A mobile electronic device comprises at least one electronic component, at least one mobile power source, and at least one integrated power source. The at least one mobile power source is operable to supply power to the at least one electronic component. The at least one integrated power source is operable to supply power to at least a portion of the at least one electronic component to maintain operation of the portion of the at least one electronic component while a voltage level of the power supplied by the at least one mobile power source is below a threshold and the mobile electronic device does not receive power from an external power source.

Mobile electronic devices, such as, for example, notebook and tablet computers, mobile and smart telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld game machines, etc., provide much freedom to their users. People may carry their mobile electronic devices with them as they move from one location to another and use these devices whenever they desire. It has become common place to see people, for example, making telephone calls while walking down the street, playing computer games while waiting for buses, and working on their computers while on airplanes en route to their destinations.
All electronic devices, whether stationary or mobile, require some form of power source to supply power to the electronic devices at least while the electronic devices are in operation. Stationary electronic devices generally receive power from alternating current (AC) power sources. Mobile electronic devices, on the other hand, require some form of mobile power source instead of and/or in addition to the AC power sources so that the mobile electronic devices may continuously operate while being moved from one location to another. Common types of mobile power sources include, but not limited to, rechargeable and non-rechargeable batteries, super capacitors, solar panels, etc.
As a mobile electronic device draws power from its mobile power source while the device is in operation, the power stored in the mobile power source gradually depletes. Eventually, the mobile power source will be depleted of power if the mobile power source is not recharged or replaced. However, in some situations, recharging the mobile power source of a mobile electronic device may not be possible for some periods of time, even for very long periods of time. In some situations, an AC power source may not be readily available for recharging the mobile power source. For example, a passenger may not be able to recharge the battery of his notebook computer for the duration of a flight, or a hiker may not be able to recharge the battery of her mobile telephone while she is on a hiking trail.
One solution to the problem is to have spare mobile power sources so that a depleted mobile power source of a mobile electronic device may be replaced with another charged mobile power source when necessary. For example, the passenger may bring several fully-charged batteries for his notebook computer so that there is enough power for the notebook computer to last through a very long international flight, or the hiker may bring several fully-charged batteries for her mobile telephone so that there is enough power for her mobile telephone to last through a week-long camping trip.
However, when a mobile electronic device is operating solely under the power supplied by its mobile power source, the mobile power source is sometimes the only power source presently available for the mobile electronic device as well. That is, no AC power source is readily available. This means that when the mobile power source is depleted of power and it is necessary to replace the depleted mobile power source, the mobile electronic device is temporarily without any power supply, e.g., for the time it takes to remove the depleted mobile power source and install another charged mobile power source. Consequently, in such situations, it is often necessary to save files, close programs, and shut down the mobile electronic device in order to replace its depleted mobile power source. For example, when replacing a depleted battery of a notebook computer, it is advisable to shut down the notebook computer before removing the battery. Otherwise, the operating system will crash when the battery is removed. As a result, the workflow is interrupted. When another fully-charged battery is installed, it is necessary to turn on the notebook computer and go through the boot-up process again, which may take some time to complete. In addition, the application programs need to be restarted and the working files need to be reopened. Shutting down a mobile electronic device in order to replace its depleted mobile power source may be inconvenient and may even cause problems in some circumstances.

Integrated power sources for mobile electronic devices


The rain gutter debris prophylactic system has a first panel member and a second panel member joined by a trough with drains in the bottom. The trough helps regulate water flow, discourages water accumulation on the surface or the formation of icicles on the edge of the prophylactic. The front edge of the trough forms a water accelerator. In addition the drains formed in the trough allow the prophylactic to be bent by hand to match the angle formed between the roof and the gutter without heavy equipment such as hand brakes. Multiple sections may be bent simultaneously. Finally the system combines at least three water flow management techniques, namely a first set of drain holes, pooling ridges and a curved nose to conduct water over the edge of the gutter.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for straining debris from rain water. More particularly the present invention relates to a rain gutter shield having a plurality of water drains formed in the shield so as to permit rain water to flow into the gutter while simultaneously preventing most debris from entering the gutter.
2. Background of the Invention and Related Art
Many residential and commercial buildings utilize rain gutters as a means of channeling the flow of rain water. When properly functioning, rain gutters positioned on rooflines prevent erosion to both the ground and other surfaces, keep building patrons dry and also reduce the formation of ice in cold climates.
However rain gutters malfunction when filled with debris such as leaves, dirt and pine needles which are blown onto a roof. Such debris can accumulate in gutters to form dams within the rain gutter or a down spout. Such dams can cause water to pool and overflow the rain gutter. In addition the pooled water can freeze, thus adding substantial weight to the gutter. This additional weight can deform attachments and supports connecting the gutter to the building thus causing the gutter's grade to be significantly changed, thus allowing even more pooling. In addition the additional stress on the drain supports can cause the supports to pull away from the building, thus allowing water to enter, freeze and cause additional damage. Similar problems occur when the water in a downspout freezes.
Preventative measures have been utilized to help reduce the formation of dams and in turn building damage. One example is a rain gutter cover which provides a shield from the building roof-line's edge to the far edge of the gutter, thus shielding the gutter from debris flowing off the roof line. As a result rain gutter covers have been employed to reduce the accumulation of debris in the rain gutters. This is accomplished by channeling the debris across the length of the gutter and shedding the debris to the ground. Some of the water adheres to the surface of the shield through surface tension and drains into the gutter.
While many different rain gutter covers exist in the art, problems still exist. For example, use of a rain gutter cover promotes icicle formation on the shield during cold months. Similarly some rain gutter covers attempt to slow the water flow across the surface of the cover, thus promoting the accumulation of rain water on the surface of the gutter cover. Still other shields fail to function properly in anything other than optimal conditions.
Finally, installation of some rain gutter covers requires large equipment and tools such as a hand brake or siding brake to bend the rain gutter cover to match the angle between the roof pitch and the plane created by the rain gutter's top.


Systems for locating an optimal site within a brain of a patient for deep brain stimulation include a main cannula having an internal lumen, a guiding cannula having a bent distal end portion configured to pass through the lumen of the main cannula and guide a microelectrode into the brain, a depth adjustment mechanism configured to adjust an insertion depth of the guiding cannula, and a longitudinal angle adjustment device configured to adjust a longitudinal angle of the guiding cannula. The depth adjustment mechanism and longitudinal angle adjustment device adjust a position of the guiding cannula such that the microelectrode locates the optimal site for the deep brain stimulation.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) and other related procedures involving the implantation of leads and catheters in the brain are increasingly used to treat such conditions as Parkinson's disease, dystonia, essential tremor, seizure disorders, obesity, depression, motor control disorders, and other debilitating diseases. During these procedures, a catheter, lead, or other medical device is strategically placed at a target site in the brain. Locating the "best" or optimal site in the brain for deep brain stimulation can be a painstaking procedure.
Implantation of a lead for DBS generally involves the following preliminary steps: (a) anatomical mapping and (b) physiological mapping. Anatomical mapping involves mapping segments of an individual's brain anatomy using non-invasive imaging techniques, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed axial tomography (CAT) scans. Physiological mapping involves locating the brain site to be stimulated. Step (b) can be further divided into: (i) preliminarily identifying a promising brain site by recording individual cell activity with a microelectrode and (ii) confirming physiological stimulation efficacy of that site by performing a test stimulation with a macroelectrode or microelectrode.
Microelectrode recording is generally performed with a microelectrode recording (MER) system. The MER system includes a small diameter electrode with a relatively small surface area optimal for recording single cell activity. The microelectrode may essentially be an insulated wire that has at least the distal portion uninsulated to receive electrical signals. The microelectrode functions as a probe to locate an optimal site in the brain for deep brain stimulation. Activity detected through the microelectrode is recorded by the MER system. Since a number of attempts may be required to locate the optimal site, it is desirable that the microelectrode be as small as possible to minimize trauma when the microelectrode is introduced into the brain, in some cases, multiple times.
Once an optimal site in the brain for deep brain stimulation has been identified by the microelectrode recording, a macroelectrode is used to test whether the applied stimulation has the intended therapeutic effect. Once macrostimulation confirms that stimulation at the optimal site provides the intended therapeutic effect, the macroelectrode is withdrawn from the brain and a DBS lead is permanently implanted at the optimal site in the brain for deep brain stimulation.
There are a number of commercially available MER systems used in deep brain stimulation. One exemplary MER system permits the neurosurgeon to simultaneously record an output from five different microelectrodes, referred to as "five-at-a-time." in this approach, five microelectrodes are advanced into the brain at the same time and at the same speed. This presents obvious advantages. The set-up time may be proportionately cut, since the chance of locating an optimal stimulation site theoretically increases by five fold. However, the size and configuration of this system is more likely to cause damage to brain tissue. For instance, because the microelectrodes in a "five-at-a-time" system are placed relatively close to each other, two of these electrodes may sometimes "capture" a blood vessel between them. This may result in vessel punctures and may lead to intracranial bleeding. In contrast, when a single microelectrode is used, a blood vessel can often escape injury because the vessel can deflect away from the microelectrode, or vice-versa. Thus, some neurosurgeons choose to use an MER system with only a single microdrive, advancing one microelectrode at a time until an optimal stimulation site is found.
The recorded output of a microelectrode advanced along a path through the brain is referred to as a recording tract. Some neurosurgeons average four to five microelectrode recording tracts before they decide on an optimal site in the brain for deep brain stimulation. Other neurosurgeons only use one recording tract, which cuts surgery duration, but which may not locate the optimal stimulation site. Without optimal electrode placement, the DBS lead may need to be driven at a higher current to produce the desired therapeutic effect. This, however, can cause the device battery to be drained more quickly. In addition, the use of higher currents can increase the risk of undesirable side effects such as dysarthria (slurred speech) and abulia (an abnormal inability to make decisions or to act).
Each of these MER systems applies the conventional surgical procedure of creating multiple microelectrode tracts until an optimal site for deep brain stimulation is found within the brain. On average, a single microelectrode recording tract takes approximately thirty minutes to perform. Each microelectrode recording tract requires placement of the microelectrode via a larger diameter insertion cannula through viable brain tissue. Each time an object is inserted into the brain there is approximately a five percent risk of hemorrhage. Creating multiple tracts increases the risk for intracranial bleeding, duration of operation, post-operative infection, and operative risk. Creating new tracts is fraught with misalignment/misplacement problems because the introduction cannulas may not always trace the exact pathways desired.

