Methods of screening for dihydroxy-acid dehydratase (DHAD) variants that display increased DHAD activity are disclosed, along with DHAD variants identified by these methods. Such enzymes can result in increased production of compounds from DHAD requiring biosynthetic pathways. Also disclosed are isolated nucleic acids encoding the DHAD variants, recombinant host cells comprising the isolated nucleic acid molecules, and methods of producing butanol.

Dihydroxy-acid dehydratase (DHAD), also called acetohydroxy acid dehydratase, catalyzes the conversion of 2,3-dihydroxyisovalerate to α-ketoisovalerate and of 2,3-dihydroxymethylvalerate to α-ketomethylvalerate. The DHAD enzyme, classified by the Enzyme Commission (EC) number 22.214.171.124, is part of the naturally occurring biosynthetic pathways that produce valine, isoleucine, leucine, and pantothenic acid (vitamin B5). DHAD-catalyzed conversion of 2,3-dihydroxyisovalerate to α-ketoisovalerate is also a common step in the multiple isobutanol biosynthetic pathways that are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 7,851,188. Disclosed therein is engineering of recombinant microorganisms for production of isobutanol. Isobutanol is useful as a fuel additive, and the availability of biologically-produced isobutanol can reduce the demand for petrochemical fuels.


Transparent or pigmented powder coating materials with crosslinkers comprising hydroxyalkylamides and blocked nonaromatic polyisocyanates.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to transparent or pigmented powder coating materials with crosslinkers comprising hydroxyalkylamides and blocked nonaromatic polyisocyanates and acidic polymers, said materials possessing reduced susceptibility to pinholing.
2. Discussion of the Background
Powder coating materials based on triglycidyl isocyanurate (TGIC) and acid-functional polyesters produce corrosion-resistant and weather-stable powder coatings. EP 0536 085 describes, however, how expensive processes or a relatively large and thus likewise expensive purification effort are required in order to prepare the TGIC in solid form. Moreover, TGIC is classified by the European Community as a category II mutagen (xe2x80x9cis regarded as causing mutationsxe2x80x9d) and as of May 31, 1998 has required labeling as xe2x80x9ctoxicxe2x80x9d.
Toxicologically unobjectionable and at the same time more reactive as well are xcex2-hydroxyalkylamide crosslinkers. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,076,917 and 4,101,606, xcex2-hydroxyalkylamides are combined with polymers having at least one carboxyl or anhydride function, in particular with polyacrylates, to form powder coating materials. U.S. Pat. No. 4,988,767 describes powder coating materials based on hydroxyalkylamides and acidic acrylate resins. EP 0 322 834 describes thermosetting powder coating materials composed of xcex2-hydroxyalkylamides and polyesters containing acid groups. These coatings with xcex2-hydroxyalkylamide crosslinkers are highly weatherstable, very flexible, hard, and chemical-resistant. Especially at relatively high coat thicknesses, however, the water which is released on crosslinking leads to pinholing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,890 describes hybrid powder coating materials. The acidic polymers they contain are cured with polyepoxides such as, for example, polyglycidyl ethers of aromatic phenols. To increase the crosslinking density, a xcex2-hydroxyalkylamide is used. These hybrid powder coating materials afford good corrosion protection but are unsuited to use outdoors owing to a lack of weathering stability.
Thometzek et al. in 5th Nuremberg Congress, Congress Papers, Volume 1, 251-273 (1999) describe powder coating materials comprising a hydroxy-functional polyester resin, a hydroxyalkylamide, and a bifunctional crosslinker which in addition to blocked isocyanate groups contains carboxyl groups. These powder coating materials are suitable for obtaining matte rather than glossy coatings.
It is an object of the present invention to provide powder coating materials which give highly glossy, flexible, light-stable and weather-stable coatings of low susceptibility to pinholing.
It has surprisingly been found that coatings comprising acidic polymers and xcex2-hydroxyalkylamide crosslinkers, especially at relatively great coat thicknesses, are markedly less susceptible to pinholing if blocked polyisocyanate crosslinkers are added as an additional component. Flexibility, gloss, reactivity, and weather stability remain at the traditional high level of polyester/hydroxyalkylamide or polyurethane powder coating materials.
According to another embodiment of the present invention is a method of coating a surface by applying a powder coating material and curing.
According to another embodiment of the present invention is a coated article obtained by applying a powder coating material and curing.
These and other embodiment of the present invention are made possible by a transparent or pigmented powder coating materials with crosslinkers comprising hydroxyalkylamides and blocked polyisocyanates, comprising:
A) from 20 to 99% by weight of at least one acidic polymer;
B) from 1 to 25% by weight of at least one xcex2-hydroxyalkylamide;
C) from 0.05 to 10% by weight of at least one blocked nonaromatic polyisocyanate having an NCO functionalityxe2x89xa72;
D) from 0 to 50% by weight of at least one pigment and/or inorganic filler;
E) from 0 to 5% by weight of at least one adjuvant or auxiliary.
Suitable non-limiting examples of acidic polymers A) for preparing the powder coating materials of the invention include polyester resins and acrylate resins.
The acidic polyesters preferably possess a glass transition temperature (Tg) in the range from 30 to 85xc2x0 C. and an acid number of from 20 to 80 mg KOH/g. They may be prepared in principle by a condensation reaction of aliphatic polyols and/or cycloaliphatic polyols with aliphatic and/or aromatic polycarboxylic acids and anhydrides. Polyesters of this kind are described, for example, in EP 0 322 807, DE 198 50 970 or WO 95/01406.
The acidic acrylate resins possess an acid number in the range from 10 to 250 mg KOH/g and a melting point of from 60 to 160xc2x0 C. They are prepared in principle by copolymerizing a monomer mixture comprised of
a) from 0 to 70 parts by weight of methyl (meth)acrylate,
b) from 0 to 60 parts by weight of (cyclo)alkyl esters of acrylic acid and/or methacrylic acid having 2 to 18 carbon atoms in the alkyl or cycloalkyl radical,
c) from 0 to 90 parts by weight of vinylaromatic compounds, and
d) from 0 to 60 parts by weight of olefinically unsaturated carboxylic acids, the sum of the parts by weight of components a) to d) being 100.
The monomers b) preferably comprise (cyclo)alkyl esters of acrylic or methacrylic acid having 2 to 18 carbon atoms in the (cyclo)alkyl radical. Non-limiting examples of suitable and, respectively, preferably suitable monomers b) are ethyl (meth)acrylate, n-propyl (meth)acrylate , isopropyl (meth)acrylate, n-butyl (meth)acrylate, isobutyl (meth)acrylate, tert-butyl (meth)acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl (meth)acrylate, cyclohexyl methacrylate, neopentyl methacrylate, isobornyl methacrylate, 3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexyl methacrylate and stearyl methacrylate.
Non-limiting examples of suitable monomers c) include styrene, vinyltoluene and ethylstyrene
Non-limiting examples of d) are acrylic and methacrylic acid, which are also used with preference, and also crotonic acid, itaconic acid, fumaric acid, maleic acid and citraconic acid.
The copolymers may be prepared by copolymerizing the exemplified monomers a) to d) in accordance with customary free-radical polymerization processes, such as solution, emulsion, bead or bulk polymerization, for example.
The monomers may be copolymerized at temperatures of from 60 to 160xc2x0 C., preferably from 80 to 150xc2x0 C., in the presence of free-radical initiators and, if desired, molecular weight regulators.
The carboxyl-functional acrylate copolymers are preferably prepared in inert solvents. Non-limiting examples of suitable solvents are aromatic compounds, such as benzene, toluene, xylene; esters, such as ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, hexyl acetate, heptyl acetate, methylglycol acetate, ethylglycol acetate, methoxypropyl acetate; ethers, such as tetrahydrofuran, dioxane, diethylene glycol dimethyl ether; ketones, such as acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, methyl n-amyl ketone, methyl isoamyl ketone; or any desired mixtures of such solvents.
The copolymers may be prepared continuously or batchwise. A normal procedure is to meter the monomer mixture and the initiator into a polymerization reactor continuously and at a uniform rate and at the same time to draw off continuously the corresponding amount of polymer. In this way it is possible, preferably, to prepare copolymers which are virtually uniform in chemical terms. Chemically near-uniform copolymers may also be prepared by running the reaction mixture at a constant rate into a stirred vessel without taking off the polymer.
Alternatively, a portion of the monomers, by way of example, may be introduced as an initial charge in solvents of the stated type and the remaining monomers and auxiliaries, separately or together, may be introduced into this initial charge at the reaction temperature. In general, the polymerization takes place under atmospheric pressure, but may also be conducted at pressures of up to 25 bar. The initiators are preferably used in amounts of from 0.05 to 15% by weight, based on the overall amount of the monomers.
Suitable initiators are customary free-radical initiators, such as aliphatic azo compounds, for example such as azodiisobutyronitrile, azobis-2-methylvaleronitrile, 1,1xe2x80x2-azobis-1-cyclohexanenitrile and 2,2xe2x80x2-azobisisobutyric acid alkyl esters; symmetrical diacyl peroxides, such as acetyl, propionyl or butyryl peroxide for example, benzoyl peroxides substituted by bromine, nitro, methyl or methoxy groups, lauryl peroxides; symmetrical peroxydicarbonates, e.g., tert-butylperbenzoate; hydroperoxides, such as tert-butyl hydroperoxide, cumene hydroperoxide , for example; dialkyl peroxides, such as dicumyl peroxide, tert-butyl cumyl peroxide or di-tertbutyl peroxide.
To regulate the molecular weight of the copolymers it is possible to use customary regulators in the preparation. Examples that may be mentioned include mercaptopropionic acid, tert-dodecyl mercaptan, n-dodecyl mercaptan or diisopropylxanthogen disulfide. The regulators may be added in amounts of from 0.1 to 10% by weight, based on the overall amount of the monomers.
