The present invention provides a nonaqueous electrolytic solution which can improve the electrochemical characteristics in a broad temperature range, an electrochemical element produced by using the same and a sulfonic ester compound having a branched structure which is used for the same.

In recent years, an electrochemical element, particularly a lithium secondary battery is widely used for power sources and electric power storage of small-sized electronic devices, such as cellular phones, notebook-size personal computers and the like and electric vehicles. There is a possibility that the above electronic devices and electric vehicles are used in a broad temperature range, such as high temperature in the middle of summer and low temperature in a severe cold season, and therefore they are requested to be improved in electrochemical characteristics at a good balance in a broad temperature range.
In particular, it is urgently required to reduce a discharge of CO2 in order to prevent global warming, and hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) and battery electric vehicles (BEV) among environmental response vehicles loaded with electrical storage devices comprising electrochemical elements, such as lithium secondary batteries, capacitors and the like are required to spread in early stages. However, vehicles move at a long distance, and therefore they are likely to be used in regions of a broad temperature range from very hot regions in tropical zones to regions in a severe cold zones. Accordingly, the above electrochemical elements for vehicles are required not to be deteriorated in electrochemical characteristics even when they are used in a broad temperature range from high temperature to low temperature.
Lithium secondary batteries are constituted principally from a positive electrode and a negative electrode containing a material which can absorb and release lithium and a nonaqueous electrolytic solution containing a lithium salt and a nonaqueous solvent, and carbonates, such as ethylene carbonate (EC), propylene carbonate (PC) and the like are used as the nonaqueous solvent.
Also, metal lithium, metal compounds which can absorb and release lithium (metal simple substances, oxides, alloys with lithium, etc.) and carbon materials are known as the negative electrode. In particular, lithium secondary batteries produced by using carbon materials, such as cokes, artificial graphites, natural graphites and the like which can absorb and release lithium are widely put into practical use.
In the present specification, the term of a lithium secondary battery is used as a concept including as well a so-called lithium ion secondary battery.
In lithium secondary batteries produced by using, for example, highly crystallized carbon materials, such as artificial graphites, natural graphites and the like as negative electrode materials, it is known that decomposed products and gases generated from a solvent in a nonaqueous electrolytic solution which is reduced and decomposed on a surface of a negative electrode in charging the batteries detract from a desired electrochemical reaction of the batteries, so that a cycle property thereof is worsened. Also, when the decomposed products of the nonaqueous solvent are deposited, lithium can not smoothly be absorbed onto and released from a negative electrode, and the electrochemical characteristics thereof are liable to be worsened in a broad temperature range.
Further, in lithium secondary batteries produced by using lithium metal and alloys thereof, metal simple substances, such as tin, silicon and the like and oxides thereof as negative electrode materials, it is known that an initial battery capacity thereof is high but a nonaqueous solvent is acceleratingly reduced and decomposed as compared with a negative electrode of a carbon material since a micronized powdering of the material is promoted during cycles and that battery performances, such as a battery capacity and a cycle property are worsened to a large extent. Also, in a case the micronized powdering of the negative electrode material and the deposition of the decomposed products of the nonaqueous solvent are deposited, lithium can not smoothly be absorbed onto and released from the negative electrode, and the electrochemical characteristics thereof are liable to be worsened in a broad temperature range.
On the other hand, in lithium secondary batteries produced by using, for example, LiCoO2, LiMn2O4, LiNiO2, LiFePO4 and the like as a positive electrode, it is known that decomposed products and gases generated from a solvent in a nonaqueous electrolytic solution which is partially oxidized and decomposed in a local part in an interface between the positive electrode material and the nonaqueous electrolytic solution in a charging state detract from a desired electrochemical reaction of the batteries, so that the electrochemical characteristics thereof are worsened as well in a broad temperature range.
As shown above, decomposed products and gases generated when a nonaqueous electrolytic solution is decomposed on a positive electrode or a negative electrode may interfere with a migration of lithium ions or may swell the battery, and the battery performance is thereby worsened. In spite of the above situations, electronic equipments in which lithium secondary batteries are mounted are advanced more and more in multi-functionalization and tend to be increased in an electric power consumption. As a result thereof, lithium secondary batteries are advanced more and more in an elevation of a capacity, and a nonaqueous electrolytic solution is reduced in a volume thereof occupied in the battery, wherein the electrode is increased in a density, and a useless space volume in the battery is reduced. Accordingly, observed is a situation in which the electrochemical characteristics thereof in a broad temperature range are liable to be worsened by decomposition of only a small amount of the nonaqueous electrolytic solution.
It is shown in a patent document 1 that the cycle property at room temperature is excellent when sulfonic ester represented by iso-propyl methanesulfonate is added to a nonaqueous electrolytic solution.
It is shown in a patent document 2 that the cycle property at room temperature is excellent when sulfonic ester represented by methyl methanesulfonate is added to a nonaqueous electrolytic solution.
It is shown in a patent document 3 that the cycle property at 20° C. is excellent when a disulfonic ester compound represented by propylene glycol dimethanesulfonate which has two sulfonate groups and has certainly a side chain on a principal chain is added to a nonaqueous electrolytic solution.
It is shown in a patent document 4 that the cycle property in charging the battery so that an open circuit voltage in completely charging the battery is higher than 4.2 V is excellent when a disulfonic ester compound represented by 1,4-butanediol dimethanesulfonate which has two sulfonate groups and in which a principal chain is a linear alkylene chain is added to a nonaqueous electrolytic solution.
A nonaqueous electrolytic solution containing a silicon compound, such as 1,2-bis(3,5-difluorophenyl)-1,1,2,2-tetramethyldisilane and the like is proposed in a patent document 5, and it is suggested that the cycle property at 60° C. and the low-temperature properties are improved.
Also, a nonaqueous electrolytic solution containing a silicon compound having an alkyl sulfonate group, such as trimethylsilyl methanesulfonate and the like is proposed in a patent document 6, and it is suggested that the cycle property at 25° C. and the trickle charging property are improved.

Nonaqueous electrolyte solution and electrochemical element using same

Abstract: The present invention relates to a nonaqueous electrolytic solution prepared by dissolving an electrolyte salt in a nonaqueous solvent, which comprises a sulfonic ester compound represented by the following Formula (I) in an amount of 0.001 to 5% by mass of the nonaqueous electrolytic solution:

Abstract: (wherein R represents an alkyl group or an aryl group; A represents a >CH group or a >SiZ group (Z represents an alkyl group or an aryl group); X represents an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group or an aryl group; Y represents a cycloalkyl group, a -L1CHRaOSO2Rb group or a —Si(Rc)(Rd)OSO2Rb group; W represents 1 or 2; Ra represents an alkyl group; Rb, Rc and Rd represent an alkyl group or an aryl group; L1 represents an alkylene group in which at least one hydrogen atom may be substituted with —OSO2Re (Re has the same meaning as that of R), a divalent linkage group containing at least one ether bond or a single bond).


A vaccine for protecting a horse against diseases associated with EHV-1 and/or EHV-4 is provided. The vaccine commonly includes inactivated EHV-1 (e.g., chemically inactivated EHV-1 KyA virus) and an adjuvant. The adjuvant can include a cross-linked olefinically unsaturated carboxylic acid polymer which may have bioadhesive properties. The vaccine may also include antigens against other equine pathogens such as inactivated EHV-4 and inactivated A1 and/or A2 strains of equine influenza virus. Methods for protecting horses against diseases associated with EHV-1 and/or EHV-4 and methods of producing the equine herpesvirus vaccine are also provided.

Respiratory diseases are a major cause of economic loss to the equine industry. Equine herpesviruses (EHV), equine influenza viruses (EIV), and the bacterium, Streptococcus equi are pathogens most often associated with infectious respiratory disease in horses. World wide, equine herpesviruses are major pathogens associated with morbidity in horses as a result of respiratory infection. Both equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) and type 4 (EHV-4) can cause respiratory disease. EHV-1 is also associated with abortions and neurological disease. Because of the high degree of mobility and the international nature of the equine industry, efficacious vaccines are needed to reduce the disease and control the spread of these pathogens.
A number of EHV vaccines are available commercially. None, however, generally is capable of conferring long lasting protection and most require frequent booster immunizations to achieve a significant level of protection against EHV infection. The most commonly recommended route of administration is via intramuscular injection, despite the respiratory system being a primary site of the infection in many instances. In addition, some of the commercial vaccines have been reported to cause undesirable side effects. A number of attempts at developing a recombinant vaccine for EHV have been reported. This approach, however, has not yet resulted in the introduction of a commercial recombinant vaccine which has achieved widespread acceptance.
Literature reports have consistently documented a high degree of variability in the capability of vaccines based on EHV-1 strains to provide cross protection against infection by EHV-4 strains. While vaccines based on EHV-4 strains have shown a greater propensity to provide some protection against both EHV-1 and EHV-4 strains, cross protection based on EHV-4 strains has also been reported to show variability.
There is accordingly a continuing need to develop additional vaccines capable of protecting horses against diseases associated with EHV-1 and/or EHV-4. It would also be advantageous to develop vaccine that is effective against EHV-1 and/or EHV-4 which could be administered via intranasally as well as via parenteral methods (e.g., intramuscularly, subcutaneously or intravenously).

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


An improvement for a filter system which distributes backwash fluid uniformly throughout a bed of granular media is disclosed. The filter system includes a distributor positioned beneath and supporting the media, with the distributor having a plurality of walls which define a primary horizontal conduit and a secondary horizontal conduit. At least one of the walls which define the conduits contains metering orifices that connect the primary conduit to the secondary conduit. The improvement includes at least one baffle positioned within the primary conduit to facilitate uniform flow of backwash fluid from the primary conduit through the metering orifices into the secondary conduit. The baffle may comprise flanges extending from the walls which define the primary conduit normal to a fluid flow direction in the conduit. Alternatively, the baffle may include posts positioned within the conduit. The baffle generally reduces flow velocity near the wall which contains the metering orifices to enhance distribution of backwash fluids from the primary conduit to the secondary conduit. The baffle is preferably located near an inlet for the primary conduit, which is the high energy portion of the conduit. The invention also includes tubular inserts which may be placed in the metering orifices to assist backwash fluid flow in making the 90 degree turn from the primary conduit into the metering orifices.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to underdrains in gravity filters and, more particularly, to an improvement for uniformly distributing backwash fluids into filter media using multi-lateral underdrains.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various underdrain lateral designs for distributing backwash fluids, primarily water and, more recently, air/water mixtures, to filter media are well-known in the art. Three early dual lateral designs which proved successful are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,572,398 to Leopold, U.S. Pat. No. 2,378,239 to Myron and U.S. Pat. No. 3,110,667 to Stuppy, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. The general nature of these prior art designs is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings in the present application. Thus, FIGS. 1 and 2 show a filter block A having a plurality of walls which define two lower primary conduits B and two upper secondary conduits C. The primary and secondary conduits are separated by an interior wall D having a thickness T and also having metering orifices E therein for flow of backwash fluids from the primary conduits B into the secondary conduits C.
The blocks A are placed end-to-end in parallel, adjacent rows across a filter bottom and transverse to a flume to define underdrain laterals. The underdrain blocks A have been predominately made from clay or concrete. The thickness of the interior wall D in these designs is generally on the order of 5/8-1 inch.
FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings also show a dual lateral underdrain block 10 according to the prior art. Underdrain block 10 has a bottom wall 12, a top wall 14 with two sidewalls 16 extending therebetween. A vertical partition 18 is located within underdrain block 10 and extends between bottom wall 12 and top wall 14. A horizontal platform 20 extends between sidewalls 16. Partition 18 and platform 20 cooperate to define two lower primary horizontal conduits or "laterals" 22 and two upper secondary horizontal conduits 24. Horizontal platform 20 contains a plurality of metering orifices 26 which connect primary conduits 22 with secondary conduits 24. Top wall 14 contains a plurality of dispersion orifices 28 which connect the secondary conduits 24 with an overlying bed of granular media (not shown). Similar multi-lateral underdrain systems are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,065,391 to Farabaugh; U.S. Pat. No. 5,019,259 to Hambley; U.S. Pat. No. 5,068,034 to Walter; U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,765 to Roberts; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/649,448, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. The invention described hereinafter may be applied to each of these multi-lateral underdrain systems.
According to Manifold Theory, as taught by Herbert E. Hudson, Jr. in the textbook Water Clarification Processes, Chapter 15, 1981, flow from a manifold, such as primary conduits B, into a perpendicular take-off conduit, such as orifices E, is impacted by the magnitude of the angle of repose of the manifold flow velocity as it enters the take-off conduits. The angle of repose is determined by the resolution of the vertical and horizontal components of the velocity. The uniformity of flow from manifold to take-off conduits generally improves as the angle of repose approaches 90 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis of the manifold. The prior art clay and concrete underdrains have sufficient wall thickness and create enough frictional flow losses so that (a) the velocity within primary conduits B adjacent wall D is not unacceptably high, and (b) the angle of repose of flow velocity when entering orifices E does approach 90 degrees.
Today, it has been found desirable to mold underdrain blocks from plastic materials by foam or injection molding techniques. This generally provides for smaller wall thicknesses, on the order of 0.060-0.125 inches, and higher flow velocities at the interior wall D in which the metering orifices E are located. The ratio of the diameter of the metering orifices to the wall thickness can reach 2:1 or more, whereas the same ratio for prior art clay and tile underdrain blocks was approximately 1:1. The angle of repose of flow velocity as it enters the orifices E is generally less than 45 degrees. Maldistribution from the primary conduits B into the secondary conduits C under these circumstances is frequently encountered. The primary conduit metering orifice arrangement can no longer approximate a manifold and maldistribution can be as high as +/- 15% or more. Maldistribution of +/- 5% can be obtained in clay or concrete underdrains in some cases.
Attempts have been made to control fluid flow in modern day underdrain designs. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 417,405; 477,727; 1,668,205; 1,788,383; 4,118,322; 4,202,774; and 4,925,556 have addressed the problem either directly or indirectly.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to improve backwash fluid distribution in today's thin-walled underdrain systems. It is a further object to meet and surpass the performance of prior art clay and concrete dual lateral underdrains with respect to maldistribution and headloss.


A semiconductor light-emitting device includes a semiconductor light-emitting thin film, the thickness h of which satisfies the following conditional equation:

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a surface light-emitting type semiconductor light-emitting device such a double hetero LED or a laser, to an LED head including the semiconductor light-emitting device, to an image-forming apparatus including the semiconductor light-emitting device, and to a method of manufacturing the semiconductor light-emitting device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A semiconductor light-emitting device wherein a light-reflecting film, semiconductor light-emitting layer and anode electrode are laminated successively on an electrically conducting plate (cathode electrode) has been proposed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-217450 (pp. 5-7, FIG. 1), which is referred to "Patent Reference 1." This semiconductor light-emitting device has a surface light-emitting construction wherein light which has been generated in an active layer of the semiconductor light-emitting device and radiated through all azimuths, is directly or after reflection via a light-reflecting film, extracted via the main surface on the anode electrode side of the semiconductor light-emitting layer.
However, if an optically reflecting surface (in Patent Reference 1, the light-reflecting film and the anode electrode) is formed on both surfaces of the semiconductor light-emitting layer, interference may occur due to the superimposition of the light rays generated in the active layer which pass through the main surface of the semiconductor light-emitting layer, and the light rays generated in the active layer which pass through the main surface of the semiconductor light-emitting layer after being reflected by the optically reflecting surfaces on both sides of the semiconductor light-emitting layer. As a result, the light extracted from the main surface of the semiconductor light-emitting layer has a different spectral distribution (i.e., a spectral distribution wherein a specific wavelength is stronger and another specific wavelength is weaker) from natural light emission. Under the conditions where such interference occurs, the spectral distribution largely varies due to scatter in the film thickness of the semiconductor light-emitting layer or the reflectivity of the optically reflecting surfaces, and therefore there is a large scatter in the light-emitting properties of the semiconductor light-emitting device due to manufacturing error.

Abstract: 0.9    ×          (                        2                    m                +        1            )                          λ        0                    4                n              ≦  h  ≦      1.1    ×          (                        2                    m                +        1            )                          λ        0                    4                n            and m in the conditional equation satisfies the following conditional equation:

Abstract: 2                    m                +        1                    m                          (                      m            +            1                    )                                        λ        0            2        >  ξwhere λ0 is a center wavelength of light generated in the semiconductor light-emitting thin film, n is a refractive index of the semiconductor light-emitting thin film, m is 0 or a positive integer, and ξ is a half bandwidth of a light emission spectrum when there is no interference between light rays generated in the semiconductor light-emitting thin film.


A bi-sectional wrench includes a lever, a handle and a toothed wheel. The lever includes a space defined therein and a plurality of teeth formed on the wall of the space. The handle includes a space defined therein and a plurality of teeth formed on the wall of the space. The toothed wheel is movable in the spaces between a first position and a second position. The teeth of the toothed wheel are engaged with the teeth of the handle and the teeth of the lever so that the handle and the lever are pivoted by a common angular speed in the first position of the toothed wheel. The teeth of the toothed wheel are only engaged with the teeth of the handle or the lever so that the handle and the lever are pivoted by different angular speed in the second position of the toothed wheel.

1. FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to a wrench and, more particularly, to a bi-sectional wrench.
2. RELATED PRIOR ART
A typical wrench includes a single-pieced design that includes a handle and a head formed at an end of the handle. Such a single-pieced wrench can be used in an open space; however, it cannot conveniently be used in a limited space.
There are some wrenches that include two sections. Examples of such bi-sectional wrenches can be found in Taiwanese Patent Publication Nos. 450185 and 569860 and Taiwanese Patents I241940 and I242483. The bi-sectional wrenches can be switched between modes. In the first mode, the angle between the sections is retained. In the second mode, the angle between the sections can be changed. The bi-sectional wrenches are however normally kept in the first mode. The sections are normally pivoted by a common angular speed. It is however difficult to maneuver the bi-sectional wrenches this way in limited space.
The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in prior art.


A diagnostic scanning apparatus includes a hollow rotor sized to receive a patient. First and second flanges are connected to and extend radially outward from the rotor in a spaced-apart relationship, each of the first and second flanges including, at least in part, a magnetically-permeable material. A radiation source is affixed to the first flange and/or the rotor. A first axial actuator generates a variable magnetic field, is fixedly disposed adjacent to the first flange and can magnetically pull the first flange in a first axial direction of the rotor. A second axial actuator generates a variable magnetic field, is fixedly disposed adjacent to the second flange and can magnetically pull the second flange in a second axial direction of the rotor that is opposite of the first axial direction. The first and second axial actuators are both at least substantially disposed between the first and second flanges.

Known computed tomography (CT) imaging systems include a rotatable annular gantry or rotor having a gantry bore for receiving a patient or other object to be internally imaged. In typical CT applications, an x-ray source is mounted on the annular gantry and radiates a fan-shaped, wedge-shaped, or cone-shaped x-ray beam in the plane of gantry rotation. The x-ray beam passes through the patient while the annular gantry is rotating and the attenuated x-rays are sensed by a detector array disposed on the gantry opposite to the x-ray source.
Thus, while the annular gantry is rotating, a series of x-ray projections or 2-D slices of the patient are obtained at different angles. These projections are mathematically reconstructed to create a tomographic image of each slice. The patient may be moved axially through the bore to obtain data on adjacent slices and the slices may be combined to generate a 3-D image of interest.
Generally speaking, higher rotational speeds are desired in order to reduce the time required to obtain the tomographic image of interest and/or to provide high-speed or "freeze motion" images. However, higher rotational speeds often lead to problems with respect to the static and dynamic balance of the rotating annular gantry.
In the past, it has been attempted to maintain the balance of the gantry by setting very tight tolerances for the center of gravity and the masses of the components mounted on the gantry. These components generally include the x-ray source and detector, signal processing circuitry, power supplies and cooling systems. The gantry may then be manually balanced by adding and adjusting balancing weights, which is a time consuming and difficult task.
Thus, the need to dynamically offset any imbalances arising during operation has required relatively complex solutions, such as the solution described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,748,806, which changes the position of movable weights disposed on the annular gantry during operation to maintain the dynamic balance of the annular gantry.
Further, if it becomes necessary to replace or service the mechanical bearings supporting the gantry, subsequent field rebalancing is more difficult than balancing at the time of manufacturing and also leads to a loss of valuable usage time for the system. In addition, the re-application of lubricants, e.g., bearing grease, in a sterile environment such as a medical facility is also problematic.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,277,523 mentions the use of high speed mechanical bearings, air bearings, magnetic beatings, or the like to rotatably support the annular gantry, but provides no details concerning the construction of the bearings. U.S. Pat. No. 7,023,952 discloses air bearings for rotatably supporting the annular gantry of a diagnostic scanning device.
WO 2010/026523 A2 discloses a rotating ring apparatus that includes magnetic levitation means for levitating and rotating a rotating ring relative to a stationary ring.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,585 discloses a CT machine that utilizes magnetic levitation magnets to levitate a rotor, which is rotated about its rotational axis using a separate drive means.
US 2011/0194669 discloses a diagnostic scanning apparatus, such as a CT machine, that uses a magnetic bearing system and provides a significant improvement over the prior art. However, further improvements are possible.


Zeolite is synthesized by reacting amorphous silica particles with NaOH and Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 under hydrothermal reaction conditions. The amorphous silica particles are preferably produced by reaction of fluosilicic acid and alumina to form aluminum fluoride and silica. The silica particles contain some residual fluorine and aluminum, and their surface area is about 1 to 3 m.sup.2 /g. Mordenite and ZSM-5 zeolites are obtained in preferred embodiments of the invention.

Aluminosilicate zeolites are microporous crystalline solids containing cavities and channels of molecular dimensions. These cavities and channels are precisely uniform in size. Since the dimensions of these pores are such that they can accept molecules of certain size while rejecting molecules of larger dimensions, these materials have come to be widely known as "molecular sieves." This property has been utilized in a variety of ways for adsorption, catalysis, ion exchange, purifications and separations.
The primary building block of the zeolite structure is a tetrahedron of four oxygen atoms surrounding a central silicon atom (SiO.sub.4).sup.4-. These tetrahedra are connected through shared oxygen atoms to form a wide range of secondary building units. Different combinations of the secondary building units give rise to numerous distinctive zeolite framework structures with varying pore sizes. In aluminosilicate zeolites, some of the Si.sup.4+ atoms are substituted by Al.sup.3+ atoms, and this results in a single net negative charge on the framework which is compensated by a nonframework cation (e.g., Na.sup.+) that is located in the pores or cavities of the structure. These charge compensating cations are relatively mobile and can, in many cases, be easily exchanged for other cations.
Although naturally occurring zeolites of the "molecular sieve" type were known to mineralogists for many years, the art of synthesizing such materials is relatively recent. Prior art techniques for synthesis, described in patents and open technical literature, have been used in the preparation of a variety of commercially important crystalline aluminosilicate zeolite materials. A representative list of such products and relevant patents is shown in Table 1. Numerous other patents exist on the synthesis of various zeolite products possessing other structures and compositions.
TABLE 1 __________________________________________________________________________ Examples of Commercially Available Natural and Synthetic Zeolites No. of Tetrahedra Natural/ in Largest Pore Zeolite Synthetic Ring Si:Al Cation Size .ANG. U.S. Pat. No. __________________________________________________________________________ 1 Erionite Nat 8 3 Variable 3.6 (Na, K, Ca, Mg) 2 Mordenite Nat 12 5 Variable 3.9 (Na, K, Ca) 3 Chabazite Nat 8 2 Na, K, Mg 3.9 4 A Syn 8 1.0 K, Na, Ca 3-4.5 2,882,243 5 X (Faujasite) Syn 12 1-1.5 Na 7.4 2,882,244 6 Y (Faujasite) Syn 12 1.5-3 Na 7.4 3,130,007 7 Ferrierite Syn 10 5 Na, K, Mg 5.5 3,966,883 8 Mordenite (LP) Syn 12 5 Na 6.7 3,436,174 9 ZSM-5 Syn 10 10-500 Na, H 5.5 3,702,886 __________________________________________________________________________
In the context of the present invention, mordenites and the ZSM-5 series of high Si:Al ratio aluminosilicates are of particular significance. These materials have been widely used as catalysts in organic synthesis. Important examples of their uses include the conversion of methanol to gasoline, the dewaxing of distillates and the interconversion of aromatic compounds. The high Si:Al ratio has been shown to result in hydrophobicity leading to potential applications in the separation of hydrocarbons from polar compounds (e.g., water and alcohols).
Natural mordenite is the most siliceous natural zeolite with a 10:1 SiO.sub.2 /Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 ratio (Formula: Na.sub.2 O.cndot.Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 .cndot.10SiO.sub.2 .cndot.6H.sub.2 O). The framework structure consists of 12- and 8-membered rings formed with 5-membered silica tetrahedron rings. The high degree of thermal stability of mordenite has been attributed to the presence of the 5-membered rings which are energetically favored in terms of stability. A two-dimensional channel system is created by the 8-membered ring system whose dimensions (2.6.times.5.7 .ANG., perpendicular to the b axis) allow the diffusion of small molecules. The 12-membered ring system (perpendicular to the c axis) creates a one-dimensional channel with a dimension of 6.7 .ANG.. In natural mordenite, diffusion blocks produced by stacking faults or by the presence of cations and amorphous material tend to restrict the kinetic diameter of diffusing molecules to only about 3.9 .ANG.. Because this channel system is only in one direction, the number of diffusion blocks needed to restrict the diffusion of large molecules is not large.
On the other hand, synthetic "large port" mordenite exhibits the adsorption characteristics expected for the free diffusion of molecules in the large 6.7 .ANG. diameter channels. The defects and the extraneous matter which are assumed to block the main channels in the natural mineral are apparently not present in the synthetic product.
The ZSM-5 zeolite is normally synthesized by including organic molecules such as tetrapropyl ammonium bromide in the reaction mixture. These organic molecules have been described as functioning as "templates" or "directing agents" around which the zeolite crystallizes. Typical compositions of the reaction mixture and synthesis conditions are given in U.S. Pat. No. 3,702,886. The organic guest molecule is incorporated into the zeolite structure as it is formed. The zeolite may be freed of the organic guest molecule by high temperature treatment without changing its framework topology.
The aluminum content of ZSM-5 type zeolites can be changed by several orders of magnitude with silicon contents approaching substantially pure silica without altering the basic framework configuration.
The framework of ZSM-5 zeolite contains a novel configuration of linked silicon tetrahedra. The channel system is three-dimensional and defined by 10-member rings of tetrahedra consisting of straight and sinusoidal channels with a dimension of 5.5 .ANG..
The products of the present invention, although structurally similar to mordenite and ZSM-5 (as shown by the X-ray diffraction patterns), may be considered as a different class of high silica zeolites because they do not contain the organic "template molecules" and have not been "dealuminized" subsequent to their synthesis.
It is a principal objective of the present invention to provide a method for producing novel crystalline zeolites utilizing an amorphous silica powder that is obtained by neutralization of fluosilicic acid with alumina.
It is a related advantage of the claimed method that the novel high silica zeolites may be prepared without organic template molecules and without being dealuminized subsequent to their synthesis.
Additional objectives and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to persons skilled in the art from the following detailed description.

Crystalline zeolites and method of preparation from amorphous silica particles


A cartridge-filter cleaning spinner comprises a handheld spindle rod that can accommodate a variety of filter sizes. The spindle rod has two inward pointing slip-ring hand-tightened hubs. A cartridge filter is loaded on the spindle rod by removing one of the slip-ring hand-tightened hubs, slipping the cartridge filter onto the spindle snug against the other slip-ring hand-tightened hub, and then reinstalling the first slip-ring hand-tightened hub on the spindle rod. The cartridge filter is then free to spin around while the spindle rod handles themselves remain stationary. A water jet from a garden hose is then directed at one end of the cartridge filter to one side so the cartridge filter begins spinning. The water jet is then worked down slowly to the opposite end while keeping the spinning action going. The process is then repeated, but with the water jet directed to the other side so the cartridge filter spins in the opposite direction. This helps both sides of the longitudinal outside pleats of the cartridge filter material to come clean. The cleaning is accomplished by centrifugal action and does not involve backwashing.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to cartridge-type water filters and more specifically to centrifugal cleaning such cartridge filter elements by spinning them on an axle with a water jet.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The typical swimming pool recirculation pump is a centrifugal pump which moves the water by centrifugal force. Water is drawn into the eye of the impeller and then thrown from the outer perimeter of the whirling impeller into the chamber enclosing the impeller and then forced into the piping system. If the water has been filtered prior to reaching the pump, at the suction side of the pump, it is discharged from the pump directly back to the pool. The filter system may be either a vacuum or gravity system. If the water has not been filtered, it is discharged from the pump to a filter station and then on to the pool. This is a so-called pressure system since the water is delivered to the filters under pressure.
Filtration is the physical process of removing dirt particles and solids to prevent impeding the disinfection process and to promote clarity. Filtration, capable of removing some bacteria, is not a disinfection process. Disinfection is the chemical process of killing disease-causing bacteria and other types of microorganisms by maintaining a uniformly dispersed residual of some chemical, usually chlorine, in pool waters. The removal of bacteria by filtration is not considered particularly beneficial. The primary purpose of filtration is to remove all foreign particles which would otherwise increase the disinfectant demand of the water, thus lowering chlorine residuals and weakening the killing power of the chemicals that have been added to sterilize the water. Many alternatives are open to designers and builders to accomplish particle removal through filtration.
As the soil removal process takes place in the filter, the dirt accumulation increases resistance to flow and eventually reduces the flow below the specified amount. At that point the filter must be cleaned. Unicel (Burbank, Calif.) recommends cleaning the filter when the pump output pressure rises 8-10 PSI above the initial or new cartridge starting pressure. Conversely, when the filter is cleaned and returned to service, resistance to flow is at its minimum and flow is at its maximum. Thus, it can be seen that the swimming pool pump output varies over the filter life of the cartridge.
There are five basic filter types traditionally used, e.g., pressure sand, pressure diatomaceous earth, vacuum diatomaceous earth, gravity sand, and cartridge.
Cartridge filter manufacturers typically recommended cleaning the cartridge by first removing it from the filter housing, and rinsing it with a garden hose to remove loose debris. Commercial cartridge cleaners are suggested, e.g., GUARDEX Filter Cleaner. To remove calcium or mineral buildup, the cartridge is soaked in a separate solution of one part muriatic acid to twenty parts water until the bubbling stops. The element is thoroughly rinsed before putting it back in the filter housing. All oils and cleaning solution must be removed from the cartridge before soaking it in the acid solution, otherwise the acid reactions with the residue will permanently clog the filter material.
A typical cartridge filter takes about twenty minutes to clean with a garden hose because each of the longitudinal pleat folds must be combed with water. The force of the water is also pushing the filter cake deeper into the filter medium since the dirt buildup typically occurs on the outside diameter.

Spinner for cleaning cartridge-type water filters


Provided is a self-closing and automatically fitting device for packaging (e.g. shrink wrapping, fasteners, enclosures of objects). The device includes a wrapping material and/or closure bands/straps which are made of a shape memory material and a non-shape memory material. The device also includes at least one pair of clasp members attached to the wrapping material and/or closure bands/straps. Upon stimulation by a trigger source, the shape memory material deforms and brings the wrapping material to self-assemble about an object to be packed. The self-assembly of the wrapping material and/or closure bands/straps further brings the two clasp members close to each other and facilitate the clasp thereof to form a self-assembled and closed package. The device may also include a motor, a control unit, and sensors which enable a motor actuated fine tensioning of the self-assembled and closed package.

Conventional methods to wrap or fasten a package require a user to use both hands. For example, to secure a package wrap with a tape, a user needs to hold the loose ends of the package wrap with one hand while taping them with another hand. Similar difficulty exists when using a Zipties® or Velcro® strap to secure a package. It requires a user to hold one end of the strap and the package in position with one hand while grasping the other end of the strap with the other hand in order to fasten the strap.
Within the field of material science, there has been an increasing study and development of shape memory polymers and shape memory alloys as a packaging material. Shape memory materials, such as shape memory polymers (SMP) and shape memory alloys (SMA) have the ability to return from a deformed state (temporary shape) to an original (e.g., baseline, memorized, permanent) shape induced by an external stimulus. For example, an SMP can exhibit change from a rigid state to an elastic state, then back to the rigid state using an external stimulus. The SMP in the elastic state can recover its "permanent" shape if left unrestrained. In similar respects, an SMA is an alloy that remembers its original shape and after undergoing deformation, is able to transform back to its pre-deformed, original shape when triggered to do so. As such, shape memory materials can be useful in various applications such as shrink wrapping, shrink tubing, and packaging.
Shrink wrap technology has been widely applied over or around a wide variety of items, such as roof tops, instruments, hazardous materials, cartoons, boxes, books, CDs, and DVDs. Shrink wrap technology relies on the use of a shape memory material (e.g., a polyolefin, polyethylene, polypropylene, PVC plastic film) which, when heated, shrinks and conforms to an object that it is covering. The shape memory material suitable for shrink wrap is available in a variety of thicknesses, clarities, strengths, and shrink ratios.
Shape memory materials have also been used to prepare expandable fasteners. U.S. Pat. No. 8,918,978 is directed to a method of joining a first component to a second component by aligning a first hole in the component with a second hole in the second component and inserting a fastener into the first hole and the second hole. The fastener comprises a shape memory alloy which is in a first shape having a diameter slightly larger than a diameter of the first hole and the second hole when the shape memory alloy is in an austenite state and reduced to a second shape having a diameter less than the diameter of the first hole and the second hole when the shape memory alloy is in a martensite state. After being inserted through the first and second holes, the fastener is heated to enable a phase transition to its austenite state, in which state the fastener has a diameter slightly larger than a diameter of the first hole and the second hole, and thus securely connects the two components.
A drawback in the prior art applications is that the shape memory materials give one or two different end shape results/permutations, with no gradual or intermediate shapes based on feedback. But sometimes, after initial setting of the shape memory material, an object enclosed by the shape memory material may slightly expand and/or contract as a result of shipment, transportation, or environmental factors (e.g. temperature, humidity). As such, the fasteners and packaging may cease to be fitted accurately on the underlying object and/or correspond in shape to the underlying object.
Therefore, it would be beneficial to provide a fastener or a closing device that provides self-assembling and/or self-closure about an object without manually maneuvering of the device relative to the object so that it is suitable for one handed or even hands free operation. Desirably, the fastener or the device may also conform to the shape of the object upon contact with an object to provide a tight and directed fitting. It would also be desirable for the fastener or the device to be able to automatically adjust the tightness and fitting of the package after the initial contact and also during a course of shipment or environmental changes.

Self-fitting, self-adjusting, automatically adjusting and/or automatically fitting fastener or closing device for packaging


In select-shock control apparatus and method for a vehicular automatic transmission, the automatic transmission having a friction element to be released when a range selection from a vehicular running range to a neutral range occurs, a determination is made whether the range selection from the vehicular running range to the neutral range occurs; a transient hydraulic pressure control is performed such that a hydraulic pressure drawn out from the friction element is reduced up to a pressure level such as not to generate a shock which would occur in the vehicle when the range selection occurs, the level of the drawn out hydraulic pressure is maintained for a time duration at an end of which no vehicular running torque is left in the friction element, and, thereafter, an engagement torque developed on the friction element is drawn out at a dash when determining that the range selection from the vehicular running range to the neutral range occurs.

a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to select-shock control apparatus and method for a vehicular automatic transmission in which a transient hydraulic pressure of a clutching element is released when a selector lever is shifted from a vehicular running range such as a drive (D) range to a neutral (N) range.
b) Description of the Related Art
In each of conventional vehicular automatic transmissions, a clutching hydraulic pressure has only been drained from a clutching element to be released when a selector lever is shifted from a vehicular running range such as a drive (D) range to a neutral (N) range and no transient hydraulic pressure control is particularly performed.

Select-shock control apparatus and method for vehicular automatic transmission


A method for producing an electrical feedthrough in a substrate having an electrical feedthrough, including: forming an etch stop layer on the front side of the substrate; forming a mask on the back side of the substrate; forming an annular trench in the substrate, which trench extends from the back to the front side, by an etching process that stops at the etch stop layer, using the mask, the trench surrounding a substrate punch; depositing a metal layer over the back side of the substrate using the mask, the metal layer penetrating into the annular trench and being deposited on the substrate punch; forming a metal silicide layer on the substrate punch by at least partially converting the metal layer into the metal silicide layer on the substrate punch; selectively removing a remainder of the metal layer; and closing off the annular trench at the back side of the substrate.

Electrical feedthroughs in a substrate or in a subarea of a substrate, such as a wafer, for example, exist in a wide variety of embodiments. The aim is always to achieve as small as possible a feedthrough at a low electrical volume resistance. To achieve that, frequently a narrow through-hole with almost vertical walls is produced in the substrate concerned, the wall is electrically insulated, and then the through-hole is completely or partially filled with a metal or a metal alloy in order to obtain the desired low volume resistance.
Depending on the application, that known approach is subject to limitations. On the one hand, there are applications in which the presence of metal produces interference. As an example of numerous MEMS applications, the micromechanical pressure sensor may be mentioned here.
FIG. 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional illustration to explain the set of problems underlying the present invention, with reference to an example of a substrate having an electrical feedthrough and a pressure sensor.
In FIG. 3, reference numeral 2 denotes a silicon semiconductor substrate. A first region 1 having an electrical feedthrough 6a and a second region 11 having a micromechanical component in the form of a pressure sensor are provided in silicon semiconductor substrate 2. Feedthrough 6a is connected to a first electrical contact terminal DK1 of pressure sensor 11a via a strip conductor 15a on front side V of substrate 2. Pressure sensor 11 has a diaphragm 3 which is provided over a cavity 3a. A piezoresistive resistor 4 and an isolation well 4a situated therebeneath are diffused into diaphragm 3. First electrical contact terminal DK1 and, in addition, a second electrical contact terminal DK2 contact piezoresistive resistor 4 in such a way that the piezoelectric resistance is detectable between them.
A first insulating layer I1 is provided between electrical metal strip conductor 15a and front side V of substrate 2. A second insulating layer I2 is provided between a back-side electrical metal strip conductor 15b and back side R of substrate 2. Insulating layers I1 and I2 may, for example, be oxide layers. Feedthrough 6a connects front-side strip conductor 15a to back-side strip conductor 15b. A wall insulating layer 7a, which is likewise made of oxide, for example, isolates feedthrough 6a from surrounding substrate 2. Lastly, reference numeral 9 denotes what is referred to as a seed layer for applying the metal of feedthrough 6a, which at the same time may be used as a diffusion barrier.
In such classical micromechanical pressure sensors 11, deformation of silicon diaphragm 3, which is disposed on silicon substrate 2, is measured by way of the piezoresistive resistance. When the pressure changes, the deformation of diaphragm 3, and hence the resistance signal of piezoresistive resistor 4, changes. Owing to the differing material parameters of silicon and metal, even the narrow metal strip conductors 15a situated on the surface and in the vicinity of diaphragm 3 cause voltages which are transmitted via substrate 2 to diaphragm 3. It is possible with some effort to compensate for the temperature-dependent component of the voltages. However, the inelastic properties of many metals also cause hysteresis in the characteristic curve of the pressure sensor. It is not possible to compensate for that effect. When metallic regions are provided not only at the surface but also at a depth within substrate 2, distinctly greater adverse effects on voltage-sensitive components, such as pressure sensors, for example, are also expected.
On the other hand, there are a number of applications in which primarily also high voltages or also only high voltage peaks (ESD, for example) are to be conducted through a substrate or a subarea of the substrate via an electrical feedthrough. This proves to be difficult with the approach described above. Isolation of the etched through-holes is usually achieved by oxide deposition. The achievable oxide thicknesses are greatly limited by the process control and the specific geometry. Accordingly, the maximum dielectric strength is also greatly limited. In addition, the surface of the through-holes, which is formed using a trench etching process or a laser process, is rather rough. That roughness causes electric field peaks which likewise reduce the dielectric strength.
Alternative approaches that manage without metals are not usable in many applications, since only with metals is it possible to achieve the extremely low volume resistances that are often necessary.
FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional illustration to explain the set of problems underlying the present invention, with reference to a substrate having an electrical feedthrough and a pressure sensor as known from German patent document DE 10 2010 039 330 A1.
Substrate 2 shown in FIG. 4 has an electrical feedthrough 6 running through substrate 2 from its front side V to its back side R. An annular isolation trench IG in substrate 2 surrounds electrical feedthrough 6 and is closed off by first insulating layer I1 on front side (V) and by second insulating layer I2 and a closing layer 18 on back side R of substrate 2. A thin liner-shaped insulating layer 18′ is formed on the walls of annular isolation trench IG. Annular isolation trench IG may be filled or unfilled (as illustrated). An annular substrate region 2a surrounds electrical feedthrough 6. An electrical contact terminal DK3 to electrical feedthrough 6 is formed on back side R of substrate 2. An electrical strip conductor 5 is formed on front side V of substrate 2 between a contact ring 5a, situated on electrical feedthrough 6, and pressure sensor 11a. Thereover, a dielectric protection layer 16, for example made of nitride, is formed.
The subject matter of German Patent document DE 10 2010 039 330 permits the production of metallic feedthroughs through a substrate, with a high dielectric strength and voltage decoupling between the metalized region and the substrate being possible.
The method from German patent document DE 10 2010 039 330 is, however, relatively laborious and expensive. In addition, the combination disclosed therein of metallic punch and separate isolation ring permits only relatively large feedthroughs to be produced.

Method for producing an electrical feedthrough in a substrate, and substrate having an electrical feedthrough


The image recording apparatus includes a recording head ejecting ink for image recording, a rotatable platen facing the head and has recording medium support surfaces supporting one or more recording media during the image recording, respectively, a driver rotating the platen and a controller controlling the driver so as to rotate the platen in such a way that a predetermined surface selected from the surfaces is stopped at a position facing the recording head. The surfaces support the one or more recording media transported in accordance with different transport patterns, respectively and have ink receivers receiving the ink having reached outside both sides of each of the one or more recording media transported during the image recording and being disposed in positions corresponding to vicinities of both sides of each of the one or more recording media.

The present invention generally relates to an image recording apparatus such as an inkjet printer, and in particular relates to an image recording apparatus having a platen capable of switching ink receiver arrangements, that may suitably be used in borderless printing with a recording medium being transported in a single-row or multiple-row arrangement.
In a case of an inkjet recording apparatus in which recording is performed by ejecting ink from a nozzle of a recording head while moving a carriage on which the recording head is mounted, back and forth, the carriage can be retracted from its recording position when pre-ejecting operation (or flushing) is performed to prevent the nozzle of the recording head from ink clogging.
In a case of an inkjet recording apparatus in which recording is performed by ejecting ink from a nozzle of a recording head while transporting the recording medium with the recording head being fixed, since it requires more space in the apparatus to retract the head from its recording position, an ink absorbing surface is provided on a platen that faces the head so that flushing can be performed against the ink absorbing surface, as described in JP 2003-341158A.
On the other hand, there has been a demand for capability of recording images up to full width of the recording medium to produce a so-called borderless print. In order to achieve such capability, the ink ejecting area of a recording head is required to be wider than the width of the recording medium. Therefore, when using a platen which is configured as described in JP 2003-341158A, in which a recording medium support surface is oriented toward the recording head, ink may be ejected outside the both edges of the recording medium, thus causing the platen to be stained by ink.
Moreover, it has been known that, as one option for increasing productivity, in various image recording apparatuses such as inkjet printers, a single apparatus is required to perform image recording onto a plurality of different width size recording media, or is required to transport multiple rows (multiple in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction) of the recording medium for image recording (drawing) or post treatment subsequent to the image recording. In the description, the direction perpendicular to the transport direction will be referred to as the width direction, and transporting multiple rows of recording medium will be referred to as the parallel transportation.


A method of driving a liquid crystal display device by selecting simultaneously a plurality of lines in a liquid crystal display element characterized in that display data are temporality stored in memories; the data are read out plural times from the memories, and arithmetic operation are performed to the read-out data to produce signals to be applied to data electrodes, wherein the picture area is divided into a plurality of picture area blocks each including scanning lines the number of which are a multiple of a natural number of simultaneously selected scanning lines; the memories are divided into a plurality of memory blocks each having capacity capable of reading and writing data displayed on the picture area blocks; fames for writing are made in synchronism with frames for reading the data, and a memory block undergoes a predetermined number of times of reading, and then new display data are written into said memory block.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a driving circuit for a liquid crystal display device suitable for driving a fast response type liquid crystal display element. In particular, the present invention relates to a driving circuit suitable for a liquid crystal display device driven by a multiple line selection method.
2. Discussion of the Background
A STN liquid crystal element is a liquid crystal display element responsive depending on the root mean squared (RMS) value of an applied voltage. In the liquid crystal display element, when a STN liquid crystal display element of a fast responsive type is used, a so-called frame response wherein an optical change between an ON state and an OFF state becomes small to reduce the contrast ratios takes place. Accordingly, when a line successive selection method is used to drive the liquid display element, there is a limit to drive the STN liquid crystal element at a high speed.
Accordingly, in order to the drive the STN liquid crystal element at a higher speed, a multiple line selection method (MLS method) has been proposed. The multiple line selection method is a method of driving a plurality of scanning electrodes (row electrodes) simultaneously. In the multiple line selection method, a predetermined pulse train is applied to each of the simultaneously driven row electrodes in order to control independently a column display pattern to be applied to data electrodes (column electrodes).
A voltage pulse group (a selection pulse group) applied to each of the row electrodes can be expressed by a matrix of L-row.multidot.K-column. Hereinafter, the matrix is referred to as a selection matrix (A) wherein L represents a number simultaneously selected. The voltage pulse group can be expressed by a group of vectors which are mutually orthogonal. Accordingly, a matrix including these vectors as elements is an orthogonal matrix. Each of the column vectors in the matrix is mutually orthogonal. In the orthogonal matrix, each row corresponds to each line in the liquid crystal display element. For instance, the first line in an L number of selection lines corresponds to the elements of the first row in the selection matrix (A). Namely, the first row electrode is applied with selection pulses of the elements of first row, the elements of second row . . . in this order.
FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a sequence of voltage waveforms applied to column electrodes. In FIG. 14, an Hadamard's matrix of 4 row.multidot.4 column is used for the selection matrix (A). In the selection matrix (A) in FIG. 14, "1" indicates a positive selection pulse and "-1" indicates a negative selection pulse.
Supposing that display data on column electrodes i and j are as shown in FIG. 14a, a column display pattern can be expressed as a vector d as shown in FIG. 14b. In FIG. 14b, a numerical value "-1" corresponds to an ON display and "1" corresponds to an OFF display pattern. Voltage patterns successively applied to the column electrodes i, j have vectors v as shown in FIG. 14b. These vectors correspond to sums as a result of an exclusive OR operation for each bit in a column display pattern (a picture display pattern) and a row selection pattern corresponding thereto. The waveform of the vectors is shown in FIG. 14c. In FIG. 14c, the ordinate represents voltage applied to the column electrodes and the abscissa represents time wherein each unit is arbitrary.
When a liquid crystal display element is driven by a multiple line selection methods it is desirable that factors for voltage application be dispersed in a display cycle in order to suppress a frame response of the liquid crystal display element. Specifically, for instance, such a sequence that the first factor of the vectors is applied to the simultaneously selected first row electrode group (hereinbelow, referred to as subgroup), and then, the first factor of the vectors is applied to simultaneously selected second subgroup, is carried out.
Generally, the pulse width of a waveform for driving the liquid crystal display element is determined to be about 10 .mu.sec -- several 10 .mu.sec from the stand point of using a large number of scanning lines and easiness of seeing. Accordingly, a frequency of one display cycle at the liquid crystal display element side is generally about 70-200 Hz. On the other hands a frequency of inputted picture signal is about 60 Hz. Accordingly, it is necessary to adjust a speed of input signal and the speed of signal outputted to the liquid crystal display element side in a liquid crystal driving device.
Such adjustment is generally realized by memories. Namely, the adjustment is realized by writing temporarily input picture image data in the memories, and by reading the written data in an asynchronous manner with respect to the writing operations. For instance, when a frequency of input picture signal is 60 Hz, and a frequency of one display cycle at the liquid crystal element side is 120 Hz, it is necessary that when the data corresponding to a picture are written in the memories, reading of the data from the memories should be done twice. When a multiple line selection method is used, it is necessary to treat K times for a picture image. Accordingly, when data for one picture image are written in the memories, 2K times of reading of the data from the memories has to be carried out.
In the multiple line selection method, the same display data are dispersed in a display frame period and the display data are used plural times. Accordingly, it is necessary to hold the same data for predetermined data periods. Thus, memories are essential. As a quantity of information to be displayed becomes large, a larger number of memories should be used. For a high density display such as VGA, SVGA, XGA and so on, an improved memory control technique is needed.
A conventional memory control technique will be described wherein a frame rate control (FRC) method is employed as a gradation method, and amplitude modulation or pulse width modulation is not used. In the line successive selection method (APT or IAPT) as a conventional driving method for STN, display data for each pixel are used only once in a display frame. Accordingly, when an input frame is in synchronism with an output frame, it is sufficient to display with memories having the capacity as shown in the following Table, and data can be controlled by a simple memory management.
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ Input frame = Input frame = Output frame 2 output frames ______________________________________ Single scan Non 2 picture areas driving Dual scan 1/2 picture areas 1/2 picture areas driving ______________________________________
In this Table, "single scan driving" means a driving method wherein a picture surface is scanned by one continual scanning operation, and "dual scan driving" is a driving method wherein an upper portion and a lower portion of a picture area are scanned by an independent scanning operation respectively. "Input frame=2 output frames" means that one frame for input corresponds to two frames for output wherein output data from the output frame comprises different elements between the two frames due to a FRC graduation treatment In this text, it is also referred to as a double frequency driving.
Generally speaking, in the single scan driving in the line successive driving method, when the length of frames for writing data in memories is formed to be n times (n: a natural number) as large as the length of frames for reading, provision of memories for an n number of picture areas is sufficient for driving. This is because as soon as the data are once read from the memories, the next data can be written in the memories. In particular, when the output frames are in agreement with the input frames, a speed of reading data from the memories agrees with a speed of writing data in the memories. This is a special case which can further save memories corresponding to a picture area. Namely, when the output frames agree with the input frames, memories are unnecessary. Even in this case, however, memories for one picture area are necessary in an asynchronous driving wherein the input frames do not synchronize with the output frames.
In a case of the dual scan driving, a phase of scanning is shifted by half periods between the upper and lower picture areas, and accordingly, memories corresponding to 1/2 picture areas can be saved in comparison with a case of the single picture area driving. In particular, when one frame for input corresponds to two frames for output, the speed of reading data from the memories agrees with the speed of writing. This is a special case which can further same memories for one picture ares, and memories for 1/2 picture areas are sufficient for driving.
On the other hand, since data on respective pixels are used several times (4 times in L=4 and 8 times in L=7) in a frame period in the multiple line selection method. Accordingly, it is impossible to write next data in the memories at the time when the data have just read once from the memories. Accordingly, it is necessary to hold data in order to strictly control the reading and the writing of the data in the memories, and the number of memories is increased in comparison with the conventional driving method.
The quantity of memories required for driving in the multiple line selection method is generally as follows.
In a case of the single scan driving wherein the length of frames for writing data in memories is formed to be n times (n: a natural number) as the length of the frames for reading, driving of the liquid crystal element is possible when n picture areas are prepared for input and output respectively. Namely, 2n picture areas are required.
In a case of the dual scan driving wherein writing is successively conducted on the memories from which data are read out, when n is an odd number, memories corresponding to (n-1)/2 picture areas can be saved, and when n is an even number, memories corresponding to n/2 picture areas can be saved. Supposing that the phase is shifted by 180.degree. between the upper and lower picture areas, and when n is an odd number, memories corresponding to (n+1)/4 picture areas can be saved. On the other hand, when n is an even number, memories corresponding to n/4 picture areas can be saved. In short, the quantity of memories required in the conventional technique is that corresponding to (5n+1)/4 picture areas when n is an odd number, and that corresponding to 5n/4 picture areas when n is an even number.
Accordingly, when the input frames are in synchronism with the output frames, capacities of memories as shown in the following table are required. Namely, a more number of memories is required in comparison with line successive selection method, and a complicated memory control and an increased cost for the circuit are unavoidable. When input frames are not in synchronism with the output frames, a large number of memories is required.
TABLE 2 ______________________________________ Input frame = Input frame = Output frame 2 output frames ______________________________________ Single scan 2 picture areas 4 picture areas driving Dual scan 1.5 picture areas 2.5 picture areas driving ______________________________________
At present, double frequency driving of the dual picture area driving method is used mainly for information devices such as personal computers. In this case, use of memories corresponding to 0.5 picture areas is sufficient for driving when the conventional successive selection method is used. On the other hand, memories corresponding to 2.5 picture areas are necessary for the multiple line selection method. Requirement of 5 times of memory capacity is a big problem in promoting use of the multiple line selection method. Specifically, in a VGA color (640.times.480.times.RGB), an SVGA color (800.times.600.times.RGB) and an XGA color (1024.times.768.times.RGB), memory capacities are required as shown in the following table. It is understood that the multiple line selection method requires a large memory capacity in comparison with the conventional method.
TABLE 3 ______________________________________ VGA SVGA XGA ______________________________________ Line successive 0.5 Mbits 0.7 Mbits 1.2 Mbits selection method Multiple line 2.3 Mbits 3.6 Mbits 5.9 Mbits selection method ______________________________________
FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing a construction of driving circuit 200 for a liquid crystal display device proposed by the inventor in this application in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 348237/1994. The structure is employed in order to reduce memory capacity as possible in several structures disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 348237/1994. The driving circuit operates as described below under the control by a control circuit 150.
As shown in FIG. 15, respective picture image data of R, G and B having graduation information are inputted to a frame modulation circuit 110. The frame modulation circuit 110 converts the inputted picture image data into ON/OFF 1 bit data for each display cycle to output the converted data to a serial-parallel converter 120 which comprises shift resistors and so on. The serial-parallel convertor 120 converts serial data from the frame modulation circuit 110 into parallel data having a predetermined bit width. A memory 130 consisting of VRAM stores picture image data corresponding to one frame. The memory 130 stores data in such a manner that the data of RGB are collected together in a set and each RGB data on an L number of simultaneously selected row electrodes which correspond to a column electrode are set to an L number of continuous addresses. Accordingly, when reading of data is conducted successively from the memory 130 according to an access mode, data corresponding to voltages applied to column drivers 80 are outputted. The data in the memory 130 are outputted to a format converter 190 in synchronism a timing of data input.
The format converter 190 is a circuit for arranging a data format, and conducts a vertical/lateral conversion treatment and so on. The output of the format convertor 190 is supplied to a column voltage signal generator 180. The column voltage signal generator 180 produces voltage values to be applied to column electrodes based on a row selection pattern from a row selection pattern generator 7 and the output of the format convertor 190. The produced output of voltage values is supplied to the column drivers 80. The row selection pattern from the row selection pattern generator 7 is supplied also to row drivers 90. The column drivers 80 and the row drivers 90 drive column electrodes and row electrodes of a liquid crystal display pattern 40 based on the inputted signals. A driver control circuit 60 controls a driving timing to the column drivers 80 and the row drivers 90.
The driving circuit of the conventional liquid crystal display device as shown in FIG. 15 performs frame modulation before the data are stored in the memory 130, and a relatively simple circuit structure can be obtained. However, the memory 130 is required to have a read memory and a write memory which correspond two picture areas. Further, the VRAM used as the memory 130 is relatively expensive whereby the driving circuit can not be constituted economically. Further, the driving circuit have a problem that power consumption rate and radiation noise are relatively large because memory access is necessary at a high speed.

Method of driving a liquid crystal display device and a driving circuit for the liquid crystal display device


Techniques for communication between modules of a digital experience platform of a vehicle system are described. The vehicle system may be a ridesharing vehicle with a seat display module at each seat and an auxiliary display module that operates at a vehicle level. The seat display modules and the auxiliary display module communicate across a digital experience communication bus of the vehicle system. The seat display modules and the auxiliary display module change states based on conditions within the vehicle and convey system state updates across the communication bus to update a stored state of each display module vehicle-wide.

Ride sharing and carpooling are becoming more popular as technology enables operators and riders to more easily communicate availability and pricing for transportation. For example, riders may use a ride-sharing service having an associated software application (e.g. an app) to schedule and pay for a ride such as those provided by various ridesharing services, or may use a more informal carpooling arrangement facilitated by a ride-sharing app that allows drivers and passengers to share vehicle and travel costs. In the foreseeable future, people will be able to schedule an autonomous vehicle pick-up and drop-off using a personal mobile device (smartphone, tablet, computer, wearable, etc.).

Dedicated digital experience communication bus


An apparatus and method for testing, for example, ABS systems in which a variable reluctance detector is positioned adjacent a ring of ferromagnetic teeth mounted on a wheel is provided. The amplitude and period of individual cycles of the output of the detector are measured and the product of the measured amplitude and period is calculated to provide an indication of the performance of the ABS detector system. The rate of change of the product may be analyzed to more reliably distinguish fault conditions from the effects resulting from, for example, variations in the speed of the wheel. The peak-to-peak amplitude of the product may be monitored to indicate tooth eccentricity, and the mean of the product may be monitored to indicate the detector-to-tooth gap.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for testing the performance of a sensing system including a rotatable wheel supporting an array of ferromagnetic teeth, and a variable reluctance detector positioned such that rotation of the wheel causes each of the teeth to pass the detector in turn.
2. Description of Related Arts
Anti-lock braking systems (ABS) are well known for preventing vehicle wheels locking during braking. ABS systems require an apparatus for measuring the speed of rotation of the braked wheel. and wheel speed signals are generally produced by a variable reluctance detector placed adjacent a series of ferromagnetic teeth supported by the rotating wheel. As each tooth passes the detector, an output is generated the amplitude of which is a function of the distance of the tooth from the detector and the speed of the tooth relative to the detector. The output is, of course, in phase with the movement of the tooth which causes it to be generated.
It is desirable to be able to test the signal generators incorporated in ABS systems. Tests must be designed which make it possible to detect a variety of faults, in particular an off-center wheel, an insufficient output, a damaged, dirty or missing tooth, or an incorrect number of teeth.
If the teeth are arranged in a circle which is not centered on the axis of rotation of the wheel, the distance between the teeth and the detector will vary with the angular position of the wheel. The amplitude of the detector output will vary with the variation in the distance between the teeth and the detector.
If the detector is not correctly positioned such that the minimum space between it and the teeth is too large, the detector output will be reduced in amplitude and as a result the system may become ineffective.
If a tooth is missing, the detector will produce an output which is of greater amplitude than would otherwise be the case but that output will have a period twice that which would normally be expected. A similar result would occur if the gap between two adjacent teeth was filled with dirt containing ferrous particles. A tooth which has been partly broken off will of course simply generate a smaller than expected output.
ABS systems are designed to operate with a predetermined number of teeth on the rotating wheel. It is clearly important to be able to check that a wheel being tested has the appropriate number of teeth.
The conventional approach to testing ABS systems has been to drive the wheel at a constant speed and monitor the detector output. An off-center wheel can then be detected by monitoring the amplitude of the detector output which will vary in a cyclical fashion over the course of one revolution of the wheel. Missing or damaged teeth can be detected by reference to the period of the detector output, a missing tooth being indicated by the detector output cycle having twice its normal period when the position of the missing tooth corresponds to the position of the detector. Other possible problems with the system can equally be tested providing appropriate care is taken in monitoring the detector output. Any anomalies measured can be attributed to the condition of the teeth and nothing else. Unfortunately, this approach to testing such systems is based on the assumption that the speed of rotation of the wheel will be constant. Any fluctuation in the wheel speed will result in fluctuations in the detector output. For example, varying speed will vary both the output period and the output amplitude. As a result, speed fluctuations can produce outputs from the detector which are similar to the outputs that would be expected in the case of faults that it is wished to detect, for example off-center wheels or missing teeth. For this reason it has not been thought possible to test such systems except when the wheels are turned by a constant speed rolling road. Service organizations not equipped with rolling roads have, however, tried to test ABS systems simply by manually rotating the wheel to be tested, but the results have not proved satisfactory because of the difficulty of achieving a steady wheel speed.

Method and apparatus for testing sensing system performance


A motor vehicle brake and clutch actuator system includes a pressurized fluid source and a plurality of fluid actuated brakes. Each brake is adapted to individually decelerate a vehicle wheel. A fluid actuated clutch is adapted to drivingly interconnect members of a vehicle driveline. A plurality of valves selectively communicate the pressurized fluid source with one of the plurality of fluid actuated brakes and the fluid actuated clutch.

The invention relates to a motor vehicle having a brake system and a drive system, wherein the brake system is composed of: a vehicle movement dynamics controller, an electronic control group for wheel-specific actuation of brakes and a hydraulic unit with pressure medium supply and wheel-specific hydraulic valves, combined to form one assembly, for activating the individual wheel brake cylinders, and wherein the drive system has at least one drive train which has the purpose of driving the wheels and in which a controllable clutch is arranged, which clutch is activated by a clutch controller as a function of operating variables using a clutch actuation means and a hydraulic valve for acting on its hydraulic actuator.
Brake systems with wheel-specific hydraulic valves for activating the individual wheel brake cylinders are a recent development and are particularly suitable for applying modern driving aids such as ABS (anti-lock brake controller), ETC (electronic traction control) and ESP (electronic stability program). They may be, for example, electrohydraulic brake systems (often referred to in specialist literature in abbreviated form as "EHB"), such as is described, for example, in DE 199 23 689 A1.
The drive system may comprise one or more drive trains, corresponding to a vehicle with one or more driven axles. In the first case, the controllable clutch has the purpose of locking the axle differential which is continuously variable in accordance with the requirements of vehicle movement dynamics. In the second case, it can be used for connecting the further driven axle or locking a central differential mechanism (also referred to as inter-axle differential) in a continuously variable fashion, or for controlling the distribution of torque between the two axles.
In the drive systems of this type mentioned above, the clutch, or the clutches, each have a separate functional group with a separate power source and a separate control device which retrieves the operating data of the vehicle from a bus (this is usually a CAN bus) and calculates the necessary clutch position from said data and then correspondingly actuates the clutch. Most of this operating data together with other data, including that from the vehicle movement dynamics controller of the brake system, is used and therefore obtained from the same bus.
Furthermore, in many situations the brake system must be matched to the clutch control. This means that two separate systems have to communicate with one another, the data between the two controllers, which are usually programmed processors, being connected and exchanged via interfaces, coding/decoding means and the bus. This is a source of errors and also requires time which is always critical in vehicle movement dynamics control operations. Furthermore, the expenditure on control and activation is considerable, both in logistical terms and also because the safety requirements which are made of the clutch control require a minimum level of expenditure which exceeds the scope of pure control functions, which is small in itself.
Although DE 37 21 626 discloses a motor vehicle with first-generation four-wheel drive in which the master brake cylinder of a brake device acts on the wheel brakes of the wheels and also the actuating element of a clutch is activated, the brake device is purely hydraulic and therefore does not have any electronically actuated, wheel-specific hydraulic valves. The clutch is only used to disconnect the drive connection during braking and cannot be actuated in a variable fashion.
It is therefore the object of the invention to make the vehicle as a whole cheaper while at the same time improving it functionally.

Motor vehicle equipped with an integrated brake and clutch control system


A portable information device includes first and second enclosures and a hinge portion connecting those enclosures. The first enclosure has: an antenna; a plurality of active circuits for predetermined frequency bands; a first circuit that demultiplexes reception signals into input signals with the predetermined frequency bands to output the input signals to the active circuits and multiplexes output signals with the predetermined frequency bands to output the multiplexed output signals as transmission signals to the antenna; and a second circuit that multiplexes the input signals and demultiplexes transmission signals into the output signals to output the output signals to the active circuits. The second enclosure has: wireless systems; and a third circuit that demultiplexes the multiplexed input signals as the reception signals from the second circuit into input signals with the predetermined frequency bands to output the input signals to the wireless systems and multiplexes output signals with the predetermined frequency bands from the wireless systems to output the multiplexed output signals as the transmission signals to the second circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable information device to transmit and receive plural kinds of wireless signals.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the rapid development of communication technologies a wireless system becomes explosively widespread, which is utilized for portable information devices such as a notebook computer and a cellular phone. As typical examples of such a wireless system, there are given: a local area network technology, MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output), for transmitting and receiving data with a plurality of antennas; Bluetooth for communicating between information devices; metropolitan area network technologies, IEEE802.16/IEEE802.16/IEEE802.20, for covering the area of about 50 km in radius with a single antenna using a frequency band of 2-66 GHz; and UWB (Ultra Wide Band) for transmitting and receiving signals with an extremely wide frequency band with about 1 GHz.
When a wireless system is mounted on a notebook computer as an example of a mobile device, an antenna of the wireless system is arranged at an upper portion of a display of the notebook computer to easily receive radio waves and a transmitting and receiving circuit of the wireless system is arranged in a main body of the notebook computer. This arrangement makes a path (mainly a cable) long, which connects the antenna and the transmitting and receiving circuit. Since such a long cable serves as a low-pass filter (LPF), the cable attenuates a high frequency signal with a gigahertz frequency band, which is expected to be used in portable information devices. Thus, the carrier to noise ratio (CN ratio) of reception signals becomes small and a noise figure (NF) becomes worse in the main body. Here the noise figure is an index that shows the ratio of 'the CN ratio of an input signal' to 'the CN ratio of an output signal'.
Japanese Patent Publication Laid-open No. 2006-33076 employs a technique, called "an active antenna", that provides a reception line and a transmission line near an antenna and arranges an amplifier on the reception line for suppressing the NF degradation.
FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a wireless device recited in the above patent document. The wireless device comprises an active antenna 1, a transmitting and receiving device 2, a signal line 3 that connects the active antenna 1 and the transmitting and receiving device 2, and a transmission control signal detecting unit 6. When a signal is transmitted, the transmission control signal detecting unit 6 generates a control voltage for switches 13, 14 using transmission power on the signal line 3. When a signal is received, an amplifier 12 is activated and the switches 13, 14 are controlled using a voltage superimposed in the signal on the signal line 3. This wireless device allows us to use only a single signal line for both of reception and transmission.
With the active antenna 1, the amplifier 12 amplifies a signal received with an antenna 11 before attenuated by passing through the signal line 3. Accordingly, even though the received signal attenuates through the signal line 3, the reduction of the CN ratio can be suppressed and consequently the degradation of the NF of the wireless device can be prevented.


A method for restricting access of a client to a web site hosted at first and second servers is described. A first tally that includes identification information of the client and a first number of access requests sent from the client to the first server is received. A second tally that includes the identification information of the client and a second number of access requests sent from the client to the second server is received. The first and second tallies are collated to determine a total number of access requests made by the client.

A web site is a directory of files stored on a web server or several web servers that may be accessed by a client over a network (e.g., the Internet). Both individual users and non-human programmatic sources (referred to as "robots") may request access to a web server. Individual users who access a web server according to the intended presentation of the web site are referred to as "direct users". Direct users often purchase items or services from the web site and view advertisements and sponsorships displayed in the web site. For these reasons, and others, access to a web server by direct users is highly desirable. Direct users represent the primary source of revenue for companies that operate web sites.
Robots, on the other hand, retrieve and index documents contained within web sites and often deliver these documents elsewhere. Robots, which are also referred to as "spiders" or "web crawlers", may be server-based or client-based and are employed for a variety of reasons, some legitimate and many fraudulent. Robots can also be part of computer viruses, making the source of the activity difficult to track or control. Robots impose a cost on companies (both in terms of infrastructure to support the web site and whatever licensing costs are involved in presenting the content of a web page) while defeating most of the mechanisms by which a company attempts to make a profit.
Robots are often used by search engines to maintain an index of web sites. Legitimate robots follow conventions that allow web sites to mark pages, directories, or whole sites as "off limits"; pernicious robots ignore these conventions. There is a keen financial interest in minimizing access to a web server by pernicious robots.


An insulating component for use in high-voltage switching equipment, especially gas-insulated switching gear. A nozzle made of an insulating material is used in a power switch. Portions of the surface of the nozzle subject to high dielectric stresses in use are provided with increased surface roughness in the form of grooves. These grooves may be cut by a lathe.

An insulating component is described, for example, in Germany Patent No. 26 26 855. These insulating components are used, for example, as spacers or nozzles for the feeding of insulating gas in electric high-voltage switches, particularly high-voltage power switches.
Such components are used as supports for busbar conductors or leadthroughs in, for example, encapsulated high-voltage switchgear. They may, for example, consist of cast resin, an epoxy resin, polytetrafluoroethylene ("PTFE"), a ceramic, or porcelain.
Under high dielectric stresses, such as in the case of high electrical field strengths, particularly if the field strength has a component tangential to the surface of the insulating component, there is an increased probability of displacement currents on the surface of the insulating component, which may also lead to electric arcing.
In accordance with the related art, a poorly conductive fabric is embedded in the region of the surface of the component in order to discharge surface charges.
While this certainly increases the conductivity of the component, it also contributes a substantial expense to the cost of the manufacture of the component. Different structural materials are combined with each other and there is the danger that a part of the fabric is not firmly bound to the component and extends into a dielectrically highly stressed region of the high-voltage equipment.
It is known from German Patent No. 30 47 761 to embed in an insulating component a mineral filler the particles of which lie freely on the surface of the component and prevent the formation of carbon-containing, and partially electrically conductive, tracks on the surface upon discharges. Such an insulating component is difficult to manufacture.

Insulating component for high-voltage equipment


The present application is directed to multi-axial screw assemblies to connect a longitudinal member to a vertebral member. In one embodiment, the multi-axial screw assembly includes a screw comprising a threaded shank and an enlarged head. The assembly may also include a body with an upper channel sized to receive the longitudinal member, a lower chamber to receive the head. The body is constructed to maintain the head in the lower chamber.

Longitudinal members, such as spinal rods, are often used in the surgical treatment of spinal disorders such as degenerative disc disease, disc herniations, scoliosis or other curvature abnormalities, and fractures. Treatment of these spinal disorders may use different types of surgical treatments. In some cases, spinal fusion is indicated to inhibit relative motion between vertebral members. In other cases, dynamic implants are used to preserve motion between vertebral members. For either type of surgical treatment, longitudinal members may be attached to the exterior of two or more vertebral members, whether it is at a posterior, anterior, or lateral side of the vertebral members. In other embodiments, longitudinal members are attached to the vertebral members without the use of dynamic implants or spinal fusion.
Longitudinal members may provide a stable, rigid column that encourages bones to fuse after spinal-fusion surgery. Further, the longitudinal members may redirect stresses over a wider area away from a damaged or defective region. Also, rigid longitudinal members may restore the spine to its proper alignment. In some cases, flexible longitudinal members may be appropriate. Flexible longitudinal members may provide other advantages, such as increasing loading on interbody constructs, decreasing stress transfer to adjacent vertebral members while bone-graft healing takes place, and generally balancing strength with flexibility.