The invention relates to a method for controlling the draft of a fiber mixture (e.g. a sliver) of a textile machine, with sensors being provided which detect the fluctuations in mass of the fiber mixture which is supplied to a drafting arrangement unit including at least one changeable drafting zone which compensates the fluctuations in mass. A delay time is provided in order to take into account the running time of the fiber mixture from the measuring sensor up to a control application point. A method is therefore proposed whereby, for the purpose of changing certain control parameters, the delivery speed of the fiber mixture and/or the comparison of the measured progress of the mass of the fiber material supplied by the drafting arrangement unit with a predetermined setpoint progress of mass (setpoint) are used.

The invention relates to a method or an apparatus for controlling the draft of a fiber mixture (e.g. of a sliver) of a textile machine, with means being provided to detect the fluctuations in mass of the fiber mixture which is supplied to the drafting arrangement. A changeable drafting zone compensates the fluctuations in mass and is provided with a delay time in order to take into account the running time of the fiber mixture from the measuring means to a control application point.
Prior literature (xe2x80x9cFeedback control systems in modern sizing machinesxe2x80x9d by Prof. Burgholzxe2x80x94Textilpraxis 1963, July, p. 643) shows a drafting arrangement in which fluctuations in the mass of fiber material supplied to the drafting arrangement are detected by way of a measuring element. The movement of the measuring roller which is produced by the fluctuations in mass is stored via a mechanical storage element and is transmitted in a time-delayed manner to a mechanical device for influencing the draft quantity. A time delay for the control intervention is thus achieved in a mechanical manner, which intervention takes the distance between the measuring place and the actual control application point for the evening of the fiber mixture into account.
In newer devices, as have been described in DE-A1-36 19 248 for example, this intermediate storage of the signal of the measuring element is performed electronically. This cited publication states further that the time of delay is corrected according to the magnitude and type of the measured fluctuation in the mass, which means that as soon as the signal of the measured fluctuations in mass is located outside of the normal fluctuations of mass, the draft intervention will occur earlier. This reduces the distance between the control application point and the measuring location of the measuring element. This device allows in particular an improved compensation of sudden fluctuations in the mass of a sliver.
EPA-A2-803 596 further proposes an apparatus and method for the direct determination of set-points for the control application point of a draw frame. Several measured values of a quality-characterizing value such as the CV value are used in order to determine the optimized parameter, such as the control application point in a test run. This optimized control application point is to remain substantially unchanged during the operation. This method, which uses the CV value, leads to disadvantages particularly when the textile machine which is situated upstream of the drafting arrangement is supplied with only one untwisted sliver which shows relatively large fluctuations in mass.
An apparatus is further known from EP-A1 533 483, with influencing quantities which influence the measured signal of the measuring member being detected by a fuzzy logic control device and being linked to a knowledge base. A corrective value for the measured signal is produced therefrom. The delivery speed of the fiber material supplied by the drafting arrangement can be used as an influencing quantity for example. This means that the corrective value relates to the respective design of the determined measured value on the basis of influencing quantities and not to the determination of the control application point. For the purpose of correcting the control application point, it is proposed in this embodiment that a signal analysis is performed at the drafting arrangement output on the basis of the analysis of the response signal of the measuring element, thus enabling the performance of respective interventions. This means that a correction of the control application point will only be performed at a time when the flaw in the fiber material has already passed through the drafting arrangement and thus can no longer be corrected. Moreover, a further measuring element is required at the output of the drafting arrangement, as well as a complex fuzzy logic control device.
A device shown in DE-A1 42 15 682 in which a correction of the control application point is performed according to a specific method. The method for the correction of the control application point is only started when there is a transient signal in the measuring element before the drafting arrangement which exceeds a predetermined tolerance value. With the help of the response signal which is detected by a measuring element at the output of the drafting arrangement, a respective intervention is performed via the control unit comparison with the transient signal in order to correct the control application point. This system is not continuously in operation and additionally requires a measuring element at the output of the drafting arrangement. Moreover, a correction of the control application point is only performed when the sliver containing the flaw has already left the drafting arrangement.
Examinations have shown that the evenness of the formed sliver, or the CV value and the spectrogram image, changes once the fiber material is supplied to the draw frame at different delivery speeds. This means that one has noticed that the control application point between the two pairs of drafting rollers changes in its position depending on the delivery speed. This fact is usually not disadvantageous in xe2x80x9cpure draw framesxe2x80x9d, because these machines are usually operated with substantially constant speeds.
This fact is usually not disadvantageous in xe2x80x9cpure draw framesxe2x80x9d, because these machines are usually operated with substantially constant speeds.
If such a drafting arrangement unit is arranged downstream of a carding machine for further processing of the card sliver, major delivery fluctuations in the drafting arrangement must be expected as a result of the operating procedure in the carding machine. These delivery fluctuations in the carding machine are caused by changes in production, running down the machine during changes of the cans, running in new clothings, and other circumstances. As a result of this frequent change of the delivery speeds, there is also a displacement of the control application point with respect to the measuring place before the drafting arrangement. This leads to maintaining an adverse sliver quality in respect to sliver regularity (CV value) and the spectrogram image.
This fact is also not considered, or only partly with limitations, by the apparatuses mentioned in connection with the state of the art.
Various devices are further known from the state of the art, e.g. from EP-A1176 661, with the regulation of an autoleveller draw frame begin performed on the basis of inlet and outlet measuring element in conjunction with a predetermined setpoint value. In the exhibited example, the signal for influencing the control parameters which is measured at the output is used for overall amplification and the runtime of the controlling electronic system. This device is to be used in particular to correct abrupt changes in the supplied fiber mass. This device relates to the matching of the control parameters during the drafting process and not to any principal setting of the control intensity or calibration of the drafting arrangement.
Insofar as such drafting arrangement operates autonomously as a draw frame, it was common practice up until now to make respective settings of the control parameters on the draw frame by sliver tests which were performed in a stationary manner in the laboratory. The determined fluctuations in mass were determined in comparison with a predetermined setpoint value (sample sliver) and respective interventions in the control parameters on the drafting arrangement were made. The stopping and renewed start-up of the draw frame to perform such tests and for setting the draw frame did not have any major influence on the productivity or efficiency of the unit.
As soon as this drafting arrangement is operated in direct connection with an upstream textile machine (e.g. a carding machine), such sliver tests performed in the lab are not easily possible without reducing the overall efficiency of the entire system. This means that as soon as the sliver tests are performed in a stationary manner in the laboratory, it is also necessary to stop the textile machine which is upstream of the drafting arrangement during these tests. When the textile machine concerns a carding machine, it is relatively problematic to put this machine with its relatively large moved masses back into operation again. This means that the efficiency of the system decreases.
A device is further known from DE-A1196 15 947 in which a function is determined on the basis of several CV values whose minimum leads to an optimized parameter such as a control application point or amplification for the control of the draw frame or the carding machine. The optimized parameter is determined in a pre-operational test or setting run of the draw frame or carding machine and maintained during operation in a substantially unchanged way.
It is now an object of the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus for setting the drafting arrangement in order to perform optimized control interventions by considering maintaining a high efficiency of the entire plant, particularly when a textile machine is provided directly upstream of the drafting arrangement for the purpose of supplying fiber material. Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.
This object is achieved on the one hand in such a way that, for changing certain control parameters, the delivery speed (LG) of the fiber mixture (7) and/or the comparison between the measured course of the mass of the fiber material (Fi) supplied by the drafting arrangement with a predetermined setpoint course of the mass (setpoint) is/are used.
The term xe2x80x9cdelivery speedxe2x80x9d relates to the speed of the fiber material which is supplied to the drafting arrangement. The measuring element for detecting the fluctuations in mass is located before the entrance to the drafting arrangement as seen in the direction of conveyance.
This device allows that the control intervention is performed at an optimal time, or in an optimized magnitude, in order to completely compensate any fluctuation in mass as determined by the measuring element.
The drafting arrangement could be provided with merely one drafting zone (single-zone drafting arrangement) or with several drafting zones (e.g. preliminary draft and main draft).
It is preferably proposed that the position of the control application point to the measuring element is corrected depending on the delivery speed of the fiber mixture.
It is further proposed that the change in the position of the control application point is performed on the basis of a curve as predetermined by the control unit. This curve was produced first manually on the basis of experimental values and test results and was used by the control unit to determine a corrective value. The curve is determined on the basis of the values (distance of the control application point to the measuring place) and the delivery speed of the fiber material supplied to the drafting arrangement.
