Compounds useful for associating with nanoparticle or microparticle emulsions to obtain magnetic resonance images permit control of the relaxivity of the signal and readily associate with the particulate components.

The use of chelating agents of various types to entrap metal ions useful in magnetic resonance imaging is well known. Generally, the chelating agents contain a substantial number of unshared electron pairs or negatively charged or potentially negatively charged species. Perhaps the simplest among these is ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) commonly used as a water softener. However, many such agents are known, including, most notably, and commonly used, diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) and tetraazacyclododecanetetraacetic acid (DOTA) and their derivatives. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,573,752 and 6,056,939, incorporated herein by reference, disclose particularly useful derivatives of DOTA which are coupled to a benzyl or phenyl moiety wherein the phenyl ring is substituted by isothiocyanate. This isothiocyanate provides a reactive group for coupling to various additional compounds. As described in these patents, the isothiocyanate group can be used to couple the chelate to a targeting agent such as an antibody or fragment thereof.
There is an extensive literature on delivery vehicle compositions that have been used to administer chelated metals for MRI. Some of these compositions do not contain targeting agents, though others do comprise such agents. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,690,907; 5,780,010; 5,989,520; 5,958,371; and PCT publication WO 02/060524, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, describe emulsions of perfluorocarbon nanoparticles that are coupled to various targeting agents and to desired components, such as MRI imaging agents, radionuclides, and/or bioactive agents. Other compositions that have been used for targeted imaging include those disclosed in PCT publications WO 99/58162; WO 00/35488; WO 00/35887; and WO 00/35492. The contents of these publications are also incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention in one embodiment is focused on improvements in the contrast agents useful in magnetic resonance imaging; some background information on this technique is appropriate in understanding the approach taken by applicants.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become a useful tool for diagnosis and for research. The current technology relies on detecting the energy emitted when the hydrogen nuclei in the water contained in tissues and body fluids returns to a ground state subsequent to excitation with a radio frequency. Observation of this phenomenon depends on imposing a magnetic field across the area to be observed, so that the distribution of hydrogen nuclear spins is statistically oriented in alignment with the magnetic field, and then imposing an appropriate radio frequency. This results in an excited state in which this statistical alignment is disrupted. The decay of the distribution to the ground state can then be measured as an emission of energy, the pattern of which can be detected as an image.
While the above described process is theoretically possible, it turns out that the relaxation rate of the relevant hydrogen nuclei, left to their own devices, is too slow to generate detectable amounts of energy, as a practical matter. In order to remedy this, the area to be imaged is supplied with a contrast agent, generally a strongly paramagnetic metal, which effectively acts as a catalyst to accelerate the decay, thus permitting sufficient energy to be emitted to create a detectable bright signal. To put it succinctly, contrast agents decrease the relaxation time and increase the reciprocal of the relaxation time—i.e., the "relaxivity" of the surrounding hydrogen nuclei.
Two types of relaxation times can be measured. T1 is the time for the magnetic distribution to return to 63% of its original distribution longitudinally with respect to the magnetic field and the relaxivity ρ1, is its reciprocal. T2 measures the time wherein 63% of the distribution returns to the ground state transverse to the magnetic field. Its reciprocal is the relaxivity index ρ2. In general, the relaxation times and relaxivities will vary with the strength of the magnetic field; this is most pronounced in the case of the longitudinal component.
Thus, a desirable characteristic of any contrast agent is to provide the signal with an enhanced relaxivity both for ρ1 and ρ2. The present invention provides such contrast agents.
It is also advantageous to facilitate the excretion of the paramagnetic ion, which may otherwise be toxic if it is retained in a subject. Thus, it would be advantageous to provide a mechanism for cleaving the chelated metal ion from the particles or from any lipid components that might result in cellular or liver uptake.
There is an extensive literature regarding contrast agents which are based on chelated paramagnetic metals. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,512,294 and 6,132,764 describe liposomal particles with metal chelates on their surfaces as MRI contrast agents. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,064,636 and 5,120,527 describe paramagnetic oil emulsions for MRI in the gastrointestinal tract. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,614,170 and 5,571,498 describe emulsions that incorporate lipophilic gadolinium chelates, e.g., gadolinium diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid-bisoleate (Gd-DTPA-BOA) as blood pool contrast agents.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,804,164 describes water-soluble, lipophilic agents which comprise particularly designed chelating agents and paramagnetic metals. U.S. Pat. No. 6,010,682 and other members of the same patent family describe lipid soluble chelating contrast agents containing paramagnetic metals which are said to be able to be administered in the form of liposomes, micelles or lipid emulsions.
Thus, in general, contrast agents may take the form of paramagnetic metals such as rare earth metals or iron mobilized in a form that permits substantial concentrations of the paramagnetic metal to be delivered to the desired imaging area.
One method for providing useful concentrations of contrast agents has been described by the present applicants in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,780,010 and 5,909,520. A nanoparticle is formed from an inert core surrounded by a lipid/surfactant coating. The lipid/surfactant coating can then be modified to couple the particle to a chelating agent containing a paramagnetic metal. In addition, the particle can be coupled to a ligand for targeting to a specific site.
The present invention in one aspect provides an improvement in the design of contrast agents whereby the relaxivity of the signal can be controlled, and excretion can be facilitated. The compounds of the invention, however, are useful in other contexts as well, such as delivering radionuclides to desired locations for imaging based on nuclear emissions.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Chelating agents with lipophilic carriers


An arrangement and method for measuring a piece of timber in a wood handling machine, wherein the piece is grabbed by a cutting head arranged to a set of booms in the wood handling machine, and the dimensions of the piece are measured by at least one measuring device in the wood handling machine. A measuring signal field formed by one or more measuring beams is also directed to the piece of timber with a monitoring device utilizing contact-free measurement, and a point cloud to be stored is provided by the measuring signal field it produces. The parts to be identified are identified from this point cloud, and a quantity to be measured is defined and formed of the information content of the point cloud. The obtained result is directed to a measuring system in the wood handling machine for further utilization.

The present invention relates to a method for measuring timber in accordance with the preamble of claim 1.
The invention also relates to an arrangement for measuring timber in accordance with the preamble of claim 9.
The present invention provides contact-free measurement of timber, whereby the method and arrangement can be applied not only to measuring timber during work, but also to making the measurement of timber in a wood handling machine more precise and to calibrating timber measuring devices known per se, for example.
In modern mechanical logging, especially in logging known as cut-tree or cut-to-length (CTL), ever greater requirements are set for the precision of measurement in the dimensions of the handled timber. In part, this is due to the fact that a great deal of timber trade is today based on measuring data collected automatically by a wood handling machine. A certain requirement for precision is then already established by legislation that relates to measurement in the timber trade. On the other hand, especially in logging based on the cut-to-length system, the benefits of precise measurement are emphasized when an entire tree trunk is considered in terms of after-felling optimization that provides the best possible use of the raw material.
Conventionally, mechanical logging requires at least the measurement of the diameter and length of the tree trunk or pieces cut from it. The measuring is done at a certain precision and allowed uncertainty of measurement.
During logging, the diameter of a piece of timber is measured generally by using mechanical tools that are set against the outer surface of the piece and that follow the outer surface during logging by measuring for instance the position of feeding and/or delimbing elements in relation to the body of the cutting head of the wood handling machine for the purpose of measuring the diameter. In measuring the length of the piece of timber, it is, in turn, common to use a hodometer that is pressed against the outer surface of the tree trunk and rolls along it as the tree trunk moves in the wood handling device. Thus, the hodometer measures the distance it travels on the outer surface of the tree trunk.
The methods described above are based on assumption and a measuring principle, in which an essentially round tree trunk is continuously in contact with the means used in measuring.
Common to all used measuring methods is that their precision needs to be regularly monitored. Measuring devices used in measuring the diameter and length of a piece of timber, for instance, need to be calibrated from time to time.
According to the prior art, a measuring device of a wood handling machine is calibrated for the diameter by means of specific calibration scissors and for the length by means of a conventional measuring tape, for instance, which requires a great deal of awkwardly performed manual work. It is worth mentioning, in particular, that, in practice, harvester work needs to be stopped completely for a time, when the operator has to come out of the control cabin of the forest machine to perform calibration measurements manually. When processing timber with a wood handling machine within its working area to cut them into desired lengths, the required calibration can be done in different ways. The operator of the wood handling machine then stops the machine after a chosen time and steps down to measure some of the sawn pieces. To do this, he also needs to know exactly the order, in which the pieces on the ground have been processed. Alternatively, the logging control and monitoring system of the forest machine is adapted to indicate the need to start a verifying measurement in connection with a random tree trunk.
Pieces of timber that are included in the calibration sample are measured in length, with a measuring tape, for instance, and diameter, with a large slide gauge, for instance, at as many points as deemed necessary. Today, the diameter is also generally measured using electronic calibration scissors made for this purpose as well as calibration gauges with means for automatically storing the measuring data and usually also a display for displaying the measuring data immediately to the person performing the calibration. Said electronic calibration scissors known per se can also operate interactively with the operator and indicate where the next calibration measurement should be taken.
In measuring the diameter of a tree trunk, errors are caused especially by a possible deviation in the shape of the cross-section from the ideal round shape, a varying and uneven surface pressure used in the measuring, and random errors caused by the person performing the measuring, for example. It is also possible that the person performing the calibration measurement mixes up two or more of the pieces of timber intended for calibration. The calibration may then provide a result that is notably false. This possibility of error is also furthered by the fact that calibration measurements are often performed in bad weather and lighting conditions. Pieces of timber may also roll to a different location on the ground than where the operator of the machine endeavours to place them. Problems in calibration measurement are also caused by the fact that pieces of timber often sink so deep in the snow or undergrowth that a proper cross-measure needed for the measuring cannot be measured. In addition, weather conditions, especially the melting and freezing of timber may affect the measuring result to some extend in calibration, too, not to mention the measuring performed by the harvester head.
In measuring the length of a tree trunk or pieces of timber, many other drawbacks also cause measuring errors. It should especially be kept in mind that the pieces of timber that are measured are more or less in the shape of a cut cone. This is a matter that unfortunately is often left unnoticed in the prior art. In other words, when calibrating a measuring device, the length of the outer or envelope surface of a piece of timber is often accidentally measured at some point of the surface of the piece. Thus, it is possible that the measuring tape is positioned parallel to the envelope of the cut cone of the tree trunk and the length value, thus, becomes greater than the length of the centre axis of the piece. The measuring of the calibration value for a desired length is done primarily visually and by free hand by keeping the measuring tape beside the piece of timber and trying to hold the measuring tape visually parallel to the centre axis of the piece.
The surface of a tree trunk often also has various problem and discontinuity points, such as stubs or a notably warped section, which may also cause errors in the measuring result. It is also possible and even probable that the ends of the piece of timber are not sawn fully perpendicular to the centre axis of the tree trunk. Especially a cut sawn on a butt log during felling or a cut in a warped piece of timber may differ quite a lot from an assumed ideal surface that is perpendicular to the centre axis of the piece.
In addition to the above-mentioned conventional measurements, requests have been made to be able to measure a few qualitative properties in terms of wood processing immediately during mechanical logging work. The determination and identification of knottiness, dry content, growth rate, growth ring structure and density, age, and especially factors diminishing quality, such as warp, rot, or some other defects, have been presented as additional information of interest.
In the prior art, monitoring and measuring qualitative properties of a piece of timber are done primarily visually, while it is the most important and, at the same time, most burdening work assignments for a user of a wood handling machine. A skilful user of a wood handling machine is able to estimate and monitor several different factors that affect the quality and value of the timber being processed in such a manner that it does not disturb efficient working. However, it is clear that as mechanical logging becomes more common and moves to new geographical areas, difficulties will be encountered in finding enough operators who are capable of quality determination and demanding, fast-paced decision-making. Therefore, there is a definite need for the automatization of the determination of quality properties in a piece of timber.

Method and arrangement for measuring timber


A work vehicle includes a variable displacement hydraulic pump driven by an engine, a hydraulic motor forming a closed circuit with the pump and driven by hydraulic fluid discharged from the pump, wheels driven by the motor to allow the work vehicle to travel, a selector detecting an operating state of a switch switching the traveling of the work vehicle between forward and backward, and a controller. When the selector detects a reversal operation of the switch to reverse the traveling direction when the work vehicle travels, the controller sets relationship between the vehicle speed of the work vehicle and the upper limit of the rotational speed of the engine such that the upper limit increases as the absolute value of the vehicle speed approaches zero. The controller obtains an upper limit of the rotational speed from the relationship and a vehicle speed of the work vehicle.

There are forklift trucks equipped with a hydraulic driving device referred to as an HST (Hydro Static Transmission) between a power source, i.e. an engine, and driven wheels. The HST includes a variable displacement travel hydraulic pump, driven by the engine, and a variable displacement hydraulic motor, driven by hydraulic fluid discharged by the travel hydraulic pump, in a main hydraulic circuit, which is a closed circuit, and transmits the driving power of the hydraulic motor to the driven wheels to enable a vehicle to travel.
A work vehicle, such as a forklift truck, is operated to perform switch-back, in which its forward-backward lever is operated from a backward position to a forward position while the vehicle is traveling backward, or the forward-backward lever is operated from the forward position to the backward position while the vehicle is traveling forward, so that the vehicle slows down until it stops traveling backward or forward and, immediately after that, the vehicle travels forward or backward with increasing speed (see Patent Literature 1, for example).

Work vehicle and method of controlling work vehicle


An adjustable snowboard binding assembly which can be rotatably controlled without the use of external tools. A snowboard boot mounting platform has a plurality of inwardly facing radial teeth along the circumference of a centralized circular cutout. A circumferential lip along the cutout is used to rotatably mount the platform via overlapping lipped quadrant segments which mount to the snowboard. A pair of radially sliding segments with teeth at their outer ends are slidably held by said quadrant segments. A slidable band is mounted via actuating/locking levers along the longitudinal length of the snowboard, with said band having upwardly extending posts which interface with angled slots formed in each sliding segment. In operation, the actuating levers are unlocked and the band slides forwards and backwards to effectuate radial movement of the sliding segments. This in turn effectuates locking engagement and disengagement between the radial circumferential teeth and the sliding segment teeth. This adjustment operation can be performed by the user without removing the boot from the mounting platform and without loosening screws or other attachment means.

Snowboarding is a relatively new sport which can be visually compared to skateboarding and surfing, except its done on snow. Snowboard skiing is the legal name for snowboarding, which thereby affords snowboarding all the privileges and liabilities of alpine skiing. To snowboard, the rider stands on the board with his/her left or right foot forward, facing one side of the board. The feet are attached to the board via high-back or plate bindings which are non-releasable. Although there is at least one manufacturer of releasable bindings, they are not widely used. Moreover, the sport is distinct from monoskiing, wherein both feet are side by side on a single ski and the skier faces forward.
Snowboarding has gained in popularity only during the last 10 years. It was pioneered in the late 1970's by a small group of individuals with credit going to Jake Burton and Tom Sims. Both individuals now head snowboard manufacturers, with Burton being the largest snowboard manufacturer in the world. Burton has been frequently attributed with credit for having developed the first high-back bindings and metal edged boards. The roots, however, really started with the "snurfer" which was a sledding toy shaped like a small water ski, with rope tied to the nose and a rough surface for traction running from the center to the back where the user stood. Burton was involved with snurfer racing and was the first to put a foot retention device on his boards. Accordingly, Burton and his boards began to regularly win these events and an industry was born. Today there are more than 65 snowboard equipment manufacturers of boards, boots, and bindings. The cost of snowboard equipment is very comparable to ski equipment with a wide range of costs and types.
Snowboarding is now prevalent on virtually all downhill ski slopes worldwide. In 1985 only 7 percent of ski areas allowed snowboards; today more than 90 percent allow snowboards, and over half have specialized snowboard areas referred to as half pipes. A half pipe is a trough cut or built up with snow, with the term originating from skateboarding. Today about 10 percent of the world skier population consists of snowboarders, with the annual growth rate for the sport projected at 20 percent. In the United States, about 80 percent of snowboarders are male with an average age of 20.8 years. The average snowboarder rides 15 days a year which is 3 times that of the average skier. The PSIA (Professional Ski Instructors of America) and CSF (Canadian Snowboard Federation) now certifies snowboard instructors and most resorts which allow boarding will have instructors on staff. Moreover, the National Ski Patrol (NSP) and Canadian Ski Patrol (CSP) are actively integrating snowboards into their rescue programs.
Accordingly, major competitions utilizing snowboarding equipment are continually being organized involving major sponsorships, television coverage, and world-class athletes with snowboarding also soon to be an Olympic event. Such competitions range from downhill speed runs to slalom races to half-pipe and freestyle performances. As a result, four major categories of boards have been developed including race, alpine, all-around/free-riding, and half-pipe/freestyle.
Two types of bindings are commonly used in snowboarding: the high-back and the plate. The high-back is characterized by a vertical plastic back piece which is used to apply pressure to the heel-side of the board. This binding has two straps which go over the foot, with one strap holding down the heel and the other holding down the toe. Some high-backs also have a third strap on the vertical back piece called a shin strap which gives additional support and aids in toe side turns. The plate, or step-in binding, is used with a hard shell boot much like a ski binding except it is non-releasable.
For different events, the desired angle of the binding relative to the longitudinal axis of the board might need to be changed. For instance, during speed runs such as Giant Slalom (GS) the snowboarder would prefer to have his feet oriented more relatively straight ahead. For other events such as freestyle, the desired angle would be oriented more perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. From Transworld Snowboarding the average stances of pro riders from different snowboarding disciplines are as follows with width in inches, angles in degrees with 0 degrees being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, center being inches back from center, and length in cm:
______________________________________ stance front rear board width angle angle center length ______________________________________ Half-pipe: 20.7 17 2 0.5 152.5 Freeride: 21.1 22 7 1.7 170 Slalom: 17 49.2 47.2 0.4 156.8 GS 17 49.6 47.6 0.44 164.9 Super G 17.16 49.4 47.4 0.45 170.5 SlopeStyle 21.3 12 0 1 152.9 ______________________________________
Presently, snowboard bindings cannot be rotated and locked at different angular positions without using external tools. Bindings use either inserts or retention plate securement methods. Inserts consist of a nut built into the board with a machine screw then used to secure the binding. With the retention plate system, a sheet metal screw is used after tapping a hole into the board. It is referred to as plate retention because a metal plate is built into the board where the board will be tapped. The two most popular binding hole patterns include the Burton 3D and the F2 4.times.4. Each pattern provides 4 different positions or settings for stance adjustment of each binding. The majority of non-Burton boards use the 4.times.4 pattern.
However, with each securement and hole pattern method the user must first remove the boot from the binding and then loosen the series of screws--typically with a screwdriver--so the binding can be rotated and positioned at the desired angle. The loose screws must be retightened to lock the binding in place and the user can then reinsert the boot into the binding. Such an operation is difficult, time consuming, and inconvenient for the snowboarder. It would be impractical to require a snowboarder to perform such a field operation on their snowboard. This is particularly true given the high cost of ski-lift tickets and the overall desire by riders to maximize the number of runs performed during any given day.
Most people who use snowboards recreationally prefer to have their front foot positioned at a large angle (e.g. approximately 45 degrees or more) with respect to the longitudinal axis of the snowboard. After snowboarding down the slope, the user typically releases their rear boot and pushes along with the free foot to move the snowboard. Such action is similar to that provided by a skateboarder to move forward on flat surfaces, and hence is called "skating." If enough speed can be achieved via skating, the snowboarder can "glide" by placing the rear foot on the stomp pad which is attached between the bindings where the rear foot can be set when it is not in the rear binding. However, unlike skateboarding where both feet are free, the snowboarder's front foot is fixed at an awkward and inconvenient angle thereby making it difficult to achieve efficient forward locomotion.
Additionally, the inconvenient angle of the user's foot poses a problem when the snowboarder boards and dismounts the ski lift. When sitting down and extending the legs forward, the angle of the mounted foot causes the snowboard to interfere with adjacent passengers on the ski lift. This causes the snowboarder to uncomfortably twist their foot and/or leg and/or body sideways to compensate for the angle of the snowboard. This is particularly unacceptable in light of the long ride time of 15 minutes or more found on most ski lifts. Moreover, such twisting and contorting by the snowboarder might increase the chance of passengers or equipment falling from the lift.
Not only is this situation dangerous and annoying for fellow passengers on the ride up, it is also dangerous upon reaching the disembarkment point on the lift. Due to the unnatural orientation of the snowboarder's mounted foot, it may be difficult for the snowboarder to dismount the lift along the typical straight and narrow path found at most unloading points. Any deviation or lack of control can cause the snowboarder to careen into other patrons, and/or into dangerous obstacles like lift equipment. Moreover, if the snowboarder falls into the path of other disembarking patrons, the whole lift must be stopped until the snowboarder can collect himself and move out of danger.
Accordingly, a snowboard binding is needed wherein the mounting angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the board can be easily adjusted, through any angle, without the need for external tools. This will allow the snowboarder to adjust his foot for different angles for making runs under different conditions. Such a binding will also allow the snowboarder to quickly adjust his mounted foot to a forward facing angle at the end of a run. This will thereby facilitate more efficient and controllable forward locomotion through skating and gliding motions, and also eliminate interference of the snowboard with adjacent fellow passengers on ski lifts.

Adjustable release mechanism for rotating bindings


A rechargeable battery having excellent heat resistance, pressure resistance, and airtightness is provided by using a crimping technique to connect a metal exterior body and an electrode terminal. The rechargeable battery comprises an electrode group which includes a positive electrode and a negative electrode; an exterior container which includes an exterior canister for housing the electrode group, and a sealing plate for sealing an open part of the exterior canister; a pair of electrode terminals crimp-joined to the exterior container from inside the exterior container; and an electrolyte solution filled into the exterior container.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rechargeable battery.
2. Description of Related Art
Rapid reductions in size and weight and addition of multifunction capabilities in consumer mobile telephones, portable electronic devices, mobile information terminals, and the like in recent years have created a need for rechargeable batteries as power sources which satisfy conditions of small size and weight, high energy density, ability to be recharged repeatedly for a long time, and other conditions. Lithium-ion rechargeable batteries, which have high energy density compared to other rechargeable batteries, are the most promising type of rechargeable battery for meeting the needs described above. Various research is under way to develop a superior lithium-ion rechargeable battery.
In order to address global warming and other environmental problems, lithium-ion rechargeable batteries have come to be used in power storage systems that are used in solar power generation systems, wind power generation systems, and the like. As a measure for reducing CO2 and overcoming energy problems, the use of hybrid automobiles (HEV: Hybrid Electric Vehicle) and electric automobiles (EV: Electric Vehicle) having low fuel consumption and low gas emissions is expected to increase, and lithium-ion rechargeable batteries targeted for use as automotive batteries are being developed and brought to market.
Demand for lithium-ion rechargeable batteries is thus increasing not only for mobile devices but for large-scale motive power applications as well. When a lithium-ion rechargeable battery is used in a motive power or electrical power storage system, the battery must be endowed with large capacity to enable discharge over long periods of time, and there is also a need for increased service life.
Lithium-ion rechargeable batteries of various shapes and sizes have been proposed for adaption to these applications. A lithium-ion rechargeable battery is generally formed by arranging a positive electrode having a positive electrode active material layer formed therein and a negative electrode having a negative electrode active material layer formed therein so as to face each other with a separator therebetween, housing the electrode group thus formed in an exterior body (housing container), and then injecting a non-aqueous electrolyte therein. Charging and discharging then occurs by the movement of lithium ions between the positive electrode and the negative electrode.
Known shape types for the electrode group include a coil type in which the electrode group is integrally coiled, and a stacked type in which the positive electrode, the separator, and the negative electrode are stacked in a planar shape. A coiled electrode group is housed in a cylindrical canister (exterior body) to form a cylindrical rechargeable battery (see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2000-331656). A stacked electrode group may be covered by a laminate film (exterior body) to form a laminate-type rechargeable battery, or the stacked electrode group may be housed in a prismatic canister to form a prismatic battery.
Such a lithium-ion rechargeable battery generates heat and expands during charging and discharging, and therefore must be heat resistant and pressure resistant. Since an electrolyte solution is also sealed therein, airtightness is required. In the cylindrical rechargeable battery described above, resin is used in a portion of a lid that forms part of the exterior body. The center part of the lid forms the positive electrode terminal and is therefore made of metal, but the periphery thereof insulates from the exterior canister and is therefore formed using a resin gasket. The resin gasket is also subjected to heat and pressure. Resin is more susceptible to heat and pressure than metal and is prone to degrade, and the use thereof therefore leads to reduced durability of the rechargeable battery.
In the laminate rechargeable battery described above, since resin surfaces of laminate films are heat-fused to each other, the resin is made hard and brittle by the heat during fusion, and cannot be considered to have high durability.
In the prismatic battery described above, electrode terminals are laser-welded in through holes in a metal exterior body. Since dissimilar materials are difficult to weld together by laser welding, the materials of the exterior body and the electrode terminals are limited. Furthermore, in materials that include resin, the resin near the weld is melted by laser welding, and a high-strength laminated steel sheet cannot be used as the material for the exterior body.


A radiator fluid exchanging apparatus including at least one fluid supply tank and a pressure vessel with a pressure generator, the tank and the vessel each including a multi-directional supply coupling in communication with first and second selectively operable fluid control manifolds, one manifold being in communication with a pump for supplying fluid from the supply tank to an influent port of an engine cooling system to be serviced, the other manifold being interposed between the pressure vessel and an effluent port of the engine cooling system, when coupled thereto, for drawing waste fluid into the vessel and resupplying fluid from the fluid supply tank under negative pressure to the engine cooling system as determined by the selective operation of the control manifolds and actuation of the pump and pressure generator.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of vehicle maintenance, and more specifically, to servicing vehicle cooling fluid systems.
2. Description of Related Art
The engine cooling system is but one vehicle system that requires routine maintenance to extend the longevity of the system and the vehicle. A typical engine cooling system includes a radiator connected to a water pump via an effluent line which is in turn connected to a heater core and an engine block. An influent line completes the fluid loop by connecting the radiator inlet port to the outlet port of the engine block. Depending on the direction the water is pumped, this loop may be reversed. The radiator also includes a radiator pressure cap coupled to an overflow bottle via an overflow conduit.
Typically, as coolant evaporates or breaks down over time, a relatively simple maintenance routine involves the periodic monitoring of the radiator fluid level by visually examining the fluid level in relation to a fill line on the overflow bottle connected to the radiator. If the level is low, the bottle may be refilled with water, anti-freeze, or a pre-mix fluid by removing the cap to the overflow bottle and pouring in the desired fluid until the level is again at the fill line. Related to this, when the engine is sufficiently cooled, the fluid level in the radiator itself may be checked by removing the radiator cap to visually check the level of fluid in the radiator. The fluid may be topped off by pouring the proper fluid directly into the radiator through its fill neck.
As the efficiency of heat transfer deteriorates with time, as from broken down aged coolant, the risk of overheating and damaging the engine is increased. Thus, in addition to these routine topping off procedures, most dealers or service technicians recommend changing the engine coolant completely every 15,000 to 20,000 miles. Of course, this may vary depending on the vehicle. In the interim, it may also be advisable to exchange a significant amount of fluid to maintain the vehicle in top form and extend the life of the vehicle. Thus, in some instances, it may be necessary to exchange some or all of the old fluid in the radiator with new fluid or flush the radiator completely.
One early method of replacing old coolant required the service technician to disconnect the lower effluent hose from the bottom of the radiator and allow the free end to drain into a collection tank. Then it was a matter of routine for the technician to insert a flushing hose into the fill neck of the radiator to flush the system until the fluid exiting the bottom of the radiator ran clear. Often, the fluid was drained directly into the street drain or public sewage system leading to undesirable environmental impacts. Once the flushing was accomplished the lower hose was reconnected and the radiator refilled with the recommend type of anti-freeze and water or a pre-mix until the fill line in the radiator was reached. The overflow bottle was then also filled. However, this fluid replacement method wasted a considerable amount of water to completely flush the radiator. In addition, this procedure, being dependent on the pressure of the flushing hose and gravity fluid flow, took a considerable amount of time to flush the contents of the radiator and did not result in satisfactorily flushing the entire cooling system.
To improve the speed of these fluid exchange procedures, a number of machines were developed to remove and replace the coolant within the radiator. Such machines introduced pump assisted fill or drain procedures to force fluid through the vehicle's engine cooling system but with the engine running so the thermostat remained open. One such exemplary machine may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,853,068 to Dixon et al. This machine includes a single pump used to draw fluid from a fresh fluid reservoir into the engine cooling system while the vehicle engine is running and the water pump is forcing old fluid out of the engine cooling system into a waste collection tank. An overpressure switch is responsive to pressure build-up beyond pre-set tolerable limits, such as from a defective thermostat. However, such system has a drawback as a significant amount of new fluid must be introduced into the system to ensure the air is completely forced out of the engine coolant loop.
Another example of prior efforts is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,390,636 to Baylor et al. This type of machine uses compressed air to force supply fluid into the engine cooling system to displace the old fluid. However, residual amounts of compressed air often become trapped the engine cooling system. In recognition of this problem a valve is closed in response to predetermined coolant level drop in a supply tank to relieve air pressurization of the tank and interrupting coolant flow. Thus, the system is controlled by deactivating air flow based on a measured quantity of coolant fluid delivered from the supply tank. Either a low level float in the supply tank or a relay connected to a solenoid is responsive to close a valve when a low level switch triggers the relay to cease introduction of additional pressurized air. However, a failure in the switching system or valve closure would result in introducing air into the engine coolant system. Also, according to this patent, the air is bled from the system if necessary, indicating that some air may be trapped during the process.
The problem with leaving air in the vehicle cooling system is that a dangerous condition can arise if too much air remains. Air in the system can expand when heated and blow the hoses or otherwise weaken the hoses thereby shortening the lifespan of the cooling system of the vehicle. In addition, during this procedure, the engine is also running to maintain the thermostats in an open state requiring the service technician to perform additional safety procedures.
What is needed and heretofore unavailable is a radiator fluid exchanging apparatus configured to perform a variety of servicing procedures including an interim exchange using vacuum assisted fluid control and complete exchange with the engine in an off condition along with providing the versatility of collecting fluid for waste control purposes while reducing the likelihood of introducing air into the vehicle cooling system.


A head testing apparatus is provided for testing a data recording head. The apparatus includes a test volume, a magnetic field source, a holder and a thermoelectric source. The test volume is adapted to receive the head, and the magnetic field source is positioned to generate a magnetic field within the test volume. The holder is adapted to hold the head and position the head within the test volume. The thermoelectric source is positioned to contact the head when the head is positioned within the test volume by the holder.

The present invention relates to data storage systems and, more particularly, to a transfer curve tester for testing magnetic recording heads used in data storage systems.
Many data storage systems use magnetic or magneo-optical recording heads for writing information to and reading information from a magnetic: medium. For example, disc drives of the xe2x80x9cWinchesterxe2x80x9d type have one or more rigid discs, which are coated with a magnetizable medium for storing digital. information in a plurality of circular, concentric data tracks. The discs are mounted on a spindle motor, which causes the discs to spin and the surfaces of the discs to pass under respective head suspension assemblies. Head suspension assemblies carry transducers which write information to and read information from the disc surface. An actuator mechanism moves the head suspension assemblies from track-to-track across the surfaces of the discs under control of electronic circuitry. xe2x80x9cFloppy-typexe2x80x9d disc drives use flexible discs, which also have circular, concentric data tracks. For a tape drive, the information is stored along linear tracks on the tape surface.
In these applications, several different types of transducers have been used that rely on magnetic properties for writing to and/or reading from the magnetic medium. For an inductive-type transducer, the direction of current through the transducer is controlled during a write operation to encode magnetic flux reversals on the surface of the medium within the selected data track. When retrieving data from the medium, the inductive transducer is positioned over the data track to sense the flux reversals stored in the data track and generate a read signal based on those flux reversals. In a magnetoresistive type of transducing head, the flux reversals cause a change in the resistance of the head, which is sensed by a detector circuit. Typically, a reference current is passed through the magneto-resistive head and the change in resistance is sensed by measuring changes in the voltage across the head. Other types of detecting circuits can also be used.
In order to understand the basic physics of a magnetic transducing head during development and manufacturing, it is common to test the response of the head to an applied magnetic field. For example, one series of tests is known as xe2x80x9cTransfer Curve Testingxe2x80x9d. To generate a transfer curve for a particular transducing head, the head is placed in a magnetic field (steady state or time varying) and the output signal from the transducing head is measured. The transfer curve is simply a plot of the output signal versus the applied magnetic field, where the field is varied from some negative value to some positive value., which is usually the same magnitude as the negative value. For a magneto-resistive type of head, the output signal consists of a steady state voltage. which is a function of the bias current applied to the head, the bulk resistance of the head and the applied magnetic field. Typical characteristics that can be measured from the transfer curve data include read signal amplitude at maximum field, noise with zero field, noise with applied field, linearity over some range of field, and symmetry. Symmetry is a comparison of the read signal amplitude with a maximum positive field and the read signal amplitude with a maximum negative field.
Transfer curve testing can be done at the slider level, the head/gimbal assembly (HGA) level or the drive level. A typical transfer curve tester performed at the slider level operates at ambient temperature. Thus, the head characteristics are not measured over the same temperature range that can occur during normal operation at the drive level. A given head can generate noise or have other functional problems at temperatures that are higher or lower than the ambient temperature at which the head was tested. Such functional problems can interfere with the head""s ability to reliably read or write data.
In the past, large environmental chambers have been used during transfer curve testing to cycle the temperature at which the head is operated over a predetermined temperature range. However, this typically involved testing the heads at the HDA level or the drive level, which are significantly downstream along a disc drive""s assembly process. If a problem is detected, this limits the available solutions to the problem and increases the cost of the solution. Also, these environmental chambers are fairly large in size, are costly to operate and have relatively slow temperature cycle times.
Thus, a transfer curve tester having an improved structure for cycling the operating temperature of the head being tested is desired.
One aspect of the present invention is directed to a head testing apparatus for testing a data recording head. The apparatus includes a test volume, a magnetic field source, a holder and a thermoelectric source. The test volume is adapted to receive the head, and the magnetic, field source is positioned to generate a magnetic field within the test volume. The holder is adapted to hold the head and position the head within the test volume. The thermoelectric source is positioned to contact the head when the head is positioned within the test volume by the holder.
Another aspect of the present invention is directed to a data recording head test fixture having a nest for holding a data recording head. A thermoelectric source is positioned relative to the nest such that the thermoelectric source contacts the data recording head when the data recording head is held within the nest.
Another aspect of the present invention is directed to a method of testing a magnetic data recording head. According to the method, the data recording head is positioned relative to a magnetic field. A response of the data recording head to the magnetic field is then measured while a localized temperature change is induced in the data recording head.
Yet another aspect of the present invention is directed to a head testing apparatus, wherein the apparatus includes a magnetic field source and an apparatus for holding a data recording head relative to the magnetic field source and inducing a. localized temperature change in the data recording head.

Thermal slider level transfer curve tester for testing recording heads


A process cartridge suitable for use in a multi-color image forming apparatus has an image carrier such as an electrophotosensitive drum, a plurality of developing units which act on the image carrier to form developed images of different colors, and a developing unit change-over device for performing change-over between the developing units so as to put one of the developing units into an operative state. The developing unit change-over device is controlled in accordance with a signal from a sensor mounted in the body of the image forming apparatus that senses the state of the developing unit change-over device. The image forming apparatus which operates with the process cartridge has a mounting structure for mounting the process cartridge, a driving device for driving the developing unit change-over device in the process cartridge mounted on the mounting structure, a sensor for sensing the state of the developing unit change-over device in the process cartridge mounted on the mounting structure, and a control device for controlling the operation of the developing unit change-over device in accordance with a signal output from the sensor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process cartridge having a plurality of developing units and also to an image forming apparatus on which the process cartridge is mountable.
The term "image forming apparatus" in this specification is used to mean various types of apparatuses and machines such as electrophotographic copying machines, printers including laser beam printers, facsimile machines, and so forth. Although a process cartridge and a multi-color image forming apparatus are specifically mentioned in the following description, it is to be understood that such devices are only illustrative and the present invention may generally apply to a variety of types of process cartridges having a plurality of developing units and image forming apparatuses which operate in cooperation with such process cartridges.
2. Description of the Related Art
Process cartridges for use in multi-color image forming apparatuses have been known.
In general, such a process cartridge has an image carrier and a plurality of developing units which act on the image carrier, as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,500,195. The process cartridge, as well as the multi-color image forming apparatus which forms multi-color images by using such a process cartridge, is essentially required to have a construction which enables the developing units to operate correctly without impairing the ease of mounting and demounting of the process cartridge on and from the apparatus.

Process cartridge having plural developing units and image forming apparatus capable of mounting process cartridge


Removable extension areas electrically connected to the original die bond pad allow for testing connections to be made. After removal of the extension areas, the circuitry below the region of the extension areas can be seen through a microscope. The use of perforations and/or underlayer sections can aid in the removal of the extension areas. Underlayer sections may comprise a metal that forms an intermetallic interaction with the metal layer of the extension areas.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for packaging a semiconductor die.
Burn-in testing is used to force infant mortality and cause latently defective chips to fail early in the manufacturing process. By forcing chip failure, the chip manufacturer can avoid unnecessary expenditure of time and money on latently defective or "bad" chips. Another valuable aspect of burn-in testing is that it provides an ongoing evaluation of the fabrication process. The burn-in testing can be static or dynamic. Static testing typically supplies power and ground to a chip which is cycled through different temperature ranges. In dynamic burn-in testing, test signals are also applied to the chips to exercise specific chip functions.
The burn-in testing requires electrical connections to the circuit. Electrical connections to the chip for burn-in testing can be made with probe cards or with wire bond connections. Probe cards use a large number of thin electrical probes which must make electrical contact with each input pad on the chip to supply the excitation signal to the particular circuitry associated with that pad. The probe card contacts can damage the input pads.
Alternately, wire bond connections can be used. Dies can be packaged, burn-in tested, and then removed from the package. The electrical connections used for burn-in testing can sometimes damage a contact area or wire bond pad of the die. In some cases, this damage can prevent a tested die from being re-packaged and/or used.
It is therefore advantageous to have a packaging method and apparatus which avoids the problem of damage to the contact area.

Removal of extended bond pads using intermetallics


A device for tailoring the chromatic dispersion of a multi-channel light signal is proposed. The device includes at least two waveguides coupled in a cascade, each provided with a spatially distributed optical filter. The group delay response of the filters is designed so that the group delay of each channel of the light signal can be tuned independently of the others, and an appropriate tuning mechanism is provided for this purpose. The device may advantageously be used as a flexible dispersion compensator.

When transmitting a modulated optical signal in an optical fiber link, the wavelength dependence of the effective index of the fiber fundamental mode induces differences in the propagation delays experienced by the various spectral components. For a narrowband signal at a given wavelength, the propagation delay is called group delay (GD) and is typically expressed in ps. The GD is calculated with equation (1) where λ is the wavelength, φ is the optical phase and c is the speed of light.
                    GD        =                                            -                              λ                2                                                    2                            π                                                                                c                                                                    ⅆ                              ϕ                                                  (                  λ                  )                                                                    ⅆ              λ                                                          (        1        )
For example, the optical phase in (1) can be modified by an optical filter or by propagation through an optical fiber. The spectral variation of the GD is called chromatic dispersion (CD). The CD is the slope of the GD curve with respect to wavelength and is expressed in ps/nm.
In the presence of CD, an optical signal is distorted and inter-symbol interference can appear at the output of a long fiber link. This problem is usually addressed by the use of CD compensators which introduce a CD with an opposite value (negative vs positive) to that induced by a given optical fiber length. A standard G.652 optical fiber has a CD value around 17 ps/nm-km. Optical networks with Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) transmit several optical channels spaced by 50 GHz, 100 GHz or 200 GHz over a predetermined optical band. For example, the C-band covers the wavelength range between 1530 nm and 1570 nm. One difficulty in CD compensation is that the CD is not constant between 1530 nm and 1570 nm and, furthermore, this variation depends on the fiber type. This wavelength dependence is called the CD slope (CDS) and is expressed in ps/nm2. Wideband multi-wavelength CD compensators have to take this difference into account because CDS has a critical impact on the performance of high bit rate data link.
In optical networks, the CD can vary as a result of reconfigurations of the network or variations in the environment, for example temperature. Tunable CD compensators are therefore needed to dynamically adjust the CD compensation level over a given range. Furthermore, to have more adaptability, tunable CD compensators must be able to compensate the CDS. Desired properties of a tunable CD compensator therefore include flexibility on the setting of the mean CD value across the whole spectral band, called nominal value, and on the setting of the CDS. Ideally, tunable CD compensators should provide independent CD setting for each optical channel. This feature is particularly important when the channels present in the covered spectral band are propagated through different link lengths.
Fiber Bragg Grating Dispersion Compensator
Fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) consists of a refractive index modulation along the fiber axis, denoted z. The resulting effective index modulation is expressed by (2).
                                          n            eff                                          (            z            )                          =                                            n              ave                                                  (              z              )                                +                      Δ                                                                                n                                            (                z                )                                                                sin                                            (                                                      ∫                    0                    z                                                                                2                                                π                                                                                Λ                          G                                                                                (                                                      z                            ′                                                    )                                                                                ⅆ                                              z                        ′                                                                                )                                                                        (        2        )            Where neff is the effective index of the optical fiber, nave is the average effective index, Δn is the effective index modulation and ΛG(z) is the local grating period. FBGs reflect the incoming light which has spectral components close to the Bragg wavelength (λB) expressed in (3).λB(z)=2naveΛG(z)  (3)
Chirped FBGs (CFBGs) are FBGs in which ΛG varies along the fiber propagation axis. According to (3), the wavelength of the reflected signal, λB, will also vary along the optical fiber axis. This longitudinal λB variation introduces a propagation delay between the different spectral components of an incoming signal. The delay is related to the position along the fiber axis at which the reflection is maximized for the respective wavelengths. A single channel CD compensator may thus be realized by using a small linear variation of ΛG(z) as is schematically represented in FIG. 1A (PRIOR ART). Longer wavelengths of the reflected spectral band (λL) are reflected into the first part of the CFBG, which have shorter propagation delay, while central wavelengths (λC) and shorter wavelengths (λS) are reflected afterwards. For a fixed reflection bandwidth, the CD value of a CFBG is related to its chirp. FIG. 1B (PRIOR ART) illustrates a single channel CD compensator with a higher CD, with smaller chirp, than (a) for the same reflection bandwidth.
Single channel tunable CD compensators can be obtained by inducing a longitudinal variation of neff or ΛG which changes the reflection position of each wavelength along the CFBG. Different implementations of this technique are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,671,307 (Lauzon et al.) using a temperature gradient, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,501 (Alavie) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,360,042 (Long) with a strain gradient or with magnetostriction in U.S. Pat. No. 6,122,421 (Adams et al.).
Multi-wavelength FBG CD compensators can be obtained by superimposing many CFBGs with spectral responses centered at different wavelengths spaced by 50 GHz, 100 GHz or 200 GHz (Y. Painchaud, H. Chotard, A. Mailloux, Y. Vasseur, "Superposition of chirped fibre Bragg grating for third-order dispersion compensation over 32 WDM channels", Electronics Letters vol. 38, no. 24, pp. 1572-1573 (2002)), or by using FBGs sampled in amplitude and phase (H. Li, Y. Sheng, Y. Li, and J. E. Rothenberg, "Phased-Only Sampled Fiber Bragg Gratings for High-Channel-Count Chromatic Dispersion Compensation", J. Lightwave Technol vol. 21, pp. 2074-2083 September 2003). In these devices, compensation of CDS is possible with proper control of the FBG characteristics. This is schematically demonstrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B (PRIOR ART) where a three channel CD compensator is illustrated with a CD that has an inter channel variation to compensate the CDS of an optical fiber link. Similarly to single CFBG, CD tunability is achieved by applying a longitudinal perturbation along the FBG. However, these devices do not offer independence of the average CD setting of each channel and therefore do not provide CDS tunability. To overcome this limitation, the use of a cascade of two multi-wavelength CD compensators is disclosed in Canadian patent application no. 2,417,317 (Morin et al.).
CD Compensators with Distributed Resonant Cavities: Principle of Operation
Resonant Cavity Basis
Two parallel and highly reflective mirrors form a resonant optical cavity in which constructive interference occurs for specific cavity modes. The frequency spacing between each cavity mode is called the Free Spectral Range (FSR) and is obtained with (4), where c is speed of light in vacuum, d the distance between the mirrors and ng is the group index of the medium between the mirrors, ng=neff−λ(dneff/dλ).
                    FSR        =                  c                      2                                      n              g                                    d                                              (        4        )
The spectral position of each cavity mode is evaluated with (5), where λm, the mth cavity mode, is directly related to the average of the effective refractive index of the medium.
                              λ          m                =                              2                                      n              ave                                    d                    m                                    (        5        )            FBG-Based Resonant Cavities
Resonant cavities need at least two mirrors which are spatially separated. An all-fiber wideband resonant cavity can be formed by two CFBGs, with the same reflection band, that are partially superimposed with a small longitudinal shift (d) along the fiber axis. In S. Doucet, R. Slavik, Sophie LaRochelle. "High-finesse large Band Fabry-Perot fibre filter with superimposed chirped Bragg Gratings", Elec. Lett., Vol. 38, no 9, April 2002, pp. 160-160, a Fabry-Perot interferometer with two mirrors of similar reflectivity, was realized with superimposed CFBGs. Another type of interferometer is formed with one strong back mirror and other weaker mirror on the input side. This interferometer is an asymmetric Fabry-Perot, which is called a Gires-Tournois etalon (GTE). GTEs are used in reflection to modify the phase and to induce dispersion on an incident optical signal. Indeed, due to their strong back reflectors, GTEs are constant amplitude filters called all-pass filters. However, at the wavelengths corresponding to the cavity modes, the filter will introduce an important GD on the reflected signal. This GD is created by the resonance of the optical field inside the structure which results in a periodic GD response in the spectral band of the mirrors. By carefully designing the reflectivity and position of the weaker mirror, GTEs allow the shaping of the GD variations close to the λm. Similarly to Fabry-Perots, GTEs are realized by superimposed CFBGs. Due to the distributed nature of the CFBGs, this type of GTE is called a distributed Gires-Tournois etalon (DGTE). FIGS. 3A to 3C (PRIOR ART) schematically illustrate the characteristics of a DGTE. In FIG. 3A, two CFBGs with different modulation strengths are shown, photo-induced in an optical fiber but spatially shifted by d along the fiber axis. FIG. 3B represents the relationship between the position along the fiber axis and the local Bragg wavelength, or maximum reflected spectral component of each CFBGs. FIG. 3B also illustrates the resonating cavity mode (λm, λm+1, λm+2) as well as wavelengths that are not resonating (λam, λam+1). In FIG. 3C, the GD response of a typical DGTE is illustrated. It is shown that the GD response follows a monotonous slope, induced by the chirp of the CFBGs, on which GD delay peaks appear around wavelengths corresponding to the resonant cavity modes.
Principle of CD Compensator Based on GTE Cascade
The periodic GD response of DGTEs as explained above may advantageously be used to build devices for CD compensation. In the simplest example of such a device, a single DGTE can act as a simple CD compensator when the channel bandwidth is much smaller than the FSR of the DGTE element. However, this solution is not viable for high bit rate data transmission such as 10 Gbit/s, 40 Gbit/s or higher.
Another possibility is to use two GTE or DGTE components in a cascade configuration, with the two components (a) and (b) having opposite chromatic dispersion slope over the channel bandwidth. FIGS. 4A to 4F (PRIOR ART) illustrate the tunability principle. The upper graphs (FIGS. 4A to 4C) show the CD of the individual components and of the cascade, while the lower graphs (FIGS. 4D to 4F) display their respective GD. The GD characteristic of component (a) shows a quadratic dependence on wavelength detuning over a spectral region larger than the channel bandwidth, but smaller than one FSR, while component (b) covers the channel bandwidth. Their cascade results in an almost linear GD as is represented by the dash-dot line which in turn corresponds to a constant CD over the channel bandwidth. As can be seen by comparing the graphs from left to right, a shift of the spectral response of component (a) results in different CD setting over the channel bandwidth. A tunable multi-channel CD compensator can thus be realized because the DGTE can be made with periodic spectral responses with a FSR of 50 GHz, 100 GHz, 200 GHz or any desired channel spacing.
Actual Chromatic Dispersion Compensators Based on the GTE and DGTE Cascade Principle
CD dispersion compensation was demonstrated with GTE filters, fabricated with thin film technology, and DGTE filters implemented with CFBGs. The latter case is for example shown in X. Shu, K. Sugden, P. Rhead, J. Mitchell, I. Felmeri, G. Lloyd, K. Byron, Z. Huang, Igor Khrushchev and I. Bennion, "Tunable Dispersion Compensator Based on Distributed Gires-Tournois Etalons," IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. vol. 15, pp. 1111-1113, August 2003. Published patent application US2003/0210864 (Sugden at al.) also teaches of various DGTE-based devices for CD compensation. However, the proposed DGTE are limited in dispersion range and channel bandwidth.
In X. Shu, Karen Chisholm, and Kate Sugden, "Design and Realization of Dispersion Slope Compensator Using Distributed Gires-Tournois Etalons," IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. vol. 16, pp. 1092-1094, April 2004, it is clearly demonstrated that CDS compensation is possible when the DGTEs have different values of FSR. However, the CDS is determined by the design and cannot be tuned, although tuning of the nominal CD, which affects the CD of all channels in similar way, remains possible. FIG. 5A (PRIOR ART) shows the CDS of different FSR mismatch while FIG. 5B (PRIOR ART) shows the tuning of the device to different CD settings. It is evident from FIG. 5B that, although the nominal CD value changes, the inter-channel CDS, corresponding to the CD difference between the channels, remains constant.
In X. Shu, J. Mitchell, A. Gillooly, K. Chisholm, K. Sugden and I. Bennion, "Tunable dispersion Slope compensator using novel tailored Gires-Tournois etalons," in Optical Fiber Communication on CD-ROM (The Optical Society of America, Washington, D.C., 2004), WK5, the CDS tunability is obtained by using DGTE with CFBGs with tailored reflectivity profiles along the fibers axis. This solution does not offer independent tunability of the CDS and of the nominal CD. Furthermore, some channels have a limited dispersion range, as can be observed in FIG. 6 (PRIOR ART) for the channels with the shorter wavelengths.
In D. J. Moss, M. Lamont, S. McLaugthlin, G. Randall, P. Colbourne, S. Kiran and C. A. Hulse, "Tunable Dispersion and Dispersion Slope Compensators for 10 Gb/s Using All-Pass Multicavity Etalons," IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. vol. 15, pp. 730-732, May 2003, thin film multi-cavity GTEs allow compensation over a larger CD range. CDS compensation using two GTEs with different FSR has also been demonstrated with this technology. Thin film GTEs have the same limitations as the previously described DGTE design and cannot allow complete inter-channel tunable CD compensator.
Despite all of the technological advancements described above, there is still a need for a versatile device which would allow for the channel per-channel compensation of CD and CDS.

Device for tailoring the chromatic dispersion of a light signal


A melted crayon painting system for effectively painting with melted crayon. The melted crayon painting system generally includes providing a tube having a distal end, a receiver-dispenser opening within the distal end and a lumen fluidly connected to the receiver-dispenser opening, heating the tube to a temperature of at least 120 degrees Fahrenheit, inserting the distal end of the tube into a crayon, melting a portion of the crayon with the tube, receiving a volume of melted crayon from the crayon into the lumen from the receiver-dispenser opening, removing the distal end of the tube from the crayon, and dispensing the volume of melted crayon within the lumen from the receiver-dispenser opening.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a crayon melting system and more specifically it relates to a melted crayon painting system for effectively painting with melted crayon.
2. Description of the Related Art
Any discussion of the related art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such related art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field.
Melted crayon art is becoming popular with artists. Melted crayon art is created by melting one or more crayons onto a painting surface. There are two conventional ways to melt crayon: blow dryer or glue guns.
The first method of melting crayons for melted crayon art is by positioning the crayons on the painting surface with the painting surface positioned at an angle and then heating the crayons to their melting point with a blow dryer or hair dryer allowing the melted crayon to flow downwardly along the painting surface. The main problem with using a blow dryer to melt the crayons is that it is difficult to do detailed painting.
The second method of melting crayons for melted crayon art is by inserting a crayon into a rear opening of a glue gun, heating the crayon within the glue gun and then dispensing out the nozzle of the glue gun onto the painting surface. One problem with using glue guns for melted crayon art is that it is difficult to change from a first color of crayon to a second color of crayon because the user has to empty out the glue gun melt body first prior to inserting the second color of crayon. Another problem is that glue guns are not designed for detailed painting since they are designed for melting a thermoplastic adhesive that is dispensed in a thick strip for securing objects together.
Because of the inherent problems with the related art, there is a need for a new and improved melted crayon painting system for effectively painting with melted crayon.


A device for recovering anaesthetic. During the administration of inhaled anaesthetic, the device is connected to a patient. It includes an anaesthetic evaporator for supplying anaesthetic to the patient and an absorption filter for absorption and desorption of the medium. The device includes a body placed between the absorption filter and the patient with the gases breathed by the patient passing across the body and the anaesthetic evaporating on the surface thereof. The absorption filter is in the form of a flat element placed in the flow path of a gas breathed by the patient and contains fibers of active carbon. The absorption filter is movably arranged in a housing between a position in which substantially all the gases breathed pass through the filter and the position in which a small portion of the gases breathed passes therethrough.

The present invention relates to a device for recovering anaesthetic during the use of inhaled anaesthetics. The device is connected to a patient and comprises an anaesthetic evaporator for supplying anaesthetic to the patient and an absorption filter for absorption and desorption of the medium.
In the evaporator a fresh gas flow is conducted past the anaesthetic, in liquid phase, whereupon the medium evaporates in part of the fresh gas flow. This gas is mixed incompletely or unevenly with the gas breathed by the patient when it enters the tube since it enters through said opening. Since the supply of anaesthetic is also affected both by the flow and pressure of the gas breathed by the patient, it is difficult to know how much anaesthetic is actually being supplied to the patient.
The absorption filter is in the form of a body or container holding active carbon, for instance, in granular or powder form. Large quantities of such material are necessary for the absorption effect to be efficient. This means that the filter must be large and thus requires considerable space as well as increasing the quantity of carbon dioxide that is re-inhaled. The material must also be surrounded by a suitable filter to prevent the granules/powder from flowing into the patient""s lungs. The carbon also absorbs a certain amount of gas which therefore fails to benefit the patient. In some cases the breathing resistance may be considerable.
When using the device according to SE-B 459 155 it is impossible to abruptly alter or disconnected the supply of anaesthetic to the patient since some medium remains in the absorption filter. The remaining medium is admittedly gradually aired out but this takes time and in the meanwhile the patient is receiving an undesired supply of anaesthetic.
Neither does the device according to SE-B 459 155 allow the supply of anaesthetic to be closed off should the patient temporarily stop breathing.
One object of the present invention is at least partially to eliminate the summary of the invention provide a device having one or more of the following advantages:
Supply of anaesthetic to the gas breathed by the patient in exact quantities and in such a manner that the consumption of anaesthetic can be accurately controlled.
The absorption filter requires little volume and takes up little space, in spite of breathing resistance being maintained or decreased.
The absorption filter need not be surrounded by an extra filter.
The supply of anaesthetic from the absorption filter to the patient can be quickly cut off.
The supply of anaesthetic from the evaporator to the patient can be closed off if the patient stops breathing temporarily.
This object is fulfilled by the device according to the invention being given the features defined in the characterizing part of the claims.


A fuel cell voltage monitor (12a, 12b, 40, 140, 440) detects and may respond to, a problematic operating condition at or near a fuel cell (10) or within a subset (n) of fuel cells, as in a fuel cell stack assembly (110). Two or more co-planar, spaced voltage leads or contacts in a fuel cell plane, as at a separator plate, detect the presence of a voltage difference within the plate/plane as an indication of an operating problem at or near the fuel cell. Placement of such arrangements of at least two spaced voltage leads at various subset intervals (n), of fuel cells in a stack assembly allow monitoring for such problems throughout the stack assembly, either by analysis of voltage difference between co-planar leads at respective individual fuel cells or by comparison of voltage differences between aligned pairs of voltage leads at opposite ends of a subset.

Fuel cells provide clean, direct current electricity by converting reactants, namely fuel (typically hydrogen) and oxidant (air or oxygen), to generate electric power and reaction products. Fuel cells generally employ an electrolyte disposed between two electrodes, namely a cathode and an anode. A catalyst typically induces the desired chemical reactions. The catalysts are typically located at the interfaces between each electrode and the adjacent electrolyte.
Fuel cells having various types of electrolytes are within the scope of consideration. Some fuel cells have solid polymer and solid oxide electrolytes, whereas others employ liquid electrolytes, etc. Fuel cell assemblies require separator plates for providing current passage and separating the fuel and oxidant reactant gases between the cells. They are disposed on each side of the electrode/electrolyte assembly of the individual fuel cell.
During operation, the output voltage of an individual fuel cell under load is generally less than one volt (e.g., 0.6-0.9 volts. Thus, in order to provide greater output voltage, it is usually necessary to stack numerous cells together and connect electrically in series to create a higher voltage fuel cell stack. Fuel cell stacks can then be further connected in series and/or parallel to form larger arrays for delivering higher voltages and/or currents.
It is conventional practice to sense or monitor the voltage of various ones, or even all, of the fuel cells in a fuel cell stack assembly in order to monitor the health, i.e., performance and/or endurance capacity, of the stack assembly as a whole, or even sub-groups or individual fuel cells within the stack assembly. Examples of such voltage monitoring arrangements are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,170,124; 5,763,113; 6,646,418; and 6,724,194, in which voltages sensed at individual ones of the fuel cells in a stack assembly are collectively analyzed by appropriate processing circuitry.
To provide a voltage signal associated with a particular fuel cell in the stack assembly, a voltage contact, lead, or pin, herein after typically a "lead" or "contact", is in contact with the particular fuel cell at a discrete location therein or thereon, and acts as a sensor for that particular fuel cell. While the voltage lead of the sensor may be in contact with any of several locations in a typical fuel cell, one typical location is contact with the conductive, bipolar plate used to separate adjacent fuel cells. These separating plates may variously be identified as flow field plates, separator plates, water transfer plates, or the like, and the voltage lead is typically located at or near the corner of a generally rectangular-shaped fuel cell/separator plate. A single such lead typically serves to sense the voltage and provide the associated voltage signal for that particular cell.
While the afore-described arrangements of voltage sensors associated with fuel cells in a fuel cell stack assembly are able to reveal significant information regarding the condition of the cells and assembly, there are debilitating operating modes that these arrangements of sensors do not detect. Perhaps the most common of these debilitating modes is that of local fuel starvation. This condition may destroy cathode catalyst; but only in a very local area. A typical voltage monitor having a voltage lead at one corner of a fuel cell simply can not differentiate between this type of decay caused by local fuel starvation, which may be of sudden onset, and the more normal, gradual, and thus manageable decay caused by catalyst recrystallization, carbon corrosion and/or reversible catalyst layer wetting.
What is needed is an arrangement for the effective detection of local problems in the stack at the level of the individual fuel cell. An arrangement for the detection of local fuel starvation would be of particular benefit.


The present invention provides a system and apparatus that includes an induction motor and/or a fan assembly. The motor includes a housing having an aperture and a shaft axially disposed within the housing and having an end extending through the aperture. The motor also includes a rotor that has one or more sets of radius extenders connected to the shaft within the housing, and a stator disposed within the housing and separated from the rotor by an air gap. The rotor typically includes one or more sets of permanent magnets attached along a perimeter of the radius extenders and at least a portion of the radius extenders is made of a magnetically conductive material. The stator typically includes a core structure of magnetically conductive material having a set of slots arranged on an internal face of the core structure and one or more sets of coils disposed within the slots.

Without limiting the scope of the invention, the background of the invention is described in connection with fans used in cooling towers. Cooling towers are heat rejection devices that extract waste heat to the atmosphere through the cooling of a water stream to a lower temperature. The heat from the water stream transferred to the air stream raises the air's temperature and its relative humidity to 100%, and this air is discharged to the atmosphere. Cooling towers are commonly used to provide cooled water for air-conditioning, manufacturing and electric power generation. Depending on the application, cooling towers can handle water streams of only a few gallons of water per minute supplied in small pipes up to hundreds of thousands of gallons per minute supplied in pipes as much as 15 feet (about 5 meters) in diameter.
As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, cooling towers 100 and 150 include a fan 102 that is used to draw air 104 from air inlets 106 through a fill area 108 and exhaust the heated and moist air 110 to the atmosphere. The heated water enters the cooling tower 100 and 150 via water inlets 112 that direct the heated water over the fill area 108 so that the water is cooled by the air. The cooled water is then collected and returned to the facility via water output 114. Although the design of any specific cooling tower may vary, the principles illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B are applicable.
The fan 102 operates in a very corrosive environment as a result of the high moisture content, velocity and elevated temperature of the air passing over the fan 102. Moreover, the moisture in the air may also contain various contaminants. Fan vibration and noise are also important operational considerations. As shown in FIG. 2, fan 102 includes a set of fan blades 200 (typically at least six) connected to a fan hub 202. The fan hub 202 is connected to a speed reducer or gearbox 206 via shaft 204. The speed reducer or gearbox 206 is connected to a motor 210 via drive connection (shaft) 208. The speed reducer or gearbox 206 is required in most cases to provide the desired torque and fan blade RPMs. For example, the fan 102 can be an adjustable multi-blade design having a minimum of six (6) fiberglass reinforced epoxy (FRE) fan blades 200 rotating at a tip speed of less than 11,000 FPM and a fan hub 202 of HDG steel plate construction. A non-corrosive metal spacer sleeve may also be provided to prevent the fan 102 from dropping onto speed reducer 206 in the event of shaft bushing failure. The speed reducer or gearbox 206 is typically of the spiral bevel, single (or double) reduction type. In addition, the speed reducer or gearbox 206 is typically bolted to a stainless steel base plate which in turn is bolted and grouted to the concrete structure. The fan motor 210 is close-coupled to the speed reducer or gearbox 206 by means of an elastomeric type coupling. The fan motor 210 is typically a three phase corrosive duty motor suitable for across line starting that is mounted to a stainless steel base plate, bolted and grouted securely to the concrete fan deck. If the fan motor 210 is located outside of the airstream, a drive connection or shaft 208 (e.g., stainless steel, full-floating type, with non-lubricated flexible couplings at both ends) is used to connect the motor 210 to the speed reducer or gearbox 206. A galvanized steel or composite guard or shaft type can also be used to prevent damage to surrounding equipment in case of shaft failure.
The fan assembly (fan 102, speed reducer or gearbox 206 and motor 210) having many moving parts that require maintenance and are prone to failure, especially when operated in the harsh environment of a cooling tower. Moreover, the installation of the fan assembly is difficult and time consuming because of the operating tolerances that must be maintained in order to align the various drive components and reduce vibration and noise.
As a result, there is a need for a system and apparatus for driving a fan that reduces the downtime caused by failures or maintenance, provides increased efficiency and reliability, and provides greater operational control.

Apparatus and system for driving a fan using a linear induction motor


The present invention is a process for fabricating a cloth-like heating element with two pairs of electrical conductors and parallel circuits which are formed via a severing process. A pair of electrical conductors, which looks as a twin belt aligned in parallel, is fabricated on both edges of the heating element by the weaving process; Severing predetermined portions of the inner electrical conductor in order to increase the electrical resistance of heating wires, the pertinent heating wires are connected in series circuitry with each side of the outer electrical conductors; and the heating element is completed when the said process of series linkage is continuously carried out in parallel alignment in accordance with predetermined design.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to a cloth-like heating element with two pairs of electrical conductors and parallel circuits which are formed via a severing process.
2. Related Art
An existing cloth-like heating element, Korean Utility Model Registration #1100067, is issued to the same applicant as the present invention, and its functions are as follows:
According to predetermined design, a great number of resistance heating wires are arranged at some intervals between individual threads which wind up on the loom's beam, while a fine copper wire and a thread are used as the weft.
Through the weaving, the resistance heating wires and the copper wires are interlaced with each other to form the heating element, thereby the cloth-like heating element with parallel structure is completed.
The above mentioned cloth-like heating element, which has the benefits induced by parallel circuitry, is only in use with very low voltages (Dc12V, 24V), because in case of increasing the number of heating wires for the purposes of enhancing durability or heat balance of the heating element, the input voltage for the heating element must be relatively decreased.
This is in accordance with Ohm's law, which states that electrical resistance is inversely proportional to the number of heating wires connected in parallel.
Therefore, the above mentioned heating element cannot function under high voltages (AC100V, 220V), which is a fatal weakness.

Process for fabricating a cloth-like heating element with two pairs of electrical conductors and parallel circuits


Receptor mediated activation of heterotrimeric G-proteins is visualized in living cells by monitoring fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between subunits of a G protein fused to cyan and yellow fluorescent proteins. The G-protein heterotrimer rapidly dissociates and reassociates upon addition and removal of cognate ligand. Energy transfer pairs of G-proteins enables direct in situ detection and have applications for drug screening and GPCR de-orphaning.

Chemoattractants, hormones, neurotransmitters, odorants and other sensory stimuli exert their effects upon cells through a vast family of serpentine G-protein couple receptors (GPCRs). The mechanisms of G-protein mediated signal transduction have been studied using isolated membranes and purified proteins. These studies have shown that excited receptors catalyze the exchange of GTP for GDP and the dissociation of the G-protein heterotrimer, allowing both the GTP-bound α-subunit and free βγ-complexes to signal to downstream effectors. The intrinsic GTPase activity of the α-subunit hydrolyzes the bound GTP and the heterotrimer reassociates, completing the cycle (1,2). There is a need in the art for a technique to directly monitor subunit dissociation and reassociation in living cells.


A method and apparatus for continuously catalytically exothermally reacting propylene with tertiary butyl hydroperoxide in a reaction mixture stream comprising a tertiary butyl alcohol solution of catalyst, reacting propylene, reacting tertiary butyl hydroperoxide, propylene oxide and reaction by-products by thermosyphonically circulating the reaction mixture stream around a thermosyphonic reactor loop; continuously removing heat from the circulating stream in a downflow heat exchange zone in the reactor and continuously passing the circulating stream of reaction mixture through an adiabatic zone such as an upflow reaction zone of progressively increasing temperature while withdrawing or displacing a product stream in an amount sufficient to maintain a predetermined volume of reaction mixture in the reactor and whereby the density of the reaction mixture in the heat exchange zone will be greater than the density of the reaction mixture in the adiabatic zone whereby continuous thermosyphonic circulation can be maintained.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a thermosyphonic method for reacting propylene with tertiary butyl hydroperoxide in solution in tertiary butyl alcohol in the presence of a catalyst to form propylene oxide and additional tertiary butyl alcohol and by-products and to a thermosyphonic reactor useful for the process.
2. Prior Art
It is known to react olefins such as propylene with hydroperoxides such as tertiary butyl hydroperoxide in liquid phase in the presence of a molybdenum catalyst as shown, for example, by Kollar U.S. Pat. No. 3,351,635. See also Kollar U.S. Pat. No. 3,947,500 disclosing the reaction of a hydroperoxide such as, for example, alpha phenyl ethyl hydroperoxide in solution in ethyl benzene with propylene in the presence of a soluble molybdenum naphthenate catalyst.
Marquis et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,626,596 discloses a method for the preparation of soluble molybdenum/alkylene glycol catalyst and their use in catalyzing the reaction of propylene with tertiary butyl hydroperoxide to provide propylene oxide in additional tertiary butyl alcohol in solution in a solvent such as tertiary butyl alcohol. See also Marquis et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,886.
The reaction is highly exothermic and involves the use of a hydroperoxide which, under adverse conditions is potentially explosive. Therefore, careful control of temperature and the reaction conditions is necessary.
It is also known to conduct gas-liquid chemical reactions in "closed loop" reactors as disclosed, for example, in Papp et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,312,837 which discloses the use of a closed loop reactor comprising an ascending vertical tube and a descending vertical tube for the reaction of synthesis gas with an olefin in the presence of a catalyst. A reaction of this nature is also known as an Oxo synthesis.
Other references showing closed loop gas-liquid chemical reactors include Westerlund U.S. Pat. No. 3,502,443 which discloses a reactor useful for chlorine dioxide generation, Schuster et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,482,692 which discloses a gas-liquid reaction conducted in a closed loop such as an oxygenation reaction. Other reactors are shown in Prave et al. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,545,945 and 4,683,122 wherein a gas and a liquid are brought into contact in a dual zone reactor having an upflow portion and a downflow portion.
Vernon U.S. Pat. No. 3,212,860 discloses a process wherein two immiscible liquid chemicals are reacted in an upstanding reactor having a downflow portion and an upflow portion, such as an alkylation reaction wherein an olefin and isobutane are reacted.

Thermosyphonic reaction of propylene with tertiary butyl hydroperoxide and reactor


A body polisher and method of using the body polisher as a skin treatment, includes a two phase composition containing Dead Sea salt and emollient. The emollient is advantageously silicone oil and is present in about 32.67% by weight. About 66.66% by weight Sea salt is provided, the remainder being fragrance.

The present invention relates in general to lotions for rubbing on the body, and in particular, to a new and useful body polisher which contains a moisturizing oil in which sea salt is suspended.
Compositions for smoothing and moisturizing the skin have long been known.
A water-in-oil composition is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,262,087, which contains selected ingredients to emulsify the skin without leaving the skin with an oily feeling. The composition includes dimethylpolysiloxane, a silicone oil.
A silicone oil-in-water emulsifier is also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,300,286.
Other skin treating compositions containing silicon components are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,480,637 and 5,478,555.
It is also known to use various salts in bath water. Epson salt has long been known as a therapeutic composition for use in bath water. A recipe which was circulated on the Internet on May 5, 1996, also calls for the use of Epson salt with sea salt and vegetable glycerin plus a few drops of essential oils to produce a useful bath water additive. The use of salts dissolved in bath water does not contemplate rubbing a lotion with salts directly on the skin, however.