Minimally invasive systems for locating an optimal location for deep brain stimulation

Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation


An interlock mechanism, for an automotive vehicle having a fuel filler door and a sliding door on a same side of the vehicle body, has a sensor mounted proximate the filler door for sensing movement thereof, a latch for releasably latching the sliding door in a closed position when the filler door is open, and a cable connected between the sensor and the latch for communicating the position of the filler door to the latch. The latch has a cam member mounted to the vehicle body, a pivotable pawl for preventing movement of the cam when the filler door is open and disengaged from the cam member when the filler door is closed, and a key extending from the sliding door for engagement with the cam member when the sliding door is in a closed position and for disengagement from the cam member when the sliding door is moved to an open position. The sliding door is locked in a closed position when the filler door is opened.

A design option for vehicles with sliding doors, particularly vans, positions a sliding door on the same side of the vehicle as the fuel filler pipe access lid. Such a design raises the possibility of a collision between the sliding door and the filler pipe access lid if the access lid is open for refueling and the sliding door is subsequently opened. Two mechanisms to obviate this potentiality, based on sliding door track lockout mechanisms, were disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,618 (Sullivan) and patent application Ser. No. 08/368,946, both assigned to the assignee of the present application and incorporated by reference herein. These door track lockout mechanisms operate by having a stop member and a link, respectively, mounted for alternate movement into and out of a door track to obstruct and unobstruct movement of the sliding door rollers therethrough.
Other mechanisms for preventing an undesirable collision between a door and a fuel filler access lid are shown in Japanese patent 103,511 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,620,744 (Yui, et al.). A drawback of the former approach is that the door will cause chipping, nicking, and denting of the access lid upon collision therewith thus degrading vehicle external appearance. The latter mechanism requires opening the fuel filler lid and then pulling a lever to lock-out the sliding door, an inconvenient extra step. In addition, the mechanism only allows the door to open a short way and also requires many parts which increase both manufacturing expense and assembly time.

Automotive vehicle sliding door interlock mechanism


A photoelectric conversion device having a photoelectric conversion section and a transistor for transferring or amplification of the photoelectric conversion signal or an accumulating section of a photo carrier. The photoelectric conversion section and the transistor or the accumulating section have common semiconductor layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photoelectric conversion device.
2. Related Background Art
It is well known that photo-sensors are used as photoelectric conversion devices in various picture information handling apparatus such as facsimiles, digital copiers and character readers. In modern apparatus, photo-sensors are arranged linearly to form a long sensor. The sensor is capable of reading picture image with a high level of accuracy. Recently, as a photosensor which provides an inexpensive high-speed picture reading apparatus, a sensor has been proposed in which a thin film transistor (referred to as TFT hereinafter) of amorphous silicon is connected to a photoelectric converting section which is constituted by an array of photo-sensor elements which also are made of amorphous silicon. The photo-sensor of this type is inexpensive and is capable of reading picture information at a high speed. In this sensor, parallel signals output from the array of photo-sensor elements are changed into a serial signal by means of the switching TFT. This arrangement enables the number of the driving ICs to be decreased, thereby reducing the cost of the driving circuit.
In the photosensor employing a TFT, however, is disadvantageous in that the number of steps is increased because the photoelectric conversion section and the TFT have to be produced independently, with the result that the production cost is increased and that the yield is lowered.

Method of making photoelectric conversion device


The invention provides an apparatus and a method for controlling the power output of a fluorescent lamp in order to provide dimming control. The fluorescent lamp is driven by an electronic ballast, for example a half-bridge resonant inverter, and the electronic ballast is switched at a constant frequency and with a constant duty-cycle, but with a variable DC voltage power input. Dimming control is provided by variation of the DC voltage power supply. The variable DC supply may be obtained from an AC source followed by a power factor corrected AC-DC variable converter, or a DC source followed by a variable DCxe2x80x94DC converter.

This invention relates to an apparatus and method for the dimming control of an electronic ballast for a fluorescent lamp. In particular the invention relates to an apparatus and method for such dimming control that generates low electromagnetic interference and low switching stress.
Electronic ballasts for the high-frequency operation of fluorescent lamps have been increasingly adopted as an energy efficient solution in residential, commercial and industrial lighting applications. Electronic ballasts have a number of advantages including improved efficiency of the overall system, higher lumen output per watt and longer lifetime of the fluorescent lamps. Electronic ballasts are in effect switched mode power electronic circuits, and most modem electronic ballast designs employ series resonant converters as the power circuits for driving the lamps.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional electronic ballast design. The basic concept of this design is to use the resonant voltage across the resonant capacitor Cr to cause the lamp arc to strike at high frequency, typically from 25 kHz to 50 kHz. Because of the high frequency of the excitation voltage the lamp is essentially in a continuous on-state, which provides high-quality illumination without any unwanted flickering effect.
FIG. 2 shows a conventional implementation of a half-bridge series resonant inverter for an electronic ballast application. In this arrangement the two switches S1 and S2 are complementary switches (ie when S1 is on S2 is off, and vice versa). If the potential at point Y is taken as the zero voltage reference point, then voltage Vxy will have the values xc2x1Vdc/2 where Vdc is the DC voltage applied to the ballast circuit either by an AC-DC converter if the power source is AC or by a DCxe2x80x94DC converter if the power source is DC. The operation of this conventional circuit will now be described for the purposes of illustration.
The two capacitors C are much larger than the resonant capacitor Cr and provide a stable DC voltage nominally at Vdc/2 at the point Y. By operating the switching frequency fsw of S1 and S2 slightly higher than the resonant frequency fr of inductor Lr and capacitor Cr the resonant load becomes inductive. If the current (iLr) in the inductor Lr is continuous, S1 and S2 can be turned on under zero-voltage. This zero-voltage switching is desirable because it reduces turn-on switching loss and minimises the electromagnetic interference (EMI) from the power switches. If additional small capacitors Cs1 and Cs2 are added as shown in FIG. 2, switches S1 and S2 can also be turned off under zero-voltage as long as the inductor current (iLr) is continuous.
Series resonant converter designs such as that shown in FIG. 2 are very popular. One reason for this popularity, for example, is that a circuit of this design can be used for a multiple lamp system simply by connecting several sets of resonant tanks and lamps across points X and Y. This flexibility greatly reduces the ballast cost per lamp.
Difficulties arise with the circuit of FIG. 2, however, when it is desired to provide a method of dimming control. Most electronic ballasts employ a nominally constant converter DC voltage and in order to control the light intensity of the fluorescent lamp dimming control is provided. Two methods of providing dimming control are commonly used in this type of ballast arrangement: duty cycle control and variation of switching frequency and these will now both be described.
The first method of dimming control is by control of the duty cycle (d) of the two switches S1 and S2. The ideal duty cycle is 0.5 but in practice the maximum d should be slightly less than 0.5 so that a small deadtime when both switches are off is provided to avoid shoot-through in S1 and S2. FIG. 3 shows typical waveforms of the gating signals of S1 and S2. By controlling the turn-on and turn-off times of the two switches the voltage applied to the series resonant circuit can be controlled. This method is not without its drawbacks however, especially at low duty-cycles, ie at low applied voltage, as will be seen from the following.
A major advantage of the circuit of FIG. 2 is that the switches can be turned on and off under zero-voltage conditions which substantially reduces EMI emission and switching stress in the power switches. However as will be seen below, if the duty cycle is too small the inductor current may become discontinuous and the zero-voltage switching conditions will be lost and the switches will suffer switching stress, leading to reduced reliability and increased EMI emission. This can be seen from the following explanation of the operating modes of the power converter which are described with reference to FIG. 4 of the accompanying drawings which schematically highlight the main current paths.
FIG. 4(a) shows a first stage in which switch S1 is ON while switch S2 is OFF and the main current path is highlighted in bold. In a second stage shown in FIG. 4(b) the two switches are OFF while Cs1 is charged up to VDC and Cs2 is discharged. When Cs2 is discharged the anti-parallel diode of S2 will start to conduct. Again the main current path is highlighted in bold. FIG. 4(c) shows this third stage in which the two switches S1 and S2 are both still OFF and the anti-parallel diode is conducting clamping the voltage across S2 to almost 0V and when the switch S2 is later turned on again it is turned on under this zero-voltage condition. However, this assumes that the inductor current is continuous. If the duty cycle is too small the inductor current may decay to zero before the switch S2 is turned on again giving the condition shown in FIG. 4(d). If the inductor current falls to zero before S2 is switched on again, the voltage across S2 is not clamped to near zero and as both switches are turned off the voltage across S2 and thus Cs2 will rise. When in the next stage S2 is turned on again the energy stored in Cs2 will be dissipated in S2 causing high discharge current and high switching loss and stress in S2.
In the next stage shown in FIG. 4(e) S2 is ON while S1 is OFF and the inductor current becomes negative. As both switches once more go to OFF, shown in FIG. 4(f), the anti-parallel diode of S1 starts to conduct clamping the voltage across S1 to near zero (FIG. 4(g)). Again, as with S2, if the duty cycle is not too small S1 will be switched on again before the inductor current decays to zero and so will be switched on while still clamped to near zero voltage, with the advantages discussed above. If the duty cycle is too small, however, the inductor current will decay to zero before S1 is switched on again causing the voltage across S1 and Cs1 to rise. When S1 is finally turned on again the energy stored in Cs1 is dissipated in S1 as discussed above with regard to S2 and with the same problems. This possibility is shown in FIG. 4(h).
Thus if dimming control by variation of duty cycle is provided, soft switching is possible provided that the inductor current is continuous. However if the duty cycle is reduced too far then the inductor current may at points in the cycle decay to zero and non-zero-voltage switching takes place with its attendant disadvantages of higher EMI emission and higher switching stress.
As an alternative to dimming control by duty cycle variation, it is also known to provide dimming control by varying the switching frequency. If the switching frequency is increased, the inductor impedance is increased and thus the inductor current is reduced. This allows the output of a fluorescent lamp to be controlled by varying the switching frequency and FIG. 5 shows the power of a 4-ft 40 W fluorescent lamp plotted against switching frequency. It can be seen that the lamp power, and therefore the intensity of the emitted light, decreases with increasing switching frequency.
Dimming control by varying switching frequency has its own disadvantages however. These include the following points:
1. If the inverter bridge is not soft-switched the switching loss of the inverter will be increased leading to reduced efficiency.
2. In order to achieve dimming control at low lamp power operation, the switching frequency range has to be very wide (eg from 25 kHz to 65 kHz) and in practice the frequency range of the magnetic cores, the gate drive circuits and electronic control circuit may all act to limit the range of dimming control.
3. Soft-switching is not easy to achieve over the entire switching frequency range. In particular, at light loads soft-switching cannot be achieved and the switching stress is large. The switching transients due to hard-switching are a major source of EMI emissions.
4. The power range of the dimming control is limited if the switching frequency range is small. A typical range of dimming control is from 100% load to 25% load.
Viewed from one broad aspect the present invention provides apparatus for controlling the power output of a fluorescent lamp comprising, an electronic ballast for driving said fluorescent lamp, power supply means for providing DC power input to said electronic ballast, and means for varying the voltage of said DC power input to said electronic ballast.
In one embodiment the power supply may comprise an AC power input followed by an AC-DC converter capable of providing a (i) power factor correction and (ii) variable DC output. Such converters may comprise a diode bridge followed by one of (a) a flyback converter, (b) a Cuk converter, (c) a SEPIC converter, (d) a Shepherd-Taylor converter, and (e) a boost converter. Preferably this front end converter uses soft-switching.
Alternatively in another embodiment the power supply may comprise a DC power input followed by a DCxe2x80x94DC converter capable of providing a variable DC output. The converter may be a step-down or a step-up/step-down converter.
Preferably the electronic ballast comprises a half-bridge series resonant inverter. The ballast preferably comprises two switches soft-switched at a constant frequency slightly higher than the resonant frequency of an inductor-capacitor tank of the ballast. The switches are preferably switched at a constant duty-cycle, preferably as close as possible to 0.5 while providing a short deadtime therebetween to prevent shoot-through.
Viewed from another broad aspect the present invention provides a method for controlling the power output of a fluorescent lamp driven by means of an electronic ballast in the form of a half-bridge resonant inverter, comprising operating said ballast at a constant duty cycle and a constant frequency and providing a variable DC power input to said ballast.


