A method for operating an internal combustion engine, in particular of a motor vehicle including at least one fuel pump delivers the fuel from a fuel tank into a fuel line. The pressure of the fuel, at least in a region of the fuel line, is increased as a function of an operating state. In order to assure a reliable starting of the engine, the pressure of the fuel, at least In the above-mentioned region of the fuel line is at least intermittently increased when the engine is not running.

The method according to the invention has the advantage that even when the engine is at rest, i.e. when it is not running, the pressure of the fuel is increased in relation to the normal pressure, which prevents the formation of vapor bubbles from the start. In contrast to the prior art, therefore, the method according to the invention does not rinse already existing gas bubbles out of the fuel lines, but rather prevents them from forming in the first place. This makes it possible to supply fuel to the combustion chambers of the engine even faster during the starting process, which accelerates the starting process itself and improves the starting behavior of the engine.
Increasing the fuel pressure in the fuel line only when the engine is not operating also has the advantage over a continuously elevated fuel pressure that the components of the engine are under less stress during normal operation. This applies in particular to the fuel pump, whose service life is extended by the lower normal pressure and also applies to the fuel lines, which are less susceptible to permeation at the lower normal pressure.
Advantageous modifications of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims.
A first modification provides that the pressure of the fuel, at least in the above-mentioned region of the fuel line, is increased when the engine is not running if the temperature of the engine is above a limit value. The formation of vapor bubbles is particularly likely when the fuel in the fuel lines is warm. Such a heating of the fuel is in turn to be expected when the engine is switched off after a long period of operation and due to heat dissipation, the hot engine heats the fuel line, the fuel pump, and/or other elements of the fuel system.
The modification of the method according to the invention, takes into account this heating of the fuel. On the other hand, the increase of the fuel pressure in the fuel line is also eliminated when the engine is not running if, for example, the engine is started for only a short time, i.e. it has not reached a high operating temperature and therefore no vapor bubble-inducing heating of the fuel in the fuel line is to be expected.
The invention also proposes that the pressure of the fuel in the above-mentioned region of the fuel line remain elevated at least during the starting of the engine and preferably during a time interval after the starting of the engine. This accelerates a reliable starting of the engine even more and, with a high degree of reliability, assures a smooth and safe operation of the engine after the starting procedure.
It is particularly preferable if the period of time during which the pressure of the fuel remains elevated after the starting of the engine, at least in the above-mentioned region of the fuel line, depends on the temperature of the engine. As explained above, the probability of the formation of vapor bubbles depends on the temperature of the fuel, which in turn depends on the temperature of the engine. During operation of a very hot engine, for example an engine that is started again after a long period of operation followed by a short intermediary stop, the danger of vapor bubbles being produced is particularly pronounced. In this instance, the pressure of the fuel should remain elevated for a particular time interval, which depends on the temperature of the engine. If need be, the pressure can be reduced again when the temperature of the engine has fallen below a limit value.
In a particularly preferred modification of the method according to the invention, a high-pressure region and a low-pressure region of the fuel line are connected to each other during the phase with the increased pressure of the fuel, at least in a region of the fuel line, particularly when the engine is not running. Such a fuel line with a high-pressure region and a low-pressure region is used, for example, in internal combustion engines with gasoline direct injection.
In a fuel system of this kind, the fuel is first delivered by an electric fuel pump into the low-pressure region of the fuel line and is supplied to a high-pressure pump directly driven by the engine. This high-pressure pump delivers the fuel at very high pressure (up to 120 bar) into a fuel accumulation line, which is also referred to as a "rail". From this rail, the fuel is supplied directly to the injection valves, which inject the fuel directly into the combustion chambers of the engine.
