A plurality of preprogrammed switches is disposed in a looped distribution line downstream from a source of power to respond to a short circuit and to reconfigure the line to isolate the short circuit. Some of the preprogrammed switches are each provided with a unique open time interval, such as t1, t2 and t3. Others of the plurality of preprogrammed switches can then determine which switch is opening in response to the short circuit and can identify the portion of the line that is shorted. Certain of the preprogrammed switches can then reconfigure to protect the identified portion of the line.

A. General
Reference is frequently made herein to circuit breakers, sectionalizers, and reclosers. All of these devices are designed to switch distribution circuits on and off by opening or closing switches therein. Typically modern breakers, sectionalizers, and reclosers do not contain any means to determine when or if they should open or close. Instead these devices are attached to control devices which measure power system currents and/or voltages, and send signals to the reclosers, sectionalizers, and circuit breakers to open and close. The methods described below, which decide when to open and close the circuit breakers, sectionalizers, and reclosers, are typically implemented in these control devices. The usual practice in the art is to refer to a device that controls a circuit breaker as a protective relay. Similarly, a device that controls a recloser is typically referred to as a recloser control and a device that controls a sectionalizer is typically referred to as a sectionalizer control.
Thus, even though reclosers, sectionalizers, and breakers are frequently referred to herein as measuring current, sensing short circuit current, measuring voltage, and sensing when a line is energized or deenergized, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the control device associated with each circuit breaker, recloser, or sectionalizer is actually performing the measurements, detecting short circuits or line energization states, and making the decision to open and close the connected recloser, sectionalizer, or circuit breaker. Thus, when a circuit breaker, recloser, and/or sectionalizer is referred to herein, it means the combination of recloser and recloser control, sectionalizer and sectionalizer control, and circuit breaker and protective relay.
B. Power Distribution Systems with Radial Distribution Lines
Electric power distribution typically occurs at voltages in the range 4 kV to 35 kV. Historically, distribution lines were connected radially from distribution substations to loads. The prior art example of FIG. 1 illustrates a system 21 with a single distribution line 20 feeding several loads, Load 1 through Load 4, from a distribution substation 22. Usually several distribution lines radiate from the substation 22, but for simplicity, only one distribution line 20 is shown in FIG. 1.
A short circuit on such a radial line typically causes a power outage for all connected loads in a radial distribution system. Inside the substation 22 is a circuit breaker 24 that helps protect the distribution line 20 from short circuits. If a short circuit occurs anywhere on the line, then large currents will begin to flow from the substation 22 to the short circuit on the distribution line 20. Over-current detecting equipment, called protective relays, will detect the large current and will signal the circuit breaker 24 to open. When the circuit breaker 24 opens, the distribution line 20 is disconnected from the power source within the substation 22. This interrupts power to all of the loads, Load 1 through Load 4, connected to the radial distribution line 20. The loads then remain without power until a line crew travels to the site of the short circuit, repairs the short-circuited conductors, and then closes the circuit breaker 24. The duration of such a power outage is typically several hours.
Power can be restored to the loads faster after temporary short circuits by reclosing the circuit breaker. Still referring to FIG. 1, many short circuits are transient in nature. If the short-circuited line is disconnected from the power source by the circuit breaker 24, temporary short circuits can be self-healed. When the circuit breaker 24 recloses, the short circuit will be gone, and power will be restored to the loads immediately without the need to dispatch a line crew to repair the short circuit. This returns power to the loads faster, in a matter of seconds instead of hours.
Of course, there is no guarantee that the short circuit is temporary, and it may still be present when the circuit breaker closes. In that case, the circuit breaker 24 is again opened, and may be reclosed one or more additional times testing to see if the short circuit has self-healed. If the short circuit goes away, then the breaker remains closed. If the short circuit is permanent, then the breaker 24 opens a predetermined number of times, waiting a predetermined time between each closing, and then opens a final time and remains open. Again all of the connected loads are without power until a line crew locates and repairs the short circuit, and the circuit breaker is closed. This can take several hours. Since some portion of faults are temporary, reclosing of the circuit breaker 24 decreases the chances that a load will be without power for several hours, and increases the chance that the load will be without power for only a few seconds.
Sectionalizers and reclosers can be used to limit the size of the power outages caused by permanent short circuits. Some distribution lines are constructed with switches along the length of the line, as shown in FIG. 2. In particular, in FIG. 2, a system 23 with a sectionalizer switch 26 allows power to be restored to some loads faster. First, the operation of sectionalizer switches will be discussed, and then the operation of line reclosers will be discussed. Both reclosers and sectionalizers historically have the ability to measure the current flowing through the switch, and the voltage at least on one side of the switch. When the voltage is measured on only one side of the switch (the usual case), it is measured on the side of the switch closer to the sub-station 22 or to the power source.
The switch 26, also marked S, in FIG. 2 is a sectionalizer switch. It measures current flowing through the switch, and the voltage on the left (substation or power source) side of the switch. If a short circuit occurs between the substation 22 and the sectionalizer switch 26, the system of FIG. 2 behaves the same as the system of FIG. 1. If a short circuit 28 occurs between the sectionalizer switch 26 and the end of the distribution line 20 then the system of FIG. 2 acts differently than the system of FIG. 1. This short circuit 28 is said to be "down stream" of the sectionalizer 26.
The short circuit causes a large current to flow from the power source in the substation 22, through the substation circuit breaker 24, along the distribution line 20, through the sectionalizer switch 26, and to the short circuit 28. The sectionalizer 26 senses the large current flow, and then "knows" that the short circuit 28 is down stream from the sectionalizer location. If the short circuit location were upstream of the sectionalizer location, then the sectionalizer switch 26 would not have detected the large current.
As with the system 21 of FIG. 1, the circuit breaker 24 in the substation 22 opens and removes power from the distribution line 20, all of the connected loads, Load 1 through Load 4, and from the short circuit 28. This causes the voltage along the distribution line 20 to drop from several thousand volts to substantially zero volts. The sectionalizer 26 senses the absence of voltage, and "knows" that the substation breaker 24 has opened. The substation breaker 24 may be programmed to test several times for a temporary short circuit before finally opening and staying open if the short circuit 28 is permanent. The sectionalizer switch 26 counts each time the substation breaker 24 closes and opens. The sectionalizer 26 does this by sensing the short circuit current flowing through the sectionalizer switch when the substation breaker 24 closes, and senses the absence of voltage when the substation breaker 24 opens.
The sectionalizer switch S is programmed to open during one of the "open-intervals" of the substation breaker 24. This open-interval is the time when the substation breaker 24, or any device, is open. During some pre-determined open interval, the sectionalizer opens.
When the substation breaker 24 recloses with the sectionalizer switch open, there will be no large current flow because the short circuit 28 has been isolated from the power source by the open condition of the sectionalizer switch 26. The circuit breaker 24 will then remain closed. In other words, the sectionalizer switch 26 made the permanent short circuit 28 shown in FIG. 2 appear to be a temporary short circuit. The result is that after the substation breaker 24 closes, power is restored to Load 1 and Load 2 after just a few seconds, even though the short circuit 28 is permanent. Only the customers at Load 3 and at Load 4 will experience an extended power outage while the line crew searches for and repairs the short circuit 28. After the short circuit is repaired, the sectionalizer switch 26 is closed, and power returns to Load 3 and Load 4. This is an improvement over the system of FIG. 1 where a permanent short circuit caused an extended power outage for all of the loads.
FIG. 3 illustrates a system 27 with a recloser 30, also marked R, in place of the sectionalizer 26 in the system 23 of FIG. 2. This line recloser 30 further reduces the size and length of a power outage. For short circuits between the substation circuit breaker 24 and the recloser 30, the system 27 of FIG. 3 operates the same as the system 21 of FIG. 1. For short circuits downstream of the recloser 30, the systems operate differently. The short circuit 28 shown in FIG. 3 will cause a large current to flow from the substation 22 through the recloser 30 and to the short circuit 28. The recloser 30 senses the large current and opens quickly. The substation circuit breaker 24 is programmed to open with a longer time delay than the recloser 30, so the recloser opens and the substation breaker remains closed. This removes power from loads Load 3 and Load 4, but power to Load 1 and Load 2 is only degraded while the large current is flowing, and is completely restored when the recloser 30 opens. Typically the recloser will open in less than one second, so the short circuit 28 in FIG. 3 will only cause a power degradation lasting less than one second for Load 1 and for Load 2. The recloser 30 may be programmed to reclose after some time to test if the short circuit 28 is temporary. If the short circuit is temporary, then Load 3 and Load 4 will be without power for only a few seconds.
If the short circuit is permanent, then the recloser 30 will open and close a predetermined number of times, then open one final time and remain opened. Load 3 and Load 4 will remain un-powered for several hours while the line crew searches for and repairs the short circuit. Load 1 and Load 2 will experience a power degradation lasting less than one second each time the recloser 30 closes to test if the short circuit 28 still exists. This is an improvement over the system 23 of FIG. 2 where Load 1 and Load 2 experienced a power outage lasting several seconds.
C. Power Distribution Systems with Looped Distribution Lines
A system 31 in FIG. 4 shows a further improvement over the radial distribution systems of FIGS. 1-3 with looped distribution circuits providing rapid power restoration following permanent short circuits. The previously considered systems 21, 23 and 27 in FIGS. 1-3 involved radial distribution lines. The system 31 of FIG. 4 involves a looped distribution line 32. The term "looped" means that power can be fed to any of the loads, Load 1 through Load 6, from either direction. This system 31 is normally operated in the state shown in FIG. 4. In the normal operational state of the system shown in FIG. 4, reclosers R1, R2, R4 and R5 are closed, and recloser R3 is open. Recloser R3 is normally open because if all of the reclosers were closed, it would be difficult to control the amount of power flowing through the looped line, especially if the two circuit breakers 24 and 25 are in different substations.
Reclosers R1, R2, R4 and R5 can sense current flowing through them, and can also measure or at least sense the presence or absence of voltage on at least one side; typically the side closer to the substation 22 or the power source. Recloser R3 can measure current and can measure voltage on both sides of itself. Methods of measuring current and measuring or sensing voltage are, of course, well known in the art.
Recall that the system 27 shown in FIG. 3 performed very well for the short circuit 28 shown in FIG. 3. Load 1 and Load 2 experienced power degradation lasting less than one second even for a permanent fault. However, if the permanent short circuit 28 were upstream of the recloser 30 in FIG. 3, then all four loads would experience an extended power outage. So, the performance of system 27 depends on the location of the short circuit 28. The system 31 shown in FIG. 4 removes the dependence on short circuit location. This system performs substantially equally well regardless of where the short circuit exists or occurs.
For example, FIG. 5 shows a permanent short circuit 28 upstream of recloser R1. If the system 31 were not looped, then this short circuit would result in an extended power outage for loads Load 1, Load 2, and Load 3, because the substation breaker 24 would open and would de-energize the line serving all of those loads.
FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 show how the system 31 limits the size and duration of the outage for the short circuit 28 shown in FIG. 5. The short circuit 28 causes a large current to flow from the power source inside the substation 22 to the short circuit 28. The substation circuit breaker 24 opens for a pre-determined time, causing a temporary power outage for loads Load 1, Load 2 and Load 3. The substation breaker 24 typically tests the line 32 several times to see if the short circuit 28 is temporary. If the short circuit is temporary, then when the circuit breaker 24 closes the short circuit 28 will no longer exist, and the system 31 will return to the state shown in FIG. 4. If the short circuit 28 is permanent, the substation breaker 24 opens and closes a predetermined number of times, i.e., the breaker tests the line for a temporary short circuit, and then breaker 24 remains open. Reclosers R1 and R2 sense that the line connected to them is de-energized for an extended time. Reclosers R1 and R2 are both programmed to take specific action when they sense that the line 32 is de-energized for an extended time (e.g. longer than some predetermined time). Recloser R1 is programmed to open following a predetermined time delay after the line becomes de-energized. Recloser R2 is programmed to reconfigure to protect the section of line 32 between reclosers R2 and R1. Recloser R2 was previously configured to protect the section of line between reclosers R2 and R3 because the power source or substation 22 was to the left of recloser R2. Recloser R3 is programmed to close after a predetermined time when it senses that the line 32 connecting to either side of recloser R3 is de-energized. After the substation breaker 24 has finished testing the line for a temporary short circuit and breaker 24 is open, and all of the reclosers perform their programmed tasks, the system 31 is as shown in FIG. 7.
Notice that only Load 1 connected between recloser R1 and the substation breaker 24 experiences a prolonged power outage. Load 2 and Load 3 would have also experienced a prolonged power outage if the system were radial. However since the system 31 is looped, Load 2 and Load 3 are without power only for a few tens of seconds while circuit breaker 24 is open and while the predetermined time delays elapse before recloser R1 opens, recloser R2 reconfigures, and recloser R3 closes. A timeline for the entire process is shown in the bottom portion of FIG. 7.
Now assume a permanent short circuit 28 occurs between reclosers R1 and R2, as shown in FIG. 8. The permanent short circuit causes a large current to flow from the substation power source through the circuit breaker 24 and through recloser R1 to the short circuit 28. Recloser R1 is programmed to open with less delay than the substation breaker 24, so recloser R1 opens and circuit breaker 24 remains closed. I.e., when recloser R1 opens, the short circuit current ceases, so the substation breaker 24 does not open. Recloser R1 closes several times to test the line 32 for a temporary short circuit. In this example, the short circuit 28 is permanent, so recloser R1 eventually opens permanently. It opens before the substation breaker 24 is programmed to open, so the substation breaker remains closed.
The system 31 is now in the state shown in FIG. 9. Load 2 and Load 3 are de-energized. Recloser R2 performs exactly as in the previous example. If it senses that the line connected to it is de-energized for an extended time (e.g. longer than some predetermined time), it reconfigures to protect the section of line 32 between reclosers R1 and R2. Recloser R3 also acts exactly the same as it did in the previous example. It reconfigures to protect the section of line between reclosers R2 and R3, and closes, which brings the system 31 to the state shown in FIG. 10.
The permanent short circuit now causes a large current to flow from the substation, through reclosers R5, R4, R3, and R2, causing a temporary power degradation to Load 2, Load 3, Load 4, Load 5, and Load 6. When recloser R2 senses a large current after reconfiguring to protect the line between reclosers R2 and R1, it opens very rapidly, and remains open. It does not attempt to reclose. Because recloser R2 opens very rapidly, reclosers R3, R4 and R5 and circuit breaker 25 all remain closed.
The system 31 now resides in the state shown in FIG. 11. Notice that the permanent short circuit 28 between reclosers R1 and R2 only caused an extended power outage for the Load 2 connected between reclosers R1 and R2. Load 1 experienced one to several temporary power degradations as recloser R1 was testing the line for a temporary short circuit. Load 3 experienced one to several temporary power outages lasting several seconds as recloser R1 was testing for a temporary short circuit, and then experienced a longer power outage as reclosers R2 and R3 reconfigured. Finally Load 3 experienced a temporary power degradation when recloser R3 closed, causing short circuit current to flow through reclosers R2, R3, R4 and R5. Load 4, Load 5 and Load 6 all experienced a temporary power degradation lasting less than one second when recloser R3 closed. If the substation breakers 24 and 25 are located in the same substation 22, or in substations electrically close to each other, then Load 4, Load 5 and Load 6 may also experience temporary degradations in power due to the initial short circuit, and when recloser R1 tests the line for a temporary short circuit. A timeline for the entire process is shown in the bottom portion of FIG. 11.
In our final example of this configuration, assume a permanent fault 28 between reclosers R2 and R3, as shown in FIG. 12. This short circuit causes large short circuit current to flow through the substation breaker 24 and reclosers R1 and R2. Recloser R2 is programmed to open with less delay than the substation breaker 24 and recloser R1, so recloser R2 opens. The short circuit current ceases, so the substation breaker 24 and recloser R1 remain closed. Recloser R2 tests the line 32 several times for a temporary short circuit, and finally opens permanently. Each time recloser R2 opens, it does so before recloser R1 and the substation breaker 24 react, so each time recloser R1 and the substation breaker 24 remain closed.
The system 31 is now in the state shown in FIG. 13. As with the previous examples, recloser R3 is programmed to close after it senses either line connected to it is de-energized. When recloser R3 closes, a large short circuit current flows through reclosers R3, R4 and R5 and circuit breaker 25. Recloser R3 is programmed to open and not reclose in response to short circuit current. After recloser R3 opens, the system reverts to the state shown in FIG. 13. Notice that Load 1 and Load 2 only experienced one to several temporary power degradations while recloser R2 tested the line for a permanent fault. Load 4, Load 5 and Load 6 experienced one temporary power degradation when recloser R3 closed. Load 3 is the only load that experiences an extended power outage. A timeline for the entire process is shown in the bottom portion of FIG. 13.
All three of the previous examples could have included short circuits on the lower half of the distribution loop, and the results would have been similar except that breaker 25, reclosers R3, R4, and R5, and loads Load 4, Load 5, and Load 6 would have been involved.
Each of the reclosers in looped distribution lines has a set of rules for operation. From the preceding discussion, it might seem that each recloser performs different functions depending on the location of the short circuit. However, each recloser follows a certain preprogrammed sequence of actions regardless of the location of the short circuit. FIG. 14 shows a flow chart of the preprogrammed sequence of actions that are taken by recloser R3, FIG. 15 shows a flow chart of the preprogrammed sequence of actions that are taken by reclosers R2 and R4 and FIG. 16 shows a flow chart of the preprogrammed sequence of actions that are taken by reclosers R1 and R5.
Each flowchart, FIGS. 14 through 19, has a start and end bubble. The methods move from the end bubble or from anywhere in the flowchart to the start bubble when the scheme is reset or restarted. The reset or restart occurs after the permanent short circuit is repaired or when an operator determines the method should be reset. The reset or restart can be manual, such as when a person issues a reset signal or command to the recloser, or automatic, such as when the reclosers reset themselves when they detect some sufficient condition.
The above-described operation of recloser R3 is summarized in FIG. 14. After starting at bubble 40, recloser R3 determines if line 32 is de-energized for a predetermined time on one side only at decision block 41. If the line is energized on both sides of recloser R3, or de-energized on both sides of recloser R3, it continues to measure voltage on both side of recloser R3 until line 32 is de-energized on one side only for some predetermined time. If the line is de-energized on one side only for a predetermined time, the process proceeds to decision block 42 to determine if line 32 is de-energized to the right of recloser R3. If so, recloser R3 configures to protect line 32 to the right of recloser R3 at block 43. If not, recloser R3 configures to protect line 32 to the left of recloser R3 at block 44. In either situation, recloser R3 closes at block 45. It then continues to sense for short circuit current at decision block 46. If recloser R3 detects a short circuit current lasting longer than a predetermined time, recloser R3 opens at block 47 and the process terminates at end bubble 48.
The above-described operation of reclosers R2 and R4 is summarized in FIG. 15. After starting at bubble 50, reclosers R2 and R4 determine if a short circuit current is present on line 32 at decision block 51. If a short circuit is present, reclosers R2 and R4 determine at decision block 52 if the short circuit current lasts longer than a first predetermined time. If not, the process begins again at start bubble 50. If the short circuit current lasts longer than a predetermined time, then recloser R2 or R4 opens at block 58. Decision block 59 determines if the line has been tested for temporary short circuits more than a predetermined number of times. If it has, then the process ends at block 57. If the line has been tested for a temporary short circuit less than a predetermined number of times, then the recloser R2 or R4 is closed at block 60 and the process continues from the start bubble. If no short circuit current is detected at decision block 51, then a check is performed to determine if the line is energized at decision block 53. If the line is not de-energized, i.e., if the line is still energized, then the process continues from the start bubble. If the line is de-energized, then recloser R2 or R4 is reconfigured to protect the upstream line, i.e., recloser R2 or R4 is reconfigured to protect the line between reclosers R1 and R2 or between reclosers R5 and R4. Reclosers R2 and R4 again monitor line 32 for a short circuit current that lasts longer than a predetermined amount of time at block 55. If a short circuit current is detected and lasts longer than the predetermined amount of time, recloser R2 and/or recloser R4 open at block 56 and end the process at bubble 57.
The above-described operation of reclosers R1 and R5 is summarized in FIG. 16. After starting at bubble 61, reclosers R1 and R5 determine if a short circuit current is present on line 32 at decision block 62. If a short circuit is present, reclosers R1 and R5 determine at decision block 63 if the short current lasts longer than a first predetermined time. If the short circuit current does not last longer than a predetermined time, then the process reverts to the start bubble 61. If the short circuit lasts longer than a predetermined time, then recloser R1 or R5 opens at block 67. Decision block 68 determines if the line has been tested for temporary short circuits more than a predetermined number of times. If it has, then the process ends at bubble 66. If the line has been tested for a temporary short circuit less than a predetermined number of times, then recloser R1 or R5 is closed at block 69 and the process continues from the start bubble. If short circuit current is not detected at decision block 62, then recloser R1 or R5 determine if the line has been de-energized for longer than a predetermined time at decision block 64. If the line has not been de-energized for longer than a predetermined time, then the process reverts to start bubble 61. If the line has been de-energized for a predetermined time, then recloser R1 or R5 opens at block 65, and the process ends at bubble 66.
These processes in FIGS. 14-16 are sufficient to reduce the extended power outage to only the section of looped distribution line 32 containing the permanent short circuit 28. Notice that these processes cover only the function of the reclosers related to controlling the looped distribution line 32. Each recloser may perform various other functions, such as metering, reporting, etc. These other functions are not shown in FIGS. 14, 15 and 16.
A number of problems exist with respect to the present method of controlling looped distribution lines, as represented by FIGS. 14-16. The method implemented by the processes discussed above has several non-idealities:                A. Permanent short circuits 28 between reclosers R1 and R2, or between reclosers R2 and R3 cause a temporary power degradation to Load 4, Load 5 and Load 6 when recloser R3 closes. If the system were not configured as a loop, i.e. if recloser R3 did not connect the top distribution line to the bottom distribution line, then this temporary power degradation would not occur (assuming the looped distribution line terminated in electrically separated substations), or this temporary power degradation would be less severe. In other words, this arrangement decreases the quality of power supplied to the distribution line that does not have the short circuit 28 while it increases the quality of power supplied to the distribution line that does have a short circuit.        B. Permanent short circuits 28 between reclosers R1 and R2, or between reclosers R2 and R3, cause added stress on the power system when recloser R3 closes. This stress includes large short circuit currents that stress transformers, generators, conductors, etc. The added stress also includes decreased voltages that stress many types of connected electrical loads such as motors and electronics. The added stress also includes added wear on recloser R3 when recloser R3 must open after closing with a permanent fault between reclosers R2 and R3, and added wear on recloser R2 when R2 must open after recloser R3 closes with a permanent fault between reclosers R1 and R2.        C. If the power source in the substation is de-energized, then the distribution line is de-energized. Recloser R1 responds to this by opening (Blocks 64 and 65 in FIG. 16). This is a nuisance because after power is restored to the substation, the loads downstream of recloser R1 remain de-energized until recloser R1 is closed, possibly by a manual operation after several hours.
The shortcomings described are also applicable to the other side of the loop in FIGS. 14-16, i.e., the side of the loop containing breaker 25 and reclosers R4 and R5.
There has been a long-felt need for methods or systems that efficiently and effectively reconfigure an electrical power distribution system to provide power to most of the loads upon the occurrence of a short circuit on the distribution line.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide improved methods and systems that reconfigure a looped distribution line in a manner that continues to supply power to most of the loads when a short circuit occurs.
Another general object of the present invention is to provide improved methods and systems for sectionalizing a looped distribution line to reduce the stress on the power system and on the power system components when a short circuit occurs.
Another general object of the present invention is to provide improved methods and systems for sectionalizing a looped distribution line to reduce the unnecessary outages in the distribution power system when no short circuit exists in the distribution power system.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a plurality of preprogrammed switches, with at least some of the preprogrammed switches having at least one unique open interval when responding to a short circuit, such that other preprogrammed switches can determine which preprogrammed switch opened in response to the short circuit.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a power distribution system and methods in which a normally open preprogrammed switch does not close until an adjacent preprogrammed switch opens when the short circuit is downstream from the adjacent preprogrammed switch.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide methods for determining which preprogrammed switch opened in response to the occurrence of a short circuit.