A hydraulic cylinder assembly includes a cylinder and a piston rod. The cylinder has an opening and upper and lower inner walls formed by a bore. An end of the piston rod is received in the bore through the opening and travels reciprocally through the opening in response to volume change of a hydraulic fluid in the cylinder. The cylinder has a first section adjacent the opening provided with a narrow passage of the piston rod close to the cylinder upper inner wall. The cylinder has further a second section spaced apart from the opening and provided with a clearance between the piston rod and the lower inner wall forming a chamber for the hydraulic fluid. The inner upper wall at the first section is provided with circumferential camberings.

In e.g. industrial trucks there are mechanical constructions that interact with hydraulic cylinder assemblies, where the interacting motion of the mechanics is not accurate. There is always a force for returning the piston rod back into the cylinder and the force can be the weight from the load that is intended to be lifted by the piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder. The forces from the mechanics of the industrial truck are sometimes not applied to the piston rod in the centre axis of the cylinder. This results in an obliqueness of the piston rod relative the cylinder. An out-of-line force causes a moment and an inclination of the piston rod that result in side forces and a high contact pressure between the piston rod and the cylinder. Although there have been attempts to eliminate the effects of out-of-line forces in a hydraulic cylinder assembly by providing a cylinder pipe that is accurately turned out, such that the piston rod travels in the cylinder with a minimal gap to the inner wall of the cylinder, there will still be a play between the rod and the cylinder. As a result, out-of-line force causes an inclination of the piston rod that result in high contact pressure between the piston rod and the cylinder, which may give rise to scratching of the piston rod by the cylinder inner wall. There are a number of further drawbacks with such a machined cylinder pipe, relating to the design of the system, such as the amount of lubricating film of hydraulic oil in the contact area, surface contact forces, undefined forces and point forces, as well as pressure build-up.
In recent years, the problems mentioned above have been solved by providing guide rings for rods and piston guides in hydraulic cylinders. U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,847 discloses guide-ring arrangements for hydraulic cylinder. However, guide rings require some space in the cylinder. The guide rings are expensive and subjected to wear.

Hydraulic cylinder assembly, a cylinder for a piston rod-cylinder hydraulic assembly and use of a hydraulic cylinder assembly

TOYOTA MATERIAL HANDLING MANUFACTURING SWEDEN AB


A gateway apparatus for interfacing an access network 1 to a service network 3, the apparatus comprising an input for receiving access requests from the access network at a first flow rate, an output for forwarding access requests to a gateway controller at a second flow rate, and a flow controller for controlling the flow of access requests from said input to said output. The flow controller comprises a receiver for receiving a restrict ion value from the gateway controller, first processing means for determining whether the received restriction value is more restrictive than any currently in use restriction value and, if so, for determining a leak rate on the basis of the received restriction value and the current second flow rate, and second processing means for allowing access requests to pass to said output at a rate up to the determined leak rate at least until a further restriction value is received.