If a machine (e.g. a carding machine) is provided upstream of the drafting arrangement which supplies the produced fiber material (e.g. the sliver) to the downstream draw frame, it is advantageous to integrate this curve in the control unit of said upstream machine in order to determine the correction of the position of the control application point. This is advantageous because the delivery speed of the supplied fiber material is known to said machine or its control unit or has already been determined there.
It is further proposed that the distance of the control application point from the measuring element is reduced with rising delivery speed.
For the purpose of considering different fiber materials, it is proposed that several curves can be selected in the control unit according to the selected fiber material. Depending on the fiber feed (staple, mixture, etc.), the drafting characteristics change in the drafting characteristics change in the drafting arrangement and thus also the position of the control application point.
In order to avoid unnecessarily burdening the regulating device in case of minor fluctuations of the delivery speed, it is proposed that the change in the position of the control application point is only performed when the delivery speed of the fiber mixture leaves a predetermined tolerance threshold.
It is further proposed that when comparing the measured course of the mass of the fiber material as supplied by the drafting arrangement with a predetermined setpoint course of the mass (setpoint), the deviations which exceed the tolerance value are used for changing the control parameters.
The setting of the control intensity is to be understood as the control parameter in particular, which intensity characterizes a value by which the draft is changed into a setpoint mass on the basis of a measured differential signal of the output mass (mean value of the supplied fiber mass). The intervention made on the drafting quantity is to be dimensioned in such a way that the actual value is brought back to the setpoint value.
It is preferably further proposed that the course of the mass is depicted in the form of a spectrogram which is compared with a standard spectrogram which is predetermined to the control unit. The xe2x80x9ctermxe2x80x9d compared shall be understood in such a way that the determined spectrogram is placed in the control unit by a control program (software) over the standard spectrogram, with the deviations determined from the contour of the standard spectrogram being determined and evaluated via a respective electronic evaluation system. This evaluation device can be used in particular to determine any occurring xe2x80x9cpeaksxe2x80x9d and/or xe2x80x9cchimneysxe2x80x9d of the actual spectrogram as compared with the standard spectrogram. These evaluations can be used to take measures manually or automatically following the evaluation of the respective progress of the contour of the spectrogram in order to change the control parameters or settings in such a way that on the one hand the determined xe2x80x9cpeaks and or chimneysxe2x80x9d are avoided and on the other hand the contour of the actual spectrogram approaches the contour of the standard spectrogram or is brought close to a matching. A tolerance field can be provided which allows upward and downward deviations from the course of the standard spectrogram without performing any interventions in the control parameters (e.g. the position of the control application point). This prevents any xe2x80x9cbuild-up processxe2x80x9d of the control system.
The measures for changing the control parameters can comprise the following: adjustment of the control intensity, i.e. the determination of the magnitude of the change in draft on the basis of a determined differential signal between actual and setpoint value (mean value of fiber mass); displacement of the control application point to the one or other side; increase of the pressing pressures of the drafting rollers; and change of the drafting distance and further measures. The choice of the measure is made on the basis of the evaluation. The control can be based on a catalog of measures (expert system).
The measures for changing the control parameters can comprise the following: Adjustment of the control intensity, i.e. the determination of the magnitude of the change in draft on the basis of a determined differential signal between actual and setpoint value (mean value of fiber mass), displacement of the control application point to the one or other side, increase of the pressing pressures of the drafting rollers, change of the drafting distance and further measures. The choice of the measure is made on the basis of the evaluation. The control can be based on a catalog of measures (expert system).
Preferably, the spectrogram deviations will be used in the range of between 5 and 150 cm period lengths for the measuring process. It is possible with this device to perform purposeful optimizations of the control device without requiring any running down of the upstream textile machine (carding machine) and with simultaneously compensating internal tolerances within the control device.
A method is further proposed in which the course of the mass is depicted as a mean value which is compared with a predetermined setpoint value. In particular, this device allows an optimal setting of the control intensity, so that the fluctuations in mass which deviate from the setpoint mean value are returned completely to said value.
Measures for the correction of the control devices can be a displacement of a control application point to either the one or the other side, or the adjusting quantity of the draft on the basis of a determined differential signal between an actual and a setpoint value.
In order to calibrate the effectiveness of the control device with respect to any upward or downward deviation from the setpoint mean value, it is proposed that for setting the control parameters the fiber mass supplied to the drafting arrangement is changed per measuring interval. This means that for an evaluation process, the drafting arrangement unit is supplied with an increased fiber mass and with a lower fiber mass for a further measuring process. An error in the mass is intentionally produced in this method by the machine (or apparatus) upstream of the drafting arrangement unit in order to check, or possibly correct, the effectiveness of the control intensity.
In addition to the evaluation of the spectrogram with respect to the standard spectrogram, the determined coefficient of variation (CV value) can be used which is compared with a predetermined CV value of the setpoint course of the mass. The length CV value can be used with a length of cut of between 20 cm and 3 m.
In order to correct the deviation in the mass (occurring peaks in mass), the displacement of the control application point can be used.
Preferably, the fiber mixture is supplied by a carding machine of the drafting arrangement unit.
To ensure that the adjustment of the control parameters also meets the needs of the conditions during the working operation, it is proposed that during the run-up of the carding machine a warm-up period is set during which certain monitorings performed by the control unit are ceased. This also relates to such monitorings which measure the course of the mass of the fiber mixture in the drafting arrangement. This means that an adjustment of the control parameters can only be performed following the expiration of the warm-up function. In the cold state, the working units via which and between which the fiber material is conveyed has different processing characteristics which correspond not necessarily to the conditions during operation. Cold rollers can have the tendency for example to extract fibers from fiber material. This could lead to fluctuations in the mass, however, which are caused merely by the system per se. That is why the calibration of the control devices should be performed under operating conditions, i.e. after the completion of the warm-up phase. After the completion of this phase, a length counter can be activated which is provided to supply information about the production. The material produced during the warm-up phase can be deposited in a separate can. This separately stored material can be returned to the blowroom for reprocessing.
An apparatus according to the invention may be provided with means by which the position of the control application point to the measuring element is determined on the basis of the delivery speed of the fiber mixture.
The invention is further solved by an apparatus, with means being provided with which the position of the control application point to the measuring element is determined on the basis of the delivery speed of the fiber mixture.
These means are preferably formed by a control device, in particular a microcomputer, which causes the initiation of the change in the draft on the basis of data deposited and stored in the control device in conjunction with signals which are transmitted to the control device by a measuring element for the detection of the delivery speed of the fiber material.
It is further proposed that the fiber material is supplied from a carding machine to a downstream drafting arrangement unit. The control unit of the carding machine is provided with means in order to transmit a corrective signal to determine the position of the control application point of the downstream drafting arrangement to the control unit of the drafting arrangement to initiate the change in the draft.
An apparatus of the invention may have at least one further means provided in order to detect the course of the mass of the fiber material as supplied by the drafting arrangement unit. The signals of the means are transmitted to the control unit which determines the deviations on the basis of a predetermined setpoint value and produces control signals according to the deviations in order to change certain control parameters.
Preferably, the textile machine can be a carding machine.
It is further proposed that for setting the control parameters (control intensity) the quantity of the supplied fiber mass is varied by the carding machine for different measurement periods.
The speed of the feed roller to the carding machine can be constant and the speed of the doffer can be changed via the control unit.
It is similarly possible to change the speed of the feed roller to the carding machine via the control unit and to keep the speed of the doffer constant.
In both cases the carding machine will supply more or less fiber material to the downstream drafting arrangement unit following the change of speed. The effects of these different supply quantities with respect to the setting of the control parameters have already been described in the details on the method claims.
In order to adjust the measuring periods to the differently supplied fiber quantity, it is provided to use a timing element in order to consider the delay time between the start of the changed delivery quantity and the time at which the changed delivery quantity is processed in the drafting arrangement unit. The timing element can be considered within the scope of a software component in the control unit.
As has already been described above in closer detail, it is proposed that during the run-up of the carding machine a warm-up function for the machine is initiated in the control unit which cuts off certain means for monitoring and/or controlling.


The invention relates to a method, a non-transitory computer program product, and an apparatus for managing data storage. The method performed by a flash controller includes: obtaining information indicating a subregion to be activated, where the subregion is associated with a logical block address (LBA) range; triggering a garbage collection (GC) process being performed in background to migrate user data of all the or a portion of the LBA range associated with the subregion to continuous physical addresses in a flash device; and updating content of a plurality of entries associated with the subregion according to migration results, where each entry includes information indicating which physical address that user data of a corresponding logical address is physically stored in the flash device.

The disclosure generally relates to storage devices and, more particularly, to a method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for managing data storage.
Flash memory devices typically include NOR flash devices and NAND flash devices. NOR flash devices are random access—a central processing unit (CPU) accessing a NOR flash device can provide the device any address on its address pins and immediately retrieve data stored in that address on the device's data pins. NAND flash devices, on the other hand, are not random access but serial access. It is not possible for NAND to access any random address in the way described above. Instead, the CPU has to write into the device a sequence of bytes which identifies both the type of command requested (e.g. read, write, erase, etc.) and the address to be used for that command. The address identifies a page (the smallest chunk of flash memory that can be written in a single operation) or a block (the smallest chunk of flash memory that can be erased in a single operation), and not a single byte or word.
To improve the performance for reading and programming data from and into a flash module, the flash controller utilizes multiples channels to perform the data reads and writes in parallel. In order to gain advantage of parallel processing, continuous data is distributed to be stored in flash units connected to the channels and logical-to-physical mapping (L2P) tables are used to record mapping relationships between logical addresses (managed by a host side) and physical addresses (managed by the flash controller) for user-data segments. Furthermore, in the new specification, the flash controller can organize the mapping relationships between the logical addresses and the physical addresses into the format of host performance booster (HPB) entries and provide them to the host side. After that, the host side may obtain the required physical addresses from the HPB entries and carry the physical addresses in the HPB read command sent to the host side, so that the flash controller can directly read user data from the physical addresses in the flash module and reply it to the host side, without spending time and computing resources to read the L2P tables and perform the L2P translation as before.
Additionally, in the new specification, the host side issues an HPB READ command to the flash controller for reading user data of two continuous logical addresses, or more. Each HPB READ command is allowed to carry one HPB entry associated with a start logical address, defined in the specification. However, if the user data of the successive logical addresses is not actually stored in continuous physical addresses in the flash module, then the flash controller still needs to read the L2P table from the flash module to know the physical addresses that store the user data of the subsequent logical addresses actually, so that the execution of the HPB READ command cannot achieve the expected improvement. Thus, it is desirable to have a method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for managing data storage to address the problems described above.

Method and apparatus and computer program product for preparing logical-to-physical mapping information for host side


A rotary apparatus having a first rotating die assembly and a second rotating die assembly arranged in juxtaposition with one another on respective first and second sides of a strip work piece movement path, and operable in unison together to perform operations on a work piece passing therebetween, each die assembly having a main rotor mounted for rotation, at least one die support body supported by the main rotor, and being swingable relative to the main rotor, control cams connected the die support body, cam guides engageable by the control cams, and die support body bearings mounted on the main rotor for carrying the die support body. The die support body can be self-adjusting to the linear speed on the work piece, before and after contact. The die can have a movable portion which moves in or out to provide selective operation on the workpiece. The main rotors are connected by a gear drive train with anti-backlash adjustment. The method of operation on a work piece permits formation of a continuous series of spaced apart formations in the workpiece and permits skipping of formations at desired intervals to produce product of specific lengths.

Performing operations on continuously moving strip material presents numerous problems. Usually such operations will be in the nature of stamping at spaced intervals, or blanking, or forming of such strip material. These operations conventionally are performed while the work piece material is stationary, using some kind of conventional press with upper and lower blades or dies, which simply close and open on the work piece.
In some cases operations have been performed on a moving strip by so-called "flying dies".
In this type of operation the dies which shear, shape, or form the strip workpiece, are mounted on slides. The dies can slide forward along the path of the moving strip, close, and open, and then slide back again. Such flying dies are well known, and have been shown in patents for many years Rotary forming machines are also shown in more recent patents. In these machines the forming dies are mounted on pairs of upper and lower rotatable support rolls. Machines of this type were usually designed and built to perform specific continuous repetitive functions. They were not readily adaptable to either stamping, or blanking, or forming, depending on the operation desired. In addition such machines experienced other problems, such as in lubrication, wear, timing of operations, and sequencing of operations. One of many major applications for such machines is in the forming of sheet metal studs for use in construction. Opposite edges of such metal studs are conventionally roll formed to provide a channel shaped cross section, the so-called "C-section" stud. In a preferred form, such studs are formed with a series of openings blanked out from a sheet metal work piece. Strips of the work piece extend from edge to edge of the stud, between adjacent openings, and form struts across the stud. Edges of the work piece around the openings and strips, are formed at angles to provide flanges for increased strength. Such studs are more thermally efficient, and are also significantly lighter than conventional C-section studs.
In construction such C-section metal studs are used in place of wooden studs for framing walls. In this type of application the industry requires that the studs be fabricated in exact lengths. These lengths will vary depending on the design of the building.
Usually, in the case of these known rotary machines, the rotary operations were intended to be carried out as part of a complete roll forming line which will also have an uncoiler, in some cases a flattener, and, a series of conventional roll forming die stands, for roll forming edge flanges along the length of the stud. Such machinery was intended to be capable of continuous operation at hundreds of feet per minute.
This has not always been achieved due in part to shortcomings of the rotary forming apparatus which was then in use. In addition, such continuous production lines could not be repeatedly stopped and started again to accommodate the need for precise location of the openings in each stud. This causes a problem in the fabrication of studs for construction uses. The construction industry requires that the C-section studs be free of openings at each end of each stud. This is because such studs are conventionally used to frame walls. In this type of use, the studs extend vertically at spaced intervals. The upper and lower ends of the studs are secured in horizontal metal C-section channels in most case, similar to framing using wooden studs. To achieve this the studs must be free of openings at each end. This is difficult to achieve using any known machinery. It requires that the blanking of the openings and the forming of the edges be carried out in a precisely timed sequence. At each end of each stud work piece there must be a brief, momentary halt in the blanking and forming operations, so as to leave the two ends of each stud free of openings. However the actual movement of the strip work piece cannot stop, since as explained it is part of a larger facility operating on a continuous basis. Timing these spaces between openings, when the strip is moving continuously at high speeds, for example 2–300 feet per minute, or more in some cases, becomes a challenge to any machine operator.
Another consideration is the need to pass services through the studs. For this reason all openings in each stud must align with corresponding openings in adjacent studs.
A further and different factor is that stress requirements for studs may vary from one building, or application, to another. Interior walls or partitions will require a much lower strength stud than exterior, or bearing walls. This may require openings to be spaced further apart, or closer together, along the length of the stud, and may require wider or narrower struts between openings, to provide the specific strength required for the application. Obviously there will also be major changes in the thickness of the strip sheet metal. The entire production line of machines must be adaptable to all these variations, to achieve economical and efficient production.
A more obvious factor is that such rotary machines are costly. In the past it was sometimes necessary to have four rotary machine, arranged one after the other, along the movement path of the work piece, to first of all blank out openings, and then to form the edges of the work piece around the openings.
Four such machines were required in many cases because the shape of the openings in the workpiece was generally triangular, and adjacent openings were oriented in opposite directions and thus alternated along the length of the work piece. This required two sets of blanking dies and two sets of forming dies, and thus involved four rotary machines. In most cases such rotary machines had to be custom designed to suit a particular type of operation, and were not readily adaptable to be converted from one type of operation to another, depending on the needs of the customers of the fabricator.
In many cases a fifth rotary machine was required to cut the work piece to length. Such costs could be justified where production volumes were large. However in many cases where production could not be maintained on a continuous basis, or where orders required the production of a variety of different studs of different gauge and having different lengths and different specifications, such an investment could not be made. Clearly if rotary machines could be made, which could be adapted, by the owner, by relatively easy, in-plant adjustments, so that the machines could perform, at different times or in different locations, various different operations, such as stamping, blanking or forming, of strip material, and were readily adjustable to variations in specifications from one order to the next, then rotary machines could achieve a wider distribution.


This invention belongs to the field of wind propelled vehicles. The goal of the invention is to provide large sails creating no overturning force. This is achieved by placing the top part of the sail above the vehicle and the bottom part of the sail aside from the vehicle.

This invention belongs to the field of wind propelled vehicles in general and sailboats in particular. It is well known, that increased sail area allows sailboats to reach higher speed. It is also well known, that increased sail area produces higher overturning force. Sailboats are designed to withstand high overturning force allowing to carry large sails and, therefore, to reach high speed. Sailboats have broad hulls and ballast or multiple hulls to achieve high speed. It is also known, that overturning force increases as wind speed increases, while the ability of the sailboat to withstand that force remains largely the same. This leads to practice of reducing sail area, when wind grows stronger, called "reefing the sails".
Attempts have been made to provide means suitable to counteract overturning force. Thus for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,708 discloses "Steerable Keel" capable of producing counteracting force growing when the speed of the sailboat is rising. In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,987 discloses "Heel Counteracting Airfoil" capable of producing counteracting force growing when the speed of the wind is rising. However, both examples involve considerable complexity of construction as well as additional resistance to the movement of the sailboat caused by additional airfoil or hydrofoil.
Attempt has been made to provide sails having little or no overturning force. Thus for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,431 discloses two-hull sailboat where sails set at an angle to vertical, specifically top of the sail attached to the mast on the first hull and the bottom of the sail attached to the second hull. For every distance between the hulls, there is the height of the mast such, that the sail creates little overturning force. However, area of that sail is defined and limited by the dimensions of the sailboat.
There is a need for large sail area creating no overturning force.


