The invention relates to an igniter composition for use in a gas generator for a safety means in vehicles. The igniter composition consists of a gas-generating composition in an amount of 15 to 70 wt-% and of a thermite composition in an amount of 30 to 85 wt-%. The gas-generating composition consists essentially of a guanidine compound as fuel and an inorganic oxidizer. The thermite composition consisting essentially of a metal and a metal oxide. The igniter composition or the gas-generating composition and the thermite composition, each for itself, have an oxygen balance of between 0 and xe2x88x9220%.

This invention relates to an igniter composition for use in gas generators for safety means in motor vehicles, in particular for a vehicle occupant restraint system.
Gas generators for vehicle occupant restraint systems usually include a solid propellant on the basis of sodium azide. In addition, gas generator propellants are known which consist of a combustible, mostly nitrogen-containing organic compound as well as suitable inorganic oxidizing agents. For igniting these gas generator propellants, mixtures on the basis of boron and potassium nitrate are typically used.
The EP-A2-0736511 describes an igniter composition for azide-free gas generator propellants, which contains 5 to 100 wt-% Mg, TiH2, Al or Ti as fuels as well as 0 to 95 wt-% of a carbohydrate fuel with an oxygen content of 35 to 65 wt-%, and perchlorates or chlorates of sodium or potassium as oxidizing agents. The oxygen/fuel molar ratio of the igniter composition is at least 1, preferably at least 1.05.
The igniter compositions known from EP-A2-0736511 have a high combustion temperature, which during combustion leads to a very high content of gaseous components, for instance of potassium chloride, which gaseous components are hardly suited for priming the gas generator propellants. The known igniter compositions are also very sensitive to friction and can therefore not be brought to a manageable, precisely defined geometry or shape by jointly grinding them in a ball mill and subsequently compacting them on tabletting presses. Finally, the oxygen/fuel molar ratio of greater than 1, which is regarded as advantageous in the prior art, is not desirable, because at the high combustion temperatures a remarkable content of free oxygen is produced, which reacts with the nitrogen-containing gas generator propellants to form nitrogen oxides. WO-A-99/08983 describes an igniter composition on the basis of 5-aminotetrazole, strontium nitrate, aluminum, mica and boron nitride. Together with aluminum, the strontium nitrate used as oxidizer in this mixture only produces solid propellant residues. 5-Aminotetrazole preferably used as fuel is known to be very hygroscopic, whereby processing and storage of the known igniter compositions becomes difficult. As compared to the nitrates of guanidine compounds, such as nitroguanidine, the oxygen balance of 5-aminotetrazole is also much worse, i.e. a much higher content of oxidizer in the igniter composition is required. The igniter compositions used in WO-A-99/08983 furthermore have a positive oxygen balance which leads to the above described problems of nitrogen oxides being formed during combustion.
On the other hand, the conventionally used igniter compositions on the basis of boron and potassium nitrate mostly have a considerable oxygen underbalance, which results in large amounts of incompletely oxidized reaction products being released. These can attribute to an increase of the combustion temperature of the propellant as a result of a reaction of the incompletely oxidized reaction products of the igniter composition with constituents of the gas generator propellant.
Furthermore, B/KNO3 igniter compositions are hygroscopic and exhibit an undesired aging behavior, which may be due to the formation of boric oxides. Finally, these igniter compositions are very expensive due to the high raw material price of boron. Moreover, the same is also true for the igniter compositions described in EP-A2-0763511.
Therefore, there is still a need for igniter compositions for gas generator propellants with suitable combinations of properties, such as a good storage stability, a low hygroscopicity, moderate combustion temperatures and good processing properties.
To satisfy this need, the invention suggests an igniter composition for use in a gas generator for a safety means in motor vehicles, which igniter composition consists of a gas-generating composition in an amount of 15 to 70 wt-% and of a thermite composition in an amount of 30 to 85 wt-%. The gas-generating composition consists essentially of a guanidine compound as fuel and an inorganic oxidizer. The thermite composition consisting essentially of a metal and a metal oxide. The igniter composition or the gas-generating composition and the thermite composition, each for itself, have an oxygen balance of between 0 and xe2x88x9220%.
In accordance with the invention, oxygen balance is understood to be that amount of oxygen in percent by weight which is released upon complete reaction of the fuel to form CO2, H2O, Al2O3, B2O3 or other metal oxides (overbalancing of O2). When the oxygen present is not enough, the shortage necessary for a complete reaction is indicated with a negative sign (underbalancing of O2).
In the igniter composition in accordance with the invention, the guanidine compound is preferably selected from the group consisting of cyanoguanidine, guanidine nitrate, aminoguanidine nitrate, diaminoguanidine nitrate, triaminoguanidine nitrate, aminonitroguanidine and nitroguanidine as well as mixtures thereof. The inorganic oxidizer preferably is an alkali perchlorate or an alkali perchlorate in a mixture with ammonium perchlorate.
In the thermite composition, the metal is preferably selected from the group consisting of Al, Mg, Ti, Zr, Hf and Si or mixtures thereof. As metal oxide, there is preferably used an oxide of Si, Fe, Mn, V, Mo, Cu, Zn, Cr, Ti alone or in combination with each other.
Preferably, the thermite composition consists of Al and CuO.
The oxygen balances of the igniter composition or of the gas-generating composition and the thermite composition, respectively, vary between xe2x88x922% and xe2x88x9215%, particularly preferably between xe2x88x924% and xe2x88x9210%.
The igniter compositions according to the invention may also comprise up to 5 wt.-% usual processing aids such as trickling aids, pressing adjuvants and lubricants.
In the igniter compositions according to the invention, the gas-generating composition acts as atomizer and the thermite composition acts as supplier of particles. Together, they thus ensure a good priming of the gas generator propellant. In conventional known igniter compositions on the basis of B/KNO3, excess boron competes with the fuel of the gas generator propellant and generates additional energy during combustion to form B2O3. Moreover, this can lead to the undesired formation of carbon monoxide in the gas mixture released. These effects cannot occur in the propellants according to the invention due to the more favorable oxygen balance.
In addition, the igniter compositions according to the invention are inexpensive to produce, exhibit a much lower hygroscopicity and a high aging resistance. Moreover, priming experiments in the gas generator have revealed that with a smaller amount of the igniter compositions according to the invention an improved or at least comparable priming is achieved as compared to mixtures on the basis of B/KNO3.
Finally, it was found with the igniter compositions according to the invention that the non-gaseous reaction products advantageously are not only present as solid slag at the combustion temperature, but in a certain amount also in liquid form. The introduction of heat into the propellant to be primed is thereby improved. It is particularly preferred that at the combustion temperature of the mixture about one half of the non-gaseous reaction products of the igniter composition is present as solids and the other half is present in liquid form.
The invention will subsequently be described with reference to a few preferred embodiments. These examples should, however, merely illustrate the invention, but should not be understood in a limiting sense.

Guanidine-thermite igniter composition for use in gas generators


Partially stabilized zirconia is disclosed which contains yttrium oxide; an MgO ingredient in the grain boundaries; and the remainder being zirconium oxide and unavoidable impurities. Preferably a critical temperature difference of the partially stabilized zirconia is larger than or equal to 340.degree. C.. The partially stabilized zirconia may be suitably used as a solid electrolyte body in an electrochemical device with at least a pair of electrodes.. An MgO ingredient and, preferably an Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 and a SiO.sub.2 ingredients as well are believed to be present in the grain boundary in the partially stabilized zirconia and responsible for excellent thermal shock resistance.

This invention relates to partially stabilized zirconia and its application to an electrochemical device. It is especially related to partially stabilized zirconia containing yttrium oxide with improved thermal shock resistance and its application to an electrochemical sensor.
During a cooling process after firing in its preparation, zirconia has been known to undergo a phase transition from a cubic system in high temperatures to a tetragonal system and another phase transition from the tetragonal system to a monoclinic system, which is stable at room temperature. A significant volume change is involved in the phase transition from the tetragonal system to the monoclinic system or vice versa, and this volume change tends to lead to cracks in a fired body of zirconia.
Partially stabilized zirconia containing a stabilizer such as yttrium oxide, magnesium oxide, calcium oxide, etc. has been developed to stabilize a cubic phase and/or a tetragonal phase in zirconia such that these phases are maintained as meta-stable phases down to room temperature without the phase transition to the monoclinic system. Such partially stabilized zirconia has been well known to possess high mechanical strength and strong toughness.
Due to its application to various fields such as heat resistant materials and members, solid electrolyte bodies, etc., partially stabilized zirconia is required to possess not only satisfactory mechanical strength but also satisfactory thermal shock resistance at high temperatures.
Partially stabilized zirconia, however, has not yet attained satisfactory thermal shock resistance. Thermal shock resistance can be parameterized by a critical temperature difference beyond which a sample breaks or cracks because of a sudden temperature change. Usually this bearable limit of a sudden temperature change is tested by quenching a hot sample by immersing it in water at room temperature. For example, according to Somiya; Yoshimura "Zirconia Ceramics" Uchida-Roukakuho:Tokyo; 1989; pp 221-230, partially stabilized zirconia, mainly composed of grains belonging to a cubic system, which contains 6% by mole of yttrium oxide, has a critical temperature difference of 200.degree. C., and partially stabilized zirconia, mainly composed of a tetragonal system, which contains 2 to 3% by mole of yttrium oxide, has a critical temperature difference of 250.degree. C. to 275.degree. C. These values are not large enough in many applications of partially stabilized zirconia.
There has not been much research on improving thermal shock resistance of partially stabilized zirconia with notable results. One of the examples is found in "International Symposium on Science and Technology of Sintering", Fourth Ed.: Tokyo; 1988; pp 1155-1160. This example has provided a method of obtaining partially stabilized zirconia containing 20% by volume of alumina and another method of obtaining partially stabilized zirconia containing 10% by volume of mullite. Additionally, a method has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 56-41873 of obtaining zirconia which is mainly composed of grains belonging to a cubic system and which contains 0.5 to 4.5% by weight of grains of a monoclinic system.
None of the three methods is satisfactory. The method of obtaining partially stabilized zirconia containing 204 by volume of alumina, requires temperatures higher than 1600.degree. C. in firing or an HIP treatment because a considerable amount of alumina is added. This temperature requirement leads to a higher cost and limitations in its application. Moreover, firing at such high temperatures may help grains belonging to a tetragonal system grow to result in decreased thermal stability of a product. Furthermore, a large content of alumina may lead to a product without satisfactory oxygen ion conductivity when applied to a solid electrolyte body.
Similarly, the method of obtaining partially stabilized zirconia containing 10% by volume of mullite, has all the disadvantages mentioned above. Moreover, mechanical strength of the zirconia worsens due to incorporation of so much mullite.
Finally the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 41873 (1981), includes a step of providing heat hysteresis by carefully controlling temperatures during and after firing, and is useful in obtaining partially stabilized zirconia containing Y.sub.2 O.sub.3, CaO, and MgO with high thermal shock resistance and durability for long usage.
However, the critical temperature difference of this improved partially stabilized zirconia is still about 250.degree. C., and its bending strength is half that of partially stabilized zirconia containing yttrium oxide in general. Moreover, there remains a potential problem of decreased oxygen ion conductivity due to inclusion of zirconia grains having a monoclinic system.

Partially stabilized zirconia and its application to electronical device


A method for installing a composite timber and concrete piling system provides metallic tube that is partially filled with concrete. The unfilled portion of the metallic tube defines a splice member when the metallic tube is driven into a timber pile. The timber pile member is first driven into the earth at a selective position and at a selective orientation but a partial distance which leaves a small portion of the timber pile exposed above ground. The metallic tube is then placed on top of and aligned with the axis of the timber pile. The unfilled portion of the metallic tube forms a splice. The concrete filled metallic tube is forced downwardly until the unfilled portion of the tube is embedded into the exposed portion of the timber pile and wherein the concrete in the tube approaches the top of the timber pile. During driving, the concrete in the tube contacts the top of the timber pile.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to piling and pile driving and more particularly relates to an improved composite timber and concrete pile construction. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to an improved method for installing composite pile constructions which include a lowermost timber pile section and an uppermost concrete pile section wherein the timber pile section is first driven below the earth's surface a distance, leaving a small portion exposed. A hollow steel, tubular sleeve is partially filled with concrete and allowed to set. The concrete pile and steel tube is then joined to the top of the timber pile. The unfilled portion of the steel tubular sleeve defines a connector that is embedded in the top of the timber pile. The assembly is then driven into the ground.
2. General Background
In various areas of the country where bearing pressures of soil are low and/or unsuitable for building purposes, construction can employ the use of one or more elongated load carrying elements referred to in the industry as a pile or piling. These devices for transferring load between a building and the underlying earth can be concrete, steel, or timber, in construction.
Timber piling are usually somewhat restricted in length because of the very nature of their source, namely trees. Thus it is desirable to splice piling together to form piling of extended length. These timber pilings can also vary in diameter from end to end, complicating the splicing operation. Timber piling above the water line is generally more prone to rotting. Thus, it is desirable to use a concrete pile above the water line when composite piling are used.
Often times timber pile are combined with piling of other construction such as, for example, concrete. U.S. Pat. No. 3,003,323 issued to A. R. Holt provides a "Composite Pile Connector." A "Pile Splicer" is also the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 3,802,206 issued to Robert Moore, et al. In the patent a splicing means for connecting two wood piles end to end to make a long pile for the transfer of pile loads to a lower stronger ground is disclosed. The splicer in that patent provides a plate-like, substantially horizontal element adapted to lie between adjacent pile ends. Optional epoxy glue between the upper and lower surfaces can be provided between the element and the upper and lower piles. A central upright dowel member extends above and below the plate-like element driven into each pile element respectively. The Moore patent contemplates a driving of the entire pile assembly after splicing. This is unlike the present invention where the second pile section is added after the first lowermost pile section is already driven to its final position.
A "Composite Pile and Method of manufacture" is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 4,252,473 issued to Albert M. Thomas, et al. The composite section includes a wooden section and a helically corrugated shell secured to the wooden section by a transition fitting. The corrugated steel carries a splice element that connects with the timber pile section. After driving, a liquid slurry of unhardened concrete can be added to the bore of the corrugated shell. Thus, the shell acts as a form for the concrete. A composite concrete and timber pile is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 1,471,124 entitled "Means of connecting Ferro or Reinforced Concrete Piles to Wooden Piles." "Composite Piles and Joiners Therefore" is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 2,912,829 issued to W. H. Cobi. The Cobi patent shows a composite concrete and timber pile with a splice element therefore.
A "Method and Apparatus for splicing Replacement Pile Sections to a Pile Stub" is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 3,720,068 issued to E. r. DeRosa. That patent, however, deals with metal pile sections which are repaired with another metal pile section.
A splice element for two wooden utility poles, for example, is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 4,032,244. The extension would be attached to the flatten top of an existing pole. A projecting center shaft extends for the bracket to be received within mating center bores provided in the utility pole, a wooden extension pole or both. Threaded fasteners and metal straps complete the interconnection between the existing pole and the extension pole.
A "Pile Coupling and a Method of Pile Driving" is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,762,173 issued to Richard Marsh. The patent discloses a means for coupling sections of pile and a method of driving pile utilizing a thin-wall composite pile section. the coupling comprises a thin-wall sleeve with a telescoping thick-wall rings or collar mechanically anchored within the sleeve. Taps integrally formed in the collar, or the entire collar itself, are expanded within the sleeve to form correspondingly anchor pots in the sleeve thereby mechanically interlocking the collar and sleeve. The coupling is adapted for use in coupling successive sections of thick-wall tubular pile or in coupling thin-wall tubular composite pile or thick-wall tubular pile. Use of the thin-wall tubular composite pile enables employment of a method for driving which eliminates the necessity for retaining a succeeding thick-wall tubular pile after the initial one is driven home.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,003,323 issued to A. R. Holt entitled "Composite Pile Connector" shows a connector for use with a lower second of wood and an upper section of metallic pipe as part of a composite pile assembly. the connector includes a metallic ring having two plates disposed as chords within the ring, each chordal plate meeting at one end with the other so as to form the apex of a V with one leg on each side of the center of the ring. The plates are welded to the ring and the plates are of a length greater than the radius of the rings. The plates serve to displace the wood of a wood pile so as to wedge it tightly within the ring. This is unlike the present invention which uses a precast, hardened reinforced concrete pile as the upper pile section and joins that section to a lowermost timber pile section as part of a composite pile structure.
Daigle et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,547,096 entitled "Alignment of Tubular Piles for Joinder," provides a method of alignment for two tubular piles. The aligner extends from one end of the tubular pile for insertion into the other tubular pile. One or more shim members are disposed between and in engagement with the outer surface of the aligner extended portion and the inner surface of the outer tubular pile when the extended portion is inserted therein for maintaining the tow piles in alignment for joinder. This patent differs from the present invention because it does not contemplate the joining of a reinforced concrete and timber pile as part of a composite section.
Applicant also is the patentee of a prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,431,347 issued Feb. 14, 1984, and entitled "Composite Timber Pile System". In that prior Gillen patent, a method of driving composite timber pile sections provides a pair of timber pile sections, the first of which is driven into the earth a distance leaving the butt of the pile exposed. A splice element is embedded into the remaining pile section and leveling material is added to the top of the first pile section.
Applicant's prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,525,102 entitled "Timber Pile Connection System" provides a method of driving composite timber pile sections which provides a pair of timber pile sections, the first of which is driven into the earth a distance leaving the butt of the pile exposed. A splice element is embedded into the remaining pile section and leveling material is added to the top of the first pile section. Upon assembly and during driving, the leveling material is laterally confined with the splice element while the respective mating surfaces of the two pile sections confine the leveling material vertically with the leveling material thus transferring compressive forces between the two pile sections. The splice element is a cylindrical element having a hollow bore which during operation contains the leveling material. The prior Gillen patent differs from the present invention in that it contemplates a driving of the composite pile section. further, the first timber pile section is driven a distance downwardly, but leaving the butt portion of the pile exposed so that the splice element and leveling material can be added. This is unlike the present invention wherein the lowermost pile section is driven well below the earth's surface, and in fact a distance substantially equal to the length of the second pile section which is of reinforced concrete rather than timber.
A method of driving composite piles is seen in the Ingalls U.S. Pat. No. 4,102,141. In that patent, a composite pile structure is formed from a lower wooden section and an upper tubular metal section which is connected to the wood member and then filled with concrete. The wooden section is first started into the ground a desired distance and the metal section is then supported by the upper end of the wooden member. A mandrel member is located in driving engagement with the upper end of the metal section and the lower end of the mandrel is supported in space relation to the wooden member. Initial hammer energy of limited intensity is applied to drive the metal section into the wooden member until the bottom of the mandrel comes into contact with the top of the wooden member. Thereafter, hammer energy of greater intensity is applied to the connected sections and concentrated against the surface of the wooden member enclosed by the embedded metal section. The method contemplates liquid slurried concrete to be added to the metal section after the composite pile is driven to the desired depth. This is unlike the present invention wherein a precast, hardened reinforced concrete pile section is connected to the lowermost timber pile section after the lowermost timber pile section is driven fully to its elevational position, usually well below the surface.

Method of installing a composite timber and concrete pile


A gateway device includes: a network adapter for connection to an IPv6 network; a fieldbus network adapter for connection to an associated fieldbus; and an address assignment device for configuring one or more virtual IPv6 network adapters for one or more devices connected to the fieldbus, wherein an individual IPv6 address corresponds to each device connected to the fieldbus.

In a local network, such as in a connected home, various devices, e.g. consumer electronics and sensor technology devices and actuator devices, e.g. motion detectors, heating thermostats, can be connected to each other. Nowadays such devices, in particular devices with sensors or actuators are usually not connected via an Internet Protocol (IP) connection but via a so-called fieldbus (cf. http://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?fitle=Feldbus&oldid=133675829) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fieldbus). Fieldbuses are usually not compatible with the International Standards Organization (ISO)/Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) layer model. Said fieldbuses or bus systems such as ZigBee or ZWave are special, non-Internet-protocol-based bus technologies which have been optimized for use in a locally restricted field, e.g. with regard to the choice of radio frequency bands and energy consumption. Accordingly, identification or addressing of devices connected to such fieldbuses is usually not directly possible from an IP-based network.
In order to be able to have access from an IP network to devices which are connected to such a fieldbus, special components are required. Said components implement the access to the fieldbus on the one hand via hardware and software and on the other hand via IP technologies. Said components are called gateway (cf. http://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gateway_(Informatik)&oldid=131744869) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gateway_(telecommunications))
Generally, such a gateway implements the access to the individual devices connected to the fieldbus such that there is a single IP protocol channel for all devices. They are unambiguously identified, e.g. via a number and then controlled individually via a gateway-internal processing component in the fieldbus. Thus, a conversion of n devices to one IP connection to the gateway takes place. Consequently, the gateway carries out a double-sided mapping of devices to internal identification numbers.
In practice, the implementation of gateways results in problems regarding data and access security. Targets for malware may result from the manipulation of the addressing of devices. An access to a common gateway also enables access to all devices connected hereinafter. Conventional technology relies on the usual safety measures in the home network (e.g. a firewall in the home router). In case of manipulations, the weak points of these safety measures cannot be detected. Further, there is no safety mechanism which serves as manipulation defence in any other way.

Device, system and method for connecting fieldbus devices to the internet


An apparatus and method for soft recovery of a projectile is disclosed. An lement, at least a portion of which is deformable, is placed in the path of the projectile, whereby the projectile becomes embedded in the element upon impact therewith. Gravitational or aerodynamic forces are applied to the combined projectile and deformable element to decelerate the same thereby making recovery possible.

It is often necessary, both for the reason of safety and for testing purposes, to recover a projectile in an intact form. Various methods and devices have been developed to accomplish this result. Most are rather complex, costly, and difficult to utilize. Additionally, some soft recovery techniques are suitable for laboratory use only.
Some methods of soft recovery for projectiles involve directing the projectile down a closed tubular member while developing high gaseous pressure in front of the moving projectile. The pressure decelerates the projectile whereby it may be recovered in an intact form. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,678,745; 3,940,981 and 4,002,064 are examples of such a soft recovery technique. While such a method is effective, the prior art techniques of performing such a method generally required sophisticated and expensive equipment, and were generally not well suited to the recovery of standard projectiles fired from ordinary weapons.
Another soft recovery technique known in the art involves firing a projectile along a set of rails which are partially submerged in water. A specially configured nose attached to the projectile scoops up the water, thereby providing deceleration forces. This method is also only suited for laboratory use due to the fact that a controlled environment and specially adapted equipment must be provided in order to decelerate the projectile. Additionally, if the projectile being tested has a rifling band attached thereto, means must be provided for stripping this band from the projectile so that the projectile may be properly accommodated by the rails.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,314,286 discloses a projectile recovery device which is suitable for field use. The device of the patent comprises a ring-like attachment to be fitted to the end of a gun barrel. The attachment is so configured as to catch the rifling band of the projectile thereby becoming attached to the projectile in its flight. A cable and balloon or other drag-inducing object are secured to the ring-like fitting to provide deceleration forces for the projectile. Use of this device is very cumbersome as it is necessary to attach a very long drag line and balloon to the projectile recovery device.
It is therefore an object of this invention to overcome the above noted drawbacks in the prior art techniques and devices.
It is an object of this invention to provide a projectile soft recovery apparatus suitable for use in the field and in the laboratory.
It is still another object to provide a soft recovery system which is inexpensive, requiring no complex equipment or devices, and requiring no power input for the operation of the system.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a soft recovery system which is well suited for use with standard shells and projectiles, and which requires no modification to existing guns and artillery.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a soft recovery system which imparts no damage to the projectile or the fuse attached thereto.

Soft recovery method for gunfired shells

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army


The present method for unlocking a single reel tape cartridge locking mechanism in a tape cartridge load operation aids the release of the tape cartridge locking mechanism by manipulating the supply reel motor which is engaged to the single reel tape cartridge in a manner that causes the stuck tape cartridge locking mechanism to release. In order to aid the release of the tape cartridge locking mechanism during the tape cartridge loading procedure, the supply reel motor is operated cyclically to cause the supply reel to vibrate. This vibration is held for a predetermined period of time. At the end of the vibration cycle, the tape drive attempts to pull the tape cartridge leader out of the tape cartridge. If the tape drive again detects that the tape cartridge locking mechanism is not released, it repeats the vibration sequence. The drive can execute a predetermined number of attempts to release the tape cartridge locking mechanism in this manner. If this process is not successful, then the tape drive logs a failure and rejects the tape cartridge by ejecting the tape cartridge from the tape drive.

The invention relates to digital tape drive data storage devices, and in particular, to a method and apparatus for unlocking the tape cartridge locking mechanism in a single reel tape cartridge when the tape cartridge is loaded into the tape drive.
It is a problem in industry standard DLT tape cartridges that the tape cartridge locking mechanism can fail to unlock during the tape cartridge loading sequence in a DLT tape drive. This failure results in the inability of the tape drive to pull the magnetic tape out of the tape cartridge and into the tape path.
Digital data is stored on magnetic tape media by tape drives utilizing a variety of designs, but in all cases, magnetic tape media is wound between a pair of tape reels as data is transferred to or from the magnetic tape media. In the art of data storage, the physical space required to store data is an important concern. To conserve space, tape drives often use a single reel tape cartridge design, which utilizes a supply reel located within a removable tape cartridge and a take-up reel located within the tape drive.
After the tape cartridge is inserted into the tape drive, the magnetic tape media must be loaded into the tape drive. The loading operation includes connecting the magnetic tape media to the take-up reel and winding the magnetic tape media to a start point or read position. Various methods have been employed to make this connection. FIG. 1 illustrates one such method wherein the magnetic tape media connects to the take-up reel via a buckle 100 between a tape cartridge leader 103 and a take-up leader 101. The tape cartridge leader 103 terminates the magnetic tape media at one end and is a strong flexible plastic strip that includes an ovular aperture 102 configured to mate with the take-up leader 101. The take-up leader 101 is a similar strong flexible plastic strip attached at one end to the take-up reel. The opposing end includes a stem 104 and a tab 105 designed to buckle with the ovular aperture 102 on the tape cartridge leader 103. During the buckling operation, a rotating catch connected to a load motor cooperates with a positioning lever to position the take-up leader 101 and the tape cartridge leader 103 for buckling. After the take-up leader 101 and the tape cartridge leader 103 are buckled, the catch is rotated out of the way to a loaded position and the buckle 100 is wound through a tape path until the magnetic tape media is in a read position relative to the tape head. Similarly, an unloading operation includes unwinding the take-up leader 101 and tape cartridge leader 103 back past the tape head, rotating the catch back to the unloaded position to disconnect the take-up leader 101 and the tape cartridge leader 103, and ejecting the tape cartridge from the tape drive.
Unfortunately, failures that cause the tape drive to malfunction can occur during the tape cartridge loading operation. One form of failure, referred to as a locking mechanism failure, occurs when the tape cartridge locking mechanism located within the tape cartridge does not completely rotate back to the unlocked position upon loading of the tape cartridge. When this occurs, the tape cartridge locking mechanism does not disconnect from the locking features on the tape reel, causing the tape reel to become stuck in the tape cartridge when rotation of the tape reel is attempted. Following a locking mechanism failure, the tape drive must eject the tape cartridge out of the tape drive.
Unfortunately, this problem is not easily solved since the operation of the tape cartridge locking mechanism, which retains the magnetic tape media in the tape cartridge is mechanically tied to a single unlock mechanism in the tape drive. During operation, the unlock mechanism attempts to release the tape cartridge locking mechanism and allow the tape reel to rotate and initiate the tape buckling operation described above. If the tape cartridge locking mechanism is stuck due to reverse rotation of the tape reel, the unlock mechanism in the tape drive is incapable of overcoming the force exerted on the tape cartridge locking mechanism by the tape reel.
The above described problems are solved and a technical advance achieved by the present method for unlocking a single reel tape cartridge locking mechanism in a tape cartridge load operation, which aid the release of the tape cartridge locking mechanism by manipulating the supply reel motor which is engaged to the single reel tape cartridge in a manner that causes the stuck tape cartridge locking mechanism to release. In order to aid the release of the tape cartridge locking mechanism during the tape cartridge loading procedure, the supply reel motor is operated cyclically to cause the supply reel to vibrate. This vibration is held for a predetermined period of time. At the end of the vibration cycle, the tape drive attempts to pull the tape cartridge leader out of the tape cartridge. If the tape drive again detects that the tape cartridge locking mechanism is not released, it repeats the vibration sequence. The tape drive can execute a predetermined number of attempts to release the tape cartridge locking mechanism in this manner. If this process is not successful, then the tape drive logs a failure and rejects the tape cartridge by ejecting the tape cartridge from the tape drive.

Method for unlocking a single reel tape cartridge locking mechanism in a tape cartridge load operation


A developing device which is particularly advantageous from the standpoint of avoiding leakage or scattering of toner. The developing device is additionally advantageous in allowing for a compact design while reliably supplying toner to the complete area of a photosensitive member upon which a latent image is formed. The developing device includes a toner container having an opening in a lower part thereof, through which toner falls. A magnet bar is provided below the opening, with a developing grid covering a portion of the magnet bar. The magnet bar forms a magnetic toner brush which penetrates through holes in the developing grid, with the magnetic toner brush and grid cooperating to prevent excessive toner from falling through the opening and thus preventing excessive toner from scattering outside the developing device.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an improved developing device for an image forming apparatus, such as a copier, facsimile machine, printer, etc.
2. Discussion of Background
A conventional developing device for an image forming apparatus utilizes a dry-type toner to form or develop an image, with the image forming apparatus including a developing sleeve for carrying toner thereon, and with the sleeve disposed adjacent to a photosensitive drum. A magnet roller is disposed inside of the sleeve member, and parallel to the axis of the sleeve member. The magnet produces a magnetic force such that toner on the sleeve forms a magnetic brush which develops a latent image formed on the photosensitive drum.
With such a device, a bearing for the sleeve is disposed outside of the magnet roller (i.e. in the axial direction of the magnet roller), with an edge of the sleeve member outside of the bearing. In addition, a supporting part for the axle or axis of the magnet roller is disposed outside of the edge of the sleeve member (an example of such an arrangement is shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. 41-3428/1966, or Japanese Patent Publication No. 62-57991/1987). As a result, the width of such a developing device is necessarily larger than that of the latent image area which is developed by the developing device. Accordingly, it is difficult to minimize the size of the developing device, although the size of many other parts of the image forming device have recently been reduced.
Another concern with developing devices resides in the avoidance of deterioration of toner accommodated in the toner container, which deterioration can be caused by the conveying mechanism installed in the toner supplying container. An arrangement which attempts to avoid this problem includes a toner container which accommodates the toner, with an outlet at a lower part of the toner container, and a magnetic member disposed adjacent the outlet such that toner falls by gravity through the outlet, without requiring a toner conveying member. An example of this type of arrangement is shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. 58-52587/1983. However, with such a device, toner scattering occurs as a result of vibrations which occur in the machine during developing, and the scattering toner can cause contamination of the surrounding parts or components of the device.

Developing device for an image forming apparatus


The present disclosure provides a device and method for powder distribution and an additive manufacturing method, wherein different size or kind of powders could be chosen to be accommodated within a receptacle. The receptacle can uniformly mix the powder by a rotation movement, pour out the powders by the rotation movement and distribute the powders for forming a layer by a translation movement. In another embodiment, the receptacle further comprises a heating element for preheating the powders. Not only can the present disclosure uniformly mix the powders so as to reduce the thermal deformation and distribute the powder layer compactly, but also can the present disclosure distribute different kinds of powder in different layer so as to increase the diversity in additive manufacturing.

The term additive manufacturing describes technologies which can be used anywhere throughout the product life cycle from pre-production (i.e. rapid prototyping) to full scale production (also known as rapid manufacturing) and even for tooling applications or post production customization. Accordingly, Additive manufacturing (AM) is defined as the process of joining materials to make objects from 3D model data, usually layer upon layer, as opposed to subtractive manufacturing methodologies, such as traditional machining. The first successful attempts at additive manufacturing came from technology developed in the 1970s, and since then the additive manufacturing technology is developing rapidly with increasing industrial applications. Nowadays, there are already a variety of AM techniques being developed, such as three-dimensional printing (3DP), stereo lithography apparatus (SLA), laminated object manufacturing (LOM), selective laser sintering (SLS), selective laser melting (SLM), and fused deposition modeling (FDM), etc.
Currently, the most well-known additive manufacturing technique is the laser-based additive manufacturing (LBAM) technique, such as the selective laser sintering (SLS) and the selective laser melting (SLM). Taking a SLM process for example, it is performed using a high power laser to fuse small particles of plastic, metal, ceramic, or glass powders into a mass that has a desired 3-dimensional shape. The laser selectively fuses powdered material by scanning cross-sections generated from a 3-D digital description of the part on the surface of a powder bed. After each cross-section is scanned, the powder bed is lowered by one layer thickness, a new layer of material is applied on top, and the process is repeated until the part is completed. It is noted that LBAM can produce relatively complex three-dimensional structures like inner cavities and inner channels, which are normally difficult or impossible for traditional manufacturing technologies based on material removal. However, there are still issues to be solved for improving the current additive manufacturing technique, such as how to increase the density of the part being built, how to increase the uniformity of deposition, how to get improvement in the geometrical accuracy of the part being built, and how to eliminate the thermal deformation due to the temperature variation in the ambience, and so on.
There are already many studies focused upon the improvement of additive manufacturing technique. One of which is an apparatus for producing parts by selective sintering, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,594,589, in which a powder dispensing mechanism including a drum is used and enabled to move horizontally across the target area and counter-rotated to smooth and distribute the powder in an even layer across the target area, while also a downdraft system is used for providing a controlled temperature air flow through the target area to moderate powder temperature during sintering. Moreover, there is a coating device provided in U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,925, which is configured with a bevel scraper or a round scraper to be used for applying, smoothing and compacting the solidified material on a layer. Similarly, there is an applicator unit disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,047,098, in which a flexible means is used for applying a powder layer to a layer below it. In addition, in U.S. Pat. No. 7,048,530, a shoe with a working surface having specific indentations formed thereon to be used for applying a powder layer is disclosed, which is arranged and adapted to rotate and incline at an angle so as to spread and thus apply the powder layer.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Device and method for powder distribution and additive manufacturing method using the same

INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE


Embodiments of the invention include a method for making a partially bonded optical fiber ribbon. The method includes providing a linear array of optical fibers, and applying with an ink jet printing machine a bonding matrix material to at least a portion of at least two adjacent optical fibers. The applied bonding matrix material has a viscosity of approximately 2.0 to approximately 10.0 centipoise (cP) measured at 25 degrees Celsius (° C.). The applied bonding matrix material also has a conductivity of approximately 600 to approximately 1200 millimhos (mmhos). The applied bonding matrix material also has an adhesion of approximately 0.01 to approximately 0.20 Newtons (N). Also, the bonding matrix material is applied to at least a portion of at least two adjacent optical fibers in such a way that the linear array of optical fibers forms a partially bonded optical fiber ribbon.

Field of Invention
The invention relates to optical fibers. More particularly, the invention relates to partially bonded optical fiber ribbon structures and high speed processing methods for making partially bonded optical fiber ribbon structures.
Description of Related Art
Mass fusion splicing makes the use of optical fiber ribbons attractive in relatively very high fiber count cable structures, as this technology allows the splicing of 12 ribbonized fibers in approximately the same amount of time as is required to splice two or three individual fibers. Optical fiber ribbons are optical fibers bonded together as a (typically) flat ribbon of optical fibers. There are now market requirements for cables having at least 1000 to 5000 optical fibers.
The cabling of conventional flat optical fiber ribbons becomes more problematic as the number of flat optical fiber ribbons being cabled increases. Conventionally, flat optical fiber ribbons are grouped into rectangular arrays, often referred to as stacks, and positioned within a cable structure. However, optical fiber cables usually need to be circular to be easily installed. Thus, the square peg, i.e., the rectangular ribbon stack, must fit in the round hole, i.e., the circular cable structure. Such conventional configurations lead to empty space in the cable structure.
Some existing optical fiber cable manufacturers have developed a partially bonded optical fiber ribbon, also referred to as a rollable ribbon, where the optical fibers forming the optical fiber ribbon are not bonded over their entire length. The optical fibers are bonded intermittently, thus allowing the optical fiber ribbon to be folded or rolled into an approximately cylindrical shape, allowing for better filling of the circular cable, resulting in more optical fibers to be included in a given cable diameter compared to optical fiber cables with conventional fully bonded ribbon structures.
However, conventional methods for producing partially bonded optical fiber ribbon structures often are more complex than conventional methods for producing conventional flat optical fiber ribbon structures. For example, in conventional methods for producing partially bonded optical fiber ribbon structures, the application or placement of the bonding agent (i.e., bonding matrix material) at proper locations on the optical fiber ribbons, as well as the proper amount of bonding matrix material that needs to be applied to the optical fiber ribbons, are relatively difficult to determine compared to conventional methods for producing flat optical fiber ribbon structures because the location and amount of bonding matrix material used in producing partially bonded optical fiber ribbon structures greatly affects the integrity of the partially bonded optical fiber ribbon structures.
For example, improper placement of the bonding matrix material on an optical fiber ribbon often leads to inadequate bonding between adjacent optical fibers, resulting in an unsuitably loose partially bonded optical fiber ribbon structure. Also, an insufficient amount of bonding matrix material applied to an optical fiber ribbon often causes the resulting partially bonded optical fiber ribbon structure to have too many loose optical fibers. However, applying too much bonding matrix material to an optical fiber ribbon often causes the resulting partially bonded optical fiber ribbon structure to become too rigid, thus making the structure relatively difficult or even impossible to roll or fold adequately for compact packaging within a cable structure. Because of these difficulties associated with conventional methods for producing partially bonded optical fiber ribbon structures, processing speeds and ribbon structure fiber counts typically are relatively low compared to methods for producing conventional flat optical fiber ribbon structures. For example, many conventional methods for producing partially bonded optical fiber ribbon structures typically can only produce 8-fiber or less partially bonded optical fiber ribbon structures.

Method for high speed processing of partially bonded ribbon structures


The disclosure features, among other things, polypeptides comprising a Cryptic polypeptide, a functional fragment thereof, or variants of any of the foregoing. Also featured are nucleic acids encoding the polypeptides, methods for producing of the polypeptides, and a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic applications in which the polypeptides are useful. For example, the polypeptides can be used to treat a subject having a condition associated with bone loss.

Bone loss is a serious clinical problem that is most commonly diagnosed in post-menopausal woman, but that can occur in all populations at all ages. Marx (2004) Science 305:1420-1422 and Lotinun et al. (2012) Curr Mol Pharmacol 5:195-204. Diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, as well as inflammatory diseases requiring steroid treatments, can suppress bone formation and lead to increased fracture risk. Fractures associated with bone loss are a leading cause of hospitalization, disability, and premature mortality in the elderly, affecting over 2 million Americans and leading to 500,000 hospitalizations and placing of 180,000 individuals into nursing homes every year. Dempster (2011) Am J Manag Care 17(Suppl 6):S164-S169 and Dawson-Hughes et al. (2012) Osteoporos Int 23:811-820. U.S. medical costs associated with osteoporotic fractures were nearly $17 billion in 2005 and are estimated to accumulate to over $474 billion in 20 years. Blume and Curtis (2011) Osteoporo Int 22:1835-1844. Beyond increasing fracture risk, the skeleton serves a broad array of physiologic functions, and thus bone loss may directly affect glucose and insulin metabolism, organ and vascular repair, as well as immune system function. Ferron et al. (2010) Cell 142:296-308; Clemens and Karsenty (2011) J Bone Miner Res 26:677-680; Cappariello et al. (2014) Arch Biochem Biophys 558:70-78; and Charles and Nakamura (2014) Curr Osteoporos Rep 12:1-8.
Because of the magnitude of the problem, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies have searched for therapeutics that slow, stop, or reverse bone loss. Regrettably, only one class of approved agents restores bone mass, and all approved agents have important limitations and side effects that impact their efficacy and long-term administration. Thus, there remains an urgent need for novel therapeutics that are well tolerated and effectively stimulate bone formation to restore bone mass.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY


A storage apparatus manages collectively, as a group, a predetermined number of contiguous units of storage in the storage medium, selects a group, the number of the units of storage in a free state in the group satisfying an access performance set condition, when securing a storage region for storing write data, and sets a group in which the units of storage in a free state are distributed non-contiguously as a group to be selected, associates an address specified by a write access request and an address of the unit of storage in a free state in the selected group, and sequentially write the write data to the unit of storage in a free state included in the group.

Along with development of information technology and expansion of an application field of the information technology, an amount of data to be handled by an information processing system has increased. Thus, a larger capacity and higher performance of a storage configured to store data are demanded for an information processing system of each field.
A method of aggregating data in a plurality of systems into a single storage, for example, has been used so as to increase efficiency in storage management. In this arrangement, a storage capacity for storing a large amount of data and high performance for processing a large amount of accesses from the plurality of systems at high speed are demanded for the storage.
<HDD>
By employing as a storage medium, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) whose capacity has been increased, an increase in the demand for the storage capacity can be accommodated. Further, by increasing the number of storage media that constitute the storage, the demand for the storage capacity can be flexibly accommodated.
<Cache>
A cache, for example, is employed in order to speed up access to a storage. The cache is constituted, for example, by a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) or the like. The cache for a storage stores temporarily a duplicate or an update of data stored in the storage medium such as the HDD. Assume that the data in an HDD or the like is temporarily stored in the cache. Then, when an access is performed from a host side to the storage, the number of accesses to the storage medium such as the HDD is reduced when there is a cache hit. As a result, improvement of access performance can be achieved. However, the cache has a smaller capacity than a storage medium such as an HDD. For this reason, in the case of a read or a write of data with an amount exceeding the storage capacity of the cache, an effect of improvement of access performance using the cache is limited.
<Striping>
Striping, for example, is employed as means for improving access performance for a storage medium such as an HDD. In the striping (also referred to as RAID 0 (Redundant Arrays of Inexpensive Disks 0), data is divided with a predetermined size, and divided data are alternately distributed into a plurality of HDDs (storage media) for write or read, thereby achieving speeding-up. Two or more drives (HDDs) are needed for the striping (RAID 0). The striping (RAID 0) has no redundancy. When just one drive fails, for example, all the data in a disk array are lost. By increasing the number of the drives in the disk array in the striping (RAID 0), access performance can be improved. However, in accordance with an increase in the number of drives (number of HDDs) in the disk array, a failure rate may also increase.
<SSD>
A method of storing data in a high-speed storage medium is employed as means for improving access performance. An SSD (Solid State Drive), for example, is employed in a storage as a high-speed storage medium (storage device). Generally, an SSD comprises a flash memory (collectively erasable type and programmable non-volatile memory), in particular, a NAND-type flash memory. Though an SSD has lower access performance than a DRAM, an SSD has higher-speed access performance than an HDD. Though an SSD has a smaller storage capacity than an HDD, an SSD can implement a storage medium with a larger capacity than a DRAM. Generally, an SSD is more expensive than an HDD and is limited in the number of times of data writes due to a characteristic of a NAND-type flash memory.
In a NAND-type flash memory, write and read accesses are each performed for each page (of approximately 4 KB (Kilo Bytes), for example, though not limited thereto). Generally, this page size is smaller than a block size (of 256 KB, for example) that is a unit of a collective erasure operation. In the NAND-type flash memory, it is necessary to perform collective erasure of a block that includes written data, on a per block basis, in order to newly write data into a page or the block into which data has been already written.
When a write request such as a random write is made from a host to the storage including an SSD as a storage medium, and old data has been already written in a page of a write destination, writing of data is performed as follows:                reading, into a DRAM or the like, each page (of 4 KB, for example) other than a target of an overwrite requested by the write request, from a block (of 256 KB=64 pages, for example) corresponding to a logical address range of the write request;        erasing the block;        combining, on the DRAM or the like, write data (overwrite target page) requested by the write request and each of pages other than the overwrite target that have been read in the DRAM or the like;        writing back data obtained by the combination on the DRAM or the like into the block in the SSD from the DRAM or the like, on a per page basis; and        updating a correspondence (address management information) between a page address (physical address) of the data written into the block in the SSD and a logical address used for access to the data from the host.
As mentioned above, when an overwrite to a page including already written data occurs in an SSD, generally, a size in a write operation or in a read operation will become larger as compared with a size of data requested for a write from the host. That is, with respect to a request for writing data corresponding to one page (of 4 KB, for example) into an SSD, pages (such as 63 pages) other than the page of an overwrite request are read from a corresponding block (of 256 KB=64 pages) in the SSD, and the pages corresponding to one block are written back, on a per page basis. In the SSD, whenever an already written page is updated (written), the following operations are performed:                reading each page other than the page of an overwrite target from the SSD and transferring and writing the page into the DRAM or the like;        performing data merging on the DRAM or the like;        performing erasure on a per block basis on the SSD; and        reading and transferring data from the DRAM or the like and writing data on a per page basis in the SSD. Thus, a processing time required for a write access will increase, so that random write performance will be remarkably reduced.<Append Scheme: SSD>
In an append scheme (append write scheme), write target data are sequentially written in an ascending order of pages, for example, irrespective of a logical address specified by a write request from a host. When the write request (write request specifying, as a write destination address, a logical address specified before as a write destination address) is made from the host, the write target data is written into a new unwritten page in a block for which erasure has been performed, and a page corresponding to the logical address (page into which a write has been performed and which corresponds to the logical address) is made to be invalid (invalid). Then, the new page into which the write target data has newly been written is made to be valid (valid). The new page is then associated with the logical address specified by the write request.
The following describes an example of application of the append scheme to the above described SSD. When the number of pages that have been made to be invalid increases and the invalid pages are disposed at random in the append scheme, writable contiguous pages (storage regions) cannot be sufficiently secured (fragmentation). Thus, compaction (garbage-collection) or de-fragment is performed at an appropriate timing. In the compaction, valid data stored in a page (at a physical address) that is not made to be invalid is collected from a block including a page that has been made to be invalid, and is moved to a free block (unused block for which erasure has been performed) by copying, for example. Then, the original block is erased on a block basis, thereby generating a new free block. FIGS. 22A to 22D are explanatory diagrams explaining the compaction. In an example schematically illustrated in FIG. 22A, with respect to one block from a physical page address AA+0 to a physical page address
AA+63 (in which each page=4KB), invalid (invalid) pages are 2 pages from an address AA+2, 4 pages from an address AA+6, 2 pages from an address AA+12, and so on. Pages storing valid (valid) data a, c, e are respective pages with addresses AA+0, AA+4, AA+10, and so on. As illustrated in FIG. 22B, the valid data a, c, and e of the pages with the addresses AA+0, AA+4, AA+10, and so on are sequentially copied to a free block (with a leading address BB+0). When a storage medium is the SSD, the block illustrated in FIG. 22A is correctively erased, on per a block basis, after the copying has been finished, thereby generating a free block illustrated in FIG. 22C (erasure is not necessary when the storage medium is an HDD, and the block in FIG. 22A is managed as a free block after the copying has been completed). Then, with respect to an address conversion table configured to map each logical address to a physical address, the following operations are performed, for example:                updating a physical address corresponding to a logical address LAa of the data a from the original address AA+0 to the address BB+0 of the new block;        updating a physical address corresponding to a logical address LAc of the data c from the original address AA+4 to an address BB+2; and        updating a physical address corresponding to a logical address LAe of the data e from the original address AA+10 to an address BB+4 (refer to FIG. 22D).
Though not limited thereto, a leading address (base address) for specifying an access by a logical address may be set to be located at a page boundary (page boundary is defined for each 4 KB when a page size is 4KB, for example), as with the physical address, for example.
<Append Scheme: HDD>
The above description has been mainly given about the append scheme when the SSD is employed as the storage medium (storage device). There is an LFS (Log-structured File System) described in Non Patent Literature 1, Non Patent Literature 2, and so on, for example, as an append-lonely logging scheme for an HDD or the like. In the LFS, speeding-up of a write access is implemented by sequentially and asynchronously accessing a disk. (Plural) file (Data) changes are collected into a file cache (write buffer), and these changes are packed together. Then, these changes are written into a disk by sequential transfers (sequentially written at a transfer speed close to a maximum band width of the disk, for example). To take an example, file system metadata such as modified file data, a directory block, an inode block (file system data structure in a UNIX (registered trademark) system: information on an object in a file system such as a file or a directory is stored) are packed together and are sequentially written into the disk. In the LFS, data is added to a file system in an add-only log form.
The append write scheme is focused on random write performance alone to achieve improvement of the performance. The HDD has random access performance lower than successive access performance. In a successive access, information is physically and sequentially accessed. The successive access is thus also referred to as a sequential access. A random access is characterized by not physically needing sequential access.
In the case wherein an address specified by a write request is fixed (e.g., a correspondence relationship between a physical address and a logical address in a storage medium is fixed), a low-speed random write occurs by a write to a non-contiguous storage region in the storage medium.
In the append write scheme, a storage destination address (such as a physical page address) of data to be stored in the storage medium is dynamically changed. When write data is written to a logical address specified by a write request, an address (such as a physical address) of a free region into which the write data has been written is associated with the logical address specified by the write request. Then, by successively storing write data in the free region, occurrence of a low-speed random write is reduced.
In the append write scheme, a random write that is disadvantageous in terms of performance of an HDD or the like can be replaced by a successive write that is advantageous in terms of performance. For this reason, as long as a region for an append can be secured on a storage medium, the append write scheme is not restricted by a capacity as in a cache, for example (wherein an effect of performance improvement is limited for a read or a write of data of a capacity exceeding a storage capacity of the cache).
The append write scheme aims at improvement of access performance by replacing a low-speed random write access by a successive write access to a contiguous free region of an append write destination, as mentioned above. That is, in the append write scheme, a random write access corresponding to a storage capacity secured for an append can be accommodated. However, in order to reduce the frequency of random write accesses (improve the access performance by increasing the number of sequential accesses), a large contiguous free region needs to be secured as an append write destination.
In the append write scheme, when data written to the storage medium such as the HDD is updated, update data is written to a new storage region (free region), without being overwritten to a storage region where the data (old data) to be updated is stored. The storage region having the old data before the update (data to be updated) stored therein is made to be invalid to become a storage region (unused region) for newly storing data. On the other hand, a storage region having un-updated data stored therein remains in a valid (valid) state. For this reason, when a data update follows, fragmentation (fragmentation) of the free region (unused region capable of storing the new data) occurs. The frequency of random writes due to the fragmentation of the free region (decrease in a contiguous free region) increases. As a result, storage access performance is reduced. Thus, elimination of fragmentation of the free region (de-fragment (de-fragment), garbage-collection (garbage-collection), or segment cleaning (segment-cleaning) in the LFS) is performed. As mentioned above, in the elimination of fragmentation (de-fragment) of the free region, a contiguous free region is increased after valid data stored in the storage medium has been read and moved to a different region of the storage medium by restoring (copying), for example. Since the de-fragment involves a read access and a write access to the storage medium, the access performance is reduced for a common access (data access to be performed on a system side and not related to the de-fragment). In order to avoid deterioration of the access performance for the common access, the de-fragment is performed in one of the following conditions, for example:                when no access to the storage medium is performed; or        in a low load state.
While write accesses are continuously performed to the storage, for example, the low load state does not occur. Assume that the de-fragment is performed while the write accesses are continuously performed. Then, write access performance is remarkably reduced. For this reason, while the write accesses are continuously performed, the de-fragment is not performed. However, by not performing the de-fragment, fragmentation of a free region will occur. Then, it becomes difficult to secure an adequate contiguous free region or the like. Data are to be stored in noncontiguous free regions. Consequently, access performance of the continuous write accesses will be remarkably reduced.
Patent Literature 1 discloses a method as a configuration for improving IOPS (IO/per second: the number of times of accesses that can be processed per second) performance when data is written, without performing garbage collection. The method comprises a step of writing first data from a host to pages in Block 3 of blocks 1 to 3 that constitute a recording medium; a step of writing to a buffer second data recorded in a page of Block 1 that has been selected based on a non-use page; a step of erasing data recorded in the page of Block 1; and a step of writing the second data to the page of Block 1. The non-use page indicates a page in which no data is written, or a page in which data written in a different page is written. This method allows reduction of the number of times of erasing the data recorded in the block without performing the garbage collection.
Patent Literature 2 (PTL 2) relates to a technology for allocating a free storage region of at least one storage apparatus to a virtual volume. Patent Literature 2 discloses a configuration for performing real region allocation in which fragmentation (fragmentation) is avoided and use efficiency of a storage region is improved. In this configuration, a virtualization switch extracts and allocates a storage region from a free storage region with respect to a request size specified by a management console until a remaining size becomes smaller than a specified region size upper limit value. Then, when the remaining size becomes smaller than the region size upper limit value, the virtualization switch extracts and allocates from the free storage region, a storage region of a minimum power-of-two size not smaller than the remaining size, for this remaining size. free storage region is constituted from a plurality of contiguous free regions, the virtualization switch selects a contiguous free region of a largest size as an allocation target. In this Patent Literature 2, a large contiguous free region is selected so that fragmentation occurs as little as possible.
PTL 1: JP Patent Kokai Publication No. JP2010-237907A
PTL 2: JP Patent Kokai Publication No. JP2004-164370A
NPL 1: Rosenblum, Mendeland, Ousterhout, John K. (Jun. 1990)-"The LFS Storage Manager", Proceedings of the 1990 Summer Usenix, pp 315-324.
NPL 2: Rosenblum, Mendeland, Ousterhout, John K. (Feb. 1992)-"The Design and Implementation of a Log-Structured File System", ACM Transactions on Computer Systems, Vol. 10 Issue 1, pp 26-52.

Storage medium apparatus, method, and program for storing non-contiguous regions


A chucking device for holding a dental tool by a collet chuck with collet chuck sleeve, wherein the collet chuck can be released by a push button against the force of clamping spring. The collet chuck sleeve has at both ends thereof axial slots, so that it is constructed at both ends as a collet chuck. The casing of the collet chuck is undercut at both ends, wherein the undercut at the side of the tool is mounted in an axially fixed, but rotating conical seat and the undercut on the side of the push button is mounted in a conical seat of an actuating member. The actuating member is under the influence of the clamping spring and, for releasing the collet chuck, the actuating member is displaceable against the force of the clamping spring toward the axially fixed seat. Instead of the collet chuck, it is also possible to provide two axially spaced apart groups of radially displaceable clamping elements.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a push button-operated chucking device for a dental angle piece including clamping elements which press radially against the tool shaft for holding the tool shaft in a frictionally engaging manner. By axially moving an actuating member connected to the push button, and in interaction with a conical control surface, the clamping elements can be moved radially outwardly and inwardly for releasing and clamping the tool shaft.
2. Description of the Related Art
Chucking devices of the above-described type are known in various embodiments.
For example, from DE-C-2 29 05 484 and AT-B 373 488, it is known in the art to support the tool by means of a collet chuck which can be preferably released against the force of a spring by means of a push button arranged at an axial distance from the tool. The chucking action is obtained by the spring in interaction with a conical control surface for the outer side of the collet chuck.
In the device according to DE-C-2 29 05 484, the chucking area is located seen in axial direction near the tool end, i.e., on the side of the push button, while in the device known from AT-B 373 488 the chucking area is near the opening for inserting the tool.
Other means for fixing angle pieces in a frictionally engaging manner are also known in the art. For example, in accordance with Austrian Patent Application A 3448/84, a holding element which is elastic in radial direction by means of a slotted sleeve whose internal radius is smaller than the shaft radius, enlarges its internal radius by the approach of two conical control surfaces, and, thus, releases the tool.
A similar type of support has become known from EP-A1-0 098 754. However, in this case, the change of the radius is achieved only by means of a conical surface.
A different type of fixing device with frictional engagement has become known from EP-A10 420 169. A helical spring mounted in a holder is wound around a clamping member which is slotted in axial direction and presses the clamping member against the tool shaft. When an axial pressure is exerted on the spring, the internal radius of the spring is enlarged and the shaft is released.
All of the above-discussed collet chucks have the significant disadvantage that the axial area in which the shaft is actually clamped, i.e., the clamping area, is relatively short. In addition, in the relatively long axial area in which the collet chucks do not rest against the tool shaft, the tool shaft is guided in a bore of the chucking sleeve, i.e., the guide length, which must have at least a diameter which corresponds to the largest possible diameter of the tool shaft due to tolerances. Since the bore itself is also subject to a tolerance, there is in practically all types of applications a play which may be small, but which is still noticeable because of the high rates of rotation which occur. This play is harmful to the tool and to the handpiece and is unpleasant or even painful to the patient, because it causes wobbling of the tool in its support.
The fixing device according to EP-A1-0 420 169 has the additional disadvantage that during clamping not only the desired decrease of the internal radius of the spring occurs, but also an undesirable increase of the outer diameter thereof, so that, although the tool does not wobble in the clamping sleeve, the spring including tool and clamping sleeve wobbles in the holder. As a result, in spite of the relatively great axial length of clamping between tool and clamping sleeve, fixing with respect to the angle piece again takes place only at one axial location.
Accordingly, all chucking devices have the decisive disadvantage that there is a large difference between the clamping length, i.e., length of contact with the clamping elements, and the guiding length, i.e., insertion length minus clamping length, which facilitates wobbling.
Fixing devices which eliminate this problem have already been proposed in dental hand pieces in which the tool axis coincides with the principal axis of the handpiece and, thus, the axial extension of the tool holder does not play a role.
Thus, AT-B 300 176 discloses a handpiece which includes a double collet chuck which clamps the tool shaft at two axially spaced apart locations. Of course, because of the coaxial arrangement of drive axis and tool axis, the actuation of this collet chuck is only possible by means of complicated rotating mechanisms.
An even more complicated mechanism is disclosed by DD-PS 118 800 because releasing and clamping of the double collet chuck is effected by means of a tilting lever which also rotates in the interior of the handpiece, so that higher rates of rotation are not possible.
Another double collet chuck is known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,631,597. However, in this double collet chuck, only one end is utilized for clamping the tool shaft, while the other end is used for axially fixing the collet chuck.
The use of a true double collet chuck is known from EP-A1-0 421 907. It is a true double collet chuck because it chucks as a result of an axial compression spring and not because of its own elasticity, and because it releases the tool shaft when the spring force is exceeded. As a result, it is possible to clamp the tool shaft at two locations which are axially spaced apart from each other. This double collet chuck has the disadvantage that, although the use of simple conventional conical counterpieces is possible, a lever mechanism for reversing the movement must be provided for the push button because of the construction of the collet chuck as a cylindrical sleeve with two hollow truncated cones which are mounted on the cylindrical sleeve and narrow in axial direction. In addition, the naturally flexible collet chuck has the tendency to buckle under compressive load at high rates of rotation, so that the collet chuck must be guided as exactly as possible along its entire external area.

Push-button operated chucking device for a dental angle piece


Over the air signaling of dynamic frequency selection operating parameters to client devices is disclosed. In an embodiment, a multi-channel master device determines a maximum range value of a radar detection umbrella associated with the multi-channel master device based on a first range representing a range at which the multi-channel master device detects a first radar transmission transmitted by a radar device at a defined transmission power; determines a compliance range value based on a second range representing a range at which the multi-channel master device detects a second radar transmission transmitted by the radar device at a dynamic frequency selection (DFS) compliance threshold transmission power; and determines a margin range value based on a third range representing a range at which the multi-channel master device detects a third radar transmission transmitted by the radar device at a transmission power that is lower than the dynamic frequency selection compliance threshold transmission power.

Wi-Fi networks are crucial to today's portable modern life. Wi-Fi is the preferred network in the growing Internet-of-Things (IoT). But, the technology behind current Wi-Fi has changed little in the last ten years. The Wi-Fi network and the associated unlicensed spectrum are currently managed in inefficient ways. For example, there is little or no coordination between individual networks and equipment from different manufacturers. Such networks generally employ primitive control algorithms that assume the network consists of "self-managed islands," a concept originally intended for low density and low traffic environments. The situation is far worse for home networks, which are assembled in completely chaotic ad hoc ways. Further, with more and more connected devices becoming commonplace, the consequence is growing congestion and slow networks with unreliable connections.
Similarly, Long Term Evolution in unlicensed spectrum (LTE-U) networks operating in the same or similar unlicensed bands as IEEE 802.11ac/n Wi-Fi suffer similar congestion and unreliable connection issues and will often create congestion problems for existing Wi-Fi networks sharing the same channels. Additional bandwidth and better and more efficient utilization of spectrum is key to sustaining the usefulness of wireless networks including the Wi-Fi and LTE-U networks in a fast growing connected world.

Over the air signaling of dynamic frequency selection (DFS) operating parameters to client devices