Within telecommunication networks it is desirable to separate out the signalling level from the bearer or traffic level in order to facilitate interoperability of components supplied by different vendors as well as the interoperability of different network technologies. To this end, the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) has specified the protocol known as H.248 (H.248 v2: draft-ietf-megaco-h248v2-04.txt) which is a signalling protocol used between an access node (or Media Gateway, MG) and a controller node (or Media Gateway Controller, MGC). H.248 is used amongst other things for controlling the setup of a call.
Telecommunication networks must be engineered to withstand not only normal load conditions, but also expected and unexpected overload conditions. Such overloads may occur, for example, as a result of a media initiated televoting process or a disaster, e.g. an earthquake. Overloads are typically handled by rejecting call set-up requests at an appropriate network node. However, this in itself may not be sufficient as even the offering of set-up requests to a node may cause that node to fail (and restart).
Consider a NGN comprising a Media Gateway Controller (MGC). In a typical network architecture, the MGC is likely to be connected to thousands of Multi Service Access Nodes (MSANs) which provide interfaces between the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and IP networks. It can be envisaged that a sufficiently large step change in the load offered to the MGC is likely to cause the MGC to become grossly overloaded to a level where its own internal overload protection mechanism may not provide satisfactory protection.
The ETSI draft [ETSI ES 2XX XXX V<0.0.5> (2006-06), Access Gateway—Media Gateway Controller Rate Based Overload Control] known as "ETSI_NR" proposes an overload control mechanism between the MGCs and the MSANs to protect the MGCs from becoming overloaded during the previously described mass call events. ETSI_NR proposes employing an overflow restrictor at the AGWs to throttle originating (PSTN) call attempts towards the MGCs. A so-called LoadLevel supervision function is implemented in the MGC which periodically measures its load state. If the LoadLevel reaches a critical value, the MGC initiates an originating call restriction mechanism at the MSANs. During periods of overload, the MGC periodically calculates a GlobalLeakRate based on the current LoadLevel. This GlobalLeakRate is then distributed among the AGWs based on their associated predefined weights (wi). The parameter wi may be set according to the number of "lines" terminated by a MSAN. A new leak rate value (notrat=wi. GlobalLeakRate) is sent to the gateway in a subsequent H.248 MODIFY command. The initial value of the GlobalLeakRate, which is used when the overload is first detected at the MGC, is a configuration parameter called InitGlobalLeakRate. It is set to a sufficiently low value to immediately relieve congestion at the MGC, and the calculated GlobalLeakRate is expected to adapt upwards gradually to ensure high utilization of the MGC.
In the event of an overload at the MGC, a MSAN will set its leak rate for incoming call attempts to the rate received from the MGC. The MSAN maintains a buffer of fixed size for receiving and queuing incoming call attempts. According to ETSI_NR, the MSAN will drain call attempts from the front of the buffer at the assigned leak rate. If there is no room for an incoming call attempt at the back of the buffer, that attempt is rejected by the MSAN.
A problem with the ETSI_NR approach is that imbalances in the distribution of incoming call attempts at the MSANs may render the overload control process ineffective. Consider for example a first group of MSANs which are receiving a very high volume of call attempts and a second group of MSANs which are receiving only a very low volume of call attempts. An overload condition at the MGC will be due to the first group of MSANs. The response of the MGC will be to apply the same GlobalLeakRate to all MSANs, temporarily removing the overload. If the traffic demand suddenly increases in the area served by the second group of MSANs, the MSANs of the second group are immediately allowed to offer up calls to the MGC at the rate previously set by the MGW (i.e. notrat). Assuming that the call volumes handled by the first group of MSANs has not fallen significantly, the MGC will return to an overload condition.
This scenario is illustrated in FIG. 1, where the MGC is assumed to be a Telephony Server (TeS) node and there are four MSANs connected to it. Each MSAN has an equal weighting wi as each terminates the same number of subscriber lines. When the group of nodes designated "Group A" (comprising MSAN 1 and MSAN 2) offers a higher calling rates than the capacity of the TeS, the TeS will detect an overload, set the GlobalLeakRate to the InitGlobalLeakRate, and send ¼ of this GloballeakRate to each of the four MSANs. The TeS gradually increases the GlobalLeakRate to increase its utilization, and it continues this process until the total incoming rate from the MSANs reaches C, the processing capacity of the TeS. Assuming that the MSANs of "Group B" are offering only a very low volume of call attempts, GlobalLeakRate will increase further until it reaches 2C, at which point the leak rate (notrat) offered to each MSAN is equal to almost C/2. If the MSANs of group B start to receive a higher volume of call attempts, these will be passed on to the TeS as these nodes are allocated a leak rate of C/2 resulting in a return to the overload condition.
Another potential problem with the ETSI_NR process relates to the speed at which it can adapt to the changes in the offered rate. Assuming that all of the AGWs (e.g. TeS in FIG. 1) are equally weighted, and a group 'A' contains m nodes whilst a group 'B' contains n nodes, then each weight will be set to wi=1/(m+n). Assume again that the call processing capacity of the MGC is 'C'. If the overload condition (i.e. with the AGWs of group A providing most of the load) persists for long enough, the GlobalLeakRate (G) of the MGC may settle to approximately GaC*(m+n)/m. Each AGW that is offering calls to the MGC will receive a leak rate of G*wi=C/m. The higher the fraction (m+n)/m>=1 is, the higher the adaptation point Ga will be relative to the call processing capacity C. In the case of a severely focussed load, for example with almost all of the load being supplied by only 10% of the AGWs, the GlobalLeakRate could rise to ten times the call processing capacity. The very large potential range of GlobalLeakRate values will make it difficult for the MGC to adapt smoothly to changes in the load offered to it.
In addition, the ETSI-NR proposal fails to tackle the problem of how to properly terminate the overload control process. Since call admission control is not performed on the MGC, the MGC does not know when calculating the leak rate whether the MSANs are still restricting traffic, or the overload event has ceased. ETSI_NR suggests simply using a timer, 'TerminationPendingTime'. The timer is started when the measured LoadLevel at the MGC falls below the GoalLoadLevel. If the measured LoadLevel does not go above the GoalLoadLevel while the timer is running, the control process will be switched off upon its expiry. However, a LoadLevel below the GoalLoadLevel does not necessarily mean that the overload condition has ceased, as it is possible that the control process is over-restricting the flow of call attempts through the MSANs. If the control process terminates whilst the leakrate is still adapting upwards and the overload condition remains, the MGC will soon be overloaded again. The control process will be switched back on with GlobalLeakRate set to IntialGlobalLeakRate, possibly leading to an on-off oscillation of the control process and under utilization of the MGC.
An alternative to ETSI_NR is proposed in the ETSI draft [ETSI ES 2XX XXX V<0.0.1> (2005-mm), Access Gateway—Media Gateway Controller Overload Control] and is referred to as ETSI_NB. ETSI_NB proposes that a percentage based restriction should be used to decrease the intensity of originating call attempts at each MSAN when the MGC is in overload. The LoadLevel supervision function works the same way as in the case of ETSI_NR, but instead of calculating GlobalLeakRate, it calculates a percentage restriction factor and sends this to the MSANs. A MSAN allows through to the MGC a proportion of the incoming call attempts in line with the percentage restriction factor received from the MGC.
The main disadvantage of the ETSI_NB control process is that a step change in the level of call attempts arriving at a MSAN, when the MSAN is already applying a percentage restriction factor, will still result in a step change in the call attempts forwarded to the MGC, possibly returning the MGC to overload. Indeed, ETSI_NR was introduced to overcome the dependence of the overload control process of ETSI_NB upon external changes.


It is desired to adopt gamut mapping using a color appearance space in the processing system of an ICC profile. Upon generating an LUT complying with the ICC profile format, when CIEL*a*b* values are converted into CIEXYZ values, and the XYZ values are converted into color appearance space values using color appearance conversion formulas, a point which can be converted and becomes a nearest neighboring point for a point that satisfies a predetermined condition is retrieved, and corresponding color appearance space values are calculated. The obtained color appearance space values are mapped on a predetermined device gamut.

In recent years, along with the popularization of personal computers, it has become easy to input an image using an image input device such as a digital camera, color scanner, or the like, to display and confirm that image using an image display device such as a CRT, LCD, or the like, and to output the image via an image output device such as a color printer or the like. In this case, in order to correct any color appearance difference due to the difference between color gamuts of the display and output devices, a color matching process (gamut mapping) is normally executed. That is, the color appearance difference between the devices is compensated for by the color matching process.
One such color matching process is a method using an ICC profile. Note that the ICC profile is a profile based on a format defined by the International Color Consortium.
As shown in FIG. 1, the process using an ICC profile converts the RGB values of an image obtained by the input device into CIEXYZ or CIEL*a*b* values as a device-independent color space using a source profile, and converts the CIEXYZ or CIEL*a*b* values into the device RGB values of the output (display) device using a destination profile. The source profile describes an RGB to XYZ conversion matrix or an RGB to Lab conversion lookup table (LUT) that represents the color reproduction character of the input device. On the other hand, the destination profile describes a Lab to device RGB LUT according to a specific format. The LUT of this destination profile has the following format. That is, grid point data obtained by evenly n-slicing (where n is an integer, and where the term "n-slicing" denotes that a region is divided into n−1 slices) an L* value region 0<L*<100, an a* value region −128<a*<127, and a b* value region −128<b*<127 are defined, and the LUT describes device RGB values obtained by mapping these L*a*b* values onto the color gamut of the output device.
In this manner, in the processing system of the ICC profile, color matching information, i.e., gamut mapping information, is described in the LUT in the destination profile together with color gamut information of the output device.
On the other hand, a color appearance model that models the human visual sense with higher precision than the conventional CIELAB color space has been announced. The color values (e.g., J*a*b* values) of this color appearance space can be calculated from CIEXYZ values. By performing gamut mapping using these J*a*b* values, color matching more suited to the human visual sense can be achieved.
When an estimation of color matching using the color appearance space realized by the processing system of the ICC profile is made, a new destination profile must be generated from a destination profile of the ICC profile. Note that this generation method is the subject matter of the present invention, which is described below, but a brief description is also provided here to provide the reader with a clearer understanding of the purpose and use of the invention.
The destination profile is embedded with the LUT in the predetermined format that describes the relationship between the L*a*b* values and RGB values (DevRGB). In other words, in order to convert color matching information using the color appearance space into a destination profile, the following processes are required: (i) the L*a*b* grid points in the predetermined format are converted into J*a*b* values using color appearance conversion formulas, (ii) the J*a*b* values are mapped into the color gamut of the output device, (iii) the mapped J*a*b* values are converted into the device RGB, and (iv) the device RGB values are stored in an LUT. The flow of calculations can be denoted as L*a*b*→J*a*b*→J*′a*′b*′→DevRGB, as shown in FIG. 2.
However, the conversion formula required to obtain the color values J*a*b* of the color appearance space does not support colors outside of the visible region. In the color appearance conversion, for example, color adaptation conversion, cone response conversion, or opponent-colors response conversion is made so the color values approximate the human visible sense. The conversion method of the color adaptation conversion is a linear conversion represented by a matrix conversion given by:
                              A          ′                =                              (                                                                                a                    00                                                                                a                    01                                                                                a                    02                                                                                a                    10                                                                                a                    11                                                                                a                    12                                                                                a                    20                                                                                a                    21                                                                                a                    22                                                                        )                                                                        A                                    (        1        )            The cone response conversion also involves performing, in addition to the matrix conversion, an exponentiation given by:
                              A          ′                =                                            b                                                                                (                                      cA                    /                    d                                    )                                e                                                    f              +                                                (                                      cA                    /                    d                                    )                                e                                              +          g                                    (        2        )            where a00 to a22, and b to g are constants (for 0≦e≦1), A is a value before conversion, and A′ is a value after conversion.
The opponent-colors response conversion converts the values after cone response conversion into coordinate J*a*b* values suited to the human visualsense, and linear conversion and triangular function conversion are used as representative conversion formulas for that purpose.
According to these conversion formulas, when XYZ values indicating a color outside of the visible region are input, the color adaptation conversion (equation (1)) can be calculated, but calculation errors may occur when the exponentiation, such as that in equation (2), is calculated. This is for the following reason. That is, the constants in equations (1) and (2) are set so that (cA/d) in equation (2) assumes a positive value in the case of a color within the visible region. However, (cA/d) often assumes a negative value when a color outside of the visible region is input, and this disables the calculations.
More specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, of the L*a*b* grid points defined on the CIELAB space, a color (e.g., L*=0, a*=−128, b*=−128) outside of the visible region cannot be converted into J*a*b* values, and device RGB values corresponding to that grid point cannot be calculated. In practice, when color matching is done by the processing system of the ICC profile, it is impossible for an input image to include a color outside of the visible region, but a color in proximity to a boundary of the visible region often exists in an input image. In order to interpolate such a color using an LUT, since not only grid points within the visible region but also ones outside of the visible region are used for the interpolation, appropriate device RGB values must be set for grid points outside of the visible region.
As a color matching method using the ICC profile and color appearance space, a technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-40140 (U.S. application Ser. No. 09/358,407, filed on Jul. 22, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,027,067) has been proposed. However, the method disclosed in this reference is different from the method described in FIG. 2. The technique disclosed in this reference loads the color gamuts of respective devices from the source profile and destination profile described in the ICC profile format into a dedicated apparatus, and attains gamut mapping by converting the respective color gamuts into J*a*b* values using a CIECAM97 conversion formula as one of the known color appearance conversion formulas. When this technique is used, a new destination profile that records gamut mapping information on the J*a*b* space need not be generated, and the same profiles as the conventional ones need only be used. Hence, no problems are caused by impossibility of color conversion as described above. However, since this technique requires a special apparatus for color matching, it cannot be used in a general image manipulation application such as PhotoShop®. Since color matching is done using the dedicated apparatus, gamut mapping information described in the ICC profile is completely ignored. In the processing system of the ICC profile, it is required to adopt gamut mapping using the color appearance space. Not only when an ICC profile is generated but also when a process is made on the color appearance space, it is inconvenient that colors outside of the visible region are not supported.