Normally when the engine is not running, the high-pressure region and the low-pressure region of the fuel line are separated from each other. The high-pressure components of a high-pressure region, e.g. the high-pressure pump, the high-pressure injection valves, a quantity control valve, and a pressure control valve, are sometimes subjected to the high pressure in the high-pressure region for a very long period of time. If the high-pressure region is connected to the low-pressure region during the phase with the increased pressure of the fuel, this automatically results in a reduction of the pressure in the high-pressure region to a common pressure value, which is, however, higher than the usual pressure value in the low-pressure region of the fuel line, thus preventing vapor bubbles.
The components in the high-pressure region of the fuel line are consequently no longer subjected to the particularly high pressure so that the sealing demands on these components are reduced. This reduces the production costs for the corresponding components and possibly also increases the service life of these components.
One possibility for increasing the pressure of the fuel in the above-mentioned region in the above-mentioned manner is comprised in that a device, which sets the pressure of the fuel to a normal level, at least in the above-mentioned region of the fuel line, is switched off during the phase with increased fuel pressure. This variant of the method according to the invention is particularly easy to achieve.
It is also possible for the increase of the pressure of the fuel, at least in the above-mentioned region of the fuel line when the engine is not running, to include the activation of at least one fuel pump after the engine is switched off. Such an activation of the fuel pump is very easy to achieve and contributes to the desired result.
It is also possible for the increase of the pressure of the fuel, at least in the above-mentioned region of the fuel line when the engine is not running, to take place at least by means of a temperature increase of the fuel in the above-mentioned region of the fuel line. This variant of the method according to the invention takes advantage of the increase in the temperature of the fuel that is expected anyway: heat dissipation from the hot engine can cause such a temperature increase, which due to the closed volume of the fuel in the fuel line, causes the desired pressure increase. In this modification of the method according to the invention, therefore, the pressure increase is produced in a particularly simple manner.
The invention also relates to a computer program, which is suitable for executing the above-mentioned method when it is run on a computer. It is particularly preferable if the computer program is stored in a memory, in particular a flash memory.
The invention also relates to a control and/or regulating unit for operating an internal combustion engine, in particular of a motor vehicle, in which at least one fuel pump delivers the fuel from a fuel tank into a fuel line and in which the pressure of the fuel, at least in a region of the fuel line, is increased as a function of an operating state. Such a control and/or regulating unit is known from the market. In order to accelerate the starting process of the engine, the invention proposes that the control and/or regulating unit be suitable for controlling and/or regulating the above-mentioned method. It is particularly preferable if the control and/or regulating unit is provided with a computer program of the above-mentioned type.
The invention also relates to an internal combustion engine with at least one fuel pump that delivers fuel into a fuel line and with a device that can increase the pressure of the fuel, at least in a region of the fuel line, as a function of an operating state of the engine. An internal combustion engine of this kind is also known from the market. In order to be able to start this engine better, the invention proposes that it be provided with a control and/or regulating unit of the above-mentioned type.
In the engine according to the invention, in order to be able to produce the simplest possible pressure increase of the fuel pressure in the fuel line that can be achieved with the control and/or regulating unit, the invention proposes that the engine have a first pressure adjusting device, which can adjust a normal pressure of the fuel, at least in a region of the fuel line.
The invention also proposes that the engine have a second pressure adjusting device that can adjust an increased pressure of the fuel, at least in the above-mentioned region of the fuel line; the first and second pressure adjusting device are each connected at least to the above-mentioned region of the fuel line. In addition, the engine should also have a device that can fluidically disconnect the first pressure adjusting device at least from the above-mentioned region of the fuel line when the engine is not running.
The assembly of the above-mentioned components is simplified by virtue of the fact that the pressure adjusting devices and the disconnecting device are integrated into a module.