An externally supported, tape-reinforced tubular prosthetic graft and method of manufacturing therefore. The graft comprises a tubular base graft formed of expanded, sintered fluoropolymer material, a strip of reinforcement tape helically wrapped about the outer surface of the tubular base graft and attached thereto, and, an external support member helically wrapped around the outer surface of the reinforcement tape and attached thereto. The helical pitch of the reinforcement tape is different from the helical pitch of the external support member. Preferably, the helical pitch of the reinforcement tape is in a direction which is opposite the direction of the external support member.

Fluoropolymers, such as PTFE have been heretofore used for the manufacture of various types of prosthetic vascular grafts. Among these are various vascular grafts having tubular configurations so that they may be utilized to replace an excised segment of blood vessel.
The tubular prosthetic vascular grafts have traditionally been implanted, by open surgical techniques, whereby a diseased or damaged segment of blood vessel is surgically excised and removed, and the tubular bioprosthetic graft is then anastomosed into the host blood vessel as a replacement for the previously removed segment thereof. Alternatively, such tubular prosthetic vascular grafts have also been used as bypass grafts wherein opposite ends of the graft are sutured to a host blood vessel so as to form a bypass conduit around a diseased, injured or occluded segment of the host vessel.
More recently, methods have been developed for endovascular implantation of tubular prosthetic vascular grafts. Such endovascular implantation initially involves translumenal delivery of the graft, in a compacted state, through a catheter or other delivery apparatus. Thereafter, the graft undergoes in situ expansion and affixation at its intended site of implantation within the host blood vessel. An affixation apparatus is typically utilized to affix the opposite ends of the tubular graft to the surrounding blood vessel wall. In this regard, the endovascularly implanted tubular graft may be utilized to repair an aneurismic segment of a host blood vessel, without requiring open surgical dissection of the host blood vessel.
In general, many of the tubular prosthetic vascular grafts of the prior art have been formed of extruded, porous PTFE tubes. In some of the tubular grafts of the prior art a tape, formed of PTFE film is wrapped about and laminated to the outer surface of a tubular base graft to provide reinforcement and additional burst strength. Also, some of the prior tubular prosthetic vascular grafts have included external support member(s), such as a PTFE beading, bonded or laminated to the outer surface of the tubular graft to prevent the graft from becoming compressed or kinked during implantation. These externally supported tubular vascular grafts have proven to be particularly useful for replacing segments of blood vessel which pass through, or over, joints or other regions of the body which undergo frequent articulation or movement.
One commercially available, externally-supported, tubular vascular graft is formed of a regular walled PTFE tube having a PTFE filament helically wrapped around, and bonded to, the outer surface of the PTFE tube. (IMPRA Flex.TM. Graft, IMPRA, Inc., Tempe, Ariz.)
One other commercially available, externally-supported, tubular vascular graft comprises a regular walled, PTFE tube which has PTFE reinforcement tape helically wrapped around, and bonded to, the outer surface of the PTFE tube and individual rings of Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene (FEP) rings disposed around, and bonded to, the outer surface of the reinforcement tape. (FEP ringed ePTFE vascular graft, W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., Flagstaff, Ariz.)
When surgically implanting the externally-supported tubular vascular grafts of the prior art, it is typical for the surgeon to peel the support filament or support ring(s) away from the opposite ends of the tubular graft to facilitate anastomosis of the ends of the graft to the host blood vessel. However, such peeling away of the external support filament or ring(s) may, in at least some cases, also result in some peeling or fraying of any reinforcement tape from the adjacent end portions of the tubular graft. Such fraying or peeling of the reinforcement tape concurrently with removal of the external support member(s) is undesirable.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for the development of new externally-supported, tape-reinforced, tubular vascular grafts which are constructed to permit an external support member (e.g., a PTFE filament) to be peeled away from the end regions of the graft, without causing concurrent peeling or fraying of the underlying reinforcement tape from the tubular base graft.

Method of forming an externally supported tape reinforced vascular graft


A jewelry device, for attachment to a French cuff, convertible cuff or a casual shirt of a type comprising a cuff, a cuff button and a cuff button hole, having a U-shaped frame. A hook shaped arm may connect the U shaped frame around the sleeve cuff. A pair of bars may station the frame, so that it does not become dislodged, offset or pivots from awkward movements. An alternate embodiment uses a removable pin to connect the U shaped frame to the sleeve cuff.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to clothing accessories. More particularly, the present invention relates to a cuffbar for joining the open edges of a cuff on a French cuff, convertible cuff or a casual shirt of a type comprising a cuff, a cuff button and a cuff button hole. The cuffbar may also serve as a fashionable adornment for the wearer of the shirt.
2. Description of Prior Art
Devices for holding the cuffs of shirt sleeves together are limited to cuff links. These high fashion, elegant devices are expensive and enjoy a monopoly on the fashionable adornment of shirt cuffs.
There are several kinds of cuff links available; however, these cuff holding devices generally comprise a decorative fastener inserted through two button holes of the shirt's cuff i.e. "French cuff" or "convertible cuff".


A video service quality assessment method and apparatus are provided to resolve a prior-art problem of relatively low accuracy of an assessment result. A monitoring device obtains an identifier of a to-be-monitored channel, an identifier of to-be-monitored user equipment, and configuration information of a video service transmission system; obtains a multicast video stream of the to-be-monitored channel based on the identifier of the to-be-monitored channel; obtains a retransmitted video stream based on the identifier of the to-be-monitored channel, the identifier of the to-be-monitored user equipment, and the configuration information of the video service transmission system; determines a to-be-assessed video stream based on the multicast video stream and the retransmitted video stream; and parses the to-be-assessed video stream, and obtains an assessment result based on a parsing result and the configuration information of the video service transmission system.

Currently, an Internet Protocol television (IPTV) video service is independently operated and controlled by a telecommunications operator. A user pays the telecommunications operator money, and the telecommunications operator provides the user with an IPTV video headend, a content delivery network (CDN), a set-top box (STB), another network device ensuring normal running of the IPTV video service, and the like, and is responsible for paid content of the user and IPTV video service quality.
The mean opinion score of video (MOS-V) is an assessment criterion for measuring IPTV video service quality. This standard is used to detect a program source compression impairment and a network transmission impairment of a received video, and perform integrated modeling-based scoring on impact of these impairments on video watching experience of a user based on a specific scoring criterion. The IPTV video service quality can be determined based on a scoring result.
In the prior art, video service quality is specifically accessed by using the MOS-V in the following specific implementation solution: A video service quality assessment device is deployed in a network. The device captures a multicast video stream, parses a video-related parameter, calculates video content complexity and a quantity of bits per pixel, and assesses an impairment of compression coding on video quality, namely, a video compression artefacts. Then the device collects statistics on a video packet loss status, and assesses a network transmission error of the packet loss on video quality by using different models for different error concealment manners. Finally, the device comprehensively considers the video compression impairment and the network transmission impairment to obtain a final MOS-V.
In actual application, a telecommunications operator often uses a series of assurance mechanisms, such as an error recovery mechanism and a buffer mechanism used to improve a packet loss error tolerance capability of an IPTV system, so as to improve IPTV video service quality. Because in the prior art, these assurance mechanisms are not considered in this specific implementation solution for assessing video service quality by using the MOS-V, the obtained video compression impairment and network transmission impairment cannot reflect a real network status, and consequently an assessment result obtained through MOS-V-based video quality assessment has relatively low accuracy.

Video service quality assessment method and apparatus


A process for dewatering biomass material comprising polysaccharide and water. The process comprises wetting the biomass material with a wetting composition comprising an alcohol to form a biomass slurry comprising wetted biomass material and a liquid component, mechanically separating a portion of the liquid component from the biomass slurry, and mechanically separating at least a portion of the water from the wetted biomass material. A process for extracting polysaccharide from the biomass material and a dewatered biomass material are also disclosed.

