A nozzle for spraying liquids includes a body pierced with a bore, preferably a cylindrical or cylindro-conical bore, and carrying an endpiece pierced with an orifice which may be frustoconical flowing out towards the outside or dihedral opening out towards the outside, this orifice being coaxial with a preferably hemispherical swirl chamber and opening out into the latter via a narrow passage. The endpiece is made from an elastically deformable material, and a restraining component, carried by the body and able to move with respect to the endpiece, acts on the endpiece in order to adjust the cross-section and/or the shape of the the orifice without substantially deforming the swirl chamber.

The present invention relates to a nozzle for spraying liquid.
A nozzle for spraying liquid is generally a component comprising a hollow inside, called a swirl chamber, connected on one side to a feed source, and whose wall opposite the inlet is generally of hemispherical shape. An outlet orifice opens out into the generally hemispherical shaped end wall of the swirl chamber, which outlet orifice has, at the point where it opens out into the swirl chamber, a much smaller cross-section, not more than half, and preferably less than one fifth, of the transverse section of the swirl chamber. In general, the outlet orifice widens towards the outside moving away from the swirl chamber, but this is not obligatory.
By virtue of this particular shape, the liquid passing through the nozzle, subjected to an abrupt succession of compression and depression, bursts out into multiple droplets. The outlet orifice may have a circular cross-section or a flattened cross-section, depending on the shape of the jet of droplets which it is desired to obtain.
Spray nozzles which have the object of giving greater speed to a jet of liquid, without, however, causing it to burst out into droplets, have a distinctly different shape, with progressive narrowing, possibly followed by a widening which is also progressive. The progressiveness of the variations in cross-section leads to an increase in the velocity of the jet without the dispersion of the latter.
The size of the droplets formed at the outlet of a spray nozzle of given dimensions and shape depends, inter alia, on the pressure of the liquid in the swirl chamber.
With conventional spray nozzles, for a given nozzle and liquid, there is a correlation between the flowrate of the liquid and the pressure of the latter, and therefore the size of the droplets. In numerous technological fields, it would be desirable to be able to vary these parameters independently of one another. For example, it may be desirable to vary the flowrate whilst keeping the size of the droplets constant. This is the case, for example, in agricultural technology, where the size of the droplets determines the effectiveness of treatments with phyto-sanitary products, but in which the quantity of products laid down by unit surface area must remain constant, which implies that the flowrate of the nozzle must be adjusted to the speed of displacement of the carrying vehicle. It is also the case in many other technological fields, for example the moistening of paper or cloth as a function of their water content inside a processing machine. In other cases, it may be desirable to vary the size of the droplets, for example in order to modify their cooling effect, without being obliged simultaneously to modify the flowrate.
It would be desirable to be able to have use of a nozzle which allows action on the size of the droplets and the flowrate of liquid, independently of one another.
Of course, such a nozzle must be inexpensive, robust and easy to maintain.
Proposals have been made, see for example UK Patent No 951,589, German Patent No 17430, U.S. Pat. No. 3,776,470, for devices allowing the shape, and consequently the performance of nozzles for spraying jets of liquid to be modified, but nothing has been written or suggested for applying similar techniques to spray nozzles. The reason for this is doubtless that it is more difficult to deform a component containing a swirl chamber with a hemispherical wall, followed by a narrow passage orifice, than a conventional jet spray nozzle. Indeed, a conventional jet spraying nozzle may be made from a component with a thin wall, which is easy to deform. In contrast, a spray nozzle necessarily consists of a solid component, in which the spray chamber and the outlet orifice are hollowed, and it doubtless seemed impossible at the time to deform such a component in a controlled fashion.
In German Patent Application No 2,439,226, a spray nozzle was proposed whose end is composed of a block of elastic material, inside which the swirl chamber and outlet orifice are hollowed. The object of this arrangement is not to modify the shape of the nozzle at will, but to allow, by deformation of the orifice, the escape of a foreign solid which would come to block the nozzle, the latter then resuming its habitual shape.

Nozzle for spraying liquid including a deformable outlet orifice


A main vector: m^=(mx, my) and a sub-vector: s^=(sx, sy) determining cyclic structure of a basic matrix are defined, and a positional vector for a pixel configuring the basic matrix Pi^=(Pix, Piy) is defined, where the suffix i denotes an i-th pixel configuring the basic matrix. Then, the pixels configuring the basic matrix are arranged in such a manner as to satisfy the cyclic structure, and transformation of Pi^→Pi^+km^+ls^ is carried out where k and l are arbitrary integers, and may be negative values. Then a new shape of the basic matrix is obtained with Pi^+km^+ls^ as a new pixel positional vector Pi^.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for producing a dither matrix (threshold matrix) required for performing quantization processing on an multi-tone image, image processing method and apparatus, image forming method and apparatus, a program and a computer readable information recording medium. The present invention is advantageous when it is used in an image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic system such as a laser printer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image data input to an image forming apparatus such as a copier, a printer or such has multi-tone data of 8 through 12 bits for each pixel in a case where the image data is of a multi-tone image such as that taken by a digital still camera or such. In contrast thereto, in an image forming apparatus which forms an image on paper (so-called 'hard copy'), the number of tone levels available is substantially very small for each pixel. In order to solve such a problem due to mismatch, a resolution is improved as 600 dpi, 1200 dpi or such, a plurality of pixels are used to modulate an image tone in terms of an area and thus, a halftone image is represented in a pseudo manner, in such a hard copy producing image forming apparatus. In this case, the pseudo halftone processing is performed, which is performed in a process of transforming input image data into a pseudo halftone image. The present invention relates to a dither method which is one type of the pseudo halftone processing method, and, relates to a method for producing a dither matrix (threshold matrix) required for carrying out quantization processing on a multi-tone image.
Since quantization processing of multi-tone image data according to the dither method is known (for example, see 'Electro-Photographic Society Paper, Vol. 24, No. 1 (1985), pages 51-59'), the details thereof are omitted.
The dither matrix is classified, roughly, into a dot concentration type (dot screen), a Bayer type (diffusion type) and a line screen type. In the present invention, a method of producing a dot concentration type dither matrix is proposed.
The dot concentration type dither matrix has the following advantages. In this type, a dot growth order (an order of pixels actually written for increase an image tone level there) is determined from a pixel which is closer to a predetermined pixel called a growth center and then, to a peripheral pixel, gradually in sequence. Therefore, it is possible to increase an area where dots are overlapped (to shorten a peripheral length of a halftone dot produced by a plurality of dots actually written), in comparison to a case of the Bayer type in which dots are discretely plotted. Generally speaking, a peripheral unit of each dot spreads further than an ideal one in many types of image forming apparatuses (in an electrophotographic type, an ink-jet type, or an offset printing type). In other words, so-called 'dot gain' phenomenon may occur.
Due to the dot gain, an image having a darker tone than an intended one may be output, and thus, tone characteristics may degrade. In contrast thereto, with the use of the above-mentioned dot concentration type dither matrix, by which it is possible to increase overlapping of dots as mentioned above, it is possible to cancel out influence of the dot gain. That is, in a unit in which dots are overlapped, spreading of each dot cancels out each other, and thus, adverse influence due to the spreading of each dot does not actually appear. Accordingly, it is possible to achieve image output with a superior tone characteristics, with the use of the dot concentration type dither matrix.
On the order hand, the above-mentioned line screen type dither matrix has the following advantages. In the dot concentration type, in the prior art, a cyclic structure of growth center should be an approximately square. Therefore, merely a small degree of freedom is allowed for the number of screen lines and a screen angle in the dither matrix. In contract thereto, in the line screen type, there occurs no difference even in a case where the cyclic structure of a growth center is a rectangle or a parallelogram from a case where it is a square. Accordingly, it is possible to apply variable combinations of the number of screen lines and a screen angle, i.e., it is possible to increase a selection freedom in this term.
The line screen type dither matrix has advantages also in a case where a plurality of color images are superposed together to form an image such as a color image. When different color images are superposed together, an interference pattern called 'color moiré' may appear. In order to solve this problem, the screen angles may be set to be mutually different between the different color screens. In a full-color image, it is required to set a screen angle for each of C (cyan), M (magenta), Y (yellow) and K (black) separately, and it is required to make a setting such that an angle difference therebetween is made as wide as possible, in terms of reduction of the color moiré. In this case, in the line screen type dither matrix, it is possible to set direction axes of these four colors, i.e., CMYK in a range of 180 degrees. Thus, it is possible to make a setting to achieve a wider angle difference between the respective screens of the colors CMYK, in comparison to the case of applying the dot concentration type dither matrix in the prior art. As a result, it is possible to produce an image with a reduced color moiré, easily with the use of the line screen type dither matrix. However, in the case of the line screen type dither matrix, an area where dots are overlapped is smaller than that in the case of the dot concentration type dir matrix. Accordingly, the dot concentration type dither matrix is still advantageous in terms of providing an image of superior tone characteristics.
The Bayer type dither matrix is a dither matrix opposite to the dot concentration type dither matrix, and is a dither matrix for disposing particular dots in a scattering manner as much as possible. Thereby, this type of dither matrix has a function of maintaining a resolution at a high level, while having a demerit that tone reproducibility may not be sufficient. In an earlier or traditional image forming apparatus having a low resolution (up to 300 dpi), the Bayer type dither matrix was used since the resolution can be maintained. However, recently, a resolution of an image forming apparatus is increased (up to 600 dpi, or 1200 dpi) originally, and as a result, it is not necessarily required to maintain a resolution at a high level. Thus, this type dither matrix may not be up-to-date one recently.
As a conventional method for producing such a dither matrix, a binarization pattern producing method may be cited and the method has a basic pattern shape producing step of producing basic pattern shape of a binarization pattern; a turn-on order determination step of determining a turn-on order of pixels configuring the basic pattern; and a rectangular pattern producing step of producing a rectangular pattern, functioning as the binarization pattern, based on the basic patterns (see Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2003-163806, for example).
In the basic matrix shape producing method disclosed by Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2003-163806, although the requirement that basic matrix shape is cyclically disposed is fulfilled, the following problem may occur. That is, according to this prior art, there may occur a case where a growth center position which is a central position of the basic matrix does not coincide with a central position of a pixel. Accordingly, in response to the basic matrix shape selected, the basic matrix central position may vary among four types. Since the basic matrix central position thus may vary, there may occur a problematic situation in which, if a common growth rule is applied to determine a pixel growth order in the basic matrix, a growth order in a halftone dot may not agree with each other. This means that, when the basic matrix shape is changed, such a change is required for changing the number of screen lines or a screen angle of the dither matrix, the dither matrix may be produced in which halftone dots have different growth orders simultaneously.
Furthermore, according to the method of Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2003-163806, it is not possible to determine a growth order only based on a pixel arrangement in the basic matrix. That is, in this prior art, when any pixel within the basic matrix is set as a growth center, a pixel which is located away from this growth center within the relevant basic matrix may be located near a growth center of another basic matrix (the growth center other than the relevant growth center). In such a case, it is not possible to determine the growth order only from information concerning a distance from the growth center of the relevant basic matrix.
Furthermore, the method of Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2003-163806 may not positively avoid the problematic situation in which a pixel located away from a growth center of a relevant basic matrix is located rather near a growth center of another basic matrix, i.e., the growth center other than the relevant growth center. Therefore, the above-mentioned problem may occur in which the selected basic matrix shape may not compatible with the dot concentration type growth order.
As another example, a dither matrix producing method in which a dither matrix is produced based on screen lines employs a dither matrix setting unit determining a core of a dot producing a screen line, a shape of the dot core changing according to a tone level, and a screen angle; and a dot core arrangement producing unit producing a disposing order of the dot cores of a dither matrix in a form of a blue noise mask (see Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2003-259118, for example).
Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2003-259118 mentioned above discloses a method for ranking of basic matrixes themselves, but does not disclose a method for determining the basic matrix shape itself. Further, this prior art document merely mentions, for a pixel growth order within the basic matrix, 'to spread it from the center'.
As further another example, an image forming apparatus includes a storing unit to store a matrix shift vector indicating a shift direction and a shift amount of a dither matrix as a parameter prescribing the dither matrix; and a processing matrix element calculating unit to obtain matrix elements used for processing a pixel to be processed based on the matrix shift vector and a position of the above-mentioned pixel to be processed (see Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2003-134337, for example).
According to Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2003-134337 mentioned above, a basic matrix shape (a shape of one cycle of a dither matrix), i.e., an area representing a collection of pixels belonging to one growth center is expressed as a collection of pixels belonging to two rectangles. A basic matrix shape may be preferably expressed by such two rectangles for the purpose of expressing the basic matrix shape in a visually easily understandable manner. However, if this method in the prior art is applied for producing the dot concentration type dither matrix, the following problem may occur. That is, it is not possible to determine a growth order only according to a pixel arrangement within a relevant basic matrix. That is, when any pixel within the basic matrix is set as a growth center (i.e., a pixel acting as a center of dot concentration type dither), a pixel located away from this growth center in the relevant basic matrix may be located rather near a growth center of another basic matrix, i.e., the growth center other than the relevant growth center. In such a case, it is not possible to determine the growth order only according to the information of a distance from the growth center of the relevant the basic matrix.
As to a growth order within a basic matrix, Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2003-259118 mentioned above discloses 'to spread it from the center', while Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2003-134337 mentioned above discloses 'a manner such that a length of a boundary contour may become minimum'. However, there is no disclosure in these prior art documents for a specific algorithm for achieving such a manner of growth order. In particular, there is no idea disclosed as how to order pixels having an equal distance from a growth center. Therefore, this matter may become a problem when a computer program is actually produced for desired number of screen lines and screen angle.

Dither matrix producing method and apparatus, image processing method and apparatus, image forming method and apparatus, program and recording medium


The present invention provides an identification device, and a method of use therefor. The identification device comprises a label holder, at least one label, and a strap or adhesive bond to secure the label holder to a storage container. The label holder preferably has a box frame and a slot therein. A slot entrance aperture allows the insertion of the label or labels into the slot. A window in an exterior wall of the label holder provides visual access to at least a portion of the information on the label. Each of the labels has a tab extending outwardly from the slot entrance aperture as well as printed information on at least one side of the label concerning the age of, the nature of, and the approximate amount of the contents of the storage container. In its preferred mode, the identification device also includes an indicator. The indicator preferably is attached to the box frame by an oval shaft that fits into a hole with a plurality of detents. The indicator is positionable at each one of a plurality of orientations to represent varying approximate levels of the contents as indicated on the label.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to container labels, and more particularly to a label holder capable of attachment to a container and of identifying various properties of the contents within a storage container.
2. Description of Related Art
Containers are used for storage of foodstuffs, hardware, clothing, and a wide range of products. Many containers are disposed of when the contents are used up. Other storage containers are reused and refilled. It is often desirable to know what is stored in a given container and how much of the contents is left in the container, assuming that the contents are used-up at a slow rate, as in breakfast cereal, flour, sugar and other foodstuff commodities. Many containers are available commercially for storage of foodstuffs. Paper and plastic sacks, cans, jars, and glassware are all available for holding and storing such products. These containers however, suffer from the common fault of being difficult to use in that they do not allow one to know the nature of the contents and how much is left in the container without opening the container and inspecting it, and visual inspection may not provide enough information. This is problematic in itself in that opening the container allows air and moisture to enter the container and may hasten spoilage.
An example of this is when a gourmet coffee drinker has several containers of different blends of coffee--they all look very similar if not identical. For instance, it is not possible to tell what blend of coffee is inside a container, or whether it is decaffeinated, and when it was purchased. This kind of information is obviously quite important to many products especially for foods.
The following art defines the present state of this field:
Bredemeier, U.S. Pat. No. 1,649,442 describes a means of labeling containers. It is the object of the invention to enable a housekeeper to utilize containers, such for example as those in which coffee is packed and sold to the consumer, as jars or receptacles for a variety of food products, and to conveniently affix various labels to such containers on defined spaces on the exterior of the same so that a plurality of such containers may be accumulated by a housekeeper for storing various kinds of foods in a neat, orderly and attractive manner.
Keller, U.S. Pat. No. 2,844,893 describes containers such as bottles or prescription vials commonly used by pharmacists to contain prescribed medicines and where it is necessary to individually label each bottle. The object is to provide a container to which the label may be attached without glue and wherein the label is covered by a transparent protective member.
Weiss, U.S. Pat. No. 3,803,738 describes a readily attachable and changeable outdoor advertising sign and a complemental relatively stationary but portable support therefor. The sign comprises a metal picture-type frame. The inner perimeter surfaces of the frame members are E-shaped and provide inward and outward searing channels. The outward channel portions receive and retain the gasket-equipped sealing and weatherproofing edges of a transparent window while the inward channel portions sear and removably retain the marginal edges of a changeable sign, an attractive display-type placard. This composite eye appealing sign is removable but retentively housed and keyed in track portions of a receiver, more particularly, an oriented and coordinating receiver which is recessed in a vertical wall portion of a decorative-type outdoors support, more particularly, a solid waste container or receptacle. This receptacle is preferably of a type which lends itself to litter collecting use on city streets, in keeping with environmental services recommendations.
Ventimiglia et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,534,391 describes a one-piece plastic insulated beverage receptacle holder having longitudinal side panels, one of which is wider than the remainder and recessed to accommodate ad copy or the like.
Hosking, U.S. Pat. No. 4,877,119 describes an improved drinking-beaker assembly which serves as both a drinking vessel, especially the drinking of water in the course of a diet, and a device for determining the precise amount of liquid consumed. The assembly preferably includes a beaker, a snap-ring collar, indicia for the number of uses and indicia for the volume level within the beaker. The beaker has a base, a wall and an open top. Portions of the wall define an annular groove having an upper rib, a bright and a lower rib. The collar is snugly fitted within the groove for manual, axial rotation of the collar relative to the beaker. The collar further includes a window which is aligned with the use indicia to sequentially indicate the number of consumptive uses of the assembly. The user may fill the beaker to the level of the volume indicia, consume the liquid from the beaker and then rotate the collar with respect to the beaker so that the window exclusively displays
Allegre, U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,096 describes a sleeve for placement around a container that utilizes a single continuous sheet of plastic which is folded into an enclosed shape having a front side, a back side and an overlapping section extending over the front side to form a sleeve body. This enclosed shape is held together by welds formed through adjacent edges of the front and back sides and the overlapping section. At least one precut is formed in the overlapping section. This precut extends parallel to the welds to allow for detachment of a portion of the overlapping section such that the front side is visible. Information can be printed both on the overlapping section and on the front and back sides, so that the sleeve of the invention has a larger surface area for printing than conventional sleeves which include only front and back portions.
In the prior art, additional information about the product is usually written on a plain adhesive label which is applied to the storage container. However, in a storage container that is used again and again for different products or event the same product but with different storage dates, this method is not only inflexible, it is also not visually pleasing, i.e., with label removal remnants, plural label stacking and so on.
The prior art teaches transparent as well as non-transparent containers and adhesive labels. However, the prior art does not teach an apparatus that provides all of the required information about the contents of the container in a visually pleasing fashion. The prior art also does not provide an easy way to change the information to reflect the amount of contents left in the storage container and the nature of the contents when, for instance, a new blend of coffee is being tried. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary.