Method, computer program and control and/or regulation device for operating an internal combustion engine, and corresponding internal combustion engine


A reduced complexity method of ring signal detection, in which a digital signal processor monitors an incoming data stream for zero crossings and employs a limiter-discriminator to differentiate ring frequency signals from line noise. Controlled noise is injected into the incoming data stream in order to prevent false declarations of ring signals in the presence of low frequency natural noise or low amplitude signals. The method conserves valuable processing power and may therefore prove useful in DSP-based telephone devices that must simultaneously perform multiple processing operations such as ring detection and speech processing.

The present invention relates to telephone systems and more particularly to the detection ring signals on an incoming telephone line. The invention is particularly beneficial in the context of digital signal processor (DSP) based telephone devices, where processing power is at a premium.
In typical telephone systems, a ring signal or ring tone is generated by a called party's central office and transmitted along a telephone line to a local loop subscriber, to alert the subscriber of an incoming call. The telephone line is usually a twisted pair of copper wires, but may take other forms as well, including, but not limited to, fiber optics, microwave and other wired or wireless connections. Historically, ring signals on these lines were direct current (DC) signals of sufficient voltage to cause analog telephones to ring. By modem convention, a ring signal is an alternating current (AC) signal having a frequency in the range of 14 Hz to 65 Hz (usually about 20 Hz) and an amplitude of at least 22 Volts rms.
In general, any device designed to receive incoming telephone calls must be configured to detect an incoming ring signal while on hook. Modem electronic telephones, for instance, must be able to detect the presence of a ring signal on the incoming phone line in order to recognize when to simulate a ringing sound. Answering machines or computer modems, as additional examples, must be able to detect the presence of a ring signal in order to know when to go off hook to communicate with an incoming call. In any event, these devices must be able to quickly respond to a ring signal that falls within accepted ranges of frequency and amplitude, and to not falsely respond to incoming signals outside of those accepted ranges.
The process of detecting a ring signal is made difficult in part due to the presence of distortions on the incoming telephone line and in the incoming signal. These distortions arise from several sources. Principally, a telephone line naturally carries band limited noise in the range of 300 Hz to 4 kHz. This noise is added to any input signal, including, for instance, a speech signal or a ring signal. In addition, electronic devices connected to public telephone lines in the United States are required by regulation to prevent DC or destructive power surges from entering the network. In most cases, these devices include a line interface circuit having an isolation transformer or other circuitry that is optimized for telephone signals of between 300 Hz and 3.3 kHz and is incapable of passing signals of over 160 Volts peak-to-peak (or about 56 Volts rms). As a consequence, however, the transformer will tend to distort signals having the frequency and/or voltage range of a ring signal, transferring energy from the fundamental harmonic of these signals into second or higher level harmonics.
Modern telephone devices are often DSP based. A DSP chip in these devices may be specially designed and/or programmable and may be configured to perform necessary communication functions, such as tone generation and speech processing, including, for instance, acoustic echo cancellation, modulation and demodulation. Generally speaking, these DSP-based telephone devices detect ring signals by employing either dedicated hard-wired circuitry or complex digital signal processing techniques.
In devices using dedicated hard-wired circuitry to detect ring signals, the ring-detect circuitry typically receives and processes the incoming signal before the signal reaches the isolation transformer and becomes distorted. Such circuitry may include, for instance, a phase locked loop or other mechanism for locking on a signal of a specified frequency. Unfortunately, however, hard-wired circuitry designed to serve a dedicated function such as ring detection is often large and expensive. Additionally, most physical circuit components will degrade as they age, and their performance will diminish. Consequently, such circuitry is not always be able to respond accurately or quickly enough to a proper input signal.
As a result, many DSP-based telephone devices, such as computer modems, are instead configured to detect ring signals through complex digital signal processing techniques. DSP ring detection generally involves passing the incoming signal through a narrow band filter of relatively high Q (selectivity) in search of signals having appreciable energy in the 14 to 65 Hz range, and then subjecting the resulting signal to energy integration and testing code. In this regard, in order to account for the inherent line noise and particularly for the harmonic energy shifts introduced by the line interface circuit, extensive filtering and processing is typically required, sometimes exhausting nearly all of the processing power of the DSP.
Of course, the use of nearly all of the processing power for ring detection may present difficulty in any DSP-based telephone device that must simultaneously detect multiple ringing signals or that must detect a ring signal while simultaneously processing other signals. In a multiple-line phone, for instance, a DSP should be able to detect ring signals simultaneously on all lines. Alternatively, while the DSP is processing speech signals on one line, the DSP should be able to detect ring signals on the other line. Use of substantially all available DSP processing power for ring detection may preclude the inclusion of other commercially desirable features or may necessitate the inclusion of multiple DSP chips, thus increasing manufacturing cost.
In view of these deficiencies, there is a need in the art for a less complex and more robust method of detecting ring signals.


