A polymer electrolyte fuel cell has a catalytic layer comprising a material and a polymer electrolyte, and the catalytic layer contains a fibrous material such as carbon whiskers or hydrophilic fibers. The polymer electrolyte fuel cell in the present invention having a catalytic layer comprising a catalytic material, an ion conducting material, an electron conducting material, and a void forming agent, and voids having diameters of from 60 to 1000 nm in the catalytic layer has a void volume of from 0.15 to 0.25 cm3/g.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an electrode for polymer electrolyte fuel cells, and in particular, relates to a technology in which a catalytic layer functions efficiently.
2. Background Art
A polymer electrolyte fuel cell is formed by laminating separators at both sides of a tabular membrane electrode assembly (MEA). The membrane electrode assembly is typically a laminated body having a polymer electrolyte membrane placed between a cathode side catalytic layer and an anode side catalytic layer, and having a gas-diffusion layer laminated at the outside of each catalytic layer. This catalytic layer is formed by a method in which a catalyst paste is coated on an electrolyte membrane and these are hot pressed, or by a method in which a catalyst paste is coated on a carbon paper or FRP sheet to form an electrode sheet, which is hot pressed with an electrolyte membrane. The catalyst paste is composed of a catalytic material such as Pt, an electron conducting material such as carbon particles, and an ion conducting material such as polymer electrolyte. A bonding agent and a water-repelling agent such as PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) or PVDF (poly(vinylidene fluoride)) are added if necessary.
In such a fuel cell, a fuel gas (such as hydrogen) supplied through a separator plate arranged at the cathode side and an oxidizing gas (such as air) supplied through a separator plate arranged at the anode side are diffused through each gas-diffusion layer, and each gas reaches the catalytic layers. In the catalytic layer of the anode side, the fuel gas reacts and generates protons and electrons, and in the catalytic layer of the cathode side, protons, electrons, and oxidizing gas react and generate water, thereby generating electricity.
Therefore, it is necessary to supply fuel gas and oxidizing gas uniformly to the entirety of the catalytic layer to improve generation efficiency. The inventors further researched researching the voids in the catalytic layer functioning as gas channels, that is to say, the most suitable structure for the voids in the catalytic layer.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 92293/97 discloses that voids having diameters of from 0.04 to 1.0 μm function as gas channels, and gas is adequately diffused if the specific volume of the voids is 0.04 cm3/g or more. However, the void volume described above is controlled by the amount of the ion conducting material or the conditions of hot pressing. Therefore, the amount of the ion conducting material or the temperature and the pressure in the hot pressing process must be reduced to increase the voids (decrease the ion conducting channels), thereby causing deterioration in the adhesion between the membrane and the electrode. It is difficult to obtain a void density of 0.1 cm3/g or more in this method.
In Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 203840/94, an electrode, in which the porosity of the catalytic layer is 65 to 90 vol %, is disclosed. However, voids of this electrode are also controlled by conditions of hot pressing.
Furthermore, although the catalytic layer which is made by the process described above has voids to a certain extent before it is hot pressed, the voids are crushed and reduced after the hot pressing process, so that it is impossible to increase the voids to be more than that before the hot pressing process.
In order to solve this problem, Japanese Unexamined Patent Applications Publication No. 203852/94, No. 236762/94, No. 176310/95, No. 180879/96, No. 199138/97, No. 3929/98, No. 189005/98 and No. 189012/98 propose methods in which void forming agents such as zinc powder, silica sol, ammonium hydrocarbonate, camphor, lithium carbonate, or the like, are added to a catalyst paste, and are removed after the hot pressing process, thereby increasing the voids. However, these methods require a process to remove the void forming agent after the hot pressing process, and this causes a complicated production process.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 223503/97 proposes a method in which voids are increased by adding a solvent having a high boiling point into a catalyst paste and evaporating the solvent in a sintering process. However, this method also requires an additional sintering process and also results in a complicated manufacturing process.
Furthermore, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 329452/99 proposes a method in which an ink (A) including an ion conducting material and an ink (B) including a solvent which does not exhibit ionomer lytic potential, such as methyl dodecate, are mixed to produce an ink (C), and after forming the catalytic layer by this ink (C), evaporating the solvent such as methyl dodecate, and thus the voids are increased. However, this method requires two kinds of inks and the atmosphere of the evaporating process must be strictly controlled.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 223233/98 proposes a method in which carbon fibers are added to a catalyst paste so that the paste does not fill the voids of a porous substrate (gas-diffusion layer). However, this electrode is composed of a catalytic layer which is formed on the inside surface of a carbon paper, and this is different from the structure of the catalytic layer of the present invention which does not include carbon paper.
It is advantageous to reduce unnecessary material as much as possible to improve the generation efficiency of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell. PTFE and PVDF mentioned above are unnecessary from the viewpoint of power generation, and it is undesirable to add these materials. However, if these bonding agents are not added, the catalytic layer cannot maintain its structure by itself Furthermore, because the catalytic layer is a thin membrane and its bonding strength is low, cracks may occur and exfoliation of the catalytic layer and the substrate may occur during the manufacturing process even if the catalytic layer could maintain its structure.
Though much research has been performed thus far to improve generation efficiency per volume of catalytic layer, actually, a satisfying result has not yet been obtained. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrode for polymer electrolyte fuel cells comprising the catalytic layer having a void structure exhibiting high generation efficiency without a complicated manufacturing process.

Electrode for polymer electrolyte fuel cell


The present invention relates to a device for scanning the surface of a generally cylindrical object carrying a raised pattern, such as a finger, which device comprises:. a. a transparent optical body having a substantially arcuate configuration about a first axis and having an axial cross-section which is convergent for at least part of its radial dimension, and a channel parallel to and substantially co-axial with that axis, which channel presents a face substantially parallel to the said axis, upon which the object whose surface is to be observed can be placed; PA1 b. a source of incident light adapted to be directed onto a light entry face of the convergent cross-section of the body, the configuration of the body being such that the incident light is adapted to strike the under-side of the said base face at substantially the angle of total internal reflection and to be reflected through the same another face of the convergent cross-section of the body; PA1 c. means for causing the incident light from said source to illuminate the surface of an object placed in contact with the planar face of the channel; and PA1 d. a means for observing the light reflected from the underside of the base face through a face of the convergent cross-section of the body and for providing a signal dependent upon the intensity of the light detected.

The skin on the finger of a person carries raised friction ridges on it which follow a distinctive pattern which is unique to that person. Other areas of the skin of the body of a human or other mammal, for example a horse, also carry such raised friction ridges, e.g. the palm of the hand, or the toes or heel of the foot. For convenience the term finger print will be used herein to denote generally any friction skin surface area on the skin, and specifically that raised friction ridge pattern on the final segment or tip of a human finger.
The ridge pattern of a finger print can be visually scanned and analyzed by a skilled observer in order to establish whether the finger print corresponds to one left at the scene of a crime, or to one which is submitted to establish the identity of the person. This requires a highly skilled observer and can be cumbersome and it would be desirable for that operation to be carried out using some form of electronic pattern recognition system.
It has been proposed to scan a finger print using a light source so as to plot the position and type of the characteristics contained within the ridge patterns on the fingerprint. In one type of system, the finger is placed upon one face of a transparent material, for example a sheet of glass, and light is shone onto the opposite face of the material so that the light strikes the underside of the first face at substantially the angle of total internal reflection. Where the ridges of the finger print contact the surface of the material, they alter the angle of total internal reflection and part of the incident light passes through that face of the material and part is reflected back as scattered light. By way of contrast, the incident light is totally internally reflected at those areas where the skin does not contact the material, i.e. those areas where the valleys in the finger print pattern are located.
By illuminating and scanning individual points across the surface of the material, it is possible to build up a picture of light and dark points so as to form an image of the finger print. When viewed along the line corresponding to the exit direction for the totally internally reflected light, a dark image is perceived at the point of contact and a light image where there is no contact, giving a positive image. When viewed from a position significantly offset from the exit path of the totally internally reflected light, the scattered light from the regions where the ridges contact the surface is perceived, but no light is detected from the regions where there is no contact, so that a negative image is perceived.
The image can be scanned electronically to detect the light and dark areas and to convert those into electrical signals which can be recorded as an electronic image of the fingerprint pattern. Either the positive or the weaker negative image can be used to detect the pattern of the ridge lines and features thereon. For convenience, the invention will be described hereinafter in terms of scanning the positive image.
Typical of such systems is that described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,537,484 where the finger is placed upon a channel of transparent material and the light and dark images are scanned to give an electronic record of the image. This is achieved by mounting an elongated light source on a rotating carriage so that an axial strip of the finger print pattern is illuminated and scanned through the under surface of the channel. The carriage also carries a mirror and lens system by which the light reflected from the under surface of the channel can be directed onto an array of light sensitive diodes, arranged axially along the axis of rotation of the carriage, so to generate electronic signals corresponding to the light and dark areas of the image being scanned. The carriage is rotated by a stepper motor to illuminate and scan a series of axial strips of the under surface of the channel so as progressively to build up a total scan of the under surface of the channel. The images perceived by the diode array are read out into a suitable image processor and verified against a record of that persons finger print.
Such a mechanism is complex and expensive to construct and requires the use of high optical quality lenses to focus an elongated image accurately onto the diode array. A further problem is that there may be reflections from the various faces of the channel as well as from the under surface of the face in contact with the finger print. At least part of those other reflections may be internally reflected within the wall of the channel and combine with the totally internally reflected incident light from the desired part of the channel to give a scattered light for scanning by the diode array. This could lead to a loss of definition in the perceived image resulting in rejection of images as unclear. Also, some of the incident light is dissipated by these other reflections reducing the intensity of the light perceived by the diode array.
I have now devised an optical body and scanning device using that body which is reduces the above problems.


A triangle road sign having a bottom rack, a left frame bar and a right frame bar respectively pivoted to two distal ends of the bottom rack and detachably coupled to each other to form a triangle rack with the bottom rack, a device for securing the triangle rack to the inside of a car, indicator lights respectively installed in the bottom rack, the left frame bar and the right frame bar and controlled to flash by a control switch at the bottom rack, a solar collector installed in the bottom rack to collect solar energy and to convert collected solar energy into electricity for the signal lights at the bottom rack, the left frame bar and the right frame bar, a battery box installed in the bottom rack and controlled by the control switch to provide the necessary working voltage to the signal lights, an alternating current adapter controlled by the control switch to convert alternating current power supply to direct current power supply for the signal lights.

The present invention relates to a triangle road sign, and more particularly to such a triangle road sign, which comprises a flashing light circuit assembly selectively driven by solar power, battery power, or alternating current power source to give a flashing warning signal.
A conventional triangle road sign 8, as shown in FIG. 1, is generally comprised of a left frame bar 81, a right frame bar 82, a bottom frame bar 83, a stand 84, and reflectors 811, 821 and 831 respectively covered on the frame bars 81, 82 and 83. This structure of triangle road sign 8 is less effective because it can only give a static warning signal.
It is one object of the present invention to provide a triangle road sign, which is folding collapsible. It is another object of the present invention to provide a triangle road sign, which actively gives a warning signal. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a triangle road sign, which selectively uses solar power, battery power, or solar power source to drive flashing light circuit means to give a flashing warning signal. According to one aspect of the present invention, the triangle road sign is comprised of a folding collapsible triangle rack formed of a bottom rack, a left frame bar and a right frame bar, mounting means for securing the triangle rack to the inside of a car, flashing light circuit means mounted on the triangle rack and controlled to give a flashing warning signal, and solar power circuit means that converts solar energy into electricity for the flashing light circuit means. According to another aspect of the present invention, battery power supply and alternating current power adapter are provided and selectively controlled to provide the necessary working voltage to the flashing light circuit means. In an alternate form of the present invention, the mounting means for securing the triangle rack to the inside of a car is eliminated, and a folding collapsible stand is provided to support the triangle rack on the road.

Triangle road sign with solar power-driven flashing light means


Methods, apparatuses, and systems are disclosed for analyzing quality control (QC) strategies that are applied to testing processes an analyte in order to meet an acceptable level of probability of patient harm that could result from incorrect test results. The measure of patient harm takes into account severity of patient harm, as well as its occurrence. Methods include calculating, based on the parameters of the QC strategies and the test apparatus, an expected number of incorrect final results E(Nuf) due to a test system failure. The value of E(Nuf) can be used as part of a calculation of a predicted level of probability patient harm. The ratio of the acceptable level of probability of patient harm to the predicted level of probability patient harm can determine the adequacy of the QC strategies.

Diagnostic devices are used for a number of purposes in medicine, research, and other industries. For example in medicine, a diagnostic device may be used to measure the concentration of a particular substance (analyte) in a blood or urine specimen. It is important to ensure that the diagnostic device operates properly and that the test results returned are correct. In particular, it is important to ensure that the device is not operating with a systematic error that can corrupt a large portion of results produced.
When a sample is tested for the analyte, the instrument will return a test result, which may differ from the physically correct value. It is typically the case that test results provided by measuring devices have an inherent imprecision, that is, a predetermined range or margin of error. A test result may be deemed to be acceptable if the difference between the device's reported result and the correct value is within the inherent imprecision.
Since during use there often is no way to know the correct value of the specimens submitted for testing, the equipment may be periodically tested with reference samples to detect incorrectly reported results and systematic errors. In order to test the equipment, an operator may test one or more reference samples for which the correct result is known. Whereas a patient specimen may only be stable for a number of hours or days after collection, a reference sample may be a synthetic sample designed to be stable and testable for a much longer period of time, such as a number of months or years.
Once the testing values for the reference samples are obtained, they may be verified against a set of predetermined Quality Control ("QC") criteria. Conducting this procedure, whether one or more samples are tested, may be referred to as a QC event. When more than one sample is tested, one sample with a corresponding normal value, one with an abnormally high value and one with an abnormally low may be tested to ensure that equipment returns correct results across the entire scale of results. Furthermore, a number of samples with the same value may be tested to ensure that the equipment consistently returns the same results.
If the results meet the QC criteria, the equipment is determined to be returning good results and accordingly not subject to any systematic errors, and it can be used to test further patient specimens. If the results do not meet the prescribed criteria, the equipment is likely to have started malfunctioning at some point before or during the QC event. The malfunctioning may have started after testing the last patient specimen, but before the QC event, in which case all the patient results will have been reported correctly. On the converse the error can have occurred at any point in time before the QC event, and all the results reported for the patient specimens tested following such failure may have been reported with an error greater than the acceptable margin of error.
If patient results obtained after a successful QC event are not released until the following QC event has been passed, the number of reported errors can be greatly reduced. The need for immediate release of test results often renders this option impractical, and another solution is therefore needed.
The operator can in general decrease the expected number of incorrectly reported patient results by increasing the number of QC events and by testing more reference samples at each QC event. However, increasing either of these increases cost and decreases the number of patient specimens that can be tested by the equipment during any period of time.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Using patient risk in analysis of quality control strategy for lab results


The present disclosure relates to an arrangement (6) for controlling an entrance hole (2) of a beehive (1) of a beehive with bees, comprising a closure element (11) for at least partially closing the entrance hole (2). According to the present disclosure, the arrangement (6) comprises at least one identification unit (5) arrangeable or arranged on a queen bee (4), a reading unit (7) for reading out the at least one identification unit (5), wherein the reading unit (7) or at least one antenna unit (8) of the reading unit (7) is arrangeable or arranged at the entrance hole (2), and an actuation unit (12), in particular coupled with the reading unit (7), for actuating the closure element (11). Moreover, the present disclosure relates to a method for controlling an entrance hole (2) of a beehive (1).

It is generally known in the prior art to manually close the entrance hole of a beehive of a beehive with bees, for example in order to prevent the bees from flying out of the beehive during transport of the beehive with bees.
US 2007/0207701 A1 describes a system for proving the presence of a queen bee, in a hive. The system includes an RFID tag secured to the queen bee and a RFID detection device secured adjacent the hive opening that sends an output that indicates the presence or absence of the queen bee.

Device and method for controlling a flight opening of a beehive box


A PC Card includes a printed wiring board with an edge-card connector formed integral therewith. Wiring of the printed wiring board connects the edge-card connector to components on the printed wiring board. Connection is established to the printed wiring board via the edge-card connection for testing and programming of components on the PC Card.