The copolymer solutions obtained in the copolymerization can then be passed on without further workup to the evaporation or devolatilization process, in which the solvent is removed, for example, in a devolatilizing extruder or spray dryer at from about 120 to 160xc2x0 C. under a vacuum of from 100 to 300 mbar and the copolymers for use in accordance with the invention are recovered.
Polyacrylates of this kind are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,988,767.
As polycarboxyl compounds it is of course also possible to use mixtures of two or more substances.
The xcex2-hydroxyalkylamides B) are known in principle and are described, for example, in EP 0 957 082, U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,917 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,101,606. The structure may be described as follows:
where
X is a chemical bond, hydrogen or a monovalent or polyvalent organic group derived from saturated, unsaturated or aromatic hydrocarbon groups and having 1-24 carbon atoms, or these heteroatom-substituted radicals;
R1 is hydrogen, an alkyl, alkenyl, aryl or aralkyl radical having 1-24 carbon atoms, these heteroatom-substituted radicals or
where R2 is as defined below,
R2 independently at each occurrence is identical or different radicals selected from hydrogen, an alkyl, aryl, aralkyl or alkenyl radical having 1-24 carbon atoms, or these heteroatom-substituted radicals;
n is an integer from 1 to 1 0;
m is an integer from 0 to 2; and
n+mxe2x89xa72.
Preferred compounds used to prepare the powder coating materials of the invention are prepared in accordance with EP 0 957 082 and specified on page 4 of the A2 text [0026].
The ratio of the carboxyl-containing polymers A) to the xcex2-hydroxyalkylamide compound B) is generally chosen such that the ratio of carboxyl groups to hydroxyl groups is from 0.6:1 to 1.6:1.
The nonaromatic blocked polyisocyanate C) having an NCO functionalityxe2x89xa72 is known in principle. As the polyisocyanate component it is possible to use any aliphatic, (cyclo)aliphatic, cycloaliphatic or heterocyclic polyisocyanate having at least two isocyanate groups, and mixtures thereof. Polyisocyanates of this kind are specified, for example, in Houben-Weyl, Methoden der Organischen Chemie, Volume 14/2, page 61 ff., and in J. Liebigs Annalen der Chemie, Volume 562, pages 75 to 136. Representative examples of the polyisocyanates are aliphatic isocyanates such as alkylene isocyanates, e.g., ethylene diisocyanate, propylene diisocyanate, tetramethylene diisocyanate, pentamethylene diisocyanate, 2-methylpentamethylene 1,5-diisocyanate (MPDI), hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI), trimethylhexamethylene 1,6-diisocyanate (TMDI), especially the 2,2,4 and the 2,4,4 isomer, and technical mixtures of both isomers, decamethylene diisocyanate and dodecamethylene diisocyanate, and also cycloalkylene isocyanates, e.g., 1,3-cyclopentyl diisocyanate, 1,2-cyclohexyl diisocyanate, 1,4-cyclohexyl diisocyanate, xcfx89,xcfx89xe2x80x2-diisocyanato-1 ,4-methylcyclohexane, xcfx89,xcfx89xe2x80x2-diisocyanato-1,3-dimethylcyclohexane, 1-methyl-2,4-diisocyanatocyclohexane, 4,4xe2x80x2-methylenebis(cyclohexyl isocyanate), norbornane diisocyanate (NBDI) and 3,3,5-trimethyl-1-isocyanato-3-isocyanatomethylcyclohexane (isophorone diisocyanate, IPDI).
Polyisocyanates C) also include for the purposes of the present invention those adducts obtained by reacting the polyisocyanates with customary chain extenders of isocyanate chemistry such as water, polyols and polyamines. Compounds of this kind are listed, for example, in DE-A 27 07 660. The chain extender is used in a substoichiometric amount with regard to the polyisocyanate, i.e., the reaction product contains on average at least two isocyanate groups.
Polyols suitable for chain extension are described, for example, in DE 19 57 483, 21 05 777, 25 42 191 and 27 38 270. Of the polyamines which are suitable for chain extension, mention should be made, for example, of ethylenediamine, 1,2-propylenediamine, 1,3-propylenediamine, 1,2-butylenediamine, 1,3-butylenediamine, 1,4-butylenediamine, and also the hexamethylenediamines, which may also carry one or more C1-C4 alkyl radicals. It is also possible to use disecondary or primary/secondary diamines, as may be obtained, for example, in a known manner from the corresponding diprimary diamines by reacting them with a carbonyl compound, such as a ketone or aldehyde, for example, and then hydrogenating the products, or by the addition reaction of diprimary diamines onto acrylic esters.
Also highly advantageous is molecular enlargement of the exemplified polyisocyanates by trimerization, carbodiimidization, allophanate formation, and biuretization, as described in accordance with the information, for example, of GB Patent 1 391 066, DE-AS 23 25 826, 29 16 201, 29 29 150 and 36 44 684 (trimerization), DE-A 36 00 766 (carbodiimidization), EP 0 496 208 and EP 0 524 500 (allophanate formation), and DE-AS 22 61 065, 23 08 015, 24 37 130 and 30 07 679 (biuretization).
The blocking agents which may be used in principle to block the polyisocyanates include, for example, phenols such as phenol and p-chlorophenol, for example, alcohols such as benzyl alcohol, for example, oximes such as acetone oxime, methyl ethyl ketoxime, cyclopentanone oxime, cyclohexanone oxime, methylisobutyl ketoxime, methyl tert-butyl ketoxime, diisopropyl ketoxime, diisobutyl ketoxime and acetophenone oxime, for example, N-hydroxy compounds such as N-hydroxysuccinimide and hydroxypyridines, for example, lactams such as xcex5-caprolactam, for example, CH-acidic compounds such as acetoacetic esters and malonic esters, for example, amines such as diisopropylamine, for example, heterocyclic compounds having at least one heteroatom, such as mercaptans, piperidines, piperazines, pyrazoles, imidazoles, triazoles and tetrazoles, for example, xcex2-hydroxy acid esters such as glycolic esters and hydroxamic esters such as benzyl methacrylohydroxamate, for example. A compilation may be found, for example, in Zeno W. Wicks, Jr., Progress in Organic Coatings 3 (1975) 73-79, 9 (1981) 3-28.
Particularly suitable blocking agents are acetone oxime, methyl ethyl ketoxime and acetophenone oxime, xcex5-caprolactam, ethyl acetoacetate, diethyl malonate, diisopropylamine, 3,5-dimethylpyrazole, 1,2,4-triazole, butyl glycolate and benzyl methacrylohydroxamate. It is of course also possible to use mixtures of these blocking agents.
The ratio of the xcex2-hydroxyalkylamide compound B) to the blocked nonaromatic polyisocyanate C) is generally chosen such that the ratio of hydroxyl groups to isocyanate groups is from 0.5:1 to 2:1.
In order to prepare the ready-to-use powder coating materials, the acidic polymer A), the xcex2-hydroxyalkylamide B), the nonaromatic blocked polyisocyanate C), together, if desired, with pigments or fillers D) such as TiO2 or barium sulfate, for example and further customary powder coatings adjuvants or auxiliaries E) such as leveling agents such as polybutyl acrylate or degassing agents such as benzoin or catalysts such as dibutyltin dilaurate (DBTL) or C1-C18 zinc, aluminum or titanium carboxylate salts or aluminum oxides or zinc oxides, for example, are mixed. All ingredients of the powder coating material are homogenized in the melt. This can be done in suitable apparatus, such as treatable compounders, for example, but preferably by extrusion, in the course of which the temperature ought not to exceed an upper limit of 140xc2x0 C. After cooling to room temperature and appropriate comminution, the extruded mass is ground to the ready-to-spray powder. This powder may be applied to appropriate substrates in accordance with the known processes, such as by means of electrostatic or tribostatic powder spraying or of fluidized bed sintering, with or without electrostatic assistance, for example. Following powder application, the coated workpieces are cured by heating them at a temperature of from 140 to 220xc2x0 C. for from 60 to 5 minutes.
In comparison to the powders known to date based on acidic polymers and xcex2-hydroxyalkylamides, the powders of the invention are distinguished by a reduced susceptibility to pinholing, especially at relatively high coat thicknesses.


An apparatus and method for a device to boot as though it were another device. The various devices have published personas describing their operation. A persona selection interface enables a user to select a remote device as which the local device should reboot. Updated personas can be retrieved from the remote devices themselves, or from a persona server. If the emulated operation requires a resource not locally available, the local device negotiates with the remote device to share the remote resource, and failing that, the local device emulates the resource.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to digital devices and more specifically for a mechanism for various digital devices to offer the functionality and user interface of each other or, in other words, to emulate each other.
2. Background Art
Various emulation techniques are known in the art. For example, a functional simulator is a software model, which models the execution functionality of the emulated or simulated circuit. Microprocessor functional simulators have been used to facilitate the development of software to run on the target microprocessor, prior to the actual availability of the microprocessor. However, the functional model software is running on top of the simulating machine's native software system, including its operating system (OS) and basic input output system (BIOS). When the machine boots, it boots in its native mode, and the functional simulator is executed as an application.
As another example, the pcAnywhere product from Symantec Corporation allows one computer (the local computer) to present the user interface data currently being presented on another computer (the remote computer) on the same network. The user at the local computer can interact with software running on the remote computer just as though the software were running on the local computer, such as by viewing pictures, typing text, and activating graphical user interface (GUI) controls with the mouse. But, again, this emulator is executed as an application running on top of the local machine's native OS and BIOS.
Multi-boot technologies are also known in the art. For example, some Microsoft Windows machines are equipped with a multi-boot capability which enables the user to select, at boot time, which OS to boot, such as a choice between Windows or DOS. However, the underlying BIOS remains the same, and provides access to the same underlying hardware.
In none of these cases is the local machine able to actually boot as though it were the remote machine.