Contents identification device for a container


A communications network includes a central communication unit, an optical transport medium, and a plurality of remote radio base stations. The central communication unit generates, within a selected millimeter-wave frequency band, a plurality of adjacent two-tone optical frequency conjugate pairs. Each conjugate pair includes a first optical tone carrying a modulated data signal, and a second optical tone carrying a reference local oscillator signal. The optical transport medium transports the plurality of two-tone conjugate pairs to the plurality of radio base stations, and each base station receives at least one conjugate pair at an optical front end thereof. The optical front end separates the first optical tone from the second optical tone, and converts the first optical tone into a millimeter-wave radio frequency electrical signal. The base station further includes a radio antenna system for wirelessly transmitting the millimeter-wave radio frequency electrical signal to at least one wireless receiving device.

The field of the disclosure relates generally to communication networks, and more particularly, to communication networks implementing millimeter wave transmissions.
Conventional communication systems include wired networks (e.g., cable, fiber optic, hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC), etc.) and wireless technologies (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Long Term Evolution (LTE), etc.). Some HFC networks include Wi-Fi and/or small cell LTE base stations within the communication system of the network. However, demand for greater wireless data traffic from cell installations has been increasing at an explosive rate. Accordingly, global mobile data traffic is planned to rapidly scale up in the near future, in response to the recent and ongoing deployment of 5G wireless technology, virtual-reality/augmented-reality enhanced entertainment, and self-driving automobiles. To accommodate the huge capacity requirements for this growing demand, millimeter-wave technologies (sometimes referred to as "mmWave" or "mmW") have been proposed to enable the release a large and significant amount of bandwidth from the wireless spectrum.
That is, microwave and/or millimeter wave technologies have been recognized as a promising solution for high-speed and cost-effective wireless backhaul and relay links in a communications network. In particular, the present evolution from 4G mobile communications to 5G mobile communications has led to a number of proposals to implement millimeter wave technologies into new roles and application scenarios, with many major telecommunication operators and hardware providers developing field trials of 5G communications over millimeter wave bands. The United States Federal Communication Commission (FCC) has also recently announced a 5G FAST plan, and auctions for frequency bands within the 24 GHz and 28 GHz radio frequency (RF) spectra have already begun.
However, the development of many new use cases for the 5G paradigm has also generated a number of significant challenges with respect to network densification and small cells. That is, to realize the higher data rates and area traffic capacities promised by 5G, operators have had to deploy significantly denser network topologies using small cells, in comparison with conventional communication systems that transmit over lower frequency bands (e.g., under 6 GHz). That is, for signal coverage comparable to existing lower-frequency RF systems, mmWave systems require significantly more cells within the same service area. The coverage areas of small cells are typically roughly circular, and for this reason individual small cell base stations must be densely packed within the coverage area to avoid gaps between adjacent small cell coverage areas. Increased cell density therefore creates significant hardware and labor costs to deploy and maintain so many additional stations.
This increase in cell density also gives rise to an additional problem, namely cell edge interference. Each operating cell has a cell edge to its transmission range. With so many more cells densely operating within the same coverage area, the likelihood that an end user is located at a cell edge increases exponentially, thereby requiring a commensurate increase in strategies for interference mitigation and management, which will still further increase the necessary infrastructure and operation expenditures.
Another challenge to realizing a much larger-scale deployment of mmWave transmission systems arises not only from the additional quantity of hardware deployed and operated, but also from the required increase to the quality of the hardware components that operate at the higher frequency bands. More particularly, devices that operate at higher frequencies are typically required to be manufactured according to much stricter tolerances, such as higher precision, clock accuracy, and misalignment tolerance, all of which increase the fabrication cost well beyond that typically required for conventional, lower-frequency systems. Additionally, mmWave propagation loss is generally much larger than the propagation loss seen by conventional centimeter-wave systems. The higher the propagation loss in the system, the higher the required transmitter power and receiver sensitivity to compensate for this additional loss, thereby still further adding the system cost in terms of energy consumption and antenna design.
Accordingly, there is desire in the industry for cable operators to further improve the signal coverage and quality of service by adopting mmWave technologies within both existing and future communication network infrastructures and paradigms, but without experiencing the prohibitive cost, resource, and interference limitations faced by conventional mmWave implementation proposals.

Photonics assisted millimeter-wave systems and methods


A tarp covering system for an open top container of a vehicle includes a pair arms assemblies stowed beneath the base of the container during travel and extendable and pivotal in a semi circular path for covering and uncovering the container.

Conventional tarp covering systems for trucks include a pair of pivoting arms on opposed sides of an open top container that rotate between a retracted, stowed position in front of the container to an extended unfurled position at the rear wherein the tarp or flexible cover covers the container. The arms project laterally from the sides of the container and increase the overall width of the vehicle. The actuators are generally hydraulic cylinders located outboard of the container and pivot the arms about a fixed shafts. Because of the operating environment for such vehicles, the outboard locations of such components are prone to impact damage. Moreover, in certain jurisdictions, regulations limit vehicle width and accordingly it would be desirable to provide a tarp covering system affording the benefits of current system while complying with applicable restrictions. Examples of such systems include U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,955 to Searfoss, U.S. Pat. No. 4,874,196 to Goldstein, U.S. Pat. No. 4,516,802 to Compton, U.S. Pat. No. 5,058,956 to Godwin, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,698 to Cohrs. These systems employ pivoting arms mounted on laterally fixed pivots and accordingly are substantially wider than the container.
Partially laterally retractable pivoting arms have been proposed as disclosed in European Patent 0 581 512 A1. The pivoting arms are laterally retracted by hydraulic cylinders in the forward and rearward positions. While presenting a narrower width than the fixed pivot arms, the arms remain laterally exterior of the container adding to the overall transit width of the vehicle, and if subject to width regulation reduce the width of allowable containers.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a load covering system for open top containers wherein the pivoting arms for deploying the flexible cover reside laterally interior of the sides of the container during travel. A further object is to provide a load covering system wherein the actuators for the arms are located laterally within the sidewalls of the container.
The foregoing object is accomplished in the present invention by pivoting arms mounted on cantilevered rotating shafts that may be laterally retracted and parked beneath the container in both the extended and retracted positions so as not to increase vehicle width during travel and to protect the actuators from damage during transit and operation. According to the invention, a tarp assembly for covering an open top container of a truck, comprises a pair of articulating arm assemblies including lower arms pivotally connected at outer ends to the inner ends of upper arms, said lower arms pivotally connected at lower ends on opposed lateral sides of the container and rotationally mounted adjacent the base of the container about midway along the length of the container; a lateral actuator means for shifting the arm assemblies between a normal retracted position inwardly of the sides of the container and an extended position outwardly of the sides of the container, the lower arms located beneath said container in said retracted position, the upper arms located adjacent an end wall of the container in said retracted position; a retractable flexible cover transversely carried at one end to the outer ends of the arm assembly and connected adjacent the front end of the container at the other end; a rotary actuator for rotating the arm assemblies in said extended positions between forward position wherein said cover is stowed forward of the container and a rearward position wherein said cover overlies the container; and linear actuators connected between said upper arms and said lower arms for varying the angularity therebetween during movement between the forward position and the rearward position.
In another embodiment, particularly suited for container and truck configurations where there are limited mounting locations at the longitudinal center of the chassis, the pivoting arm assemblies are mounted on laterally telescoping rotary actuators, the arm assemblies including telescoping including upper and lower arm sections coupled with linear hydraulic cylinders for extension or retraction, the arrangement allowing the arm assemblies to rotate 180° in the laterally extended position whereby the container cover may be deployed over the open container top, and parked beneath and inward of the container. The arm assemblies are directly rotated from the cantilevered shafts on rotary actuators mounted on the chassis, inwardly of the normal location of prior art actuating systems and within the lateral confines of and beneath the container.