Methods and systems for sectionalizing a looped distribution line in a power distribution system

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.


The electric junction box includes a casing 20-23 and a plurality of busbar conductors 30 accommodated in the casing, each of which consists of an insulating substrate 31 and a plurality of busbars 32 with upright tabs 33 arranged face-to-face on the substrate 31. The busbar conductors 30 are accommodated in at least two blocks A1 and A2 in the casing and wires 40 are provided for electrically connecting desired busbars 32 in different and/or the same block. The above construction allows a circuit-change to be made with ease and unnecessary circuits to be precluded. The overall weight and production costs of busbar conductors and thus the junction box are reduced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric junction box used in mutual connection of wire harnesses and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An electric junction box used in mutual connection of wire harnesses generally has a construction such as shown in FIG. 9. In the figure, reference numeral 1 represents an upper case and 2 a lower case, the upper and lower cases 1 and 2 accommodating therebetween a plurality of busbar conductors 3A, 3B . . . stacked one on the other. Each busbar conductor consists of an insulating substrate 6 and a plurality of busbars 4 having desired patterns arranged on one or both surfaces of the substrate. Each busbar 4 is integrally formed with a plurality of upwardly or downwardly projecting tabs 5 adapted to pass through tab insertion holes 7 in insulating substrates 6 and project outside the upper or lower case 1, 2, whereat the tabs 5 are introduced into connectors such as connector insertion portions 11, fuse connectors 12 and relay connectors 13 to be connected to terminal parts of wire harnesses such as connectors 14, fuses 15 and relays 16 with or without the aid of male-female relay terminals 10. Designated 8 in the figure is a busbar-accommodating groove defined by opposing ribs 8a, 8a. Each busbar 4 is arranged in a groove 8 and prevented from inadvertent disengagement therefrom by having a weld boss 9 hot pressed with a jig (not shown).
Busbars 4 that form internal circuits of an electric junction box are conventionally formed by being punched out from the same conductive metal plate for each layer, thus rendering it difficult to introduce a change only to part of the busbars. As a result, in case motor vehicles of the same model, for example, are produced with several grades according to presence or non-presence of optional circuits, it is conventional practice that the busbars in one layer are of such combination as to provide a maximum capacity that suits the vehicles of the highest grade, resulting in some of the busbars remaining unused depending on the vehicle grade. Further, busbars (and busbar conductors) for use in vehicles of ore model are not usable in vehicles of another model due to differences in circuits, thus necessitating a fresh start in designing circuit-forming busbars and producing punching dies, which is very costly.


There are provided a polyethylene terephthalate resin composition in which to 100 parts by weight of a polyethylene terephthalate resin (A) polymerized by use of a germanium catalyst and having at least 80% of an ethylene terephthalate repetition unit, 0.05 to 30 parts by weight of a compound selected from the group consisting of an epoxy compound having at least two intramolecular epoxy groups without any intramolecular ester linkage and a carbodiimide compound (B) is formulated, and resin compositions in which a fibrous reinforcing material (C), a block copolymer (D) and an inorganic nucleating agent (E) are further formulated in the above mentioned composition. The resin composition of the present invention is excellent in moist heat resistance, fluidity and mechanical strength, and in addition, can be subjected to high cycle molding even in a mold of a low temperature to yield a molded article with improved surface characteristics.

Polyethylene terephthalare resins have been widely used as fibers, films, molding materials and the like due to excellent mechanical and chemical properties. However, the polyethylene terephthalate resins have an intramolecular ester linkage, which would be hydrolyzed when the resins are exposed to a high temperature and high humidity condition for a long period of time, thereby the mechanical properties or moist heat resistance thereof being lowered. For that reason, the polyethylene terephthalate resins are not suitable for a specific field where the moist heat resistance is required, such as for an electric rice-cooker. In order to improve such defect, for example; Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 46-5,389 describes a method for blending compounds having an intramolecular carbodiimide group to polyethylene terephthalate resins to prevent a decrease in strength thereof. Further, Japanese Patent Publication No. 47-13,860 describes that a polyfunctional compound such as an epoxy compound is added to polyethylene terephthalate to increase molecular weight, thereby improving impact strength thereof.
However, the compound having an intramolecular carbodiimide group, in spite of an expensive price, should be added in a considerably large amount to polyethylene terephthalate to sufficiently exhibit an improvement in the moist heat resistance. On the other hand, although it is possible to improve the moist heat resistance to a certain extent by adding a polyfunctional epoxy compound to polyethylene terephthalate, a resin thus prepared has poor fluidity and is not adaptable to injection molding to form thin-walled products. Further, when a nucleating agent of organic acid metal salts is added to a polyethylene terephthalate resin to accelerate the rate of crystallization for the purpose of improving moldability of the resin, the moist heat resistance becomes so deteriorated that the resin can not be applied to a field where such resistance is required.
As a result of an intensive series of studies by the present inventors to solve the above mentioned problems, it has been found that a resin of improved fluidity, moist heat resistance and mechanical strength can be obtained by adding a compound having not less than two intramolecular epoxy groups and none of intramolecular ester linkage therein, and/or a carbodiimide compound (B), and if necessary, a fibrous reinforcing material (C) to a polyethylene terephthalate resin (A) polymerized with a germanium catalyst.
It has also been found that a crystallization rate of a polyethylene terephthalate resin can be improved without losing the above mentioned properties by adding a predetermined amount of an inorganic nucleating agent (E), thereby enabling high cycle molding.
Further, it has been found that a molded article, which exhibits satisfactory surface characteristics even when molding with a mold of a low temperature, can be obtained by adding a predetermined amount of a specific block copolymer (D), with the above mentioned properties being kept.
The present invention has been accomplished on the basis of these results as described above.

Polyethylene terephthalate resin composition

Kanegafuchi Kagaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha


A Christmas tree includes a trunk, and several lamp sets; the trunk includes several hollow rods, which are separably connected together by inserting lower ends into upper ends of adjacent rods, and each of which has a hole; each hollow rod has a first and a second connecting members respectively securely fitted in the upper and the lower ends thereof; each first connecting member having a fitting hole, and two terminals; each second connecting member has two terminals facing outwards; each hollow rod has cords therein, which are connected to the terminals in two ends thereof; the lamp sets are passed through the holes of the rods from cord parts thereof, which are connected to corresponding terminals in the rods; all of the lamp sets will be electrically connected to the cords in the rods after the rods are connected together for the terminals to be electrically connected.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a Christmas tree, more particularly one, which is structured in such a way that it is easy to assemble and dismantle, and that the joints between the cords of the lamp sets and the trunk thereof are hidden inside the trunk, prevented from showing to spoil the appearance of the Christmas tree or cause danger.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Christmas trees are common decorations in Christmas. Christmas trees usually have other small decorative objects and lamp sets hung thereon to be attractive. And, assembled type Christmas trees are available whose trunks can be dismantled into several parts when they are not used.
Assembled type Christmas trees are popular because they can be dismantled to occupy less space for easy storage. However, conventionally lamp sets are fitted on an assembled type Christmas tree by means of connecting plugs to cord parts of the lamp sets and connecting the plugs to exposed portions of power cords, which are supported on the assembled trunk member of the Christmas tree. Consequently, the joints between the cord parts of the lamp sets and the power cords are not hidden inside the Christmas tree, prone to spoil the appearance of the Christmas tree and cause danger. And, because the lamps sets have to be fitted in position by means of connecting the plugs to the power cords one by one, it takes time to assemble the Christmas tree, and the Christmas tree isn't convenient or safe to use.

Structure of an assembled type christmas tree


A foamed bulk metallic glass electrical connection is formed on a substrate of an integrated circuit package. The foamed bulk metallic glass electrical connection exhibits a low modulus that resists cracking during shock and dynamic loading. The foamed bulk metallic glass electrical connection is used as a solder bump for communication between an integrated circuit device and external structures. A process of forming the foamed bulk metallic glass electrical connection includes mixing bulk metallic glass with a blowing agent.

Electrical connections are an important part of a packaged integrated circuit (IC). An IC die is often fabricated into a microelectronic device such as a processor. The electrical connections experience thermal stresses during the operation of the IC die. Also during fabrication and handling, a packaged IC die may experience physical shock that can compromise the integrity of the electrical connections.

Bulk metallic glass solders, foamed bulk metallic glass solders, foamed-solder bond pads in chip packages, methods of assembling same, and systems containing same


A web browser sends to a web-application server a request to access a web application. The web server transmits to the web browser a parent document with an inline frame (iframe) containing a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) to an authentication location. In response, a child document is transferred to the web browser. The child document occludes the parent document and presents a user interface for user authentication. Rather than wait until authentication is complete to begin transferring prerequisite files, the web-application server at least partially transfers to the web browser prerequisite files for the web application during the authentication process. This reduces the post-authentication delay involved in transferring prerequisite files, improving the user experience.

Web applications are applications accessed over a network using a web browser. E-mail, social media sites, online retail sites, and online banking are familiar examples of online applications. Many online applications require user authentication, i.e., a determination that a user accessing an online application is who the user purports to be. For example, a password, a certificate, a verifiable contact address (e.g., email address or cell phone number), or a combination of such identifiers, can be used to authenticate a user.
In some cases, an authentication procedure can be built into an application. In other cases, the authentication procedure can exist independently of the application. For example, rather than require separate authentications for each of a suite of web applications, the web applications can share a single-sign-on (SSC)) procedure so that a user authenticated for one web application can use the others without additional authentication procedures. Once a user is authenticated and all the prerequisite files, if any, for a web application have been transferred, the user can use the web application.

Transferring web-application prerequisite files while authentication interface occludes web-application interface


A method for preparing a functionalized graphene layer is provided. The method utilizes superiority of transparent conductivity of the graphene and modifiability of the graphene surface to endow the graphene with an effect of liquid crystal molecule alignment. Thus, the functionalized graphene layer provides both transparent conductivity and liquid crystal alignment, and an alignment process that subsequently uses an alignment material is not necessary.

A thin film transistor liquid crystal display (LCD) device has many advantages of thin body, power saving, no radiation, so it obtains wide range application. Most of the liquid crystal devices in current market are backlight type liquid crystal display, which includes a liquid crystal display panel and a backlight module. The working principle of the liquid crystal display panel is: placing liquid crystal molecules in two parallel glass substrates, which have many vertical and horizontal fine wires between the two glass substrates; controlling the liquid crystal molecules to change direction by energizing or not energizing; and refracting light of the backlight module to produce frames.
Generally, the liquid crystal display panel is consisting of a color filter (CF) substrate, a thin film transistor (TFT) substrate, liquid crystal (LC) interposed between the CF substrate and the TFT substrate, and a sealant. In TFT-LCD, classifications based on operation modes of the liquid crystal have phase change (PC), twisted nematic (TN), super twisted nematic (STN), vertical alignment (VA), and in plane switching (IPS), etc. For the purpose of the common VA display mode, it is needed that a transparent conductive film is simultaneously and respectively disposed on a side, facing the liquid crystal layer, of the CF substrate and the TFT substrate, a main function of the transparent conductive film is to form an electric field between the CF substrate and the TFT substrate, and to drive deflection of the liquid crystal molecules, so as to achieve bright and dark display.
Currently, the conventional transparent conductive film is indium tin oxide (ITO) film prepared by methods of physical vapor deposition (PVD). Additionally, after the transparent conductive films on the TFT substrate and the CF substrate are formed, an alignment film of tens to hundreds nanometers thickness is usually coated or printed thereon, when liquid crystal (LC) is contacted with the alignment film, LC can be allowed to form a pre-inclination angle at a certain direction, so as to provide a load angle for the liquid crystal molecules (a size of the pre-inclination angle has an important influence on driving voltage, contrast ratio, response time, viewing angle of TFT-LCD).
A material of the alignment film is usually chosen polyimide (PI) material, which is mainly classified as rubbing alignment type PI material and an optical alignment type PI material; however, no matter what the type of alignment material is, it has its own shortcoming.
Graphene has excellent transparent conductive and mechanical performances, there are many patents disclose that the graphene is used as transparent conductive films. Methods of forming the transparent conductive graphene layer can be chemical vapor deposition (CVD), CVD-transfer, graphene solution printing, and graphene oxide solution printing-reduction. However, in such patents, the graphene is only used as the transparent electrode layer; after that, it is still needed to perform material and process of the alignment film.

Liquid crystal panel structures containing functionalized graphene layers and methods of preparing functionalized graphene layers

SHENZHEN CHINA STAR OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


A container of the type which can be lifted and carried by a person, the container comprising a bottom wall, a top wall, a back wall, which faces the person's body when the container is carried, a front wall opposite to the back wall, two opposed side walls extending between the back and front walls, a first hand-grippable portion positioned at the juncture between the bottom wall and one of the side walls, and a second hand-grippable portion positioned adjacent the juncture between the front wall and the other of the side walls.

Almost all current containers which are designed to be lifted and carried by a person do so by providing a handle on the top of the container. The handle forces the person to carry the container to one side of the body which places stresses and strains on the vertebrae in the lumbar region of the back and is potentially crippling. The awkwardness of having a handle on a container lends itself to a hazardous situation every time the container is manually handled when full or partially full. Other injuries that are experienced as a direct result of mishandling the container includes neck, shoulder and arm injuries, cuts and abrasions, sprains and strains to other parts of the person's body. Pouring the contents of the container again requires an awkward and unnatural pose to be adopted by the person, which again adds to injury.
In Australia alone, work-place injuries cost approximately ten billion dollars per year in reported cases. It is further estimated that for every reported case, there are approximately four unreported cases. This then equates to an approximate loss of forty billion dollars per year. Statistics show that between 25-37% of work-place injuries are directly related to injuries sustained from incorrect manual handling techniques.

Container with ergonomically positioned hand grips


The tunneling method for dental block grafting is surgical method for increasing the thickness of the soft tissue of the mouth prior to performing block grafting procedures for dental implants. The method includes cutting a pair of incisions in the mucosa. A tunnel is formed through the mucosa which extends between, and connects, the pair of incisions. The tunnel is then extended coronally to undermine tissue covering the recipient site. An acellular dermal matrix is then sutured to an exposed end of a dental implement pulled through the tunnel to position the acellular dermal matrix within the tunnel. The acellular dermal matrix is then positioned over the recipient site using a periosteal elevator, and the acellular dermal matrix is fixed coronally by suspension sutures. The pair of incisions are closed with interrupted sutures, and a block graft is fixed to the recipient site by a pair of titanium screws.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to oral surgery methods, and particularly to a tunneling method for dental block grafting that increases the thickness of the soft tissue of the mouth prior to performing block grafting procedures for dental implants.
2. Description of the Related Art
A dental implant is an artificial tooth root replacement and is used in prosthetic dentistry to support restorations that resemble a tooth or group of teeth. Prior to commencement of surgery, careful and detailed planning is required to indentify vital structures such as the inferior alveolar nerve or the sinus and to properly orientate the implants for the most predictable outcome. Two-dimensional radiographs, such as periapicals or orthopantomographs, are taken prior to the surgery.
In its most basic form, the placement of an osseointegrated implant requires a preparation into the bone using either hand osteotomes or precision drills with highly regulated speed to prevent burning or pressure necrosis of the bone. After a variable amount of time to allow the bone to grow onto the surface of the implant (osseointegration), a tooth or teeth can be placed on the implant. The amount of time required to place an implant will vary depending on the experience of the practitioner and difficulty of the individual situation.
At edentulous (without teeth) jaw sites, a pilot hole is bored into the recipient bone, taking care to avoid the vital structures (in particular the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) and the mental foramen within the mandible). Drilling into jawbone usually occurs in several separate steps. The pilot hole is expanded by using progressively wider drills (typically between three and seven successive drilling steps, depending on implant width and length). Care is taken not to damage the osteoblast or bone cells by overheating. The implant screw can be self-tapping, and is screwed into place at a precise torque so as not to overload the surrounding bone (overloaded bone can die, a condition called osteonecrosis, which may lead to failure of the implant to fully integrate or bond with the jawbone). Typically, in most implant systems, the osteotomy or drilled hole is about 1 mm deeper than the implant being placed, due to the shape of the drill tip. Surgeons must take the added length into consideration when drilling in the vicinity of vital structures.
Traditionally, an incision is made over the crest of the site where the implant is to be placed. This is referred to as a "flap". Some systems allow for "flapless" surgery, where a piece of mucosa is punched-out from over the implant site. Proponents of "flapless" surgery believe that it decreases recovery time, while its detractors believe it increases complication rates because the edge of bone cannot be visualized. Because of these visualization problems, flapless surgery is often carried out using a surgical guide constructed following computerized 3D-planning of a pre-operative CT scan. The amount of time required for an implant to become osseointegrated is a widely debated topic. Consequently, the amount of time that practitioners allow the implant to heal before placing a restoration on it varies widely. In general, practitioners allow 2 to 6 months for healing, but preliminary studies show that early loading of implant may not increase early or long term complications.
When an implant is placed, either a healing abutment, which comes through the mucosa, is placed, or a "cover screw" is used, which is flush with the surface of the dental implant. When a cover screw is placed, the mucosa covers the implant while it integrates, then a second surgery is completed to place the healing abutment. Two-stage surgery is sometimes chosen when a concurrent bone graft is placed or surgery on the mucosa may be required for esthetic reasons. Some implants are one piece so that no healing abutment is required.
For a dental implant procedure to work, there must be enough bone in the jaw, and the bone has to be strong enough to hold and support the implant. If there is not enough bone, more may need to be added with a bone graft procedure. In cases with severe ridge deficiency, block grafting is the recommended procedure to build the ridge prior to dental implant placement. One of the most important factors in the success of block grafts is adequate and maintained soft tissue coverage. Mucosal dehiscence and premature exposure of the autogenous block graft are the most common cause of graft failure.
Thus, a tunneling method for dental block grafting solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

Tunneling method for dental block grafting


A vehicle control apparatus for a vehicle that includes an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, and that is capable of traveling by motive power from at least one of the internal combustion engine and the electric motor includes: a control portion that causes the vehicle to travel in a travel mode of a plurality of travel modes that differ in an engine start condition for the internal combustion engine; and a determination portion that determines whether exhaust from the internal combustion engine has deteriorated, wherein the determination portion changes the deterioration determination condition for determining that the exhaust has deteriorated, according to the travel mode.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a control of a vehicle, more particularly, to a control of a hybrid vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, taking environmental issues into account, hybrid vehicles that efficiently combine an engine and an electric motor have been put into practical use. Such hybrid vehicles are equipped with a rechargeable battery, and propel itself using an electric motor by supplying the electric motor with electric power from the battery at the time of launch or acceleration. In contrast, at the time of braking or the like, kinetic energy of the vehicle is converted by the electric motor into electric power, which is recovered into the battery
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-47218 (JP-A-2010-47218) describes a plug-in hybrid vehicle, the traveling of the vehicle is performed by selecting one of a mode in which an EV travel in which the engine is stopped and the vehicle travels by motive power from the electric motor is given priority, and a mode in which an HV travel in which the vehicle travels by motive power from both the engine and the electric motor is permitted.
In addition, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-168806 (JP-A-2008-168806) describes a hybrid vehicle equipped with different engine start conditions.
Exhaust gas from an engine contains pollutants such as hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, etc. These pollutants are substantially removed by a catalyst that is provided in the exhaust pipe of the engine. However, depending on the state of the engine, the amount of the pollutants in the exhaust sometimes exceeds the purification capacity of the catalyst. Therefore, it is desirable to accurately detect deterioration of the quantity of engine exhaust.


A removable fluid capturing system adapted for installation onto a support structure/frame located under an oil rig catwalk, said fluid capturing system comprising: an elongated trough adapted for insertion under an aperture located on said catwalk; means to secure said trough to structure of the catwalk wherein, upon use, the system is capable of collected fluid seeping from removed pipes through said aperture and directing the fluid to a catchment basin located at a position proximate said second end of the trough. Also disclosed are methods using such system.

During drilling and servicing operations, there are several times when the drill pipe/tubing needs to be removed from the well. The removal of pipe from a well requires the dismantling of connections between drill pipe and tubing sections. Once dismantled, the drill pipe/tubing are set down on a catwalk located right next to the rig. The pipe is then stacked aside until the operations require them to be reinserted down the well. Unfortunately, during this operation of removal and pipe stacking, there can be a substantial amount of fluid loss on the ground. The fluid can be oil, brine, mud or other fluid but it is generally considered contaminated and deleterious to the environment. Capturing this fluid prior to its spillage on the ground is becoming a major concern for oil rig operators as regulatory bodies are increasingly putting emphasis on the elimination of small to medium sized oil spills.
The amount of contaminated fluid that spills on to the ground varies with type and depth of the well drilled. Wells drilled in Alberta can be as shallow as 500 m and as deep as over 6000 m. An average well drilled in Alberta in 2011 was 2500 m. In 2018, the average well depth is thought to be over 3000 m deep. A 3000 m well means that there are approximately 300 joints of drill pipe being pushed up the catwalk plus at the end of the well all 300 joints needs to be laid down and put back in the pipe tubs for transportation to the next well. The amount of contaminant dripping out of the drill pipe that spills out of each tube length is estimated at between 1 half to one liter per joint and much higher when laying down pipe at closer to one to two liters per joint. At the low end of this estimate, that translates to 600 to 1500 liters of contaminated fluid that spills on the ground. This does not take into consideration any problem a rig has where they may need to pick pipe up and down several more time in the life of a well being drilled. It is estimated that there are currently over two hundred rigs working in Canada as of July 2018 with many more during the peak drilling season in the fall and winter. This translates into a lot of invert, brine & other contaminants unnecessarily being spilt on the ground. This only means when the rig is moved off location, construction people will need to remove contaminated soil for disposal adding huge costs in reclamation work, trucking costs and more contaminants in landfills.
There is currently no way to prevent or minimize fluid spillage through the aperture located in the catwalk of oil rigs. The present invention corrects this deficiency and overcomes the need to resort soil remediation to remove the contaminants spilled from the removal of tubulars.

Catwalk fluid and ground protection recovery system


An apparatus for stitching a component is provided. The apparatus includes an awl bar assembly coupled to a first drive device. The awl bar assembly is moved from a first position to a second position along the stitch path with an external drive device. A second drive device is coupled to the first drive device. A needle bar assembly is provided having a needle. The needle moves between an inserted and a withdrawn position, the needle bar assembly being pivotally coupled to the second drive device, the needle bar assembly moves from the first position to the second position with the same external drive device driving the awl bar assembly. A biasing member is coupled to the needle bar assembly, the biasing member being arranged to pivot and align the needle bar assembly in the second position in response to the needle bar being moved to the withdrawn position.

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to an apparatus for sewing sections of material and, more particularly, to an apparatus for sewing vehicle interior components
Currently, most stitching found in an automotive interior is of the functional variety, wherein two or more pieces of material (leather, vinyl, TPO, cloth, etc) are cut from a pattern and sewn together (cut-n-sew) prior to being wrapped around a component such as a seat cushion, head rest, arm rest, console lid, instrument panel substrate, etc. Such functional stitching is very labor intensive and is normally used only where required on low and mid-class vehicles. Functional stitching on decorate components such as instrument panel retainers and door panels has typically been restricted to higher class vehicles due to cost.
In recent years, automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have shown an interest in applying the "stitched" look to more vehicles over a wider range of price classes. A simulated non-functional stitch has been used in some applications; however, the ability to offer a simulated stitch in a contrasting color is not production feasible at this time. Additionally, more OEMs are requested that a real or "live" stitch be used on decorate components to provide the look and feel of a true cut-n-sew component.
Thus, it is desirable to provide a live, non-functional stitch on decorative automotive trim components without using costly cut-n-sew technology. One method of providing this feature is to stitch a pattern on an unformed single or multilayer construction of trim material and wrap the sewn trim sheet around a preformed/precut substrate. However, as the part complexity and size increase this becomes impractical as unformed trim material can only be applied to relatively flat surfaces.
Another option includes stitching a pattern on a preformed single or multilayer construction of trim material and bond the sewn trim preform to a preformed molded substrate. However, this requires that the size and shape of the preformed & stitched skin match that of the molded substrate nearly perfect. This method may require that all surfaces in die draw have adequate draft in order to accommodate nesting without damage to the preform. All undercuts using this method require automated or manual edge wrapping to finish.
A third method includes stitching a pattern on a flat or relatively flat single or multilayer trim & substrate component construction. This method eliminates the fit and finish issues associated method discussed above, but is limited by the ability of the sewing machine to reach confined areas of the part while possessing the capability to drive a needle through trim and substrate material of the component. Likewise, any backside features (ribbing, bosses, etc.) required for component structure or attachment cannot be located in the area directly behind/beneath the stitch path.
A fourth method includes stitching a pattern on a preformed single or multilayer trim & substrate component construction. The apparatus for performing this method consists of the use of a chain stitch sewing machine that uses an awl on the upper portion of the head to penetrate the trim and substrate of the interior component. After the awl exits the hole it produced in the component a needle with hook protrudes through the hole from the lower arm of the machine to grasp the thread held in position by the thread tensioner arm. Once hooked, the thread is pulled through the hole and through the loop from the previous stitch. The needle also advances the part to the next point of awl penetration as it pulls the thread down through the hole. The needle then advances to the hook position once again while the awl is engaged with the part so the part does not move and needle can move through the newly formed hole without hesitation once the awl exits the part.
However, if a small thru-plane radius must be sewn with the needle & awl design as described above, it becomes challenging to accommodate needle removal from the part as well as ensure proper alignment with the subsequent hole produced by the awl. As a result, needle damage or part mis-location during sewing may occur.
Accordingly, while existing sewing apparatus for vehicle interiors have been suitable for their intended purpose the need for improvement remains, particularly in providing a sewing apparatus that allows for a cut-n-sew appearance in a cost effective manner.

Apparatus for stitching vehicle interior components


A method for producing a thermoelectric conversion material composed of a metal A having an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal, a transition metal M, and oxygen O, and represented by AxMyOz, where x, y, and z are valences of the respective elements, includes the steps of: using a massive metal oxide as the thermoelectric conversion material and a salt in a solid, liquid or gaseous state; causing a diffusion reaction between the oxide and the salt; and forming the thermoelectric conversion material having aligned crystal orientation. A production apparatus includes a reactor into which the oxide and the salt are introduced, and a heating means for heating the oxide and the salt within the reactor to promote the diffusion reaction. Thereby, the thermoelectric conversion material having efficiency is produced more simply and at lower cost than a production of the single crystal.

Thermoelectric conversion materials are used for utilization of waste heat by converting waste heat energy to electric energy employing Seebeck effect or Peltier effect.
For example, as described in Patent Literature 1, micro single crystals of such as NaCo2O4 having a layered perovskite structure have significantly better thermoelectric properties in a-axis direction compared with those of Bi2Te3 system, which are representatives of conventional metal-based thermoelectric conversion materials. Accordingly, as Patent Literature 2 and Non Patent Literature 1, attempts are made to produce large single crystals of NaCo2O4, but production of the single crystals usable in thermoelectric generation is difficult and costly and is not achieved.
For this reason, many researchers have attempted to produce polycrystalline bodies of NaCo2O4 which exhibit high efficiency. However, only significantly lower efficiency compared with that of the single crystals is achieved in a current status. This is because the efficiency of the single crystal in c-axis direction (stacking direction of NaCo2O4, which is orthogonal to a-axis direction) is about 1/200 of that in a-axis direction, and polycrystallization brings about only an average efficiency at best. This means that in order to provide polycrystals with higher efficiency, it is necessary to direct all the crystals toward high-efficient direction.
In general, polycrystalline NaCo2O4 is produced by preparing a mixture of powders of Na2CO3 and a Co oxide such as Co3O4, and heating (sintering) the mixture in a temperature range of 880 to 950° C. Here, the powders tend to be micronized so that reaction progresses uniformly and rapidly.
However, such a production method suffers from a drawback that the efficiency of NaCo2O4 is deteriorated due to other factors besides the anisotropy of crystal orientation, such as cavities caused by gas generated through the reaction, existence of unreacted portions and heterogeneous phases, and weak bonding at grain boundaries. Here, for the purpose of suppression of the other factors such as cavities, methods such as a hot press method and a plasma sintering method is considered and a certain level of achievement is made. However, these methods have no effect on control of the orientation.
For this reason, the efficiency of the polycrystalline thermoelectric conversion materials is extremely poor compared with that of the single crystals.
Moreover, as an attempt to obtain oriented polycrystals, there is a method in which plate-like particles of cobalt hydroxide or cobalt oxide and sodium metal salt are mixed, the mixture is formed in such a way that the plate-like particles are oriented in one direction, and the compact thus obtained is sintered to be densified, thereby producing a sintered body having c-axis direction oriented toward one direction.
In Patent Literature 3 and Non Patent Literature 3 employing this method, control of the orientation toward <001> direction is achieved at a ratio of 90%, which indicates that the efficiency is improved by several times as compared with that of a non-oriented sample.
As research aimed to control the orientation in thin films, for example, in Non Patent Literatures 3 and 4, control of orientation in Ca3Co4O9 and SrCo4O9, which are substances similar to NaCo2O4, is achieved.

Method for producing thermoelectric conversion material, thermoelectric conversion material, and production apparatus used in the method


The invention is directed to a method and apparatus for coating substrates by a liquid spray so as to avoid entrapment of gaseous bubbles, particularly air bubbles, in the coating and desirably to thereby obtain bubble-free coatings. More particularly, the invention involves spray applying the coating to a substrate in an atmosphere consisting of gases having appreciable solubility in the applied coating, such as carbon dioxide, such that gas bubbles that may become entrapped in the coating are removed after application by the gases dissolving into the coating and diffusing to the surface.

Coating compositions are commonly applied to a substrate by passing them under pressure through an orifice into air in order to form a liquid spray, which impacts the substrate and forms a liquid coating. In the coatings industry, three types of orifice sprays are commonly used; namely, air spray, airless spray, and air-assisted airless spray.
Air spray uses compressed air to break up the coating composition into droplets and to propel the droplets to the substrate. The most common type of air nozzle mixes the coating composition and high-velocity air outside of the nozzle to cause atomization. Auxiliary air streams modify the shape of the spray. The coating composition flows through the orifice in the spray nozzle at low pressure, typically less than 18 psi. Air spray is used to apply high quality coatings because of its ability to produce a fine droplet size and a "feathered" spray, that is, the spray has a uniform interior and tapered edges. Such a feathered spray is particularly desirable so that adjacent layers of sprayed coating can be overlapped to form a coating with uniform thickness. However, because of the high air volume that is used, air spray deposits the coating inefficiently onto the substrate, that is, it has low transfer efficiency, which wastes coating.
Airless spray uses a high pressure drop across the orifice to propel the coating composition through the orifice at high velocity. Upon exiting the orifice, the high-velocity liquid breaks up into droplets and disperses into the air to form a liquid spray. The momentum of the spray carries the droplets to the substrate. Spray pressures typically range from 700 to 5000 psi. The spray tip is contoured to modify the shape of the spray, which is usually a round or elliptical cone or a flat fan. Because no compressed air is used, airless sprays deposit the coating composition more efficiently onto the substrate, that is, it has higher transfer efficiency, than air sprays. However, its use is generally limited to applying low quality coatings because it characteristically does not provide a "feathered" spray or fine atomization. Conventional airless spray techniques are known to typically produce coarse droplets and defective spray fans. These deficiencies become less severe if a relatively large concentration of organic solvent is used to lower the atomization viscosity. However, the deficiencies become much more severe if less solvent is used and atomization viscosity is increased in order to reduce solvent emissions. The spray characteristically forms a "tailing" or "fishtail" spray pattern, because surface tension gathers more liquid at the edges of the spray fan than in the center. This produces coarsely atomized jets of coating and a non-uniform spray pattern, which makes it difficult to apply a uniform coating. Airless sprays are generally angular in shape and have a fan width generally equal to the fan width rating of the spray tip being used.
Air-assisted airless spray combines features of air spray and airless spray, with intermediate results. It uses both compressed air and high pressure drop across the orifice to atomize the coating composition and to shape the spray, typically under milder conditions than each type of atomization is generated by itself. The air assist helps to atomize the liquid film and to smooth out the spray to give a more uniform fan pattern. Generally the compressed air pressure and air flow rate are lower than for air spray. Liquid spray pressures typically range from 200 to 800 psi. However, like an air spray, air-assisted airless spray requires a relatively low viscosity, typically below 100 centipoise, and therefore uses a high concentration of organic solvents. The compressed air usage also typically produces lower transfer efficiency than with airless spray.
Airless spray and air-assisted airless spray can also be used with the coating composition heated or with the air heated or with both heated. Heating reduces the viscosity of the coating composition and aids atomization.
A problem generally associated with orifice spray techniques, but more particularly with airless spray and air-assisted airless spray, is entrapment of fine air bubbles within the coating during application, which produces an inferior coating. It is particularly troublesome in clear coatings, because light reflected from the air bubbles gives the coating a white hazy appearance, but it is troublesome in pigmented coatings as well. The bubbles cause poor coating appearance, such as by distorting the surface, and cause poor coating performance, such as by decreasing corrosion protection and surface hardness. The bubbles may also become exposed through the surface due to surface wear from sanding or buffing operations and thereby render the coating unacceptable. In baked coatings, the bubbles serve as nucleation sights for solvent evaporation during baking and thereby can cause severe solvent popping in the coating. Sometimes, during heating, the bubbles expand and migrate to the surface, but in doing so they often form craters and tiny pits in the coating surface. This reduces coating gloss and distinctness of reflected image.
Without wishing to be bound by theory, air entrapment during spray application of a coating is believed to occur by more than one mechanism, depending upon the properties of the spray and coating. One mechanism is a high velocity droplet penetrating into the coating interior and forming a channel filled with air; the air becomes trapped in the coating film when the coating surface flows together or another droplet is deposited on top of it. This is consistent with the observation that sometimes air entrapment does not occur during application until the coating reaches a certain thickness. A coating with low viscosity would be expected to be susceptible to air entrapment by this mechanism. Higher coating viscosity would be expected to reduce droplet penetration, but the viscosity must remain low enough for rapid reflow to give a smooth coating. Another mechanism would be expected to occur with highly viscous coatings or with coatings that wet the substrate surface poorly. Under these conditions, the droplets tend to remain spherical for a period of time after impact instead of immediately spreading out and coalescing with their neighbors. Therefore, the droplets stack on top of each other and air becomes trapped in void spaces between them. This would also be expected to occur with normal viscosity coatings when droplets are deposited very rapidly on top of each other. This is consistent with the observation that air entrapment often occurs more readily when the spray builds up coating thickness very rapidly, such as when the traverse speed is low or the spray is very concentrated. Air entrapment sometimes occurs in streaks from concentrated portions of a non-uniform spray, which would be expected to create a churning action that would entrap air.
Entrapped air bubbles in a coating are generally smaller than the spray droplets that deposit the coating. Typically they are individual spherical air bubbles that lie in the interior of the coating film. Generally they have a diameter less than about 30 microns, although larger bubbles can also occur, particularly in thick coatings. The bubbles can be seen individually through a microscope or collectively by the hazy appearance that they give to a clear coating.
Miyamoto, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,900, issued Jun. 27, 1989, discloses a method and apparatus for using curtain coating or extrusion coating to apply a liquid film of a coating composition onto a traveling web in manufacturing photographic film, photographic printing paper, magnetic recording tape, adhesive tape, pressure sensitive recording paper, offset paper, and the like. The liquid film is formed by causing coating composition to flow in a single layer or a plurality of layers out of a die through a slit or slits. Just before the liquid film contacts the traveling web, the air entrained with the web is replaced by a gas which is highly soluble in the coating composition. The preferred gas is carbon dioxide. The speed of the traveling web can be significantly increased because the entrained bubbles of soluble gas are dissolved in the time of one-hundredth of a second or less. In the example disclosed therein, the speed of the traveling web was increased from 65 to 200 meters per minute.
Prior to the present invention, there has been no effective way to remove entrapped bubbles from a spray applied coating other than to try to promote their migration to the surface, followed by breakage of the surfaced bubble. To this end, various surface active agents or surfactants have been used in coating formulations, as is well known to those skilled in the art. But these surface active agents, which function effectively as defoamers in breaking foams and surface bubbles, and which also aid surface flow to prevent cratering, have proven to have limited effectiveness as air release agents, that is, in promoting migration of entrapped bubbles through the interior of the coating to the coating surface and thereby eliminating the air entrapment problem. The effectiveness of the surface active agent is also highly dependent upon properly matching the properties of the agents with the properties of the coating formulation, which usually must be determined by trial and error. Because many different surface active agents have been developed, this can be a time consuming and costly process, particularly if several coatings are applied, such as on a paint line where color change is employed. Moreover, because surface active agents are used to treat a variety of coating application problems, such as wetting, cratering, fisheyes, foaming, and pigment dispersion, the appropriate amount of surface active agent for one problem is often not the proper amount for another problem, so a compromise amount must be used. Therefore, it is desirable to remove air entrapment as a problem to be treated using surface active agents so that other problems may be more effectively treated. Furthermore, as aforementioned, migration of bubbles to the surface often leaves tiny pits on the hardened coating, which greatly reduces coating quality such as by reducing gloss and distinctness of reflected image.
Due to the high viscosity coating compositions that are typically utilized in the inventions described in the aforementioned related patents and patent application, air entrapment may be particularly noticeable. Specifically, prior to the inventions described in the aforementioned related patents and patent application, the liquid spray application of coatings, such as paints, lacquers, enamels, and varnishes, was effected solely through the use of organic solvents as viscosity reduction diluents. However, because of increased environmental concern, efforts have been directed to reducing the pollution from coating operations. Therefore, great emphasis has been placed on the development of new coating technologies that diminish the emission of organic solvent vapors.
Such a new coating technology is discussed in the aforementioned related patents and patent application, particularly U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,720, which teach, among other things, the utilization of supercritical fluids or subcritical compressed fluids, such as carbon dioxide or nitrous oxide, as viscosity reducing diluents in highly viscous organic solvent-borne coating compositions and/or highly viscous non-aqueous dispersions coating compositions to dilute these coatings to application viscosity required for liquid spray techniques.
As used herein, it will be understood that a "supercritical fluid" is a material which is at a temperature and pressure such that it is at, above, or slightly below its "critical point". As used herein, the "critical point" is the transition point at which the liquid and gaseous states of a substance merge into each other and represents the combination of the critical temperature and critical pressure for a given substance. The "critical temperature", as used herein, is defined as the temperature above which a gas cannot be liquified by an increase in pressure. The "critical pressure", as used herein, is defined as that pressure which is just sufficient to cause the appearance of two phases at the critical temperature.
As used herein, a "compressed fluid" is a fluid which may be in its gaseous state, its liquid state, or a combination thereof depending upon the particular temperature and pressure to which it is subjected upon admixture with the composition that is to have its viscosity reduced and the vapor pressure of the fluid at that particular temperature, but which is in its gaseous state at standard conditions of 0.degree. C. and one atmosphere pressure (STP). The compressed fluid may comprise a supercritical or subcritical fluid.
As used herein, the phrases "coating composition", "coating material", and "coating formulation" are understood to mean conventional coating compositions, materials, and formulations that have no supercritical fluid or subcritical compressed fluid admixed therewith. Also as used herein, the phrases "spray mixture", "liquid mixture", and "admixed coating composition" are meant to include an admixture of a coating, coating material, coating composition, or coating formulation with at least one supercritical fluid or at least one subcritical compressed fluid.
As disclosed in the aforementioned patent applications, it has been discovered that supercritical fluids or subcritical compressed fluids are not only effective viscosity reducing diluents, but they can also remedy the defects of the airless spray process by creating vigorous decompressive atomization by a new airless spray atomization mechanism, which can produce the fine droplet size and feathered spray needed to apply high quality coatings.
In the spray application of coatings using supercritical fluids or subcritical compressed fluids such as carbon dioxide, the large concentration of carbon dioxide dissolved in the coating composition produces a liquid spray mixture that has markedly different properties than conventional coating compositions. In particular, the spray mixture is highly compressible, that is, the density changes markedly with changes in pressure, whereas conventional coating compositions are incompressible liquids when they are sprayed.
Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that vigorous decompressive atomization can be produced by the dissolved carbon dioxide suddenly becoming exceedingly supersaturated as the spray mixture leaves the nozzle and experiences a sudden and large drop in pressure. This creates a very large driving force for gasification of the carbon dioxide, which overwhelms the cohesion, surface tension, and viscous forces that oppose atomization and normally bind the fluid flow together into a fishtail type of spray.
A different atomization mechanism is evident because atomization occurs right at the spray orifice instead of away from it as is conventional. Atomization is believed to be due not to the break-up of the liquid film from shear with the surrounding air but, instead, to the expansive forces of the compressible spray solution created by the carbon dioxide. Therefore, no liquid film is visible coming out of the nozzle.
Furthermore, because the spray is no longer bound by cohesion and surface tension forces, it leaves the nozzle at a much wider angle than normal airless sprays and produces a "feathered" spray with tapered edges like an air spray. This produces a rounded, parabolic-shaped spray fan instead of the sharp angular fans typical of conventional airless sprays. The spray also typically has a much wider fan width than conventional airless sprays produced by the same spray tip. As used herein, the terms "decompressive atomization" and "decompressive spray" each refer to a spray, spray fan, or spray pattern that has the preceding characteristics.
Laser light scattering measurements and comparative spray tests show that decompressive atomization can produce fine droplets that are in the same size range as air spray systems instead of the coarse droplets produced by normal airless sprays. These fine droplets are ideal for minimizing orange peel and other surface defects commonly associated with spray application. This fine particle size provides ample surface area for the dissolved carbon dioxide to very rapidly diffuse from the droplets within a short distance from the spray nozzle. Therefore, the coating contains little dissolved carbon dioxide when it is deposited onto the substrate.
As disclosed in the aforementioned patent applications, coating compositions formulated for spraying with supercritical fluids or subcritical compressed fluids, called coating concentrates, have much less organic solvent content than conventional coatings, in order to reduce air pollution, but typically utilize relatively high molecular weight polymers. Consequently, the coating concentrates have a high viscosity, typically 800 to 3000 centipoise at a temperature of 25.degree. Celsius and atmospheric pressure, which is much higher than normal coating compositions. Because the coating concentrate is applied to the substrate with little dissolved supercritical fluid or subcritical compressed fluid, which is released as gas from the droplets in the spray, the coating is deposited on the substrate with a viscosity that is the same or higher than that of the coating concentrate. This often enables the coating to be applied to final thickness in one application without running or sagging. Therefore, because of the higher coating viscosity, migration of entrapped air bubbles to the surface of the coating is usually much less effective than in conventional coatings.
In contrast, even conventional high-solids coatings have a viscosity that is not much higher than that of low-solids coatings. Typically, high-solids clear coats have viscosities of about 80 centipoise and base coats have viscosities of about 35 centipoise, both at a temperature of 25.degree. Celsius. Even after solvent is lost in the spray, conventional low-solids and high-solids coatings are typically deposited onto the substrate with considerably lower viscosity than the coating concentrates. With conventional low-solids coatings, the coating usually must be applied in several layers to allow excess atomization solvent to evaporate between layers to avoid running and sagging. Conventional high-solids coatings likewise have relatively low deposition viscosity, as evident by the running and sagging problem caused by the low molecular weight polymers used to obtain low atomization viscosity with less solvent.
For these reasons, there is clearly a need for new liquid spray technology that significantly prevents or minimizes air entrapment in coatings. The new technology should generally be applicable to orifice sprays, be applicable to a wide variety of coating formulations and coating materials, be readily implemented, and be environmentally compatible. In particular, it should be compatible with and augment new orifice spray processes that have been developed to use coatings with much less solvent and air toxic materials than conventional coatings and spray processes, in order to significantly reduce air pollution and worker exposure to toxic solvents.

Methods and apparatus for reducing air entrapment in spray application of coatings to a substrate

Union Carbide Chemicals & Plastics Technology Corporation


A first generator section generates a tolerance data corresponding to a target pattern set based on a design data of a semiconductor device. A second generator section generates an image data of a semi-conductor device pattern formed based on the target pattern. An extraction section extracts a contour data of the pattern from the image data supplied from the second generator section. A data synthesizing section is supplied with the tolerance data supplied from the second generator section and the contour data supplied from the extraction section. The data synthesizing section overlaps the tolerance data with the contour data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus and method for verifying an integrated circuit pattern formed on a substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the manufacture of semiconductor devices, there is a need of verifying whether an integrated circuit pattern formed on a substrate is formed as designed in individual processes.
FIG. 15 is a view to explain a method of verifying a hole pattern. According to the method, a target data TD of preset hole pattern is overlapped with a contour data CD extracted from hole pattern formed on a substrate. In the overlapped state, distances from several places of the foregoing two patterns are measured. It is determined whether or not the difference between the measured distances is within a predetermined allowable value, and thereby, it is determined whether the formed pattern is non-defective or defective.
The method of evaluating a pattern shape has been proposed (for example, JPN. PAT. APPLN. KOKAI Publication No. 2002-31525). According to the method, the distance between CAD (Computer Aided Design) output data and pattern data measured by SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) is measured in the same manner as described above. Based on the measured distance, evaluation is made with respect to the pattern shape.
The method of evaluating a pattern defect information has been proposed (for example, JPN. PAT. APPLN. KOKAI Publication No. 2002-93875). According to the method, the error dimension between CAD output data and shape simulation output data is measured. If the measured error dimension is not within a predetermined value, pattern defect information is displayed.
In addition, the following method has been proposed (for example, JPN. PAT. APPLN. KOKAI Publication No. 2000-182912). According to the method, comparison is made between an inspection reference pattern formed based on the design layout pattern and the finished predictive pattern. By doing so, pattern distortion of the finished predictive pattern is detected, and thereafter, the detected pattern distortion is identified in accordance with criticality.
According to the method of measuring the distance between the foregoing two patterns, a great many of places is measured, and thereby, the measurement accuracy is improved. However, if the measured places are too many, long time is spent for measuring these places. According to the method, the difference from the corner of the pattern is not so taken into consideration. For this reason, when verifying a pattern having a complicated shape, it is very difficult to determine whether the pattern is non-defective or defective. Moreover, there exist various patterns requiring to bridge neighboring patterns depending on pattern, or to control only line width of the shorter side of the pattern. In the foregoing patterns, the allowable (variable) range for the target dimension has not been clarified. For this reason, according to the conventional method, it is determined that patterns formed with accuracy having no problem on the device operation are defective.
According to the conventional method, time is taken to verify the pattern, and the features of the pattern are not considered; as a result, the pattern is not properly verified. In addition, according to the conventional method, it is difficult to evaluate a complicated pattern.

Apparatus and method for verifying an integrated circuit pattern


A scanning manager (101) dynamically resizes (205) a flow scanning cache (109) based on signature (105) content in order to scan a flow (103) for signatures (105). The scanning manager (101) reads a directive (107) in a signature (105) to resize (205) the cache (109) in order to scan the flow (103) for the signature (105). The scanning manager (101) dynamically resizes (205) the cache (109) responsive to the directive (107), and scans for the signature (105) within the resized cache (109).

Networked computers are vulnerable to malicious computer code attacks, such as worms, viruses and Trojan horses. As used herein, "malicious computer code" is any code that enters a computer without an authorized user's knowledge and/or without an authorized user's consent.
It is often desirable to scan data before allowing it into a computer or a computer network. Data can contain undesirable content, such as malicious code (e.g. a computer virus). Scanning an inbound data flow for matches to known malicious code signatures prior to allowing it into a computing environment can detect undesirable content, and either block the entry of the data, or modify the data so as to remove the undesirable content. Similarly, scanning an outbound flow of data prior to allowing it to leave a computing environment can detect and process malicious code originating from that organization's computer network.
Existing scanning engines perform both packet and stream-oriented scanning. To detect attacks that span multiple packets (i.e., at the stream level), such scanners must buffer the contents of previous packets in those cases when a signature matches the data within the current packet, but requires more data from subsequent (as-yet unavailable) packets to complete matching.
Therefore, these engines, only when necessary, buffer the contents of previous packets until such time that enough contiguous data is available for a signature to be applied, and either to determine that it has matched or mismatched conclusively.
Given the large number of flows that must be simultaneously processed by a network intrusion detection system (often, 50,000 or more connections must be dealt with simultaneously), the amount of data that can be buffered on behalf of any specific connection/flow is extremely small (typically only a couple of kilobytes). Unfortunately, there are many attacks—specifically buffer overflow attacks—which often require tens of kilobytes of contiguous stream data for identification. Any scanning engine that is incapable of buffering a sufficient amount of data for scanning will be unable to detect such an attack, or at least unable to detect such attacks reliably without a dramatically increased false positive rate. Subsequently, existing scanning engines are incapable of reliably detecting these types of attacks.
What is needed are methods, computer readable media and systems that enable performance-efficient caching of packet data to enable detection of the most complex threats, while minimizing the required amount of memory.

Signature driven cache extension for stream based scanning