A glass grinding method starts with an assessment of the scratch or surface defect to be removed. A series of abrasive pads with different diameters and different grits from 60, 120, 180, 220, and 400 grit are selected according to the depth of the scratches or defects on the glass, and is installed on a handheld circular grinder. The work area is restricted to an imaginary area around the scratch that is two times the length of the scratch squared. The area is worked and feathered out with successively finer and finer dry abrasive pads applied flat on the surface of the glass. During this process, the glass surface temperatures are monitored and not allowed to exceed 150° F. Any glass powders that stick and build up on the abrasive disk faces are knocked off by slapping them with wire brushes or rasps. They are not brushed off. In a final pre-polishing stage, the powders are allowed to build to gradually reduce the cutting action and produce a finer surface. When the glass has only a haze left to remove, cerium oxide powders mixed in water are misted from a spray bottle onto a felt pad installed on the grinder. The area is outlined with a dry-grease marker applied on the backside of the glass.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to surface polishing systems and methods, and in particular to dry systems that prevent the possibility of dropping liquids that can stain surrounding structures, and ones that use successively finer grits to remove deep scratches in glass and to feather out the work area to avoid optical distortions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Window glass often gets scratched or marred in normal use over time, and can be very expensive and difficult to replace. Many office and government buildings now use glass for walls and windows, and are the object of vandalism. Particularly bad vandals and graffiti taggers will use sharp tools to scratch glass. Some are even using acids and dyes that etch into the glass and leave permanent stains that cannot be simply wiped off with cleaners and solvents.
Building owners and maintenance need less costly alternatives than outright replacement. Glass grinding systems that can deliver repair costs 50% of outright glass replacement would be useful and needed. But many conventional glass grinding systems depend on liquids, slurries, and other wet systems that require containment and special work conditions. The liquids can often get away from the work and stain nearby window frames, floors, and furniture.


An ankle and foot orthosis brace for use in supporting, immobilizing and correction of physical anomalies associated with a patient's ankle or foot. The brace is of a multi-part construction having a generally L-shaped configuration with a contoured upper leg support and a foot support portion interconnected by a multi-planar adjustment hinge and bi-lateral bearing assemblies there between. A foot pad with apertured tabs extending there from being part of the foot portion with adjustable fabric fasteners extending from the foot portion and the leg portion securing the brace to the patient's leg and foot.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates to therapeutic leg and foot braces, more particularly to a securing apparatus therefore having a foot pad, a fabric foot engagement enclosure for releaseably securing the brace to the foot and ankle of the patient to provide and maintain a constant pressure against the foot, sole and ankle of the patient for therapeutic purposes including adducted and abducted conditions of the foot.
2. Description of Prior Art
An orthotic foot and ankle brace typically has an L-shaped construction with a contoured leg support portion, a foot portion, and an interconnecting heel portion connected there between. An integral fabric foot engagement enclosure is provided to secure the brace to the patient's foot and ankle.
Prior art devices of this type provide for a variety of leg, ankle and foot stabilization utilizing two-part brace assemblies interconnected by free hinges of elastomeric material as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,496,263 that permit the tolocural articulation to move about a single axis.
Other prior art patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,431,624 discloses leg and foot braces having adjustable angles between the two sections with an extended ground engagement sole and a cam action locking assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,486,157 discloses a hinge at the apex of a contoured heel portion to provide free dorsiflextion and plantar-flexion with a pivot point below the hinges for inversion, eversion and pronation and supination of the foot.
Applicant's own U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,088,479, 5,545,127, 5,593,383, 5,908,398, 5,944,679 and 6,302,858 B1 define the present state of the art in ankle and foot orthosis beginning with resilient L-shaped construction in U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,479, the introduction of lateral adjustable ankle and foot orthosis in U.S. Pat. No. 5,545,127, adjustable ankle and foot orthosis brace having adjustable hinge assembly between the leg configuration and heel configuration, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,908,398 a compound adjustable ankle and foot orthosis brace, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,858 B1 having a unique intermedial transition portion with adjustable multi-angular bearing surfaces to impart selective angular inclination both laterally and dorsi/plantar flexion by respective multiple overlapping intermedial end portions of respective resilient interconnecting portions.
Additional prior art devices can be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,961,477 and 6,056,712.
In 5,961,477 an ankle and foot orthosis can be seen having a one piece L-shaped support member interconnected to a foot portion having a walking sole thereon.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,056,712 a multi-functional orthosis for the foot, heel, ankle and lower leg is disclosed in which an upper leg engagement portion has adjustable locking hinge assembly on either side of the dorsi and plantar flexion positioning.


A new and distinct Ilex×meserveae cultivar named ‘GEERS’ is disclosed, characterized by greyed-green leaves margined cream-white with dotted transition. Plants are male and do not produce fruit. Floriferous plants with moderately vigorous growth. Leaves appear sharp but are not sharp to the touch. The new variety is an Ilex×meserveae, normally produced as an outdoor garden plant.

The new cultivar is the product of chance discovery. The new variety originated as a naturally occurring branch mutation of the patented commercial variety Ilex×meserveae 'Blue Prince' U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,517 (patent terminated).
The new variety was discovered in Summer of 1995 by the inventor Peter Geers a citizen of Netherlands in a nursery in Boskoop, Netherlands.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was performed by softwood cuttings. This was first performed at a nursery in Boskoop, Netherlands in August of 1995 and has shown that the unique features of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type in 10 successive generations.


A radio wave system for repelling birds from aircraft that includes a directional radio wave transmitting rod, a frequency transmitter unit wired to the directional radio wave transmitting rod, and an activation switch in controlling connection with the frequency transmitting unit. The frequency transmitting unit generates and transmits radio wave signals, when the activation switch is in an on position, to the directional radio wave transmitting rod which emits a cone shaped radio wave signal in front of an aircraft. The cone shaped radio signal is emitted at a frequency detected by birds in flight which are deflected onto a flight path which avoids collisions between the birds and the aircraft.

Collisions between aircraft and birds can result in severe damage to the aircraft. It would be desirable, therefore, to have a system for directing birds in flight onto a flight path away from colliding with the aircraft. Because birds can detect some radio waves, it would be a benefit to have a bird collision avoidance system that included a mechanism for generating a cone shaped radio wave in front of the plane to deflect the flight path of any birds away from the plane such that a collision is avoided between the birds and the aircraft.

Radio wave system for repelling birds from aircraft


A method for electronic content locking including: accessing electronic content and determining if the electronic content is currently locked for a first user. The method further determines meta-data relating to the electronic content and allows a second user to override the lock such that the electronic content is unlocked if the meta-data meet predetermined criteria. A system for electronic content locking having: an electronic content repository; and a locking controller adapted to change the status of electronic content in the electronic content repository between locked and unlocked. The system further includes a data collection module designed to retrieve meta-data relating to electronic content; and an override controller designed to override the locking controller and change the status of the locked electronic content from a first user to a second user.

Document management or electronic content systems are becoming an important part of business today. These system aid in controlling access to documents and often include version control to ensure users are viewing and using the most current version of a document. Typically, if a user wants to edit a document in a document management system, the system or user will lock the document, which prevents other users from editing the document at the same time. Related document management systems may still allow other users to view a read-only copy of the document, or the last version of the document saved to the document management system when a first user has locked the document. If a second user wishes to edit the document, the second user may have to wait until the first user has unlocked or checked-in the document. However, if the first user has failed or forgotten to check-in the document, it may take a substantial amount of time, or may require involvement from an IT helpdesk or a super-user to unlock the document and may result in the changes made by the first user being lost.
It is, therefore, desirable to provide improved electronic content locking systems and methods.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present disclosure.

Method and system for electronic content locking


The present invention is directed to a method for a creating an active document that encapsulates a transaction and the transaction's current status. The active document includes a first set of data fields, where the data fields represent attributes of a parent transaction and include a sub-identifier field; and a first set of metadata, where the first set of metadata populates the first set of data fields and describes the attributes represented by the first set of data fields, the sub-identifier filed including metadata from the first set of metadata that identifies a secondary transaction, linking data generated by the secondary transaction to the active document.

In enterprise applications today, databases are used to store a high volume of data. More often than not, even in the smallest enterprises, data from various transactions is stored in a number of different databases. The data is generated by a diverse set of different business applications which make organizing and accessing the data quite challenging. Together with the high volume of data and the number of different databases, this makes translating the data into usable information a huge and time consuming task. This costs the very purpose of information—timeliness.
The origins of all this data are transactions. Each transaction sets off a chain event of business processes. For example, one Purchase Order transaction creates a web of business events and more transactions in the originating enterprise's business process. The creation of these business events and transactions continues until the life of the Purchase Order finally comes to an end. The data created by the Purchase Order also has an effect on a destination enterprise in which a corresponding Sales Order transaction is created to process the purchase request from the originating enterprise. Maintaining linkages between these two transactions is not an easy task, especially if they are long-lived.
If an enterprise wishes to know the status of a Purchase Order it placed with a supplier enterprise, it presently takes a physical contact, often a phone call or a facsimile, between persons in each enterprise. Generally, it takes a few days at best before an adequate answer can be provided. This process and the time it takes is an aberration in the age of the Internet. There needs to be a way for a person in the originating enterprise to access the status of the Purchase Order, or other transaction, emanating from the originating enterprise quickly and easily. The person in the originating enterprise should be able to access not only information from the web of business events and other transactions in the originating enterprise, but also from the web of business events and transactions resulting from the Sales order, or other linked transactions, in the supplier enterprise.

Enterprise application transactions as shared active documents

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A coaxial cable connector including an annular outer conductor; an inner conductor disposed coaxially within the outer conductor; an annular insulator retained between the inner conductor and the outer conductor; and an annular mounting flange rotatably mounted on the outer conductor and projecting radially outwardly therefrom.

This invention relates generally to an electrical connector assembly and, more particularly, to an electrical connector assembly for connecting coaxial radio frequency transmission lines.
Plug type connector assemblies are used commonly to facilitate quick connection and disconnection of components or modules in electrical circuit systems. Such connector assemblies permit rapid access to electrical components for maintanance or repair functions. Many connectors include flanges that attach to equipment housings and mounting problems can result from requirements for proper alignment of the flanges on the housings. Also, when used in certain applications such as for the transmission of rf signals, an important requirement of plug type connectors is that they exhibit a relatively low electrical signal disturbance characteristic in that signal interference or attenuation can significantly degrade the performance of an entire electrical system.
The object of this invention, therefore, is to provide for coaxial transmission lines an improved plug type connector assembly that combines a quick connect-disconnect capability with a low signal disturbance characteristic.

Coaxial connector with rotatable mounting flange


A method of forming a support structure on a base from a framework (10) comprising a tube (12) of a flexible material divided by dividing walls (14) of a flexible material into an array of compartment (16), is disclosed. The method includes the steps of locating flexible strings (20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34) through lines of compartments (16) at or near each edge of the framework (10) and through lines of compartments (16) intermediate the edge lines of compartments (16), attaching the ends of the strings (20 to 34) to fixed objects (36) to support the framework (10) with a first end of the tube (12) on the base and a second end of the tube (12) above the first end, and filling some or all of the compartments (16) with a suitable filler material. The strings or stays assist in supporting the framework (10) when it is being filled with the filler material.

This invention relates to a method of forming a support structure on a base, and to an article for use in forming such a support structure.
It is well known to form support structures such as roadways, canal or river or bank linings, mine packs, sea walls, or the like from a material having a honeycomb structure, i.e having a plurality of compartments or cells divided by dividing walls, each compartment or cell being filled with a suitable filler material. Examples of such materials for use in the support structures are Hyson-Cells from M and S Technical Consultants and Services (Pty) Limited, Geoweb from Presto Products Co, Tenweb from Tenax Corp, Armater from Crow Company, Terracell from Webtec Inc, Envirogrid from Akzo Nobel Geosynthetics Co and Geocells from Kaytech.
In making such a support structure using these materials it is generally been the practice for the material with the honeycomb structure to be located on a base, and thereafter for the compartments or cells of the honeycomb structure to be filled with a suitable filler material. However, it has been found that in certain circumstances when the compartments are being filled with the filler material, the walls of the compartments, being flexible, buckle or collapse, which then causes various additional problems such as the creation of a layer of filler material on top of the cells, sometimes a layer of filler material underneath the cells. and gaps or cracks between adjacent blocks, all of which lead to a support structure which is not suitable to perform the required function. These problems are illustrated schematically in FIG. 4 of the accompanying drawings.
There is thus a need for a method of overcoming this problem.
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method of forming a support structure on a base from a framework comprising a tube of a flexible material divided by dividing walls of a flexible material into an array of compartments or cells running the length of the tube, the compartments being arranged in rows and columns so that the tube divided by dividing walls has a honeycomb structure, which method comprises the steps of:
(1) locating a flexible string or a rigid stay through a line of compartments at or near each edge of the framework. and optionally locating flexible strings or rigid stays through one or more lines of compartments intermediate the edge lines of compartments;
(2) attaching the ends of the strings or stays to fixed objects to support the framework with a first end of the tube on the base and a second end of the tube above the first end; and
(3) filling some or all of the compartments with a filler material so that at least some of the compartments are adjacent one or more other compartments filled with the filler material to support and be supported by the adjacent compartments.
In other words, assuming that the framework is substantially rectangular in plan view, a string or a stay is located at least in a line of compartments at or near each of the four edges of the framework.
The flexible string or rigid stay may be located in position in a line of compartments by making a series of holes in the walls of the compartments in the line, and then passing the flexible string or rigid stay through the holes.
The use of flexible strings or rigid stays assists in holding the framework in position before the filler material is filled into the compartments. By strings is meant any flexible rigging. flexible lacing or similar flexible wire material. By stays is meant any rigid rigging, including rigid wire. rods or pipes, or the like.
Preferably, two flexible strings or rigid stays are located through a line of compartments., one string or stay near the top of the tube and the other string or stay near the bottom of the tube.
Preferably, at any point where a string or a stay intersects with another string or stay in a particular compartment, there is provided a support in the compartment to support the intersecting strings or stays.
Alternatively, the support may be used to support the strings or stays at a location other than at intersections.
The support is preferably a rigid support and may comprise, for example, a hollow cylinder with slots, or a solid rod with grooves cut therein, or a stand with hooks thereon to receive and support the strings or stays.
The framework, i.e the tube and the dividing walls, may be made from any suitable flexible material. Although the material must possess some degree of flexibility, the degree of flexibility may range from very flexible up to semi-rigid. The flexible material may be for example a plastics material such as for example a co-extruded or a bi axially extruded plastics material; a plastics laminate material such as for example a laminate of a plastics material and a metallic material or a textile material; a metallic material; a woven or non-woven textile material; a paper or cardboard material. and the like.
The flexible material is preferably a suitable plastics material.
The framework may have any suitable height and any suitable compartment size. For example. the height of the framework may range from 2 mm to 10 m inclusive, and each compartment may have a wall length of from 5 mm up to 2 m.
The compartments in the framework may have any suitable cross-section. such as square, hexagonal or octagonal, but preferably have a square cross-section, i.e each compartment is defined by four walls of substantially equal lengths.
The filler material may be any suitable filler material such as for example an inert filler material, e.g sand or gravel or the like, or a composition comprising a filler material and a settable binder therefor. Examples of such compositions include:
(i) an inert filler material such as sand or gravel or the like, and a cementitious binder, for example ordinary Portland Cement;
(ii) an inert filler material such as sand or gravel or the like and a bituminous binder;
(iii) a filler material such as soil treated with a suitable chemical composition such as calcium chloride, a lignin sulphonate or an ionic liquid to cause the soil to bind or set;
(iv) a filler material such as sand or gravel or the like and a resin binder, for example (a) a thermosetting resin such as polyurethanes and polyesters, (b) a thermoplastic resin such as polyethylene, EVA, or PVC, and (c) a suitable wax.
The settable composition may include a conventional foam or foaming agent so that the final set composition is a foamed composition, to reduce the weight thereof.
The support structure may be made from a single framework as described above, or the support structure may be made from a plurality of frameworks laid side-by-side on the base, each framework being as described above and being supported as described above and being filled with the filler material as described above In this case, the compartments along an edge of a first framework will abut the compartments along an adjacent edge of an adjacent framework.
According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a combination of a framework comprising a tube of a flexible material divided by dividing walls of a flexible material into an array of compartments or cells running the length of the tube. the compartments being arranged in rows and columns so that the tube divided by diving walls has a honeycomb structure, and a plurality of flexible strings or rigid stays each located in a line of compartments, the combination including a flexible string or rigid stay at or near each edge of the framework, for use in forming a support structure by the method described above.
The flexible strings or rigid stays are typically attached to fixed structures or are themselves supported on rigid auxiliary support members, such as soil nails or anchoring pegs or the like.
Each flexible string or rigid stay tray be provided with holding means, to hold the string or stay in position in the framework, i.e to prevent the string or stay from being pulled out of the row or column of compartments in which it is located.
For example, a flexible string may be knotted within a compartment or outside an edge compartment, to prevent the string from being pulled out of the relevant compartment. Alternatively a suitable holding means such as a plate with a hole therethrough or a mesh, may be located in a compartment, with the flexible string or rigid stay passing through the hole in the plate or a hole in the mesh and being ripped thereby.

Method of forming a support structure using strings or stays


A cavitation sensor includes an ultrasonically absorbent coating (20) disposed around a piezoelectric element (30) and a conduit (25). The conduit (25) includes a boundary delimited by the piezoelectric element (30), while the ultrasonically absorbent coating (20) is substantially transparent to acoustic driving field frequencies. The sensor is more accurate than prior art sensors.

The present invention relates generally to the detection of cavitation events in a fluid medium and more specifically to a sensor for monitoring acoustic cavitation in ultrasonic cleaning vessels.
Ultrasonic cleaning vessels are used throughout industry for a range of cleaning applications including sterilisation. Objects to be cleaned are placed within a bath of water containing an acoustic field generated by a single or group of transducers. The transducer will typically produce an acoustic driving field within the frequency range of about 20 kHz to 100 kHz, depending on the items to be cleaned, the degree of cleansing required and so forth.
The mechanical vibrations generated by the acoustic field induce bubble motion within the medium. This arises from small bubbles dissolved within the liquid medium, which are commonly associated with weak points within the liquid such as impurities. Cavitation is the term used to describe the oscillation, expansion and collapse of the bubbles. The oscillation and collapse of the bubbles themselves generates acoustic waves those components cover a range of frequencies dependent on details of the bubble motion but extend well into the MHz frequency range, much higher than the acoustic driving field. The bubbles can also collapse catastrophically generating shock-waves and these, along with water-jetting produced by collapse, are typical mechanisms by which ultrasonic cleaning of the component takes place. The degree of cavitation can be varied by adjusting the magnitude of the electrical drive to the transducers, thereby affecting the acoustic pressures generated in the bath.
The density of cavitating bubbles, the frequency of bubble events and the violence of the collapse is related to the effectiveness of any cleaning technique which utilises this phenomenon. The ability to measure these parameters or a combined effect of the bubble activity would enable optimisation of the driving amplitude of the transducers for a given type of cleaning vessel. It would enable the long-term performance of the cleaning vessel to be monitored and would also provide the basis of a test by which the performance of cleaning vessels could be compared.
The present invention seeks to provide a sensor for the detection of bubble events within a fluid subjected to an acoustic driving field.
According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a cavitation sensor including an ultrasonically absorbent coating substantially enclosing a piezoelectric element and a conduit; the conduit including a boundary delimited by the piezoelectric element, the ultrasonically absorbent coating being substantially transparent to acoustic driving field frequencies.

The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in Her Britannic Majesty""s Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland