of tetrahedrally-coordinated cations are perpendicular to the c-axis. One aluminum atom is present in each ring. Alternate layers of the hexagonal ring structure are connected such that two cavities per unit cell are defined by three co-planar Si.sub.5 Al rings and the network of Mg octahedra and Al tetrahedra which link the rings. The overall configuration of the framework resembles spheres sliced and ground to yield two hexagon flats per sphere and a repeat unit of two spheres, one above the other, per unit cell. A fundamental feature of this structure is that it contains cavities which are assumed to be unoccupied in the pure material. Cordierite has a positive axial thermal expansion coefficient in the plane of the hexagonal rings and a negative axial thermal expansion coefficient perpendicular to that plane.
Numerous chemical derivatives of cordierite have been synthesized. Those products have generally involved additions of Al.sup.+3 ions for Si.sup.+4 ions, thereby changing the Al.sup.+3 /Si.sup.+4 ratio and resulting in ring charge imbalance, this charge imbalance being compensated for through an interstitial cation located in a structural cavity. Thus, additional Al.sup.+3 ions have been substituted on a statistical basis for Si.sup.+4 ions in the rings and positive charges have been introduced via the addition of monovalent or divalent metal ions to maintain charge balance. Three illustrations of that practice are set out below.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,926,648 discloses the addition of 0.5-2.5% by weight K.sub.2 O and/or Cs.sub.2 O to glass compositions near the stoichiometry of cordierite to improve the sinterability of such compositions when fine powders thereof are fired to glass-ceramic bodies. Because the inventive products were sought to demonstrate physical properties similar to those exhibited by cordierite, e.g., a coefficient of thermal expansion (25.degree.-1000.degree. C.) of 13-18.times.10.sup.-7 /.degree.C., a use temperature of 1300.degree. C., and good thermal stability when cycled between room temperature and 1000.degree. C., the maximum total of K.sub.2 O and/or Cs.sub.2 O was emphasized to be 2.5%. Stated in other words, the addition of small amounts of K.sub.2 O and/or Cs.sub.2 O permitted the sintering together at lower temperatures of glass powders having the approximate stoichiometry of cordierite into strong glass-ceramic bodies wherein the crystal phase retains the essential physical properties of cordierite.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,015,048 describes the addition of 0.7-5.6 mole percent of a divalent metal oxide selected from the group of BaO, CaO, PbO, and SrO to glass compositions near the stoichiometry of cordierite to improve the sinterability of such compositions when fired as fine powders into a glass-ceramic article. The fired article is non-porous, essentially free from glass, and exhibits a coefficient of thermal expansion (25.degree.-1000.degree. C.) of not over 20 .times.10.sup.-7 /.degree.C.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,917 teaches the production of a fired dense ceramic body consisting essentially of 0.3-8% by weight Y.sub.2 O.sub.3 and/or CeO.sub.2 in cordierite. The additions improve the density of the fired product and impart a low coefficient of thermal expansion thereto, i.e., <30.times.10.sup.-7 /.degree.C. (25.degree.-1000.degree. C.).
When divalent metal ions are utilized to maintain charge balance in those instances where Al.sup.+3 ions are substituted for Si.sup.+4 ions in the cordierite structure, their addition is limited to approximately 1/2 ion per unit cell, which corresponds to 1/4 occupancy of the large cavities. Greater additions lead to the formation of other crystal phases, viz., divalent metal aluminosilicates of which celsian (BaO.Al.sub.2 O.sub.3.2SiO.sub.2) is illustrative.
In contrast, where monovalent metal ions, for example the alkali metal ions, provide the charge balance, their addition can be in such amounts as to occupy all of the large cavities in the cordierite structure. However, as was observed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,926,648, supra, the inclusion of large amounts of alkali metal ions commonly reduces the thermal stability of the products. That is, those substituted cordierites exhibit a lower liquidus temperature and reduced refractoriness when compared with classic cordierite. Moreover, the thermal expansion behavior of alkali metal-stuffed cordierites has been observed as being generally similar in character to that of stoichiometric cordierite, i.e., they demonstrate a positive a axis expansion and a c axis expansion that is quite negative, especially in the lower temperature regions.


The present invention is process for irrigation of a golf course, which involves monitoring reclaimed water, and treating it when necessary to avoid harmful effects to plantlife. The reclaimed water is tested with a plurality of monitors to obtain results for water quality characteristics, including: pH; residual chlorine; and, sodium. These results are inputted to a computerized data handling system for data collection, storage and analysis for comparison to predetermined acceptable ranges for water quality characteristic, and to show any deviation from said acceptable ranges. Either alarms are set off or treatment occurs or both, when deviations are observed. Treatment includes a dechlorination system to correct active chlorine. Other important monitors may be included for one or more of the following: hardness; turbidity; alkalinity; conductivity and nitrates.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to irrigation of man-made landscaped and/or agricultural areas, such as parklands, playing fields, farmland for produce or flowers, and especially for golf courses. It is particularly useful for these areas when using reclaimed water. More specifically, the invention is a process for monitoring and treating reclaimed water to use reclaimed water efficiently and without harmful effects from undesirable constituents for the aforesaid irrigation purposes. It includes monitoring numerous water quality characteristics and when predetermined acceptable parameter ranges see deviations, signaling alarms and/or treating the undesirable condition with dechlorination. It also includes an oxidation system for continuous or continual operation.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
The following patents are representative of the state of the art with respect to various teachings relating to water treatment:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,214,607 describes a new method of treating water to remove perchlorate contaminant is disclosed. Water is fed through a filter bed containing perchlorate-reducing microorganisms. The microorganisms reduce the perchlorate, thereby decontaminating the water. An oxidizable substrate serves as an electron donor to the microorganisms. The invention results in safe to undetectable levels of perchlorate in the treated water.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,200,466 describes a reactor system for decontamination of water by photolytic oxidation utilizing near blackbody radiation, the system comprising (1) a reaction chamber defining an internal space with an inlet and an outlet; and (2) a broadband radiator for generating radiant energy with wavelengths between about 150 nm and about 3 um, the broadband radiator disposed within the reaction chamber, such that a sufficient dosage of broadband radiation irradiates the contaminants and/or the oxidant within the internal space of the reaction chamber thereby causing photolytic oxidation of the contaminants by direct action of the radiation on the contaminants to break chemical bonds by sustaining a free radical chain reaction of oxidizing components, thus breaking down the contaminants by way of atomic abstraction of the components of the contaminants. In preferred embodiments, at least a portion of the radiant energy is generated in a pulsed node, such as between about 1 and 500 pulses per second. In preferred embodiments, the broadband radiator generates radiant energy at a rate of between about 1 kW and about 10 MN., and the resultant dosage rate of broadband radiation is between 1 joule/cm2. In preferred embodiments, the radiant energy is produced by at least one gas filled flashlamp having a gas plasma temperature of between about 9,500 K and about 20,000 K.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,136,186 describes a method and apparatus for mineralizing organic contaminants in water or air provides photochemical oxidation in a two-phase boundary system formed in the pores of a TiO2 membrane in a photocatalytic reactor. In the three-phase system, gaseous (liquid) oxidant, liquid (gaseous) contaminant, and solid semiconductor photocatalyst meet and engage in an efficient oxidation reaction, The porous membrane has pores which have a region wherein the meniscus of the liquid varies from the molecular diameter if water to the of a capillary tube resulting in a diffusing layer that is several orders of magnitude smaller than the closest known reactors. The photocatalytic reactor operates effectively at temperature and low pressures. A packed-bed photocatalyst coated particles is also provided.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,132,138 describes a gray water recycling invention that utilizes filtered gray water for maintaining constant moisture levels in building foundations and for other irrigation uses. It allows for the mixture of pesticides with a gray water stream injected under a building in order to treat for insects. Additionally, pesticides, fungicides or fertilizers can be injected into a gray water stream prior to its application in landscape irrigating. This invention has application in single residence and fill development real estate settings.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,117,335 describes a reactor system for decontamination of water by photolytic oxidation utilizing near blackbody radiation, the system comprising (1) a reaction chamber defining an internal space with an inlet and an outlet; and (2) a broadband radiator for generating radiant energy with wavelengths between 150 nm and about 3μm, the broadband radiator disposed within the reaction chamber, such that a sufficient dosage of broadband radiation irradiates the contaminants and/or the oxidant within the internal space of the reaction chamber thereby causing photolytic oxidation of the contaminants by way of atomic abstraction of the components of the contaminants. In preferred embodiments, at least a portion of the radiant energy is generated in a pulsed mood, such as between 1 and about 500 pulses per second. In preferred embodiments, the broadband radiator generates radiant energy at a rate of between about 1 kW and about 10 MW., and the resultant dosage rate of broadband radiation is between 1 joule/cm2 and about 5000 joules/cm2. In preferred embodiments, the radiant energy is produced by at least one gas filled flashlamp having a gas plasma temperature of between 9,500° K. and about 20,000° K.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,975,800 relates to a method for treating groundwater in situ in rock or soil. An elongate permeable upgradient zone and an elongate permeable downgradient zone, each in hydraulic communication with a permeable subsurface treatment zone and having a major axis parallel to a non-zero component of the general flow direction, are provided in the subsurface by any of a number of construction methods. The upgradient zone, downgradient zone, and treatment zone are situated within the subsurface medium and have permeabilities substantially greater than the adjacent subsurface medium's permeability. Groundwater is allowed to move from the subsurface medium adjacent to the upgradient zone into the upgradient zone, where the groundwater refracts and moves to a treatment zone by an in situ treatment process, such as a process employing air sparging, sorption or reaction with zero-valent iron, the groundwater moves into, through and out of the downgradient zone into the subsurface medium adjacent to the downgradient zone. The method does not require pumping. A method for directing groundwater around a particular location to prevent contamination of the groundwater by a contaminant located at the particular location, to prevent migration of a contaminant located at a particular location, to reduce the flow velocity of groundwater in the particular location, or to increase the residence time in an in situ treatment center located downgradient from the particular location is also disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,958,241 describes a method and a system for the treatment of organic hazardous wastes from plant waste and associated wastewater treatment processes, whereby the waste is either introduced directly, or continuously separated from wastewater, and routed to a bioreactor, and whereby no organic solids are generated for further offsite disposal. The system disclosed includes a bioreactor, containing selected bacteria, untreated sludges, and recirculated biomass, and a liquid/solid separator allowing water to be utilized elsewhere in the system and returning solids to the bioreactor. The biodegradation process, initiated continuously, converts hazardous organic constituents in waste stream and wastewater sludges from plant operations to inert materials, for extensive periods of operation, without the need for solids removal, external solids treatment or disposal.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,893,975 treats a variety of flowing wastewater effluents, provides pre-treatment clog-reducing wastewater sludge disintegration, and adds pretreatment nutrients to wastewater so as to enhance microbial growth therein for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of wastewater treatment. The constructed wetland includes a wastewater treatment system having a flow intake, a pretreatment nutrient addition chamber, and a wastewater flow divider. The flow divider further has a compressed air aerator in the bottom thereof. The constructed wetland includes one or more treatment cells having a soil, fine stone, organic and/or synthetic material substrate cap covering a further substrate media accommodating the wastewater to be treated. The substrate cap is populated by natural plants having root systems extend from the substrate downward into the wastewater being treated, and the roots serve to physically and/or biologically mediate the removal of undesirable components from the wastewater. The constructed wetland includes a treated water discharge conduit for discharging the flowing water into a desired after treatment water utilization modality, such as to discharge to the ground or to a body of water.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,863,433 relates to the design and operation of paired subsurface flow constructed wetlands in which significant improvements in wastewater treatment are possible. These improvements are brought about by coupling paired subsurface flow wetlands and using reciprocation, whereby adjacent cells are sequentially and recurrently drained and filled using either gravity, mechanical pumps, U-tube air-lifts and/or a combination thereof. This fill and drain technique turns the entire wetland area into a biological reactor, complete with anoxic, anaerobic environments. The frequency, depth and duration of the fill and drain cycle can be adjusted to control redox conditions for specific biologically mediated reactions including, but not limited to, nitrification, denitrification, sulfate reduction, and methanogenesis. Emissions of noxious gases such as hydrogen sulfide and methane can be minimized. Furthermore, by allowing cells to fill to above the level of the substrate by approximately 2 to 4 inches on the fill cycle, it is possible to enhance algae photosynthesis, increase pH, and facilitate photo-oxidative reactions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,792,336 describes a two stages electrocatalytic method for oxidative-purification of wastewater from soluble substances, such as toxic chemical admixtures difficult of oxidation, including dye-stuffs, detergents, phenols, cyanides and the like, which stages inactivate the soluble substances present in the wastewater in a synergistic fashion and, therefore, are highly efficient, the method comprising the steps of (a) in a first stage, electrochemically treating the wastewater in the presence of chlorine ions, such that chlorine-containing oxidizing agents are formed and at least partially oxidize the soluble substances in the wastewater; and (b) in a second stage, catalytically treating the first stage treated wastewater in presence of a non-chlorine oxidizing agent and an added catalyst, such that remains of the soluble substances are further oxidized, and such that the chlorine-containing oxidizing agents formed during the first stage are catalytically reduced; wherein, the first stage and the second stage act synergistically to purify the wastewater from the soluble substances.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,867,192 describes an automatically controlled irrigation water pH amendment system and apparatus associated with golf courses utilizing automatic irrigation system to irrigate the various species of turf grasses used on fairways, tees, greens and other areas; being adapted to receive an operator pre-selected program of desired irrigation water pH value; to monitor the delivered pH value of the irrigation water and automatically blend into the irrigation water in the flow circuit between the discharge of the irrigation pump station pumps and the pH monitoring point the proper amount of chemical additive to amend-raise or lower-the pH of the delivered irrigation water. The desideratum is a uniformly blended mixture of liquid acid or base chemical with irrigation water to maintain a solution of the water pH value desired by the operator to promote proper agronomic practice in the maintenance of the turf grasses. This objective has been found to be obtainable by causing the two liquids to be blended in the proper ratios through the use of an acid tank, pH sensing probe, sulfuric acid injector pumps, acid manifold, booster pump, flow velocity measuring device, and a solid-state electrical programmable controller; connected to the upstream and downstream ports of an ordinary pressure sustaining valve or differential pressure orifice device as used in the discharge line of a golf course pumping station.
Notwithstanding the prior art, the present invention is neither taught nor rendered obvious thereby.

Recycled irrigation water treatment system


A fuel injection device for an internal combustion engine comprises an electrically controlled injector having a body removably connected in a passage opening into an engine induction passage. The body has a nose of reduced diameter. A cap is fitted on the nose of the injector and formed with a fuel jet outlet opening. The cap and nose of the injector define an air chamber. Lateral openings of the cap communicate the air chamber with a space formed between the cap and the wall of the passage, connected to an air source. A spacer plate is retained between the cap and the nose and formed with a central calibrated hole surrounding an outlet of the injector for constituting a calibrated fuel and air jet outlet passage. The spacer plate is retained between the nose and the cap in a predetermined position.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to fuel injection devices for internal combustion engines; it is particularly suitable for use in so-called "multipoint" injection systems, in which each combustion chamber of the engine is provided with an injection device which has its outlet in the vicinity of a respective inlet valve.
In such a system, the nose of the injector is placed close to the combustion chamber of the engine which tends to heat it to a high temperature, which results in the nose being clogged up by the products or additives contained in the fuel delivered by the injector.
2. Prior Art
An injection device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,434,766 (Matsuoka et al) comprises an electrically controlled injector having a body provided with means for removably connecting said body in a passage opening into an engine induction passage and formed with a nose of reduced diameter and a cap fitted on the nose of the injector, formed with a fuel jet outlet opening, said cap being connected on the nose of the injector in such a position that it defines an air chamber with said nose and is formed with lateral openings communicating the air chamber with a space formed between the cap and the wall of said passage, said space being for connection to an air source.
As described, the outlet of the passage in the injector nose is connected to an air source.
It is further known to compensate for the direct air supply through a passage in an injector by giving to the minimum opening of the air intake butterfly valve a value which is slightly less than that which would be adopted in the absence of air delivery to the injectors.
A drawback of the arrangement described in U.S. No. 4,434,766 is that it does not accurately and reproducibly define the size of the air chamber, unless expensive machining methods are used.


A homogeneous predispersed fiber composition useful for dispersing a fibrous material in a rubber or plastic compound stock, said composition comprising a fibrous material and a rubber or plastic polymer binder, wherein said composition is prepared by mixing a latex of the rubber or plastic polymer with the fibrous material to form a wetted fiber mixture, mixing a coagulant with the wetted fiber mixture thereby forming the predispersed fiber composition, wherein the total amount of water present in the wetted fiber mixture prior to coagulation is substantially equal to that required to completely wet the fibrous material by either capillary action, surface adsorption or a combination thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to predispersed fiber compositions and to the process for preparing such compositions. More particularly, the invention relates to such predispersed fiber compositions suitable for use in reinforcing rubber or plastic compounds. Such predispersed fibers disperse rapidly and uniformly into the rubber or plastic compound stock to which they are added.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Fibrous fillers are presently in use as reinforcing agents for plastic and rubber compounds. For example, asbestos, cellulose, glass, inorganic and synthetic fibers having various dimensions and pretreatments are currently employed to reinforce plastics. In the rubber industry, including elastomers generally, fibrous fillers such as cellulose, glass, inorganic and synthetic cord and fabric are commonly used to increase modulus and tensile strength in tires, belts and hose. Short fibers, such as chopped rayon, polyester and cotton are also frequently used to increase modulus in such items as V-belts.
Prior to the present invention, problems were encountered in obtaining uniform coverage and dispersion of the fibers throughout the rubber matrix during a reasonable and practical mixing cycle. The poor processibility of these fibers with rubber formulations has been a serious handicap to their acceptance as suitable reinforcing agents. Pretreated fibers are commercially available which have been coated with diisocyanates and resorcinol-formaldehyde-latex dips. Such pretreated fibers are expensive and unsatisfactory because the coating operation is performed on continuous filaments which are subsequently chopped, thus exposing untreated ends. Examples of such methods can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,639,311, 3,746,669, 3,793,130 and 3,940,357.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,793,287, a process is disclosed for preparing paste extrudable powder mixtures of polytetrafluoroethylene and an inorganic filler. When fibers are employed as the filler, dilute aqueous dispersions of polytetrafluoroethylene are mixed with relatively minor amounts by weight of glass fibers and a specifically defined cationic substance which imparts hydrophobic properties to the filler. A mixture of polytetrafluoroethylene and filler was then precipitated from the dilute slurry by thorough stirring.
In the paper industry, natural and synthetic rubber latices have been added to slurries of fibers, such as cellulose, asbestos, cork, glass, regenerated leather and synthetic fibers, prior to sheet formation to produce products having certain desirable properties. This process is called wet-end addition. The wet-end addition process comprises preparing the pulp stock with fresh water and adjusting the pH of the stock to a minimum of 8.0 with soda ash or dilute sodium hydroxide. Various additives such as stabilizers or antioxidants may be included in the stock if desired. A latex, such as neoprene, is then thoroughly mixed into the stock and coagulated by the addition of a dilute coagulant, such as alum, reducing the pH to 4.5. Wet-end addition is usually performed at a total solids content of about 2-4 percent by weight. Widespread use of the wet-end addition process for incorporating additives and thermoplastic materials into paper has been discouraged by disadvantages such as fouling of equipment, wire and felt plugging and problems or retention causing economic losses and pollution.

Homogeneous predispersed fiber compositions


A method for transmitting data over a power signal to at least one lamp, said power signal comprising alternating high-power and low-power sections, said method comprising: modulating said power signal in one or more interface regions based upon at least one data symbol to generate a modulated signal having one or more modulated portions, each modulated portion having a first average power, each of said interface regions comprising adjacent portions of a high-power section and a low-power section, said adjacent portions having a second average portion; wherein said first average power is about the same as said second average power.

Modern lamps such as LED lamps may operate as intelligent lighting devices to react to environmental conditions, such as temperature and ambient light. To facilitate this intelligent operation, the lamps generally need to communicate with the outside world. For example, intelligent lighting devices may need to communicate their state to the outside world, or to receive information from external devices, such as transformers. Typically, a microprocessor in the intelligent lighting devices facilitates this communication.
Most lamps, especially conventional lighting devices, do not have a mechanism for exchanging data or control signals. Typically, the only means of communication with a lamp, such as an LED lamp, is through the power line, and signals transmitted over power lines are usually analog signals. However, data signals are typically exchanged digitally.
While some conventional approaches attempt to modulate an analog signal to exchange data between a lighting element and an external device, this can be problematic, especially for LED devices where the integrity of the analog signal is critical to the lighting characteristics of the lamp. For example, dropouts and any other profile characteristics of a modulated analog signal can cause flickering or other unwanted artifacts, which diminish the quality and integrity of the light of the LED device.
Therefore, Applicants have identified the need to communicate with a lamp without the signal interfering with the lighting characteristics of the lamp. The present invention fulfills this need among others.


Polymers of reaction products of dihalogens and compounds containing benzimidazole moieties are included in metal electroplating compositions to provide level metal deposits on substrates.

Methods for electroplating articles with metal coatings generally involve passing a current between two electrodes in a plating solution where one of the electrodes is the article to be plated. A typical acid copper plating solution comprises dissolved copper, usually copper sulfate, an acid electrolyte such as sulfuric acid in an amount sufficient to impart conductivity to the bath, and proprietary additives to improve the uniformity of the plating and the quality of the metal deposit. Such additives include accelerators, levelers, and suppressors, among others.
Electrolytic copper plating solutions are used in a variety of industrial applications, such as decorative and anticorrosion coatings, as well as in the electronics industry, particularly for the fabrication of printed circuit boards and semiconductors. For circuit board fabrication, copper is electroplated over selected portions of the surface of a printed circuit board, into blind vias and onto the walls of through-holes passing between the surfaces of the circuit board base material. The walls of the through-holes are first made conductive, such as by electroless metal deposition, before copper is electroplated onto the walls of the through-holes. Plated through-holes provide a conductive pathway from one board surface to the other. For semiconductor fabrication, copper is electroplated over a surface of a wafer containing a variety of features such as vias, trenches or combinations thereof. The vias and trenches are metallized to provide conductivity between various layers of the semiconductor device.
It is well known in certain areas of plating, such as in electroplating of printed circuit boards ("PCBs"), that the use of accelerators and levelers in the electroplating bath can be crucial in achieving a uniform metal deposit on a substrate surface. Plating a substrate having irregular topography can pose particular difficulties. During electroplating a voltage drop variation typically exists along an irregular surface which can result in an uneven metal deposit. Plating irregularities are exacerbated where the voltage drop variation is relatively extreme, that is, where the surface irregularity is substantial. As a result, a thicker metal deposit, termed overplating, is observed over such surface irregularities. Consequently, a metal layer of substantially uniform thickness is frequently a challenging step in the manufacture of electronic devices. Leveling agents are often used in copper plating baths to provide substantially uniform, or level, copper layers in electronic devices.
The trend of portability combined with increased functionality of electronic devices has driven the miniaturization of PCBs. Conventional multilayer PCBs with through-hole interconnect vias are not always a practical solution. Alternative approaches for high density interconnects have been developed, such as sequential build up technologies, which utilize blind vias. One of the objectives in processes that use blind vias is the maximizing of via filling while minimizing thickness variation in the copper deposit across the substrate surface. This is particularly challenging when the PCB contains both through-holes and blind vias.
Generally, leveling agents used in copper plating baths provide better leveling of the deposit across the substrate surface but tend to compromise the throwing power of the electroplating bath. Throwing power is defined as the ratio of the hole center copper deposit thickness to its thickness at the surface. Newer PCBs are being manufactured that contain both through-holes and blind vias. Current bath additives, in particular current leveling agents, do not provide level copper deposits on the substrate surface and fill through-holes and blind vias effectively. Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for leveling agents for use in copper electroplating baths in the manufacture of PCBs that provide level copper deposits while not significantly affecting the throwing power of the bath.

Polymers containing benzimidazole moieties as levelers


A portable electronic apparatus includes a housing having a first face and first and second side faces rising from the first face, a display unit having a first side and a second side, a touch panel disposed so as to be stacked on the display unit and being capable of detecting a distance to an indicator using an electric field, first and second conductive members respectively disposed at end parts of the display unit along the first side and the second side, and third and fourth conductive members disposed along a bottom face of the display unit and electrically connected to the first and second conductive members respectively. The display unit and the third and fourth conductive members are accommodated in a concave part configured by the first side face, the first face and the second side face.

Examples of electronic apparatuses incorporating a touch panel are described in Patent Documents 1 and 2. The electronic apparatus described in Patent Document 1 is characterized in that a module having a display member and a circuit board and a touch panel placed on the module are accommodated in a case with a display window and that the apparatus has a shield body equipped with a frame-shaped portion with a display opening and connection pieces for electrically connecting the case and the module, wherein the shield body is provided with positioning units for positioning the shield body and the module and pressing pieces for biasing the touch panel to position the module and the touch panel, the relative positions of the shield body, the module and the touch panel are determined via the shield body, and the shield body encloses the edge portions of the module and the touch panel to effectively block static electricity and noise.
The electronic apparatus described in Patent Document 2 has a main body case having a display opening, a display panel disposed so as to correspond to the opening inside the main body case, a conductive shield member covering the display panel except the display area corresponding to the opening of the display panel and connected to a reference potential, and waterproof cushion members disposed between the outer peripheral portion of the surface of the display panel and the shield member and between the shield member and the main body case so that impacts from the outside can be absorbed and waterproofness can be ensured using the cushion members.
A resistive film type, an electromagnetic induction type, an electrostatic capacitance type, etc. are available as touch panel types; the resistive film type is used in the electronic apparatus described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, and the type used in the electronic apparatus described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 2 is not specified. Since the electrostatic capacitance type is used in the present invention, the basics of this type will be described. FIG. 25 is a view showing the basic configuration of an electrostatic capacitance type touch panel. In the figure, an electrostatic capacitance type touch panel 90 has a dielectric 100, a transmission electrode 101, a reception electrode 102 and a driving butter 103, and the transmission electrode 101 and the reception electrode 102 are disposed so as to be separated from each other on the lower face of the plat-shaped dielectric 100. Drive pulses are applied from the driving butter 103 to the transmission electrode 101. When the drive pulses are applied, an electric field is generated from the transmission electrode 101; when a hand 104 enters this electric field, the number of the electric lines of force between the transmission electrode 101 and the reception electrode 102 decreases, and this change in the number of the electric lines of force is expressed as the change in charge in the reception electrode 102. Hence, the proximity of the hand 104 to the touch panel 90 can be detected. In addition, not only the proximity of the hand 104 to the touch panel 90 but also the position (coordinates) of the hand 104 can be detected by providing a plurality of transmission electrodes 101 and a plurality of reception electrodes 102. In other words, the coordinates of a fingertip hovering above the touch panel 90 can be detected.
FIGS. 26(a) to 26(c) are views showing finger detection states at the time when a fingertip 104a is gradually brought close to the touch panel 90. In the figures, FIG. 26(a) shows a state in which the fingertip 104a is away from the electric field. FIG. 26(b) shows a finger hovering detection state in which the fingertip 104a has entered the electric field. FIG. 26(c) shows a finger touch detection state in which the fingertip 104a has entirely entered the electric field and touches the touch panel 90. In the case that the fingertip 104a touches the touch panel 90 to operate it, the apparatus does not malfunction; however, in the case that the hand 104 touches the touch panel 90 at the time when the hand 104 simply holds the main body of the apparatus, the apparatus becomes in a malfunctioning state.

Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America


Methods, systems, and computer-readable storage media for receiving a vocabulary that includes text data that is provided as at least a portion of raw data, the raw data being provided in a computer-readable file, providing word embeddings based on the vocabulary, the word embeddings including word vectors for words included in the vocabulary, clustering word embeddings to provide a plurality of clusters, each cluster representing an aspect inferred from the vocabulary, determining a respective association score between each word in the vocabulary and a respective aspect, and providing a word ranking for each aspect based on the respective association scores.

Aspect-based sentiment analysis includes the machine processing of text to determine aspects (e.g., topics) that the text refers to, as well as a sentiment conveyed for aspects. Aspect extraction is an important and challenging task in aspect-based sentiment analysis. In some techniques, variants of topic models are adopted to infer aspects (topics) from text in an unsupervised setting. However, the preference for aspects semantic coherence is not directly encoded in topic models. As a result, aspects inferred by topic models can often mix loosely related aspect terms.

Unsupervised aspect extraction from raw data using word embeddings


A Stirling engine generating system comprises a Stirling engine driven by solar heat which is used as a heat input source for the engine, a generator driven by the Stirling engine, a temperature sensor detecting the temperature of an operational gas enclosed in an operational space of the engine, an operational gas tank communicated with the operational space via a pair of conduits, one way valves interposed in the corresponding conduits so as to invert the flow direction of the operational gas in each conduit, opening and closing valves each of which is interposed in the respective conduit between the one way valve and the operational gas tank, a field magnet control device for adjusting the rotational speed of the generator and a temperature regulation device for controlling the opening and closing action of the opening and closing valves to vary the operational gas pressure in the operational space in response to a detected signal of the temperature sensor and for controlling the field magnet control device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a Stirling engine generating system having a Stirling engine in which solar heat is used as a heat source and a generator is driven by the Stirling engine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a Stirling engine in which solar heat is used as a heat input source for driving the engine, an output power of the engine varies in dependence on the radiation heat of the solar energy. In order to keep the engine efficiency at a high constant level, it is necessary to keep the temperature of the operational gas in the high temperature portion constant as high as possible.
A system which satisfies the above requirement is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,133. As shown in FIG. 4, in this system, a Stirling engine 20, for driving a generator 27, is operated by solar energy which is received through a radiation heat receiving hole 21. During this operation, the engine temperature at a high temperature portion is detected by a temperature sensor for 23 for estimating the temperature of an operational gas in the high temperature portion. Then, a temperature regulation device 26 calculates a predetermined value of the operational gas pressure in the engine in response to the estimated operational gas temperature and an operational gas pressure control device 22 regulates the operational gas pressure in the engine so as to let a difference .DELTA.P zero which is between the predetermined value and a detected value of an operational gas pressure sensor 25 at a difference device 24 (FIG. 6). Thereby, the engine efficiency is kept at a high level. As shown in FIG. 7, however, a wide regulation range of the operational gas pressure is required so that the high engine efficiency can be kept at a set level throughout the range within which the engine can generate a power in response to the change of the solar heat for ensuring the constant rotational speed of the engine. Therefore, in this system, an operational gas compressor 30 which is disposed in the operational gas pressure control device 22 is required as an essential component as shown in FIG. 5.
However, the above operational gas compressor, which generates a high pressure, has to be driven without lubrication so as not to pollute the clean operational gas. Therefore, the reliability and the durability of the system deteriorated.


The present invention relates to a container for a consumable good, wherein the container has an inner coating layer including resveratrol, and process for preparing the container.

Consumable goods have been stored in various containers over the centuries, including timber, animal skins, pottery and leather.
Alternative packaging forms such as metal containers, plastic containers such as those made of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylenetetraphthate (PET) or other polymers and mixtures thereof and paper or cardboard containers have increased in popularity in the past decade. These offer advantages of lower weight, however their properties are in many instances not suitable for long-term storage in particular of oxidation-sensitive goods.
Such oxidation sensitive goods are relevant in all fields of consumable goods (consumables), in particular comestibles such as food and beverages, but also pharmaceuticals products or drugs, medical and veterinary preparations, as well as cosmetic and personal care products. In many instances, a problem also arises from the relatively aggressive nature of the goods or products. These problems arise both for liquid and solid consumable goods. As result of the interaction between the product and container or compounds (such as oxygen) entering the container, the product quality is impaired and/or the life span and storage stability of the consumable good is reduced.
The development of a robust packaging system in particular for delicate products (consumable goods) is considered desirable so as to ensure product integrity, longevity and to meet consumer demands for sustainable packaging and the requirements of maintaining the quality of the goods under various global storage and transport conditions.
As the globalization and world market demand for consumable goods increases, there is a need to transport those goods globally while maintaining their integrity and stability. Additionally, given today's global economy, producers of consumable goods are forced to package their products in a number of countries around the world. These products become susceptible to a variety of local conditions at time of manufacture, including water quality and chemical content, weather conditions etc., all of which have significant potential to impact on product integrity, stability and longevity.
Principally the same or similar factors apply to the producers of all consumable goods such as food or also cosmetics, health care or beauty products, pharmaceutical products, medicaments and the like. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an advantageous container, in particular for a consumable good, such as for example a food or comestilble, a personal care product or a pharmaceutical product, and to avoid the aforementioned problems of the prior art.
Furthermore, it is another object of the present invention to provide a process for preparing such a container, and the uses of such a container.

Container for a consumable good, coated with a resveratrol containing layer


A novel high energy density electrode for rechargeable lithium batteries, and process of making same has been developed. The process forms a composite which (1) comprises submicron particles of lithium-alloying sp elements embedded in a conductive matrix of carbon, graphite or a lithium-containing, ionically-conductive glass, and (2) is capable of reversibly accepting and donating lithium. The particles are produced within the conductive matrix through the reaction of halides (e.g., Cl) of the sp elements with Si, B, S or P, which forms volatile halides (e.g., SiCl.sub.x, SCI.sub.x, BCI.sub.x and PCI.sub.x) and submicron size (i.e., less than 0.1 micron, and preferably nanometer size) sp element particles distributed throughout the matrix. By sp element is meant an element whose valence electrons reside in the s and p orbitals of the atoms and are found in the third, fourth and fifth rows of the group III, IV and V elements of the periodic table. Hence elements such as Pb, Sn, Sb, Bi, Al, Ga, Ge, In and Ti are seen to be useful with this invention. Carbon/graphite is the preferred conductive matrix because it has a capability of retaining some reversible lithium itself. Lithium ion-conducting glasses are also useful. Electrochemical studies of the composite anodes in Li cells indicate superior energy capacity over carbonaceous anodes currently used in commercial batteries, (e.g., LiC.sub.6). Anodes made according to this invention will contain about 10% to about 80%, by weight, of the submicron elemental material, and the balance conductive matrix, binder materials (e.g., Ca 6%-8% PVDF or EPDM), and some (e.g., about 1% to 12%) conductive dilutents (e.g., carbon particles). The anodes will preferably contain about 10% to about 20% of the submicron elemental material for achieving prolonged cycle life.

The present application pertains to rechargeable lithium ion batteries and in particular, carbonaceous composite anode materials or conductive lithium ion glass anodes.
Lithium batteries are seen by many to be a most attractive energy storage device. Advanced lithium-ion batteries have been targeted for various applications such as portable electronics, cellular phones, power tools, electric vehicles, and load leveling/peak shaving and are currently replacing many other traditional power sources such as lead-acid batteries. Ni--Cd and Ni-MH batteries. Some rechargeable lithium batteries use lithium-intercalateable carbon or graphitic anodes, and have an energy density of about 372 mAh/g (i.e., for LiC.sub.6 anodes). Others use metallic lithium which provide much higher energy density, but also undesirably react with the electrolyte. Lithium alloys having relatively large particle sizes (i.e., >ca. 2 micron) have been used before as the anode of lithium batteries, but have resulted in degradation (e.g., cracking) of the electrode during cycling.

High energy glass containing carbon electrode for lithium battery