PC Cards, also known as PCMCIA cards, are designed according to a well-defined industry standard. This standard governs many aspects of PC Cards including relevant mechanical standards which include the requirements of the card's 68-pin host connector, overall dimensions and operating environment.
Assembly and testing of PC Cards can be problematic due to the defining standard. For example, as PC Cards are quite small, the allocation of test points on the card is severely restricted. Thus, it is difficult to make many electrical connections to PC Cards for the purposes of testing and initial configuration (for example, programming memories and programmable logic). Furthermore, the thinness of the PC Cards severely restricts the use of many conventional connectors due to mechanical constraints. Thus, establishing electrical connection to a PC Card during assembly and testing is problematic.
One type of connector previously used in non-PC Card applications is the card-edge connector. However, to date, the card-edge connector remains excluded from PC Card applications for several reasons. Firstly, by nature of the PC Card standard, card-edge connectors are not viable as external connectors in a packaged card as they do not provide the required shielding and electrostatic discharge protection. Secondly, PC Card printed wiring boards ("PWBs") are thin (e.g., 0.018") and not suitable for the standard edge-card connectors which require a PWB thickness of, e.g., 0.062". Also, conventional card-edge connectors require excessive contact area for use in the limited space of a PC Card. Thus, edge-card connector techniques have been heretofor excluded from PC Cards.
Other types of connectors exist, but are not conventionally used in connection with PC Card technology. For example, turning briefly to FIG. 1, prior art usage of one other type of connector 13 is shown. A conventional PWB 11 (i.e., a `thick`, non-PC Card PWB) has connector 13 connected thereto. A flat cable 15 (or flexible printed circuitry) is plugged into connector 13 thereby electrically connecting thereto.
The present invention is directed towards a card-edge connectivity solution for PC Card configuration and testing.

PC card test and configuration connector


A recording apparatus includes a recording head, a carrying part, a carriage and a detector that optically detects an image recorded on a recording medium, and a controller that obtains a correction value of recording positions of dots from a test pattern, and corrects the recording positions of the dots based on the correction value. The test pattern includes an adjustment pattern and a reference pattern, the adjustment pattern includes multiple overlapping patterns that are each formed by overlapping two basic patterns, the reference pattern is formed of predetermined patterns that each correspond to the multiple overlapping patterns, the correction value of recording positions of dots, which is obtained by the controller, is calculated based on adjustment detection results respectively obtained by detecting the multiple overlapping patterns and a reference detection result obtained by detecting the predetermined pattern forming the reference pattern, and the controller corrects the recording positions of dots based on the correction value.

Conventionally, as a recording apparatus of this kind, there is a serial inkjet printer. A serial inkjet printer prints an image on a recording medium while moving an inkjet type recording head back and forth in a main scanning direction perpendicular to a carrying direction (sub-scanning direction) of the recording medium.
In such a serial inkjet printer, for example, an adjustment pattern is printed on a recording medium, and light is irradiated to the printed pattern and reflected light is read with an optical sensor, and, based on a value of the reading, recording positions of dots (for example, landing positions of dots of a outbound path and a inbound path) are corrected (for example, see Patent Document 1).
Further, as a serial type inkjet printer that performs correction using such a method, a printer is known in which, by using a value obtained by reading with an optical sensor a recording medium on which a pattern is not printed and a value obtained by reading with an optical sensor a recording medium on which a pattern is printed, correction can be performed by suppressing influence of characteristics of the recording medium.

Recording apparatus and correction method


In data storage system including multiple servers and multiple disks, and wherein each server is in communication with each disk, each disk has a reserved disk block for each of the servers. The system includes a disk arbitration mechanism that uses a timestamp-based voting algorithm over the disk blocks associated with the servers to exchange votes for a primary server to arbitrate access of the servers to a set of disks. The disk arbitration mechanism further includes each server writing its state in its own associated disk block in each disk, and reading all the other servers' disk blocks in each disk in order to determine which server has access to, use, and control of the disks at a given time.

In many environments requiring a highly available system, disk drives need to be shared among two or more machines, such that if one machine fails, one of the others can provide access to the data stored on the shared disk drives. In such environments, it is crucial that the data on the disk drives not be accessed by multiple machines simultaneously, to prevent serious data corruption. The present invention provides for an arbitration that has fewer failure modes than previous systems for shared disk drives.
There are two areas in which the present invention is superior to the prior art in the area of disk ownership arbitration.
Typical prior art for arbitration among N servers for access to a set of disks involves a heartbeat being exchanged between two servers, and when the primary server crashes, the secondary server detects a loss of heartbeat and takes over for the failed primary. There are three weaknesses with this art that are solved by this invention.
First, the prior art typically works only with 2 servers, rather than an arbitrary number of servers.
Second, by using the disk as the communications mechanism, rather than a separate communication path, the present invention reduces the chances that the communication path used for determining which server should access the disk will fail independently from the communication path used for accessing the disk itself.
Third, even with a network partition, it is guaranteed that at most one server is granted access to the arbitrated set of disks, while most prior art has the possibility of assigning two servers access to the set of disks in the case where there is a network partition in the communications network, and both servers are actually still connected to the disks.
Another prior art device (Ubik, by Transarc Corporation [1989]), used a similar voting mechanism, run over an IP network, to elect a synchronization server for a distributed database. However, the Ubik system did not use an array of disk blocks for a communication medium, but instead used network packets exchanged over an IP network.

Method and system for safely arbitrating disk drive ownership using a timestamp voting algorithm


A ski pole latch for removably securing a ski pole to a bar of the type generally found on ski lifts. Either a latch or a strap connection is utilized to allow a skier to encircle a bar of the type normally found on the ski lift so as to enable the skier to have free use of hands. The encircling feature while securing the pole to a ski lift bar is readily removed by opening the encircling device when the skier pulls on the ski pole hand grips.

Downhill snow skiing is a popular sport in many parts of the world. Due to the popularity of this sport, many improvements have been made to much of the ski equipment normally used. These improvements cover items such as bindings, skis, clothing and the like. The result of many of these improvements has been to make the sport safer and easier, especially for the less experienced skier.
One of the primary difficulties in the sport of downhill skiing is the fact that by its very nature the sport is conducted in somewhat adverse weather conditions. In addition, the sport requires what is generally a rather energetic effort as one proceeds downhill, followed often by waiting lines or at least by a relatively slow trip back up the slope by means of a ski lift or the like. This trip back up the slope is of course once again followed by a downhill adventure and the process repeats itself throughout the day.
Other difficulties in this sport, involve such problems as managing somewhat burdensome skis and poles, readjusting equipment and clothing, and the more common difficulty of staying warm when going back up the hill on a ski lift.
In order to complete as many runs as possible a skier will waste little time from one run to the next. Therefore, skiers will often utilize time on the ski lift for the readjusting of equipment, clothing and the like. In addition, due to wind factors and the fact that the skier is sedentary, the skier is often much colder while on the ski lift. Thus, it becomes necessary readjust, hats, face masks, gloves and other equipment to stay warm while on the ski lift and then prepare for the next run prior dismounting.
Making these procedures more difficult is the fact that the skier is carrying ski poles which are awkward at best. These somewhat cumbersome poles cause the skier to go through numerous gyrations trying to hold the ski poles while at the same time adjusting ski equipment. In addition, gloves which may have been warm while on a downhill run are often not sufficient on the ski lift. This is especially true where the downhill run results in some overheating making the ski lift cool down even more uncomfortable. To stay warmer on the ski lift it is often preferable to put ones hands in ones pockets. This of course is at best difficult if one is trying to also hold a set of ski poles.
For these reasons it is not uncommon to have ski poles drop from ski lifts. Furthermore, since ski lifts have multiple seating it is possible to injure someone else on the ski lift as the poles are moved about in order to free up ones hands.
While some ski poles have handles or the like which could be utilized to attach the pole to the ski lift, these devices are insufficient. A significant problem in using such devices is the difficulty that is encountered when dismounting. Skiers need to be able to quickly and positively release the pole from a secured position on the ski lift without the pole becoming caught, and thus accomplish a safe dismount.
Some devices allow one to use the ski pole as a foot rest while on a ski lift. In doing so, these poles also have a lever which can lean against the ski lift. While such an approach may be beneficial in providing for a foot support, the ski pole must be continually grasped by the skier in order to maintain it in its proper position.
It was with these various difficulties in mind that I began developing the subject invention to free up the skiers hands which will allow the skier not only to do other things while on the ski lift but also makes the lift trip more comfortable.