A device for repairing and electrically connecting at least two sections of electrical cable includes an elongate connector, for example a tube, having two open ends that are each adapted to receive an end of an electrical cable section. The cable connector has an interior wall longitudinally dividing the cable connector into two portions, each portion having a hollow interior for containing the end of one of the two electrical cable sections. The cable connector also has an orifice in each of the two portions communicating with the hollow interior of that portion. A closure device, such as a threaded plug, is mateable with each orifice. In operation, water damage to the electrical cable portions is repaired by securing an end of an electrical cable section in the hollow interior of each of the two portions of the cable connector and passing water-damage repairing chemicals through the orifices in the cable connector, into the hollow interior of each of the two portions of the cable connector, and into the interior of the sections of the electrical cable. The secondary addition of damming chemicals through the cable connector and into the electrical cable sections is not required. The sections of electrical cable are electrically connected when secured in the hollow interior of the two portions of the cable connector; therefore, the cable connector also functions as a splice electrically joining the two wire sections. With the connection of only a single cable end to the conduit for passage of water damage repair chemicals therethrough, the conduit functions as a terminal.

Beginning in the post-war construction boom of the late 1950s and early 1960s, overhead electrical cable lines were recognized as an eyesore. Underground electrical cable technology was developed and implemented due to its aesthetic advantages and reliability. Underground electrical cable, a medium voltage cable that carries from 5,000 volts to 35,000 volts with an average voltage of 15,000 volts, initially employed high molecular weight polyethylene (HMWPE) polymer as the insulation of choice due to its low cost and ease of manufacturing. Subsequently, cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) and ethylene propylene rubber (EPR) replaced high molecular weight polyethylene as the insulation. More recently, a water damage retardant formulation has also been included in these newer types of insulation.
Underground electrical cable was initially touted as having a useful life of from 25 to 40 years. However, the useful life of underground cable has rarely exceeded 20 years, and has occasionally been as short as 10 to 12 years. Catastrophic failure of older HMWPE, XLPE, and EPR cable is now beginning to occur due to water damage known as "water trees." Water trees are formed in the polymer when medium to high voltage alternating current is applied to a polymeric dielectric (insulator) in the presence of liquid water and ions. As water trees grow, they compromise the dielectric properties of the polymer until the insulation fails. Many large water trees initiate at the site of an imperfection or contaminant, but contamination is not a necessary condition for water trees to propagate.
Water tree growth can be eliminated or retarded by removing or minimizing the water or ions, or by reducing the voltage stress. Voltage stress can be minimized by employing thicker insulation. "Clean room" manufacturing processes can be used to both eliminate ion sources and minimize defects or contaminants that function as water tree growth sites. Another approach is to change the character of the dielectric, either through adding water tree retardant chemicals to polyethylene or by using more expensive, but water tree resistant, plastics or rubbers. All of these approaches have merit, but only address the performance of electrical cable yet to be installed.
For electrical cables already underground, the options are more limited. First, the entire failing electrical cable can be replaced, but the cost is often prohibitive. Second, the points of failures due to water tree propagation can be excised and the removed portions replaced with a splice. Unfortunately, since water trees are not identifiable until after cable failure occurs, splicing after cable failure results in a power interruption to the electric utility customers. Third, the cable can be dried with a desiccant fluid such as nitrogen in order to remove the water that initiates the water tree. While this approach improves the dielectric properties of the underground cable, it requires perpetual maintenance to replace large and unsightly nitrogen bottles that remain coupled to the cable.
A more promising approach to retard failure of underground cable is to inject a silicone fluid such as, for example, CABLECURE.RTM., into the electrical cable conductor strands. CABLECURE reacts with water in the underground cable and polymerizes to form a water tree retardant that is more advanced than those used in the manufacture of modern cables. The dielectric properties of the cable are not only stabilized by CABLECURE, but actually improved dramatically.
However, the devices and methods used to treat underground electrical cables with CABLECURE do have drawbacks. Different methodologies are employed depending upon the type of cable being treated. There are two main classes of cables, underground residential distribution (URD) cables which are relatively small cables, and feeder cables, which are larger cables which often supply the URD cables.
Regarding the treatment of feeder cables with CABLECURE, a major problem is the ability of splices which are often encountered in the feeder cable to hold the pressure required to inject perhaps miles of the feeder cable with CABLECURE. The larger the overall cable diameter, the larger the splice, and the higher the hoop forces created by the pressurization of the cable cavity. Due to the large diameter of feeder cables, there is seldom sufficient hoop strength in the typical splices to withstand the basic vapor pressure of the CABLECURE without leaking, not to mention the increased pressurization required to transport the CABLECURE along the miles of feeder cable. A leak of CABLECURE in the splice can create a contaminated path along the splice interface which may lead to eventual failure of the splice.
To avoid the problem of CABLECURE leaking at splices, one of two approaches have been employed for injection of CABLECURE into feeder cables. First, the splice can be reinforced with clamps or other devices to increase its hoop strength. However, this approach is limited because the force necessarily applied by the hose clamps or other reinforcement devices on the splice is so large that there is substantial deformation of the rubber material used to make the splice. The deformation compromises the geometrical and electrical integrity of the splice and thus provides only a slight increase in injection pressure tolerance. A second approach is to remove the splice prior to injecting the two separated segments of the electrical cable with CABLECURE, then injecting CABLECURE, and finally injecting a second damming chemical compound into the two electrical cable segments that physically blocks the migration of the CABLECURE into a new splice that is applied to the two cable segments after the CABLECURE treatment has been completed. An example of a damming compound is a combination of dimethylsilicone polymers with vinyl cross-linker and a suitable catalyst. In addition to low viscosity and quick cure times, a damming fluid must be compatible with all cables, splices and other components. Drawbacks with the above method of employing a damming compound include the additional cost of the expensive damming compound, the necessity to install a new splice, and the possibility that the CABLECURE may compromise the structural integrity of the new splice if the physical partition formed by the damming compound fails.
Further, it has been learned that injection of damming compounds into even short lengths near the end of a cable can create transient discontinuities in the penetration of the dielectric enhancement fluid. These discontinuities of penetration create discontinuous treatment, which at a minimum leaves some small section of the cable untreated for a longer period of time, increasing the risk of a post treatment dielectric failure. Further, there is a potential that these discontinuities can even lead to local electrical stress increases which may contribute to a failure in the region where the dam interferes with uniform penetration. Since the point of injecting cable is to increase its reliability and mitigate its proclivity to fail, the use of either reinforcing devices or damming compounds to handle sufficient injection, vapor and elevation-induced pressure are not ideal solutions.
CABLECURE injection can also be employed to treat water tree damage in URD cables. Since the diameter of the URD cables is less than that of feeder cables, the splices in URD cables can withstand the vapor pressure of CABLECURE. Additionally, due to the typically shorter lengths of the URD cables, a lower pressure (0-30 psig) than the pressure employed in feeder cables is required to transport the CABLECURE through the URD cable; therefore, the splices in the URD cable are not subjected to the moderate pressures (30-120 psig) desired to inject typically longer feeder cable and their integral splices. However, because an URD cable does not have enough interstitial volume in the strands of the cable to hold sufficient CABLECURE for maximum dielectric performance, URD cables require an extended soak period of 60 days or more to allow for additional CABLECURE to diffuse from the cable strands into the polyethylene. When very long URD cables or URD cables with large elevation changes are encountered, moderate to medium (120-350 psig) pressure injection of CABLECURE may be required. The moderate to medium pressure addition of CABLECURE to an URD cable therefore necessitates removing the splices during the treatment of the cable, followed by adding new splices after the treatment.
A need thus exists for devices and methods whereby expensive damming compounds are not required to block the contact of repair chemicals with the replacement splice in feeder cables.
A need also exists for devices and methods in which both a separate conduit for injecting CABLECURE into a feeder cable as well as a separate replacement splice are not required.
A further need exists for devices and methods in which repair chemicals can be injected into URD cables at moderate to medium pressures without compromising the structural integrity of splices.