The construction of a shoe which includes shock attenuating members in the forefoot and heel thereof. The shock attenuating members in the heel of the shoe are in the form of a pair of vertically spaced, resilient cantilevered members, each of which comprises a substantially U-shaped air chamber having a load alignment surface for centering loads at heal strike while concurrently transferring peak loads to the outer perimeter of the cantilevered shock attenuating members. The forefoot shock attenuating member comprises a plurality of segmented air chambers in a planar relationship with each other disposed between the midsole and outsole at the forefoot thereof to properly balance and stabilize loads during running and concurrently maximize durability, cushioning and comfort.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to footwear and, more particularly to footwear having shock attenuating members incorporated at the heel and forefoot thereof.
2. Prior Art
During the conduct of athletic activities such as running, basketball and tennis, substantial shock forces are imposed upon the user's foot. The shock forces are transmitted through the user's shoes to the user's foot each time the shoe comes in contact with the ground or surface over which the surface moves. Over time, the shock imposed upon the user can result in discomfort, fatigue and possible injury.
The terms "shock attenuation" and "energy absorption" are often used without delineating the difference. While both effects relate to the independent responses of a midsole's response to the force of impact, the term "impact response" more properly describes the response of a midsole to both effects. A desirable midsole, therefore, is one in which the impact response contains the appropriate balance of shock attenuation and energy absorption.
The prior art discloses a variety of shoe designs which employ cushioned soles to absorb at least a portion of the shock and thereby alleviate the problems. However, it has long been understood that the employment of cushioned soles must be as part of a structural environment which avoids destabilizing the user's foot while maintaining a firm platform for the user.
To attenuate force resulting from heel and forefoot contact, shoes were designed which focused attention upon cushioning. To this end, some designs disclosed by the prior art merely increase the thickness of the midsole. Other designs incorporate cushioning elements intended to provide enhanced cushioning effects. As an example, resilient, inflated bladders were used as midsole inserts. These designs do not resolve the major problem resulting from the shock produced by heel contact. The present invention resolves these problems through the use of cantilevered, shock attenuating members mounted at the heels of the shoe.
One of the shoe designs disclosed by the prior art employs replaceable, compressible shock absorbers at the heel and forefoot of the shoe. In this construction, the compressible members are replaceable. As a result, the shock absorbing members do not extend fully across the heel or forefoot. To the contrary, the shock absorbing members are disposed within receiving, aligned apertures in the midsole and outsole. The disadvantages of this design are the result of its inability to fully respond to the shock of heel and forefoot contact. The present invention resolves these problems by providing for cantilevered, shock attenuating members mounted across the full extent of the heel. The cantilevered members include opposing load alignment surfaces which stabilize the shoe by centering the load on heel contact and transferring peak loads to the periphery thereof.
Other designs disclosed by the prior art disclose compressible shock absorbing members at both the heel and forefoot of the shoe. However, the shoe constructions disclosed by the prior art exhibit substantially uniform impact response across the entire width of the heel and forefoot. This results in improper balance and stabilization of the force imposed on the shoe. This inadequacy is resolved by the present invention shoe construction.
The present invention substantially resolves the problems inherent in those designs disclosed in the prior art. The present invention employs shock attenuating members disposed at both the heel and forefoot of the shoe. The shock attenuating members disposed in the heel comprise a pair of cantilevered air chambers which are vertically secured with relationship to each other. The upper air chamber includes a load alignment surface aligned along the longitudinal axis of the heel. The lower shock attenuating member employs an equivalent load alignment surface in opposed relationship to that of the upper shock attenuating member. The impact response of the two cantilevered attenuating members centers the shock associated with heel contact while distributing or otherwise transferring peak loads along the periphery thereof.

Shoe construction including pneumatic shock attenuation members


A circuit (1) for monitoring the statexe2x80x94open or closedxe2x80x94of an ac switch (2) has an input (4) which is connected by way of a diode (9) and a first resistor (10) to a high-ohmic input (11) of a first digital component (12). One terminal of the ac switch (2) is connected to the phase (P) of a mains voltage (UPN), while the other terminal is connected to the input (4) of the circuit (1). The high-ohmic input (11) of the first digital component (12) is connected by way of a second resistor (13) to an output (14) of a second digital component (15). In accordance with a predetermined time lapse, the output (14) of the second digital component (15) is either connected to the neutral point (N) of the mains voltage (UPN) or carries a voltage which is greater than the threshold voltage (US) of the input (11) of the first digital component (12).

The invention concerns a circuit for monitoring the state (open or closed) of an ac switch.
Switches are used for example in devices for controlling and monitoring the burner and the ignition device of oil-fired and gas-fired systems and for monitoring switches for control members such as fuel valves and air flaps, wherein a microprocessor evaluates the items of information supplied by way of mains voltage-carrying signalling lines and produces suitable control commands. Particularly in regard to the safety aspect which is required in the start-up procedure and in operation of oil and gas burners, the switch-off capability of the switch devices which switch loads which are critical in terms of safety (such as for example a fuel valve) has to be frequently checked in order to be able to detect a malfunction of the switch device before a danger situation arises.
German patent specification No 30 44 047 and German patent specification No 30 41 521 C2 disclose a control arrangement for oil burners, in which items of information about the switching states of relay and sensor contacts are transmitted to a microprocessor by means of amplifiers. The switching states of the relay contacts are supplied by way of mains voltage-carrying signalling lines to respective amplifiers each of which is connected on its output side to an input of the microprocessor so that the latter must have a number of inputs corresponding to the number of amplifiers. Separating members such as for example optocouplers or transformers are used for the galvanic separation of the signalling lines and the microprocessor. In that arrangement, there is one separating member per signal voltage. The microprocessor is programmed to implement a number of checking operations to ascertain whether a system with switched loads is actually passing through a switch-on phase in the correct fashion. For that purpose signals are read in by the microprocessor and compared to reference values. In the event of a defective load state, the microprocessor switches the loads off.
In addition, in an arrangement known from German laid-open application (DE-OS) No 41 37 204 for monitoring ac switches, mains voltage-carrying signalling lines are connected by way of optocouplers to an interrogation unit of an ac voltage detector. In that arrangement the signalling lines are connected to the optocouplers by way of respective low pass members each comprising a resistor and a capacitor connected in series therewith. The switching states of the ac switches are interrogated by way of the signalling lines, and stored. In an evaluation unit connected downstream of the interrogation unit, the switching states are compared to a reference statexe2x80x94open or closedxe2x80x94and in accordance therewith the switch state signal is formed, which contains at least one item of informationxe2x80x94error or no errorxe2x80x94overall for all ac switches involved. It is not possible to ascertain from the switch state signal which ac switch can no longer be switched off if need be, so that a simple display for diagnosis purposes is not possible.
European patents EP 660 043 and 660 044 also disclose circuits for monitoring ac switches. Those circuits however cannot be checked in a continuous mode in respect of the correct operability of their components which are relevant in terms of safety.
The object of the invention is to provide a circuit for monitoring an ac switch, with which a load can be switched to a mains voltage, which can be fed opposite the neutral point of the mains voltage and whose components which are relevant in terms of safety can be checked in a continuous mode of operation of the circuit at any time for correct operability thereof.
The invention provides a circuit for monitoring the statexe2x80x94open or closedxe2x80x94of an ac switch of which a first terminal is connected to a phase of a mains voltage, the circuit comprising:
an input which is connectable to a second terminal of the ac switch; and
first and second digital components;
wherein the input is connected by way of a diode and a first resistor to a high-ohmic input of the first digital component;
the high-ohmic input of the first digital component is connected by way of a second resistor to an output of the second digital component; and
in accordance with a predetermined time lapse, the output of the second digital component either is arranged to be connected to a neutral point of the mains voltage or carries a voltage which is greater than a threshold voltage of the input of the first digital component so that from the signal at an output, associated with the input, of the first digital component it is possible to deduce whether the ac switch is closed and the diode and the second resistor are intact or whether the ac switch is open.

Circuit for monitoring an alternative current power switch


Disclosed is an apparatus for adjusting the height of an armrest, capable of adjusting the heights of the arm rests arranged at the left and right sides of a driver's seat, respectively, in the vertical direction according to the physical condition of the driver. According to the present invention, the apparatus for adjusting the heights of the armrests arranged at the left and right sides of the driver's seat of a construction machine, respectively, comprises: an inner rail which is mounted on the driver's seat and in which joint protrusions are formed on a guide rail unit such that the joint protrusions maintain equal spacing in the vertical direction; an outer rail which is coupled to the inner rail such that the outer rail is slidable in the vertical direction, and which is mounted on the side surfaces of the armrests; a locker which is rotatably mounted on the outer surface of the outer rail, and which has, at the lower end thereof, locking grooves into which the joint protrusions are to be fitted; an adjustment lever which is fixed at the locker, and which presses a handle unit so as to enable the joint protrusions to be withdrawn from the locking grooves when the locker rotates about a fixing pin; and a connection member for connecting the lower end of the locker to the lower end of the outer rail.

As shown in FIG. 1, manipulation levers (i.e., RCV levers) 1 and 2 for controlling an attachment such as a boom are respectively mounted on console boxes 4 and 5 disposed on the left and right sides of an operator's seat 3, and armrests 6 and 7 are respectively mounted on the left and right sides of the operator's seat 3 so that the operator can put his or her arms on the armrests during a long time work through the manipulation of the manipulation levers 1 and 2.
In this case, the armrests 6 and 7 are integrally fixed to both sides of the operator's seat 3 by means of a bolt or the like, which makes it impossible to adjust the vertical movement of the armrests 6 and 7. On the other hand, since the armrests 6 and 7 can be rotated vertically, it can be rotated toward the operator's seat 3.
Thus, in the case where the manipulation levers 1 and 2 are manipulated to perform a long time work, the operator' arms are put on the armrests 6 and 7 in a non-close contact manner, thereby causing a problem in that the operator's fatigue is aggravated.
Further, the conventional armrests entail a problem in that the height of the armrests 6 and 7 are required to be adjusted depending on the operator's various physical conditions and the vertical movement of the armrests 6 and 7 integrally fixed to the operator's seat 3 cannot be adjusted, thereby deteriorating user reliability of the construction machine.

Apparatus for adjusting height of armrest of construction machine


The present invention is directed to an improved pair of socks providing comfortable wear and enhanced sortability characteristics. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a pair of socks is provided, wherein each sock further comprises a toe, an open end opposite to toe, and a heal portion formed between the toe and the open end. A colored identifying portion is disposed between the toe and the heal, wherein the color of the colored identifying portion is different than the color of the remaining foot portion of the sock. In addition, the invention includes an elastic band disposed between the toe and the heal, and extending at least part way around the foot portion of the sock. In the preferred embodiment, the elastic band is disposed at substantially the midpoint of the sock between the heal and the toe, and extends approximately halfway around the sock, over the top portion thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to hosiery or leg apparel, and more particularly to socks or hosiery having indicia for identifying the color or other characteristic of the socks.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
The problem of sorting or other hosiery is well known. For example, in a family having several people including children, a relatively large number of socks may be washed in a single load of laundry. Furthermore, often several loads of laundry may be washed and dried before sorting the clothing to stow away. Often it is desired particularly when sorting laundry for multiple persons, to be able to match and sort socks in pairs. Unless the socks come with a preprinted pattern, the sorting process is often difficult. In similar fashion, it is common practice for people, especially children, to have a relatively large number of pairs of socks kept in a single drawer, in unsorted fashion. As noted above, it is often difficult to sort out a matching pair of socks without spending an excessive amount of time searching. This problem is compounded where there are more than one person's socks kept in a single drawer. Accordingly, it is desired to provide a sock having some type of marking indicia to help the sorting process, or otherwise facilitate the matching of mating pairs of socks.
One example as is known in the prior art is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,958,388. This patent discloses socks having size indicating stripes at the calf end of the stock. One stripe, for example, may indicate a short length sock, two stripes may indicate a medium length stock, and three stripes may indicate a full length sock.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,734,938 to Anderson discloses a sock having identifying markings near the toe of the sock. As disclosed, this identifying marking may comprise a word, symbol or other description to identify the color of the sock, which may be particularly useful in poorly illuminated conditions. For example, when a person needs to find a matching pair of socks in a dimly lit room.
A disadvantage of the prior art, as particularly illustrated by the '388 patent, is that it is often desired not to have visible indicia (such as colored stripes). Therefore, the '388 patent having stripes near the calf end of the sock, results in visible (assuming the person is not wearing long pants) indicia on the sock.
Another shortcoming noted in the prior art relates to the tendency of socks to often slide off the foot of the person who is wearing them. Particularly, with children, socks often tend to slide off the feet, causing aggravation to the child and, often, lost socks.
Accordingly, what is desired is a sock having improved sorting characteristics and improved ability to remain on a foot.

Sock having improved sorting characteristics


An apparatus and method are described for treating one or more yarn strands before or after the strand is dyed. The apparatus preferably includes a modified space dyeing apparatus having a dye applicator modified to be used as a treatment composition applicator for treating a yarn strand. The apparatus enables a high speed yarn dyeing and treatment method. Also described is a method and composition for treating yarn with a polyphenolic derivative composition to form a bleach-resistant yarn.

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for dyeing yarn and treating the dyed yarn. The present invention further relates to a textile substrate containing dyed and treated fibers.
Various methods and machines have been developed for dyeing yarn. Machines for applying multiple dyes to a yarn strand are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,491,858 and 5,557,953 to Massotte et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,891,201 to Enderlin et al., which are herein incorporated by reference in their entireties. Each of these patents provides a method of dyeing yarn strands with different dye colors during a single process wherein the yarn strand does not need to be wound and unwound between different dyeing steps. The yarns obtained by treatment according to the methods and apparatus described in the aforementioned patents have conventionally been wound onto a spool, core, mandrel, or the like. If the yarn is to be subsequently treated, the yarn is unwound and either treated by a treatment apparatus, or formed into a textile product which can then be treated.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,594,968 to Haselwander et al. relates to a method and apparatus for dyeing yarn to obtain substantially random variations of dye along the length of yarn strands, and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The patent further relates to a method and apparatus for applying dyes of different colors to moving yarn strands while varying the amount of each dye color applied to the yarn so that the length of each dye color or dye spot on the yarn and the location of the dye spot on the yarn may be varied, preferably in a practically random pattern of practically unlimited pattern length or repeat.
Yarns produced according to the methods and apparatus described in the patent are known as space dyed yarns and find utility in certain carpets designed for a multi-color effect. Multi-colored carpets having no visible color patterns are desirable for certain carpet stylings. When yarns made according to the methods of U.S. Pat. No. 5,594,968 and other types of dyed yarns are formed into a carpet, the resulting carpet is often treated with a bleach-resistant composition. Unfortunately, a long lasting and complete bleach-resistant treatment is difficult to achieve on carpets due to the inability of the treatment composition to penetrate deeply and protect the entire carpet pile. Also, many carpets use dyed yarns in combination with solution dyed fibers to form various patterns. Some carpets can contain from 50% to 99% solution dyed fibers. However, while solution dyed fibers are bleach-resistant, dyed yarns are not and need to be treated. Thus, even if a carpet contains a small amount of dyed yarn, the entire carpet will be treated with chemicals even though only a portion of the carpet only really needs to be treated. Thus, a lot of treatment is unnecessary and wasteful. Accordingly, it would be desirable to treat yarns with bleach-resistant or other chemical treatments prior to forming the yarns into a finished product, such as a carpet.
It would be also desirable to provide a method of treating dyed yarns which provides a treatment step in-line with a dyeing step such that a yarn can be dyed and subsequently treated in a single operation without the need to collect the yarn between the dyeing and treating processes.
It would be also desirable to provide an apparatus for carrying out a method of dyeing and treating a yarn strand in a single continuous operation.
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for chemically treating a dyed yarn at substantially the same time the yarn is dyed. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for space dyeing and substantially simultaneously treating a yarn strand by utilizing an apparatus having a treatment station located substantially adjacent, and preferably immediately downstream from a yarn dyeing station so that yarn can be treated, for example, for bleach-resistance, immediately before or after the yarn is dyed. According to the present method, there is no need to wind and then unwind a dyed yarn after dyeing in order to treat the yarn with a treatment composition, such as, but not limited to, a bleach-resistant composition, a stain-resistant composition, a microbicidal composition, a hydrophobic repellent composition, or the like.
The present invention also relates to a method of treating yarn for bleach-resistance by contacting the yarn with a polyphenolic derivative bleach-resistant composition. More particular, the present invention relates to a method of treating a continuous strand of yarn with a polyphenolic derivative bleach-resistant composition immediately before or after dyeing or space dyeing the continuous strand.
The present invention also relates to an apparatus for dyeing and chemically treating yarn. The apparatus has a yarn supplying device, a treated yarn collection device, at least one yarn dyeing station located between the yarn supplying device and the yarn collection device, and at least one yarn treatment station located between the yarn supplying station and the yarn collection device, either upstream or downstream, but preferably immediately adjacent, the yarn dyeing station. Yarn which is dyed and chemically treated by the apparatus of the present invention is passed from an upstream location at the yarn supplying device to a downstream location at the yarn collection device. According to a preferred embodiment, yarn passes in-line from the yarn supplying device downstream to at least one yarn dyeing station, and further downstream from the at least one yarn dyeing station to the at least one yarn treatment station. Yarn treated in the at least one yarn treatment station passes downstream to the yarn collection device. The yarn dyeing station(s) and yarn treatment station(s) respectively dye and chemically treat one or more strands of yarn as it travels from the yarn supplying device to the yarn collection device at preferably a continuous rate of travel, preferably at a rate of about 1000 feet per minute (fpm) or greater. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the yarn treatment station chemically coats or otherwise chemically treats the dyed yarn with, a treatment composition substantially immediately after the yarn has been dyed with one or more dyes at the yarn dyeing station(s).
The present invention further relates to a textile substrate comprising a primary backing with textile fibers extending upwardly from the backing and forming a surface and a secondary backing fastened to the opposite side of the primary backing. The textile fibers comprise dyed and chemically treated fibers as well as textile fibers which have not been chemically treated.
The present invention, in addition, relates to a textile substrate comprising a primary backing with textile fibers extending upwardly from the backing and forming a surface and a secondary backing fastened to the opposite side of the primary backing, wherein at least a portion of the textile fibers are individually dyed and chemically treated such that these individual fibers are uniformly and completely chemically treated.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the present invention. The objectives and other advantages of the present invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the written description including the appended claims.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are intended to provide further explanation of the present invention, as claimed.
The present invention relates to methods of dyeing and chemically treating textile fibers individually and further relates to textile substrates which contain these textile fibers alone or with other textile fibers. For purposes of the present invention, the textile substrate is preferable a broadloom carpet, modular tile, or a wide rolled carpet (e.g., 6 feet). The textile substrate comprises textile fibers defining a fibrous phase, a primary backing to which the textile fibers are secured, and a secondary backing secured to the primary backing. For purposes of the present invention, the term xe2x80x9ctextile substratexe2x80x9d relates to, but is not limited to, a fiber, web, yam, thread, sliver, woven fabric, knitted fabric, non-woven fabric, upholstery fabric, tufted carpet, and piled carpet formed, from natural and/or synthetic fibers. For purposes of the present invention, the term xe2x80x9cfiberxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cyamxe2x80x9d are used interchangeable and are textile fibers which can be natural or synthetic and which can form a part of the textile substrate. Any conventional natural or synthetic fiber can be used for purposes of the present invention as long as such fiber is capable of being dyed and/or chemically treated as described herein.
In more detail, the present invention relates to a method of treating a yarn strand which includes dyeing at least a portion or segment of the strand by contacting the strand with dye supplied from, a first dye applicator. The portion or segment is also treated before or after dyeing the portion or segment with a treatment composition supplied from a first treatment applicator. The treatment composition can be applied to the portion or segment of the yam which has been dyed or can be applied to the entire length of the yarn after one or more dyes have been applied onto the yarn. Preferably, the treatment composition is applied only after the dyeing of the yarn by one or more dyeing stations is completed. The treatment composition may be a bleach-resistant composition, a stain-resistant composition, an anti-microbial composition, a hydrophobic repellent composition, or any other yarn treatment composition known to those of skill in the art. The treatment composition may be affixed or cured to the yarn strand after application such as by steam treatment, drying, or the like. The resulting yarn strand is a dyed and treated yarn strand.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a bleach resistant composition is applied to the yam strand. The bleach resistant composition may include a polyphenolic derivative composition, for example, a powdered polyphenolic derivative composition in solution, such as dissolved in an acidic aqueous solution.
The yarn strand may be dyed immediately before or after being treated with the treatment composition. If the treatment composition is a bleach-resistant composition, the yam strand is preferably dyed before being treated. If the treatment composition is a fixing agent or primer composition it may preferably be applied to the yarn strand before the strand is dyed. The yam strand may be dyed with two or more dyes supplied from two or more dye applicators, either before or after treating.
Preferably, the methods of the present invention enable a high speed dyeing and chemically treating of al yarn strand. The yarn strand preferably travels at a continuous rate between the dyeing and treating stations, and may travel at a rate of greater than about 100 fpm, for example, a rate of greater than about 1000 fpm, and more preferably at a rate of about 1500 fpm. Preferably, the yarn strand travels in a substantially linear direction from a dye applicator to a treatment applicator, or vice versa. Drying or fixing devices, for example, heating, drying, or steaming zones, are preferably provided immediately after each of the dyeing and treating stations.
The yarn treatment station(s) may be used to apply a treatment composition to the dyed yarn for the purpose of bleach-resistance, stain resistance, chemical repellency, and the like. Mixtures of various treatment chemicals can be used as long as they are compatible with each other. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method for treating yarn strands is provided which utilizes a modified version of the dyeing apparatus of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,491,858 or 5,594,968. The apparatus is modified such that at least one of the dye applicators is replaced with or equipped with a device, bath, or tub which applies a treatment composition to the yarn. The composition(s) is preferably applied after all dyeing of the yarn strand is complete, that is, downstream of all dye treatment stations of the apparatus.
Two or more dye applicators of a conventional yarn dyeing apparatus can be modified to provide either two different chemical treatments, or provide a repeat treatment of the same treatment compositions.
The present invention also provides a method of dyeing and treating yarns which utilizes an apparatus according to the present invention. According to preferred embodiments of the present invention, a method of treating dyed yarns such as, for bleach-resistance, is provided wherein an apparatus according to the present invention is utilized to apply a chemical composition, such as polyphenolic derivative bleach-resistant composition, to a yarn which can be subsequently formed into a chemically-resistant textile substrate, such as a carpet. The yarn to be treated can be dyed before entering the apparatus or can be dyed by the same apparatus. Also, the yarn can be treated without any dyeing of the yarn. Treating the dyed yarn in-line after dyeing and before the yarn is collected, wound, or otherwise taken-up enables a high speed process for dyeing and treating yarns, and enables a complete, thorough and integral treatment of yarns strands with the treatment composition.
According to the present invention, a conventional space dyeing machine can be modified such that one or more of the plurality of dye baths can be replace with or supplied with a treatment composition instead of a dye composition as required by the machine manufacturer. Heat, sonic energy, stirring means, or other methods and apparatus may be employed to heat, stir, or otherwise pre-treat the treatment composition before it is applied to the yarn.
As with the apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,491,858 and 5,594,968, more than one yarn strand can be simultaneously treated and optionally dyed according to the method of the present invention.
Preferably, regardless of the constituents of the treatment composition, the treatment composition is in the form of a solution that readily coats a yarn strand which contacts the solution. For treatment compositions comprising a powder material, it is preferable to dissolve the powder in a non-aqueous or aqueous solvent, for example, water, to form a treatment solution. In this respect, it is desirable to minimize precipitation or settling of the treatment composition in the solution, which can be accomplished, for instance, by adjusting the concentration of the treatment composition in the solution and/or by other factors including temperature and agitation.
According to the present invention, more that one treatment composition may be used to treat the yarn simultaneously. For example, if two or more treatment compositions are compatible with one another, they can be combined in a treatment applicator and be simultaneously applied to yarn strands treated with the applicator. If combined, it is preferable that the two or more different treatment compositions are not reactive with one another, and it is preferred that none of the treatment compositions inhibits a thorough or complete treatment of the yarn strand(s) with the remaining treatment composition(s)
The treatment composition preferably is characterized in that the composition readily wets-out on a yarn strand and forms a uniform coating on the strand. Preferably, the treatment composition is a quick-drying composition which dries within about 5.0 minutes, more preferably within 3.0 minutes, after being applied to the yarn when heated to about 300xc2x0 F. at a fixing, heating, or drying station. The apparatus of the present invention may be modified relative to a conventional space drying apparatus to provide a quick drying or high temperature station prior to the yarn collection device. The device may also be provided with one or more pre-treatment stations such as a ore-steamer or sparge steamer for preparing a yarn strand for a dyeing and/or treating process.
With respect to imparting bleach-resistance to the yarn, a polyphenolic derivative composition is preferably used. Preferably, the polyphenolic derivative composition has a non-ionic character, is readily soluble in water, and is substantially comparable with non-ionic agents, anionic agents, and acids exhibiting pH values as low as about 3.0. The composition is preferably a solution of polyphenolic derivative powder and an acetic aqueous solvent. Preferably, the concentration of the composition in the acetic aqueous solution is at a level low enough to maintain all of the composition dissolved within the solution. A more preferred composition is a solution of polyphenolic derivative powder in an acetic aqueous solution having a concentration of the powder of from about 2.0 to about 2.5% by weight based on the weight of the solution. A preferred polyphenolic derivative powder for use in a bleach-resistant treatment is FADEX(copyright) CLM available from Clariant Corporation, Charlotte, N.C. A solution of FADEX(copyright) CLM powder in an acidic aqueous solution having a concentration of the FADEX(copyright) CLM powder of from about 2.0% by weight to about 2.5% by weight based on the weight of the solution, and a solution pH of from about 4.0 to about 5.0 can be used. Acetic acid may be included in the solution to adjust the pH.
Preferably, a yarn strand is contacted with the solution for less than about 10 seconds after the yarn is dyed on the same apparatus, more preferably, less than about 3 seconds after the yarn strand is dyed on the same apparatus.
Other treatment compositions may be applied instead of, or together with, a bleach-resistant composition. A preferred anti-microbial composition which is compatible with the FADEX(copyright) CLM powder and can be applied from a common solution with the FADEX(copyright) CLM composition is MICROBAN biocide available from Microban Products Company, Huntersville, N.C. Other microbicidal compositions which may be employed according to the present invention include the antimicrobial additives described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,533,435, which is herein incorporated in its entirety by reference.
The present invention also relates to a method of making a bleach-resistant carpet, which includes contacting a yam strand with a treatment composition on a device according to the present invention, affixing the treatment composition to the yarn strand to form a treated yam; and forming the treated yarn into a carpet. In a preferred embodiment, the composition is a polyphenolic derivative bleach-resistant composition comprising a powder material dissolved in an acidic aqueous solution to form a bath which is applied to the yarn strand. The solution may have a pH of from about 3.0 to about 8.0, more preferably from about 4.0 to about 5.0. As with the application of other bleach resistant compositions, the yam strand is preferably dyed before it is contacted with the polyphenolic derivative solution.
The present invention also relates to an apparatus for dyeing and treating yarn stands, wherein the apparatus includes a yam supplying device, at least one dye applicator, at least one treatment applicator, and a treated yarn collection device. The dye applicator and the treatment applicator are arranged between the yarn supplying device and the treated yarn collection device. The dye applicator applies at least one dye to a portion or segment of a yarn strand or simultaneously to many lengths of many yarn strands. The treatment applicator applies at least one treatment composition to a length of a yarn strand or simultaneously to many lengths of many yarn strands. The yarn preferably travels at a substantially continuous rate from the yam supplying device to the treated yam collection device. The apparatus may include one or more dye applicators disposed between the yarn supplying device and the treatment applicator.
The apparatus of the present invention may include a modified but otherwise conventional space dyeing apparatus. The apparatus may include two or more treatment applicators. If two or more treatment applicators are included, the applicators may respectively apply different or the same treatment compositions to a strand of yarn. Optionally, the apparatus contains at least one treatment applicator and no dye applicator.
The treatment applicator can be the same design as the dye applicator except for the product applied.
The treated yarn collection device may preferably collect dyed and treated yarn at a rate of at least 10 feet per minute, more preferably at a rate of at least about 1000 fpm. Preferably, the treated yam collection device collects dyed and treated yarn at a rate of at least about 1500 feet per minute.
As an example of an apparatus according to the present invention, the apparatus for space dyeing yarn disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,594,968 is modified. The apparatus of FIGS. 1-3 from U.S. Pat. No. 5,594,968 is provided with eight different dye stations or applicators referred to as dye stations 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 20, 24, and 26 in the patent. According to the present invention, one or more of the eight dye stations are modified to instead provide one or more treatment applicator stations. Preferably, the apparatus as shown in FIGS. 1-3 of the patent is modified such that the 7th and 8th dye stations (reference numerals 24 and 26) are modified to provide the application of the treatment composition instead of a dye.
Preferably, the apparatus of the present invention can dye and treat yarn as the yarn travels at a rate of about 1500 feet per minute, or more. In addition to the benefits of speed, the present apparatus and method provides a complete treatment on the entire outer surface of a yarn and therefore provides a product made from the yarn having improved properties over a product treated with the same composition but after the yarn is first formed into the carpet.
Alternatively, one or more treatment applicators can be used prior to at least one dye applicator or in between dye applicators. For example, the yarn can be treated by a first treatment applicator with a fixing agent, subsequently dyed by one or more dye applicators, and thereafter treated by one or more additional treatment applicators which provide a bleach-resistant composition, a stain-resistant composition, an anti-microbial composition, a hydrophobic repellent composition, or the like.
Any conventional chemical treatment composition can be used in the present invention as long as the composition is compatible with dyed yarn or will not negatively effect the dyeing of the yarn. Those skilled in the art, in view of the present application, will readily know the types of compositions which can be applied following the present invention. The amounts and concentrations can be adjusted depending upon the type and/or level of protection that one wishes to afford to the yarn.
The method described above and in particular the use of a space dyeing machine preferably dyes multiple strands of yarn at one time and the present invention provides the ability to chemically treat these multiple strands of dyed yarns essentially at or nearly at the same time the dyeing is occurring. Further, un-dyed yarns or pre-dyed yarns can simply be chemically treated by the process of the present invention. Further, with the use of a space dyeing machine or other similar apparatus, the dyed and chemically treated yarn can then be wound or sent to a warping machine or a tufting machine, or both in order to be placed into a primary backing to form a textile substrate.
Typically, a textile substrate comprises a primary backing with textile fibers extending upwardly from the backing and forming a surface. A secondary backing is fastened or fixed to the side of the primary backing which is opposite the wearing surface of the textile substrate. Conventional primary backings and secondary backings and methods of forming this textile substrate are known to those skilled in the art and can be used in the present invention. In the present invention, a textile substrate can be formed with the textile fibers which have been dyed and chemically treated in accordance with the present invention. Accordingly, the textile substrate can contain a primary backing with textile fibers extending upwardly from the backing and forming a surface, wherein at least a portion of the textile fibers would be individually dyed and individually chemically treated as described above. It is possible that all of the textile fibers are dyed and chemically treated or only a few. The remaining textile fibers can be fibers which have not been chemically treated. For instance, the textile substrate can contain a primary backing with textile fibers extending upwardly from the backing and forming a surface wherein a portion of the textile fibers are dyed and chemically treated according to the present invention and at least a portion of the textile fibers are solution dyed fibers. As described earlier, the benefit with this embodiment is that the chemical treatment of the entire carpet is not necessary and only those fibers which require chemical treatment are chemically treated; thus, resulting in a considerable cost savings in the manufacturing of the textile substrate. In addition, a textile substrate having textile fibers which have been individually dyed and individually chemically treated results in a textile substrate which is more chemically resistant, such as bleach resistant, than treating the entire carpet which leads to the application of more of the chemical resist composition than necessary and can lead to a lack of uniform coverage of each individual textile fiber. In fact, it is unlikely that the entire surface area of the textile fiber will be chemically treated in a uniform manner if chemical treatment occurs once the textile substrate is formed. Thus, the present invention has numerous benefits which are further reflected in the examples which follows.

Method and apparatus for dyeing and treating yarns


A door mirror with a small dead angle which enables the driver to easily see the areas where the right and left front and rear wheels are touching the ground that could not been seen with conventional door mirrors due to dead angles, and to easily see the horizontal forward direction (if there are oncoming cars) on the side of the assistant driver's seat at the time of passing another car ahead by manipulating buttons on the driver's seat and, then, automatically returns to its initial state. The door mirror with a small dead angle comprises a support arm which includes a straight-moving screw, a slide plate that slides in the lengthwise direction thereof, and a mirror case pivoted on the slide plate to rotate. The door mirror may be further equipped with movable sources of light, may be constructed so as to be folded and may contain a fine adjustment mechanism in the mirror case. The door mirror is further equipped with a control/electrically moving mechanism by which the mirror case is automatically moved up to the coordinates that have been set in advance in a CPU enabling the driver to see the otherwise dead-angled areas, and the mirror case is returned back either manually or automatically.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle door mirror with a small dead angle. More specifically, the invention relates to a door mirror with a small dead angle which makes it possible to easily see areas where the right and left front and rear wheels of a vehicle are touching the ground that could not been seen with the conventional door mirrors, and to easily observe the horizontal forward direction on the side of a vehicle front passenger seat at the time of passing another car ahead by manipulating buttons at the driver's seat.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A variety of contrivances have heretofore been proposed to decrease dead angles of a vehicle door mirror from the standpoint of safety.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 116568/1993 discloses a device for changing the visual field of a rearview mirror by turning at least one of either the right door mirror or the left door mirror by a required angle in a direction in which the dead angle will be eliminated based upon a control signal output from a control means in response to at least either an on-signal or an off-signal from a turn signal lamp switch of a vehicle (or in response to an on-signal from a reverse gear detection switch).
According to this disclosure, the mirror automatically returns back to the original position after use. However, the door mirror is not allowed to swivel, which does not take into account a change in the position of the eyes when the car is driven by a different driver. Also, when traveling forward, the movement of the mirror is triggered by the on-signal of the turn signal lamp switch; i.e., the areas of dead angles come into a visual field after the turn signal is output. When driving into a travel lane from a ramp on an expressway or when changing lanes in an ordinary manner, therefore, the turn signal is flashed first without observing the rear view. This invites danger in that the vehicle may be struck from the rear by a succeeding car. Also, it could happen that the distances to the succeeding cars were incorrectly recognized, since the visual field obtained in this state was different from the visual field obtained at an ordinary position.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 191349/1994 proposes a rearview mirror that eliminates dead angles, according to which when it is attempted to enter into, or come out from, a garage or a parking area, the visual field near the rear wheels is maintained by moving mirrors that are remotely controlled by electricity, hydraulic pressure or pneumatic pressure. According to this proposal, however, the moving mirrors move by only a small amount. Moreover, in the case of a car with a right-side steering wheel, it is impossible to watch the front left wheel from the driver's seat. In addition, fine adjustment cannot be accomplished to correspond with the position of the driver's eyes.
In Japan, the U.K., and some other countries, cars keep to the left and have a steering wheel on the right side of the car. However, many imported cars manufactured in foreign countries still have a steering wheel on the left side. When used, for example, in Japan, cars with a left-side steering wheel have a demerit in that difficulty is involved in passing another car ahead particularly in oncoming traffic lane. If the right-side mirror could be automatically controlled to a preset position where it faces forward in a horizontal direction and if the horizontal forward view could be seen, then, the presence of the oncoming cars can be easily confirmed without the risks of moving into the right lane to an excess degree. It is then made possible for a driver of a car with a left-side steering wheel to safely Pass the car ahead. With the conventional simply constructed remotely-controlled door mirror, however, a lot of time is needed for adjusting the mirror position, and the door mirror cannot be quickly moved to an angle for seeing the horizontal forward view in a "one-touch" operation and cannot be quickly returned back to the initial position. The same problem holds true for the cars with right-side steering wheels when they are used in countries where the traffic rule requires cars to keep to the right.
In an attempt to provide a wide-view door mirror that is very useful for vehicles in garages and parking areas, and for moving the vehicles back and forth on very narrow roads, the present inventors have conducted careful studies and have arrived at the present invention after experimenting with structures and methods, such as sliding the door mirror itself along a support arm that extends in the direction of width of the car and digitally setting the directions in advance.


A swimming pool cleaning system for removing stains and deposits on the bottom and walls of a swimming pool. The cleaning system includes a cleaning tool having an elongated handle pivotally secured to a tool head, wherein the tool head dispenses a cleaning solution for removing stains and deposits. The tool head may also include an absorbent or sponge-like material thereon and one or more scrapers to help remove deposits. The tool head is in fluid communication with a container in which a cleaning solution can be stored. The container includes a pump thereon for allowing the user to selectively deliver the cleaning solution to the cleaning tool. Thus, the cleaning system allows a user to more easily remove stains and deposits from the walls and bottom of a pool.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a swimming pool cleaning system. More specifically, the present invention provides a cleaning tool adapted to dispense a cleaning solution stored within a container that is in fluid communication with the cleaning tool, wherein the cleaning solution can be dispensed by operation of a pump disposed on the container.
Stains and deposits often accumulate on the bottom and sidewalls of swimming pools. The stains and deposits negatively impact the appearance of the swimming pool and can become increasingly difficult to remove over time. Thus, it is necessary to have a pool cleaned regularly in order to eliminate any deposits or stains thereon. In order to clean the swimming pool, the pool owner may have to drain the pool so that the walls and bottom of the pool can be more easily cleaned. However, draining the pool, cleaning the surfaces thereof, and then refilling the pool can be a costly and time consuming process. Alternatively, if the pool owner does not wish to drain the pool, scuba gear can be used in order to help a user manually clean the walls and bottom of the pool while it is filled with water. Again, this process can be time consuming and expensive. Thus, a device for allowing the walls and bottom of a pool to be more easily cleaned is desired.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to swimming pool cleaning devices. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications. These devices generally relate to brushes and vacuum cleaning devices for cleaning the bottom and walls of a swimming pool. The following is a list of devices deemed most relevant to the present disclosure, which are herein described for the purposes of highlighting and differentiating the unique aspects of the present invention, and further highlighting the drawbacks existing in the prior art.
Some devices, such as U.S. Published Patent Application Number 2005/0198751, U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,034, U.S. Pat. No. 3,046,583 disclose vacuum cleaning devices for cleaning the bottom and walls of a swimming pool. Other patents, such as U.S. Pat. No. 8,185,990 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,087 disclose swimming pool cleaning brushes having attachments thereon for facilitating moving a cleaning brush in the water.
These prior art devices have several known drawbacks. The devices in the prior art fail to disclose cleaning devices that are adapted to dispense a cleaning solution. As a result, the cleaning devices simply vacuum and filter the pool water, or scrape dirt and debris from the pool surfaces. Similarly, the prior art does not disclose a device that can supply a cleaning solution from an external container. Thus, the devices in the prior art are not suited for removing stains and deposits on the bottom and walls of a pool, and are simply used to clean dirt and debris from the swimming pool.
In light of the devices disclosed in the prior art, it is submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the prior art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing swimming pool cleaning devices. In this regard, the instant invention substantially fulfills the above identified needs.


Methods and systems are disclosed for exploring instruction-level parallelism in superscalar processors by renaming stack entries. In a first embodiment, the stack renaming is implemented in a parallel structure that renames the instructions in parallel. In a second embodiment, the stack renaming is implemented in a serial structure that renames the instructions serially. In a third embodiment, the stack renaming is implemented in a combined parallel-serial structure that renames the instruction partially in parallel and partially in series.

The industrial boom in the demands for faster microprocessors has prompted microprocessor makers to shift the design of scalar pipelined processors to higher performance superscalar processors. The scalar pipelined processors, such as the Intel.RTM. 486 and MIPS.RTM. 3000, execute each instruction in a pipelined order and disallow out-of-order execution of instructions. High performance superscalar processors, such as the Intel.RTM. Pentium Pro, Motorola.RTM. PowerPC 604, and UltraJava by Sun Microelectronic, have displaced the previous scalar pipelined processors by providing the capability of executing out-of-order instructions in parallelism. Previous superscalar processors are registered-based in which the registers in a superscalar processor can be accessed randomly. In modern trend, the UltraJava-class microprocessors are implemented in stack-based designs in which the registers must be accessed with respect to a stack top location. Superscalar processors have multiple execution units and are designed based on a plurality of registers irrespective of superscalar processors that compute instructions as registers-based or stack-based stacks.
Stacks can be used to store intermediate evaluation results, return addresses, or local variables and subroutine parameters. An example of a stack-based instruction is a last-in-first-out (LIFO) stack management scheme which saves information in a temporary storage location for common computer operations, such as mathematical expression evaluations and subroutine callings. One advantage of designing a system with a stack-based processor is that the stack-based processor uses high code density while requires small program size, resulting in the adoption of zero-operand stack-based instruction sets that disallow any operand to be associated with an opcode. To phrase it in another way, all operations are implicitly specified to be performed at a top of the stack (TOS), also referred to as a stack top location.
Superscalar stack-based processors execute each instruction by accessing the data at the TOS as stored from the previous instruction. This dependency on the necessity to access the TOS in order to execute every execution undermines the effectiveness of pipelining instructions. In effect, a subsequent instruction cannot begin until the previous instruction has been executed, which potentially could cause pipeline data hazards. Thus, the inherent nature of the frequent access to the TOS in stack-based instructions results in heavy inter-instruction data dependency, particularly among adjacent instructions.
Accordingly, it is desirable to have methods and systems which explore instruction-level parallelism by renaming stack entries in superscalar processors.

Methods and systems of stack renaming for superscalar stack-based data processors

Industrial Technology Research Institute