A vacuum regulating valve has a poppet type valve element supported so as to be brought into uniformly close contact with a valve seat disposed in a passage connecting two main ports. The valve element is connected to a valve stem by a connecting mechanism that allows the valve element to tilt relative to the valve stem. A piston included in a cylinder actuator moves the valve stem axially.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vacuum regulating valve for use in reducing the pressure of a vacuum chamber included in a physiochemical system, such as a semiconductor device fabricating system, for processing a workpiece by a chemical process.
(2) Description of the Related Art
A semiconductor substrate is subjected to a film forming process using process gasses in a vacuum chamber included in a semiconductor fabricating system to form a film on a surface of the semiconductor substrate. A vacuum regulating valve disclosed in, for example, JP-A-8-285132 is used to regulate a vacuum created in a vacuum chamber during an evacuating process for reducing pressure in the vacuum chamber prior to the film forming process and during the film forming process.
Generally, the vacuum regulating valve of this type is provided with two main ports respectively connected to the vacuum chamber and a vacuum pump. A valve seat is placed in a passage extending between the two main ports. A poppet type valve element is seated on the valve seat to close the vacuum valve and is lifted up from the valve seat to open the vacuum valve. A valve stem has one end connected to the valve element and the other end connected to a piston. The piston moves the valve stem to move the valve element for opening and closing the vacuum valve.
It is important for the vacuum regulating valve of this type to be able to intercept the flow of the process gas as perfectly as possible when the valve element is seated on the valve seat because the process gas is highly reactive and dangerous.
In some cases, the valve element is misaligned slightly with the valve stem owing to unsatisfactory machining accuracy in fabricating the components of the vacuum regulating valve and unsatisfactory assembling accuracy in assembling those components. If the valve element is thus slightly misaligned with the valve stem, the valve element comes into partial contact with the valve seat and the valve face of the valve element cannot be closely seated on the valve seat. If the valve element is thus improperly seated on the valve seat, the process gas is liable to leak.


A method and system for determining the viscosity index of a petroleum liquid. The determination may be made on a single, discrete sample or on a continuous sample stream. A sample is fed into a first pressure drop device where a first pressure drop is measured. A first sample temperature and mass flow are measured at that point. A first density of the sample is determined from a sample mass flow meter so that a first kinematic viscosity can then be determined using the first sample pressure drop, temperature, and density. Then the sample temperature is changed to a second sample temperature and the sample is passed through a second pressure drop device. The second sample temperature, sample density and pressure drop are used to determine a second kinematic viscosity at the second sample temperature. The viscosity index of the sample is determined using the first kinematic viscosity and the second kinematic viscosity. The viscosity index of the sample is presented in digital form to system operators.

The present invention relates to a method and system for determining the viscosity and the viscosity index of a product. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system for sampling a stream, e.g., petroleum product stream, and for automatically determining the viscosity at any temperature and the viscosity index (VI) of the petroleum product.
Dynamic viscosity can be determined by measuring the force required to overcome fluid friction in a film of known dimensions. Dynamic viscosity is usually reported in centipoise or Pascal seconds (Pas) (1 cP=10.sup.-3 Pas) and is determined using well known equations such as Poiseuille equation: ##EQU1## wherein .mu.=absolute (dynamic) cP
d=inner dia of conduits, mm, PA1 L=length of segments, mm, PA1 Q=flow rate in conduits, ml/min, and PA1 .DELTA.p=press drop across segments, bars. PA1 where PA1 L is the kinematic viscosity at in cS (mm.sup.2 sec.sup.-1) at 40.degree. C. of an oil of 0 viscosity index having the same kinematic viscosity at 100.degree. C. as the oil whose viscosity index is to be calculated, PA1 H is the kinematic viscosity at in cS (mm.sup.2 sec.sup.-1) at 40.degree. C. of an oil of 100 viscosity index having the same kinematic viscosity at 100.degree. C. as the oil whose viscosity index is to be calculated, PA1 U is the kinematic viscosity at 40.degree. C. of the sample oil. PA1 .DELTA.p.sub.2 =pressure drop-second conduit (bars), PA1 T.sub.1 =absolute temperature-first slip-stream portion, PA1 T.sub.2 =absolute temperature-second slip-stream portion. PA1 z=(V+0.7+C-D+E-F+G-H); PA1 log=logarithm to base 10; PA1 v=kinematic viscosity,cSt (or mm.sup.2 /s); PA1 T=temperature, K or .degree.R; PA1 A&B=constants; and
L and d are fixed, Q may be fixed or measured, and dp is measured. For a given L, d and Q, Viscosity is a constant times the .DELTA.p.
Kinematic viscosity is a measure or timing of the flow driven by gravity, and is the viscosity most often use in a laboratory. Dynamic viscosities, in centipoise, can be converted to kinematic viscosities, in centistokes (cSt), by dividing by the density in grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm.sup.3) at the same temperature. The kinematic viscosity unit is mm.sup.2 /sec or centistokes.
The viscosity of a fluid usually increases as temperature is decreased, and decreases as the temperature is increased. Viscosities of oils at temperatures other than the temperature at which they are measured can be determined by measuring the viscosities at two temperatures, then plotting these points on viscosity-temperature charts developed by ASTM and issued as standard ASTM D341 which is incorporated herein by reference. A straight line is drawn through these two points, and viscosities at other temperatures are read along this line.
Different oils have different rates of change of viscosity with temperature. Viscosity Index (VI) is a method of representing this rate of change, based on a comparison with the relative rates of change of two arbitrarily selected types of oils that differ widely in this characteristic. A high VI indicates a relatively low rate of change of viscosity with temperature. Conversely, a low VI indicates a relatively high rate of change of viscosity with temperature.
VI is commonly associated with petroleum products such as crude oils, lubricating oils and their constituent base stocks. It is one of the most important specifications that must be met when determining the suitability of a particular oil for a given use. This characteristic is important because many oils are expected to operate not at some fixed temperature but over a range of temperatures. For example in the case of an automobile engine, a lubricating oil is expected to perform properly over a potentially very wide range of ambient and operating temperatures. These temperatures can vary from below freezing to the very high temperatures observed in tropical zones.
An ASTM standard provides a widely used scale for reporting VI. The scale is an empirical one based on the arbitrary assignment of VI values to two different kinds of crude oils. The viscosity-temperature relationship of a Pennsylvania crude was arbitrarily assigned a VI of 100. That same relationship for a Gulf Coast crude was assigned a value of 0. Some lubricating oils particularly synthetic oils may have a VI below 0 or above 100. The use of additives can increase observed VI to well over 100.
This method for measuring the VI of an oil is the standard described in ASTM D 2270-91 which is incorporated herein by reference. This standard describes a method for determining the VI of petroleum products using their kinematic viscosities at 40.degree. C. and 100.degree. C. For oils of Viscosity Index up to and including 100, VI may be calculated using the equation: EQU VI=(L-U)/(L-H)!.times.100
For oils having a VI over 100, equation I does not give reliable results and an alternate procedure detailed in ASTM D 2270 must be followed. The use of the ASTM method requires maintaining constant sample temperatures at the 40.degree. C. and 100.degree. C. points while viscosity measurements are made. Thus, the ASTM procedure can require expensive constant temperature bath equipment and a great deal of time to produce results. Much of that time required is devoted to taking a sample from constant initial temperature of 40.degree. C. to a constant 100.degree. C. For the process operator desiring rapid VI information that could be of use to monitor product quality during manufacture, this delay is unacceptable.
Devices are known for measuring viscosity. However, none provide direct information concerning the VI of the liquid or other substance being tested. In view of the importance of VI to users of petroleum products, particularly lubricating oils, there is a need for a device that provides direct, continuous information concerning VI.

Method and system for determining viscosity index


A method of measuring a shutter time lag of a camera includes: a first step of switching a display pattern of a display unit including i (i is a natural number greater than 2) display elements to a different display pattern at every time TP, and in the first step, the number of j (j is a natural number, and 1<j<i) display elements to be brought into a first display state among i display elements is switched at every time TP; a second step of capturing an image of the display unit in response to a shutter operation of the camera performed in synchronization with the switching operation; and a third step of deducing a shutter time lag taken from the shutter operation to the imaging of the display unit from the image captured by the camera.

In the related art, a display device for measuring the shutter time lag of a camera is known (for example, NPL 1). In the display device disclosed in NPL 1, one turned-on LED sequentially switches among 100 LEDs at every predetermined time TD. That is, when the time TD elapses after an x-th (x is a natural number and 1≦x≦100) LED turns on and other LEDs turn off, the x-th LED turns off, and x+1-th LED turns on (LEDs other than the x+1-th LED turn off). As described above, the display device disclosed in NPL 1 starts the switching of a turned-on LED at every time TD in synchronization with the pressing down of a release button of the camera that is a target for measurement. It is possible to capture the images of the display device using the camera (the target for measurement) during the switching operation, and to deduce a shutter time lag from the pressing down of the release button to the image capturing based on the captured images. Specifically, it is possible to determine a turned-on sequence of the turned-on LEDs in the captured images, and to calculate the shutter time lag as the turned-on sequence x the time TD.

Method of measuring shutter time lag, display device for measuring shutter time lag, shutter time lag measurement apparatus, method of manufacturing camera, method of measuring display delay of camera, and display delay measurement apparatus


The plunger of the valve has a semi-spherical valve member of reduced diameter, so that it is inwardly spaced from the ribs of the cage. The plunger is centralized and guided by top and bottom stems attached to the ball and working loosely in apertured webs carried by the cage and seat member. The cage has 2 or 3 ribs only, so that the windows are wider. The cage web is downwardly spaced from the top of the cage, to maximize the area of the cage outlet. The valve member has a reduced diameter neck at its upper end, to keep the valve member downwardly spaced from the cage web when the valve is fully open. As a result of these features the cross-sectional areas of the flow passage through the opened valve are increased. The stems are preferably straight-sided and the web openings are circular so fluid may flush out solids packing between the stems and webs. The valve has been improved to increase flow capacity and ensure line contact seating which can be maintained even though there is wear of the parts.

A conventional downhole rod pump incorporates a pair of ball and seat-type check valves, commonly referred to as a standing valve and a travelling valve. A conventional design for this long known valve is shown in FIG. 1.
The conventional valve comprises a bottom nose sub, a barrel and a top sub. These tubular components are screwed together end to end to form the outer housing of the valve. The innards of the valve comprise an annular seat member, a cylindrical cage, and a ball or plunger. The seat member is inserted into the bore of the barrel from the bottom, to abut an inwardly projecting ring shoulder formed by the barrel wall. The seat member is locked in place and supported from below by the nose sub. The seat member provides an annular valve seat against which the ball seals to close off the flow passage extending through the valve. The nose sub, seat member and barrel combine to form an outer bottom seal below the ball and seat seal. The cage is inserted from the top end of the barrel bore, seats on the barrel ring shoulder and is locked in place by an annular seal ring and the top sub. The sidewall of the cage typically forms four windows separated by the vertically extending non-removed portions which are referred to as guide ribs. At its upper end the cage has a transverse stop bar. The ball fits loosely in the cage, so that it can easily leave the seat and move up or down within the cage. However, its fit relative to the cage is close enough so that the ribs effectively guide it and prevent it from rattling around excessively in the cage. The stop bar limits the upward movement of the ball.
Now, one aspect of the present invention has to do with increasing the flow capacity of the valve, keeping in mind that the inner diameter of the barrel bore limits the radial dimensions of the valve innards. Stated otherwise, one is precluded from enlarging the outer diameter of the valve innards when one attempts to increase the flow capacity of the valve.
At this point, it is appropriate to identify the constraining flow areas within the valve. FIG. 7 schematically shows them. The flow areas are cross-hatched. More particularly, the valve flow passage comprises, from the bottom up:
the bore of the seat member; PA0 the space left unoccupied when the ball is positioned off the seat within the cage, said space being mainly provided by the windows; and PA0 the space left between the stop bar and the upper ring of the cage. PA0 A plunger comprising a valve member having an arcuate sealing surface and being relatively small in diameter, so that it is inwardly spaced from the cage ribs, thereby increasing the available flow area around the valve member when it is displaced off the seat and up into the cage chamber; PA0 Equipping the now smaller valve member with integral, axially extending, centrally positioned top and bottom stems that extend through aligned apertures in transverse webs carried by each of the seat member and cage. (The stems and valve member together make up the plunger.) The stems and webs cooperate to provide means for loosely guiding and centralizing the valve member in the course of its movement, so as to maintain a consistent path of travel and to ensure that the valve member consistently seats centrally and avoids rattling against the cage ribs (which leads to nicking of the valve member's seal surface); PA0 Since the stems reciprocate in the web apertures, it is desirable to minimize sticking and ensure that solids do not pack solidly between the parts, so that ease of movement is lost. Therefore each stem has a loose fit in its corresponding web and the apertures in the webs are circular and the stem is straight-sided, to create clearance for fluid flow between the two parts, so that sand particles and the like may be flushed out. By having an arcuate sealing surface and a loosely working guide means, the valve member is adapted to "work" its way down into the seat to effect a circumferential, line contact seal; PA0 The valve member of the plunger is semi-spherical in form and has a spacing neck at its upper end, to permit the upper guide web to be positioned part way down the cage (so that the top flow area is enlarged), while still enabling the valve member to move far enough off the seat to provide the desired clearance, and to leave some space between the valve member and the guide web when the valve is fully open; PA0 The cage is formed with only 2 or 3 ribs, to thereby widen the windows; and PA0 The valve member seal surface and seat are formed with complementary radius-on-radius or radius-on-bevel configurations, to ensure that a liquidtight, essentially linear circumferential contact seal is maintained, even though the stems and webs wear and the tolerance between them increases. PA0 the flow area through the valve has been increased; PA0 by guiding the valve member, it remains generally centered relative to the seat; PA0 by guiding the valve member, it cannot rattle in the cage and be nicked; and PA0 by using loose-fitting guide means and line contact sealing surfaces, the effective life of the seal has been maintained.
The question arises: Why would one want to increase the flow capacity of the valve and thus that of the pump itself? The present invention arose in connection with the pumping of heavy oil (although the valve is not limited to that application). A significant problem in pumping viscous heavy oil is that the rod string can only slowly drop down through the column of oil present within the tubing string in which the rod string reciprocates. So one is limited to a certain number of strokes per minute. If the well is capable of producing more fluid than the pump can move, given the limitation on stroking rate, then production is being hampered. In the alternative, if stroking rate can be increased, operating costs will increase as the system is driven harder.
So it has long been appreciated that it would be desirable to improve the flow capacity of the valves used in a given size of downhole pump. However it has also been a condition that if this is to be done, the change in design cannot be accompanied by a significant loss in the useful operating life of the valve.
Turning now to the patent literature known to applicant, the following references are of interest:
______________________________________ U.S. 1,353,409 - McEvoy U.S. 170,974 - Westwater U.S. 1,860,004 - Yardley U.S. 1,960,970 - Fina U.S. 2,233,649 - Stahl et al U.S. 2,943,639 - Smith U.S. 4,369,808 - Hagman ______________________________________

Ball and seat-type check valve for downhole rod pump


A music apparatus is provided in a portable terminal set having a plurality of controls. In the music apparatus, a storage stores a plurality of performance patterns. An allocating section allocates the plurality of the performance patterns to the plurality of the controls. A reproducing section is responsive to operation of the controls for reproducing the performance patterns allocated to the operated controls. In case of creating music, a setting section is operated for setting timings of reproducing the performance patterns while operating the controls. A composing section operates based on the selecting of the performance patterns and the setting of the timings for composing a sequence of the performance patterns, the sequence being effective to enable the portable terminal set to sequentially reproduce the selected performance patterns at the set timings.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a music reproducing apparatus in a portable terminal set such as a cellular phone and to a music reproducing program used for the portable terminal set.
2. Prior Art
Conventionally, there are provided portable terminal sets such as cellular phones capable of recording a plurality of music pieces called "ring melodies" and selecting any of these melodies for reproduction. In this case, the portable terminal's display lists music names. A user moves a cursor on the screen of the display to select a desired music.
Conventionally, there is provided other portable terminal sets such as a cellular phone capable of creating music piece data (ring melody) by entering musical notes one by one from a numeric keypad. However, such operation is painstaking and necessitates a long time to complete a single music piece, thereby often discouraging creating of a music piece.
Since the portable terminal's display screen is small, however, music names are displayed in small characters on the screen. In addition, just a small number of music names are displayed at a time. This causes inconvenience of finding an intended music with difficulty. Moreover, moving the cursor to an intended music is cumbersome. Actually, selecting intended music pieces is time-consuming.

Portable telephone set with reproducing and composing capability of music


Specialized functional components are formed from a single continuous one-piece pliable block. A raised main body is between laterally spaced mounting wings. Each mounting wing terminates laterally in an insertion wedge end. The exterior surface of the main body is formed with a plurality of stick slots. Each stick slot is in a curved configuration with an upwardly facing opening. The exterior surface of each mounting wing is formed with a tapered section adjacent to each insertion wedge end. The exterior surface of each mounting wing is formed with positioning lock ridges between the tapered sections and the main body.

Field of Invention
This invention relates to musical equipment accessories; more specifically, to a device for holding and storing drumsticks or other similarly-shaped musical accessories.
Description of the Prior Art
Drummers and other percussionists often need to readily store and retrieve drumsticks. There is often little time in which to change sticks when a drummer is playing. As such, having quick and easy access to the right stick at the right time has a profound effect on a drummer's performance and creative control. The present design provides drummers new and greatly improved ways to store and retrieve drumsticks, resulting in an improved and more creative performance.

Pliable one-piece self-adjusting dual-mount drumstick holder


The invention is an internal power voltage generating circuit, adjusted such that an internal power voltage becomes the reference voltage. The internal power voltage generating circuit further includes: a charge share circuit, including a charging capacitor, an initial voltage adjusting circuit and a charge reset circuit. The charging capacitor is connected to a differential amplifier via a switch circuit, and is charged by charges of a control voltage. The initial voltage adjusting circuit adjusts and applies an initial voltage to the charging capacitor. The charge reset circuit discharges the charging capacitor. When the internal power voltage is lower than a reference voltage, the charging capacitor having the initial voltage is connected to the differential amplifier, and the charges of the control voltage are transferred to the charging capacitor during a transfer period.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an internal power voltage generating circuit for, e.g., a semiconductor memory device or a semiconductor device, as well as to a semiconductor memory device and a semiconductor device that have the internal power voltage generating circuit.
2. Description of Related Art
A non-volatile memory device using the Fowler-Nordheim (FN) tunneling effect, such as a flash memory, requires a predetermined high voltage (HV) for writing (programming) or erasing data. In this case, due to efficiency issues of a charge pump circuit, it is very difficult to decrease an external power voltage VCC. Therefore, an internal power voltage VDD is generated from the external power voltage VCC and is applied in peripheral circuits of the memory device. However, at this moment, it is necessary to adjust the internal power voltage VDD to an appropriate operating voltage range of peripheral metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistors. For example, in a NAND flash memory, an internal power voltage VDD of 2 to 2.3 V is usually generated (e.g., see Patent Document 1).

Internal power voltage generating circuit, semiconductor memory device and semiconductor device


A marine diesel engine system includes a diesel engine having a plurality of cylinders. The system also includes, proximate the engine, a primary engine lubricant and an additive selected from certain alkylamine-alkylphosphates, 500 TBN calcium sulfonate and mixtures thereof. A means for blending the lubricant and additives into a mixture for introduction into a cylinder is provided. Thus lubricant properties may be modified depending upon engine conditions.

Diesel engines may generally be classified as slow-speed, medium-speed or high-speed engines, with the slow-speed variety being used for the largest, deep draft marine vessels and in industrial applications. Slow-speed diesel engines are typically direct coupled, direct reversing, two-stroke cycle engines operating in the range of about 57 to 250 rpm and usually run on residual fuels. These engines are of crosshead construction with a diaphragm and stuffing boxes separating the power cylinders from the crankcase to prevent combustion products from entering the crankcase and mixing with the crankcase oil. Medium-speed engines typically operate in the range of 250 to about 1100 rpm and may operate on the four-stroke or two-stroke cycle. These engines are trunk piston design, and many operate on residual fuel as well. They may also operate on distillate fuel containing little or no residua. On deep-sea vessels these engines may be used for propulsion, ancillary applications or both. Slow speed and medium speed marine diesel engines are also extensively used in power plant operations. The present invention is applicable to them as well.
Each type of diesel engine employs lubricating oils to minimize component wear, remove heat, neutralize and disperse combustion products, prevent rust and corrosion and prevent sludge formation or deposits. Experience has shown, however, that no single lubricant formulation can provide optimum protection against all of the various deleterious conditions to which an engine may be exposed. Therefore, lubricants typically are formulated to provide at least satisfactory performance for the range of expected engine operating conditions. For some lubricant applications such as in lubricating cylinders in crosshead diesel engines that employ all-loss lubrication systems and combust heavy fuel oil with widely varying sulfur contents, the engine lubrication requirements vary to such a large degree and with sufficient frequency that one lubricant formulation may not provide adequate performance over the full range of operating conditions. This inability can result in at least increased engine maintenance needs and more typically unnecessary expense as a result of repair costs, down time and excessive oil usage. Thus there is a need for being able to vary the composition of a lubricant in response to an engine's actual lubrication requirements.
One object of the invention is to provide lubricant components for real time varying all-loss, diesel engine's cylinder lubricant properties in accordance with the engines operating requirements.
Another object of the invention is to provide a low speed diesel engine oil with improved acid-corrosion protection for operation during conditions when corrosive wear is high.
These and other objects will become apparent from the detailed description which follows:

Modification of lubricant properties in an operating all loss lubricating system

ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company


A molded bearing assembly for a molded wheel includes a synthetic resin outer bearing race element embedded in the hub of the molded wheel and having a cylindrical inner sliding, journal type bearing surface. An inner bearing assembly includes two molded synthetic resin bearing halves having continuous cylindrical outer bearing surfaces disposed within the outer bearing race in sliding engagement with the inner bearing surface of the outer race. The bearing halves of the inner bearing assembly abut each other at their inner ends and may include interlocking structural features at their inner ends that enable securing of the bearing halves together at their inner ends while presenting a continuous outer cylindrical bearing sliding surface that cooperates with the adjacent surface of the outer race. A wheel axle extends through the inner bearing assembly and supports the wheel and bearing assembly for rotation relative to a wheel support. The molded wheel and bearing assembly is adapted for use with a shopping cart.

1. Field of the Invention
A molded resin or rubber wheel and molded resin bearing assembly especially adapted for shopping cart usage.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Wheel assemblies for shopping carts are expected to be inexpensive to manufacture, simple to assemble and capable of withstanding exposure to weather extremes, abuse and high loads, while at the same time enabling quiet, smooth and low rolling friction movement of carts. Molded, high strength rubber and polymer resin compounds have been used extensively for the wheels of such carts and more recently the use of molded bearing components in the hubs of such wheels has been suggested to absorb shock loads, avoid corrosion problems and to lower the cost of the wheel and bearing assemblies.
Examples of prior art molded wheels having resin or non-metal bearing components are seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,592,595 and 5,174,633. These examples, however, include metal components and are somewhat complex to manufacture and assemble.


A system and method for rapidly preheating the probe of a thermometer to a temperature closer to the temperature of a patient to be measured. The system comprises a probe heater, a probe temperature sensor, a power source, and a processor for controlling the delivery of energy from the power source to the heater. The processor adds an offset to the drive level to the heater which is dependent on the ambient temperature and the power source voltage to achieve more rapid heater response. The processor maintains control over the drive level applied to the heater in accordance with the temperature sensor so that at all times a closed loop system is provided.

The present invention relates generally to improvements in thermometers and, more particularly, to electronic thermometers for more rapidly obtaining accurate temperature measurements.
It is common practice in the medical field to determine the body temperature of a patient by means of a temperature sensitive device that not only measures the temperature but also displays that temperature. Such temperature measurements are taken routinely in hospitals and in doctors"" offices. One such device is a glass bulb thermometer incorporating a heat responsive mercury column that expands and contracts adjacent a calibrated temperature scale. Typically, the glass thermometer is inserted into the patient, allowed to remain inserted for a sufficient time interval to enable the temperature of the thermometer to stabilize at the body temperature of the patient, and subsequently removed for reading by medical personnel. This time interval is usually on the order of 3 to 8 minutes.
An electronic thermometer can take one or more minutes in its predictive mode and five or more minutes in its monitoring or direct reading mode. Electronic predictive thermometers have become popular because in their predictive mode, the time for taking the temperature is much less than the mercury thermometer. For busy nursing staffs, time is of the essence. Taking a temperature in one minute is much more desirable than taking a temperature in five minutes. More patients can be served with the faster thermometer and the nursing staff can be more productive.
Additionally, the more time that a probe must be in a patient""s mouth to make a temperature determination, the more likely it is that the probe will not remain in the correct location. This is particularly true with younger patients who tend to be impatient. For patients who cannot be relied upon (by virtue of age or infirmity for example) to properly retain the thermometer for the necessary period of insertion in the body, the physical presence of medical personnel during a relatively long measurement cycle is necessary. Taking a temperature of younger patients in one minute is immensely more desirable than taking the temperature in five minutes. Thus, the predictive electronic thermometer has substantially advanced the art of temperature determination.
In addition to the above, rapid reuse on other patients is also a goal. However, with reuse, precaution must be taken to avoid the possibility of cross contamination between patients. Consequently, protective covers have been designed for use with the probes of thermometers. The protective cover is designed to completely envelope the portion of the thermometer that comes into contact with the patient. Because the protective cover may then be removed after use of the thermometer, and because the protective cover has protected the thermometer from contact with the patient, the thermometer may be immediately reused by simply applying another protective cover.
Protective probe covers have been available for predictive electronic thermometers for many years making the thermometer rapidly reusable when properly used with such covers. However, a protective cover adds material between the temperature sensor in the probe of the thermometer and the heat source; i.e., the patient. Additional material between the patient and the sensor can slow down the process of determining the patient""s temperature as heat from the patient must first pass through the probe cover before it reaches the sensor. Gains made in permitting immediate reuse of thermometers due to the use of a disposable probe cover may thus be offset by the increasing length of time it takes to obtain a reading, caused by that same probe cover.
An inherent characteristic of electronic thermometers is that they do not instantaneously measure the temperature of the site to which they are applied. It may take a substantial period of time before the temperature sensitive device stabilizes at the temperature of the site and the temperature indicated by the thermometer is representative of the actual temperature of the body or site measured. This lag is caused by the various components of the measurement system that impede heat flow from the surface of the body or site to the temperature sensor. Some of the components are the sensor tip, the tissue of the body, and any hygienic probe covering applied to the sensor tip to prevent contamination between measurement subjects.
One approach to shortening the time required for an electronic thermometer to take an accurate reading of a patient""s temperature is to preheat the probe tip of the thermometer to a temperature closer to the expected patient""s temperature. Such probe tip heaters have been known for many years. However, the heater must have enough power to rapidly raise the temperature of the probe cover along with the probe tip. The probe cover adds further considerations, as, depending on the materials of construction, it may have a high heat capacity requiring more power on the part of the heater to raise its temperature. Failure to provide a heater with enough power will result in a slower increase in the temperature of the probe cover.
Applying enough heat to the probe tip to raise its temperature and the temperature of the probe cover to a level closer to the patients"" temperature will reduce the time required for measurement as there is less difference between the temperature of the probe tip and that of the patient. Shortening the time to obtain the patient""s temperature measurement would lessen the risk that the patient would not hold the probe in the correct position for the entire measurement period and requires less time of the attending medical personnel. In addition, the accuracy with which the temperature is predicted improves markedly as the processing and analysis of the data are more accurately performed. This approach has also contributed significantly to the advancement of temperature measurement technology.
A further consideration is the amount of time needed for the probe to preheat. It is undesirable to take the probe out of its well only to have to hold it for a substantial amount of time until it preheats enough to take the patient""s temperature. While there is some advantage in that the probe is not in the patient""s mouth while it is preheating, it still requires time of the medical staff to hold the probe until it is preheated.
While electronic thermometers have advanced the art of thermometry and preheating the probe tips of thermometers is well known, it would be desirable to increase the speed at which the tip may be heated. This would permit faster determination of the patient""s temperature. The invention fulfills these needs and others.
Briefly and in general terms, the present invention is directed to providing a closed loop system and method for heating the probe of a thermometer. In a more detailed aspect, a closed loop heating system is provided that comprises a sensor mounted to the probe, the sensor configured to sense the temperature of the probe and provide a time varying temperature signal in response to the temperature of the probe, a heater mounted at the probe and responsive to heater control signals to provide heat to the probe, a power source, and a processor connected to the power source, the sensor, and the heater so as to provide a closed loop system in heating the probe, the processor providing a drive level of energy from the power source to the heater to cause the heater to heat the probe, the processor applying an offset to the drive level to the heater, the offset being a non-zero value which is a function of ambient temperature and the power source voltage to more rapidly achieve heating of the probe to a target temperature in a stable controlled fashion.
In a further detailed aspect, the processor senses the temperature of the probe and if the temperature of the probe is below a first threshold, the processor is configured to apply a larger level of drive energy to the heater to cause the probe to heat faster, and upon reaching the first threshold, the processor reduces the drive of battery energy to the heater in a proportional manner, the threshold being dependent on the drive level offset.
A method in accordance with aspects of the invention comprises the steps of sensing the temperature of the probe and providing a time varying temperature signal in response to the temperature of the probe, heating the probe in response to heater control signals, and sensing the temperature of the probe and applying heater control signals in a closed loop manner, wherein the heater control signals are applied to the heater at a drive level, and applying an offset to the drive level to the heater, the offset being a non-zero value which is a function of ambient temperature and the power source voltage to more rapidly achieve heating of the probe to a target temperature in a stable controlled fashion.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

Closed loop system and method for heating a probe


A throttle valve controller achieves high output response to the smaller deviation of the actual opening from the demand opening of the throttle valve and achieves high control stability against the larger deviation. It has a preset data table containing proportional gain values and integral gain values of PID control in correspondence to deviation values in inversely proportional arrangement. During the transitional state of control system, a pair of provisional gain values are read out of the table in response to the deviation value: (step S3), these gain values are compared with those of the previous operation cycle and the smaller gain value pair are selected: (steps S4-S7), and the valve drive signal is calculated from the selected gain values:(steps S8, S11). Consequently, the controller achieves high output response to the smaller deviation due to the larger gain value and high control stability without the overshooting of valve movement against the larger deviation due to the smaller gain value.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the electronic control of the throttle valve of an internal combustion engine for controlling the opening of throttle valve with an actuator to meet the demand opening which is determined in accordance with certain information in addition to the depth of the accelerator pedal operated by the driver. More particularly, the invention relates to a throttle valve controller capable of actuating the throttle valve properly irrespective of the deviation of the actual opening from the demand opening.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The electronic throttle valve control, which is beneficial for the achievement of traction control and other engine control, is gaining the prevalence remarkably in recent years. A prior art example of electronic throttle valve control is described in Japanese patent Laid-Open No. Hei 7-293284. The throttle valve controller described in this patent publication fundamentally bases its control process on the known PID control scheme. Specifically, a table of control factors is arranged to provide the larger control factor when the deviation is smaller so that the throttle valve is driven only by the term of proportion (P term out of PID) even when the deviation is small.
Based on this variable control factor which is dependent on the deviation, it is possible to drive the throttle valve in response to the P term without waiting for the rise of the term of integration (I term out of PID) even against a small deviation, thereby quickly reducing the deviation, i.e., bringing the actual opening close to the demand opening.
The principle of the above-mentioned operation will be explained with reference to the graphs of FIG. 5. Graph (a) shows the transition of throttle valve operation in which the actual opening is coincident with the demand opening a.sub.2, i.e., zero deviation, until time point t.sub.0, at which the demand opening is stepped up slightly by 1.degree. to a.sub.3 as shown by the curve k. In case the control system adopts a fixed control factor, it uses the same control signal as for the larger deviation value, resulting in a P-term control signal rising merely to b.sub.1 as shown by the curve m on graph (b). This control signal is smaller than the minimum control signal b.sub.t for the actuator to produce a torque by which the throttle valve is moved to any extent. On this account, the actual opening stays at a.sub.2 until time point t.sub.1 when the I term rises significantly, and then the actual opening increases gradually and reaches the demand opening a.sub.3 at time point t.sub.2 as shown by the curve m on the graph (a). That is, this control system is inferior in output response when the deviation is small.
In contrast, in case the control signal adopts a variable control factor so that the larger control factor is produced against the smaller deviation, the P-term control signal rises to a large value b.sub.2 beyond the threshold level b.sub.t as shown by the curve n on the graph (b). Accordingly, the actual opening begins to vary immediately at time point t.sub.0 and reaches the demand opening a.sub.3 at time point t.sub.1 as shown by the curve n on the graph (a). That is, this control system is superior in output response even when the deviation is small.
However, the foregoing prior art throttle valve control cannot achieve stable transitional control inclusive of the output response in a wide range from a small deviation to a large deviation, i.e., another problem emerges when the deviation is large.
This affair will be explained with reference to the graphs of FIG. 6. In FIG. 6, graph (a) shows the transition of throttle valve operation in which the actual opening is coincident with the demand opening a.sub.1, i.e., the deviation is zero, until time point t.sub.0, at which the demand opening is stepped up greatly by 4.degree. to a.sub.3 as shown by the curve h. A resulting large deviation causes the P-term control signal to rise immediately to b.sub.3 beyond the threshold level b.sub.t as shown on graph (b), and the throttle valve begins to move to the demand opening a.sub.3. In case the control system adopts a fixed control factor, the control signal decreases gradually as the deviation value falls, and the actual opening reaches a.sub.3 stably as shown by the curve m on the graph (a). However, if the control factor is varied to be larger for the smaller deviation, as mentioned above, the control signal does not decrease as fast as the fall of the deviation value, causing the actual opening to exceed the demand opening a.sub.3 (overshoot) due to the inertia of the throttle valve and actuator as shown by the curve n on the graph (a). The overshooting triggers the oscillation of throttle valve opening, resulting in the oscillation of engine speed and the unstable engine operation.
This means that the prior art throttle valve control achieves high output response to the smaller deviation in exchange for low control stability against the larger deviation, and achieves high control stability against the larger deviation in exchange for lower output response to the smaller deviation. Although the conflicting control qualities associated with the deviation has been explained in connection with the P term of PID control, the same problem exists with the I term. Specifically, when the larger control factor is used against the smaller deviation so that the I term effectuate quickly with the intention of enhancing the output response to the smaller deviation, the I term works to excess against the diminishing deviation, creating the throttle valve movement to overshoot.


An aqueous structured surfactant composition contains an anionic surfactant selected from isethionate surfactants, taurate surfactants, and sarcosinate surfactants, and mixtures thereof, and an electrolyte and is useful in personal care applications.

Structured surfactant compositions are liquid crystalline compositions that are useful in home care applications such as liquid detergents, laundry detergents, hard surface cleansers, dish wash liquids, and personal care formulations such as shampoos, body wash, hand soap, lotions, creams, conditioners, shaving products, facial washes, baby care formulations, skin treatments. Surfactants in the structured surfactant compositions exist in the form of lamellar phases that are planar and/or in the form of spherulites. Commonly, the surfactant phase is present as spherulites, i.e., lamellar droplets, dispersed in the aqueous phase. Spherulites consist of an onion-like configuration of concentric bi-layers of surfactant molecules, between which is trapped water or electrolyte solution. Exclusively planar lamellar surfactant phases or exclusively spherulite lamellar surfactant phases or the combination of both forms can co-exist in the same composition. Structured surfactant compositions are typically pumpable, non-Newtonian compositions that have the capacity physically to suspend water insoluble particles by virtue of the presence of these lamellar surfactant phases.
Structured surfactant systems based on anionic surfactants, more typically branched (C10-C22)alkyl alkali metal sulfates, such as sodium trideceth sulfate, are known. U.S. Pat. No. 6,150,312 discloses structured surfactant compositions that comprise sodium trideceth sulfate, a fatty acid or fatty acid ester, and a zwitterionic or amphoteric surfactant and provide enhanced freeze thaw stability. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2003/0180246 A1 discloses structured surfactant compositions that comprise an anionic surfactant and an alkanolamide. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2003/0190302 A1 discloses structured surfactant compositions that comprise an anionic surfactant and a cationic surfactant. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US200610135627-A1 discloses structured surfactant compositions that comprise an anionic surfactant and an amine oxide.


An apparatus for producing a single crystal by the Czochralski method is disclosed in which an exhaust system is provided with a water sealing bubbler. On the upstream side of the bubbler is provided a buffer or a vacuum breaker or a buffer and a vacuum breaker. The structure prevents the sealing water in the bubbler from flowing backward, so that danger of steam explosion can be avoided.

In producing a single crystal by the Czochralski method (hereinafter, referred to as "the CZ method"), a single crystal is pulled in an atmosphere inside of a chamber which is maintained at around an atmospheric pressure, for example, a slight pressure of tens to hundreds of millimeters in height by a column of water (hereinafter, referred to as "the atmospheric pressure method") or in an atmosphere inside of a chamber which is maintained under vacuum or at a reduced pressure by a vacuum pump (hereinafter, referred to as "the reduced pressure method").
In recent years, a water sealing bubbler has been used in an exhaust system in both of the above-mentioned pulling methods.
For example, a typical conventional apparatus for producing a single crystal by the atmospheric pressure method is shown in FIG. 4. In the atmospheric pressure method, before the start of pulling a single crystal, a chamber 1 is evacuated by removing air therein by a vacuum pump 2, and then a valve 3 for the vacuum pump 2 is closed, and after that a valve 4 for an argon gas is opened and the chamber 1 is filled with an argon gas. When the pressure inside of the chamber 1 reaches at a slight pressure of tens of millimeters in height by a column of water, a main valve 16 is opened to discharge the argon gas from the chamber 1. At this time, the argon gas is discharged through a water sealing bubbler 5 which holds sealing water 10 in order to maintain the pressure inside of the chamber 1 at a defined pressure (a pressure of tens to hundreds of millimeters in height by a column of water) and to prevent the air from flowing backward into the chamber 1. The pressure inside of the chamber 1 is dependent on the dipped length L of a pipe 6 which is inserted in the sealing water 10 in the bubbler 5.
The pulling of a single crystal is carried out while maintaining such a slight pressure. In order to take out the produced single crystal or exchange a single crystal seed with another one, a pulling chamber 7 must be opened after closing an isolation valve 9. At this time, the flow of the argon gas is changed so as to enter a main chamber 8 below the isolation valve 9 and the inside of the main chamber 8 is maintained at the slight pressure. When such a procedure as taking out the crystal, etc. is finished and a procedure of pulling a single crystal is started again, the pulling chamber 7 is evacuated by removing air therein by the vacuum pump 2 and then is filled with an argon gas. After the inside of the pulling chamber 7 is replaced with an argon gas, the isolation valve 9 is opened and then a procedure of pulling a single crystal is started again.
If by some accident a leakage occurs in the isolation valve 9 in a procedure of evacuating the pulling chamber 7, the inside of the main chamber 8 is also evacuated and the sealing water 10 in the bubbler 5 flows backward into the main chamber 8 through the pipe 6. When such an accident occurs, the water which has flowed backward into the main chamber 8 is evaporated in a moment because the main chamber 8 has a high temperature, which invites danger of steam explosion.
Regarding the reduced pressure method, a vacuum pump used in the conventional reduced pressure method is, for example, an oil-sealed rotary vacuum pump or a water ring type vacuum pump, which have the following disadvantages, respectively:
Since the oil-sealed rotary vacuum pump employs oil, oil mist is contained in an exhaust gas. The exhaust gas is discharged in the air, which leads to air pollution. Therefore, in case of using the oil-sealed rotary vacuum pump, an equipment for treatment of the exhaust gas in a large scale is necessary, which causes an increase in cost, and it is not possible to recover the exhaust gas and recycle the argon gas therein due to the oil mist. On the other hand, the water ring type vacuum pump requires a large amount of water and consumes a high electric power, which also causes an increase in cost.
Accordingly, a dry vacuum pump has been employed in recent years. When the dry vacuum pump is used, the above-mentioned disadvantages of the oil-sealed rotary vacuum pump or the water ring type vacuum pump in the conventional apparatus for producing a single crystal by the reduced pressure method can be avoided. However, when a single crystal is pulled by the CZ method by using the dry vacuum pump, the exhaust gas is discharged in a dry condition, which invites danger of dust explosion in cases where pulverized reaction products included in the exhaust gas, for example, SiO or SiO.sub.2 when a silicon single crystal is pulled, have been deposited on the inside wall of the exhaust pipe. Therefore, it is necessary to install a water sealing bubbler, for example, on the downstream side of the dry vacuum pump to make the exhaust gas moist.
FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of a conventional apparatus for producing a single crystal by the reduced pressure method by using a dry vacuum pump. In such a conventional apparatus for producing a single crystal by using a dry vacuum pump 11 as shown in FIG. 5, when the dry vacuum pump 11 is stopped in pulling a single crystal in case of emergency, for example, a problem of the pump or a power failure, the sealing water 10 in the bubbler 5 flows backward through the pipe 6 into the chamber 1 because the inside of the chamber 1 is in vacuum or at a reduced pressure, and the backward flowing water is evaporated in a moment in the chamber 1 having a high temperature, which invites danger of steam explosion, similarly to in the atmospheric pressure method.
In order to deal with the above mentioned problems, in a conventional apparatus for producing a single crystal in which a dry vacuum pump is used, some way of preventing the sealing water from flowing backward is used, for example, a check valve 12 is installed on the upstream side of the bubbler 5. However, pulverized reaction products, for example, SiO or SiO.sub.2 when a silicon single crystal is pulled, are included in the exhaust gas by the CZ method, as described above. This leads to incompleteness of the sealing effect of the check valve 12 which results in a leak, and as a result, it is not possible to completely prevent the sealing water from flowing backward.
Apparatuses for producing a single crystal become larger with a single crystal material such as a semiconductor single crystal rod being larger in diameter. Once an accident such as steam explosion happens, the manufactures of single crystals will suffer a deathblow. The present invention was made in view of foregoing problems, and therefore an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for producing a single crystal wherein an exhaust system has a water sealing bubbler, which is capable of avoiding danger of steam explosion by taking an easy and reliable way of preventing the sealing water in the bubbler from flowing backward.