Cable connector with fluid injection port


The invention relates to aerosol devices comprising a container which contains, in a cosmetically acceptable medium, a multiblock polymer comprising at least one polyurethane and/or polyurea unit, these devices being suitable for obtaining an initial flow rate of aerosol composition of less than or equal to 0.75 gram per second. The invention is also directed towards a process for shaping or maintaining the hairstyle, comprising the use of these devices, as well as their use for the manufacture of a lacquer or an aerosol spray.

The invention relates to aerosol devices comprising a container which contains, in a cosmetically acceptable medium, a polycondensate, such as a multiblock polymer, comprising at least one polyurethane and/or polyurea unit. The devices can further comprise at least one polyol, an organic solvent, and a propellant gas. The devices are suitable for obtaining an initial flow rate of aerosol composition of less than or equal to 0.75 gram per second. The invention is also directed toward a process for shaping or maintaining a hairstyle, comprising the use of these devices, as well as their use for the manufacture of lacquers or aerosol sprays.
Fixing of the hairstyle is an important element of styling which can comprise maintaining the shape already given or in shaping the hair and fixing it simultaneously.
Hair products for shaping and/or maintaining the hairstyle which are the most common on the cosmetics market are spray compositions comprising a solution, usually an alcoholic or aqueous solution, and one or more materials, generally polymer resins (also known as fixing materials), the function of which is to form welds between the hairs. The solution also often includes various cosmetic adjuvants. The solution can be packaged, for example, in a suitable aerosol container placed under pressure using a propellant. The construction and operation of such aerosol containers is well known to those skilled in the art.
The packaging in aerosol form is especially practical for the user, who obtains fairly homogeneous distribution of the product without difficulty. However, this type of packaging has the drawback of giving rise to a release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are harmful to the environment. They originate in particular from the amount of organic solvent used and of propellant gas chosen to manufacture the composition. Manufacturers thus are in search of cosmetic compositions which can be packaged in aerosol form and which expel very low amounts of volatile organic compounds.
The quality of the spraying obtained by means of an aerosol device, i.e., essentially the distribution of the droplets in space at the nozzle outlet, can depend on the chemical constitution of the composition used. A great amount of attention is thus given to the preparation of aerosol devices which give rise to an optimum spraying quality.
Patent DE 195 41 326 discloses the preparation of styling compositions comprising a polymer containing polyurethane units as fixing polymer. However, the devices can be improved in particular as regards the cosmetic properties which they give to the hair, while at the same time offering better spraying quality.
The inventors have discovered that it is possible to prepare aerosol devices which satisfy the requirements expressed above by choosing the proper combination of a composition (e.g., a hair styling composition) and a means for distributing this composition.
The subject of the invention is thus an aerosol device comprising 1) a container containing a composition, such as a hair styling composition, where the composition is formed of a fluid and at least one propellant, and 2) a means for distributing the composition. The aerosol device is characterized in that:
(1) the composition comprises, in a cosmetically acceptable medium, at least one polycondensate comprising at least one sequence chosen from polyurethanes and polyureas; and
(2) the device is suitable for giving an initial flow rate of aerosol composition of less than or equal to 0.75 gram per second.
Another subject of the invention relates to a process for shaping or maintaining a hairstyle, comprising the use of this aerosol device.
Yet another subject of the invention relates to the use of this device for the manufacture of a lacquer or an aerosol spray.
Examples of polycondensates comprising at least one polyurethane and/or polyurea compound according to the present invention include those described in patents EP 0,751,162, EP 0,637,600, FR 2,743,297, and EP 0,648,485, all assigned to the present assignee, as well as patents EP 0,656,021 and WO 94/03510 from the company BASF, and EP 0,619,111 from the company National Starch. The disclosures of all of these documents are specifically incorporated herein by reference.
The polycondensates used in accordance with the invention can be soluble in the cosmetically acceptable medium, in particular after neutralization with an organic or inorganic base, or alternatively can form a dispersion in this medium. In the latter case, the dispersion can generally comprise at least 0.05% of surfactant, which allows the polycondensate to form a dispersion and to be maintained in dispersion.
According to the invention, any type of surfactant can be used in the dispersion, including a nonionic surfactant. In embodiments, the average size of the polycondensate particles in the dispersion is between 0.1 and 1 micron (micrometer), inclusive.
By way of example, the polycondensate can be formed by an arrangement of blocks, this arrangement being obtained in particular from:
(1) at least one compound which contains at least two active hydrogen atoms per molecule;
(2) at least one diol containing at least one functional group chosen from acid radicals and salts thereof; and
(3) at least one isocyanate chosen from di- and polyisocyanates. Compound (1) can be chosen from the group comprising diols, diamines, polyesterols, polyetherols, and mixtures thereof.
In certain embodiments, compound (1) can be a linear polyethylene or polypropylene glycol, in particular those which are obtained by a reaction of ethylene oxide or propylene oxide with water or diethylene or dipropylene glycol in the presence of sodium hydroxide as catalyst. These polyglycols generally have a molecular weight of between about 600 and 20,000.
In embodiments, the organic compounds are those which have mercapto, amino, carboxyl, or hydroxyl groups. Among these, mention may be made more particularly of polyhydroxy compounds such as polyether diols, polyester diols, polyacetal diols, polyamide diols, polyesterpolyamide diols, poly(alkylene ether) diols, polythioether diols, and polycarbonate diols.
The polyether diols can be, for example, the condensation products of ethylene oxide, of propylene oxide, or of tetrahydrofuran, their copolymerization or condensation products, which may be grafted or blocks, such as mixtures of condensates of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, and the products of polymerization of olefins, at high pressure, with alkylene oxide condensates. Suitable polyethers can be prepared, for example, by condensation of alkylene oxides and polyhydric alcohols, such as ethylene glycol, 1,2-propylene glycol, and 1,4-butanediol.
The polyester diols, polyesteramides, and polyamide diols are, in embodiments, saturated and can be obtained, for example, from the reaction of saturated or unsaturated polycarboxylic acids with polyhydric alcohols, diamines, or polyamines. Adipic acid, succinic acid, phthalic acid, terephthalic acid, and maleic acid can be used, for example, to prepare these compounds. Polyhydric alcohols that are suitable for preparing the polyesters include, for example, ethylene glycol, 1,2-propylene glycol, 1,4-butanediol, neopentyl glycol, and hexanediol. Amino alcohols, for example ethanolamine, can also be used. Diamines that are suitable for preparing the polyesteramides include, but are not limited to, ethylenediamine and hexamethylenediamine.
Suitable polyacetals can be prepared, for example, from 1,4-butanediol or from hexanediol and from formaldehyde. Suitable polythioethers can be prepared, for example, by condensation reaction between thioglycols, either alone or in combination with other glycols such as ethylene glycol, 1,2-propylene glycol or with other polyhydroxylated compounds. Polyhydroxylated compounds already containing urea or urethane groups, and natural polyols, which can be further modified, for example castor oil and carbohydrates, can also be used.
In certain embodiments, compound (1) is a polyesterol, in particular a polyester diol formed by the reaction of at least one (di)polyol (1a) and at least one acid (1b). The (di)polyol (1a) can be chosen from the group comprising neopentyl glycol, 1,4-butanediol, hexanediol, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, propylene glycol, butylene glycol, neopentyl glycol, and (di)polyethylene glycol. The acid (1b) can be chosen from the group comprising phthalic acid, isophthalic acid, adipic acid, and (poly)lactic acid.
A hydroxycarboxylic acid such as dimethylol-propanoic acid (DMPA), or a 2,2-hydroxymethylcarboxylic acid can be used as compound (2). In general, compound (2) is useful as a coupling block. In certain embodiments, compound (2) comprises at least one poly((xcex1-hydroxydiolcarboxylic) acid). In certain other embodiments, compound (2) is chosen from the group comprising 2,2-di(hydroxy-methyl)acetic acid, 2,2-dihydroxymethylpropionic acid, 2,2-dihydroxymethylbutyric acid, and 2,2-dihydroxy-methylpentanoic acid.
The isocyanate compound (3) can be chosen from the group comprising hexamethylene diisocyanate, isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), toluylene diisocyanate, diphenylmethane 4,4xe2x80x2-diisocyanate (DPMD), dicyclohexylmethane 4,4xe2x80x2-diisocyanate (DCMD), methylenebis(p-phenyl) diisocyanate, methylenebis(4-cyclohexyl isocyanate), isophorone diisocyanate, toluene diisocyanate, 1,5-naphthalene diisocyanate, 4,4xe2x80x2-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, 2,2xe2x80x2-dimethyl-4,4xe2x80x2-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, 1,3-phenylene diisocyanate, 1,4-phenylene diisocyanate, mixtures of 2,4- and 2,6-toluene diisocyanate, 2,2xe2x80x2-dichloro-4,4xe2x80x2-diisocyanatodiphenylmethane, 2,4-dibromo-1,5-diisocyanatonaphthalene, butane 1,4-diisocyanate, 1,6-hexane diisocyanate, and 1,4-cyclohexane diisocyanate.
The polycondensate can be formed using at least one additional compound (4), which generally serves to extend the polycondensate chain. These compounds (4) can be chosen from the group comprising saturated or unsaturated glycols such as ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, neopentyl glycol or triethylene glycol; amino alcohols such as ethanolamine, propanolamine, or butanolamine; heterocyclic, aromatic, cycloaliphatic, and aliphatic primary amines; diamines; carboxylic acids such as aliphatic, aromatic or heterocyclic carboxylic acids, for instance oxalic acid, succinic acid, glutaric acid, adipic acid, sebacic acid or terephthalic acid; and amino carboxylic acids. In certain embodiments, compound (4) is an aliphatic diol.
The polycondensates in accordance with the invention can also be formed from at least one additional compound (5) having a silicone skeleton. In certain embodiments, compound (5) is a polysiloxane, polyalkylsiloxane, polyarylsiloxane, or a mixture thereof. In certain embodiments, polyethylsiloxanes, polymethylsiloxanes, and polyphenylsiloxanes, optionally containing hydrocarbon-based chains grafted onto the silicon atoms, can be used.
In certain embodiments, the polyurethane and/or polyurea compounds of the polymer can have a repeating base unit corresponding to the general formula (I):
xe2x80x94Xxe2x80x94Bxe2x80x94Xxe2x80x94COxe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94Rxe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94COxe2x80x94xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(I)
in which:
X represents O and/or NH,
B is a divalent hydrocarbon-based radical, this radical being substituted or unsubstituted, and
R is a divalent substituted or unsubstituted radical chosen from aromatic alkylene radicals, C1 to C20 aliphatic radicals, and C1 to C20 cycloaliphatic radicals.
In certain embodiments, radical B is a C1 to C30 radical and bears a group containing one or more carboxylic functional groups and/or one or more sulphonic functional groups. In these embodiments, the carboxylic and/or sulphonic functional groups can be in free form or else partially or totally neutralized with an inorganic or organic base.
The radical R can be chosen from the radicals corresponding to the following formulae:
in which b is an integer between 0 and 3, inclusive, and c is an integer between 1 and 20, inclusive, such as between 2 and 12, inclusive.
In certain embodiments, radical R is chosen from hexamethylene, 4,4xe2x80x2-biphenylenemethane, 2,4- and/or 2,6-tolylene, 1,5-naphthylene, p-phenylene and methylene-4,4-bis-cyclohexyl radicals, and the divalent radicals derived from isophorone.
The polycondensate used in accordance with the invention (comprising at least one polyurethane and/or polyurea compound) can also comprise at least one polysiloxane in which the repeating base unit corresponds, for example, to the formula (II):
xe2x80x94Xxe2x80x94Pxe2x80x94Xxe2x80x94COxe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94Rxe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94COxe2x80x94xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(II)
in which:
P is a polysiloxane segment,
X is chosen from O and NH, and
R is chosen from divalent substituted and unsubstituted radicals chosen from aromatic alkylene radicals, C1 to C20 aliphatic radicals, and C1 to C20 cycloaliphatic radicals.
In certain embodiments, the polysiloxane segment P corresponds to the formula (III):
in which:
the radicals A, which can be identical or different, are chosen from, on the one hand, C1 to C20 monovalent hydrocarbon-based radicals which are free or substantially free of ethylenic unsaturation and, on the other hand, aromatic radicals,
Y is chosen from divalent hydrocarbon-based radicals, and
Z is chosen from integers such that the average molecular weight of the polysiloxane segment is between 300 and 10,000, inclusive.
In general, the divalent radical Y is chosen from alkylene radicals of formula xe2x80x94(CH2)axe2x80x94, in which a represents an integer which can be between 1 and 10, inclusive.
The radicals A can be, but is not necessarily, chosen from alkyl radicals, such as methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl, pentyl, hexyl, octyl, decyl, dodecyl, and octadecyl radicals; cycloalkyl radicals, in particular the cyclohexyl radical; aryl radicals, including phenyl and naphthyl; arylalkyl radicals, in particular benzyl and phenylethyl; and tolyl and xylyl radicals.
In certain embodiments, the fluid comprises an organic solvent and the weight ratio of the propellant gas to the organic solvent is greater than or equal to 1.75:1.
The distribution means, which forms a part of the aerosol device, can comprise a distribution valve controlled by a distribution head, which itself can comprise a nozzle through which the aerosol composition is vaporized. All of these components are well known to those skilled in the art and thus no drawing is needed because a drawing is not necessary to understand the subject matter of the invention.
In accordance with the invention, the initial flow rate of aerosol composition is measured for a temperature in the region of 20xc2x0 C. inside the aerosol device. In practice, the aerosol device is placed at room temperature and the flow rate of aerosol composition is measured when the thermodynamic equilibrium is reached.
The initial flow rate is the average amount of product leaving the previously unused aerosol device, over fifty seconds. It is expressed in grams per second.
The initial flow rate of the aerosol composition (FAC) corresponds to the amount of aerosol composition (fluid+propellant) per unit of time leaving the previously unused aerosol device. It is expressed in mg/s and is measured by the difference between the weight of the aerosol before (M0) and after (M1) 10 seconds of vaporization:
FAC=(M0xe2x88x92M1)/10.
The aerosol device according to the invention is suitable for obtaining an initial flow rate of aerosol composition of generally less than or equal to 0.7 gram per second.
The initial flow rate of aerosol composition from the devices according to the invention depends, on the one hand, on the composition, and, on the other hand, on the distribution means, the two needing to be suitable in order to obtain the desired characteristics. The particular characteristics defined above can be obtained by selecting the appropriate distribution means and/or by modifying the formulation.
The valves which are suitable for the particular compositions above can generally be valves with a 0.33 mm internal restriction orifice, without an additional gas intake orifice and with a nozzle orifice measuring generally between 0.33 and 0.51 mm, inclusive. A press-button having a turbulent nozzle with a nozzle orifice between 0.4 and 0.5 mm, inclusive, in size can be used.
The polycondensates used in accordance with the invention can be soluble in the cosmetically acceptable medium or alternatively can form a dispersion in this medium. In the latter case, the dispersion can generally comprise at least 0.05% surfactant, which allows the polycondensate to form a dispersion and to be maintained in dispersion.
According to the invention, any type of surfactant can be used in the dispersion, including a nonionic surfactant. The average size of the polycondensate particles in the dispersion is, in certain embodiments, between 0.1 and 1 micron (micrometer), inclusive.
The composition in accordance with the invention generally comprises, in relative proportions by weight relative to the total weight of the composition, between 0.1 and 20%, inclusive, of the polycondensate comprising at least one sequence chosen from polyurethanes and polyureas. In certain embodiments, it comprises between 1 and 15%, inclusive, by weight, of polycondensate. In certain embodiments, it comprises between 2 and 8%, inclusive, by weight, of polycondensate.
The composition can comprise between 7.5 and 70%, inclusive, by weight, of an organic solvent. In certain embodiments, it comprises between 10 and 50%, inclusive, by weight. In certain other embodiments, it comprises between 10 and 25%, inclusive, by weight, of the polycondensate.
In certain embodiments of the invention, the organic solvent is chosen from the group comprising C1 to C4 alcohols, such as ethanol and isopropanol; acetone; methyl ethyl ketone; methyl acetate; butyl acetate; ethyl acetate; dimethoxyethane; diethoxyethane; and mixtures thereof. In certain embodiments, ethanol is used.
The relative proportion by weight, relative to the total weight of the composition, of propellant gas in the composition can be between 15 and 85%, inclusive. In certain embodiments, the composition comprises between 25 and 60%, inclusive, by weight, of propellant. In certain other embodiments, the composition comprises between 30 and 50%, inclusive, by weight, of propellant.
In accordance with certain embodiments of the invention, gas which is soluble or insoluble in the composition, such as dimethyl ether, fluoro or non-fluoro hydrocarbons, the usual liquefied gases used in body-treating compositions, or a mixture of these propellant gases, can be used as propellant gas. In certain embodiments, dimethyl ether is used.
The compositions in accordance with the invention can moreover contain at least one cosmetic additive. Examples of these additives include, but are not limited to, fatty substances, thickeners, softeners, antifoaming agents, moisturizers, antiperspirants, basifying agents, dyes, pigments, fragrances, preserving agents, surfactants, hydrocarbon-based polymers, volatile and non-volatile silicones, such as anionic silicones, polyols, proteins, and vitamins.
In embodiments, at least one fixing polymer can be included in the composition. In certain embodiments, the fixing polymer is selected from nonionic, anionic, cationic, and amphoteric fixing polymers.
The invention may be understood more clearly with the aid of the non-limiting example below.

