A method for providing information on the dispersion of a radioactive material within a matrix includes measuring emissions of a first energy, the emissions including emissions of a first type, to provide a first type value; measuring emissions of a second energy, the emissions including emissions of a second type, to provide a second type value; measuring emissions of a third energy, the emissions including emissions of a third type, to provide a third type value; the interrelationship of the values for the first type value, second type value and third type value providing information on the dispersion of the radioactive material within the matrix due to the different effects of dispersion upon those different values.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns improvements in and relating to providing information, particularly, but not exclusively, on the dispersion of radioactive material within a matrix.
2. Present State of the Art and Summary of the Invention
The establishment of the amount of radioactive material within a matrix is useful in a number of situations. Particularly in the context of uranium, the ability of the radioactive material to shield against its own emissions is a potential source of error. At present this is addressed by considering the measured result in a pessimistic manner. However, undue pessimism causes increased cost and exposure to dose considerations.
The present invention has amongst its potential aims to indicate whether self-shielding is an issue for radioactive material within a matrix.
According to a first aspect of the present invention we provide a method for providing information on the dispersion of a radioactive material within a matrix, the method comprising:                measuring emissions of a first energy, the emissions including emissions of a first type, to provide a first type value;        measuring emissions of a second energy, the emissions including emissions of a second type, to provide a second type value;        measuring emissions of a third energy, the emissions including emissions of a third type, to provide a third type value;        the interrelationship of the values for the first type value, second type value and third type value providing information on the dispersion of the radioactive material within the matrix.
The information on the dispersion may be an indication that the radioactive material is dispersed or an indication that the radioactive material is not dispersed. The information on the dispersion may be an indication that the radioactive material can be considered to be dispersed or not be considered to be dispersed. The information may provide a measure of the dispersion. The information may be used to confirm and/or question information on dispersion from another methodology, for instance differential peak analysis.
The radioactive material may be uranium and/or an isotope thereof. The uranium may be present along with one or more other elements or isotopes of other elements. The method may provide information on the dispersion of one or more other elements or isotopes of other elements, but need not.
The matrix may be waste. The matrix may be of lower density and/or lower atomic number than the radioactive material. The matrix may be present in a container, for instance a drum or crate.
The emissions may be measured by one or more detectors.
Preferably the first energy is 98.44 keV. The emissions of the first energy may be measured by measuring a range of energies. Preferably the range of energies includes 98.44 keV. The range of energies may have a lower limit of 96.9 keV±0.5 keV. The range of energies may have a lower limit of 96.9 keV±0.25 keV. The range of energies may have a lower limit of 96.9 keV±0.1 keV. The range of energies may have an upper limit of 100.4 keV−0.5 keV+5 keV. The range of energies may have an upper limit of 100.4 keV±0.5 keV. The range of energies may have an upper limit of 100.4 keV±0.25 keV. The range of energies may have an upper limit of 100.4 keV±0.1 keV.
The emissions of the first type may be uranium K X-ray emissions. The emissions of the first type may be emissions caused by movement of electrons between shells and/or orbits. The emissions of the first type may be uranium Kα emissions, particularly uranium Kα1 emissions. The emissions of the first type may be K X-ray emissions, particularly Kα1 emissions, from a uranium atom caused by alpha and/or beta emissions from another uranium atom. The emissions of the first type may be K X-ray emissions, particularly Kα1 emissions, from a uranium atom caused only by alpha and/or beta emissions from another uranium atom. The emissions of the first type may be emissions arising from self-stimulation of the uranium and ideally only by this mechanism.
Preferably the emissions of the first type are emitted by uranium.
The first type value may be expressed as a count rate or count or intensity or peak height or peak area.
The first type value may be corrected.
The first type value may be corrected for attenuation by the matrix. The first type value may be corrected for detector efficiency and/or attenuation, particularly relative to different detector efficiencies and/or attenuation at other energies.
The first type value may be corrected to remove emissions, for instance of other types and/or from other sources. The first type value may be corrected to remove emissions from other elements than uranium. The first type value may be corrected to remove emissions other than uranium K X-ray emissions and in particular other than Kα1 emissions. The first type value may be corrected to remove emissions from plutonium and/or stimulated by emissions from plutonium. The first value may be corrected to remove plutonium K X-ray emissions and/or to remove K X-rays arising from the decay of plutonium and/or to remove uranium K X-rays caused by stimulation other than by uranium, for instance by plutonium. The first type value may be corrected to remove emissions from and/or stimulated by emissions from caesium and in particular from Cs137. The first value may be corrected to remove uranium K X-rays caused by stimulation by caesium.
The first type value may be corrected to remove emissions other than those arising from the uranium and caused only by alpha and/or beta emissions from the uranium. The first type value may be corrected to remove emissions other than those arising from the uranium caused by alpha and/or beta emissions from another uranium atom. The first type value may be corrected to remove emissions other than those arising from self-stimulation of the uranium. The first type value may be corrected to remove K X-ray emissions, potentially Kα emissions, ideally Kα1 emissions, arising from stimulation of the uranium by alpha and/or beta and/or gamma emissions from other than uranium. The first type value may be corrected to remove K X-ray emissions, potentially Kα emissions, ideally Kα1 emissions, arising from stimulation of the uranium by alpha and/or beta and/or gamma emissions from plutonium and/or caesium.
The correction may be provided by establishing the amount in the matrix in respect of one or more other sources. The correction may involve the removal from the first type value of a correction proportional to the emissions within the first energy range which would arise from the established amount of that other source. The amount of the other source in the matrix may be established by measuring the emissions at at least one energy characteristic of that other source, and ideally at at least one energy characteristic of that other source only. The value for the other source emissions may be expressed as a count rate or count or intensity or peak height or peak area. The value of the correction may be obtained by the known ratio of the other source emissions at the characteristic energy to the emissions from that other source which would therefore arise or would be generated by that other sources action on other material, particularly uranium, at an energy or energies falling within the first energy range. Such a correction may be provided in respect of one or more other sources, and in particular in respect of plutonium and/or caesium.
The method may include measuring one or more energies characteristic of other sources. Where the measurement indicates the presence of one or more other sources, the method may include measuring emissions of a fourth energy, the emissions including emissions of a first type, to provide a further first type value. The measurement of emissions of a fourth energy may be performed instead of or in addition to the measurement of emissions of the first energy. The fourth energy is preferably an energy to which the one or more other sources do not contribute and/or do not cause the uranium to contribute. The further first type value obtained by the measurement of the fourth energy may be used instead of correcting the first type value. Preferably the interrelationship of the values for the further first type value, second type value and third type value then provide information on the dispersion of the radioactive material within the matrix. The further first type value, second type value and third type value may be used without having and/or referring to the first type value.
The fourth energy may be 110.43 keV and/or 111.31 keV and/or 114.34 keV and/or 114.57 keV. The emissions of the fourth energy may be measured by measuring a range of energies. Preferably the range of energies includes 110.43 keV and/or 111.31 keV and/or 114.34 keV and/or 114.57 keV. Where one of these fourth energy values is included in a range, the range may have limits of ±1 keV or ±0.5 keV or ±0.25 keV relative to this. Where the range of energies includes two or more of these fourth energy values, the lower limit of the range may be −1 keV or −0.5 keV or −0.25 keV relative to the lowest of the fourth energy values included in the range and/or the upper limit may be +1 keV or +0.5 keV or +0.25 keV relative to the highest of the fourth energy values included in the range
Preferably the second energy is 89.953 keV and/or 89.9 keV and/or 84.2 keV. The emissions of the second energy may be measured by measuring a range of energies. Preferably the range of energies includes 89.953 keV and/or 89.9 keV and/or 84.2 keV. The range of energies may have a lower limit of 88.6 keV±0.5 keV. The range of energies may have a lower limit of 88.6 keV±0.25 keV. The range of energies may have a lower limit of 88.6 keV±0.1 keV. The range of energies may have an upper limit of 91.1 keV±0.5 keV. The range of energies may have an upper limit of 91.1±0.25 keV. The range of energies may have an upper limit of 91.1 keV±0.1 keV. The range of energies may have a lower limit of 83 keV±0.5 keV. The range of energies may have a lower limit of 83.2 keV±0.25 keV. The range of energies may have a lower limit of 84 keV±0.1 keV. The range of energies may have an upper limit of 85.5 keV±0.5 keV. The range of energies may have an upper limit of 85.2 keV±0.25 keV. The range of energies may have an upper limit of 84.4 keV±0.1 keV.
Preferably the emissions of the second type are thorium K X-ray emissions and/or emissions from thorium, more particularly thorium K X-ray emissions and/or emissions from Th231. The emissions of the second type may be emissions caused by movement of electrons between shells and/or orbits and/or emissions, particularly caused by nucleus decay. The emissions of the second type may be thorium Kα emissions, particularly thorium Kα2 emissions.
Preferably the emissions of the second type are emitted by a decay product of uranium, more particularly of U235.
The second type value of the second energy may be expressed as a count rate or count or intensity or peak height or peak area.
The second type value may be corrected.
The expression may be corrected for attenuation by the matrix. The second type value may be corrected for detector efficiency and/or attenuation, particularly relative to different detector efficiencies and/or attenuation at other energies.
The second type value may be corrected to remove emissions from other sources and/or of other types. The second type value may be corrected to remove emissions from other elements than thorium. The second type value may be corrected to remove emissions other than thorium K X-ray emissions and/or Th231 emissions, and in particular other than Kα2 thorium emissions and/or Th231 emissions. Particularly where the second type value includes an energy of 84.2 keV, the second type value may be corrected to remove emissions from lead. The second type value may be corrected to remove lead K X-ray emissions, particularly lead Kβ emissions and most particularly lead Kβ emissions of energy 84.6 keV.
The correction may be provided by establishing the amount in the matrix in respect of one or more other sources. The correction may involve the removal from the second type value of a correction proportional to the emissions within the second energy range which would arise from the established amount of that other source. The amount of the other source in the matrix may be established by measuring the emissions at at least one energy characteristic of that other source, and ideally at at least one energy characteristic of that other source only. The energy may be 87.4 keV, potentially ±0.1 keV. The value for the other source emissions may be expressed as a count rate or count or intensity or peak height or peak area. The value of the correction may be obtained by the known ratio of the other source emissions at the characteristic energy to the emissions from that other source which would therefore arise or would be generated by that other sources action on other material, particularly uranium, at an energy or energies falling within the first energy range. Such a correction may be provided in respect of one or more other sources, and in particular in respect of plutonium and/or caesium.
The second type value may be isolated from any contribution other than from thorium K X-ray emissions and/or emissions from thorium by a collimator. The detector for the second type of emissions may be provided within the collimator. The collimator may be a lead collimator. The collimator may be lined with copper or tin and preferably both. The copper and tin may be provided as layers, ideally approximately 1.5 mm thick. Preferably the copper is provided closest to the detector.
Preferably the third energy is 92.368 keV and/or 92.8 keV. The emissions of the third energy may be measured by measuring a range of energies. Preferably the range of energies includes 92.368 keV and/or 92.8 keV. The range of energies may further include one or more of 92.29 keV and or 93.35 keV and/or 95.868 keV and/or 94.66 keV. The range of energies may have a lower limit of 91.2 keV±0.5 keV. The range of energies may have a lower limit of 91.2 keV±0.25 keV. The range of energies may have a lower limit of 91.2 keV±0.1 keV. The range of energies may have an upper limit of 96.7 keV±0.5 keV. The range of energies may have an upper limit of 96.7±0.25 keV. The range of energies may have an upper limit of 96.7 keV±0.1 keV.
Preferably the emissions of the third type are emissions from thorium, more particularly from Th234.
Preferably the emissions of the third type are emitted by a decay product of uranium, more particularly of U238.
The method may include obtaining a measure of the third type, and preferably using that to provide the third type value. The method may include processing the measure of the third type to give a third type value.
The measure of the third type and/or the third type value may be expressed as a count rate or count or intensity or peak height or peak area.
The measure of the third type and/or the third type value may be corrected. The expression may be corrected for attenuation by the matrix. The third type value may be corrected for detector efficiency and/or attenuation, particularly relative to different detector efficiencies and/or attenuation at other energies.
The processing of the measure of the third type to give a third type value may include separation of the emissions of the third type from other emissions. In particular the processing may separate emissions arising from and/or indicative of U238 from other emissions. In particular the processing may separate emissions arising from and/or indicative of Th234 from other emissions. In particular the processing may remove emissions arising from and/or indicative of U235 and/or uranium K X-ray emissions and/or thorium K X-ray emissions and/or protactinium K X-ray emissions.
The processing may include determining the emissions attributable to U238 according to the formula:—
                                                                          U                                                                          238                                            C                      ROI                                                                          2                          =                                              C                                      ROI                                                                                2                                      TOTAL                                  -                                    (                              U                                                                                235                                                                                C                                  ROI                                                                                1                                            ×                                                B                                                        ROI                                                                                2                                                                              U                                                                                235                                                                                B                                                        ROI                                                                                1                                                                              U                                                                                235                                                                                )                    -                                                                              (                          UK                                                                                α                                                                                1                                                                    C                              ROI                                                                                3                                      ×                                          B                                                  ROI                                                                                2                                                                      UK                                                                                α                                                                                2                                                                                B                                                  ROI                                                                                3                                                                      UK                                                                                α                                                                                1                                                                                )                    where                TOTALCROI2=Net peak area counts for the third type value energy range;        U235CROI1=Net peak area counts for the second type value energy range;        UKα1CROI3=Net peak area counts for the first type value energy range;        U235BROI2=Total U235 branching intensity in the third type value energy range;        U235BROI1=Total U235 branching intensity in the second type energy range;        UKα2BROI2=UKα2 branching intensity in the third type energy range;        UKα1BROI3=UKα1 branching intensity in the second type energy range.
The interrelationship of the values for the first type value, second type value and third type value which provides information on the dispersion of the radioactive material within the matrix may be defined asUKα1CROI3=a×U235CROI1+b×U238CROI2
The values of constants a and b may be determined through experimentation and/or calculation and/or modelling. In particular the value of the constants may be determined through a method according to the second aspect of the invention. The values of the constants a and b may be different for different enrichments and/or fissile contents of radioactive material.
The dispersion format of the radioactive material may be expressed in terms of the relationship:
      F    RATIO    =                                                        UK                                                              α                                                              1                                  C                  ROI                                                              3                            (                        a                                ×                          U                                                                                235                                                      C                          ROI                                                                                1                                      +                  b                                ×                          U                                                                                238                                                      C                          ROI                                                                                2                                          )
An expression of the dispersion format of radioactive material within a matrix for one matrix may be compared with an expression of the dispersion format of radioactive material within a matrix for another matrix. A higher value for the expression may indicate a less dispersed form. A lower value for the expression may indicate a more dispersed form. The expression may be for an unknown radioactive material in matrix dispersion format and may be compared with a known radioactive material in matrix dispersion format. A relative indication of dispersion may thus be provided.
According to a second aspect of the invention we provide a method of establishing an interrelationship between the values for a first type value, a second type value and a third type value with isotopic composition of a radioactive material the interrelationship providing information on the dispersion of the radioactive material within the matrix, the method including:
defining a form for the interrelationship;
providing a plurality of different isotopic compositions of the radioactive material in a matrix and for each of the different isotopic compositions:                measuring emissions of a first energy, the emissions including emissions of a first type, to provide a first type value;        measuring emissions of a second energy, the emissions including emissions of a second type, to provide a second type value;        measuring emissions of a third energy, the emissions including emissions of a third type, to provide a measure of the third type, processing the measure of the third type to give a third type value;
adjusting the value of one or more factors in the interrelationship to fit the interrelationship to the observed values for the first type value, second type value and third type value with varying isotopic composition.
The method may further include using the values for the factors to determine the value of the interrelationship in respect of one or more unknown radioactive materials in a material where the radioactive material is of unknown isotopic composition. The relationship may be a linear equation. The factors may be a and b in a formula defined as:UKα1CROI3=a×U235CROI1+b×U238CROI2
The method may include the use of the interrelationship to provide information on the dispersion of the radioactive material within the matrix according to the form:
      F    RATIO    =                                                        UK                                                              α                                                              1                                  C                  ROI                                                              3                            (                        a                                ×                          U                                                                                235                                                      C                          ROI                                                                                1                                      +                  b                                ×                          U                                                                                238                                                      C                          ROI                                                                                2                                          )
Different values for the factors may be established for different dispersion formats of the radioactive material.
The second aspect of the invention may include any of the features, options or possibilities set out elsewhere in this document.
According to a third aspect of the invention we provide a method for providing information on the dispersion of a radioactive material within a matrix, the method comprising:—
measuring emissions of a first energy, the emissions including emissions of a first type, to provide a first type value;
measuring emissions of a second energy, the emissions including emissions of a second type, to provide a second type value;
the interrelationship of the values for the first type value and second type value providing information on the dispersion of the radioactive material within the matrix.
The interrelationship may be the ratio of the first type value to the second type value of vice versa.
In a first particularly preferred embodiment the invention may provide that the first energy is a range of energies. The range of energies may have a lower limit of 96.9 keV±0.5 keV. The range of energies may have a lower limit of 96.9 keV±0.25 keV. The range of energies may have a lower limit of 96.9 keV±0.1 keV. The range of energies may have a lower limit of 94 keV±0.5 keV. The range of energies may have a lower limit of 94 keV±0.25 keV. The range of energies may have a lower limit of 94 keV±0.1 keV. The range of energies may have an upper limit of 100.4 keV−0.5 keV+5 keV. The range of energies may have an upper limit of 100.4 keV±0.5 keV. The range of energies may have an upper limit of 100.4 keV±0.25 keV. the range of energies may have an upper limit of 100.4 keV±0.1 keV. Preferably the second energy is a range of energies. The range of energies may have a lower limit of 88.6 keV±0.5 keV. The range of energies may have a lower limit of 88.6 keV±0.25 keV. The range of energies may have a lower limit of 88.6 keV±0.1 keV. The range of energies may have an upper limit of 91.1 keV±0.5 keV. The range of energies may have an upper limit of 91.1±0.25 keV. The range of energies may have an upper limit of 91.1 keV±0.1 keV. The invention may provide that the amount of radioactive material is determined, preferably based upon the first type value and/or second type value. The amount of radioactive material may be corrected, preferably to account for self-shielding of emissions from it. The correction may be based upon an interrelationship of the values for the first type value and second type value and preferably a ratio between them.
In a second particularly preferred embodiment the invention may provide that the first type value is corrected to remove emissions, for instance of other types and/or from other sources. The first type value may be corrected to remove emissions from other elements than uranium. The first type value may be corrected to remove emissions other than uranium K X-ray emissions and in particular other than Kα1 emissions. The first type value may be corrected to remove emissions from plutonium and/or stimulated by emissions from plutonium. The first value may be corrected to remove plutonium K X-ray emissions and/or to remove K X-rays arising from the decay of plutonium and/or to remove uranium K X-rays caused by stimulation other than by uranium, for instance by plutonium. The first type value may be corrected to remove emissions from and/or stimulated by emissions from caesium and in particular from Cs137. The first value may be corrected to remove uranium K X-rays caused by stimulation by caesium. The first type value may be corrected to remove emissions other than those arising from the uranium and caused only by alpha and/or beta emissions from the uranium. The first type value may be corrected to remove emissions other than those arising from the uranium caused by alpha and/or beta emissions from another uranium atom. The first type value may be corrected to remove emissions other than those arising from self-stimulation of the uranium. The first type value may be corrected to remove K X-ray emissions, potentially Kα emissions, ideally Kα1 emissions, arising from stimulation of the uranium by alpha and/or beta and/or gamma emissions from other than uranium. The first type value may be corrected to remove K X-ray emissions, potentially Kα emissions, ideally Kα1 emissions, arising from stimulation of the uranium by alpha and/or beta and/or gamma emissions from plutonium and/or caesium. The correction may be provided by establishing the amount in the matrix in respect of one or more other sources. The correction may involve the removal from the first type value of a correction proportional to the emissions within the first energy range which would arise from the established amount of that other source. The amount of the other source in the matrix may be established by measuring the emissions at least one energy characteristic of that other source, and ideally at at least one energy characteristic of that other source only. The value for the other source emissions may be expressed as a count rate or count or intensity or peak height or peak area. The value of the correction may be obtained by the known ratio of the other source emissions at the characteristic energy to the emissions from that other source which would therefore arise or would be generated by that other sources action on other material, particularly uranium, at an energy or energies falling within the first energy range. Such a correction may be provided in respect of one or more other sources, and in particular in respect of plutonium and/or caesium. The first type value may be corrected for detector efficiency and/or attenuation, particularly relative to different detector efficiencies and/or attenuation at other energies.
In a third particularly preferred embodiment the invention may provide that the second type value is corrected to remove emissions from other sources and/or of other types. The second type value may be corrected to remove emissions from other elements than thorium. The second type value may be corrected to remove emissions other than thorium K X-ray emissions and/or Th231 emissions, and in particular other than Kα2 thorium emissions and/or Th231 emissions. Particularly where the second type value includes energy of 84.2 keV, the second type value may be corrected to remove emissions from lead. The second type value may be corrected to remove lead K X-ray emissions, particularly lead Kβ emissions and most particularly lead Kβ emissions of energy 84.6 keV. The correction may be provided by establishing the amount in the matrix in respect of one or more other sources. The correction may involve the removal from the second type value of a correction proportional to the emissions within the second energy range which would arise from the established amount of that other source. The amount of the other source in the matrix may be established by measuring the emissions at at least one energy characteristic of that other source, and ideally at at least one energy characteristic of that other source only. The energy may be 87.4 keV, potentially ±0.1 keV. The value for the other source emissions may be expressed as a count rate or count or intensity or peak height or peak area. The value of the correction may be obtained by the known ratio of the other source emissions at the characteristic energy to the emissions from that other source which would therefore arise or would be generated by that other sources action on other material, particularly uranium, at an energy or energies falling within the first energy range. Such a correction may be provided in respect of one or more other sources, and in particular in respect of plutonium and/or caesium. The second type value may be isolated from any contribution other than from thorium K X-ray emissions and/or emissions from thorium by a collimator. The detector for the second type of emissions may be provided within the collimator. The collimator may be a lead collimator. The collimator may be lined with copper or tin and preferably both. The copper and tin may be provided as layers, ideally approximately 1.5 mm thick. Preferably the copper is provided closest to the detector. The second type value may be corrected for detector efficiency and/or attenuation, particularly relative to different detector efficiencies and/or attenuation at other energies.
In a fourth particularly preferred embodiment, the invention may provide that the second energy includes 84.2 keV. The emissions of the second energy may be measured by measuring a range of energies. The range of energies may include 84.2 keV. The range of energies may have a lower limit of 83 keV±0.5 keV. The range of energies may have a lower limit of 83.2 keV±0.25 keV. The range of energies may have a lower limit of 84 keV±0.1 keV. The range of energies may have an upper limit of 85.5 keV±0.5 keV. The range of energies may have an upper limit of 85.2 keV±0.25 keV. The range of energies may have an upper limit of 84.4 keV±0.1 keV. The range of energies may have an upper limit of 91.1 keV±0.5 keV. The range of energies may have an upper limit of 91.1±0.25 keV. The range of energies may have an upper limit of 91.1 keV±0.1 keV. The range of energies may have an upper limit of less than 94.6 keV, for instance an upper limit of 93.85 keV±0.5 keV. The range of energies may have an upper limit of 93.6±0.25 keV. The range of energies may have an upper limit of 93.5 keV±0.1 keV. The second type value may be corrected to remove emissions from lead. The second type value may be corrected to remove lead K X-ray emissions, particularly lead Kβ emissions and most particularly lead Kβ emissions of energy 84.6 keV.
In a fifth particularly preferred embodiment, the invention may provide that the second energy includes 143 keV. The emissions of the second energy may be measured by measuring a range of energies. The range of energies may include 143 keV. The range of energies may have a lower limit of 132 keV±2 keV. The range of energies may have a lower limit of 135 keV±2 keV. The range of energies may have a lower limit of 138 keV±1 keV. The range of energies may have an upper limit of 150 keV±5 keV. The range of energies may have an upper limit of 150 keV±2 keV. The range of energies may have an upper limit of 148 keV±1 keV.
The third aspect of the invention may include any of the features, options or possibilities set out elsewhere in this document.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention we provide a method for providing information on the dispersion of a radioactive material containing uranium within a matrix, the method comprising:                measuring emissions of a first energy indicative of dispersion of the uranium, to provide a first type value;                    measuring emissions of a second energy indicative of U235, to provide a second type value;            measuring emissions of a third energy indicative of U238 to provide a third type value;            the interrelationship of the values for the first type value, second type value and third type value providing information on the dispersion of the radioactive material within the matrix.
The fourth aspect of the invention may include any of the features, options or possibilities set out elsewhere in this application, including in the first and/or second and/or third aspects of the invention.


Examples of cavity resonators, filters, and communications devices are described. One example of cavity resonator includes a cover, a resonant column, and a cavity. The cover is mounted at an opening of a top portion of the cavity. The resonant column is disposed at a bottom portion of the cavity. A value of distributed capacitance is changed with a distance between the cover and the resonant column, a value of distributed inductance is changed with a distance between the cavity and the resonant column, and a material of at least one of the cover, the resonant column, and the cavity is a plastic metal material. Therefore, when the at least one of the cover, the resonant column, or the cavity deforms, the value of the distributed capacitance or the distributed inductance is changed, to adjust a resonant frequency.

A cavity filter is a common type of filter in a wireless communications device. An existing cavity filter may include at least one cavity resonator. Each cavity resonator may be as shown in FIG. 1. The cavity resonator may include a cavity 1, a resonant column 2, a screw 3, a nut 4, a cover 5, a pad 6, and a tuning threaded rod 7. An inner bottom surface of the cavity 1 is disposed with a boss. The boss is disposed with a threaded hole. The resonant column 2 may be mounted on the boss through the screw 3. The cover 5 is disposed with a threaded hole. The tuning threaded rod 7 may be fastened on the cover 5 through the nut 4 and the pad 6. The tuning threaded rod 7 is rotated in the threaded hole on the cover 5, to adjust a distance between a bottom portion of the tuning threaded rod 7 and a top portion of the resonant column 2, thereby adjusting a resonant frequency.
The cavity resonator generally works in an environment of a strong electric field. Therefore, a thread on a part that is of the tuning threaded rod and that is not in contact with the cover is generally exposed in the strong electric field directly, and generates a plurality of signals of different resonant frequencies under the action of the strong electric field. The plurality of signals of different resonant frequencies may be mutually modulated. This generates an intermodulation interference signal. To be specific, the cavity resonator has a problem of intermodulation sensitivity. The intermodulation interference signal affects a filtering capability of the cavity resonator, and results in a decrease in the filtering capability of the cavity resonator, to be specific, results in a decrease in a direct-through rate of the cavity resonator. In addition, the tuning threaded rod is in a threaded connection to the cover. The tuning threaded rod and the cover may be loose after being used for a long time. This also results in the intermodulation sensitivity in the cavity resonator.

Cavity resonator, filter, and communications device


A decorative glass body for viewing objects that are disposed on the base surface of the decorative glass body but seem to be floating inside the glass.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a decorative glass body characterized by special optical effects.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Decorative bodies made of glass and other materials and intended to be placed on desks, for example, are known in many embodiments. However, there is always a need for new decorative elements, in particular if they have new, hitherto unknown effects.


Shockproof timepiece wheel for driving a component having unbalance relative to a pivot axis of this wheel, The wheel includes, on the one hand, an arbour for pivotally guiding the wheel about this pivot axis, and on the other hand, a drive device arranged or assembled on a flange of this wheel, the wheel including at least one flexible element between this arbour and the flange. The flange includes a cylindrical shoulder, which cooperates in abutment for centring purposes with a complementary cylindrical shoulder provided in the arbour to ensure the perfect concentricity of the drive device with the arbour.

The use of technologies permitting the use of hands with greater unbalance entails new problems:
the hands sliding on the tubes;
breakage of gear trains and/or rotors in electrical versions, in the event of a 5000 g shock.
This latter point is by far the most critical. In certain existing calibres, this type of breakage may occur in the event of a 5000 g shock, such as an accidental fall from the user's height.
Breakage means that the watch no longer functions, which strongly impacts the quality perceived by the user.
It is an object of the invention to prevent the gear trains and/or rotor from breaking by absorbing the energy from a shock, without affecting the design of the hands. Indeed, if a counterweight can be added to the hands to reduce their unbalance and thereby reduce the torque exerted during a large shock, this type of solution impairs the appearance of the hands desired by the manufacturers.
The energy from a shock must be absorbed to permit the use of hands with significant unbalance, which are increasingly common with the current trend of increasing the diameter of watches.
EP Patent No 1921516 in the name of the Swiss Watch Manufacturer ETA SA discloses a fastening for a silicon assembly element for use as a rotating element, in particular a hand or a toothed wheel. This assembly element includes two series of resilient structures etched into different layers of the plate in which the element is fabricated, to radially grip an arbour.
EP Patent No 1705533 in the name of PATEK PHILIPPE SA discloses an assembly of a silicon part on an arbour including a shoulder adjoining an axial stop member. The part includes a passage cooperating with the shoulder. The device further includes a washer with a hole fixed to the arbour so that the part is located between the stop member and the washer. The only possibility of protection against external stresses is provided by the elasticity of the silicon where the arbour is clamped.
CH Patent No 67295 in the name of BBC BROWN BOVERI & CIE discloses a wheel for heavy machinery including a toothed crown centred on a hub, with, just under the surface, a vibration or shock absorber device in the form of a tangentially mounted helical shock absorber spring, which is necessarily very bulky and unsuitable for horological applications.


A cleaning methodology for cleaning a paper path surface upon which paper travels within a printing apparatus. The cleaning device is a flexible substrate sheet having a first side and a second side, with the first side coated preferably in its entirety with an exposed adhesive having a tack strength between about 0.0002 and about 0.12 pound force-square inch. The second side of the substrate sheet can have laminated thereto a foam resin to provide a flexible thickness that assures pressured contact with all paper path surfaces to be cleaned. A lint-free cloth layer can be laminated to the foam resin if present, or the cloth layer can be laminated directly to the second surface of the sheet substrate. Operability occurs as the substrate sheet is fed into the printing apparatus and travels there through along the paper-path surfaces upon which paper is conveyed. Of particular importance is the cleaning of rubber paper-feed rollers within printing equipment and whose surfaces can have accumulated thereupon paper powder, color pigment, dust, ink, toner, etc.

Printing equipment, including desk-top printers used in association with computer print-out material from word processing, spread sheet preparation, and the like, becomes dirty over a period of use as paper path surfaces collect random image-forming particles, dust, paper residue, etc. This build-up of particulate can cause reduced-quality printing as well as harm to the equipment itself, and therefore necessitates a maintenance program that includes periodic cleaning of rollers and other printer components that come into contact with the sheets of paper upon which images are printed.
One typical manner of cleaning such printing equipment is to introduce a tissue paper having absorbed therein a liquid solvent such as an alcohol for dissolving particulate. This procedure is followed by wiping and drying the cleaned components for subsequent operation of the equipment. Another manner of cleaning paper paths is to provide a sheet having an extremely aggressive adhesive coating that must be maintained behind a liner until the sheet is used. The aggressiveness of this adhesive is so great that the leading edge of the sheet cannot have adhesive there applied because jamming of the printing apparatus would result when the sheet is introduced to the paper path. Further, of course, the presence of a liner and its required removal results in inefficient operation as well as waste of materials. As is therefore evident, both of these procedures are inconvenient, time-consuming, and potentially messy, and make apparent the presence of a need for a cleaning device that can routinely effectively and efficiently clean the paper path surface of the printing equipment. Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning device that can clean the surfaces of a paper path directly and without hardship.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning device constructed as a flexible sheet that can be fed directly into printing equipment as would be fed a sheet of paper.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning device wherein an adhesive is coated on a flexible sheet for removing foreign matter from the paper-path components of the printing equipment.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent throughout the description thereof which now follows.


An exhaust muffler comprising an outer cylindrical body, front and rear end plates mounted on each end of the outer cylindrical body, porous plates fitted on the insides of the outer cylindrical body and each of the end plates, and partition plates for dividing the internal space of the outer cylindrical body into several chambers, wherein when joining the component parts with each other, three or four component parts are superposed via their joint portions each on the other and integrally joined by laser beam welding so as to obtain a reduction of welding steps and minimize the thermal influence in the manufacturing process while ensuring an air-tight condition of the partitioned chambers. When an exhaust pipe and tail pipe are connected to the end plates, respectively, they are laser beam welded to the end plates in a superposed fashion. Alternatively, the outer cylindrical body is formed in a multiple-layered construction with inner and outer panels which are so formed integral with each other as to squeeze or press inwardly, when assembling, an internally installed unit over its fill periphery, thereby not requiring particular measures for fixedly securing the internally installed unit to the outer cylindrical body. Preferably the outer cylindrical body and end plates are formed on an aluminum-plated or a stainless steel plate, thereby dispensing with a coating after welding.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an exhaust muffler, and more particularly to a manufacturing technology of an exhaust muffler for use in motor vehicles such as motorcycles, motorcars or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, as an exhaust muffler for use in motor vehicles, there is known a type of exhaust muffler which has a joint construction as seen in FIG. 11, for example. The exhaust muffler 51 is provided with an outer cylindrical body 52 of rolled steel plate, a pair of end plates 53, 54 of rolled steel plate each joined with a front, and a rear ends of the outer cylindrical body 52, and an internally installed unit 55 accommodated within the outer cylindrical body 52. The internally installed unit 55 comprises porous plates 5G, 57, 58 arranged on and spaced apart from the inside surfaces of the outer cylindrical body 52 and each of the end plates 53, 54, partition plates 59, 60, 61 for partitioning the longitudinally extending internal space of the outer cylindrical body 52 into several chambers, and a plurality of communication pipes carried on each of the partition plates 59, 60, 61 and extending into and between each of the partitioned chambers. An acoustic absorption material 62 of glass wool or the like is inserted into clearances formed between the outer cylindrical body 52 and the porous plate 56 and between each of the end plates 53, 54 and each of the porous plates 57,58. When assembling this type of muffler 51, the outer cylindrical body 52, on a predetermined region of which a plurality of plug holes are provided preparatory to welding, is rolled into a cylindrical shape while the internally installed unit 55 is formed into an assembly by winding the porous plate 56 around the partition plates 59, 60, 61 which carry the communication pipes thereon. The internally installed unit 55 is inserted into the outer cylindrical body 52 in such a way that the plug holes for the welding of the outer cylindrical body 52 are positioned on the joint portions of each of the partition plates 59, 60, 61. Then, the outer cylindrical body 52 and the internally installed unit 55 are partially fixed to each other, prior to being completely joined, by spot welding, for example, and next completely joined with each other through the plug holes of the outer cylindrical body 52 by MIG (metal inert gas) welding.
The pair of front and rear end plates 53, 54 are firstly engaged with each of the corresponding porous plates 57, 58 to form the respective assembled units. The assembled units are joined by welding with the front and rear ends of the outer cylindrical body 52 so that the exhaust muffler is completely assembled.
In this manufacturing process, however, many steps for welding and others are required, and the surface treated regions of the outer cylindrical body 52 and the end plates 53, 54 each made of rolled steel plate are thermally affected at the time of welding and suffer surface destruction to a large extent which requires an after-treatment such is a full surface coating. Also, it, is necessary to cope with the thermal strain due to welding. Further, since the welding between the partition plates 59, 60, 61 and the outer cylindrical body 52 is done by the spot, welding through the plug holes of the latter, it is difficult to have the partitioned chambers kept in a sufficient air-tight condition.
On the other hand, there is known an exhaust muffler 51 with an outer cylindrical body of double or multiple rolled construction. The exhaust. muffler 51 of this type has better characteristics than the same with a single rolled outer cylindrical body 52 with respect to noise absorption, and thus may be made compact in size, while enabling the internally installed unit 55 to be simplified. This type of multiple-rolled outer cylindrical body is made by rolling up a sheet of steel plate material into a double- or multiple-layered cylindrical shape through roll forming or other processes. The internally installed unit 55 is thereafter inserted into and coupled with the thus-formed outer cylindrical body 52. The multiple-rolled outer cylindrical body of this type, however, is not capable of squeezing or tightly holding the internally installed unit 55 with the outer cylindrical body 52 when they are joined with each other. The joining method between the internally installed unit 55 and the outer cylindrical body therefore becomes complicated, whereby the manufacturing process takes a long time and an air-tight, condition of the partitioned chambers may not, be maintained.
Furthermore, when the outer cylindrical body 52 is formed in a multiple-layered construction from a single sheet of steel plate material, there remain some difficulties in obtaining a reduction in weight, a diversification of design in external appearance, a reduction in cost of material and the like.


A hinge has a pin, a rotating positioning element and a stationary positioning element. The rotating positioning element is mounted around the pin and has a first, second, third and fourth detent and a rear surface with an inner circular area and an outer circular area. The first and second detents are formed in the inner circular area. The third and fourth detents are formed in the outer circular area. Each detent has a centerline. The centerlines of the first and third detents coincide. The centerlines of the second and fourth detents coincide. The stationary positioning element is mounted around the pin and has a first protrusion and a second protrusion. The first protrusion is formed on the stationary positioning element and selectively engages the first and second detents. The second protrusion is formed on the stationary positioning element and selectively engages the third and fourth detents.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hinge, especially to a hinge that has a capability to hold an object in a desired position.
2. Description of the Prior Arts
An appliance with a base and a cover has a hinge, for example foldable cellular phones. The hinge is mounted between the base and the cover to open or close the cover by pivoting the hinge. Many conventional hinges do not have a capability to hold the cover in a desired position, and the cover easily strikes the base. To keep the cover from striking the base, a positioning capability has been developed for some conventional hinges. However, the conventional hinges with a positioning capability can only hold the cover in position when the cover is closed.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a hinge that can hold the cover in position when the cover is open to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.


The present invention relates to a document with counterfeit- and forgery-preventing means particularly for valued papers and the like, which comprise a sheet-like element having, on at least one face, a graphic marking that is visible in reflected light. The particularity of the invention resides in the fact that it comprises at least one variation in the thickness of said sheet-like element which provides a graphic representation that can be viewed against the light and is complementary with respect to the at least one graphic marking.

The present invention relates to a document with counterfeit- and forgery-preventing means particularly for valued papers and the like.
It is known that one problem currently strongly felt relates to the prevention of counterfeiting of documents such as valued papers, checks, currency bills, and the like, and to their forgery, as typically occurs with checks.
Various methods that attempt to make it increasingly difficult to counterfeit a document have already been devised, such as, for example, the application of graphic markings on the front of a document and the application on the back of the document of additional graphic markings which are visible in reflected light.
The particularity resides in the fact that if the document is viewed against the light, a complementary relationship is produced between the graphic markings applied to the two sides of the document, so that the resulting image can, for example, complete a design or can in any case have a configuration that is different from the configuration of the individual sides.
Various systems are currently known which are provided by printing on two sides split images which are combined again if they are viewed against the light.
This system, however, can now be easily reproduced with current technologies, since it is sufficient to photocopy the produced markings in perfect register, thus achieving a forgery that is able to overcome the above-mentioned forgery-preventing means.

Document with anti-forgery and anti-falsification means


An apparatus for monitoring intra-abdominal pressure in a medical patient includes a urinary catheter connected to a urine valve having selectable communication positions between a discharge end of the urinary catheter and either a drain or a fluid source. Preferably, the urine valve has a housing adapted to resist patient discomfort from body-valve contact. A plumbing structure desirably maintains fluid supply and drain conduits in a substantially parallel arrangement to assist routing those conduits between a patient's legs. When the urine valve is oriented for communication with the fluid source, a syringe may be used to introduce a known quantity of fluid through the urine valve into the patient's bladder where the fluid's pressure can be measured. Desirably, a double check valve is included in a fluid supply path and arranged to permit repetitive operation of the syringe to introduce a bolus of fluid into the patient's bladder.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to plumbing devices, including valves and conduits, and to pressure measurement equipment. The invention relates particularly to apparatus configured as an assembly to monitor intra-abdominal pressure of a medical patient.
2. State of the Art
It has been determined that the intra-abdominal pressure of a medical patient can be used as a diagnostic tool to assess progress of the patient's recovery subsequent to a medical procedure. For example, the intra-abdominal pressure of the patient can be expected to increase subsequent to a surgical procedure due to fluid leakage and edema in the abdominal cavity. By monitoring the patient's intra-abdominal pressure, a practitioner may receive advance warning of complications resulting from the surgical procedure. In such case, the practitioner may be better prepared to take adequate counter-measures before the patient displays perceptible outward signs of distress and before a life-threatening situation may develop.
Currently employed techniques used to monitor a patient's intra-abdominal pressure are adapted to measure the pressure of fluid contained within the patient's bladder at intervals spaced apart in time. While the pressure reading at a pressure transducer may not correspond to the actual value of intra-abdominal pressure, trends in measured pressure will correlate to trends in intra abdominal intra-abdominal pressure in the patient.
One way to measure a patient's intra-abdominal pressure involves disassembling a urinary catheter drain tube to inject saline through the catheter and into the patient's bladder. (For convenience, a urinary catheter will generally be referred to in this disclosure as a Foley catheter, due to its common use). Unfortunately, opening the closed drainage system plumbing places both the patient and the health care practitioner at increased risk of infection. It is possible to use a three-way Foley catheter, but such catheters are more expensive and are not routinely used. Use of a three-way Foley catheter would require either pre-knowledge of its necessity or replacement of a standard catheter. The former option increases costs and the latter would increase both costs and risk of patient infection.
A different approach for introducing a bolus of fluid into a patient's bladder incorporates the aspiration port included in a urinary catheter drain system as a fluid injection port. The drain tube connected to the Foley catheter is blocked, and the needle of a syringe is passed through the catheter's aspiration port to permit injection of a saline bolus. After the injection needle is removed, a needle for a manometer or pressure transducer is then inserted through the aspiration port to record bladder pressure. Undesirably, approaches involving use of needles, particularly in the vicinity of the patient's legs, to assemble the pressure measuring apparatus place both the patient and the health care practitioner at risk of needle sticks.
With reference to FIG. 1, a currently preferred arrangement adapted to monitor a medical patient's intra-abdominal pressure is generally indicated at 100. A patient is fitted with a urinary catheter 102, such as a Foley catheter. A fluid source, such as saline bag 104, is connected in fluid communication to the catheter 102 upstream of an occluding device 108 temporarily applied to block the catheter drain conduit 106. Interruption of the urine drain path from the patient generally is permitted only temporarily as required to effect pressure measurements.
The device 100 includes a pair of two-way or three-way stopcocks, 110 and 112, respectively. One end of fluid supply tube 114 is connected to a one liter saline bag 104. The other end of fluid supply tube 114 is connected to an inlet port of stopcock 110. A valve stem in stopcock 10 may be oriented to permit fluid to flow from bag 104 toward syringe 116. When syringe 16 is full, or charged with fluid as desired, the valve stem of stopcock 110 is adjusted by way of a manual rotation to permit fluid flow from the syringe toward stopcock 112 while resisting fluid flow toward bag 104. Stopcock 112 can be adjusted to direct a bolus of fluid from syringe 116 for flow through tubing 120 towards catheter 102. Stopcock 112 may also be adjusted to an alternate configuration to provide fluid communication between a pressure measuring device 121 and tubing 120 while resisting fluid flow toward stopcock 110. An infusion needle or angiocatheter 122 carried at an end of tubing 120 is inserted into urine collection port 125 to couple the tube 120 in fluid communication with the catheter 102.
The steps typically required to measure a patient's intra-abdominal pressure, using the arrangement of FIG. 1, are as follows: First the apparatus 100 is assembled, including inserting the needle of an angiocatheter 122 into aspiration port 125 connected to a Foley catheter 102 installed in a patient. Stopcock 110 is oriented to permit fluid flow between bag 104 and syringe 116, and the syringe is filled with saline. Stopcocks 110 and 112 are then both adjusted for fluid flow from the syringe 116 toward the catheter 102. Tube 120 is flushed and filled with saline. Then tubing 106 is occluded to resist fluid flow in a drain direction from catheter 102. Typically, stopcock 112 is then adjusted to resist fluid flow toward syringe 116 and stopcock 110 is configured to permit fluid flow between bag 104 and syringe 116 so that the syringe 116 can be refilled with saline. After priming syringe 116, stopcocks 110 and 112 are adjusted for fluid flow between syringe 116 and catheter 102, whereby to introduce a bolus of fluid into the patient's bladder. Then, stopcock 112 is oriented to provide fluid communication between conduit 120 and pressure transducer 121 while resisting fluid flow toward stopcock 110. Pressure apparatus 121 then indicates the current pressure in the patient's bladder, which may be correlated to intra-abdominal pressure. Subsequent to making and recording the pressure measurement, the occlusion of drain 106 is removed to permit draining the bolus of fluid from the patient's bladder. Such procedure is repeated at intervals spaced apart in time to record trends in the patient's intra-abdominal pressure. The bolus of injected fluid desirably is less than about 100 mL and of uniform size during each successive pressure measurement to avoid effect from bladder wall musculature.
Occluding device 108 may be a clamp or hemostat as illustrated, or sometimes may be a valve. However, operable medical grade valves that are commercially available, such as two-way or three-way stopcocks 110 and 112, typically introduce undesired complications. One complication is that the available medical grade stopcocks typically provide drainage passageways that are too small in diameter for use in a urinary catheter drain. Clogging of the drain bore would be a serious problem.
The location of a catheter drain-occluding valve for a pressure measurement system desirably is in close proximity to the catheter 102—therefore between the patient's legs. Another complication substantially precluding direct inclusion of available medical grade two-way or three-way valves or stopcocks is that such devices route fluid conduits in orthogonal directions at the valve connection locations, thereby creating protruding and invasive plumbing that is uncomfortable to the patient. Furthermore, currently available valves and stopcocks also have protrusions (such as valve actuators or handles), and sharp corners or abrupt changes in shape, that place a patient at risk of injury should such protrusion or corner be impressed into a patient's skin.
The procedures for measuring trends in a patient's intra-abdominal pressure described above undesirably place a patient at risk of infection, or require tiresome manual adjustment of a plurality of plumbing devices, such as two-way valves or stopcocks. It would be a desirable improvement over the prior art to provide a device for measuring trends in a patient's intra-abdominal pressure that is faster and more simple to operate. It would be a further advance over the prior art to eliminate operations requiring needles to assemble or use the pressure measurement apparatus. A still further advance in the art would be to enhance the patient's comfort and increase the patient's protection from injury by minimizing or avoiding contact between the patient and uncomfortable or even harmful medical apparatus.

Apparatus for monitoring intra-abdominal pressure


A connector to be detachably fitted with a connecting object such as a flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable, includes a plurality of contacts each having a contact portion adapted to contact the connecting object, a housing arranging and holding therein the contacts and having a fitting opening into which the connecting object is inserted, and a pivoting member rotatably or pivotally mounted on the housing. According to the invention, an auxiliary member having an engaging unit for engaging the pivoting member is mounted on the pivoting member at its predetermined position. With the aid of the auxiliary member, the pivoting member can be easily rotated or pivotally moved.

This invention relates to a connector for use in communication systems such as mobile computers, projectors, televisions and the like, and other electric and electronic appliances, and more particularly to a connector having an auxiliary member which makes it easy to rotate or pivotally move a pivoting member of the connector even in a limited narrow space.
There have been connectors having a pivoting member which is pivotally moved to bring a connecting object such as a flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable into connection with the connector. Such a connector comprises at least a plurality of contacts, a housing, and a pivoting member. The connectors adapted to connect to a connecting object by a pivotal movement of the pivoting member are generally classified into a front lock type and a rear lock type. In the front lock type, the pivoting member is rotated on the side of a fitting opening of the connector into which the connecting object is inserted, while in the rear lock type, the pivoting member is rotated on the opposite side of the fitting opening of the connector.
As examples of connectors whose contacts are brought into contact with a connecting object by pivotally moving a pivoting member, incorporated herein are a connector of the rear lock type disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Opened No. H11-31,561 (1999) (Patent Literature 1), a connector of the rear lock type disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2004-71,160 filed by the applicant of the present case (Patent Literature 2), a connector of the rear lock type disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2007-173,043 filed by the applicant of the present case (Patent Literature 3), a connector of the front lock type disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2000-48,886 (Patent Literature 4), and a connector of the front lock type disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2002-231,348 filed by the applicant of the present case (Patent Literature 5).
Patent Literature 1
The invention of the Japanese Patent Application Opened No. H11-31,561 has an object to provide a connector superior in operability and capable of reliably connecting flat cables. Disclosed is a connector so constructed that when a pivoting member 4 provided at an opening 6 on the opposite side of an inserting opening 5 for flat wires 8 is at the starting position of the pivotal movement, a pushing portion 4b of the pivoting member 4 does not abut against peripheries of corners 3a2 of contact elements 3 so that the connector is under the opened condition in which the flat wires 8 are freely inserted or removed, and when the pivoting member 4 is being pivotally moved, the pushing portion 4b of the pivoting member 4 pushes the peripheries of corners 3a2 of the contact elements to cause them to be elastically deformed so that contact portions 3a1 are connected under pressure to the flat wires 8, and at the terminal position of the pivotal movement of the pivoting member 4, the pushing portion 4b of the pivoting member 4 rides over the apexes P2 of the corners 3a2 of the contact elements 3 to produce forces in directions maintaining the connection state by elastic restoring force of the contact elements 3.
Patent Literature 2
The invention in the Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2004-71,160 has an object to provide a connector capable of securely pushing a flexible printed circuit board 40 or flexible flat cable to contact portions 22 of contacts 14 by means of a slider 16 without detracting from strength of respective members and specifications or customer's demands, and achieving a superior operability, extremely smaller pitches of conductors and reduced overall height. Disclosed is a connector particularly achieving the reduced overall height of this object of the invention in that the connector comprises contacts 14 each comprising a contact portion 22, a connection portion 24, and an elastic portion 34 and a fulcrum portion 32 between the contact portion 22 and the connection portion 24, and a pressure receiving portion 20 extending from the elastic portion 34 in a position facing to the connection portion 24, and the contact portion 22, the elastic portion 34, the fulcrum portion 32 and the connection portion 24 being arranged in the form of a crank, and a slider 16 comprising pushing portions 36 provided continuously in the longitudinal direction and the slider 16 being pivotally mounted on a housing 12 so that the pushing portions 36 are pivotally moved in spaces between the connection portions 22 and the pressure receiving portions 20 of the contacts 14.
Patent Literature 3
The invention in the Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2007-173,043 has an object to provide a connector 10 performing a stable connection with a connecting object, while considering acoustical technology and a reduced overall height of the connector. In a connector 10 to be detachably fitted with a connecting object, comprising a required number of contacts 14 each having a contact portion 26 adapted to contact the connecting object, a housing 12 holding and fixing the contacts 14 therein and having a fitting opening 20 into which the connecting object is inserted, and a pivoting member 18 for pushing the contacts 14, there is provided a shell 19 to cover the housing 12 provided with a ceiling portion 50 covering and insulating the contact portions 26 of the contacts 14, and the pivoting member 18 is provided with a projecting wall 60 extending in parallel with the ceiling portion 50 of the housing 12 so that when the pivoting member 18 is opened (when the connecting object is not inserted into the housing) the projecting wall 60 engages the upper surface 74 of the shell 60.
Patent Literature 4
The invention in Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2000-48,886 has an object to provide an electrical connector for a flexible printed circuit board, having a construction not impeding a reduced overall height of the connector and enabling a smaller mounting area of the connector mounted on a printed circuit substrate. The electrical connector for a flexible printed circuit board comprises an insulating housing 3, a plurality of terminals 4 arranged in the insulating housing 3 in the transverse direction in parallel with one another with a predetermined pitch, and a pivoting cover 2 having a pushing portion for pushing the flexible printed circuit board against contact portions 17a of the terminals 4. The pivoting cover 2 is supported on the insulating housing 3 to be pivotally moved relatively to the insulating housing 3 on the side of an inserting opening 5 for the flexible printed circuit board, and when the pivoting cover 2 is pivotally moving, the deep portion 6 of the pivoting cover 2 positioned in the deeper portion of the housing 3 than the mounted portion of the pivoting cover 2 mounted on the housing 3 is moved along a circular path above the insulating housing 3 as viewed from the side of the inserting opening 5 for the flexible printed circuit board. In this manner, the pivoting cover 2 is pivotally movable in the width zone of the insulating housing 3 extending from the side of said inserting opening 5 to the deep portion 6.
Patent Literature 5
The invention in the Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2002-231,348 has an object to provide a connector capable of securely pushing a flexible printed circuit board 42 or flexible flat cable against contact portions 20 of contacts 14 by means of a slider 16, thereby completely avoiding the connection failure. In a connector detachably fitted with a flexible printed circuit board 42 or flexible flat cable, comprising contacts 14 each having a contact portion 20 adapted to contact the flexible printed circuit board 42 or flexible flat cable, a block 12 for holding and fixing the contacts 14, and a slider 16 pivotally movably mounted on the block 12, the slider 16 comprises pushing portions 32 adapted to push the flexible printed circuit board 42 or flexible flat cable upon pivotal movement of the slider 16, and the pushing portions 32 are adapted to be constrained by the block 12 or the contacts 14 so as to prevent the pushing portions 32 from displacing in the directions opposite from their pushing directions when pushing the flexible printed circuit board 42 or flexible flat cable.
Recently, the trend in electric and electronic appliances, particularly communication appliances has been toward increasingly smaller geometries. With such a trend, the miniaturization of connectors has also progressed. Under these circumstances, connectors are often constructed that when a pivoting member has been pivotally moved into a locked condition, the height of the connector is substantially equal to that of a housing. As a result, it becomes very difficult to operate the pivoting member so as to be pivotally moved. Moreover, the connector of this kind is installed in an appliance for may cases so that it becomes difficult to obtain a sufficient space for pivotally moving the pivoting member, resulting in a poor operability.
Further, even if a space can be obtained, the difficulty remains in operating the pivoting member because the connector lies in the appliance. The problems noted herein have not been solved in the connectors of front and rear lock types disclosed in the above Patent Literatures 1-5.


The invention relates to a thermoplastic elastomeric bellow duct (10) having a corrugated duct segment (12) interposed between two elbowed segments (14, 18), wherein at least one of the elbowed segments (18) is made of thermoplastic elastomeric and connected to an end section (22) of the corrugated duct segment (12) by overmolding the elbowed segment (18) over the end section (22) of the corrugated duct segment (12), and wherein the end section (22) of the corrugated duct segment (12) includes a guiding and sealing arrangement (50) pointing away from the corrugated duct segment (12) in a radial direction (32). The invention further relates to an air duct (80) having such a thermoplastic elastomeric bellow duct (10).

US2006125149A discloses a method for forming a duct used as, e.g., an air duct for an automobile engine, and provided with a corrugated section as an undercut part in a part of the longitudinal direction of the duct. The method comprises injecting an elastomer material into a cavity formed with a cavity die for forming an external surface of the duct, and a core die for forming an internal surface of the duct, where in the core die is a splittable core die which is axially splittable into two parts, one is a core die for forming a duct area containing the corrugated section, and the other is a core die for forming a duct area free from the corrugated section, and removing the duct area containing the corrugated section from the core die with expanding the corrugated section in the radius direction by air injection after opening the cavity die.
Nevertheless there are some limitations about which geometries can be produced with this process.


An assay compound or a salt thereof for assaying the activity of an enzyme inside a metabolically active whole cell is disclosed. The assay compound includes a leaving group and an indicator group. The leaving group is selected from the group comprising amino acids, peptides, saccharides, sulfates, phosphates, esters, phosphate esters, nucleotides, polynucleotides, nucleic acids, pyrimidines, purines, nucleosides, lipids and mixtures thereof. The indicator group is selected from compounds which have a first state when joined to the leaving group, and a second state when the leaving group is cleaved from the indicator group by the enzyme. Preferably, the indicator compounds are rhodamine 110, rhodol, and fluorescein and analogs of these compounds. A method of synthesizing the compound as well as methods of using these compounds to measure enzyme activity are also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to cytoenzymology, and more particularly reagents for use in cytoenzymology as well as production and use of these reagents.
2. Description of the Background Art
Cytoenzymology is the study of enzymes as they function on and within cells. Previously, the study of enzymatic activity within cells has been pursued primarily by two indirect methods. According to a first method, the cell membrane is broken to create a cytosol of cellular components including the enzyme which is the object of study. Various tests are then performed to determine the activity of the enzyme, which tests can be performed on the cytosol or on the purified enzyme. According to a second method, the enzyme activity is determined from the study of extra-cellular events, such as the presence or lack of the products of enzyme activity.
According to the first method, various tests are performed to determine enzyme activity in the cytosol. One such test is to provide a substrate that is recognized by the enzyme, with a fluorescent compound which will undergo a detectable change when the substrate, or "leaving group", is cleaved from the compound by the enzyme. Mangel et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,557,862 and 4,640,893, disclose rhodamine 110-based derivatives as fluorogenic substrates for proteinases. These compounds have the general formula: EQU (Cbz-peptide-NH).sub.2 -rhodamine 110
where the peptide includes known amino acids or amino acid derivatives, and "Cbz" refers to the blocking group benzyloxycarbonyl. When the amino groups of rhodamine 110 are blocked the compound is "quenched", and is relatively colorless and non-fluorescent. Cleavage of one of the peptides from the non-fluorescent bisamide substrate results in a 3500-fold increase in fluorescence intensity.
The rhodamine 110 substrates of Mangel et al. have been utilized to conduct cytoenzymological studies. G. Rothe et al., Biol. Chem. Hoppe-Seyler, 373, 544-547 (1992) describe the analysis of proteinase activities using the substituted peptide-rhodamine 110 derivatives of Mangel et al. Moreover, G. Valet et al, Ann NY Acad Sci, 667, 233-251 (1993), disclose the study of white cell and thrombocyte disorders with the rhodamine 110 derivatives of Mangel et al. The methods of Rothe and Valet have been used to conduct cytoenzymological studies on the activity of enzymes with cells, but the compounds utilized by Rothe and Valet are not suitable for the study of the activity of intracellular enzymes in vital cells. The Mangel et al. compounds cannot be efficiently solubilized and transmitted through the cell membrane in a manner which will produce a reliable assay. In addition, the Cbz group in the Mangel et al. compound is not recognized by the enzyme's active sites. Further, Mangel, et al., disclose the removal of the carbobenzyloxy group by treating the blocked peptide-indicator compound with 30% hydrobromide acid in acetic acid. However, the bromide salt is lethal to the cell and does not permit an assay for a metabolically active cell.
I. Mononen, et al., Clin. Chem., 40(3), 385-388 (1994), describe the enzymatic diagnosis of aspartylglycosaminuria by the fluorometric assay of glycosylasparaginase in serum, plasma, and lymphocytes. The study was conducted on cytosols, and not whole cells, and utilized an asparagine-substituted 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin.
Dead or metabolically inactive cells can have as little as approximately one-quarter the enzymatic activity of living cells, Watson, J., "Enzyme Kinetic Studies in Cell Population Using Fluorogenic Substrates and Flow Cytometric Techniques", Cytometry, 1(2), p. 143 (1980). Further, because enzymes are frequently bound in highly organized enzyme pathways, the disruption and death of the cell can greatly affect enzyme activity. Current assays therefore have limited utility for determining enzyme activity in a living or metabolically active whole cell.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,070,012 to Nolan et al., describes a method of monitoring cells and trans-acting transcription elements. This method, however, is not designed for the monitoring of enzymes which are endogenous to the cell being tested. Rather, in this method a hypotonic solution is used to increase the permeability of the cell membrane thereby allowing an exogenous enzyme and other reagents (including a fluorogenic substrate) to be introduced into the cell. However, these severe hypotonic conditions significantly alter the normal state of the cell. The fluorogenic substrate described in this patent (fluoroscein digalactopyranoside) contains significant amounts of fluorescent impurities and must be bleached with a laser prior to use.

Method for determining activity of enzymes in metabolically active whole cells


A method for fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of coating the surface of a semiconductor element with a curable silicone composition comprising a curable silicone polymer and a filler having an average particle diameter of 0.01 to 500 micrometers and a specific gravity of 0.01 to 0.95, wherein the filler is selected from the group consisting of powders of organic resins, hollow forms of organic resin powders, hollow inorganic powders, intrinsically electrically conductive fillers, and fillers having a surface that is electrically conductive; allowing sufficient time to elapse for the filler in the part of the curable silicone composition adjoining the element to migrate into the part of the curable silicone composition remote from the element; and curing the curable silicone composition.

The surface of semiconductor elements are typically coated with cured silicone to protect them from moisture and external stresses. This is true for both face-up semiconductor devices, in which the semiconductor element and lead frame are electrically connected through bonding wires, and for face-down semiconductor devices, in which the semiconductor element is electrically connected to the lead frame through solder bumps.
It has been found that using a solvent to clean the solder flux off these devices can cause problems. For instance, solvent cleaning can cause swelling of the silicone coating which results in warpage or destruction of the semiconductor element, deformation or breakage of the bonding wires and delamination of the solder bumps.
It has also been found that when such devices are used in a static-prone location, static electricity will gradually accumulate on the cured silicone covering the surface of the semiconductor element and either fail or operate erratically. This can occur, for instance, in applications such as image sensors used in facsimile equipment for reading the document to be transmitted or the thermal print heads used in printers for printing on the output paper.
To solve the solvent cleaning problem, the art suggests using (a) semiconductor devices in which the surface of the semiconductor element is coated with cured silicone and the element is then additionally sealed in a ceramic or plastic package and (b) semiconductor devices in which the surface of the element is covered with cured silicone containing a high loading of dispersed filler. The former solution results in increased costs and a reduced efficiency in mass production. The latter solution is disadvantageous in that heat cycling causes problems such as damage to the surface of the semiconductor element by the filler and deformation or rupture of the semiconductor element or bonding wires.
Similarly, to solve the static electricity problem, the art suggests using semiconductor devices in which the surface of the semiconductor element is coated with cured silicone and the element is then additionally coated with metal or plastic. Again, this solution results in increased costs and a reduced efficiency in mass production.
The present invention takes as its object the introduction of a semiconductor device whose semiconductor element is coated with a cured silicone which resists swelling when cleaned with a solvent. The semiconductor element and bonding wires are, therefore, neither ruptured nor deformed by solvent cleaning. An additional object of the present invention is the introduction of a semiconductor device whose semiconductor element is resistant to the failure and faulty operation which can be caused by static electricity. A final object of the present invention is the introduction of a method for fabricating semiconductor devices having these types of reliability.

Method for fabricating semiconductor device