An electric drive system includes a multi-phase electric machine, multiple electrical power output stages, and devices for controlling and/or regulating the electric machine, which are connected to the electrical power output stages. At least two control units are provided for control and/or regulation, at least one power output stage group being assigned to each control unit.

The present invention relates to an electric drive system having a multi-phase electric machine, multiple electrical power output stages, and control units, which are connected to the electrical power output stages, for controlling and/or regulating the electric machine. Preferably, the electric machine is a component of a drive train for a motor vehicle, in particular for a motor vehicle having at least two different drive units, such as an internal combustion engine and an electric machine.
Electric machines for drive tasks are equipped with electronic controllers, which regulate the speed and power of the machine. Three-phase and two-phase multi-phase machines of various pole pair counts and DC current machines are the most widespread drives. Furthermore, machines having more than three-phase systems are known. All drives share the feature that for optimal exploitation of the drive, the electronic controllers and the electric machines must correspond in the number of phases.
Typical machines and controllers have a concentrated system structure (see FIG. 1), i.e., the number of the individual electrically executed phases and/or poles of the controller corresponds to the number of magnetically differentiable phases of the electric machine. To adapt the current and voltage between the power system and the electric drive, and for reasons of electric controllability, control elements and/or phases of the machines are connected in parallel or in series.
For complex drive tasks in traction and/or in automation technology, the drives are partially operated permanently or temporarily in parallel, i.e., they generate a joint torque output.
In addition, electric machines are known for hybrid drives, in which the execution as concentrated drives is dispensed with for reasons of installation space exploitation. For example, the power output stages of the electronic controller are situated as segments on the mantle of the electric machine for these drives. In a further embodiment, the segments are assigned as so-called half-bridges to individual phases of the electric machine. The separate activation of individual windings of electric machines using full bridges (H-bridge circuit) is also known. Embodiments of this type are known, for example, from DE 198 17 333 C1 or DE 101 12 799 C1.
In mobile drive technology, electric machines having inverter power are increasingly integrated in the drive train of a motor vehicle. The electric machines are frequently implemented as permanently excited synchronous machines, in which the terminal voltage of the electrical machine is sometimes higher than desired, which is problematic. The elevated terminal voltage is counteracted, for example, by the operation of the electric machine using field weakening. A current is applied using a regulating method, which has the result that the magnetic field active in the air gap is reduced. Alternatively or additionally, braking resistors (so-called brake choppers) may be used, excess electrical energy being converted into heat using an ohmic resistor. Alternatively or additionally, the excess energy may also be fed back in a targeted manner into an energy accumulator. However, these measures are only advantageous in a limited way. In the event of so-called field weakening, a controller breakdown may occur, by which the terminal voltage of the electric machine would again rise undesirably. Additional components are required for limiting the terminal voltage using braking resistors. An energy accumulator is necessary for the feedback of the excess electrical energy present because of the increased terminal voltage, for which it is ensured that it is always capable of absorbing the excess energy.
The present invention is based on the object of providing an electric drive system, by which the above-mentioned disadvantages are overcome. In particular, through the present invention, emergency operation of the electric machine is to be possible in the event of malfunction or breakdown of a control unit. The object is achieved according to the present invention by providing an electric drive system having a multi-phase electric machine, multiple electrical power output stages, and control units, which are connected to the electrical power output stages, for controlling and/or regulating the electric machine. At least two control units are provided for controlling and/or regulating, and each such control unit is assigned to at least one power output stage group.
High flexibility of the electric machine in regard to its controller and also increased security from breakdown are ensured by the use of multiple units for controlling and/or regulating (referred to in the following as control units) the electric machine and the assignment of control units to a power output stage group to switch at least one supply phase of the electric machine. A multipart electric machine (electrical machine having multiple integrated partial machines) is more or less provided by the present invention, in which each machine part (or each integrated partial machine) may be controlled and/or regulated autonomously. The partial machines, are preferably, partial stators, which act on a shared rotor.
The regulation of the overall drive is also partitioned and assigned to the individual partial motors. The drives are synchronized with one another by a higher-order setpoint value preset in particular, which distributes the setpoint value for the overall drive to the individual drives, and by the synchronization of the processor clocking of the individual controllers.
The synchronization of the individual drives, for example, via a master and subordinate slave controllers, is also specified as a further embodiment.
In another refinement, it is possible that master or slave regulation is not assigned directly to any electric machine, but rather the master or slave regulation and/or the control unit assigned to the electric partial machine is only used for processing measured and regulating variables. This is the case if multiple electric machines are already present, which ensure reliable partial operation of the system. It is then contemplated that further partial machines are provided, to which a passive control unit is solely assigned in such a way that it solely processes measured and regulating variables—but does not actively activate the partial machine assigned thereto.
In this way, on one hand emergency operation of the machine is ensured if the control unit assigned to a partial machine breaks down, and on the other hand every machine part may be controlled individually. For example, one machine part may be temporarily operated as a motor, while another machine part is operated as a generator—arbitrary activations are contemplated here.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the (divided) electric machine is implemented as a multiphase electric machine (e.g., 2×3 phases), in which a power output stage (e.g., in the form of a power half-bridge) is assigned to each phase and a separate control unit (e.g., current regulation) is assigned to each of the two power output stage groups comprising three power output stages.
Through this construction according to the present invention of a (multipart) electric machine, a redundancy is provided which allows, in the event of breakdown or shutdown of one or more power output stages or one or more control units, the electrical machine to operate further via the remaining power output stages and/or the remaining control units and associated power output stages.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft


A device for supporting a canopy. The device comprises (a) two joints each comprising (1) a clamp for connecting with a corresponding handle support of a baby stroller and comprising a first finger and a second finger comprising an upper recess and a lower recess and (b) a strip connecting with the second finger and comprising an upper recess and a lower recess and (b) two canopy shelves each comprising (1) a first member for supporting the canopy and (2) a second member connecting with the long member at an angle and comprising two sides respectively comprising two protrusions. The second member of the canopy shelf can be moved past the strip so that the protrusions engage in the recesses and so that the canopy shelf is retained in an upper position for shielding occupants. The clamp also has a protrusion projecting therefrom between the fingers and penetrating the handle support, for restraining the device from rotating about and sliding along the handle supports.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to baby strollers and, more particularly, to a device for supporting a canopy for such baby strollers and, still more particularly, to a canopy shelf and a joint for mounting such a canopy shelf on such baby strollers.
2. Related Prior Art
Co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/906,688, now abandoned, of the same applicant of the present invention teaches a joint for connecting a canopy shelf with a handle support of a baby stroller. Some references have been mentioned in the co-pending U.S. patent application and, therefore, will not be described hereinafter. However, a specific conventional device 60 for supporting a canopy will be illustrated with reference with FIG. 6. The device 60 has two canopy shelves 61 respectively having a first end inserted through a passage formed in a corresponding handle support of a baby stroller. The device 60 also has two bolts 62 respectively having a first end inserted through a passage formed in a corresponding handle support of the baby stroller. As shown in bold lines, the canopy shelf 61 is sited, near its first end, against the bolt 62, so that the canopy shelf 61 is in an upper position for shielding occupants. As shown in phantom lines, the canopy shelf 61 can be pivoted to a lower position for storing.


Methods of imaging a breast comprising acquiring a sequence of image data sets having differing exposure parameters; and combining the image data sets into a mammography image having greater dynamic range than the dynamic range of any single component image data set. Disclosed methods may further comprise determining an exposure parameter of one or more component image data sets prior to acquiring the sequence of image data sets. The step of determining an exposure parameter of one or more component image data sets may comprise determining exposure duration or an exposure irradiation level. Also disclosed are mammography apparatus and systems to obtain images according to the disclosed methods.

Flat panel detectors are used in mammography for screening and diagnostic imaging. In both cases it is desirable to see features over the full extent of the breast, from the thickest and most dense tissue near the chest wall and in the centre of the breast, such as fibroglandular breast tissue, to the thinnest and least dense tissue near the skin boundary, such as fat and skin. A full-breast mammography image is thus obtained from x-ray signals of wide dynamic range, ranging from the maximum intensity of a nearly unobstructed x-ray beam transmitted through the skin boundary, to the substantially weakened signal transmitted through dense tissue. The presentation of a useable wide dynamic range image is achieved in film-based methods by the use of high-latitude film, which has a non-linear response and can tolerate over-exposure.
Digital mammography however, typically uses flat panel detectors that behave differently than film when exposed to varying intensities of exposure. One type of flat panel detector employs CMOS image sensors, which have an inherently linear response with poor latitude. In particular, sensors with small well size respond to overexposure by saturating. Saturation occurs when the sensor pixel values reach a constant maximum as a certain signal level is exceeded, and all data above this level is lost. CMOS image sensors however, are advantageous for mammography in that a well designed sensor will generate a low level of electronic noise, which provides enhanced contrast in dense breast tissue when compared to other types of flat panel detector.
The visibility of structures within the breast tissue is limited by the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the imaging system. The contrast of an object in a mammography image depends on the density of the object, the total x-ray attenuation provided by the object and the soft tissue in the breast, the x-ray spectrum used (photon energy and tube voltage kVp), scattered radiation and the display conditions. In addition, a non-saturating mammography exposure must be scaled to the unobstructed (air) transmission value. This can leave clinically significant areas of interest (denser tissue) underexposed, with consequently poor CNR.
The embodiments disclosed herein are directed toward overcoming one or more of the problems discussed above.

High dynamic range mammography using a restricted dynamic range full field digital mammogram


A switch includes a housing, an emitter disposed in the housing and having an emitter head to emit a light signal, and a receiver disposed in the housing and having a receiver head to receive the light signal. A receptacle is disposed in the housing, and includes a first wall having a light exit hole aligned with the emitter head, a second wall proximate to the receiver, and a tubular wall cooperating with the first and second walls to define a chamber having a tapered portion that gradually converges from the tubular wall toward the light exit hole. The second wall has a projection projecting into the chamber. The emitter head, the light exit hole, the projection, and the receiver head are aligned with each other along a light path. A ball member is rollable within the chamber.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a switch, more particularly to a switch that has a ball member.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, a conventional switch 10, as disclosed by the applicant in U.S. Pat. No. 6,800,841, includes an insulating housing body 11, an emitter 12, a receiver 13, a modular insert body 14, a ball member 15, and a modular cover 16.
The housing body 11 has a top opening, and includes a bottom wall 111, a surrounding wall 113 extending upwardly from a peripheral end of the bottom wall 111 and cooperating with the same to define a first chamber 112, spaced-apart first and second partition walls 114, 115 extending upwardly from the bottom wall 111 into the first chamber 112, a first slot 116 formed in the first partition wall 114, and a second slot 117 formed in the second partition wall 115.
The emitter 12 includes an emitter body 121 disposed between the first partition wall 114 and the surrounding wall 113, an emitter head 122 projecting from the emitter body 121 into the first slot 116, and two contact terminals 123-projecting downwardly from the emitter body 121 and extending through the bottom wall 111 of the housing body 11.
The receiver 13 includes a receiver body 131 disposed between the second partition wall 115 and the surrounding wall 113, a receiver head 132 projecting from the receiver body 131 into the second slot 117, and two contact terminals 133 projecting downwardly from the receiver body 131 and extending through the bottom wall 111 of the housing body 11. The receiver head 132 and the emitter head 122 cooperatively form a light path (I).
The modular insert body 14 is disposed in the first chamber 112 between the first and second partition walls 114, 115, and includes an end wall 141 abutting against the first partition wall 114, a cylindrical peripheral wall 143 extending outwardly toward the second partition wall 115 from a peripheral end of the end wall 141 and cooperating with the same to define a second chamber 142, and an aperture 144 formed in the end wall 141 and aligned with the emitter and receiver heads 122, 132 along the light path (I). The second chamber 142 has a tapered portion 145 that converges from the peripheral wall 143 to the aperture 144.
The ball member 15 is rollable within the second chamber 142 to block or unblock the light path (I).
The modular cover 16 covers the top opening of the housing 11, and includes a top wall 161, and two press pieces 162 projecting downwardly from the top wall 161 so as to press respectively against the emitter and receiver bodies 121, 131.
In use, the contact terminals 123, 133 of the emitter 12 and the receiver 13 are fixed on a circuit board 17. With reference to FIG. 2, when the circuit board 17 is parallel to a reference horizontal surface (II), the ball member 15 unblocks the light path (I), so that light emitting from the emitter head 122 can-pass through the aperture 144 and be received by the receiver head 132. The switch 10 is in an "ON" state at this time.
With reference to FIG. 3, when the switch 10 is turned such that the circuit board 17 is perpendicular to the reference horizontal surface (II) and the receiver head 132 is above the emitter head 122, the ball member 15 rolls toward the aperture 144 so as to block the light path (I), thereby placing the switch 10 in an "OFF" state.
Although the aforementioned switch 10 can achieve its intended purpose, when the ball member 15 rolls to the second partition wall 115 or toward an area adjacent to the second slot 117 during movement of a device to which the switch 10 is applied, the ball member 15 can undesirably interfere with the light so that the light is not received by the receiver head 132. This increases the incidence of erroneous operation of the switch 10.


A hydraulic drive for a sash of a door, a gate, a window or the like comprises a housing and a piston which is displaceably guided in the housing and which divides the interior of the housing into a pressure chamber and a non-pressurized chamber. In this case, the drive, which can in particular be a hydraulic door closer, comprises a regulating valve which is arranged on the end face of the housing delimiting the pressure chamber on the side facing away from the piston and which is integrated in particular in a housing cover for activating an impact function. The regulating valve has a valve member which is displaceable between a closed position and an open position in a valve bore of a valve housing formed in particular by the housing cover, is impinged on in the closing direction by the pressure in the pressure chamber and can be transferred into the open position thereof by the spring force of a spring unit when the pressure in the pressure chamber falls below a predeterminable limit pressure.

The invention relates to a hydraulic drive for a sash of a door, a gate, a window or the like, having a housing and a piston which is displaceably guided in the housing and divides the interior of the housing into a pressure chamber and a non-pressurized chamber. In this case, the hydraulic drive can in particular be a door closer.
Hydraulic door closers are generally known and bring about the autonomous closing of a door, wherein both the movement of the door leaf into the door frame and the dropping of the lock latch of the door lock into the lock plate is guaranteed. In each case, closing which is as controlled as possible should be ensured. Such a door closer usually comprises an output shaft, a piston that is connected via a gear to the output shaft and guided in a housing, and at least one spring interacting with the piston, wherein on opposite sides of the piston, a pressure chamber or a non-pressurized chamber are provided and hydraulic fluid via can be transferred during a closing procedure via at least one regulating valve from the pressure chamber into the non-pressurized chamber. In the case of manual opening of the sash or, for example, automatic opening of the sash which is effected by a hydraulic pump, the spring arranged in the housing that is filled with a hydraulic fluid is compressed by displacement of the piston in such a way that it can act as an energy storage device for autonomous closing of the sash. Between the chambers of the housing that are separated from one another by the piston, hydraulic channels having associated regulating valves are arranged, via which the overflow of hydraulic fluid for controlling the drive behaviour can be influenced.
In hydraulically damped door closers, the pressurized hydraulic fluid is throttled by means of one or more regulating valves. A so-called impact function, in the case of such hydraulically damped door closers when they are activated, allows an undamped closing of the door by short-circuiting the damping circuit. This so-called impact region is often also adjustable by a regulating valve, i.e. throttled again.
By means of an end stop function, a door can thus be accelerated during closing shortly before reaching the closed position so that reliable closing of the door is made possible. Such an end stop function is required particularly in the case of opposing forces acting on the door, such as a draft, an overpressure and/or an air cushion in enclosed spaces or the like. However, these may only occur temporarily. If there are no opposing forces, the door is accelerated too strongly by the end stop function so that it strikes too hard, which is accompanied by corresponding noise and can lead to damage.
A disadvantage of the hitherto known hydraulically damped door closers is particularly that the impact function can only be rigidly set, for example during commissioning. Randomly occurring resistances on the door cannot be overcome when the stroke is deactivated. On the other hand, if the stroke is set for wind load, the door starts to strike loudly without wind load.
The aim of the invention is to provide a hydraulic door, gate or window drive of the type in question in which the above-mentioned disadvantages have been eliminated. In particular, a more variable activation of the impact function of a door, gate or window drive that is more optimally adjustable to the circumstances should be guaranteed.
According to the invention, this aim is achieved by a hydraulic drive for a sash of a door, a gate, a window or the like having the features of claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the drive according to the invention result from the dependent claims, the present description and the drawing.
The hydraulic drive according to the invention for a sash of a door, a gate, a window or the like, which can be in particular a hydraulic door closer, comprises a housing and a piston which is displaceably guided in the housing and divides the interior of the housing into a pressure chamber and a non-pressurized chamber. In this case, the drive comprises a regulating valve which is arranged on the end face of the housing delimiting the pressure chamber on the side facing away from the piston, is integrated in particular in a housing cover for activating an impact function and has a valve member that is displaceable between a closed position and an open position in a valve bore of a valve housing formed in particular by the housing cover, wherein pressure in the pressure chamber impinges on said valve member in the closing direction and said valve member can be transferred into its open position by the spring force of a spring unit when the pressure in the pressure chamber falls below a predeterminable limit pressure.
The solution according to the invention provides an intelligent impact or end stop function which is integrated in the hydraulic drive, preferably in a housing cover, and which is only activated as necessary, i.e. only when opposing forces acting on the sash occur, in order to guarantee reliable closing of the sash in the case of such opposing forces, whereas it is deactivated in the absence of opposing forces so that in the normal case no noise disturbance or striking of the sash can occur. Since the pressure in the pressure chamber acts on the valve member of the regulating valve, this pressure in front of the piston of the drive can be detected by the regulating valve and thus the relevant state of the drive can be detected. The regulating valve can thus also be referred to as a sensor valve. By this regulating valve, the impact function is also activated and deactivated according to the state of the drive.
The principle underlying the solution according to the invention is based on the fact that the pressure in the pressure chamber or in front of the piston of the drive and thus the pressure in front of the regulating valve drops as soon as the sash is externally delayed or braked. The regulating or safety valve detects this condition and activates the impact function of the hydraulic drive when the pressure in the pressure chamber falls below the limiting pressure by displacing the valve member into its open position by means of the spring unit associated therewith. The regulating valve is thus opened so that the damping circuit is short-circuited. The sash in question now also closes in the case of unexpectedly occurring resistances such as, for example, a stiff latch, sporadically occurring, not excessively strong wind and/or lock situations with an air cushion to be overcome. On the other hand, if the pressure prevailing in the pressure chamber of the drive during a normal closing operation is above the limit pressure, the spring unit impinging on the valve member of the regulating valve cannot overcome the force applied by the pressure in the pressure chamber. The valve member of the regulating valve in this case assumes its closed position so that the regulating valve is closed. The impact function is thereby disabled.
The solution according to the invention thus guarantees in particular a more variable activation of the impact function of a door, gate or window drive that is more optimally adjustable to the circumstances.
Preferably, the regulating valve and thus the impact function is integrated in a housing cover of the drive. With such an integration of the impact function in a housing cover, this can be inserted in a modular manner.
The valve member of the regulating valve can in particular be provided in the form of a locking sleeve.
Advantageously, a passage to an outflow channel for a hydraulic medium can be closed or released by the valve member of the regulating valve. In this case, the passage to the outflow channel preferably opens into the valve bore of the regulating valve.
The outflow channel is expediently positioned such that the impact function can only be activated at sash opening angles which are less than a predetermined value, in particular less than 15°. In this case, the outflow channel from the closing sash is passed over by the piston of the drive only at the predetermined sash opening angle or at 15° and thus released by the piston.
There can also be atmospheric pressure on the side of the valve member of the regulating valve which faces away from the pressure chamber and on which the spring unit impinges.
According to an expedient practical embodiment of the drive according to the invention, the valve member of the regulating valve provided in particular in the form of a locking sleeve forms a fit with the valve housing to form a slide valve. By displacing the valve member or locking sleeve into the closed position, in particular a passage to the outflow channel which opens into the valve bore of the regulating valve can thus be closed.
In this case, the valve member of the regulating valve is preferably provided with an overflow channel for the hydraulic medium, which opens with one end into the pressure chamber and with its other end in particular into a recess which extends at least over a part of the periphery of the valve member and which, when the valve member assumes its closed position, is positioned for interrupting the connection with the passage to the outflow channel in a region outside the passage and, when the valve member assumes its open position, is positioned for producing a connection with the passage to the outflow channel in the region of the passage.
Since the seal of a slider sealing seat is dependent on the quality of the fit or the interacting surfaces, the sealing gap, etc. and can often have slight base leakage, the valve housing according to an alternative advantageous embodiment of the drive according to the invention can also be provided with a conical sealing seat, with which the valve member interacts via a conical or spherical sealing surface.
In this case, play between the interacting surfaces is automatically compensated by centring the interacting components so that the sealing seat is virtually free of leaks. In addition, the components in the present case are cheaper to produce.
According to a further alternative advantageous embodiment of the drive according to the invention, the valve member of the regulating valve can be provided with a sealing element, such as an O-ring or the like, which, when the valve member assumes its closed position, seals with the valve housing via a flat sealing seat.
According to a preferred practical embodiment of the drive according to the invention, the limit pressure, from which the valve member of the regulating valve is transferable by the spring force of the spring unit impinging on the valve member into its open position when there is a corresponding drop in the pressure in the pressure chamber, in particular the valve member is variably adjustable via the biasing force of the spring unit impinging on the valve member of the regulating valve in the opening direction.
Here, the limit pressure or the biasing force of the spring unit impinging on the valve member in the opening direction is advantageously variably adjustable via an actuator that is adjustable in particular by a thread.
With lower biasing forces of the spring unit impinging on the valve member of the regulating valve, the valve member can only be transferred into its open position at a correspondingly lower counter-pressure or correspondingly steeper drop in pressure in the pressure chamber. With higher biasing forces, on the other hand, the valve member can be transferred into its open position even at a correspondingly higher counter-pressure or lower pressure drop in the pressure chamber of the drive. In the latter case, therefore, a lower counter-pressure acting on the sash is required to trigger the impact function. The system thereby reacts more sensitively.
The response pressure of the system can be regulated or adjusted via the actuator.
In certain cases, it is advantageous if the spring unit impinging on the valve member of the regulating valve in the opening direction is arranged on the side facing away from the pressure chamber or behind the valve member. Thus, the drive can be kept relatively compact in diameter.
With higher counter-pressures impinging on the valve member of the regulating valve, i.e. higher pressures in the pressure chamber, it is also possible for the spring unit impinging on the valve member of the regulating valve to still generate too little spring force in the case of a smallest structurally possible pressure application surface. In particular, in such a case, according to a further preferred practical embodiment of the drive according to the invention, a spring plate having a diameter which is larger in relation to the diameter of the valve member can be arranged on the side of the valve member of the regulating valve facing away from the pressure chamber and the spring unit impinging on the valve member in the opening direction can rest with its end facing the valve member on the spring plate. Thus, the spring unit can in particular comprise a compression spring having an enlarged periphery, via which higher spring forces can also be generated.
It is particularly advantageous if the spring plate is designed as a spring cup guided via the valve housing.
With such a spring cup guided via the valve housing, a straight application of force is ensured from the spring plate to the valve member. The valve member can neither tilt nor jam, so the functional reliability of the drive is increased accordingly.
According to a further advantageous practical embodiment of the drive according to the invention, the spring unit impinging on the valve member of the regulating valve in the opening direction is at least partially accommodated in the valve member that is provided particularly in the form of a locking sleeve.
Thus, the drive can be kept relatively compact in its length.

Hydraulic drive for a door sash or window sash


A method for planning a cellular mobile telecommunications network includes at least one network cell and is intended to provide network services to users located in the network cell, wherein the method includes: a) setting a current provisioning rate to the highest of the provisioning rates; b) estimating a power required to the at least one network cell for providing the at least one network service in the service area at the current provisioning rate; c) comparing the estimated required power to a maximum power deliverable by the at least one cell; and, if the estimated required power exceeds the maximum deliverable power; d) reducing the service area so that the estimated power required to the at least one network cell for providing the at least one network service at the current provisioning rate in the reduced service area does not exceed the maximum deliverable power; e) updating the current provisioning rate to the immediately lower provisioning rate of said plurality, if any; and f) repeating steps b) and c) and, if required, steps d) and e).

Mobile telecommunications networks are usually arranged according to a cellular structure comprising a plurality of cells, each cell being defined as the set of elementary territory areas (also referred to as "pixels") served by the radio-electric signal radiated from a respective Base Radio Station (BRS), or antenna.
Among the known cellular networks, networks using the CDMA or WCDMA technique have the peculiarity that a same frequency band (or "channel") can be re-used in the various cells. Therefore, the passage of a mobile communications terminal from one cell to another, contiguous cell (an event called "handover") can be managed by using the same frequency, according to a mechanism called "soft-handover"; this mechanism provides that, in particular geographic areas, called "soft-handover areas" or "macro-diversity areas", the mobile communications terminal is able to decode signals from (and therefore to exchange information with) many antennas and, consequently, with many BRSs.
The location of the macro-diversity areas and their dimensioning are highly important factors for the correct operation and dimensioning of the network cells' apparatuses: a mobile communications terminal operating in macro-diversity uses resources of all the BRSs with which it is simultaneously connected, thus the terminal in macro-diversity uses more resources than those actually necessary for allowing the communications.
A further peculiarity of UMTS networks is that such networks are adapted to provide a plurality of different network services, such as, for example, telephony, fax, video-telephony, Internet access and Web browsing, streaming and so on. Each one of such services generally has characteristics in terms of speed (number of bits per second) and traffic (amount, symmetrical or asymmetrical) that are specific for the service under examination.
The dimensioning of the cells should therefore take into account both the characteristics of each service, and the possible associations of services over a single radio carrier, as provided for by the CDMA/WCDMA access technique.
Moreover, like every cellular radio-mobile system, also a UMTS network has common broadcast control channels in the whole cell area. Such channels contain system information, that are necessary for radio apparatuses (receivers) of the mobile communications terminals.
Due to the networks' peculiarities, the planning of UMTS networks is a complex task, requiring approaches that are substantially different from those used for previous cellular mobile telecommunications networks, particularly second-generation cellular networks like those complying with the Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) standard, or with the Interim Standard (IS95).
In general, in view of a current network deployment, the planning aims to produce, as results or outputs, the proper positioning of the BRSs in the geographic area under examination, and also allows determining the set of radio-electric cell parameters (e.g., antenna tilt, azimuth of the direction of maximum gain, radio power, etc.) and the allocation of the radio resources assigned to the network operator (for example, radio carriers). Such outputs are determined by the planning process in compliance with planning objectives, such as, for example:                minimum value of territory covered by the network service, within an area under planning;        maximization of the traffic to be managed among those provided within the area under planning.
Various planning techniques for UMTS networks are known; according to the followed approach, these techniques can be grouped into two different classes: statistical planning techniques and deterministic planning techniques.
Statistical planning techniques are mainly based on an approach of the Montecarlo type (refer for example to the document 3GPP TR 25.942 v3.0.0 2001-06—"RF System Scenarios—Release 1999" specification). The term "Montecarlo simulation" usually denotes a static simulation composed of a set of statistically independent snapshots. After having fixed the scenario being studied, each snapshot consists in realizing a stochastic process generated starting from different distributions of users in the area being examined. At the end of every snapshot, network performance indicators are provided as results, and the procedure ends with the statistical analysis of various performance indicators provided by every snapshot. The number of snapshots shall be enough to guarantee statistical stability for the planning results. This methodology is rather specific, and it is particularly adapted for examining performances of a UMTS network of relatively limited geographic width; owing to its intrinsic slowness, due to the statistical convergence of results, this technique is not suitable for the analysis of UMTS networks intended to cover geographical areas comparable with those of an entire nation, such as, for example, Italy.
Though keeping the characteristic of a static analysis, the deterministic planning techniques systematically take into account all pixels of the territory on which the network will be planned. Differently from statistical methods, the deterministic methods exploit, as input data, a single users distribution, and a single simulation is carried out, without the need of a statistical aggregations of the results. Deterministic planning techniques are more suitable for planning UMTS networks intended to cover relatively large geographical areas, even if the planning result is generally less adherent to the evolving reality.
Irrespective of the approach followed, one of the phases of the methods for planning a cellular mobile telecommunications network of the type herein considered, is the downlink coverage planning/evaluation, also referred to as "power control on the downlink", i.e. the planning/evaluation of the coverage in the link from the BRSs to the pixels of the area under planning. In this phase, for each cell of the area under planning, the transmission power per traffic channel that the generic cell should deliver is calculated, for each pixel belonging to the service area of that cell and for each network service (i.e., for example, for the telephony, facsimile, video-telephony, Internet access, e.g., Web browsing, services). The service area of a generic cell in respect of a generic network service is meant to include all those pixels for which that cell is the "serving cell", i.e. the cell that, among all the other possible cells of the area under planning, requires the lowest power in the uplink, i.e. in the link from hypothetical UEs located in those pixels and the BRS of that cell.
If the calculated power, for the generic pixel, exceeds the maximum power that the serving cell can deliver for a traffic channel in respect of the considered network service, that pixel is put "out-of-service" ("outage") for insufficient power in the downlink.
The set of pixels, belonging to the service area of the generic cell in respect of the generic network service, not being in outage, forms the overall service area of the cell in respect of that network service.
The union of all the overall service areas for all the network services and for all the cells of the area under planning is referred to as the global service area of the network (in the area under planning).
The downlink power control phase also encompass a cell "capacity check" on the downlink: the overall power that, according to the above-mentioned calculations, is estimated to be required to the generic cell is compared to the maximum power that the (power amplifiers of the BRS of the) cell can deliver: if the calculated overall required power exceeds the maximum power that the cell can deliver, the cell does not pass the capacity check, and it might be necessary to modify the traffic distribution and/or the locations of the cells in the area under planning.
In EP 1335616, a method for planning and/or evaluating a downlink coverage in CDMA radio networks is disclosed; the method comprises the steps of: defining a grid on one or more service areas (possibly using a grid definition derived from a planning and/or evaluation of an uplink coverage performed in advance); assigning the cells of the network to pixels defined by the grid (possibly using a cell-to-pixel assignment derived from a planning and/or evaluation of the previously performed uplink coverage); assigning a pilot power to the cells (the pilot power being a fixed proportion of the total transmission power needed for signaling purposes); estimating a desired downlink transmission power for the cells, the downlink transmission power being the sum of the pilot power and of the power for one or more downlink traffic channels; comparing the desired downlink transmission power to a maximum transmission power of the base stations. If it is found that the desired downlink transmission power is larger than the maximum transmission power, one or more changes in the radio network can be made and the planning and/or evaluation of the downlink coverage be restarted.

Method for planning a cellular mobile telecommunications network


A packaging machine for packaging goods in film packages, equipped with a device for receiving and holding a surface element roll, so as to process it in a packaging machine by unrolling the surface element and introducing the surface element into the packaging machine, comprising an axle to be incorporated into the surface element roll on its rotational axis of symmetry, wherein the axle is received in a swivel receiver, and the axle for unrolling the surface element is held with the swivel receiver in a roughly vertical alignment.

Foodstuffs or also inorganic products are routinely offered to consumers in small packages. These small packages are often designed as surface elements, wherein a base film can be present, on which the foodstuffs or other packaging goods are placed. An additional surface element is subsequently placed on the base film, for example a film is sealed on, so as to in this respect generate a liquid- and gas-tight package. The surface elements used can be films or paper webs, for example.
The surface elements used for the packages are processed in packaging machines. To this end, the surface elements are supplied in the form of surface element rolls. Precisely a surface element roll, for example for a base film, can here have a larger thickness, and a correspondingly rolled-up surface element has a corresponding volume. Such surface element rolls are already referred to as jumbo rolls.
As a rule, a base film for packages produced with a packaging machine is a deep-drawing film. This film is deep-drawn in the packaging machine, so that individual depressions form for receiving foodstuffs or other objects. This film is thus to be introduced into the packaging machine at the start of processing. Packaging machines routinely have an elongated structural design, which actually can have an extension of 10 or more meters. In several packaging machines, supplying a deep-drawing film and supplying the packaging goods to be filled into the packages here takes place via one and the same inlet side of a packaging machine. This impedes the supply of the deep-drawing film, with the introduction of the new surface element roll being difficult in particular. This introduction of the new surface element roll is in part still handled manually in prior art, in that an empty surface element roll is removed from the packaging machine and a new surface element roll is provided. Incorporating the axle like this is difficult due to the high weight of the axle.
It is then often the case that a film is unrolled and the film is introduced into the packaging machine with the film horizontally aligned. The film is exposed to contaminants in the room air, and if the packaging good is then also supplied above the film, the surface element could potentially become soiled by the product. In addition, the film can become soiled due to cleaning processes and the cleaning agents used in the latter. This leads to contamination in packages to be produced, which can also hamper the sealing of another film onto the deep-drawing film, for example. Leaky packages can be the result.
Therefore, it has already been proposed that the surface element roll, in particular the deep-drawing roll, be removed from the alignment of the packaging machine and arranged next to the packaging machine. In these known devices, the surface element roll is horizontally aligned and arranged next to the packaging machine, after which the surface element is again introduced into the packaging machine in a horizontal extension with several deflections.
While the surface element, in particular the deep-drawing film, was here removed from the introduction area of the objects to be packaged, the horizontal arrangement of the surface element here again requires that the surface element be guided in a horizontal extension. Contamination by room air remains a disadvantage. Moreover, the horizontal extension of the surface element in its width causes it to be introduced into the packaging machine from outside, and the packaging machine must in this respect be lengthened by the width of the surface element. As a result, more space is thus required.

Device for receiving and holding a surface element roll, in particular a deep-drawing film roll and packaging machine for packing packaging goods in surface element packages


An insulated structure is formed by injection of a foamed thermal-insulating material created by foaming into a space between a plastic board and metal plate with a disposition of copper pipes. A non-halogenated organophosphorus compound having a molecular weight over 150 as an additive with an OH group as a functional group is mixed with the raw materials of the foamed thermal-insulating material including polyol, a foam stabilizer, a catalyst, a foaming agent having at least one component of hydrocarbon, and an organic polyisocyanates. By adding a non-halogenated organophosphorus compound, which has a molecular weight over 150 as an additive with an OH group as a functional group, the burning rate of the foamed thermal-insulating material becomes the same as that of the foamed thermal-insulating material which uses CFC11 as a foaming agent. Also, the possibilities of phosphor corrosion by free ionization to copper pipes, which are disposed inside of the insulated structure, are eliminated and phosphorus transfer to the plastic board and worries of food contamination are also eliminated.

Recently, environmental issues such as the destruction of the ozone layer and global warming, which are influenced by Chloro Fluoro Carbons (CFCs), are receiving close attention. For this reason, reduction in the use of CFCs as a foaming agent has become a very important issue.
Therefore, since hard urethane foam is the leading foamed thermal-insulating material, it is proposed to use a hydrocarbon foaming agent which does not include a halogen molecule.
However, a hydrocarbon is not easily applied as a foaming agent because of combustibility safety, thermal-insulating efficiency quality, and so on. Further, a foamed thermal-insulating material made using a hydrocarbon as a foaming agent is less effective than the foamed thermal-insulating material made by using the present CFC11 foaming agent.

Foamed thermal insulating material and insulated structure


In effecting two-sided surface grinding for surface-grinding the opposite surfaces of a workpiece simultaneously by a pair of oppositely disposed grinding wheels, infeed grinding is performed by oscillating the workpiece within the range where the surfaces to be ground of the workpiece do not protrude from the inner and outer peripheries of the grinding wheel surfaces of the grinding wheels, and then through-grinding is performed by feeding the workpiece to allow the surfaces to be ground to pass along the inner and outer peripheries of the grinding wheel surfaces. As an effect, worn wheel edges or the like can be prevented from being formed in the inner and outer peripheral edges, that grinding wheel surfaces can be maintained in proper shape for a prolonged time, that the grinding accuracy is better, and that dress interval can be prolonged, thus improving the life of grinding wheels.

The present invention relates to a two-sided surface grinding method and apparatus for grinding the opposite surfaces of a workpiece simultaneously by a pair of oppositely disposed, rotating, grinding wheels.
As for two-sided surface grinding for simultaneously grinding the opposite surfaces of a workpiece by a pair of grinding wheels, there are an ordinary infeed grinding method and through-grinding method and besides these, there is a grinding method which is a combination of the infeed grinding method and through-grinding method (Patent Document 1: Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open 2002-307272). This grinding method performs infeed grinding by cuttingly infeeding the grinding wheels while oscillating a workpiece by reciprocating a carrier at the infeed grinding position, and then once removing the workpiece from between the grinding wheels by rotating the carrier. And through-grinding is performed by feeding the workpiece into between the grinding wheels by the feed operation of the carrier.
Conventional grinding methods are such that in infeed-grinding a workpiece while oscillating the workpiece by reciprocating the carrier at the infeed grinding position, of a plurality of workpieces circumferentially held by the carrier, two on opposite sides stick out from the outer peripheral edges of the grinding wheel surfaces of the grinding wheels. This results in a decrease in the area of contact of the grinding wheels with the workpieces, and the grinding wheel surfaces are worn to form worn wheel edges in the outer edge because of the cutting operation of the grinding wheels, etc., thereby aggravating the parallelism and flatness of the grinding wheel surfaces of the grinding wheels and decreasing the grinding accuracy. Therefore, it is necessary to correct the parallelism and flatness in a relatively short time, and there is a disadvantage that the dress interval is shortened.
And surface grinding is generally performed as shown in FIG. 11(A), wherein a workpiece 3 held in a pocket 2 in a carrier 1 is fed to pass along the inner and outer peripheral edges of the grinding wheel surfaces 4a of a pair of grinding wheels 4. In this case also, part of the workpiece 3 sticks out from the grinding wheel surfaces 4a of the grinding wheels 4, leading to a disadvantage that worn wheel edges 4b and 4c are formed in the inner and outer corners of the grinding wheel surfaces 4a as by the cutting operation of the grinding wheels 4, etc. as shown in FIG. 11(B). Particularly, in the case where the workpiece 3 which has a short cycle time and a large grinding allowance is ground, the worn wheel edges 4b and 4c in the inner and outer corners of the grinding wheel surfaces 4a become greater.
In view of such conventional problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a two-sided surface grinding method and apparatus which are capable of preventing worn wheel edges or the like in the inner and outer corners of the grinding wheel surfaces of grinding wheels, capable of maintaining the grinding wheel surfaces in proper shape for a prolonged time, and capable of prolonging the dress interval with satisfactory grinding accuracy ensured, the life of the grinding wheels being improved.


An optical scanning system uses a double pass of a light beam through two rotating binary diffractive optical elements on a disc to focus a scan beam at a scan line and to scan the beam along the scan line which doubles the scan angle of the beam.

This invention relates to an optical scanner, and, more particularly, to an optical scanner with a dual pass, single binary diffractive optical element used to scan a beam along a line.
The propagation of a light beam can be changed by three basic means: reflection by a mirror, refraction by a lens and diffraction by a grating. Optical systems traditionally rely on reflection and refraction to achieve the desired optical transformation. Optical design, based on mirror and lens elements, is a well-established and refined process. Until recently, the problems with diffraction and fabricating high efficiency diffractive elements have made diffractive elements unfeasible components of optical systems.
The diffractive process does not simply redirect a light beam. Diffraction, unlike refraction and reflection, splits a light beam into many beams--each of which is redirected at a different angle or order. The percentage of the incident light redirected by the desired angle is referred to as the diffraction efficiency. The diffraction efficiency of a diffractive element is determined by the element's surface profile. If the light that is not redirected by the desired angle is substantial, the result will be an intolerable amount of scatter in the image or output plane of the optical system.
Theoretically, diffractive phase elements can achieve 100 percent diffraction efficiency at a given wavelength. To achieve this efficiency, however, a continuous phase profile is necessary. The theoretical diffraction efficiency of this surface profile is also relatively sensitive to a change in wavelength. By contrast, refractive elements are wavelength insensitive. The technology for producing high quality, high efficiency, continuous phase profiles does not presently exist.
A compromise that results in a relatively high diffraction efficiency and ease of fabrication is a multi-level phase grating. The larger the number of discrete phase levels, the better the approximation of the continuous phase function. These multi-level phase profiles can be fabricated using standard semiconductor integrated circuit fabrication techniques.
As disclosed in Binary Optics Technology: The Theory and Design of Multi-level Diffractive Optical Elements by G. J. Swanson of the Lincoln Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, (Technical Report 854, Aug. 14, 1989) and the resulting U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,790, a fabrication process for a binary diffractive optical element or multi-level phase profile diffraction grating starts with a mathematical phase description of a diffractive phase profile and results in a fabricated multi-level diffractive surface. The first step is to take the mathematical phase expression and generate from it a set of masks that contain the phase profile information. The second step is to transfer the phase profile information from the masks into the surface of the element specified by the lens design.
The first step involved in fabricating the multi-level element is to mathematically describe the ideal diffractive phase profile that is to be approximated in a multi-level fashion. The next step in the fabrication process is to create a set of lithographic masks which are produced by standard pattern generators used in the integrated circuit industry.
A substrate of the desired material is coated with a thin layer of photoresist. The lithographic mask is then placed in intimate contact with the substrate and illuminated from above with an ultraviolet exposure lamp. Alternately, pattern generators, either optical or electron beam, can expose the thin layer of photoresist. The photoresist is developed, washing away the exposed resist and leaving the binary grating pattern in the remaining photoresist. This photoresist will act as an etch stop.
The most reliable and accurate way to etch many optical materials is to use reactive ion etching. The process of reactive ion etching anisotropically etches material at very repeatable rates. The desired etch depth can be obtained very accurately. The anisotropic nature of the process assures a vertical etch, resulting in a true binary surface relief profile. Once the substrate has been reactively ion etched to the desired depth, the remaining photoresist is stripped away, leaving a binary phase surface relief grating.
The process is repeated using a lithographic mask having half the period of the first mask. The binary phase element is recoated with photoresist and exposed using the second lithographic mask which has half the period of the first mask. After developing and washing away the exposed photoresist, the substrate is reactively ion etched to a depth half that of the first etch. Removal of the remaining photoresist results in a 4 level approximation to the desired profile. The process is repeated a third and fourth time with lithographic masks having periods of one-quarter and one-eighth that of the first mask, and etching the substrates to depths of one-quarter and one-eighth that of the first etch. The successive etches result in elements having 8 and 16 phase levels.
This process is repeated to produce a multilevel phase relief structure in the substrate. The result is a discrete, computer-generated structure approximating the original idealized diffractive surface. For each additional mask used in the fabrication process, the number of discrete phase levels is doubled, hence the name "binary" optical element or, more precisely, a binary diffractive optical element.
After only four processing iterations, a 16 phase level approximation to the continuous case can be obtained. This mask and etch fabrication process can be carried out in parallel, producing many elements simultaneously, in a cost-effective manner.
A 16 phase level structure achieves 99 percent diffraction efficiency. The residual 1 percent of the light is diffracted into higher orders and manifests itself as scatter. In many optical systems, this is a tolerable amount of scatter. The fabrication of the 16 phase level structure is relatively efficient due to the fact that only four processing iterations are required to produce the element.
The photolithographic etch steps can be done in any order. Alternatively, the highest pitch, shallowest level is processed first since this level is more difficult to control if etched following deeper etches.
After the first etching step, the second and subsequent lithographic masks have to be accurately aligned to the existing pattern on the substrate. Alignment is accomplished using another tool standard to the integrated circuit industry, a mask aligner.
As noted, the photoresist on the substrate can be exposed with an electron-beam pattern generator. The e-beam direct-write process eliminates masks and their corresponding alignment and exposure problems. Binary optics have also been reproduced using epoxy casting, solgel casting, embossing, injection molding and holographic reproduction.
Binary optical elements have a number of advantages over conventional optics. Because they are computer-generated, these elements can perform more generalized wavefront shaping than conventional lenses or mirrors. Elements need only be mathematically defined: no reference surface is necessary. Therefore, wildly asymmetric binary optics are able to correct aberrations in complex optical systems, and elements can be made wavelength-sensitive for special laser systems.
The diffractive optical elements are generally thinner, lighter and can correct for many types of aberrations and distortions. It is possible to approximate a continuous phase profile with a stepwise profile of discrete phase levels.
Optical scanning systems are used to scan a spot of light along a predetermined pattern such as a scan line on a photoreceptor. A reflective optical scanning system would be a rotating polygon mirror scanner known to those of ordinary skill in the art. However, even a reflective optical scanning system still requires additional optical components, usually refractive lenses and other reflective mirrors both before the rotating polygon mirror and after the rotating polygon mirror to be able to scan a beam of light across the scan line.
Many systems have been disclosed in the art to overcome various optical and other distortions caused by rotating polygon mirror optical scanners. Bow is defined as an error in the optical scanning system caused by the beam not being exactly horizontal prior to striking the facet. The scan line deviates from a straight line and is bowed in the middle of the scan line. Wobble is caused by the facet not being exactly parallel to the vertical axis, thereby angling the beam reflected from the facet up or down a small amount.
A rotating hologram would be a diffractive optical scanning system and is known to those of ordinary skill in the art. However, even a holographic optical scanning system still requires additional optical components, usually refractive lenses and other reflective mirrors both before the rotating hologram and after the rotating hologram to be able to scan a beam of light across the scan line.
Rotating a polygon mirror or a hologram requires a number of additional optical components which reduces the net optical beam throughput and increases the size and cost of the optical scanning system.
It requires a significant amount of drive power and bearing load to rotate a polygon mirror. Consistent high speeds needed for faster and more scans present problems.
Wobble and shaft mounting errors are always a problem when rotating a thick, heavy, aerodynamically resistant structure such as a polygon mirror.
It is an object of this invention to provide an optical scanning system using binary diffractive optical elements.
It is another object of this invention to provide an optical scanning system with a reduced number of optical components and no optical components after the scanning element.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a dual pass, single binary optical element used as the scanning element in an optical scanning system.

Dual pass binary diffractive optical element scanner


A robot system includes: an imaging unit including an imaging device and a distance measuring part; and a robot to which the imaging unit is attached. The imaging device preliminarily images a workpiece. The robot preliminarily moves the imaging unit based on the result of the preliminary imaging. The distance measuring part measures the distance to the workpiece. The robot actually moves the imaging unit based on the result of the measurement. The imaging device actually images the workpiece.

1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates to a robot system and an imaging method.
2. Related Art
Industrial robot control technology has been advanced with computer technology. In the system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 1996-174457, a visual sensor is attached to a robot arm. The visual sensor calculates the amount of displacement of the robot arm with respect to a workpiece. The amount of displacement is used for compensating the position of the robot arm.


The present disclosure relates to a shaft adapted to be at least partially inserted into an opening of a shaft receiver. The shaft comprises a nominal shaft portion adapted to be at least partially inserted into the opening of the shaft receiver, followed by an intermediate shaft portion that in turn is followed by a guide shaft portion terminating the shaft. The shaft comprises a cross-section with a cross-sectional contour in a plane including the central axis, the cross-sectional contour comprising a nominal shaft portion contour of the nominal shaft portion, an intermediate shaft portion contour of the intermediate shaft portion and a guide shaft portion contour of the guide shaft portion. The cross-sectional contour comprises a radial direction being perpendicular to the central axis, wherein, as seen in the radial direction, the nominal shaft portion contour is located at a nominal radial distance from the central axis.

In many applications, it is desired to at least partially insert a shaft into an opening of a shaft receiver. In order to obtain a tight fit between the shaft and the shaft receiver, the cross-sectional area of the shaft is often similar to the cross-sectional area of the opening of the shaft receiver. However, the similarity in cross-sectional areas may be associated with challenges when assembling the shaft and the shaft receiver, i.e. when at least partially inserting the shaft into the shaft opening. An example of such a challenge may be a so called "sticky drawer effect" in which the shaft is stuck in the opening before a proper and final position of the shaft relative to the shaft receiver is reached. This in turn implies a prolonged assembly time which may potentially slow down the production rate of a production line for instance.
In order to mitigate the above potential problem, it is known to cool the shaft and/or heat the shaft receiver in order to temporarily obtain an increased difference in cross sectional areas of the shaft and shaft receiver, respectively, in order to ensure a smooth insertion of the shaft into the shaft receiver. However, the above procedure may be cumbersome since the cooling and/or heating requires additional equipment and may also result in permanent and/or undesired deformations or changes in material properties of any one of the shaft and the shaft receiver.
As such, it would be desired to have a shaft that can be inserted into a shaft receiver in a time efficient manner without the need for cooling and/or heating.


A binding for a snowboard including a base plate having a central opening and a fastening plate located inside the central opening. The fastening plate is held to the board by fasteners, which can be moved to different holes in a pattern of holes. A flange plate and a clamping disk are retained to the fastening plate by screw connection sleeves threaded into threaded bolt holes located on the fastening plate. A spring located on the fastening plate tries to lift the flange plate and the clamping disk in the vertical direction. The clamping disk includes arcuate concentric slots having a ramp-like bearing surface conforming to heads on the screw connection sleeves having convex undersides. The clamping disk has a first rotational position and a second rotational position. The first rotational position forces a toothing arrangement located at the peripheral outer edge of the flange plate to engage a mating toothing arrangement on the base plate and holding the base plate in a non-rotatable position. The second rotational position causes the toothing arrangement in the flange plate to disengage the toothing arrangement in the base plate allowing the base plate to rotate.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a binding for snowboards or the like and in particular to such binding, having a base plate, which is to be arranged on the top side of the snowboard or the like, and a boot-retaining means which is arranged on said base plate, and having a circular flange plate which serves for retaining the base plate on the snowboard or the like, and which flange-plate can be positioned on a circular opening of the base plate and can be connected fixedly to the snowboard or the like, a flange-plate border region which projects beyond the border of the circular opening retaining the base plate in a positively and/or frictionally locking manner and releasingly holding or bracing it on the snowboard or the like.
The invention also relates to the "kinematically reversed" arrangement, in which the base plate is circular and the flange plate is annular, such that a border on the inner circumference of the flange plate projects beyond the outer circumferential border of the base plate, retains the latter in a positively and/or fixedly locking manner and braces it on the snowboard or the like.
2. Discription of the Prior Art
Bindings of the type specified in the introduction are known and are commercially available. The circular flange plate may be fastened on the snowboard in different positions offset relative to one another in the longitudinal and transverse directions of the snowboard, the base plate being clamped fixedly between the top side of the snowboard and a flange-plate border region which engages over a border zone of the circular opening of the base plate. Mating toothing arrangements on the mutually facing end sides of the overlapping border regions of the flange plate and circular opening of the base plate mean that it is also possible for the position of the base plate to be secured by positive locking with the flange plate.
The advantage of this design is that, for the positioning of the flange plates, all that has to be taken into consideration is the desired distance between snowboarder's feet on the snowboard and the positions of the mid-foot regions. The respective rotary setting of the base plate, i.e. the angle position of the longitudinal axis of the base plate and/or of the boot relative to the longitudinal axis of the snowboard, can be set virtually as desired--the fineness of the setting being predetermined by the interengaging toothing arrangements on the flange plate and base plate--before the base plate is braced between the top side of the snowboard and the flange plate.
At the same time, account is taken of the fact that subsequent changing of the rotary position of the base plate is desired comparatively often, whereas changing of the position of the flange plates is only necessary or desirable very occasionally. In order to change the rotary position of the base plate, all that is required is to loosen the respective flange plate to the extent where the frictional and/or positive locking between the two plates is released.
Nevertheless, it is desirable, in particular for snowboards which are used for hiring out to a large number of snowboarders in quick succession, for it to be even easier to change the rotary position of the base plate.


Methods for temporary fracture isolation are provided. An existing fracture is treated with a chemical diverter. The chemical diverter is exposed to conditions causing it to expand, plugging the fracture. A new fracture can be created through the application of pressure and fluid, without disrupting the plugged fracture. The chemical diverter can then be removed through biodegradation or the application of a solvent to reopen the first fracture.

Refracturing operations have the potential to extend the production time in unconventional reservoirs with minimum capital investment. These reservoirs are known for having steep decline rates. If there is a considerably small stimulated rock volume (SRV) around the well and the reservoir still has a potential to produce hydrocarbons, these wells can be re-stimulated through refracturing. Re-stimulation is considerably less costly in comparison to drilling and completing a new well. Refracturing can increase the production rate for 2-3 times with a small capital cost. Production can reach unacceptable rates in cases where proppant was unevenly placed, poorly distributed or the perforation showed low efficiency, which justifies refracturing (Asala et al., 2016). Also improved reservoir knowledge or changes in reservoir stress are other reasons to apply this technique. A recent study by Upstream Pumping (2016) showed that an operator was able to increase the production by 208% after refracturing the well and slowed the production decline compared to initial production in the Williston Basin in North Dakota.
In order to perform an effective refracturing operation, the old fractures have to be isolated so that the excessive pressure from the fracking fluid can be diverted into creating new fractures. Sometimes, even during the primary fracturing jobs, temporary fracture isolation is considered to increase fracture complexity and drainage area. The fracture clogging process may be considered before pumping hesitation or simply during continuous pumping operations. Diverting agents or simply diverters are used to achieve isolation by plugging wide pre-existing fractures. These diverters are chemical agents, solid fine-grain particles that can temporarily plug the fracture. After the treatment, the diverters degrade and production can be resumed from the old fractures as well. This approach is much simpler and more effective than mechanical isolation devices like packers, as it does not require well intervention or costly equipment like coil tubing, for instance. Another advantage is that the fluid diversion occurs inside the reservoir, not in the perforations, allowing the creation of a complex network of fractures.
During a refracturing treatment, the particulate diverters are usually pumped between the treatment stages, sealing the previous fractures and diverting the fluid into unstimulated parts of the formation. The selection of the most appropriate type of diverter depends on several factors, including perforation density, the fracturing fluid composition, formation fluid to be produced, average treatment temperature, bottomhole static temperature (BHST) and the differential pressure to be applied on the diverter pack (Glasbergen et al., 2013). Particle size should be adapted to the formation layer with the highest permeability, preventing invasion on the porous medium by the diverters. For near wellbore diversion, with fractures wider than 0.2 in., only large particles can bridge the fracture; while for far-field diversion, with smaller fracture width, large particles are not required (Gomaa et al., 2016).
A wide range of materials have been used as diverters in the industry. Clason (1936) was the first to describe particulate diverters. He basically used water-insoluble and oil-soluble calcium salt of a fatty acid to plug fractures and treat separated formations with acids. Harrison (1972) detailed the application of mechanical and chemical diverters such as ball sealers, benzoic acid flakes, rock salt, naphthalene and oyster shells, widely used in vertical wells. These materials have disadvantages like the need for a secondary treatment for removal, requiring long operational time and early settlement, and not penetrating deep inside the fracture. The use of biodegradable material provided many benefits in the operation but the material has to be evaluated with care. It can degrade at temperatures lower than the ones associated with downhole conditions in oil and gas reservoirs. New diverters have been extensively tested on the field, presenting the pressure response from the treatments in each stage (Allison et al., 2011; Arnold et al., 2014). Recent publications investigated, through laboratory experiments, the efficacy of new and novel biodegradable materials as diverters (Allison et al., 2011; Gomaa et al., 2015). They also compared the performance, cost and other characteristics with the traditional diverters. Some diverters mentioned in these works fail to resist high pressure and high temperature conditions.

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY


The invention describes and claims an apparatus and method of missile interception. The missile interceptor comprises a net body with a plurality of sections and at least one missile trajectory effector. In the preferred variant, the missile trajectory effector is embodied as an exploding ring. A missile, passing through the net body, picks up a ring, which explodes once the missile passes a sufficient distance away from the missile interceptor. Preferred embodiments of the missile interceptor further comprise one or more vertically-positioned poles. Claimed method involves the use of such interceptor and positioning the interceptor on the likely trajectory of incoming missiles.

For decades, since the first implementation of the German V-2 rocket, billions upon billions of dollars have been spent on missile defense. Thousands of the greatest minds on both sides of the Atlantic pondered on devising impenetrable shields for missiles, and pondered on missiles that would penetrate these shields.
As cold war heated up, and radars, computers, and control stations evolutionized, much more complex, expensive and grand-scale anti-ballistic missile projects such as Nike-X, Sentinel, Safeguard, and Soviet A-35/135 developed. New missiles, with "multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle" (MIRV) warheads were employed to overcome these defenses. In response, the grand space-based science-fiction-bordering schemes, such as "Star Wars" of the 1980's or the "Brilliant Pebbles" of the 1990s came about. These gradually morphed into the current National Missile Defense project, involving the ground-based rocket-launched interceptors and radars. Countless funds and effort, both scientific and political, continue to flow into the Defense project and countermeasures to it.
By 2003 War in Iraq, United States and its allies, such as Israel were quite successful in developing highly functional, although expensive Patriot (PAC-3) and Arrow anti-ballistic missile systems. PAC-3 was even shown somewhat effective even against tactical ballistic missiles in the war in Iraq.
However, rockets with a shorter range than tactical ballistic missiles, such as rocket artillery, were not considered to be a particular threat on the modern battlefield. Although visually impressive, such rocket artillery is not very precise, not capable of sustained fire, and can be quickly overcome or neutralized on the battlefield by the greater and more technologically-advanced forces of Cold War superpowers and their allies.
As of early 21st century, it seemed that modern armies are quite familiar with and are quite advanced in the area of missile defense. But with the war on terrorism, the battlefield changed, virtually disappearing as a concept, and literally taking the most technologically-advanced armies back to step one in missile defense. After decades of tremendous investments into complex missile defense, the simplest of rockets, powered by fertilizer and sugar became one of the greatest threats to modern armies.
Mediocre in conventional battle, rocket artillery became a formidable weapon of asymmetrical warfare and terrorism—the modern kind of war. Small, hand-made from available materials and by medieval blacksmithing methods, the rockets and launchers are easily concealable, and are immeasurably cheaper, and simpler to operate than traditional cannon artillery. Lacking the precision of the cannon artillery, rockets retain comparable range and similar, or greater payload of explosives.
As military conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq and Israel demonstrate, such combination of qualities, exhibited by rocket artillery, is quite deadly, particularly when rockets are launched at relatively short range or against "soft" targets, such as army barracks, infrastructure, storage depots, or densely-populated civilian areas, such as settlements or cities. And of course, the deadliness of such attacks can be greatly enhanced with unconventional loads, prohibited by international treaties, but fair game for terrorizing outlaws.
Simple rockets, such as Palestinian Qassams, require no time-and-labor-consuming installations. Nearly any covered area can be a launch site: a bush, a wall, a window in a residential building. Thus, the exact position of launch is unpredictable. Timing of launch is random. The rockets are small, light and fast. The distances are short. The crudeness of unstandardized, handmade, imperfect rockets, powered by uncontrolled, and often intermittent, nitrate-sugar reaction, make it impossible to calculate the likely trajectory of the rocket.
All of these factors make it nearly impossible for modern armies to prevent the launches of, or shoot down, these rockets. Even if it was technologically possible to shoot such a rocket down, it would require, often impossible, levels of 24/7 surveillance to detect the launch, and then the lightning coordination and speed in initiating the interception. Today it takes about 15 seconds for a launched Qassam rocket to travel from Gaza to the cities of Sderot or Askelon, in Israel. Even if interception was possible, the price of the equipment and of interception loads would exceed the cost of each incoming rocket thousands of times.
And there could be hundreds, thousands of rockets launched by the enemy in short amounts of time, dramatically multiplying already impossible efforts and odds of shooting them down. In 2006 Lebanon war, Israel was attacked by thousands of rockets launched by Hezbollah.
Some rocket types used by Hezbollah (and in use by numerous other terrorist organizations and "rogue states"), such as Chinese or Russian made Katyusha and Grad systems, are capable of launching barrages of tens of short-range missiles nearly simultaneously. Any attempt to intercept such a barrage of missiles, using existing conventional high-tech interception means, such as shooting them down individually is doomed to failure.
The most up-to-date missile-defense approach, utilized for rocket artillery and tactical ballistic missiles is "duck and cover." In fact, Israel, the country with one of the most technologically-advanced militaries and missile-defense and notification systems in the world, has recently resorted to erecting cement walls in its cities. When air alarm sounds, giving a 10-15 second warning of the incoming rocket, citizens are supposed to "duck and cover" near such walls. Some organizations, such as schools resort to other primitive and ineffective means of protection, such as installing steel plates on the roofs. Needless to say, such means provide little physical or psychological protection from missiles and the terror they bring.
Similarly, there is little to no defense from another type of rocket—the cruise missile. While technologically complex, cruise missiles imitate simple, low-flying projectiles. Frequently, cruise missiles travel at heights, barely above treetops. At such a low height, cruise missiles avoid detection by most radar systems. Virtually undetectable, and uninterceptable by modern means, cruise missile strikes when the target is most unprepared and vulnerable, leading to the greatest amount of damage and casualties.
This element of surprise and the near lack of countermeasures for cruise missiles, terrorist-launched rocket artillery and other low-flying missiles makes them one of the greatest threats for modern armies. A US military outpost, positioned abroad, or an Israeli settlement, can build high concrete walls, install electrified gates and put armed guards along perimeter to guard against suicide bombers and guerilla attacks. But no cement wall can practically be erected high enough or be resilient enough against a rocket. And no amount of surveillance, and no active high-tech means provide reliable protection against such attack.
In light of the problems associated with traditional missile defense methods and limitations associated with prior art devices, there is a long-standing and unsatisfied need in the art for a missile shield, or a missile defense system, which would effectively neutralize low-flying missiles and could be engaged 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or be engageable within seconds.
Present invention provides a special missile-interceptor net device and a method of using nets for low-flying missile interception. Nets have been used in warfare for centuries to entangle the enemies or fence-off borders and military positions. Camouflaging nets are common. Explosive nets have been used with some success in anti-submarine and anti-personnel warfare. However, rapidly-deployable or permanently deployed net, specifically designed to shield a specific sensitive area against incoming missiles is urgently needed by US armed forces stationed in hostile environments, such as Iraq and Afghanistan and civilians such as those in Israeli cities, bombarded by thousands of Quassam rockets every year. Such nets are also urgently needed for protection of border installations and refugee camps under the threat of rocket attack, such as those in Dafur region of Africa, as well as in multitude of other locations around the world.
Ideally such net would be simple to deploy, inexpensive in maintenance and production, capable of withstanding the winds, moisture, and other rigors of long-term outdoor deployment, and unlike anti-personnel and anti-submarine explosive nets, it must have the capability of surviving an interception of single or multiple rockets mostly intact, ready for another immediate interception. The latter is particularly important for intercepting barrages of missiles, such as those fired from Katyusha and Grad systems. The present invention achieves all of these objectives and provides numerous additional benefits.


Methods for targeting and prolonging association of a selected drug to the luminal surface of pulmonary vascular endothelium of an animal are provided wherein a selected drug is administered to an animal in combination with a non-internalizable ICAM-1 antibody which binds to an antigen on the luminal surface of the pulmonary vasculature. This method is particularly useful in dissolution of fibrin clots or prevention of the intravascular coagulation in the pulmonary vasculature.

Pulmonary vasculature is anatomically predisposed to deposition of fibrin and thromboemboli formed in the vasculature (for example, upon deep vein thrombosis). Both emboli and fibrin lodged in the lung play an important role in the pulmonary and cardiovascular pathology and contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality of disease conditions including, but not limited to, thrombosis, atherosclerosis, deep vein thrombosis, diabetes, adult respiratory distress syndrome, pulmonary embolism, shock and sepsis. Anticoagulants (e.g., heparin) are useful in preventing formation of intravascular fibrin clots, whereas fibrinolytics (e.g., plasminogen activators) are useful for dissolution of fibrin clots. Both anticoagulants and fibrinolytics, however, undergo inactivation and elimination from the bloodstream. This restricts their applicability for treatment of pulmonary embolism. Administration of large doses and/or multiple injections of a drug to compensate for elimination/inactivation impose inconvenience in treatment and high risk of harmful side effects. Uncontrolled bleeding is an example of such side effects of prolonged administration or a large dose of anticoagulants or fibrinolytics.
Augmentation of anticoagulant or/and fibrinolytic potential of the luminal surface of endothelial cells lining pulmonary vessels thus represents an important therapeutic strategy for treatment or/and prevention of disease conditions associated with or manifested by pulmonary embolism and fibrin deposition. Because these therapeutics must have access to the blood components in order to control coagulation or activate fibrinolysis, a requirement for such a strategy is that the anticoagulant or fibrinolytic agent be associated for a prolonged time with the luminal surface of the pulmonary endothelium.
One approach to attain this objective is to conjugate a drug to an antibody against surface endothelial molecules. This conjugation provides selective delivery, also referred to herein as targeting, of a drug to endothelium and prolonged association of a drug with endothelium. Therapeutic enzymes and genetic material conjugated to such antibodies have been demonstrated to bind to the endothelial cells in vitro and in vivo after injection in animals. Since the lungs contain approximately 30% of the total amount of endothelial cells in the body and receive a whole cardiac output of venous blood, antibodies against endothelial antigens tend to accumulate in the lung after intravenous injection. For example, Kennel et al. have described an antibody against thrombomodulin which recognizes endothelial surface in vivo, accumulates in the pulmonary vasculature and is capable of delivery of conjugated liposomes to the pulmonary endothelium (Kennel et al. 1990 Nucl. Med. Biol. 17:193-100; Trubetskoy et al. 1992 Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1131:311-313). An antibody against angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) has been described which possesses very similar properties (Danilov et al. 1991 Lab. Invest. 64:118-124). Therapeutic enzymes such as catalase, superoxide dismutase and plasminogen activators conjugated with ACE antibody have been demonstrated to accumulate in the lungs after intravascular injection (Muzykantov et al. 1996 Proc. Nat'l Acad. Sci. USA 93:5213-5218; Muzykantov et al. 1997 J. Pharm. Exp. Therap. 279:1026-1034). In addition, an antibody against E-selectin has been described which binds to and delivers liposomes to the cytokine-activated endothelium in cell culture (Spragg et al. 1997 Proc. Nat'l Acad. Sci. USA 94:8795-8800). A PECAM antibody conjugated with streptavidin has also been recently described which provides an effective carrier for delivery of drugs to the endothelium (Muzykantov et al. 1998 Am. J. Resp. Crit. Care Med. 157:A203).
However, endothelial cells internalize antibodies against thrombomodulin (Muzykantov et al. 1997 Circulation 96:I43-44), ACE (Muzykantov et al. 1996 Am. J. Physiol. 270:L704-713), E-selectin (Spragg et al. 1997 Proc. Nat'l Acad. Sci. USA 94:8795-8800) and anti-PECAM/streptavidin complex (Muzykantov et al. 1998 Am. J. Resp. Crit. Care Medicine 157:A203). Thus, while these carriers provide intracellular delivery, a feature which may be useful for targeting of genes and some other therapeutic agents, anticoagulants or fibrinolytics must escape internalization and remain on the luminal surface in order to control blood components. Accordingly, these carrier antibodies are of limited use in the delivery of anticoagulants, fibrinolytics or other drugs wherein their therapeutic action is localized to the blood.
An ICAM-1 monoclonal antibody, mAb 1A29 has also been described which accumulates in rat lungs following i.v. injection. Conjugation of catalase to this ICAM-1 monoclonal antibody via a streptavidin-biotin crosslinker resulted in accumulation of the anti-ICAM-1 conjugated catalase in the lung and protection of the lung from damage by extracellular oxidants (Muzykantov et al. Am. J. Resp. Crit. Care Medicine 1997 155(4):p. A187). Radiolabeled mAb 1A29 has also been shown to accumulate in the vasculature challenged with pro-inflammatory agents TNF and endotoxin (Mulligan et al. 1993 Am. J. Pathol. 142:1739-1749). In addition, this antibody has been shown to react with normal endothelial cells in the rat vasculature and that injection of TNF or endotoxin stimulates endothelial binding of mAb 1A29 (Panes et al. 1995 Am. J. Physiol. 269:H1955-1964). This antibody has also been shown to attenuate vascular injury induced by activated leukocytes via blocking of their adhesion to the endothelial cells.
It has now been found that monoclonal antibodies against the endothelial surface antigen ICAM-1 bind effectively to the endothelial cells without subsequent internalization. Conjugation of a drug to an non-internalizable antibody such as the ICAM-1 monoclonal antibody which binds to an antigen on the luminal surface of the pulmonary vasculature provides a useful means for targeted delivery and retention of the drug on the luminal surface, or blood compartment, of the pulmonary vasculature.

Targeting and prolonging association of drugs to the luminal surface of the pulmonary vascular endothelial cells using antibodies that bind to ICAM-1

The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania


A refrigerator and a defrosting method thereof which are capable of achieving an appropriate defrosting operation even when a part of constituent elements included in a defrosting system fails. The defrosting method includes the steps of determining whether or not a predetermined first defrosting completion condition is usable, if the predetermined first defrosting completion condition is usable, executing a first defrosting mode, which uses the predetermined first defrosting completion condition, and if the predetermined first defrosting completion condition is not usable, executing a second defrosting mode, which uses a predetermined second defrosting completion condition different from the predetermined first defrosting completion condition, and a defrosting execution determination condition different from that of the first defrosting mode.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a refrigerator and a defrosting method thereof, and, more particularly, to a refrigerator and a defrosting method thereof which are capable of achieving an appropriate defrosting operation even when a part of constituent elements included in a defrosting system fails.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, in a refrigerator, lowering of a temperature around a heat exchanger is generated due to heat absorption caused by evaporation of a liquid-state refrigerant passing through the heat exchanger. When the temperature around the heat exchanger is lowered, moisture around the heat exchanger is cooled, so that frost accumulates on the surface of the heat exchanger. The accumulated frost should be removed because it may degrade the cooling efficiency of the heat exchanger.
In order to remove frost accumulated on such a heat exchanger, conventional refrigerators are provided with a defrost heater arranged around the heat exchanger, and adapted to generate heat, and a heat exchanger temperature sensor (or defrost sensor) adapted to measure a temperature of the heat exchanger.
In such a refrigerator, a defrosting mode is periodically carried out. When the defrosting mode is to be performed, the defrost heater is turned on to generate heat. The heat generation of the defrost heater is continued until a temperature sensed by the heat exchanger temperature sensor reaches a predetermined temperature. However, where the heat exchanger temperature sensor operates erroneously due to, for example, a failure thereof, it is impossible to appropriately determine the point of time at which the defrost heater is to be turned off. In this case, the defrosting mode is not carried out, in order to prevent overheat caused by an uncontrolled operation of the defrost heater.
However, the above mentioned conventional refrigerator takes a measure to stop driving of a compressor thereof when the heat exchanger temperature sensor, in addition to the measure to prevent the defrosting mode from being carried out. For this reason, there is a problem in that food stored in the refrigerator may go bad.

Refrigerator and defrosting method thereof