Polysaccharides such as pectin and carrageenan are useful as colloidals in many applications including, but not limited to food preparation. Polysaccharides can be extracted from biomass materials containing polysaccharides and such biomass materials may include citrus fruit peel, apple pomace, sugar beet residue from sugar production, sunflower residue from oil extraction, potato residue from starch extraction from potatoes, red seaweed and brown seaweed.
Some biomass materials contain juice, essential oil, sugar, water, or combinations thereof. Often, materials such as juice, essential oils, and sugar are removed or extracted from the biomass material and the pectin is then extracted from the remaining biomass material. Such biomass material may contain substantial amounts of water including water naturally present in the material and water added to the material during extraction of sugar or other components.
In countries that do not have adequate domestic sources of polysaccharide containing biomass material, biomass material from other countries may be imported and are often transported over long distances for polysaccharide extraction. Thus, it may be necessary for economic reasons to remove substantial amounts of water from the polysaccharide containing biomass material before transport of the biomass material over long distances. Polysaccharide containing biomass materials are typically dried for transportation by direct heating with combusted natural gas. Use of large quantities of water to extract non-polysaccharide containing biomass material components such as sugar from biomass material and cleaning the effluent water from this process may be economically and environmentally undesirable. Furthermore, drying wet polysaccharide containing biomass material by direct heating with combusted natural gas may also be economically and environmentally undesirable. Consequently, there may be a need for a method for treating and dewatering polysaccharide containing biomass material which uses less water, and therefore produces less effluent, or which reduces energy consumption and emission of greenhouse gases such as CO2, or both.

Dewatering biomass material comprising polysaccharide, method for extracting polysaccharide from biomass material, and dewatered biomass material


A conveying/sorting apparatus includes a truck movable along a fixed route and possessing a vertically movable platform that can support objects. The truck delivers the articles to respective collection stations disposed along the route. Pairs of plates are connected between the platform and truck to reinforce the platform against horizontal forces. Each pair of plates includes an upper plate hinged to the platform, and a lower plate hinged to the truck, with the plates hinged to one another to be able to fold and unfold in response to vertical movement of the platform.

The subject of this invention is a truck for use in conveying/sorting plants.
In such a plant (see FIG. 2), a number of trucks T are provided which are movable along a fixed route R. Each truck T carries a rotating apron A which constitutes a transport platform for objects to be sorted. Each truck is fitted with systems able to position the apron at a number of levels so that the objects can be unloaded into collection devices C disposed along the route and situated at different heights. In order to guarantee the necessary unloading precision, the inlets of these collection devices must be sufficiently large in the horizontal direction, usually at least equal to the length of the trucks.
For this reason, one of the problems which faces the designer of this type of equipment is how to increase the number of outlets in a sorting machine without increasing the length of the plant.
One known solution to this problem involves the use of relatively short unloading hoppers containing devices which further sub-divide the route so as to direct the unloaded objects towards a number of final collectors. This serves to increase the number of outlets without affecting the length of the plant. However, this system is only suitable for equipment designed to handle objects of limited size. If larger objects such as parcels are to be handled, there is a risk of their obstructing the hoppers, thus jamming the machine.
For this reason it has been proposed to provide each collection device with a pair of top and bottom outlets, each directed to a respective final container. The transport platform would be adjusted to a height corresponding to that of the particular outlet into which the objects are to be unloaded.
Commonly owned Patent GB 2,197,633 of the same inventor relates to a truck with a transport platform that can be positioned at different heights by means of a device comprising a pantograph support or an articulated parallelogram, driven by an actuator via a nut and bolt coupling.
These lifting devices pre-position the transport platform at a height corresponding to that of the respective unloading outlet of a collection device, but when they are in the extended (raised) position they are not very rigid, with the result that oscillation is liable to occur because of the horizontal thrusts to which the truck is subjected. Those oscillations can cause, if not an overturning of the load, then at the very least a poor positioning of the load on the transport platform, with the result that the subsequent unloading operation is also imprecise.
The purpose of this invention is to design a truck for conveying/sorting plants, heaving an adjustable-height transport platform which eliminates the annoying oscillation problems mentioned above.
Another purpose of the invention is to design a truck with an adjustable-height transport platform which is reliable in operation and simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Mobile truck with transport platform that can be positioned at a number of levels


A silicon production reactor including a reaction vessel and heating element, the reaction vessel has a vertically extending wall and a space surrounded by the wall, the heating element being capable of heating at least a part, including lower end portion, of the wall's surface facing the space to a temperature of not lower than the melting point of silicon, the silicon production reactor being adapted to flow raw gas for silicon deposition from an upper part of the space of the reaction vessel toward a lower part thereof, characterized in that the space of the reaction vessel is of slit form in cross-sectional view. This silicon production reactor is capable of attaining improvement with respect to problems encountered at apparatus scale-up, such as decrease of reactivity of raw gas and generation of by-products, thereby accomplishing a striking enhancement of production efficiency.

In the art, various processes for producing silicon for use as a raw material for semiconductors and photocells are known. Some thereof are already put into industrial practice.
For example, one prior art process is known as the Siemens process. In the Siemens process, a silicon rod having been heated to a silicon deposition temperature by current passages is disposed in a bell jar, and trichlorosilane (SiHCl3, hereinafter referred to as TCS) or monosilane (SiH4) together with a reducing gas, such as hydrogen, is brought into contact with the heated silicon rod to thereby cause the deposition of silicon.
This process is characterized in that a high-purity silicon can be obtained, and carried out as the most common process. However, deposition is performed batchwise, so that there is such a problem that an extremely complex procedure including arranging of a silicon rod as seed, heating of the silicon rod by current passage, deposition, cooling, takeout, bell jar cleaning, etc. is inevitable.
With a view toward resolving this problem, Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2002-29726 proposes a silicon production reactor capable of producing silicon stably and continuously over a prolonged period of time. In this silicon production reactor, while feeding a raw gas for silicon deposition into a tubular vessel capable of being heated to a temperature of not lower than the melting point of silicon, the tubular vessel is heated so as to perform deposition of silicon. The deposited silicon is continuously melted and caused to fall from the lower end of the tubular vessel, thereby attaining collection of silicon.
This reactor is a very excellent apparatus capable of resolving various problems of the conventional Siemens process and capable of continuous production of silicon. However, when a scale-up of the reaction vessel of cylindrical configuration, etc. described in Examples of Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2002-29726 is preformed as it is with an intent to produce silicon on an industrial scale of hundreds of tons or more per year, the reactivity of raw gas would inevitably drop. Further, fine powder of silicon and by-products such as low-molecular-weight polymers of silane compounds are likely to be generated, thereby tending to invite a decrease of silicon yield. In these respects, an improvement has been demanded.

Reaction apparatus for producing silicon


A laminate sheet material punching method, in which a part of a cover sheet is punched from a laminate sheet material including the cover sheet which has an adhesive film formed at one surface thereof and is adhered to a recording side of a disk substrate of an optical disk via the adhesive film, a strip-off sheet adhered to a surface of the adhesive film on the cover sheet and a protective sheet adhered to the opposite surface of the cover sheet, in a shape corresponding to a shape of the recording side of the disk substrate, the laminate sheet material punching method includes the steps of: pressing a punching blade whose blade tip extends along a path corresponding to the peripheral edge of the recording side of the disk substrate, against the surface of the strip-off sheet; cutting the strip-off sheet and the cover sheet with the punching blade.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laminate sheet material punching method, in which a laminate sheet material including a cover sheet is punched to form the cover sheet to be adhered to a disk substrate into a required planar shape. The present invention also relates to an optical disk manufacturing method, in which a transparent cover layer is formed by adhering the cover sheet onto the disk substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
Optical disks for recording or playback information by using a laser beam, such as a Compact Disk-Recordable (CD-R), a Compact Disk (CD), a Digital Versatile Disk (DVD) and a Digital Versatile Disk-Recordable (DVD-R), are popular. In recent years, there is a demand for the optical disk to store a larger quantity of information such as image information, and therefore, the study of higher density has been promoted. The recording density of the optical disk generally depends on a spot size of a light beam on the disk. The spot size is proportional to λ/NA, wherein λ represents the wavelength of a laser beam, and NA represents the numerical apertures of an objective lens. Therefore, in order to enhance the recording density with respect to the optical disk, it is necessary to shorten the wavelength of the laser beam and increase the number NA of the objective lens. However, since coma aberration generated by the inclination of the optical disk is increased in proportion to the third power of NA, a margin with respect to the inclination of the optical disk becomes extremely small due to the increase of the number of NA, thereby blurring the beam spot even with a slight inclination so as to make it impossible to achieve the recording/playback in high density. For example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open (JP-A) No. 11-31337, a cover layer, through which the laser beam passes, is formed in a sufficient thinness (for example, about 0.1 mm) in the optical disk which can cope with the high density, and thus, it is necessary to suppress an increase in coma aberration caused by the inclination of the disk in association with the increase of the number of NA.
In a process for manufacturing the above-described optical disk, for example, a thin film-like cover sheet formed of a transparent film as a basic material made of polycarbonate or the like is adhered to a recording surface side of a disk substrate having an information recording layer formed thereon, and by this cover sheet, a transparent cover layer is formed on the disk substrate. At this time, an adhesive film is previously formed on one of the side of the cover sheet, i.e., on a adhering surface, and the cover sheet is adhered to the recording side of the disk substrate via the adhesive film.
In many cases, the above-described cover sheet, which is laminated with a disk substrate, is manufactured by using a laminate sheet material of a four-layered structure, in which strip-off sheets and protective sheets are adhered to both of the adhesive surface and light incident surface of the elongated belt-like cover sheet, as a process material. In particular, for example, the protective sheet and the cover sheet in the laminate sheet material are punched in a circular or annular shape corresponding to the shape of the recording side of the disk substrate from the surface on the side of the protective sheet by a punching blade whose blade tip extends in an annular manner, and then, the punched cover sheet is adhered to the recording side of the disk substrate. At this time, the strip-off sheet adhered to the adhesive film of the cover sheet is not punched by the punching blade, but usually, remains in an elongated belt-like manner. The elongated belt-like strip-off sheet is used as a carrier base for conveying the cover sheet punched from the laminate sheet material. That is, the cover sheet per se is very thin (for example, about 80 to 100 μm), and therefore, it is difficult to convey the cover sheet without any occurrence of a defect such as creases. For this reason, conveying force is transmitted to the cover sheet via the strip-off sheet in the state in which the strip-off sheet remains on the cover sheet, thereby making it possible to readily convey the cover sheet punched in the planar shape corresponding to the shape of the recording side of the disk substrate without any occurrence of a defect such as creases.
FIG. 7 shows one example of a method for conveying a cover sheet punched from a laminate sheet material by a conventional punching method. In FIG. 7, a case in which a cover sheet 114 is conveyed onto a receiving table 112 while a strip-off sheet 118 is being stripped from the cover sheet 114 by a sheet strip-off apparatus 110 is shown. The sheet strip-off apparatus 110 is provided with a wedge-shaped strip-off guide member 111 for stripping off the strip-off sheet 118 from the cover sheet 114. The strip-off guide member 111 is supported in so that the tip portion thereof is oriented to a sheet conveying table.
Furthermore, the sheet strip-off apparatus 110 is provided with a tension mechanism (not shown) for applying tensile force to the strip-off sheet 118 in a predetermined strip-off direction (i.e., the direction indicated by arrow E) while applying predetermined tensile force to the strip-off sheet 118 having the plurality of cover sheets 114 adhered thereon. Consequently, in the sheet strip-off apparatus 110, the cover sheet 114 is moved from the base and of the strip-off guide member 111 toward the tip and thereof while being brought into press-contact with the strip-off guide member 111 via the strip-off sheet 118 by a constant press-contact force. At this time, the strip-off sheet 118 adhered to the cover sheet 114 is peeled off from the cover sheet 114 in the vicinity of the tip end portion of the strip-off guide member 111. Moreover, the cover sheet 114 from which the strip-off sheet 118 has been peeled off is pushed forward of the strip-off guide member 111, and slides onto the receiving table 112.
However, when the cover sheet is punched from the side of a protective sheet 120 of the laminate sheet material by a punching blade with the strip-off sheet 118 remaining thereon as a carrier base in an elongated belt-like manner, a substantially wedge-shaped burr 122, which projects toward an adhesive film 116 may be produced at the outer peripheral edge of a resin film 115, which forms the base material of the cover sheet 114, as shown in FIG. 8. The burr 122 produced at the resin film 115 degrades the adhesiveness between a disk substrate 117 and the outer peripheral portion of the cover sheet 114. Additionally, air may intrude between the disk substrate 117 and the cover sheet 114 in an optical disk or a warp may be generated at a light incident surface, thereby leading to a decrease in yield of a non-defective optical disk.

Laminate sheet material punching method and optical disk manufacturing method


Disclosed is a piston having a cylindrical body made from a thermosetting molding compound. The body has a central well and a molded-on metal cap having sides that extend downward over the exterior of the body and into the well. There is insulation under and in contact with the metal cap.

This invention relates to a metal capped piston having insulation under the cap. In particular, it relates to a brake piston made from a thermosetting molding compound that has a molded-on metal cap under which is insulation.
Brake pistons are commonly made by molding phenol formaldehyde molding compound into the shape of the piston, then grinding the rough piston to the precise piston dimensions. Metal caps are often molded onto the top of the piston to prevent degradation of the phenolic from the heat generated in braking. While a metal cap will extend the life of a piston, the phenolic material under the metal cap will eventually degrade, resulting in the failure of the piston.


An endless heat-generation belt 10 includes a heat-generation layer 11 and a pair of metal electrodes 12 and 12. The heat-generation layer 11 is composed of an electroconductive resin composition and the heat-generation layer 11 can be heated by supplying electricity. The metal electrode 12 is bonded to the heat-generation layer 11 with an electroconductive adhesive 13. The electroconductive adhesive 13 contains an adhesive matrix and an electroconductive filler. The adhesive matrix is a modified silicone resin or an epoxy resin. The heat-generation belt 10 has excellent heat resistance, durability, and resistance stability, and it can be used for a fixing device of an image forming apparatus.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heat-generation belt, and a fixing device and an image forming apparatus including therein the heat-generation belt.
2. Description of Related Art
Electrophotographic image forming apparatus have been widely used, with laser beam printers, facsimile machines, copiers, digital multifunctional peripherals and the like being generally known. The image forming apparatus are equipped with a fixing device configured to fix a non-fixed toner image on a toner receiving article.
A known example of such a fixing device is, for example, a fixing device that includes: an endless heat-generation belt, an elastic roll provided on the inner side of the heat-generation belt, a pressure roll for pressing the elastic roll with the intervening heat-generation belt from the exterior of the heat-generation belt, and a power supply for supplying electricity to a resistance heating layer of the heat-generation belt. The fixing device conducts fixing of a toner image by melting the toner image onto the toner receiving article. The resistance heating layer is provided on each of its opposite edges with an annular electrode layer to which electricity is supplied from the power supply. The electrode layer is bonded, for example, to the resistance heating layer (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-109997).
Adequate and stable adhesion strength is required for a long period with regard to the adhesion between the resistance heating layer and the electrode layer. The resistance heating layer is typically composed of a polyimide which can adhere to metals. Adhesion of polyimides to metals, however, is weak.
An exemplary countermeasure for improving the adhesion strength between the resistance heating layer and the electrode layer involves adhesion of the electrode layer to the resistance heating layer by means of chemical bonding, and more specifically, by using a silane coupling agent. Silane coupling agents, however, are readily soluble in a varnish of polyamic acid, a precursor composition for a polyimide. In addition, silane coupling agents are sometimes decomposed at temperatures at which imidation of polyamic acid is effected (for example, 450° C.). Accordingly, adhesion of the electrode layer to the resistance heating layer using a silane coupling agent may lead to generation of some non-bonded parts resulting the heat-generation belt exhibiting unstable resistance heating.

Heat-generation belt, fixing device, and image forming apparatus


A lever-type electrical connector assembly employs a pivoting lever arm to assist in securely mating and un-mating connector halves with reduced connection mating forces between the halves. The assembly employs a housing with a boss pin and a connector with a corresponding cam groove. The connector includes a lever arm with which to direct the necessary mating forces. The lever arm engages the boss pin in the cam groove based upon a stroke, and the boss pin travels through the center point of rotation of the cam groove. The present invention also provides a lever-lock mechanism to securely prepare the lever arm connector in a pre-lock position. The lever lock mechanism is then automatically deflected by the base housing to enable free rotation. Once the lever arm is fully rotated and the connector halves are fully mated, a connector lock mechanism secures the connection.

Electrical connector assemblies used in automotive and other applications often employ a large number of terminals and therefore require a large mating force to ensure a secure connection between the male and female connectors. Significant frictional forces from the terminals and housings must be overcome to properly join the connectors. Similarly, in order to properly function in the environment for which they were created, the male and female connectors must be secured to ensure the electrical connection does not become disengaged, thereby opening the electrical circuit.
Conventional electrical connectors have employed locking devices consisting of screws, springs, detents, clasps, bayonet mechanisms, and other means to assist in securing electrical connectors and preventing accidental uncoupling. However, many of these locking means have been unwieldy and often physically extend beyond the primary geometric bounds of the electrical connector package. The large geometry of previous connectors have prevented their use in constrained spaces.
Previous lever assist mechanisms have used a rotating cam on one half of the connector assembly and pins or cam followers on the other half of the assembly. The distance of the contour of the camshaft to the center point of rotation changes, drawing the connector halves together by rotating the cam so that the pin follows the contour of the cam groove. A mechanical advantage is realized from utilizing a longer distance from the lever to the center rotation point than the distance from the point of contact on the pin in the cam groove to the center point of rotation.
Tangential forces are applied to the pins in the radial direction with respect to the rotation point and require a long path of travel about the cam's center point of rotation. Conventional cam and cam follower connector assemblies often require at least ninety degrees of rotation to fully mate or un-mate the connector halves.
While such methods of securing electrical connectors have been employed in the past, problems occur when the connectors are not properly aligned prior to applying the mating force, or when the connectors become misaligned as the mating force is applied, or when the connector locking mechanism is not properly secured. This can result from improper initial alignment of the connectors, as well as misalignment due to a fluctuating or an inconsistent applied force that results in skewing or otherwise improper closing of the locking mechanism. Additionally, the pressure angle may be difficult to control leading to a decrease in the mechanical advantage. Similarly, conventional cam mechanisms have often been unduly large and bulky because the stroke required was accommodated within the contour of the cam groove and often require a large degree of angular travel to mate and un-mate the connector assembly. Also, in typical cam-assisted connector assemblies, mating forces required to mate and un-mate connectors are not equal since pin diameter is included in one moment arm movement (e.g., mating) and not the other movement (e.g., un-mating). Prior attempts to overcome these challenges have fallen short in suitably addressing all concerns simultaneously. That is, there is a lack of a suitable locking mechanism that may be used to securely fasten and unfasten an electrical connector assembly employing large mating forces while preventing unintentional separation of the assembly with the stroke of the mechanical assist mechanism constrained within the contours of the cam and utilizing a relatively small amount of angular travel.
None of the previous electrical connector lever lock assemblies allow the use of large mating forces required to properly join male and female multi-pin connector structures while adequately preventing the unintentional release of the lever lock connector and providing a lever locking mechanism that operates with a mechanical stroke within the geometric projection of the cover housing used to actuate proper connection of the halves of the electrical connector assembly to provide an efficient and reliable means of mating and locking the connector assembly.
What is needed is a new type of electrical connector lever lock assembly that permits application of suitably large mating forces during the mating process while providing a compact lever arm housing and a reduced angular distance through which the arm must travel.

Lever action mechanical assist connector


An anti-lock control method for preventing a vehicle from yawing during braking, while driving on a split road surface. The amounts of the pressure increase in a right wheel and a left wheel control system, controlled independently of each other, are compared with each other. When there is a difference between the two pressure increase amounts, it is determined that the control system having the greater pressure increase amount is the high road-side control system whereas the other control system, having the smaller pressure increase amount, is the low road-side control system. The brake hydraulic pressure in the high road-side control system is controlled so that it does not excessively increase.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an anti-lock control method for preventing wheels of a vehicle from locking during braking, and more particularly, to an anti-lock control method for preventing the wheels from yawing during braking in the situation where either the right wheel or the left wheel runs on a high road surface and the other wheel runs on a low road surface.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Generally, for the purpose of maintaining good steering capability and vehicle stability while braking a vehicle, and also of reducing the braking distance, an anti-lock control device is used. Conventionally, the device includes a control unit having a microcomputer, where the control mode of the brake hydraulic pressure is determined according to electrical signals representing wheel speeds detected by wheel speed sensors. Hold valves (normally-opened solenoid valves) and decay valves (normally-closed solenoid valves) are opened and closed to increase, decrease or hold the brake hydraulic pressure.
In such a conventional anti-lock control method, a pressure decrease reference speed Vr is set based on a wheel speed to be controlled (hereinafter referred to as "system speed Vs") in each brake control system. A speed, which has a predetermined acceleration/deceleration following limit with respect to the highest one of the four wheel speeds, is set as an estimated vehicle speed Vv. There is also set a threshold speed VT which, while kept lower in speed a predetermined value than the estimated vehicle speed Vv, follows this estimated vehicle speed. In accordance with the comparison of the system speed Vs with the reference speed Vr or the threshold speed VT to determine which of them is higher, and also in accordance with detected high and low peak points of the system speed Vs, the time of starting each control mode (i.e. increasing, decreasing or holding the brake pressure), as well as the time of ending each control mode, are set. A plurality of hydraulic control valves (solenoid valves) are turned on and off in accordance with predetermined control procedures set respectively for these control modes, thereby increasing, holding and decreasing the pressure.
For example, a pair of control systems are set in such a manner that the wheel speeds of the right and left front wheels are represented by system speeds Vs1 and Vs2, respectively, and their anti-lock controls are independent of each other. In such an anti-lock control method, there is a condition when the pressure increases with respect to the right and left control systems, using the same mode judgment standard when the vehicle is running on a split road surface (i.e. a right wheel is on a high road surface and a left wheel is on a low road surface, or vice versa), in which the road surface friction coefficients .mu. (hereinafter referred to as "road surface .mu.") to which the right and left wheels are subjected are different from each other. Thus, in the control system in which the front wheel is on the high road surface, the brake hydraulic pressure is controlled such that a sufficient braking force can be obtained utilizing this high .mu. road surface. Whereas in the control system in which the other front wheel is on the low road surface, the brake hydraulic pressure is controlled such that the braking force is decreased to prevent a wheel from locking. The amount of pressure increase required for one cycle of acceleration and deceleration of the wheel is much larger than the low road-side control system. Therefore, a yawing moment develops in the vehicle body, which affects the vehicles stability.

Anti-lock control method for preventing vehicle yawing


An armature assembly for use in a motor has an annual creepage shield received on the armature shaft between the bearing and the commutator. The creepage shield has a first face adjacent to the commutator, and a second face adjacent to the bearing. The second face has at least one generally annular surface interruption to increase effective creepage distance between the commutator and the bearing.

Motor assemblies are used in a variety of applications such as, for example, portable electric tools and vacuum cleaners. A typical motor assembly includes a housing with a field disposed therein. The field may be formed by a plurality of permanent magnets or by field windings. An armature assembly extends through the field. The armature assembly generally includes a rotatable armature shaft extending through the housing, and a commutator affixed generally adjacent to an end of the armature shaft for rotation together with the armature shaft. A pair of brushes affixed to the housing contact the commutator. The brushes are held by brush holders and connect to the motor terminals. Both ends of the armature shaft are supported by bearings.
Due to the widespread use of motor assemblies, various safety standards have been developed for minimum distances between conducting parts on the motor assembly. In particular, there are safety standards for the distances between the commutator and the bearing supporting the end of the armature shaft where the commutator is located. The distances of interest are the creepage distance, clearance distance, and through material distance from the commutator to the bearing as measured from one of the commutator bars to the bearing when the two parts are in their most unfavorable stationary position relative to each other.
Creepage distance denotes the shortest path between two conductive parts, or between a conductive part and the bounding surface of the tool, measured along the surface of the insulating material. Clearance distance denotes the shortest distance between two conductive parts, or between a conductive part and the bounding surface of the tool, measured through air. The bounding surface of the tool is the outer surface of the enclosure, considered as though metal foil are pressed into contact with accessible surfaces of insulating material. Through material is measured through the insulator. There are various guidelines for determining creepage clearance, and through material distances. For example, UNDERWRITERS LABORATORIES INC. publishes standards for these distances and guidelines for measuring them.
The creepage distance from the commutator to the bearing for a motor assembly has a minimum creepage distance standard of 8.0 mm according to UNDERWRITERS LABORATORIES Standard UL 745-1. The UL standard applies to, among other places, the United States and Canada. Other places in the world have their own standards. For example, according to IEC Standard EN50144-4, the standard for Europe and some other places, the commutator to bearing minimum creepage distance standard is 8.0 mm. Further, the NEW DENTORI Standard, for Japan, requires a commutator to bearing minimum creepage distance of 8.0 mm. Of course, these standards are merely exemplary, and there may be other standards for the commutator to bearing minimum creepage distance.
To meet the commutator to bearing minimum creepage distance requirements, which are 8.0 mm in the standards discussed above, but may be any distance based on the particular motor assembly application and the choice of which standard to follow for the motor assembly design, the bearing at the commutator end of the armature shaft is typically spaced far enough from the commutator so that the measured clearance distance exceeds the minimum creepage distance standard of choice. Because a computed creepage distance is never less than a measured clearance distance, spacing of the bearing far enough from the commutator such that the clearance distance exceeds the creepage distance standard assures that the creepage distance also exceeds the creepage distance standard.
Although motor assembly designs in which the measured clearance exceeds the creepage distance standard have been used in a number of different applications which have been commercially successful, such a design adds to the overall length of the motor assembly. In space restricted applications, such as portable electric tools and vacuum cleaners, it may be desirable to reduce the overall motor assembly length as much as possible while still meeting the selected design standards.


In one embodiment is provided an adjustment mechanism wherein the surveying pole moves about a point which is located next to or adjacent the ground surface point at which the pole is being place. In one embodiment the surveying pole moves about a point which located at the ground surface. In one embodiment the surveying pole moves about a point which is located next to the ground surface, but above the ground surface. In one embodiment the surveying pole moves about a point which is located next to the ground surface, but below the ground surface. In one embodiment a tightening means is provided which is concentrically mounted around an axial line passing through the pole. In one embodiment a biasing means is operatively connected to the tightening means. In one embodiment the biasing means is a spring. In one embodiment the biasing means is a conical spring. In various embodiments the biasing means can be a spring chosen from the group consisting of helical, cylindrical, ellipitic, flat-leaf, leaf, rectangular plate, semielliptic, sprial-coiled. In one embodiment is provided at least one viewing window for the stand to be accurately placed. In one embodiment a plurality of windows are provided. In one embodiment four windows are provided which are radially spaced. In one embodiment is provided a pin is provided which can be used to accurately place the stand. In one embodiment the pin is slidingly attached to the stand and biased toward the center of rotation of the surveying pole.

This invention relates generally to surveying equipment. Surveying equipment and particularly the support structure should be able to withstand all kinds of environmental conditions while retaining its integrity and dimensional accuracy. In many instances, the dimensional accuracy is imperative in order to obtain the correct measurements in a geographic survey. For instance, prism poles and global positioning satellite (GPS) poles should be able to retain a substantially fixed position of extension as they are moved from place to place over uneven terrain and in all kinds of weather.
Prior art prism poles generally include two or more interfitting pole sections, and support a prism or other measurement device at the top used to sight or determine positions with laser, modulated infrared, angular and/or GPS position locators or like surveying systems. The prism reflects light back to the position locator for determining the location of the prism at different locations in a survey. U.S. Pat. No. 5,255,441 explains the operation of a basic prism pole.
One of the disadvantages with prism poles is that they generally require a team of at least two people. One to hold upright the prism pole and a second to take the surveying shot (or measurement).
One embodiment of the present invention allows a single individual to position the prism pole and take the surveying shot. It accomplishes this by providing an adjustable stand for the prism which stand has multiple degrees of freedom for adjustment. With the multiple degrees of freedom the prism can always be placed so that the pole points to the center of the earth (i.e., the pole is plumb) in various topographical conditions. If the surface topography on which the stand is placed is not level, then the stand can be adjusted such that the pole will be plumb.
There is a need in the art for providing improved prism stands.
The following US Patents are incorporated herein by reference: U.S. Pat. No. 5,255,441.
While certain novel features of this invention shown and described below are pointed out in the annexed claims, the invention is not intended to be limited to the details specified, since a person of ordinary skill in the relevant art will understand that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made without departing in anyway from the spirit of the present invention. No feature of the invention is critical or essential unless it is expressly stated as being "critical" or "essential."


An array of dielectric wave antennas is disclosed. Each wave antenna has a central dielectric portion and two dielectric tapered portions, disposed on opposite sides of the central dielectric portion. The array is deployed in a lens shape and allows variation of the phase delay of an incident electromagnetic wave when passing through the array.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a wave antenna system. In particular, a wave antenna lens system comprising a double-ended array of wave antennas deployed in a lens shape is disclosed.
The system disclosed in the present application can be applied to a wide range of microwave and millimeter wave antennas, where quasi-optical elements, i.e. elements having properties resembling those of optical elements, can improve performance, for example by focusing radiation in antenna systems. In particular, the lens system disclosed in the present application can be used to replace a fixed reflector or a lens, for example in satellite tracking applications.
2. Description of related art
There are a number of mechanisms that are classically used to focus radiation in antenna systems:
a) Mirrors and focal plane sensors, where a lens or a reflecting metal surface can be used to focus radiation. Typical satellite antennas are provided with a detector at the focus of an offset parabolic reflector, like for example in DirecTV or DirecPC applications. The parabola is offset for reasons related to beam blockage and diffraction by the supports.
b) Lens systems. However, these kinds of systems are less used in the microwave bands because of the dimensions, performance (reflective losses) and costs of the lenses when compared with those of a metal mirror. In fact, while optical lenses can have anti-reflecting coatings, these coatings are often not suited to coherent microwaves.
c) Thin lenses making use of Fresnel designs, such as used in the optical domain. However, for longer wavelengths, the step size must correspond to integer wavelengths, in order to avoid strong grating lobes due to diffraction at these locations. The grating lobe problem limits the utility of the lens for tracking.
d) Transmitting Fresnel zone plates. Again, there are beam steering issues that make this difficult.
e) Rotman-Turner lens, where a pair of one- or two-dimensional arrays of horns are connected together via waveguide links. Each link has a fixed phase delay designed to produce a phase shift equivalent to that of a lens. However, horns and metallic guides are needed.


A leaf spring for a vehicle suspension is formed from a composite material and includes first and second ends that are longitudinally spaced apart from each other. A resilient element is attached to at least one of the first and second ends. The resilient element includes at least one hole that receives a connecting element. The resilient element and the connecting element cooperate to attach the leaf spring to a vehicle structure. In one example, the resilient element comprises a rubber block that is bonded to the leaf spring. In another example, the resilient element comprises a longitudinally orientated bushing that is inserted through a thickness of the leaf spring.

Vehicle suspensions include springs that cooperate with other suspension components to improve ride and handling characteristics for a vehicle. One type of spring used in vehicle suspensions is a composite leaf spring. The composite leaf spring extends in a longitudinal direction and has first and second ends that are pivotally mounted to a vehicle frame. A center portion of the composite leaf spring is supported by an axle component, which extends in a lateral direction across a width of the vehicle.
Each of the first and second ends of the composite leaf spring includes a metal bracket. Traditionally, each metal bracket comprises an aluminum extrusion that is mechanically fastened to the composite leaf spring. The metal bracket is configured to receive a press-fit bushing such that each of the first and second ends can be pivotally attached to shackles on the vehicle frame. Utilizing this type of bracket and mounting configuration is not ideal from a cost and material standpoint.
Thus, there is a need for an improved mounting interface for composite leaf springs that overcomes the deficiencies in the prior art discussed above.

Composite spring with resilient attachment interface


Disclosed is a hot rolled steel sheet which contains C, Si, Mn, Al, Ti, N, and S. The C, Ti, N, and sulfur contents satisfy the following condition (1), and the Si and Mn contents satisfy the following condition (2):[C]−{[Ti]−(48/14)×[N]−(48/32)×[S]}/4≦0.01  (1)0.20≦([Si]/[Mn])≦0.85  (2)in which the symbol [X] represents the content (percent by mass) of the element X, and the steel sheet has a microstructure having an area percentage of bainitic ferrite of 90% or more, an area percentage of martensite of 5% or less, and an area percentage of bainite of 5% or less, based on the area of an observed field. This steel sheet excels in properties demanded in press working, such as shape freezing ability, hole-expandability, and bendability, even though it has a high tensile strength of 980 MPa or more.

Components typically of automobiles are manufactured by subjecting steel sheets to press working. Burring (hole expanding) and/or bending is carried out in the press working process. The material steel sheets subjected to press working desirably have hole-expandability (also called "stretch-flangeability") and/or bendability. The material steel sheets subjected to press working also desirably have shape freezing ability, so as to fabricate components having desired shapes with good dimensional accuracy. In particular, pillars and other structural components of automobiles should have further increased strength so as to improve collision safety of automobiles, and high strength thin steel sheets having tensile strengths of 980 MPa or more are to be adopted thereto.
Accordingly, material steel sheets subjected to press working should have both high tensile strengths of 980 MPa or more and satisfactory press workabilities such as hole-expandability, bendability, and shape freezing ability.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. 2006-161111 discloses a technique of providing a steel sheet having an increased strength and improved hole-expandability (stretch-flangeability). This steel sheet has a ferrite single phase microstructure and contains elements which form carbide precipitates, such as Ti, Nb, V, and Mo, in the microstructure to cause precipitation strengthening to thereby have an increased strength. However, as is described in this document, the steel sheet having an increased strength due to precipitation strengthening has an increased yield ratio and thereby has deteriorated shape freezing ability.
JP-A No. 2005-248240 proposes a technique of providing a hot rolled steel sheet having a strength exceeding 490 MPa and showing improved hole-expandability (stretch-flangeability). This technique achieves a strength on the order of exceeding 490 MPa and gives improved hole-expandability (stretch-flangeability) by allowing the steel sheet to have a microstructure mainly containing bainitic ferrite and by suitably controlling the average grain size of prior-austenite grains. This document also teaches that hole-expandability (stretch-flangeability) can be improved by suppressing localization of elements that cause intergranular embrittlement, such as phosphorus (P), in a system in which precipitation of coarse carbides is suppressed by the action typically of titanium (Ti).
Although giving consideration to hole-expandability (stretch-flangeability), the document (JP-A No. 2005-248240) does not give consideration to bendability and shape freezing ability of steel sheets.

High strength hot rolled steel sheet with excellent press workability and method of manufacturing the same

Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)