Aerosol device containing a polycondensate comprising at least one polyurethane and/or polyurea unit


A method for the structure-based identification and selection of inhibitors of processivity factor binding to protein is disclosed herein. Characterization of the protein/processivity factor interface is given. Methods for the structure-based inhibition of processivity factor binding to protein are also given. One embodiment includes a class of peptidomimetics that mimic helical portions of proteins. In addition, methods of treatment of various diseases are given, using the inhibitors of the invention.

1. Field of the Invention
The instant invention is drawn to a method for the structure-based design of inhibitors of DNA polymerase, and DNA repair enzymes, to methods for inhibiting DNA replication and repair, and to methods for treating viral infections, bacterial infections, fungal infections, protozoan infections, and neoplastic diseases.
2. Description of the Related Art
The herpesviruses, herpes simplex virus (HSV), and human cytomegalovirus (CMV), are two important human pathogens. HSV causes a spectrum of diseases in immunocompetent adults including debilitating genital infections, sight-threatening ocular infections and occasionally encephalitis that is also debilitating and can be fatal if untreated (Corey, L., and P. C. Spear. 1986 N. Engl. J. Med. 314, 686-691.). In newborns and immunosuppressed individuals such as AIDS patients, HSV infections are even more severe. CMV causes little disease in immunocompetent adults, but it is a major cause of birth defects and a major pathogen in immunosuppressed individuals, especially AIDS and transplant patients (Britt, W. J., and C. A. Alford. 1996. Cytomegalovirus, 3rd Edition ed. In Fields Virology. B. N. Fields, D. M. Knipe, P. M. Hawley, R. M. Chanock, J. L. Melnick, T. P. Monath, B. Roizman and S. E. Straus, editors. Lippincott-Raven, Philadelphia. 2493-2523). There is also evidence for a role of CMV in cardiovascular diseases (e.g., Zhou et al. 1996 N. Engl. J. Med. 335, 624-630.).
Ideally, a target for an antiviral drug should be a viral gene product that differs significantly from host functions and is either essential for viral replication or can activate a drug that inhibits viral replication. Most antiherpesvirus drugs developed to date have targeted herpesvirus thymidine kinases (TK) to activate drugs, and herpesvirus DNA polymerases to be inhibited by the drugs (Coen, D. M. 1992. Sem. Virol. 3, 3-12). For example, HSV TK, which is not essential for replication in cell culture, activates acyclovir (ACV) by phosphorylation to its monophosphate much more efficiently than do cellular enzymes. Cellular enzymes convert the monophosphate to the triphosphate, which is a selective and potent inhibitor of HSV DNA polymerase (Pol), which is essential for replication. That TK and Pol serve as selective drug targets has been established both by biochemical studies and by the isolation and analyses of drug resistant mutants (Coen, D. M. 1986 J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 18, 1-10).
However, nearly all drug-resistance Pol mutations map in regions encoding regions of Pol that are conserved with human cellular DNA polymerases (Coen, D. M. 1996. In Antiviral Drug Resistance. D. Richrnan, editor. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester. 81-102). Thus, these antiviral drugs appear to exploit only rather subtle differences between viral and cellular and polymerases. Moreover, there are HSV infections for which these drugs are not particularly efficacious and there remain concerns about the potential for toxic effects over the lifetime of a patient and the increasing number of cases in which resistance to these drugs develops (Safrin, S. 1996. In Antiviral Drug Resistance. D. D. Richman, editor. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester. 103-122).
In an alternative investigative approach, other polymerase sites are targeted for inhibition. Within this approach, it has been observed that herpesviruses require a specific interaction between HSV DNA polymerase and a processivity factor to effect synthesis of long strands of DNA. In the case of HSV, the accessory proteins, UL42, functions by increasing processivity (Gottlieb et al., 1990 J. Virol. 64, 5976-5987). Both Pol and UL42 are essential for virus replication and this essentiality extends to the analogous proteins encoded by other herpesviruses that have been examined. Mutations that specifically disrupt HSV Pol-UL42 interactions block long chain DNA synthesis and viral replication indicating that these interactions are essential for virus replication (Digard et al., 1993 J. Virol. 67, 398-406; Digard et al., 1993 J. Virol. 67, 1159-1168). The segment of Pol that interacts with UL42 has been mapped to the C-terminus of the enzyme by a combination of genetic and biochemical methods (Digard et al., 1993 J. Virol. 67, 398-406; Digard P., and Coen, D. M. 1990 J. Biol. Chem. 265, 17393-17396; Marsden et al., 1994 J. Gen. Virol. 75(Pt 11), 3127-3135.; Stow et al., 1993 Nucleic Acids Res. 21(1), 87-92.; Tenney et al., 1993 J. Virol. 67(1), 543-547.) Peptides corresponding to the C-terminal segment of Pol specifically block long chain DNA synthesis by Pol-UL42 in vitro (Digard et al., 1995 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 92, 1456-1460; Marsden et al., 1994 J. Gen. Virol. 75(Pt 11), 3127-3135.) and interfere with HSV infectivity in tissue culture (Loregian et al., 1999, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 96: 5221-5226). This segment of Pol is partially helical (Digard et al., 1995 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 92, 1456-1460.) but there has been no information about the structure of UL42.
The best understood processivity factors are known as sliding clamps, which include the Escherichia coli β-subunit of DNA polymerase III, bacteriophage T4 and RB69 gp45, and the eukaryotic clamp, PCNA. These proteins do not bind directly to DNA but, rather, form multimeric rings around DNA, which permits them to slide along the template. Moreover, under physiological conditions, the association of a sliding clamp with DNA and its cognate polymerase requires auxiliary proteins that serve as "clamp loaders' (Kuriyan, J., and O'Donnell, M. 1993 J. Mol. Biol. 234, 915-925.). UL42 differs from sliding clamps in that it binds directly and stably to DNA and does not require additional factors to load onto Pol or DNA (Gottlieb, J., and Challberg, M. D. 1994 J. Virol 68, 49374945; Marsden et al., 1987 J. Virol. 61, 2428-2437; Powell, K. L., and Purifoy, D. J. M. 1976 Iniervirol. 7, 225-239; Weisshart et al., 1999 J. Virol. 73, 55-66). There have been two reports of structures of processivity factors bound to peptides: 1) human PCNA complexed with a 22 residue peptide derived from the C-terminus of the cell cycle checkpoint protein p21 (Gulbis et al., 1996 Cell 87, 297-306); and 2) gp45 from the phage RB69 complexed with a C-terminal peptide fragment of the RB69 DNA polymerase (protein data base 1B77 1B8H; Shamoo et al., 1999, Cell, 99:155-166).
Accordingly, the interaction between processivity subunits and proteins whose functions depend upon processivity factor binding, may be an especially amenable drug target relative to other protein-protein interactions. However, many protein-protein interactions involve large surfaces which involve multiple binding site interactions. Accordingly, an effective method by which structure-based design of molecules inhibiting binding between proteins and a processivity factor subunit is desired. Moreover, a method for treating infections (i.e., viral, bacterial, fungal) and methods for treating cancer and tumor growth with structure-based design inhibitors of processivity factor binding are particularly desired.

Structure-based approach to design of inhibitors of protein-processivity factor interactions

President and Fellows of Harvard College


A dolly and methods for transporting and discharging items. The dolly includes a frame and one or more power conveyer assemblies. The one or more power conveyer assemblies include a set of transfer rollers and a drive mechanism. The drive mechanism includes a drive motor, a continuous drive belt, a set of idler pulleys, a plurality of electrical actuation members, and a foot actuation pedal. Engagement of the foot actuation pedal can cause the drive motor to rotate the continuous drive belt around the set of idler pulleys and the plurality of electrical actuation members to move the continuous drive belt into an interference position with the set of transfer rollers. This can result in rotation of the set of transfer rollers and application of a discharge force to items set upon them.

The manufacturing and assembly process for automotive vehicles requires workers to transport automobile assembly components to various assembly stations. Transportation of such components will often be achieved with a dolly. The dolly can carry a large or heavy load of components to a destination where the load is discharged. Discharging such large or heavy loads can require substantial force, often applied manually by a factory worker.

Low profile, hands free actuation, power assist roll off dolly

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.


A method for producing monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons includes a step of introducing a feedstock oil into a cracking/reforming reactor, bringing the feedstock oil into contact with a catalyst, and causing the feedstock oil to react, a step of purifying and recovering the monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons separated from the product produced in the reaction step, a step of hydrogenating a heavy fraction separated from the product, and a recycling step of returning a hydrogenation reactant of the heavy fraction to the cracking/reforming reaction step. In the recycling step, the hydrogenation reactant is introduced at a location different from an introduction location of the feedstock oil into the reactor so that a time during which the hydrogenation reactant is in contact with the catalyst in the reactor becomes shorter than a time during which the feedstock oil is in contact with the catalyst in the reactor.

Light cycle oil (hereinafter, referred to as "LCO"), which is cracked light oil produced using a fluid catalytic cracking apparatus, contains a large amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and has been utilized as light oil or heavy oil. However, in recent years, a method has been proposed to obtain monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with a high added value (for example, benzene, toluene, xylene, and ethylbenzene) that can be utilized as high octane gasoline base materials or petroleum chemistry raw materials, from the LCO (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

Method for producing monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons