In so-called active sensors which transmit an output signal to an electronic controller, the amplitude of the output signal depending neither on the speed of the encoder nor on the distance between the sensor and the encoder, the problem is that the output signal does not permit identifying whether the air slot size set between the sensor and the encoder is chosen sufficiently small to ensure an appropriate amplitude of the input signal, generated in the sensor, even when dynamic increases in the air slot occur. If the input signal induced by the encoder in the sensor is too low, a sensor-inherent hysteresis threshold is not exceeded, and no output signal is generated. To prevent the sensor from being inadvertently operated at the limits of its maximum permissible air slot, according to the present invention, the sensor-inherent hysteresis threshold is changed over to the higher hysteresis threshold for testing purposes. If a sufficient input signal is generated even by way of this higher hysteresis, it may be supposed that the sensor is correctly mounted.

Sensor devices for determining the rotational speeds of wheels are known. Normally, the devices include an incremental encoder which is mechanically coupled to the rotating part, and a sensor which scans the encoder in a non-contact manner. Ferromagnetic toothed wheels or ferromagnetic discs are used as encoders. When sensors are used in wheel bearings, it is customary to employ magnetized structures, for example, an annular or circular arrangement of adjacent north and south poles, embedded in a mechanical carrier.
It is most common to use so-called "passive" sensors according to the reluctance principle. The sensors include a combination of a copper coil with a permanent magnet which is magnetically coupled to the encoder. The encoder modulates the magnetic coupling reluctance synchronously with movement. An alternating voltage, synchronous with movement, is induced in the copper coil in the way of a dynamo, and the frequency of the alternating voltage is evaluated as a measured quantity. The induced signal voltage fades away during standstill and will possibly adopt undesirably high values at high speeds.
To avoid such high voltages so-called "active" sensors, have been provided. Sensors of this type are described in German patent application No. 41 35 789, for example. The sensors are a combination of a magnetostatically sensitive element and a permanent magnet which is magnetically coupled to the encoder. In this arrangement also, the encoder modulates the magnetic coupling reluctance or, in the case of the magnetized encoder, the field direction, synchronously with movement. The sensor element responds to the variations of the flux density or to the movement of a field vector. Examples in the art of such basic elements are Hall probes or magneto-resistive permalloy structures. The signal amplitude of active sensors of this type is independent of the speed of the encoder. Active sensors require for operation an electric energy which is supplied by an electronic controller. Technical methods involving a three-conductor feed-in or a two-conductor feed-in are known in the art. The three-conductor version supplies a signal voltage to the input of the electronic controller, while the two-conductor version furnishes a signal current.
Active sensors of the current type, limit the sensor information available to them to one single parameter, the signal frequency. An internal amplifier trigger circuit generates a binary output signal with two constant amplitude values in the area of a defined, permissible air slot between the sensor and encoder, irrespective of the size of the air slot. The change in flanks of the amplitude values is evaluated, but the signal itself does not indicate the changed values. However, the signal discontinues abruptly when the permissible air slot size is exceeded because in this event the induced sinusoidal input signal falls short of a sensor-inherent hysteresis threshold, and the sensor stops responding.
A device for the adjustment of the air slot size, as disclosed in German patent application No. 40 33 064, ensures a proper mounting position of the sensor and maintains the permissible air slot size. The sensor is fitted in a sleeve-shaped mounting support and is urged by a compression spring with a flange against a corresponding flange of the mounting support in the direction of the encoder. The flange of the sensor includes a plurality of similar, axial teeth, while the flange of the mounting support includes two groups of axial indentations, the number of which corresponds to the number of teeth. When the sensor is installed, its teeth are placed in the group of the deep indentations, and the assembly of the mounting support is so that the sensor is initially in contact with the encoder. Subsequently, the teeth are locked in the group of the flat indentations so that a defined size of the air slot between the sensor and encoder is adjusted. The correct mounting position cannot be verified after the assembly is completed.
When an active sensor, due to misassembly, is inadvertently operated at the limits of its maximum permissible air slot, an appropriately great dynamic deformation of the kinematics between the sensor and encoder will possibly increase the air slot so that the permissible air slot size is exceeded and the output signal is interrupted.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to render testing of the size of the air slot possible even after the assembly of the sensor.
It may be determined by change-over from a first to a second hysteresis threshold, which is higher than the first hysteresis threshold, whether the input signals are sufficient to overcome even a high hysteresis threshold. When the generation of output signals continues even after change-over to the second hysteresis threshold, it may be assumed that proper operation of the sensor is ensured even when taking into account dynamic axial deformations which increase the air slot.
Various provisions are possible as means of actuating a hysteresis change-over of this type. When the change-over is triggered by an increase in the operating voltage of the sensor, no special software arrangements in the controller or in a maintenance apparatus are required. This is advantageous especially when the testing of the air slot size shall be carried out only during maintenance of a vehicle.
If the electronic controller is preferred to perform testing of the air slot size automatically, it is advisable to actuate the sensor by serial bit configuration voltages because this way excessively increased supply voltages are not necessary, not even during testing cycles as mentioned above.
In a particularly simple manner, resetting to the first hysteresis threshold, which permits the sensor to sense the motion, is achieved by the sensor switching back automatically. This may occur after a defined period of time which is sufficient to test the air slot size, or instantaneously after interruption of a signal which causes change-over to the second hysteresis threshold. For safety reasons, resetting is provided also when the encoder reaches a predetermined speed.
The idea of the present invention will be explained in detail in the following, making reference to two two-part Figures of the accompanying drawing.

Active motion sensor having air gap checking function


A History Store Circuit (HSC) is employed with a commercially available FDDI chipset to provide an interface between the PHY layer hardware and a memory system to record symbol stream segments received from the FDDI network. Memory system address and control signals are provided by the HSC. Multiplexor logic is included to support dual-ring network configurations. The HSC provides the electrical interconnection required to interface to the PHY layer hardware so as to allow reception of invalid frames, valid frames, and invalid/valid line state symbol streams from the fiber optic bus. In order to receive such invalid frames and state symbol streams from the fiber optic media, additional logic is provided to allow the user to focus on the segment of network traffic of interest. The HSC includes a Symbol Stream Comparator (SSC) and History Store Triggering Logic (HSTL) to facilitate control of the network traffic segment captured by the HSC. Using this logic, history store capture can be started or stopped based upon receipt of a specific network symbol stream. This allows the user to selectively collect symbol stream data from the network based upon a triggering symbol stream.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to test adapters for networks implementing the Fiber optic Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) standard and, more particularly, to a History Store Circuit (HSC) which may be employed with any commercially available FDDI chipset that complies with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) X3T9.5 FDDI standard. This HSC allows access to symbol stream data discarded by the Media Access Control (MAC) hardware, and allows the user to focus on the segment of network traffic of interest.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A Local Area Network (LAN) of choice for large bandwidth applications is the Fiber optic Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) standard. Hardware support for this interface is provided by various commercially available chipsets. These commercially available chipsets are used for implementing a station which complies with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) X3T9.5 FDDI standard and are designed to receive frames and symbols from a fiber optic media. Such chipsets typically implement the Physical (PHY) and Media Access Control (MAC) layers of the FDDI network protocol. The purpose of the PHY layer as it applies to FDDI networks is to serialize data for transmission and to deserialize received data and synchronize this data to the local clock reference. The propose of the MAC layer is to add MAC layer protocol symbols to the Protocol Data Units (PDUs) being transmitted and to scan the network traffic received by the PHY layer hardware for valid PDUs addressed to the station. All invalid PDUs, MAC protocol PDUs, PDUs transmitted by the station, PDUs addressed to other stations, and symbol streams occurring between valid PDUs are either used internally by the MAC hardware or are discarded. These PDUs and symbol streams are not available for examination by higher layer software applications.
The development of network hardware and software requires test equipment capable of generating test traffic to a station under test and receiving response traffic from that station. Test scenarios must include both nominal and off-nominal test conditions. Network interfaces implemented with standard commercial chipsets are sufficient to establish peer communication on the network, and thereby support test applications for the higher layers of the network protocol. However, since the test application does not have access to symbol data stream data discarded by the MAC hardware, MAC and PHY layer testing cannot be implemented with such hardware.
PHY and MAC layer test applications require analysis by the software test application of the symbol streams discarded by the MAC hardware. These network symbol streams can include invalid PDUs, valid PDUs to and from any network station, and invalid or valid line state symbol streams. Existing FDDI network test tools include devices capable of capturing symbol streams from the network. Such test tools consist of PHY layer hardware which feeds received data into a buffer with no intervening MAC layer implementation. Since such test tools do not include MAC hardware, they are not capable of communicating as a peer node on the network and are therefore suitable for testing of the MAC and PHY layer protocols only.
Using currently available test equipment products, for a network test laboratory to support testing of all layers of the network protocol, multiple pieces of test equipment are required. Both peer communication stations and passive symbol stream capture stations are needed. The network must be reconfigured with one or the other of these pieces of test equipment based upon the type of testing to be performed.

FDDI network test adapter history store circuit (HSC)

International Business Machines Corporation


An inker for applying ink to a transfer roll of a printing machine has an inking chamber extending longitudinally along the transfer roll and having an outlet also extending longitudinally along the transfer roll and open against the transfer roll and a first generally cylindrical mixing chamber centered on an axis, spaced transversely from and extending longitudinally along the transfer roll. A rotatable shaft extending along the axis in the mixing chamber carries a partition subdividing the mixing chamber into two axially adjacent and axially spaced mixing compartments open radially into the inking chamber. At least two inlet conduits open onto each of the compartments, and a pump feeds respective inks to the inlet conduits and therethrough into the mixing compartments.

In color-gradient printing an applicator applies printing ink to an ink-transfer roll and has an ink supply with an outlet slot extending the full width of the ink supply and from which ink is emitted and applied to an ink-transfer roll. The ink is applied to the ink-transfer roll so as to produce color-gradient printing using at least two different printing inks.
This type of ink supply typically has a narrow side and a wide side, the wide side extending along and parallel to the rotational axis of the ink-transfer roll. The outlet is delimited by two narrow end walls of the ink supply and a long downstream doctor blade and a long upstream doctor blade that both contact the rotating ink-transfer roll. As a result, the outlet is closed by the outer surface of the ink-transfer roll where, due to the rotation of the ink-transfer roll, the printing ink in the ink supply forms a counter-rolling ink mass or bank from which printing ink passes to depressions in the ink-transfer roll and is transferred onto another roll, e.g. another ink-transfer roll or a roller carrying a printing plate.
An approach for generating color-gradient printing using these ink supplies has been known for some time, e.g. as a security feature. Here, for example, at least two different printing inks in a printing unit are applied side-by-side to the outer surface of an ink-transfer roll such that the printing inks touch or overlap, at least at their borders, and the printing inks mix together on the ink-transfer roll by means of suitable additional distributing rollers acting on the outer surface of the ink-transfer roll.
As a result, continuous color gradients are created at the border overlap regions of the adjacent printing inks, which gradients can be transferred, for example, by a printing plate onto a substrate. The motifs thus printed then have a corresponding color gradient with continuous color transitions since in this case a genuine mixing together of printing inks occurs.
Depending on the implementation of the ink supplies employed, it is also possible to use multiple different printing inks, thereby enabling the system to effect, for example, a rainbow-like color gradient. In this case, one ink supply of the known type has, for example, multiple side-by-side compartments holding different printing inks that are separated from each other by partitions. The regions here each have an outlet directed toward an ink-transfer roll, the respective printing ink being transferred to a specific portion of the ink-transfer roll.
It may be advantageous here to provide a common doctor blade for all the side-by-side ink supplies, thereby enabling a homogeneous application of ink over the entire outer surface of the ink-transfer roll to be achieved. In addition, it is possible for a mixing zone to be created, at least immediately at the edges of the doctor blades inside the ink supply at the borders of adjacent areas, thereby enabling a first continuous mixing together of different adjacent printing inks to be effected.
The further mixing together or distribution of the printing inks applied to the ink-transfer roll is subsequently effected by one or more distributing rollers that act on the surface of the ink-transfer roll and, for example, thus mixing together the printing inks at varying rotational speeds and/or using supplemental axial movements of the rollers.
However, a disadvantageous aspect here is that when using ink supplies of the known type a color gradient can be generated essentially only in one direction of the ink-transfer roll. Another disadvantage is that when using multiple printing inks in a common ink supply essentially only adjacent inks can be mixed together, with the result that a variable mixing of inks, and, in particular, a selective variable mixing of ink during operation is impossible.
Specifically, if, for example, three different process-printing inks—cyan, magenta and yellow—are disposed side-by-side in the referenced sequence in the referenced ink supply, the adjacent printing inks cyan and magenta, or magenta and yellow, can be mixed together on an ink roller—not however, the cyan and yellow printing inks. In addition, specially fitted ink supplies with partitions must be employed, with the result that existing printing units cannot be readily retrofitted.
Since the mixing together of inks increases continuously in this type of printing, and thus the mixing zone between the different printing inks on the printing roller is continually widened, while additionally already-mixed inks pass via the known back-transport of printing ink from the rolling ink mass into the ink supplies, the printing roller and ink supplies must be cleaned continuously, or at least at regular intervals, a process that can result in a not insignificant loss of ink in the printing machine. Color-gradient printing is therefore preferentially used in producing security papers in, for example, rotary offset printing presses or gravure printing presses.
An additional disadvantage of the known described type of color-gradient printing is that a series of additional components are required inside the printing unit—such as distributing rollers, cleaning devices, and their corresponding drive units and control system—due to the desired and requisite distribution of printing inks on the printing roller and to the continuously required cleaning of the printing roller, by which means a stable printing operation can be ensured. This increases the complexity of the printing unit and thus encumbers its operability, but also requires additional space for the requisite ancillary components, which factors, for example, impede or make it impossible to retrofit an existing printing machine with a color-gradient printing unit.
It is impossible to reproduce these types of continuous color transitions with the known printing techniques such as, for example, offset printing, flexographic printing, or even gravure printing, since these other techniques use a subtractive superimposition of multiple color separations of a printed image printed in succession on a substrate to reproduce a certain color impression, which aspect becomes clearly visible at least when an image thus printed is enlarged. What results from these techniques is thus an overlay—not mixing—of multiple colors.


A holder device for selectively positioning and retaining a pair of parallels at a selected position against the opposed jaws of a vise found on a milling machine, drill press or the like. The holder device includes stationary and movable retaining members in the form of flat plates and a guide arrangement for maintaining the retaining members parallel during movement between extended and retracted positions. The guide arrangement includes two parallel spaced inner tubes attached at adjacent ends to the stationary retaining member and extending perpendicular to the length of the inner tubes together with a pair of parallel spaced outer tubes attached at adjacent ends of the second retaining member and perpendicular thereto. The outer tubes telescope over the inner tubes to provide parallel positioning for the retaining members. A force applying or bias is provided in each of the inner tubes causing the two retaining members to move to a separated extended position of maximum spacing. When an inward force is applied against the retaining member in the direction of the tube length, the retaining plate moves to a closer position so that when between a pair of vise jaws the retaining members resiliently urge a pair of parallels against the vise jaws.

A vise is commonly used to secure workpieces to be machined. In order to secure such workpieces within the vise, a pair of thin, flat plates known as parallels may be used. Parallels commonly consist of metal plates of varying length and width dimensions and thicknesses. The parallels are mounted between the vise jaws and the workpiece. Parallels serve to mount the workpiece in an exact location and may serve as a guide for a machining operation. Shaffer U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,856 discloses a holder for retaining a pair of parallels against the jaws of a vise. Shaffer's device makes use of a U-shaped spring body that pivotally attaches to a pair of end members which engage the parallels. Another device as found in Clugage U.S. Pat. No. 3,891,201 reveals a method for securing workpieces by means of a hold down element; however, no resilient holding mechanism is disclosed.


A windshield wiper includes a plurality of electrical resistance heater elements. Some of the heater elements are located in the flexible wiper blade body and some of the heater elements are located in a wiper blade back element. The heater elements are spaced apart from each other so heat can be evenly distributed over the entire wiper blade and significant amounts of heat can be generated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the general art of electric heating, and to the particular field of electrically heated vehicle components.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Ice-covered windshields are a constant problem in many areas of the country during much of the winter. Many people must add time to a commute in order to clear their windshield. Since clearing the windshield is an important safety concern, it is imperative that such an operation be as thorough as possible. This often requires a person to scrape ice from the windshield. This can be a difficult operation, especially if it is very cold.
Therefore, there is a need for a device for clearing a windshield in an efficient manner.
The art contains many examples of devices intended to clear ice from a windshield. These devices include heating the windshield itself as well as heated windshield wipers. However, all of the known devices have a drawback in that the wiper itself is not adequately heated. Generally, only the flexible portion of the wiper blade that contacts the windshield is heated. This works fairly well; however, even with a heated flexible portion, the wiper may not be totally effective because the amount of heat necessary to either free the wiper or to adequately clear the windshield is not available from the single source of heat.
While it might appear that simply increasing the amount of heat generated by a windshield wiper is a solution to the above-discussed problem, such is not the case since a great deal of heat may damage the flexible wiper blade. Therefore, there is a limit to the amount of heat that can be safely and efficiently generated from known heated windshield wipers.
Therefore, there is a need for a device for clearing a windshield in an efficient manner, yet does not endanger the flexible wiper blade portion of the windshield wiper.
In some conditions, it is cold enough where ice continues to form on the windshield and on the wiper even after the vehicle is warmed up and the windshield has been initially cleared. Under such conditions, the windshield wiper must continually clear the windshield. The wiper must thus generate sufficient heat to prevent ice from building up on the wiper during operation.
Therefore, there is a need for a device for clearing a windshield in an efficient manner and that can generate heat in a manner that prevents ice from building up on the windshield wiper during operation of the windshield wiper.
Since some climate conditions are so severe, it may be necessary to generate heat from a variety of directions and sources for the same windshield wiper. This requirement may result from severe cold or from a driving ice storm in which ice can accumulate on the wiper during driving and thus reduce its effectiveness. Many known heated windshield wipers have only a single source of heat and thus may not be fully effective during all conditions.
Therefore, there is a need for a device for clearing a windshield in an efficient manner that can be effective under nearly any climate condition.
Some known heated windshield wipers are very difficult and expensive to replace due to the circuitry associated with the wiper. In fact, some wipers must be entirely replaced, including the entire wiper blade structure, including the carrier bows, due to this problem. This can be expensive and, in some instances, require the services of a skilled mechanic thereby further increasing the costs. The cost problem has inhibited the commercial acceptance of heated windshield wipers. Since a heated windshield wiper can be such a safety factor, it is important to encourage the use of such equipment.
Therefore, there is a need for a device for clearing a windshield in an efficient manner and which can be easily installed and changed.
Still further, since windshield wipers often must function and operate under severe weather conditions, some known heated windshield wipers may be subject to failure. Ice can become lodged in some electrical connections thereby vitiating, if not totally eliminating, the heating function of the wiper blade.
Therefore, there is a need for a device for clearing a windshield in an efficient manner and that can continue to function and operate even if a portion of the device fails or become impaired.
It is a main object of the present invention to provide a device for clearing a windshield in an efficient manner.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device for clearing a windshield in an efficient manner, yet does not endanger the flexible wiper blade portion of the windshield wiper.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device for clearing a windshield in an efficient manner and that can generate heat in a manner that prevents ice from building up on the windshield wiper during operation of the windshield wiper.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device for clearing a windshield in an efficient manner that can be effective under nearly any climate condition.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device for clearing a windshield in an efficient manner and which can be easily installed and changed.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device for clearing a windshield in an efficient manner and that can accommodate ice newly hitting a windshield as a vehicle is being operated as well as ice sticking on the windshield.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device for clearing a windshield in an efficient manner and that can continue to function and operate even if a portion of the device fails or become impaired.
These, and other, objects are achieved by a heated windshield wiper blade unit comprising a wiper blade back element having a first electrical resistance heater system embedded therein, a one-piece flexible windshield wiper element having a second electrical resistance heater system embedded therein and spaced from the first electrical resistance heater element, electrical connections on the first and second electrical resistance heater systems, and an electrical circuit electrically connected to the electrical connections and connecting the electrical reistance heater elements together in parallel with each other.
The dual heating elements permit the windshield wiper of the present invention to generate sufficient heat to clear a windshield of ice under nearly any condition. Still further, the dual source of heat permits the windshield wiper of the present invention to keep itself clear of ice during nearly any condition. The windshield wiper of the present invention has simple male and female jacks to connect the wiper heating elements to a control circuit so the wiper is easily installed and changed when necessary. Furthermore, because there is a dual heat source in the windshield wiper of the present invention, the heat source in the flexible wiper portion of the windshield wiper is not required to generate as much heat as would be the case if that heat source were the only source of heat for the windshield wiper. Thus, if a great deal of heat is required, the flexible wiper portion of the windshield wiper will not be subject to a great deal of heat from the inside of that wiper blade portion. Thus, even though a great deal of heat can be generated from the windshield wiper of the present invention, there is little or no danger of damaging the flexible portion of the windshield wiper due to placing too much heat directly on that portion of the wiper.
Still further, since there are a plurality of different heat sources in the windshield wiper of the present invention, the wiper can accommodate ice from a plurality of directions. That is, ice hitting the windshield can be accommodated by the windshield wiper of the present invention while the windshield wiper can also accommodate ice generated on the windshield.


A pipe bend die unit comprises a clamp member having a first groove part of half-circular cross section on an outer peripheral surface thereof with a fitting recess extending in a peripheral direction by a first predetermined length on a planar surface perpendicular to a rotary axis, and a counter pressure member having a second groove part of half-circular cross section formed on an outer peripheral surface thereof, and a fitting protrusion extending in a peripheral direction by a second predetermined length from a tip end portion of the second groove part. The fitting protrusion is positioned in the fitting recess so that the first and second groove parts are combined to form a pipe-receiving groove of half-circular cross section. The counter pressure member and the clamp member are hingedly connected to one another so as to be rotatable relative to each other about the rotary axis.

As for working to bend a pipe, various kinds of working such as press bending, compression bending, extract bending, draw bending and the like are known heretofore, among which a rotary draw bending is most popular. According to an ordinary rotary draw bending, a pipe is held by a clamp die against a bend die with a groove formed on its outer peripheral surface, and the bend die and clamp die are rotated, with the pipe being pressed toward the bend die by means of a pressure die, then the pipe is moved in a tangential direction, thereby to be bent along the groove of the bend die, as disclosed in the second columns of Patent document 1, for example, and also disclosed in Patent document 2, in its paragraphs (0003)-(0006) and FIG. 11, wherein the bend die is described as a roll die.
In Patent document 2, with respect to a wiper or shoe provided for preventing a crinkling from being created on the inner side of a bent portion of the pipe, a specific wiper is proposed to do with wear or breakage caused by a sliding motion, as described in its paragraphs (0013) and (0014). Likewise, in Patent document 3, it is described in its paragraph (0005) as an object to provide a pipe bending apparatus having a wear resistance, being used for various kinds of pipes without causing a problem, and having a very long life without requiring adjusting operations very often, and such a pipe bending apparatus is proposed in its paragraph (0006) that is characterized in that the pipe bending apparatus has a bend die with its outer peripheral surface formed in a circular arc of a predetermined curvature to bend a pipe, a clamp member clamping the pipe with the bend die, and a wiper rotating the clamp member about the bend die to prevent a crinkling from being created when the pipe is bent, and that a tip end portion of the wiper in the rotating direction of the clamp member is extended along the curvature of the outer peripheral surface of the bend die beyond an initial point for bending the pipe.
Furthermore, in Patent document 4, with respect to a method and apparatus for quickly and accurately changing die sets for different-sized tubing to be bent or for different types of tube bending operations, it is described in its page 7 that a preassembled die set has been devised for tube bending apparatus wherein the die set is comprised of a bend die, clamp die and pressure die adapted to be mounted on a spindle of a tube bending table, the improvement comprising first means releasably interconnecting the pressure die and clamp die to the bend die in predetermined, aligned relation to one another and to the bend die, and handling means for engaging the die set in order to simultaneously lift and remove said dies comprising each die set from the table. And, it is described in its page 8 that many tube bending operations require the use of a wiper die and mandrel, which may also provide a part of each preassembled die set when needed, and such an embodiment that the wiper die is joined to the bend die by a wiper die arm is disclosed in its page 15 and FIG. 6.

Pipe bend die unit, and pipe bending apparatus having the unit


An example embodiment includes method for forming a layer of a Group III-Nitride material. The method includes providing a substrate having a main surface comprising a layer of a first Group III-nitride material. The substrate further includes, on the main surface, a dielectric layer comprising an opening exposing the first Group III-nitride material. A thermal treatment process is performed while subjecting the substrate to a gas mixture comprising a nitrogen containing gas, thereby increasing temperature of the substrate up to a temperature for growing a layer of a second Group III-nitride material. At least one Group III-metal organic precursor gas is subsequently introduced into the gas mixture at the growth temperature, thereby forming, at least in the opening on the exposed Group III-nitride material, a layer of the second Group III-nitride material by selective epitaxial growth, characterized in that the gas mixture is free of hydrogen gas.

Selective epitaxial growth (SEG) provides growing of semiconductor layers locally through a patterned dielectric mask layer. Selective epitaxial growth of layers is particularly interesting in semiconductor industry. This is due to the fact that, in the manufacturing of semiconductor devices, depending on the layer to be grown and on the device to be manufactured, selective epitaxial growth of layers may be used. Furthermore, SEG can be followed by epitaxial lateral overgrowth (ELOG), which may allow for improved device manufacturing and device performance.
Growth of Group III-nitride layers are interesting particularly for the manufacturing of power devices and Light Emitting Diode (LED) application and particularly for enhancement mode devices based on GaN technology. Providing a p-doped GaN (p-GaN) layer in the structure of a p-GaN High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT) device has, typically, been done by growing a layer of p-GaN on the barrier layer, which is typically an AlGaN layer, followed by patterning and etching of this layer. However, there are difficulties associated with this approach of providing a p-GaN layer. The difficulties arise in etching the p-GaN layer selective to the barrier layer. Additionally, exposure of the surface of the barrier layer in the region between the gate region and the source/drain region, which is typically referred to as the access region, to plasma etch, creates a difficulty to use high temperature dielectric deposition since that region cannot be passivated after the etch step.
This problem can be remedied by the method disclosed in EP 2 602 827 B1. Selective regrowth of p-GaN layer in a recessed gate region is disclosed, where an in-situ grown SiN layer is present having an opening to define the recessed gate region. It is, however, a major challenge to grow p-GaN by selective epitaxy in an opening in the manufacturing of HEMT devices. This is due to the fact that it becomes difficult to control the growth rate and improve the surface morphology of p-GaN layer.
There is, therefore, a need in the art to improve SEG and ELOG (Epitaxial Lateral Over Growth) of Group III-nitride material such that device performance would not be challenged when used in the manufacturing of devices in semiconductor industry.

Method for selective epitaxial growth of a group III-nitride layer


An electromagnetic clutch wherein a rotational force is transmitted between a first rotatable member and a second rotatable member by a magnetic attraction of an armature supported on one of the first and second rotatable members to the other member. The armature is rotatable with respect to the member upon which it is mounted within a limited extent. At least one arcuate spring member is provided to connect the armature and the supporting member. The inner surface of the arcuate member faces the annular surface of a portion of the other rotatable member. When the armature is magnetically attracted to, and rotated together with, the other rotatable member, the inner surface of the arcuate spring member comes into contact with an annular surface of the other rotatable member so that the transmission of the rotational force is effected through the arcuate spring in addition to the magentic attraction of the armature.

This invention relates to electromagnetic clutches and, in particular, to such clutches which are adaptable, for use in controlling the transmission of an automobile engine output to refrigerant compressors for automobile air conditioning refrigerating systems.
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,044,594 and 3,082,933, electromagnetic clutches are disclosed which are used between the engine and the compressor for selectively driving the compressor. The shown electromagnetic clutch comprises a pulley which is mounted on a bearing mounted on a tubular extension of a compressor housing and which is rotated by a belt from the automobile's engine. The pulley is provided with a plurality of concentric annular magnetic pole faces at an axial end thereof. A drive shaft of the compressor extends through the tubular extension. A hub is fixed to the extending terminal end of the drive shaft, and an annular armature plate is joined by leaf springs to the hub in such fashion that the armature plate faces the annular concentric pole faces with space therebetween. A magnetic coil is mounted on the tubular extension to supply magnetic flux for attracting the armature plate to the magnetic pole faces.
Thus, when the magnetic coil is energized, the drive shaft is rotated together with the pulley by the engine output, and when the magnetic coil is not energized, the pulley is rotated by the engine but the compressor is not driven.
In the above described known clutches, the transmission of the rotating force from the pulley to the shaft is effected by the friction at the contacting surface between the pulley and the armature plate. Therefore, it is required that the contacting friction between the pulley and the armature be quite large. This requires a larger coil, greater electrical energy, an increase of poles of the pulley and the armature plate, and/or the use of complicated structures in the contacting surfaces of the pulley and armature.


A method of producing a sputter target assembly including a metal target attached to a metal-matrix-composite backing plate and sputter target assemblies made thereby. The method includes hot isostatically pressing a silicon carbide-aluminum powder composition to form a backing plate while simultaneously bonding the powder composition to a metal target to form a diffusion-type bond between the target and the backing plate such that the target assembly possesses extremely high resistance to warpage at high operating temperatures. A second embodiment of the sputter target assembly includes an annular sealing member of machined aluminum disposed in the backing plate around the target.

The present invention pertains to a design and a method of manufacturing sputter target assemblies for magnetron sputter thin film coating processes.
Sputtering targets attached to aluminum or copper based backing plates are used to deposit thin films on substrates for semiconductor device manufacturing. These target assemblies provide mechanical and electrical attachment of the target material to the sputter apparatus, provide vacuum sealing surfaces to maintain proper chamber environment, and typically provide a path of heat removal for effective cooling of the target material during sputter deposition.
Until now, copper or aluminum backing members fulfilled these functions adequately. Recently, however, target assembly designs have increased in size, typically by 30%. During operation, traditional copper and aluminum materials do not provide enough mechanical strength to prevent excessive deformation of the target assembly which results in poor deposited film quality and may stress the target-to-backing member joint to the breaking point. Accordingly, there is a need for sputter target assemblies having increased deflection resistance with strong target-to-backing member joint strength, vacuum-capable sealing surfaces, and high heat conductivity.

Sputter target assembly having a metal-matrix-composite backing plate and methods of making same


By finding a range of an allowable error of maximum meshing position of a worm shaft in an axial direction relative to a worm wheel, that is higher than that of a worm shaft of a conventional worm gear unit, a worm gear unit of the present invention is provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a worm gear unit that includes mutually meshed worm shaft and worm wheel and a method of producing the same, and more particularly a Niemann type worm gear unit and a method of producing the same. The Niemann type worm gear unit comprises a Niemann type worm shaft and a Niemann type worm wheel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various worm gear units have been hitherto proposed and put into practical use particularly in the field of motor vehicles. The worm gear unit is sometimes called just "worm gear".
One of them is disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Utility Model Application (Jikkaihei) 4-56250. The worm gear unit shown in the publication is of a Niemann type that comprises a Niemann type worm shaft and a Niemann type worm wheel which are operatively engaged or meshed when in use. The worm shaft and worm wheel of such type have arc-shaped continuous ribs (or helical tooth ridge) and arc-shaped teeth respectively. Due to the nature of such Niemann type, the continuous ribs and teeth of the worm gear unit have a larger face width, and thus, the continuous ribs and teeth of the Niemann type worm gear unit can have an increased mechanical strength.

Worm gear unit and method of producing same


The invention provides an optical transmitter that prevents the high frequency components in the driving signal from leaking to the external power supply in a wider frequency range. The transmitter provides a shun driving configuration with a switching transistor connected in parallel to the laser diode and a load transistor connected in serial to the parallel circuit of the switching transistor and the laser diode. The load transistor operates in the common base configuration, or the common gate configuration, by which the input impedance viewed from the laser diode becomes large, while, the output impedance viewed from the external power source becomes small. Thus, the high frequency components in the driving signal applied to the switching transistor can be suppresses to appear in the external power source.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical transmitter for driving a semiconductor laser diode (hereafter denoted as LD), in particular, the invention relates to an optical transmitter with an active load to the laser diode.
2. Related Prior Art
The U.S. Pat. No. 7,026,655, has disclosed an optical transmitting module with the shunt-driving circuit installed within the CAN-type package. Because of their small-sized package, the optical transmitter with the CAN package has been often combined with the shunt-driving circuit. In the shunt-driving circuit, the LD is connected in parallel to a switching transistor and modulated by turning on or off the switching transistor to shunt the current flowing in the LD. The switching of the transistor may be carried out to provide a driving signal with high frequency components to the transistor. When the high frequency components of the driving signal leaks to a power supply to provide a DC current to the LD, the power supply is caused to fluctuate or to be unstable, which degrades the quality of the optical output from the transmitter. In the prior United States Patent described above, an inductor is installed on a power supply line to provide a current from the external power supply to the LD. The inductor reduces the leak of the high frequency components in the external power supply. Thus, the optical output from the transmitter is not deformed.
The inductor, exactly, the impedance of the inductor gradually decreases as the frequency of the signal decreases. Thus, the inductor is hard to prevent the relatively low frequency components from appearing in the external power supply. Moreover, the LD is generally accompanied with an auto-power control (hereafter denoted as APC) function to stabilize the average power of the optical output from the LD. The APC has a feedback function where a portion of the optical output from the LD is monitored by a photodiode (hereafter denoted as PD) to generate a monitoring signal, the monitoring signal is compared with a reference, and the LD is driven such that the monitoring signal becomes substantially equal to the reference. Thus, when a disconnection of the APC feedback loop or a breakdown in devices within the feedback loop occurs, an excess current so as to break the LD may be supplied thereto.

Optical transmitter with a shunt driving configuration and a load transistor operated in common gate mode


An agitation kit includes an information-written medium and a liquid container. The liquid container contains a dispersion medium and settleable particles. The information-written medium includes information on a manner of agitating the particles in the dispersion medium.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an agitation kit including an information-written medium and a liquid container, and to a recording apparatus including the agitation kit.
2. Related Art
Many of the inks used in ink jet recording apparatuses are mixtures in which particles of, for example, a pigment are uniformly dispersed in a dispersion medium. If such an ink is left standing for a long time, the dispersed particles, whose specific gravity is generally higher than that of the dispersion medium, are liable to settle. Settling of the dispersed particles often results in color nonuniformity, ink clogging or ejection failure of the recording apparatus, degraded recording quality and other problems. In order to prepare an ink in which particles are uniformly dispersed to some extent, some proposals to provide an ink agitation mechanism are made. For example, JP-A-2009-45944 proposes an agitation technique in which a stirring ball is placed in an ink cartridge.
In this technique, however, if the user of the ink cartridge continues to use the ink cartridge without recognizing the necessity to agitate the ink, recording quality is not improved. More specifically, if recording is performed after the ink cartridge is left neglected for a long time without being agitated even though the ink cartridge equipped with a stirring ball is used and the ink needs to be agitated, problems, such as color nonuniformity, ink clogging, or ejection failure, are likely to occur.


A method and a system for detecting a movement of a surface on an irradiated sample involves a light source for irradiating the surface with a coherent light beam, a detector for detecting variations caused by the movement in a speckle pattern produced by reflections of the light beam at the surface, selecting a single speckle from the speckle pattern, and detecting the variations at the selected speckle.

The invention concerns a method and an apparatus for detecting a movement of a surface which is irradiated with a coherent light beam emitted especially from a laser wherein variations caused by said movement in a speckle pattern of the reflected light beam are detected.
Such a method and system are known from WO 79/00841 and are used for the measurement of the vibration of an eardrum, wherein the vibration of the eardrum are caused by the application of successively different sound frequencies. The known detector which is placed near the irradiated surface is able to measure exposed structures.
In ophthalmology, it is known (WO 01/91661 A1) to use laser systems in the therapy of retinal diseases, especially of dysfunctional retinal pigmentary epithelium (RPE). During the irradiation, the targeted disease areas of the eye fundus can be thermally sclerosed and, as a result of the subsequent regeneration and lateral proliferation of RPE cells in the sclerotic zones, a substantial restoration of the intact RPE is possible. The selective RPE therapy (SRT) avoids damage to the RPE environment.
In the application of SRT, a burst, i.e. a pulse sequence, of approximately 30 laser pulses with a pulse duration, in each case, of 1.7 μs in the green spectral range and with a pulse sequence rate of 100 Hz at a wavelength of 527 nm is used. Natural and numerous variations to these treatment parameters are also possible. For the thermotherapy of biological tissue, particularly of the eye fundus, clear preference is given to pulse durations of few microseconds. As a result of the strong pigmentation of the RPE approximately 50% of the incident light in the green spectral range is absorbed by the pigment granules (melanosomes) in the RPE cells. High temperatures occur in the RPE in the case of corresponding irradiation (approx. 600 mJ/cm2 per pulse), which lead to intracellular microvaporization on the strongly heated RPE melanosomes.
Resulting micro-bubbles increase the cell volume for microseconds and in all probability ultimately lead to the disruption and disintegration of the RPE cells. The irradiation threshold for cell damage can drop significantly through the application of multiple pulses. There is a considerable variation between patients concerning the prerequisites for laser therapy (e.g. transparency of the lens or glass body, pigmentation of the retina) in connection with eye fundus treatment. Research results show that the necessary pulse energies for producing RPE effects vary intra-individually by up to 100% and inter-individually to an even greater extent. Existing experience shows that the pulse energy must be no more than a factor of two above the threshold pulse energy for producing RPE damage, or otherwise visible damage recurs to the retina.
EP 1 643 924 B1 describes a dosimetry control which detects the thermally induced bubble formation in the irradiated tissue to provide a signal for adjusting the energy of the light beam irradiating the tissue. The detecting device can be either a pressure transducer or a piezo-ceramic pressure sensor or a photo-detector.
The problem to be solved by the invention is to provide a method and a system to detect variations at the surface of an object irradiated by a coherent light beam with a small technical expenditure.
The invention provides a method for detecting a movement of a surface on an irradiated sample, especially on a biological tissue at the fundus of an eye. The method comprises the steps of irradiating said surface with a coherent light beam, detecting variations caused by said movement in a speckle pattern produced by reflections of said light beam at said surface, selecting a single speckle from said speckle pattern, and detecting said variations at the selected speckle.
The invention provides a system for detecting a movement of a surface on an irradiated sample, especially on a biological tissue at the fundus of an eye. The system comprises a light source, especially a laser, emitting a coherent light beam, a light guiding path along which the coherent light beam is directed onto said surface, and a detector, especially a photo-detector adapted to detect variations caused by said movement of the surface at a single speckle selected from a speckle pattern produced by the light beam reflected from the irradiated surface.
The coherence length of the irradiating light beam is greater than the optical path length difference to be measured. For irradiating the surface especially a surface at the fundus of an eye, the irradiating light beam and the light beam reflected at the irradiated surface are guided through a confocal light path. Preferably, the irradiating light beam and the reflected light beam are guided by means of a multi-mode optical fiber, which is intrinsic confocal with the irradiated area so that all points of the irradiated spot are imaged back into the optical fiber without any additional adjustment. The reflected light beam can be split from the irradiating light beam for the detection of especially the variations of the intensity of the reflected light at the selected speckle. The variation of the speckle corresponds to changes at the irradiated area. The measurement of the speckle variations is performed phase-sensitively preferably by means of a photo-detector, especially fast photodiode. It is possible to measure very small changes on the irradiated area, for instance in the magnitude of the wavelength of the irradiating light.
Preferably, the frequency of the detected variation at the selected speckle is correlated to the velocity of a change, especially of the movement at the irradiated surface. This correlation enables to conclude to the origin which caused the variation or the change at the irradiated area, especially if the change or the movement of the surface is caused by the irradiating light beam.
The invention is preferably used to perform a therapy of eye diseases by means of selective retina therapy (SRT). SRT performs a selective microphotocoagulation for degradation of the retinal pigmentary epithelium (RPE), wherein a laser, especially a frequency-doubled Nd:YAG-laser, emitting short pulses, for instance of 1.7 μs or from 1 μs to few μs, in the green space, for instance at a wavelength of 527 nm is used. The fundus of the eye is irradiated with a spot size of about 200 μm. The incident light is absorbed by the melanosomes of the RPE, which leads to an intracellular microvaporization on the heated RPE melanosomes and the creation of micro-bubbles which cause damage to the cells within the irradiated area. This selective cell damage initiates proliferation and migration of RPE-cells from the environment in the damaged area to obtain an irradiation-induced regeneration of the RPE.
The invention enables an accurate dosimetry for the blind treatment of the selective RPE therapy (SRT) by the immediate on-line detection of the bubble formation which can be achieved just after a single pulse within SRT-pulse sequence of for instance about 30 pulses.
During the irradiation, the local heating produces a thermoelastic expansion of the heated tissue. If the formation of micov-bubbles occurs during the irradiation, the velocity of the changes or variations of movement of the irradiated surface are quicker than the thermoelastic expansion of the heated tissue. The changes of the optical path length created by the cavitation bubble and the movement of the surface of the cavitation bubble enables a phase sensitive detection of the bubbles which appear as fast varying signal components. This ability also offers the possibility to detect thermal expansions of cell components, before cavitation bubbles occur. The speckles of the reflected light beam, especially the detected light intensity varies accordingly with an increased frequency within the MHz-region. The frequency of the variation of the light intensity in the speckle pattern, especially of the selected single speckle is correlated with the velocity of the changes at the irradiated area and can provide indication of the bubble-formation.
In order to achieve an adjustment of the energy for the irradiating light beam, one or more test irradiations causing the movement of the illuminated surface can be performed and the energy of the irradiating light beam is determined, when a predetermined variation at the selected speckle occurs.
To achieve an accurate dosimetry for the selective retina therapy (SRT), one or more test irradiations, starting with an energy for the irradiating light beam below the therapeutical window used for SRT can be performed with increasing energy. When the bubble formation is indicated by the predetermined variation, especially the frequency of light intensity variations at the selected speckle, the lower limit of therapeutical energy window within which SRT can be conducted is achieved. The SRT can then be started automatically or by the physician.
In order to compensate the influence of sources disturbing the measurement, the total intensity of the reflected light at all speckles of the speckle pattern can be integrally measured additionally and the modified intensity of light measured at the selected speckle can be normalized with respect to the total intensity.
Additionally to the above explained SRT, the invention can be applied at the photocoagulation of the retina. U.S. Pat. No. 6,830,567 B2 discloses a non-invasive temperature determination during the photocoagulation of the retina, wherein the tissue expansions are measured by means of an optical or a pressure (acoustical) sensor. The present invention provides an alternative measurement of temperature during the retina photocoagulation. The expansion of the tissue is in the region of 100 μm which is within the measurement sensitivity of the inventive detecting system. The thermal expansion of the treated retinal area can be determined by the variation of the light intensity at the selected single speckle and therefrom the average temperature within the irradiation spot can be calculated. The above explained online-dosimetry can be used for the retina coagulation as well.
Generally, the invention can be used for the optical measurement of sample variations having a high time resolution, for instance with respect to path length, distance, expansion, variations of scattering in the sample volume, wherein the measured sample has an at least slightly scattering or reflecting surface or sample volume to form a speckle pattern.

Speckle interferometric method and system for detecting a movement of a surface


A machining device includes: a spindle unit including a spindle that rotates a workpiece; and a device base having the spindle unit mounted thereon. The spindle unit includes upper and lower rolls that rotate the workpiece by contacting the workpiece, upper and lower rotary shafts that rotate integrally with the upper and lower rolls and serves as the spindle, and a support member that supports the workpiece. The device base has mounted thereon the spindle unit, a motor that rotates the upper and lower rotary shafts, and a grindstone to be brought into contact with the workpiece. The spindle unit is detachably mounted on the device base.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to machining devices that machine a workpiece.
2. Description of the Related Art
Among machining devices that grind a workpiece of a cylindrical object such as a workpiece to be used as an inner ring or an outer ring of a rolling bearing, a machining device is known which uses a two-roll, one-shoe spindle mechanism as one type of spindle mechanism that rotates a workpiece when grinding of the workpiece is carried out (see, e.g., Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-240094 (JP 2014-240094 A)). As shown in FIG. 10, the two-roll, one-shoe spindle mechanism has an upper roll 91 that contacts a workpiece W from above, a lower roll 92 that contacts the workpiece W from below, and a shoe 93 that prevents the workpiece W from falling off.
The use of such a two-roll, one-shoe spindle mechanism is advantageous in that a workpiece can be loaded relatively quickly and idle time during operation can be reduced (the net operation rate can be improved). However, the two-roll, one-shoe spindle mechanism has the following disadvantages. In the two-roll, one-shoe spindle mechanism, components of the spindle mechanism such as the rolls are frequently required to be replaced or adjusted in position when the bearing number (specifications) of workpieces is changed. This work is complicated and increases the operation stop time of the machining device for changeover. As a result, the operation rate of the machining device is reduced, which results in reduction in productivity.
A machining device (grinding machine) described in JP 2014-240094 A includes a position adjustment mechanism and an angle adjustment mechanism as a configuration that carries out changeover between workpieces. The position adjustment mechanism changes the positions in the up-down direction of the upper and lower rolls. The angle adjustment mechanism changes the tilt angles of the central axes of the upper and lower rolls with respect to the horizontal direction.
In order to change the bearing number of workpieces (changeover), the position adjustment mechanism can adjust the positions of the upper and lower rolls 91, 92 and the angle adjustment mechanism can adjust the angle of the upper roll 91 by using a master workpiece. However, these adjustments need be made every time the bearing number is changed. In the case of machining many kinds of workpieces with different bearing numbers in small quantities, the operation of the machining device is stopped every time changeover is carried out, which may significantly reduce the operation rate of the machining device. Depending on the machining device, adjustment of a stopper for an upper frame (not shown) that is integral with the upper roll 91, adjustment of the position of a proximity switch for the rolls, etc. are required in addition to the above adjustments. This further increases the operation stop time.

Machining device with a detachably mounted spindle unit


A method and apparatus for thermal spraying a coating onto a substrate is provided wherein a coating material is transported within a high energy flow stream. A high energy flow stream, which includes the coating material, is generated within the thermal spray gun. A flow nozzle having a barrel directs the high energy flow stream towards the substrate. The flow nozzle includes a thermal transfer member for absorbing a heat flow from a first portion of the high energy flow stream, and transferring the heat flow back to a second portion of the high energy flow stream. Additionally, the thermal member provides a thermal barrier for retaining heat within the high energy flow stream by absorbing and retaining sufficient heat within the thermal flow nozzle so that the temperature gradient between the high energy flow stream and the flow nozzle is reduced, which reduces the amount of heat transferred therebetween. Further, the flow nozzle thermal transfer member may be replaced with alternative thermal transfer members to allow tuning of the thermal spray gun for use with a wide variety of coating materials.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to thermal spray guns used for thermal spraying a substrate with a coating applied in a high velocity flow stream.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Thermal spray guns are used in processes for thermal spraying substrates with coatings transported in high energy flow streams. Thermal spraying has also been known as flame spraying, metalization, high velocity oxy-fuel thermal spraying (H.V.O.F.), and high velocity air-fuel thermal spraying (H.V.A.F.). Coating materials are typically metals, ceramics, or cermet types of materials. The high energy flow streams typically include a carrier gas for propelling and transporting the coating material to a substrate target at high velocities. The coating material may be transported at supersonic velocities, often several times the speed of sound. In fact, some thermal spray guns and thermal spray processes determine proper operation of the gun by counting the number of shock diamonds appearing in the gas jet formed by the high energy flow stream exiting the gun.
Coatings applied by thermal spraying are thought to adhere to a substrate primarily by mechanical adhesion resulting from coating particles colliding with the surface of a substrate at high velocities. It is also theorized that bombarding a substrate with high velocity coating particles results in some of the kinetic energy of the coating particles being converted to heat when the coating particles impact with the substrate. This heat from converted kinetic energy is believed to aid in bonding the coating material to the substrate.
A thermal spray carrier gas is typically provided by a high velocity flame-jet resulting from combustion of a fuel which releases heat and generates a high temperature pressurized gas, which is the carrier gas. Thermal spray guns typically utilize combustion components, or reactants, such as oxygen and propane, oxygen and hydrogen, oxygen and kerosene, and kerosene and air. A fuel and an oxygen source are injected into a combustion chamber where they react in a combustion reaction under pressure and temperature to generate the high temperature pressurized gas, which is directed from the combustion chamber and into a high velocity flow stream. Coating materials, such as metals, ceramics, or cermets, are inserted into the flow stream. The high temperature pressurized gas is directed from the combustion chamber and down a flow nozzle to propel the coating material particles into a targeted substrate. Often, several shock diamonds appear in the high velocity flow stream exiting the thermal spray gun to indicate that the high temperature pressurized gas is travelling towards the targeted substrate at several times the speed of sound.
An example of a thermal spray gun is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,343,605, invented by James A. Browning, and issued Aug. 10, 1982. Additionally, several other Browning patents disclose further advances in thermal spray guns, such as:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,370,538, issued Jan. 25, 1983; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,421, issued Nov. 22, 1983; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,121, issued Sep. 10, 1985; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,568,019, issued Feb. 4, 1986; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,593,856, issued Jun. 10, 1986; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,604,306, issued Aug. 5, 1986; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,634,611, issued Jan. 6, 1987; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,762,977, issued Aug. 9, 1988; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,788,402, issued Nov. 29, 1988; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,447, issued Jun. 6, 1989; and PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,960,458, issued Oct. 2, 1990.
The above referred U.S. Patents, including U.S. Pat. No. 4,343,605, are hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
An example of a Browning thermal spray gun is the Browning H.V.A.F. Model 250 Thermal Spray Gun, or the smaller Browning H.V.A.F. Model 150 Thermal Spray Gun. These thermal spray guns pass combustion air about the exterior of a flow nozzle to both cool the flow nozzle, and preheat the combustion air. Preheating the combustion air by passing it along the flow nozzle and within a combustion chamber housing prevents some of the heat loss experienced in some prior art thermal spray guns having liquid cooling systems. However, preheating combustion air by passing it along the flow nozzle cools the flow nozzle to temperatures well below the high energy flow stream, which results in drawing off excessive thermal energy from the high energy flow stream. Often, prior art thermal spray guns carry off heat from flow nozzles by cooling with either a coolant liquid, forced air, or ambient air passing about the nozzle by convection, all of which carry off heat transferred to the flow nozzle from the flow stream. Excessive cooling results in reduced deposit efficiencies.
Testing with the Browning Model 250 yielded a coating deposit efficiency of approximately 20% when using a Union Carbide Number 4890-1 coating material of 88% tungsten carbide with a 12% cobalt matrix, which has a particle size between 10 to 45 microns and the 12% cobalt added as a binder. A 20% coating deposit efficiency means that of 10 pounds of coating material applied to a targeted substrate, only 2 pounds were found to adhere to the substrate.
Although most thermal spray guns include some fine tuning capabilities for controlling the thermal spray process by adjusting the fuel and combustion air flow rate into the thermal spray gun, still only a narrow band width of particle sizes can be effectively sprayed with these thermal spray guns. For example, tests have shown that the Browning Model 250 and Model 150 can only be effectively utilized to apply coating materials having particle sizes of in the range between 10 to 45 microns. When particles approach sizes larger than 45 microns, the deposit efficiency is reduced even lower than 20% when using kerosene as a fuel. It should be noted that if larger particle sizes could be used, particles propelled towards a target at a specific velocity would have an additional amount of kinetic energy over that of a smaller particle size, resulting in conversion of the additional kinetic energy into additional thermal heat upon impact with the targeted substrate.

Tuneable high velocity thermal spray gun


A system includes a non-destructive testing (NDT) system having an NDT probe and a processor. The NDT probe includes a testing sensor and a motion sensor. The testing sensor is configured to capture sensor data from an inspection area, and the motion sensor is configured to detect a measurement speed at which the NDT probe moves relative to the inspection area. The processor is configured to determine a speed comparison between the measurement speed and a reference speed range.

The present disclosure relates to non-destructive testing (NDT) systems, and particularly to systems and methods for a reference speed measurement for a non-destructive testing system.
Certain equipment and facilities, such as power generation equipment and facilities, oil and gas equipment and facilities, aircraft equipment and facilities, manufacturing equipment and facilities, and the like, include a plurality of interrelated systems, and processes. For example, power generation plants may include turbine systems and processes for operating and maintaining the turbine systems. Likewise, oil and gas operations may include carbonaceous fuel retrieval systems and processing equipment interconnected via pipelines. Similarly, aircraft systems may include airplanes and maintenance hangars useful in maintaining airworthiness and providing for maintenance support. During equipment operations, the equipment may degrade, encounter undesired conditions such as corrosion, wear and tear, and so on, potentially affecting overall equipment effectiveness. Certain inspection techniques, such as non-destructive inspection techniques or non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques, may be used to detect undesired equipment conditions.
In a conventional NDT system, data may be shared with other NDT operators or personnel using portable memory devices, paper, of through the telephone. As such, the amount of time to share data between NDT personnel may depend largely on the speed at which the physical portable memory device is physically dispatched to its target. Accordingly, it would be beneficial to improve the data sharing capabilities of the NDT system, for example, to more efficiently test and inspect a variety of systems and equipment.
NDT probes of NDT systems receive signals used to detect undesired equipment conditions. An operator may manually move the NDT probe over an inspection area to inspect a workpiece. Unfortunately, the signals received may be affected by the position and orientation of the NDT probe. Additionally, the speed at which the NDT probe is moved affects the probability of detection and productivity of the operator.

Reference speed measurement for a non-destructive testing system


A security system may include a home security system that is connected to a remote monitoring service as well as a portable security device that can travel with an individual when they are away from home. The portable security device may communicate with the same monitoring service as the home security system, and may in fact be linked to the same user account as that used for their home security system. The home security system may thus be extended to cover a remote location. In some cases, occupants of an individual's home may be notified via the home security system of alert conditions detected by the portable security device at the remote location. Likewise, occupants of the remote location may be notified via the portable security device of alert conditions detected in the home by the home security system.

People often have security systems that provide an increased level of security in their homes. Many of these security systems are in communication with monitoring services that can alert the homeowner and/or the authorities if a security event is detected. Security events can include, for example, an intrusion event, a smoke event, a fire event, a water leak event and/or any other suitable security event. Such security systems provide the people with an increased security level at home. However, when people are away from their home, such as when staying at a hotel, a vacation home, or a dorm, the increased security level enjoyed at home is lost. What would be desirable is to extend the peace of mind associated with a home security system to a remote location in which a person may be temporarily residing.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Portable security device that communicates with home security system monitoring service


The purpose of the present invention is to provide a makeup support device capable of appropriately supporting the application of makeup even for users who have insufficient makeup skills. The makeup support device (100) has: a makeup style selection unit (250) that selects a makeup style being a makeup method, for each face to be made up; and a makeup style suggestion unit (260) that causes pigment corresponding to the selected makeup style to be supported on the surface of a sheet capable of being adhered for long periods to facial skin, on the opposite side to the side adhered to the skin.

In recent years, the way of applying makeup to the face (hereinafter, simply referred to as "makeup") has been diversified. Therefore, it has become difficult, particularly for a person who has no sufficient knowledge about makeup to select appropriate makeup from an infinite number of options because it takes an enormous amount of time and effort to actually try, judge and compare various types of makeup.
Under such circumstances, PTL 1 and PTL 2 disclose techniques in which makeup that matches the feature of the face is selected, and a simulation image of the face on which the selected makeup is applied is created and presented, for example. In the techniques disclosed in PTL 1 and PTL 2, a captured image of a face (hereinafter, simply referred to as "face") that is subjected to makeup is acquired, the feature of the face is extracted, and makeup that matches the feature of the face is selected based on a selection criteria set in advance. Then, in the related art, on the acquired image, an image indicating a state of makeup obtained by applying the selected makeup to the face is superimposed to create and display a simulation image.
According to the above-mentioned techniques, it is possible to narrow down targets of simulation image creation as makeup that matches the feature of the face and judge whether the makeup is good or bad without actually performing makeup. That is, it is possible to select appropriate makeup with a less amount of time and effort.
However, for a user who has not enough makeup application skill, it is difficult to reproduce the makeup even when a makeup simulation image is presented. Thus, the technique relating to basic cosmetics described in PTL 3 may be diverted to makeup.
According to the technique described in PTL 3, basic cosmetic materials corresponding to skin care selected for each face are printed on a cosmetic delivery sheet whose base material is a felt, paper or water-soluble material or the like. The user attaches such a cosmetic delivery sheet to the skin of the face with the printed surface being oriented toward the face, and can thereby hold the basic cosmetic materials applied to the face. Instead of these basic cosmetic materials, general cosmetic materials corresponding to the selected makeup may be printed.

Makeup support device, makeup support method, and makeup support program

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.


A bearing holding structure has a substantially cylindrical sleeve and a plate-shaped pressing plate. A tubular portion of the sleeve includes a housing press-fit portion having an outer peripheral surface to be press-fit into a recess of an upper housing, and a bearing press-fit portion having an inner peripheral surface to be press-fit thereinto by a bearing. A pullout prevention portion that protrudes inward to prevent pullout of the bearing is formed at one end of the tubular portion, and the pressing plate is press-fit into the other end thereof.

A butterfly-type exhaust gas circulation valve that circulates exhaust gas of an engine to an air supply passage is composed of a valve element that opens and closes an exhaust gas passage and a support shaft that causes the valve element to operate, and the support shaft is supported by a bearing (bearing portion) provided in a housing so as to be rotatable about itself. In the exhaust gas circulation valve having the above configuration, displacement and tilting of the support shaft directly lead to leakage of circulated exhaust gas in a state in which the valve element abuts on a valve seat, and hence it is extremely important to hold the bearing at a predetermined position.
A typical exhaust gas circulation valve is constituted by an aluminum housing, and hence there is a problem in that a holding force becomes insufficient when the bearing is press-fit into the aluminum housing and fixed.
To cope with this, Patent Document 1, for example, proposes a method of fixing a rolling bearing in which a bearing is fixed to the housing by using another component. A rolling bearing fixing device according to Patent document 1 has a structure in which an outer ring of the rolling bearing is fixed to a housing by using the following: the housing; the rolling bearing (bearing) in which a plurality of rolling elements are disposed between the outer ring and an inner ring so as to be rollable in a circumferential direction; a pair of annular fixing plates that sandwich the housing in an axial direction therebetween and hold both ends of the outer ring therebetween; and a bolt that couples the pair of fixing plates via the housing in the axial direction.


Apparatus and method embodiments are provided for implementing a wavelength selective switch (WSS). The embodiments use combinations of switchable polarization grating (SPG) and LC cells and combinations of polymer polarization grating (PPG) and LC cells to achieve 1×N WSS systems. An embodiment optical switch includes a liquid crystal cell and a SPG cell adjacent to the liquid crystal cell. The SPG includes liquid crystal material between two photo-alignment layers, an electrode layer overlying each photo-alignment layer, and a glass substrate overlying each electrode layer. An embodiment method includes polarizing an incident light beam at a circular polarization before diffracting, at a polarization grating, the polarized incident light beam in a determined angle that corresponds to a diffraction order in accordance to the circular polarization of the incident light beam and a hologram pattern direction formed inside the polarization grating.

For optical transport network equipment, the use of a reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexers (ROADMs) can flexibly expand the network capacity and reduce the operation cost. A wavelength selective switch (WSS) is one choice of technology for current RODAMs. For a 1×N WSS, 1 is a common (COM) port and N represents the branch ports. The WSS operates such that when a group of the WDM signals enter from the COM port, the signals are separated by optical wavelengths, and then according to the system requirement, each wavelength is routed to one of the N branch ports. Conversely, the optical signals can be received as input from N branch ports and sent as output from the COM port.
A ROADM provides an automated mechanism to flexibly add capacity as needed without resorting to expensive and service-interrupting "forklift" upgrades. A benefit of the ROADM network is its ability to add dynamic capacity wherever and whenever needed, with the assurance that the underlying network automatically compensates for the added traffic. This eliminates the need for manual tuning or wholesale upgrades. The ROADM can provide add/drop functions in multiple directions with multiple wavelength channels, and thus is suitable to achieve multi-directional interconnections between network rings and to build up mesh networks.

Method and apparatus for wavelength selective switch


A saddle-ride type four-wheeled vehicle has a structure that increases a tank capacity of a fuel tank and reduces a moment acting on a fixing position of a fuel pump disposed in the fuel tank. The saddle-ride type four-wheeled vehicle includes a fuel tank located above the head cover of the engine, and a fuel pump disposed in the fuel tank. The lower surface portion of the fuel tank includes, at a more forward position than the head cover, a deep bottom portion situated at a lowest position in the lower surface portion. The upper surface portion of the fuel tank includes, at a more rearward position than the deep bottom portion, an inclined portion arranged to extend rearward and obliquely downward. An upper end of the fuel pump is fixed to the inclined portion, and the fuel pump is arranged to extend forward and obliquely downward from the inclined portion toward the deep bottom portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a saddle-ride type four-wheeled vehicle including an all-terrain vehicle, for example, and more particularly, to arrangements of a fuel tank and a fuel pump included in such a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there is a saddle-ride type four-wheeled vehicle that is used mainly on rough terrain. As such a saddle-ride type four-wheeled vehicle, there is one having such a structure where the engine is located between front and rear wheels, that is, at a center portion of a vehicle (See, for example, US 2006/0273572).
In the saddle-ride type four-wheeled vehicle disclosed in US 2006/0273572, the cylinder is situated on the crankcase, and the fuel tank, which is molded of a resin, is located over the head cover situated at a top of the cylinder. In this saddle-ride type four-wheeled vehicle, the fuel tank extends rearward beyond the head cover, and the deepest portion in the fuel tank (hereinafter, referred to as deep bottom portion) is situated further rearward than the head cover. According to the above-mentioned fuel tank, by lowering a position of the deep bottom portion, it is possible to increase a capacity of the fuel tank.
Further, in the saddle-ride type four-wheeled vehicle disclosed in US 2006/0273572, a fuel pump in the fuel tank is suspended in a vertical direction from an upper surface of the fuel tank, and a lower end of the fuel pump is situated in the deep bottom portion.


The present invention relates to an air-conditioning apparatus provided in an vehicle. The apparatus is adapted to deliver conditioned air into a passenger compartment so as to regulate an interior temperature of a passenger compartment at a desired temperature. The apparatus comprises a temperature regulating device for regulating an outlet air temperature, a blower, and a controller for setting a target outlet air temperature and volume. The controller includes comfortability index setting means for setting a comfortability index which is a function of at least an outlet air temperature and volume and which is an indication representing a degree of a passenger's comfort, a variable temperature setting device located in the passenger compartment for a manual presetting of a desired interior temperature, and variable target setting means for setting a target value of the comfortability index dependent on the preset interior temperature, and air temperature and volume setting means for setting a combination of said target outlet air temperature and volume which allows the comfortability index to be approximated to the target value thereof.

The present invention generally relates to an air-conditioning apparatus for a vehicle, and more specifically, to such an air-conditioning apparatus provided in an vehicle and adapted to deliver conditioned air into a passenger compartment so as to regulate an interior or room temperature of the passenger compartment at a desired temperature.
Many Vehicles are equipped with heater-air-conditioner systems. Such heater-air-conditioner systems are generally well-known as an apparatus for heating, cooling or dehumidifying air in the passenger compartment of a vehicle. The heater-air-conditioner systems generally comprise a temperature regulating means constituted so as to control the heat balance between a heat-exchange capacity of the system and a heat load imposed thereon in order to maintain the passenger compartment of the vehicle at a desired comfortable temperature.
For example, the heat balance during cooling operation can be defined by the following formula: EQU Qa=Qu-Qs-Qm-Qe (1)
wherein Qa is the heat-exchange capacity of the heater-air-conditioner system, Qu is a transmission loss due to the temperature differential between the ambient temperature and the passenger compartment temperature, Qs is a heat load caused by the solar radiation, Qm is a heat load dissipated from the human bodies of passengers, and Qe is a heat load dissipated from equipments in the vehicle, such as an internal-combustion engine. Further, Qa, Qu, Qs are given by the following expressions: EQU Qa=Cp.multidot..gamma..multidot.Va(To-Tr) EQU Qu=K.multidot.A(Tr-Ta) EQU Qs=Ks.multidot.Ts PA1 Va: Outlet Air Volume of Blower (Delivery Air Volume of Blower); PA1 To: Outlet Air Temperature of Heater-Air-Conditioner System; PA1 Tr: Interior Temperature of Passenger Compartment PA1 Ta: Ambient Air Temperature (Outdoor Air Temperature) PA1 Ts: Reduced Temperature of Solar Radiation PA1 Cp: Specific heat of air at constant pressure PA1 .gamma.: Specific Gravity of air PA1 K: Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient PA1 A: Heating Surface Area PA1 Ks: Conversion Coefficient for Converting Solar Radiation to Temperature. PA1 a temperature regulating device for regulating a temperature of air to be delivered to a passenger compartment, so that an interior air temperature is regulated at a desired temperature; PA1 a blower for making the air pass through said temperature regulating device and flow out into the passenger compartment; and PA1 control means for setting a target outlet air temperature and a target outlet air volume of the apparatus; PA1 wherein said control means includes comfortability index setting means for setting a comfortability index which is a function of operating conditions including at least an outlet air temperature and an outlet air volume and which is an indication representing a degree of a passenger's comfort; PA1 a variable temperature setting device which is located in the passenger compartment in order for the passenger to manually preset a desired interior temperature; PA1 variable target setting means for setting a target value of the comfortability index dependent on the interior temperature preset by the variable temperature setting device; and PA1 air temperature and volume setting means for setting a combination of said target outlet air temperature and said target outlet air volume which allows the comfortability index to be approximated to the target value set by said variable target setting means. PA1 wherein the element Va is the outlet air volume, the element To is the outlet air temperature, the element Ta is an ambient air temperature, the element Tr is an interior air temperature in the passenger compartment, the element Ts is a temperature which is converted from a solar radiation value, and K1 through K5 are weighting coefficients for the respective elements; PA1 (2) The target value of the comfortability index is defined by the following formula: EQU FTSET=A+(TSET-B)/3 PA1 wherein FTSET is the target value of the comfortability index, TSET is the interior temperature preset by means of said variable temperature setting device, and the values A, B are predetermined values; PA1 (3) The control means includes first computing means for computing the optimum outlet air temperatures and the optimum outlet air volumes for maintaining the interior temperature at the preset interior temperature, second computing means for computing said comfortability indices based on the optimum outlet air temperatures and the optimum outlet air volumes obtained by the first computing means, selecting means for selecting as the target outlet air temperature and volume a combination of the optimum outlet air temperature and the optimum outlet air volume which allows the comfortability index to be approximated to said target value, and operation control means for controlling the outlet air temperature through said regulating device and the air volume from said blower so as to bring them into accord with said selected combination; PA1 (4) The control means stepwisely varies the outlet air volume from its minimum value up to its maximum value, and computes the outlet air temperatures suitable for the respective outlet air volumes and the comfortability indices based on respective combinations of the outlet air volume and the outlet air temperature.
wherein
In the above-mentioned formula (1), assuming Qm, Qe to be C (constant) since Qm and Qe can be considered as being approximately constant values, the expression (1) can be rewritten into the following expression: EQU CP.multidot..gamma..multidot.Va(To-Tr)=K.multidot.A(Tr-Ta)-Ks.multidot.Ts-C (2)
If the room temperature Tr is substantially equal to a preset temperature TSET which is manually set by the passenger, this expression can be further rewritten into the following expression: EQU Cp.multidot..gamma..multidot.Va(To-TSET)=K.multidot.A(TSET-Ta)-Ks.multidot. Ts-C (3)
Thus, the desired values of the outlet air volume Va and the outlet air temperature To can be obtained from the above-mentioned expression (3), and the outlet air volume Va and the outlet air temperature To of the heater-air-conditioner system is converged to the desired values, respectively, whereby the room temperature Tr can be maintained substantially at the preset temperature TSET. However, the above-mentioned expression includes two variables, that is, the outlet air volume Va and the outlet air temperature To, and therefore, it is difficult to obtain the really desired values of the volume Va and the temperature To directly or uniformly from the above expression (3).
In a heater-air-conditioner system disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 62-8327 (Application No. 54-57215), the relationship between the outlet air volume and an environmental condition such as the ambient air temperature is predetermined, and the outlet air volume is determined in accordance with a detected environmental condition. Then, a desired outlet air temperature is computed from the determined outlet air volume, and the opening degree of an air-mixing door or damper is controlled so as to obtain the outlet air temperature.
Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 57-77216 (Application No. 55-153718) discloses a heater-air-conditioner system in which an optimum outlet air temperature can be determined in accordance with a preset desired room temperature, a detected ambient air temperature and a detected room temperature.
In the system disclosed in the above-mentioned Japanese Publication No. 62-8327, an intended outlet air volume may be controlled, but the outlet air temperature has to be uncontrollable. On the contrary, according to the system disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 57-77216, an intended outlet air temperature may be controlled, but the outlet air volume has to be uncontrollable.
In particular, since a passenger in a vehicle tends to take a position relatively near to air outlets of a heater-air-conditioner system, an excessively high or low outlet air temperature or an excessively high or low outlet air flow rate gives an uncomfortability to the passengers, and therefore, the system cannot satisfy passengers' requests for comfortable air condition. Further, the temperature actually sensed by the passenger relates to both the outlet air volume and the outlet air temperature. If one of them is preferentially controlled but the other is uncontrollable, the temperature actually sensed by the passengers may be often deviated from their desired temperature.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle air-conditioning apparatus in which both the outlet air temperature and the outlet air volume can be set so as to satisfy a passenger's comfort. Another object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle air-conditioning apparatus which can compensate the individual difference in comfortability of the passengers.


A stove top grill assembly having a contoured base defining an annular channel about an opening within the placement over a burner of a stove. A grill plate having a plurality of aligned parallel grooves therein each having oppositely disposed slots at their respective ends. The grill plate rest on the perimeter edge of the base in spaced relation to the opening and annular channel which is filled with water to catch the grease.

1. Techinical Field
This device relates to cooking grills that are positioned on the surface of the stove or a burner to grill foods in a confined smokeless configuration.
2. Description on Prior Art
Prior Art devices of this type have relied on a variety of different design configurations, all of which position a food engagement grill or mesh surface over a burner of a stove top to grill food thereon. Examples of same can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,729,297, 4,679,816 and 3,469,524.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,297 a cooking grill can be seen having multiple part assembly including a support ring placed on the stove top, a base with annular vents in the side walls with a central opening therein. A grease catching pan is supported within the base and a wire grill configuration is placed thereon. A hood or lid is placed over the grill enclosing the cooking area.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,816 is directed to a grill apparatus having a shallow annular base pan with an opening in the center thereof. A grill element is positioned within the base on support feet with a central open portion. The grill supports the food around the central opening and has a lid engageable thereon.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,469,524 discloses a fry pan in which a contoured base is positioned directly on a flat burner and has a generally convex configuration to its upper surface. A plurality of lug like risers extend from this convex surface with drainage grooves within. An annular reservoir is formed around the contoured raised surface by the base defining an area that can be filled with water into which the grease from the cooking food is directed through the grooves.