An in-line roller skate has a boot for accommodating a person's foot, a frame connected to the boot, and at least two wheels connected to the frame at a mutual distance in the skating direction for rideable support of the boot. The frame has a first frame portion and a second frame portion, wherein at least one wheel is connected to each frame portion and wherein the first frame portion and the second frame portion are mutually movable between a riding position and a braking position.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an in-line roller skate.
2. Description of the Related Art
A known in-line roller skate customarily comprises a boot for accommodating a person's foot, a frame connected to the boot, and at least two wheels connected to the frame and having a mutual distance and intended for supporting the boot in skating action. A user, such as a sportsman, can skate with a pair of these in-line roller skates on a track such as a road surface. It may be desired to brake while the in-line roller skates are being used, for example because one comes near a road junction or because other road users are a hindrance to the free use of the road. Therefore, it is known that this in-line roller skate is equipped with brakes. A known brake comprises a brake pad linked to the boot, where the brake pad is forced against the track by tipping the tip of the boot upward. The track then exerts a braking force on the brake pad in a direction opposite to the skating direction and thus on the boot and thus on the user of the in-line roller skate. Not only is such a brake pad esthetically undesired, because of its customarily large size, but it also renders the in-line roller skate unstable during the braking operation, because the in-line roller skate is supported by only one wheel during the braking operation. This may lead to hazardous situations.
One embodiment of a prior art in-line roller skate described in EP 0 795 348 A1. The mounting bracket portion of this skate is movable relative to the boot and is connected by means of an axle to a mounting bracket portion fixedly attached to the boot. The axle is formed by a pin whose ends are slidable in slots which are provided in the two portions of the mounting bracket. The brake member in this known in-line roller skate is formed by two conical discs which are present on the pin. The slots are positioned at an angle relative to each other so that, when portions of the mounting bracket are turned relative to each other during the braking operation, the pin slides relative to the two portions and so doing pushes the conical discs against one or two of the wheels connected to the movable portion.
While this construction is advantageous compared to the state of the art described hereinbefore, this construction has disadvantages. For example, during the braking operation the wheels may get stuck between the conical discs. In addition, this construction is relatively complex. The two conical discs are connected to each other by means of an elastic intermediate member and slots are to be provided in the portions of the mounting bracket. In addition, the conical discs can be removed from the mounting bracket, be it with some difficulty, after which the in-line roller skate can be used for skating again. This is something young people like to do, but which is not a safe way.


A method of producing activated metal salts useful in antiperspirant compositions is disclosed. The method produces the salt through an acid base reaction wherein an acid is reacted with a metal in basic form. Preferred metals include aluminum and zirconium. Activate aluminum-zirconium hydrohalide and activated aluminum-zirconium-amino acid salts can also be produced by the method of this invention.

Antiperspirant salts are well known in the personal care industry. Examples of such salts include the halogen, nitrate and sulfate salts of base metals, such as aluminum and zirconium. Well known and widely used antiperspirant salts include aluminum chlorohydrate, and mixtures of aluminum and zirconium chlorohydrate, in both inactivated and activated forms. Lesser known varieties of antiperspirant salts include zirconium chlorohydrate, aluminum and zirconium bromohydrates, iodohydrates, fluorohydrates, nitrohydrates, sulfohydrates and mixtures thereof, in both inactivated and activated forms.
For years, these materials have been prepared according to a process referred to herein as the "standard" antiperspirant salt preparation process. In the standard process, the base metal, such as aluminum, is first oxidized and then hydrolyzed with an acid, such as HCl, in order to make a solution of aluminum chlorohydrate. This process typically takes five or more days to complete depending on the surface area of the aluminum and the concentration. Although the materials obtained according to the standard process provide a measure of protection against perspiration, more recent research in the personal care industry has been directed at improving the materials for use as antiperspirant salts.
Recent research has made it known in the art that antiperspirants salts are polymeric in nature. The ability for the salts to polymerize in water is due to the base metal components (aluminum and zirconium) being polyvalent. In general polyvalent elements, in particular, aluminum and zirconium which have rich hydrolysis chemistry, are capable of forming compounds having a polymeric structure in water. In fact, compounds of aluminum and zirconium in water normally exist in a polymeric state, except when exposed to highly acidic environments.
In a typical sample of an antiperspirant salt composition, a mixture of salt species will be found, with the species being based on the various polymeric states in which the salt exists. Differences in the size, molecular weight and molecular structure of the polymers readily enable one to distinguish the various antiperspirant polymer species. The molecular size, weight and structure of the various species and the relative amounts of the various species present in the antiperspirant salt composition are dependent on the methods and conditions used in processing the antiperspirant salt. It has been found that the concentration of raw materials, pH and temperature of the processing system may all impact the types and relative proportions of the various species formed by the process.
Certain antiperspirant salt species are more useful and desirable than others in the antiperspirant salt compositions. It is recognized in the industry that when these species are present in the antiperspirant salt composition in sufficient quantities, the antiperspirant salt composition is referred to as an "activated antiperspirant salt", "enhanced antiperspirant salt", "super antiperspirant salt", or as preferred by the inventors, an "activated salt". The preferred species has been theorized as having the structure {AlO.sub.4 Al.sub.12 (OH).sub.24 (H.sub.2 O).sub.12 }.sup.+7 and is sometimes referred to as Al.sub.13, Band III or a "peak 3" material. The "peak 3" terminology come from the fact that it is typically the 3rd peak or 3rd material to be eluted when using High Performance Liquid Chromotography, HPLC, to characterized aluminum chlorohydrate salts (according to the method taught in EP Patent No. 0,256,831). Inactivated salts are typically those that have more of "peak 2" material (theorized as being solublized Al(OH).sub.3 entities held together by H bonding and adjunct Cl ions) than "peak 3" material.
Experimentation has lead to the discovery that antiperspirant salt processing techniques can be practiced which favor the formation of the highly useful species, in particular Al.sub.13. The resulting activated salts containing these useful and desired species are generally recognized as having a high commercial value.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,359,456 to Gosling et al. describes a process for making an aluminum chlorohydrate salt having a high concentration of the useful species. The process taught by Gosling et al. comprises heating an aqueous solution of Al.sub.2 (OH).sub.6-a X.sub.a, wherein X represents a halide selected from Cl, Br and I, and a ranges from 0.3 to 4, at a temperature of from 50.degree. to 140.degree. C. for a period of time ranging from one half hour to thirty days. The resulting salt solution is allowed to cool to room temperature and is then spray dried to obtain an activated antiperspirant salt powder.
Several techniques are known in the art and regarded as industry standards for determining whether basic requirements for classifying materials as activated salts have been met. One highly regarded method, referred to generally herein as the "Inward Size Exclusion Chromatography Test", (or "Inward SEC") is disclosed in detail in European Patent Application 0,256,831, which is incorporated herein by reference. In the calculations for determining activation of the salts, according to the Inward SEC method, the area of chromatography peak 3 is compared to that of the total area of all peaks eluted by the sample. A test used by the present inventor generally utilizes the methods, equipment and techniques of the Inward SEC test, but compares the area of chromatography peak 3 to that of peak 2. This version of the Inward SEC test is known as the "p3:p2 SEC" test. Typical activated salts that are commercially available today have a ratio of the area of peak 3 to peak 2 ranging from 0.2 to 1.2.
Other testing methods include the NMR spectral analysis of .sup.27 Al, as described in "Multinuclear Magnetic Resonance Studies of the Hydrolysis of Aluminum (III). Part 8. Base Hydrolysis monitored at Very High Magnetic Field" J. W. Akitt and J. M. Elders, J. Chem. Soc., Dalton Trans. 1988, 1347- 1355, wherein activated salts exhibit an intense resonance at 63.1 ppm. Yet another test for determining activation involves determining the conductivity of solutions of antiperspirant salt materials. Conductivity increases with increased activation of the salt material. Typically a conductivity value over 3.0 mmhos.sup.-1 /cm represents an activated salt.
In general, a salt classified as being an activated salt according to only one of the above tests will also meet the requirements to be classified as activated by the other tests. Overall, an activated salt is one having higher efficacy when used in antiperspirant formulations.
It is an object of this invention to provide a process for the preparation of novel activated antiperspirant salts using a standard acid-base neutralization reaction.
It is further an object of this invention wherein the process comprises the reaction between a hydroxide of a base metal and a strong acid to produce the activated antiperspirant salt.
It is further an object of this invention wherein the process comprises the reaction between a hydroxide of a base metal, a strong acid and ZrO(OH)X or ZrOX.sub.2, where X is selected from Cl, Br and I, to produce an activated aluminum- zirconium salts.
It is further an object of this invention wherein the process comprises a method for making activated aluminum- zirconium-amino acid salts.

Direct process for the preparation of activated antiperspirant salts


This invention relates to novel ketoxime carbonates and a process for the synthesis of ketoxime carbonates generally. Ketoxime carbonates are useful in a variety of applications. They may be used for example as pesticides, pharmaceuticals, weed control agents and dye stuff intermediates.

This application is directed to novel ketoxime carbonates and a method of preparing ketoxime carbonates generally. The ketoxime carbonates of the invention represent valuable intermediates. The process for preparing these compounds provides a route for synthesis of previously unknown substances, substances which are not commercially available and provides an efficient route for the synthesis of materials that were previously only manufacturable with great difficultly. The ketoxime carbonates that may be prepared via this process may be used in one or more of the following Utilities: pesticides, herbicides, pharmaceuticals, as well as, special solvents and intermediates for dyestuffs. See, for example U.S. Pat. No. 3,933,846 to Daum which discloses generally the preparation of benzimidazol-2-yl-carbamic acid alkyl esters. The reference discloses a special embodiment in which a 2-aminobenzimidazole is reacted with a carbonate, like acetone oxime carbonate, and an alkanol to form benzimidazol-2-yl-carbamic acid alkyl esters which are useful as plant protection agents and particularly useful as fungicides and mite ovicides.
Currently, ketoxime carbonates are prepared by reacting a desired ketoxime with phosgene. See, R. G. Kostyanovskii et al., "New Derivatives of Hexafluoroacetone oxime", (Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 7, pp. 1615-1619, July, 1974), which discloses the preparation of hexafluoroacetone oxime carbonate by the reaction of hexafluoroacetone oxime with phosgene and pyridine in ether at 20.degree. C. See also, East German patent 61,263 to Jumar et al. in which acetone oxime carbonate is prepared as a by-product in low yield in a process for preparing chloroformyl oximes by reacting a ketoxime with phosgene.
It is an object of this invention to provide new ketoxime carbonates.
It is another object of this invention to provide a novel method for the preparation of ketoxime carbonates.
It is another object of this invention to provide a method of preparing ketoxime carbonates in high yield.

Ketoxime carbonates and process for the synthesis of ketoxime carbonates generally


A field expanding system for producing an expanded field image including a translating slit for a first rotating mirror, and a second mirror which undergoes translation and rotation. The second mirror translates in synchronism with the slit and rotates in synchronism with the first mirror.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to an optical visual field-expanding system (FES) capable of obtaining a larger field of view than is possible with conventional optical instruments.
2. Discussion of the Background
A wide field of view, conventional optics, prismatic binocular set (e.g. 7.times.35) has a typical field of view of 500 feet at 1000 yards. Similarly, wearable low-vision telescopes that are currently available have fields of view of no more than 12 to 15 degrees at magnifications of 3.times. to 4.times..
Therefore, it would be beneficial if the field of view in these conventional optic binoculars and telescopes could be expanded.
It has been known in the art to utilize optical scanning systems for scanning a wide incoming field of view as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,788,423 to Kline. This reference teaches utilizing two rotating mirrors which are synchronized and direct a scanned image onto a sensor with minimal rotation and distortion of the image. However, such a scanning system has not been known which can give adequate field expansion and which can be employed in a binocular or telescope where the image is reflected onto the retina of a viewer.
In an optical system where an image impinges onto the retia of a viewer, the viewer is prevented from maintaining a wide field of view due to the size of the exit pupil of the eye piece lens of the optical system or of the entrance pupil of the eye.


According to the present invention, the outputs of the last scanning flip-flop circuits 12 included in scan chains 111 are compiled and compressed in an output compression circuit 112, a sum of the outputs from the scan chains 111 and an expected value written in an expected value storage circuit 113 from the outside are compared with each other in an expected value decision circuit 114, the sum being outputted from the output compression circuit 112, a pass/fail decision result obtained by the comparison can be outputted from an output terminal 116 of the expected value decision circuit 114 to the outside, and the decision result can be stored regardless of the reset of a system.

Conventionally, in order to screen out defective products produced in the early stages of manufacturing processes, accelerated tests are performed on semiconductor devices and wafers by operating the semiconductor devices and wafers at high temperatures and high voltages. Such operations are called burn-in.
In recent years, techniques for collectively performing burn-in at a wafer level (hereinafter, will be referred to as wafer-level burn-in) have been frequently performed. In wafer-level burn-in, tests are conducted by operating devices while inputting high voltages and signals to the power supply electrodes and the plurality of input/output electrodes of the devices.
On the other hand, in semiconductor ICs, as tests become complicated and the number of pins increases with higher levels of integration achieved by finer processes, DFT (Design for Test) techniques have been developed as circuit designs for facilitating tests. BIST (Built-in self test) circuits have been also installed as self-test circuits.
These test facilitating techniques greatly contribute to a reduction in the number of pins in wafer-level tests. In recent years, in combination of these techniques with probing techniques for wafer-level burn-in, attempts have been made to collectively perform wafer tests or tests on package conditions at a wafer level.
Referring to FIG. 5, a configuration for DFT in conventional wafer-level burn-in will be described below (for example, see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-227458).
FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram showing the configuration for DFT in a conventional semiconductor IC. In FIG. 5, reference numeral 501 denotes burn-in mode selector circuits, reference numeral 502 denotes scanning flip-flop circuits, reference numeral 503 denotes combinational circuits, reference numeral 504 denotes a pseudorandom number generator circuit, reference numeral 505 denotes an output decision circuit, reference numeral 507 denotes a reset terminal fed with a reset signal RS from the outside, reference numeral 508 denotes a scan shift/capture switching terminal, and reference numeral 509 denotes a burn-in mode setting terminal for setting the switching of the burn-in mode selector circuits 501. The clock input terminals of the scanning flip-flop circuits 502 are fed with the same clock (not shown).
The semiconductor IC of FIG. 5 has first to m-th scan chain holding sections having the plurality of combinational circuits 503 and the plurality of scanning flip-flop circuits 502. Reference numerals S1, S2, . . . , Sm respectively denote the outputs of the scanning flip-flop circuits 502 of the final stages in the first, second, . . . , m-th scan chain holding sections.
In the conventional example, the pseudorandom number generator circuit 504 is designed in the first scan chain holding section. As shown in FIG. 5, an output signal f generated in the pseudorandom number generator circuit 504 is supplied through the burn-in mode selector circuits 501 to the inputs of the scanning flip-flop circuits 502 in the first stages of all the scan chain holding sections.
With this configuration, it is possible to supply random numbers to all the scan chain holding sections and apply a proper stress to the overall circuit during a burn-in test. Further, pseudorandom numbers generated inside eliminate the need for scan input from the outside, so that the semiconductor IC can be operated with a small number of terminals.
The output decision circuit 505 is specifically configured as shown in FIG. 6. The output decision circuit 505 monitors, for each fixed period of time, the output signals S1, S2, . . . , Sm of the scanning flip-flop circuits 502 in the final stages of the scan chain holding sections, and the output decision circuit 505 outputs decision signals U1, U2, . . . Um as output signals indicating the states of the circuit when a stress is improperly applied or the circuit fails and malfunctions.
At comparisons in EX-NOR circuits 616, 617 and 618, expected values M11 to M23 are set and the expected values of the output signals S1 to Sm are calculated and set beforehand by simulation.
According to the conventional example, when a plurality of scan chains are configured to make a scan design, one of the scan chain holding sections has the pseudorandom number generator circuit 504 and the output signal f of the pseudorandom number generator circuit 504 is supplied to the inputs of the scanning flip-flop circuits 502 in the first stages of all the scan chain holding sections, so that random numbers can be supplied to all the scan chain holding sections and a proper stress can be applied to the overall circuit during a burn-in test.
Further, since the output decision circuit 505 is provided, it is possible to decide whether or not a stress is properly applied and the circuit normally operates without failures during a burn-in test, improve the reliability of a reliability test, and prevent a defective chip from being brought as it is to the subsequent step.
In the output decision circuit 505 of the conventional example, as shown in FIG. 6, the decision signals U1 to Um are outputted from decision signal output terminals 620 to 622, respectively. The decision signal output terminals 620 to 622 may not be provided. As shown in FIG. 7, the decision signals U1 to Um outputted from flip-flop circuits 615 may be inputted to an AND circuit 703 and the output of the AND circuit 703 may be outputted as a decision signal U from a single decision signal output terminal 704.
In this case, when the decision signal U is "H", it can be decided that a stress is properly applied and circuits making up the first to m-th scan chain holding sections normally operate without failures. When the decision signal U is "L", it can be decided that a stress is not properly applied or a failure occurs in the circuits making up the first to m-th scan chain holding sections. Instead of the AND circuit 703, a NAND circuit may be provided. In this case, the decisions about "H" and "L" of the decision signal U are reversed.
Further, wafer-level burn-in is characterized in that a wafer is contacted and operated in a collective manner. However, some burn-in devices have just a few comparators for receiving decision signals. Thus in many cases, a circuit connected via a tristate buffer 705 having an output control signal 800 from an output control terminal 707 as an input is installed as a circuit for controlling an output, in order to enable a tester to receive the decision signals in a plurality of times even when just a few comparators are provided.
Referring to FIG. 8, the following will describe a conventional method for performing a burn-in test simultaneously on a wafer including the semiconductor IC. A technique of simultaneously making contact with a wafer has been realized by Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. as probes and the like having a three-layer structure for simultaneously making contact with the wafer. In FIG. 8, it is assumed that two semiconductor ICs C1 and C2 of a plurality of semiconductor ICs configured on a wafer are simultaneously operated.
In FIG. 8, reference numeral 507 denotes the reset terminal of FIG. 5, reference numeral 508 denotes the scan shift/capture switching terminal of FIG. 5, reference numeral 509 denotes the burn-in mode setting terminal of FIG. 5, and reference numeral 707 denotes the output control terminal fed with the output control signal 800 for controlling the output of the tristate buffer 705 of FIG. 7. The output of C1 is controlled by an output control signal 800-1 inputted to the output control terminal 707 on the side of C1, and the output of C2 is controlled by an output control signal 800-2 inputted to the output control terminal 707 on the side of C2.
Reference numerals 801 to 804 denote signals connected to the two semiconductor ICs in a shared manner. Reference numeral 801 denotes a burn-in mode setting signal connected to the burn-in mode setting terminals 509 of C1 and C2 and supplied from the tester to a wafer 806 as a signal for setting the burn-in modes of the semiconductor ICs. Reference numeral 802 denotes a scan shift/capture switching signal connected to the scan shift/capture switching terminals 508 of C1 and C2 and supplied from the tester to the wafer 806 as a signal for setting the scanning operations of the semiconductor ICs. Reference numeral 803 denotes a reset signal connected to the reset terminals 507 of C1 and C2 and supplied from the tester to the wafer 806 as a signal for initializing the semiconductor ICs. Reference numeral 804 denotes a reference clock connected from the corresponding terminals of C1 and C2 to the clock input terminals of the scanning flip-flop circuits in C1 and C2. The reference clock 804 is supplied from the tester to the wafer 806 as a reference signal of the operation timing of the semiconductor ICs. Reference numeral 805 denotes a pass/fail output signal connected to output terminals 706 (see FIG. 7) of C1 and C2. The pass/fail output signals 805 are transferred from the wafer 806 to the tester as signals indicating decision results respectively outputted from C1 and C2.
With this configuration, the plurality of semiconductor ICs on the wafer can be collectively operated in response to the signals 801 to 804.
Further, in order to confirm whether or not C1 has been correctly operated, the output control signal 800-1 to the output control terminal 707 is initially controlled such that the output control signal 800-1 to the output control terminal 707 for C1 is enabled. At this moment, the output control signal 800-2 is controlled such that the output control signal 800-2 to the output control terminal 707 for C2 is disabled. After an initial reset in response to the reset signal 803 to the reset terminals 507 in the signal conditions of the output control signals 800-1 and 800-2 to the output control terminals 707, the reference clock 804 is supplied and a burn-in test is conducted. The results of the burn-in test are collected in the AND circuit of FIG. 7 and outputted after a decision in the output decision circuit 505.
Thus it is possible to confirm whether or not C1 has been correctly operated.
Further, in order to confirm whether or not C2 has been correctly operated, the output control signal 800-2 to the output control terminal 707 is initially controlled such that the output control signal 800-2 to the output control terminal 707 for C2 is enabled. At this moment, the output control signal 800-1 is controlled such that the output control signal 800-1 to the output control terminal 707 for C1 is disabled. After an initial reset in response to the reset signal 803 to the reset terminals 507 in the signal conditions of the output control signals 800-1 and 800-2 to the output control terminals 707, the reference clock 804 is supplied and a burn-in test is conducted. The results of the burn-in test are collected in the AND circuit of FIG. 7 and outputted after a decision in the output decision circuit 505.
In the conventional example, the wafer made up of the two semiconductor ICs was described. For n semiconductor ICs, the foregoing contents are repeated n times to confirm operations on the overall wafer.
As described above, as a flow of confirming whether an operation is correct or not, as shown in FIG. 10, the following is repeated n times: output control is enabled for a semiconductor IC to be confirmed, an operation test is conducted, and then a decision is read, so that operations on the overall wafer are confirmed.
In the conventional example, the two semiconductor ICs C1 and C2 are connected to single wiring for outputting the pass/fail output signal 805 from the output terminal 706. In reality, semiconductor ICs are configured in a plurality of rows and columns on a wafer and thus generally, a plurality of rows and columns (m, M) shown in FIG. 9 are connected via wiring.
As described above, with the configuration of the conventional semiconductor ICs, operations can be performed and confirmed with a small number of terminals, so that a wafer burn-in test can be easily conducted simultaneously.
The conventional test facilitating technique greatly contributes to a reduction in the number of pins in wafer-level tests. In recent years, in combination with probing techniques for wafer-level burn-in having been applied to mass production, attempts have been made to collectively perform wafer tests or tests on package conditions at a wafer level.
However, in the foregoing semiconductor ICs, expected values are set inside for the output decision circuit for deciding whether the semiconductor IC is acceptable or not. Thus in the event of wrong simulation results during the design of the semiconductor IC, redesign is necessary.
Moreover, during wafer burn-in, operations have to be performed not in a collective manner but in blocks to confirm the operations. Further, the semiconductor IC has to be operated for each decision, resulting in a long test time.

Semiconductor IC and testing method thereof


In one embodiment, a bridge may receive a first convergence proposal on a root port from an upstream adjacent bridge of a computer network, and in response, may transmit a second convergence proposal downstream on each non-edge designated port of the bridge without syncing the non-edge designated ports. The bridge may then return a convergence agreement to the adjacent bridge in response to the non-edge designated ports having received a returned convergence agreement (or in response to having only edge designated ports). Also, according to embodiments, the adjacent bridge blocks a link to the root port until the convergence proposal(s) and agreement(s) travel end-to-end.

Computer networks often employ one or more network protocols in order to manage the transmission of traffic through the network, such as to avoid loops and to converge in response to changes in network topology. For instance, spanning tree protocols (STPs), such as the Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP) or the Multiple Spanning Tree (MST) protocol, may be used for these (and other) purposes. A spanning tree, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, is a logical structure used by forwarding mechanisms of bridges/switches within the network to ensure that all other devices within the network are reachable from a single device within the network (a "root" bridge, e.g., based on a priority level) along a distinct and non-looping path (e.g., to "edge" or "leaf" bridges). RSTP and MST may thus be employed on the network devices (bridges) to establish and maintain the spanning tree, and should each have the ability to quickly converge a network (e.g., a large network) in response to topology changes (e.g., within milliseconds).
Preventing RSTP and MST from quickly converging (or "reconverging", used interchangeably herein), however, are certain problems inherent within the protocols or on the devices operating the protocols themselves. For instance, as may be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the detection of a link failure may not occur for some time after the actual failure, e.g., based on loss of communicated "hello" messages between devices over the link in question. Also, quick convergence assumes that the STP executes as soon as it receives new information (e.g., a Bridge Protocol Data Unit or "BPDU", or link failure indication) of a topology change. However, the STP is not always executed immediately in response to receiving such event notifications.
In addition, STP convergence (e.g., particularly RSTP and MST) involves the use of a proposal/agreement mechanism that utilizes synchronization or "sync" operations, where changes are made to port states on each bridge (e.g., between blocking/discarding and unblocking/forwarding) in order to propagate a topology change through BPDUs (converging). These sync operations require the STP to wait for port state changes to be completed for potentially several ports before proceeding, where each port state change itself induces a non-negligible processing delay. Further, where the state change is implemented by a different process on a bridge than the STP, more time may be lost before this process is scheduled, and may require communication between different processes/components on distributed platforms. Accordingly, the spanning tree is able to converge as quickly as the BPDUs reach the leaves of the tree; however, where this propagation is slowed for the reasons above, the convergence is also slowed.

Efficient end-to-end proposal/agreement messaging for spanning tree convergence in a computer network


An electronic device according to various embodiments of the present invention comprises: a display panel; a biometric sensor module disposed on the back surface of the display panel; a processor electrically connected to the display panel and the biometric sensor module, and configured to acquire biometric information by using the biometric sensor module; a first adhesive member filling the gap formed between the back surface of the display panel and the biometric sensor module; and a second adhesive member applied on the first adhesive member, wherein the biometric sensor module can be attached to the back surface of the display panel by using the second adhesive member. In addition, other embodiments are possible.

A technology for performing user authentication using biometric information (e.g., a fingerprint, an iris, or the like) of a user obtained by a biometric sensor has been developed recently. The method of a biometric sensor for fingerprint recognition may be divided into an optical ultrasonic method and an electrostatic method, depending on the method of obtaining fingerprint information.

Electronic device comprising biometric sensor


A method of interpreting mud gas samples in a drilling operation of a target area. The method starts with obtaining a plurality of mud gas samples at a plurality of incremental depths of the target area. The plurality of mud gas samples are analyzed to find various isotopic data at each depth. The isotopic data of the mud gas samples are plotting on several charts to provide a visual representation of the isotopic data trends. The charts may include: depth versus ethane/methane; depth versus δ13C per mil; and depth versus δ13C and gas show. In addition, the percentage methane versus δ13C is provided on a separate chart. This percentage methane versus δ13C chart provides engineering and geological information such as the location of lithological hydrocarbon seals, barriers, and zones of good hydrocarbon communication (e.g., compartments). This engineering and geological information is then correlated with the other charts.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates to isotopic analysis associated with oil and gas drilling operations and, more particularly, to an interpretive method of a novel mud gas isotope logging technique.
2. Description of Related Art
Within the oil and gas industry, laboratory analysis of gas samples obtained during a drilling operation can be employed to determine geochemical information associated with strikes of oil or gas deposits. The laboratory analysis may include the acquisition of compositional and isotopic data of sampled subsurface gases. The data is applied to traditional geochemical plots and templates as contained in scientific literature. The interpretation of this data is used to provide geochemical information on where the gas provenance may have originated from ("source rock"), how thermally mature the gas is (how hot the source got before expelling gas), whether subsurface post-generation effects (pressure, volume, temperature (PVT) effects, biodegration, water-washing, etc.) were encountered during migration of the gas from the source rock to a reservoir, and any problems or effects the hydrocarbons in the reservoir subsequently experienced.
Existing well sampling techniques use physical gas samples for compositional and isotopic laboratory analysis. There are typically three ways that gas samples may be obtained. First, gas can be sampled directly from the reservoir formation of interest using a logging tool, such as a modular dynamic tester (MDT) or a repeat formation tester (RFT). To use these logging tools, the entire drill bit and string (tubing) has to be removed before the logging tools can be sent back down to the formation interval of interest in order to obtain a physical sample. Since drilling operations must be stopped while using these logging tools, the logging tools are used sparingly and limited sample numbers are collected due to the expense incurred in delaying drilling operations. Another way to obtain gas samples is by "canned cuttings." Rock samples ("cuttings"), representative of a subsurface formation, are pulverized by a drill bit as the bit penetrates rock strata. The rock samples are then collected in sealed cans upon return to the surface in the circulating mud stream where the cuttings are able to "degas." Gases accumulating in the sealed cans can then be analyzed in a laboratory as "headspace gases." The cuttings are collected/suspended in the mud stream that is continuously circulated around the drill bit during drilling. The mud stream is employed to help lubricate and cool the drill bit and prevent rock material from accumulating and collecting around the drill bit. Because the cuttings vary in size and density according to the rock material being drilled and type of drill bit, the heavier and more dense material is likely to sink below smaller, less dense material as the mud is circulated up to the surface. Therefore, these cuttings "smear" in the mudstream as they circulate toward the surface. To compensate for this, canned cuttings are usually collected over a large depth interval (typically ninety feet) in an attempt to collect as representative a sample as possible. The third way that a sample is collected is by directly sampling gases entrained in the mud system during drilling. As a well drill bit penetrates and pulverizes rock material in its path, free and absorbed gases entrained in the pulverized rock and immediately adjacent rock formation (side of the borehole) flow into the mud stream as it circulates around the drill bit. These gases are carried to the surface and collected as they exsolve/degas from the returning mud stream.
Standard mud gas chromatographic compositional analyses and interpretations suffer from several disadvantages. None of the analyses effectively detail or correlate geological information such as seals and barriers (hydrocarbon communication and compartmentalization problems), good communication zones, or gas diffusion into their interpretation. Data can result in false positives and negatives where changes in operational drilling conditions related to variables such as increased rate of penetration (ROP) or mud weight increases occur. A more advanced method is needed which employs an integrated interpretation and approach of drilling, geological and engineering information together with mud-gas chromatographic compositional and isotopic analysis.
Typically, existing methods merely employ geochemical data to provide geochemical interpretations. The present invention employs geochemical data to provide geochemical, geological and engineering interpretations and solutions.
Thus, it would be a distinct advantage to have an interpretive method of analysis of mud-gas samples utilizing chromatographic compositional and isotopic analysis concomitant with a geochemical, geological, and engineering interpretation applied to the data. It is an object of the present invention to provide such an interpretative method specific to mud gas isotope logging.

Mud gas isotope logging interpretive method in oil and gas drilling operations


Systems and methods for generating and tracking hardcoded communications in a collaboration management platform, the method being performed by one or more physical computer processors configured by machine-readable instructions are disclosed. One or more implementations may: manage environment state information maintaining a collaboration environment; receive user input indicating one or more selections of the message buttons corresponding to the preset messages from client computing platforms associated with the one or more users; update, responsive to receiving the first user input indicating selection of the first message button, a first communication parameter for the first unit of work; and effectuate presentation of the first preset message corresponding to the first message button within a graphical user interface associated with the first unit of work.

Collaboration environments enable users to assign projects, tasks, or other assignments to assignees to complete. Typically, a chat interface enables users to communicate within the collaboration environment. Users may often communication the same or similar messages having the same meaning over and over. This requires the user to repetitively type the message(s) within the chat interface. have due dates by which the users want the assignee to complete them. Typically, the users set due dates for assignments or tasks without having any indication of whether or not the due date is likely to be met by the assignee.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Presenting of real-world situational data on a dynamically updateable user interface is provided for by providing a dynamically updateable user interface that includes dynamic objects having variable characteristics and that correspond to real-world objects, receiving situational data that corresponds to a status of the one or more real-world objects, and conforming the one or more variable characteristics to be consistent with the situational data such that an observer of the one or more dynamic objects is informed of a current status of a corresponding real-world situation.

Many projects of various sorts are completed using drawings, specifically computer-aided drawings (CAD). While CAD drawings offer various advantages, they are nevertheless, stagnant. That is, they do not depict any more information than what is shown to the user. They are not dynamic and do not include any sort of intelligence.
But dynamic user interfaces and user interfaces that intelligently change based on various conditions are desirable in various settings. Historically, drawings have been tangentially useful at best in attempting to create a dynamic user interface. And even if a dynamic interface could be created, a problem of updating the user interface would still persist. That is, reconciling changes made to a drawing with those that ought to be reflected in a corresponding dynamic interface has been a difficult, resource intensive, and expensive process, if possible at all. The current state of the art could be advanced by providing, among other things, an efficient method for using the data in a CAD drawing to generate a dynamically updateable user interface. And the art could further be advanced by providing a method for dynamically updating a user interface that includes geometry information to present situational data associated with real-world events, and one that can be automatically regenerated consistent with changes made to a CAD drawing associated with the user interface.

Method and system for presenting traffic-related information


A jet engine having no moving parts includes a toroidal combustion chamber formed in a thickened cylindrical side wall of an engine housing and a toroidal exhaust port that directs exhaust gases radially inwardly and towards an outlet of the engine. The escaping exhaust gases travel at a high velocity and thus induce a secondary air flow through the engine. The entrained secondary air enters the engine inlet, cooling and slowing the exhaust gases. In a second embodiment, the trailing end of the housing is frusto-conical and the exhaust port directs the exhaust gases to converge toward one another so that entrained air also flows in a converging pattern. In a third embodiment, the housings of the first two embodiments are positioned in axial alignment with one another so that converging air entrained by the second housing augments the mass of air entrained by the first. Additional embodiments add a helical superheater coil in a fuel inlet line that is positioned in a combustion chamber to preheat the fuel; the inlet line terminates in an air passageway upstream of the combustion chamber so that the fuel/air mixture is admixed before it enters the combustion chamber. In all embodiments, the mass of the entrained, secondary air is large relative to the mass of the exhaust gases so that the secondary air flows through the engine at a relatively low velocity. These operating characteristics provide high thrust at a low rate of fuel consumption.

Jet engines of simple construction have been successfully built and operated. However, they are usually less fuel efficient than more complex engines or have some other serious shortcoming that hinders their acceptance in the marketplace.
A typical simple jet engine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,093,962 to Gluhareff. A pre-heated gaseous fuel-air mixture is injected into an inlet passage at a velocity greater than the speed of flame propagation for that mixture so that the mixture cannot burn. The inlet passage is enlarged near the combustion zone so that the gases in the mixture slow down as they traverse the enlarged area. The speed drops to the speed of flame propagation as the mixture enters the combustion zone and, therefore, the mixture ignites as the gases flow through said zone; the expansion of gases thereby produced provides the thrust.
The fuel-air mixture of Gluhareff includes a liquefied petroleum gas such as propane; this eliminates the need for a compressor as a part of the engine. The fuel consumption rate of the Gluhareff design compares favorably with the fuel consumption rates of jet engines in common use, but such rate is still unacceptably high.
An ideal jet engine is of course unobtainable, but a consideration of the theoretical behavior of the exhaust gases of an ideal engine is instructive. If all of the energy provided by the combustion gases could be imparted to forward travel of the vehicle powered by the engine, the exhaust gases would not flow relative to the ground and would have a temperature equal to ambient. Thus, as a jet engine approaches ideal operating conditions, the flow rate of combustion gases therethrough slows and the temperature of said gases drops.
Conventional jet engines are high thrust, low efficiency devices. If the thrust or force F(t) developed by a conventional jet engine is plotted against time, a large amplitude, narrow bell curve results.
The area under the curve, found by integrating F(t) with respect to time between the interval t1 to t2, is equal to the change in momentum, or impulse of the engine. The narrowness of the bell curve, and the resulting low impulse, is a function of the limited time within which energy exchange collisions may occur. Note that substantially all of said energy exchange collisions are between the molecules of the exhaust gases, which travel at a very high speed, and the interior walls of the combustion chamber. This is the only significant source of energy exchange collisions in turbo, pulse, ram and all other types of jet engines heretofore known. Thus, the jet engines of the prior art are high in thrust but low in efficiency because the dwell time of the exhaust gas molecules in the combustion chamber is so short that secondary collisions between said molecules and ambient air are insignificant in number. Such lack of significant secondary collisions lowers the impulse of the known engines.
There is a need in the industry for a fuel efficient jet engine of simple construction that has operating characteristics that approach theoretically optimal conditions. More particularly, there is a need for a jet engine that provides more impulse than conventional engines. The instantaneous value of F(t) in such an engine would have a lower amplitude as compared to a conventional engine, but increased time would be available for energy exchange collisions to occur. Thus, the impulse would be greater. Such an improved engine would generate less thrust but would operate at a higher efficiency than conventional engines.
The teachings and suggestions of the prior art, when considered as a whole in accordance with the requirements of law, do not indicate to those of ordinary skill how the needed engine could be provided.


A direct backlight module. The direct backlight module includes a diffuser, a reflecting plate, an illumination tube and a support. The reflecting plate is disposed under the diffuser. The illumination tube is disposed between the diffuser and the reflecting plate. The support is disposed on the reflecting plate and between the diffuser and the reflecting plate. In addition, the support has a fitting portion into which the illumination tube directly fits. The support supports the diffuser and the illumination tube simultaneously.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a direct backlight module, and in particular to a direct backlight module supporting the diffuser and illumination tubes simultaneously to overcome bending of the diffuser and illumination tubes due to thermal expansion and contraction and insufficient rigidity thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is a cross section showing a conventional direct backlight module 1. The conventional direct backlight module 1 includes a diffuser 11, a reflecting plate 12, a prism 17, a diffusing plate 18, two supports 13 and a plurality of illumination tubes 14. The reflecting plate 12 is disposed under the diffuser 11. The prism 17 is disposed on the diffuser 11. The diffusing plate 18 is disposed on the prism 17. The supports 13 are disposed on the reflecting plate 12 and located between the diffuser 11 and the reflecting plate 12. The plural illumination tubes 14 are disposed between the diffuser 11 and the reflecting plate 12.
As shown in FIG. 1, in order to protect the diffuser 11 from bending, the supports 13 are disposed between the diffuser 11 and the reflecting plate 12 to support the diffuser 11. Thus, the optical character of the direct backlight module 1 is not deteriorated and even the illumination tubes 14 are not damaged by the bent diffuser 11. Nevertheless, when the size of the LCD panel 15 increases, the illumination tube 14 also becomes larger. Thus, the illumination tube 14 is bent and deformed due to its weight, deteriorating the optical character of the direct backlight module 1.
FIG. 2 is a cross section showing another conventional direct backlight module 2. In order to overcome the aforementioned deformation of the illumination tubes 14 of the direct backlight module 1, a support 23 is disposed under the illumination tube 22 of the direct backlight module 2. Nevertheless, as shown in FIG. 2, when the size of the LCD panel (not shown) increases, the diffuser 21 also becomes large. Thus, the diffuser 21 is bent and deformed, deteriorating the optical character of the direct backlight module 2.
Consequently, the invention provides a direct backlight module supporting the diffuser and the illumination tubes simultaneously. The diffuser and illumination tubes are not bent and deformed due to insufficient rigidity thereof even when the LCD panel or the diffuser is large. Further, the diffuser and the illumination tubes are not deformed due to thermal expansion and contraction even when the direct backlight module works for a long period of time. Thus, the optical character of the direct backlight module is not deteriorated.


A tank valve for refilling a water tank. A vertical riser has a passage opening through a valve seat in a body. A flow chamber and a discharge chamber are formed around the valve seat. A cap is secured to the body so as to overlay the chambers. The cap has a central socket opening, a plurality of laterally-spaced anit-siphon ports, and a contact surface. The anti-siphon ports open onto the contact surface. A valve control device has a rigid case with a neck and an engaging shoulder. An anti-siphon disc has a hole through which the neck is passed. The neck is inserted in the socket opening and the engaging shoulder presses the disc against the cap. A bias chamber is formed in the case. A retainer is secured to the case. It includes a retaining shoulder which holds a flexible diaphragm to close the bias chamber. The diaphragm has a bias port therethrough. A level controlled valve opens and closes a vent port in the neck. The rigid case, when the neck is inserted in the socket spring, properly locates the diaphragm relative to the valve seat. The case and the anti-siphon disc can be removed and replaced as a unit.

Ballcock valves for use in water storage tanks uniformly have the function of opening to supply water to the tank when the water is below a desired storage level, and closing while the water is at or above the desired storage level. Because their operation is related to the water level as it exists in the tank, these valves include a float. The float is somehow connected to the workings of the valve, usually through a pivoted lever.
Such valves are well-known to generations of people who have installed and replaced them, or have had them serviced. Perhaps the most familiar type is shown in Antunez Jr. U.S. Pat. No. 3,070,118, which is a plug-type valve that is opened and closed as the float lowers and rises.
There is another popular type of valve which operates on a differential-pressure principle. This type is exemplified by Roosa U.S. Pat. No. 4,922,556. In such a valve the opening and closing of a vent port reduces or increases the differential pressure across a diaphragm which in turn opens or closes the valve to flow. When the float moves up and down, its position determines whether the vent port is opened or closed.
There are considerable advantages to the pressure-differential type of valve. For example, their actions are usually smoother than the plug-type valves, and the mechanical force needed to operate them is much less than that required for plug-type valves.
Of even greater importance is that the differential-pressure type valve user the system water pressure to keep the valve closed. The plug-type valve must oppose the system pressure by the exertion of a physical lever-type force exerted by the float arm. The use of system pressures for closure requires less linkage, and is potentially more reliable than the plug-type.
A disadvantage of known differential-pressure valves is the difficulty of servicing them. They constitute more than a mere plug to close an orifice. Furthermore, to the householder who has only an occasional (and hopefully very seldom) contact with these valves most of them look different. Given a choice, especially in the after-market-hardware and home supply stores--the purchaser inherently tends to prefer a valve which looks familiar.
As to the problem of servicing. It is at least a sales advantage to provide parts which can foreseeably be required to be replaced in a cartridge form that can quickly and easily be removed and replaced.
The manufacture of ballcock valves is very competitive. These valves sell in the millions each month, both for installation in new housing and offices, and for replacement in existing housing and offices. Increments of cost in fractions of a cent can lose substantial orders. Accordingly, if one wishes to sell differential-pressure type valves in major quantities, they must be cost-competitive with plug-type valves, and with other differential-type valves.
One way to be competitive is to be able to make the total valve out of long-tested, already tooled up basic parts, substituting only a few parts of the workings with different parts and perhaps an insert or two in the basic tool. A further advantage of this approach is that the resulting valve will look like a conventional ballcock.
This invention, by its compatibility with existing plug-type valve structures, enables a purchaser to buy and install a differential-pressure type workings in place of the plug-type workings. Thus at repair time he has the opportunity to change the type of his system.
It is an object of this invention to provide a pressure-differential ballcock valve whose workings can be accommodated in a nearly-standard ballcock body of the plug type, with an appearance closely simulative of already-known types. Preferably the workings will be provided as a plug-in unit.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide an anti-siphon system in which the siphon-breaking device never passes water, and which is disposed at the very top of the valve body, which is readily installed along with the plug in a unit, which does not undergo stretching in operation.
As a consequence of the foregoing, much existing tooling can be used to make a valve with only minor changes to accommodate the valve workings. Important economies are thereby available, and important sales advantages are presented.

Readily serviceable differential pressure actuated ballcock valve


An integrated circuit package having a die supported on a ball grid array substrate and wire bonds electrically connecting the die to the substrate. Supported on the substrate is a lock ring having a threaded opening encircling the die. Encapsulant covers the die and the wire bonds and adheres the lock ring to the substrate. A heat sink having a threaded portion can be threaded into the lock ring into an operative cooling position relative to the die and subsequently to an unthreaded removed position. When in the latter position, a repair station can be positioned over the package and the solder balls are accessible for hot gas melting thereof for removal (or replacement) of the package from the underlying motherboard.

The present invention is directed to constructions of ball grid array (BGA) packages having heat sinks and to methods for removing those packages from printed circuit boards or motherboards for repair or replacement.
A BGA is a packaged integrated circuit in which one or more integrated circuit chips (semiconductor dies on which electrically conductive circuitry are formed) are mounted on a (top) surface of a substrate, and an electrical connection to electrically conductive material not part of the packaged integrated circuit, such as a printed circuit board, is made by an array of solder balls located on a (bottom) surface of the substrate opposite the surface to which the integrated circuit chip or chips are attached. Passive components such as resistors or capacitors can also be mounted on the top surface of the substrate. The substrate can be a multi-layer substrate, electrically conductive traces and/or regions being formed on a surface of each layer of the substrate. The integrated circuit chip or chips and the passive components are typically encapsulated by, for instance, plastic to protect them from the external environment. The integrated circuit chip or chips are electrically connected to the substrate by wire bonding or by tape-automated bonding (TAB), or flip-chip interconnection. BGAs allow a higher density of external chip connections to be made than do other packaged integrated circuits having leads extending from the package. An example of a BGA package is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,355,283 (Marrs, et al.).
Heat is inevitably generated during the operation of integrated circuit devices, such as BGAs. In some instances, the amount of heat generated can be sufficient to irreparably damage or even destroy the device. Continuing advances in the number of transistors and other functional elements contained in a single integrated circuit, and the increasingly high speeds at which integrated circuits now operate, both contribute to the problem of integrated circuit heat dissipation. The heat can be so great that some devices require that a powered fan be incorporated on them to prevent their failure; an example is the Pentium chip available from Intel Corp. and which is sometimes sold with a small fan mounted on the component itself.
It is generally well known to provide some sort of heat sink for semiconductor devices to remove and dissipate the heat. A variety of methods and devices have been developed for removing at least some of the heat from integrated circuit devices. Typically a unitary heat sink structure has been used. Heat sinks generally include at least a heat-transferring portion proximate to the semiconductor device for extracting heat therefrom, and a heat-dissipating portion remote from the die with a large surface area for dissipating heat. The heat-dissipating portion is typically formed with a number of parallel layers, through which air passes to remove heat from the heat sink. Typically, the entire heat sink structure may simply be disposed on an exterior of a package, such as on the lid of a lidded package.
The heat sinks are typically attached to the package with epoxy. However, this renders them vulnerable to being impacted and torn away. Also, they cannot be easily removed from the package. Additionally, when attached, repair stations cannot be fitted over them to allow hot nitrogen gas to reflow the solder balls. This prevents defective packages from being removed from motherboards for repair or replacement.
Other types of heat sink securements are known, as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,227,663 (Patil, et al.) and 5,293,930 (Pitasi). A further example is a threaded heat sink attachment available from Vemaline Products of Warwick, Rhode Island. This attachment provides that the heat sink is threaded into a small clip-on device. This device is made of plastic and is clipped over the sides of the printed circuit board. However, this device does not work well, since it falls off easily.

Ball grid array with inexpensive threaded secure locking mechanism to allow removal of a threaded heat sink therefrom


An eraser composition for de-flakes is disclosed. The composition comprises (i) a SEBS copolymer (styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene) and SBS copolymer (styrene-butadiene-styrene) and TPE styrene, and the weight percentage being 10 to 35%; (ii) organic fillers of sodium carbonate, and pearl powder, and the weight percentage being about 30 to 60%; (iii) paraffin oil, and of a weight percentage of about 35 to 55%; (iv) palm oil, jojoba oil, linolein oil, moisturizer, deep cleanser, and olive oil, and a weight percentage of 5 to 15%; and (v) edible food pigments, or edible colorants, and the weight percentage of 0.1 to 0.5%.

(a) Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cosmetic composition, and in particular to an eraser composition for de-flakes formed on the human skin.
(b) Description of the Art
Complexion protection or cosmetics are available from the market or are introduced by cosmetic product promoters for cleansing and maintaining of the complexion.
Generally, complexion protection cosmetics are expensive and only effective to human complexion if it is used for a long period of time. To remove flakes or to remove spots on the skin, it is not only laborious but also expensive and time consuming. Further, prolong use of brushes, polishing devices, can easily damage the human complexion. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an eraser composition which mitigates the above drawbacks. flakes, wherein the eraser composition promotes metabolism of cell of the skin.


An energy storing spring joint (100) for use between two parts movable with respect to each other and joined by the energy storing spring joint is capable of storing energy in such a way that energy is stored in a displacement path and is released in very precise and predetermined manner, with a variable force over the path of displacement, when the parts move in the opposite or backward direction in the path of displacement. At least one energy storing member (50) or at least two energy storing members (50) connected sequentially or at least two different energy storing members (50) connected in parallel are mounted in or on the energy storing spring joint (100) and may be moved by or loaded with energy when one of both parts (30, 40) is moved relative to the other part. The energy storing member(s) (50) may be locked against releasing their energy.

The energy storing spring joint can be used wherever two parts can be moved in a rotary motion relative to each other. This can involve situations where one part is fixed or where both parts rotate in opposite directions or at different speeds with respect to each other.
The invention concerns an energy storing spring joint for storing energy, which is to be used between two parts which are moveable relative to each other, and which are joined by the energy storing spring joint.
Devices for storing energy, work and power are known in the most varied embodiments. Thus, spring mechanisms for clocks or spring driven motors for toys are also known. With these devices, for example, the energy which is added to the energy storing device by applying a force to it can be stored and once again released.
These known energy storing devices most often release the energy continuously or with decreasing intensity. However, there are examples of applications, where it is desirable to use an energy storing device, which delivers the energy on a predetermined basis and/or according to demand at varying levels of intensity as a function of its displacement or as a function of time.
Hinges for vehicles represent an especially suitable area of application.
Trailers of trucks or in the area of agricultural equipment include loading gates, which are linked to the trailer by means of simple hinges. The hinges are frequently installed at the lower edge of the loading gate, so that when they are manually opened or closed, a considerable physical effort must sometimes be made to move the gate, and during this effort the required application of force is naturally greatest, when the angle between the loading gate and a vertical plane is 90.degree..
It is, therefore, the objective of the invention to create an energy storing spring joint of the type initially described, which can store energy in such a manner, that it is possible to store energy during a movement along a given path in such a way, that in the case of a movement in an opposite direction or during a reversal of the motion, the energy can be released in a very definite, predetermined manner along the path of motion, and where the amount of energy released can be varied as a function of displacement.
The objective is achieved by the characteristics described in claim 1.
An essential idea on which this objective is based, is that the forces being generated during the relative movement of two parts with respect to each other, such as weight forces, forces due to the kinetic energy to be absorbed etc., must be counteracted and stored in the energy storing device in the form of potential energy. In order to be able to release the energy subsequently on a continuous basis, it is contemplated that it will be stored in at least one energy storing device or in two energy storing devices, which are independent of each other. These devices can be charged with potential energy one after the other, or energy storing devices, which differ from each other may be employed, in which energy is accumulated in parallel. Both systems can also be combined. It is important that an energy release, for example in order to support the movement of the parts toward each other, can be facilitated while motion takes place, and in particular, in accordance with the invention, on the basis of a definitive, predeterminable process of the release of energy. This means that, for example, at the start of the movement only a small amount of energy is being taken from the energy storing device or devices, or that an especially large amount of energy is extracted from a force, and that subsequently a removal of energy occurs on a different level of energy, which may, under certain circumstances, change once again.
Preferably, it is contemplated that the energy storing devices are made of springs. According to the invention, these springs are either connected in series in such a manner that in each of them, one after the other, the entire possible amount of energy is being stored, while the energized springs are kept in their energized condition or under tension, as the case may be, until all the springs have been energized. A further basic idea consists in preventing or blocking the energy storing device or devices against a release of their energy in such a manner, that a further movement of the two parts toward each other is still possible. It Is, therefore, possible to provide a still further movement of the parts, during which no further storage of energy takes place. Then, during the return movement of the parts, the discharge of energy takes place at a time that can be predetermined and/or at points along the path, which can be determined in advance.
In this context, it can be arranged that at least two springs have different spring constants or that one different spring has properties such as a progressive or degressive change of the spring constants along the path of motion of the spring, and/or that the energy storing devices, during the movement of the parts toward each other, can all be energized along the entire path of movement, and that they can all be de-energized along a combined path of movement in the opposite direction. For this purpose, the springs may be constructed as tension springs, compression springs, spiral springs or torsional springs, and they can be designed and selectively positioned in such a manner that they can be adjusted with regard to their initial tension.
A very particular objective consists in creating an energy storing spring joint, which can store energy in such a manner, that the opening and closing of, for example, loading gates can be assisted in such a way, that as a result only minimal forces need to be applied, while the extent of the assistance can be varied.
This objective is achieved by the characteristics identified in claim 7.
For this purpose, it is contemplated, in accordance with the invention, to create a spiral spring system, which is equipped with several spiral springs, which have varying spring constants, and which store the energy being generated during the lowering of the gate, so that this energy can be utilized to assist while the gate is being raised, and for which system an area of use is found wherever two parts, which are connected to each other, must be pivoted relative to each other while a force is being applied. However, it would be advantageous if the force of gravity could be utilized in one of the directions of rotary motion.
Such a spiral spring system for, for example, a hinge for a gate, consists of a cover tube, which is dosed at one end and which constitutes an enclosure sleeve, which has been provided with a fastening means, which is attached to the gate of the trailer.
In the cover tube, which forms an enclosure sleeve, the hinge of the trailer contains several spiral springs, through which a shaft is extended, which is attached to the trailer. The spiral springs are also attached to the shaft, and they are supported by the impact member of the catchment device at the inside of the cover tube. Between the cover tube, which forms the enclosure sleeve, and the spiral spring, there is a guide sleeve which is rigidly attached to the trailer and which contains guide slots and functions in such a way that one free end of a spiral spring is always being guided in a guide slot in such a manner that it can be picked up by a cam of the catchment device. If the gate is now operated, the cover tube is rotated and, as a rule, places the spiral springs under tension, one after the other, due to the action of the catchment device, the free ends of which (the spiral springs) thus are induced to continue to move through the guide slots of the guide sleeve, and they do so specifically by moving along the main portion of the guide slot, which is approximately perpendicular to the shaft The end portions of the guide slots proceed approximately parallel to the shaft. By being displaced into the end section, the end of the spiral spring is guided away from the region of the catchment device and is placed in a storage position, in which it cannot be further tensioned, but in which the current tension can be maintained. The catchment device, which has the shape of a bead and is disposed in the form of a partial circumferential ring on the inside of the enclosure sleeve, then slides, along with the impact member, past the end of the spiral spring, which has been pushed away toward the end portion of the guide slot, and the free end is kept in its position, while it slides along a lateral glide path of the catchment device, even if the enclosure sleeve is rotated further. If this motion is carried out in the opposite direction, i.e the gate is being closed, then the spring slides out of its storage position, after the impact portion of the catchment device has been rotated past the end of the spiral spring while it was being turned back, because it pushes through the space, which has been generated in the end region, into the region of the cam of the catchment device, and then pushes against the impact portion of the catchment device, by which action the closing process is assisted. The spring constant and the disposition of the cams and the slots are chosen in such a way, that they are adapted to the energy use pattern during the closing of the gate.
In this context, it can also be arranged that the catchment device extends through 360.degree. or more an the inside of the cover tube. In this case, the bead must not be positioned at a right angle with respect to the shaft, but must proceed in a spiral pattern in the form of a kind of bead-like thread, in which case the pitch of the bead-like thread and the length of the end portion of the guide slot must be adjusted to each other in such a manner, that when the end of the bead of the catchment device has been reached, the free end of the spring is located in the end portion of the end section.
The impact surface of the impact member is positioned at an angle relative to the longitudinal extension of the catchment device in such a way, that the free end of the spiral spring positions itself in such a manner that it positions itself against a wall of the guide slot at the same time that it is forced by it due to the interaction with the impact surface, into the end region of the guide slot.
This system of spiral springs can be used in many different ways in all areas, in which spiral springs are needed, while, by the selection of the spring constants and the positioning of the cams of the catchment device, or as the case may be, the guide slots, an individual adaptation is always possible.
In this context, it is especially advantageous, that the direction of effective action for the storage of energy in both directions of motion can be accommodated by an appropriate placement of the guide slots and the spiral springs.
By selecting and employing springs with different spring constants, and by choosing spring constants which change along the path of tensioning, it becomes also possible to absorb different forces, for example varying weight forces, which may be generated along the rotary path of motion of a hinge, so that an easy moveability can be achieved.
Further advantageous embodiments are characterized in the sub-claims.