A laser-based technique to determine glass thickness employs a pulsed laser to induce an ultrasonic wave between the surfaces of a region of glass, causing the surfaces to move in and out at a characteristic frequency. The surface motion is monitored to determine the characteristic frequency, which is proportional to the thickness of the glass in the region of the ultrasonic wave. The pulsed laser produces a short duration pulse that illuminates a surface of the glass, which is absorbed within the glass to cause a rapid thermal expansion that generates the ultrasonic wave. The surface motion induced by the ultrasonic wave is preferably detected with a laser interferometer system, the output of which is analyzed to determine the surface motion""s characteristic frequency.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of thickness measurement systems, and particularly to the use of laser ultrasonics to determine glass thickness.
2. Description of the Related Art
To avoid breakage during shipping and handling, the walls of glass products such as bottles and beakers must typically meet a minimum thickness specification. To determine adherence to this specification, the glass thickness must be measured. Glass products of this sort are usually conveyed through a factory in large numbers. To avoid stopping or unduly slowing their movement, such monitoring is preferably performed xe2x80x98in-linexe2x80x99, i.e., as the products travel along the conveyor, and without contacting the glass.
A conventional in-line measurement technique uses a laser system which determines glass thickness using triangulation. A laser beam is directed at the glass to be measured at an oblique angle to the surface. A portion of the beam reflects off the outer surface of the glass, while the remainder of the beam is transmitted through the outer surface; a portion of the transmitted beam is also reflected off the inner surface. The spatial displacement of the two reflected beams is measured, and the thickness of the glass determined from the displacement measurement by a simple geometric calculation.
Unfortunately, as one of the beams must pass back and forth through the glass, this technique works poorly on colored glass, or else requires the use of different laser types for different glass colors. This technique also requires the inner and outer surfaces to be largely parallel, or the accuracy of the technique is lost.
A system and method for measuring the thickness of glass is presented, which provides in-line, non-contacting thickness measurements regardless of glass color, while avoiding the problems noted above. In addition, the degree of parallelism required is considerably less than that needed in the prior art.
The invention uses a laser-based ultrasound technique to determine glass thickness. An ultrasonic wave is induced between the surfaces of a region of glass. In one operating mode, the ultrasonic wave reflects back and forth between the surfaces repeatedly, building up a reverberation which causes both surfaces of the glass to move in and out at the same characteristic reverberation frequency. The surface motion is monitored to determine the characteristic reverberation frequency, which is inversely proportional to the thickness of the glass in the region of the ultrasonic wave.
In another operating mode, the ultrasonic wave comprises short, discrete pulses which reflect back and forth inside the glass sample. Each time the pulse arrives at a surface, transient surface motion is induced. The pulses (called xe2x80x98echoesxe2x80x99) arrive at equally spaced time intervals. The surface motion is monitored to determine the characteristic xe2x80x98time-of-flightxe2x80x99 (TOF) between successive pulses. The thickness of the glass in the region of the ultrasonic wave is directly proportional to the time-of-flight.
The ultrasonic wave is preferably induced with a pulsed xe2x80x98generationxe2x80x99 laser which produces a short duration pulse that illuminates a surface of the glass. The wavelength of the generation laser is chosen such that the pulse is largely absorbed near the illuminated surface or in the bulk of the material, causing a rapid thermal expansion which results in the creation of the ultrasonic wave. To avoid damaging the glass, the pulse duration, beam size, and energy characteristics of the generation laser must be carefully chosen. The surface motion induced by the ultrasonic wave is preferably detected with an interferometer system which utilizes a separate probe laser. The output of the interferometer is analyzed to determine the TOF or characteristic reverberation frequency of the surface motion.
Because the technique does not require the outputs of the generation or probe lasers to be transmitted through the glass, the glass need not be transparent. Furthermore, since the probe laser need not be reflected off the back surface (as in the prior art), there is no strict requirement that the glass surfaces be parallel; rather, the surfaces need only be sufficiently parallel to allow multiple reflections or reverberations of the ultrasonic wave in a local region. Finally, the present technique requires no contact with the glass, is non-destructive, and is suitable for in-line measurements.
An alternative method of detecting surface motion, useful when the glass is largely transparent with nearly parallel surfaces, utilizes the glass itself as an etalon. The intensity modulation produced by the resulting interference pattern is detected with one or more photocells, with the frequency of the modulation establishing the TOF or characteristic reverberation frequency needed to determine thickness.
Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, taken together with the accompanying drawings.

Laser-based glass thickness measurement system and method


A display device and method are provided. The display device includes a timing controller configured to insert a clock between data and transmit the data in which the clock has been inserted, transmission lines configured to transfer the data in which the clock has been inserted, and data driver integrated circuits (ICs) configured to receive the data in which the clock has been inserted, separate the clock from the data, and drive data lines of a liquid crystal panel on the basis of the clock and the data. The timing controller includes a phase-locked loop (PLL) including an oscillator and an inductor-capacitor (LC) resonant circuit, and a reset signal generator configured to generate a reset signal causing the PLL to start coarse frequency tuning when initial power is applied or a frequency of an applied input clock changes.

Lately, a low-voltage differential signaling (LVDS) interface is frequently being used for data transmission between a timing controller and data driver ICs of a display device. The LVDS interface is a parallel interface, and a plurality of data diver ICs are connected with a pair of LVDS interfaces. However, a data driver IC having a capacitance load component is connected to one signal line, which causes an impedance mismatch and limits a slew rate. Consequently, a problem occurs in high-speed operation. To solve this problem, a point-to-point interface is used, and a phase-locked loop (PLL) or delay-locked loop (DLL) is used for clock and data recovery. Here, the PLL and DLL use delay-cell-based circuits. Thus, the PLL and DLL are sensitive to temperature and process variation and vulnerable to supply noise, thus having a poor jitter characteristic. Consequently, a PLL having a low-jitter characteristic is necessary to transfer data between a timing controller and data driver ICs at high speed.


An ink cartridge has a case having an ink chamber defined therein, and a pivotable member positioned in the ink chamber. The pivotable member has an opening formed therethrough, and the pivotable member pivots about the opening of the pivotable member. The ink cartridge also has a supporting shaft having a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The supporting shaft is positioned within the opening of the pivotable member. The ink cartridge further has a supporting member that supports at least one of the first end and the second end of the supporting shaft, and a projection extending from the supporting member toward the pivotable member.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to ink cartridges, and more specifically, to ink cartridges comprising a pivotable member configured to pivot about a supporting shaft in an ink chamber.
2. Description of Related Art
A known image printing apparatus is configured to print an image on a sheet of paper with ink. The known image printing apparatus has an inkjet type print head, and selectively ejects ink droplets from nozzles of the print head toward the sheet of paper to print an image on the sheet of paper. A known ink cartridge is configured to be removably mounted to the known image printing apparatus, and the ink cartridge is configured to store ink therein and to supply the ink to the print head. When the known ink cartridge becomes empty of ink, the ink cartridge is removed from the image printing apparatus, and a new ink cartridge is mounted to the image printing apparatus. In order to determine the timing of replacement of the ink cartridge, a known detector is configured to detect the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge.
In a known ink cartridge, such as the ink cartridge described in JP-A-2005-262564, a float is configured to move in an ink chamber. The float is positioned at one end of a connecting member, and a light-blocking panel is positioned at the other end of the connecting member. A shaft is integrally positioned at the connecting member between the float and the light-blocking panel. The shaft is supported by a supporting base positioned at the bottom of the ink chamber, such that the connecting member is pivotable about the shaft in the ink chamber. The float is configured to move with buoyancy in accordance with the amount of ink in the ink chamber. The connecting member is configured to pivot according to the movement of the float, and the position of the light-blocking panel changes when the connecting member pivots. By optically detecting the change of the position of the light-blocking panel, the amount of ink in the ink chamber is determined.
In a known ink cartridge, the connecting member is manufactured by molding synthetic resin, the weight of which can be reduced to reduce frictional resistance when a connecting member pivots. Moreover, the shaft of the connecting member has a smaller diameter in order to reduce the frictional resistance with respect to the supporting base. Nevertheless, when the connecting member and the shaft are integrally formed of the synthetic resin, the smaller the diameter of the shaft is, the more difficult it becomes to center the center axis of the shaft. Because the molded product made of synthetic resin is subjected to burrs or steps generated by a parting line, it is difficult to smooth the peripheral surface of the shaft.
When the shaft is not integrally manufactured with the connecting member, the number of components increases in a supporting mechanism of the connecting member, and the shaft cannot be supported accurately at a predetermined position due to factors, such as imperfections due to a cumulative effect of the dimensional tolerances of the respective components, or positional displacements of supporting portions. Thus, the pivotal movement of the connecting member is hindered. Moreover, if the rattling of the connecting member with respect to the supporting mechanism is increased, the connecting member is easily tilted when the rattling increases, which may prevent the connecting member from pivoting smoothly. For example, the pivotal movement of the connecting member may be hindered when the connecting member contacts other members of the ink cartridge such as the inner wall of the ink chamber, or the connecting member may be stuck to the inner wall due to the surface tension of ink.


A police control baton which a police officer can effectively apply to control a subject by controlling his shoulder girdle, trapping his wrist behind his back, and "fulcruming" the baton's distal end upon the musculature of his buttock to "rock" back his heel on the same side as his affected shoulder and trapped wrist.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a police control baton for use by a police officer in subjecting a subject to control for arrest and apprehension.
2. Background
The problem in the art to which this invention aperatains is the need for a police control baton which a police officer can effectively apply to a subject to control such subject by controlling the subject's shoulder girdle, by trapping the subject's wrist behind the subject's back and by "fulcruming" a distal end of the baton upon the buttock's muscle surface of the subject, to "rock" the subject back on his heel on the same side as the subject's affected shoulder and wrist, thereby depriving the subject of any effective footing base from which to muster resistance and thereby rendering the subject amenable to control by the arresting and apprehending police officer.


A recording medium equipped with recording/reproducing control information, and a method and apparatus for controlling the recording medium using the control information are disclosed. The recording medium includes: a data area in which data is recorded; and a management area in which control information is recorded, wherein the management area includes a plurality of first control information units equipped with the control information and a plurality of second control information units, the second control information unit being formed by grouping at least one first control information units among the plurality of first control information units, and the control information includes information indicating the number of consecutive second control information units among the plurality of second control information units. Therefore, the recording medium can be effectively controlled.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording medium, and a method and apparatus for controlling a recording medium using control information capable of controlling the recording medium.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Generally, there has been widely used an optical disc acting as a recording medium capable of recording a large amount of data therein. Particularly, there has been newly developed a high-density optical recording medium (e.g., a HD-DVD) capable of recording/storing high-quality video data and high-quality audio data for a long period of time, for example, a Blu-ray Disc (BD).
The BD based on the next-generation HD-DVD technique has been considered to be the next-generation optical recording solution capable of storing much more data than a conventional DVD. In recent times, the international standard technical specification associated with the BD has been established.
A variety of standard technical specifications associated with the BD have been established. And, a variety of standard technical specifications associated with various discs, for example, a 1×-speed BD-RE (Blu-ray Disc Rewritable), a high-speed (at least 2×-speed) BD-RE, a write-once BD-R, and a BD-ROM (Read Only Memory), have also been established.
In recent times, the above-mentioned BD-associated standard technical specifications are being extended from a conventional BD composed of one or two recording layers to a multi-layered BD composed of at least three recording layers and also being extended from a conventional BD being capable of one or two type of writing speed and/or write parameters (e.g., write strategy parameters) to a multi type BD being capable of a plurality of writing speed and/or write parameters.
However, detailed technical backgrounds associated with the multi-layered BD have not yet been completed, such that many limitations and problems occur in developing the optical recording/reproducing device.

Recording medium and method and apparatus for controlling the recording using sequence numbers of control information units


A system and method for finding the position of a waveguide in a planar optical device that has application to the coupling of light to a planar optical waveguide without connectors. The system comprises input and output optical fiber probes, a light source, a photo or light detector and a optical power meter. The light detector is positioned at the exit of the optical waveguide of interest. Typically, the position of the waveguide will be known with some window of uncertainty. Assuming that the photo detector is a photodiode, the area of the photodiode is preferably large enough that the exit of the waveguide can be assumed to lie within the detection area of the photodiode. The input optical fiber probe is coupled to the light source and is moved across the uncertainty window of the entry to the waveguide. The light transmitted through the waveguide to the photo detector is measured and used to find the position of the entry to the way guide. The input fiber probe is then positioned at the entry to the waveguide. The output fiber probe is then coupled to the optical power meter and used to scan for the exit for the waveguide.

This invention relates generally to the field of assembly and test of electronic or optical components, such as integrated optical devices, and in particular to the coupling of light to planar optical waveguides.
The assembly and test of devices, such as integrated optical devices, require accurate alignment of components. For example, the assembly process for coupling optical fibers to optical chip components requires mechanical positioning to within 1 micron or less. The mechanical repeatability of chip placement equipment or manual loading of an optical chip into a test and assembly station is much greater than 1 micron. Thus the position of the optical waveguide within a chip with respect to the mating fibers is known to an accuracy of no better than several microns. Consequently, additional steps must be taken to locate the waveguide within this window of uncertainty.
When coupling light to and receiving light from a planar optical device, a light emitting optical fiber probe is coupled to a waveguide on the device. Light travels through the waveguide and is received by another optical fiber probe or array of probes on the other side of the waveguide. In most applications, the locations of the optical fiber probes and the device itself are not known accurately enough to allow for successful coupling based on mechanical repeatability of the system.
One prior approach is the use of a microscope together with manual positioning of the components. This approach requires trained and skilled operators. This is expensive and is subject to human error.
Another approach is the use of video microscopes in combination with image processing software and computer control of the positioning device. The equipment required typically includes two digital cameras, objective lenses, illumination equipment, an image processing acquisition system and processing software to interpret the image. This type of equipment is expensive and relatively slow, and measurement accuracy is limited to a few microns.
Moreover, the equipment used in these approaches tends to obstruct other processing equipment required to complete the assembly and test processes.
Accordingly, there is an unmet need in the art for a method and a system capable of finding the location of a waveguide in planar optical device that is both accurate and amenable to automation.
The invention relates generally to a system and method for finding the position of a waveguide in a planar optical device and has application to the coupling of light to a planar optical waveguide without connectors. The system comprises input and output optical fiber probes, a light source, a light detector or photodetector such as a large area photodiode and an optical power meter such as a photodiode power meter. According to the method the light detector is positioned at the exit of the optical waveguide of interest. Typically, the position of the waveguide is known to be within some window of uncertainty. Preferably, the area of the photodetector, which may be a large area photodiode, is large enough that the exit of the waveguide can be assumed to lie within the detection area of the light detector. The input optical fiber probe is coupled to the light source and is moved across the uncertainty window of the entry to the waveguide. The light transmitted through the device to the photodetector is measured and used to find the position of the entry to the waveguide. The input optical fiber probe is then positioned at the entry to the waveguide. The output optical fiber probe, which is coupled to an optical power meter, is used to scan for the exit for the waveguide. The probes may be moved automatically or manually.

System and method for coupling light through a waveguide in a planar optical device


A display method of a three-dimensional picture image is provided which comprises a step for dividing and sampling a three-dimensional image space to be displayed into a plurality of two-dimensional images in a depth direction; a step for sequentially displaying each of the two-dimensional images; a step for observing each of the two-dimensional images by a naked eye through an optical system as a virtual image by the optical system; and a step for moving a position of the virtual image in an optical axis direction by changing an optical distance between the optical system and each of the two-dimensional images within an afterimage time of the naked eye, wherein each of the two-dimensional images is a two-dimensional image within the three-dimensional image space corresponding to each moving position of the virtual image and is set to be displayed at a time point of each moving position of the virtual image.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a three-dimensional image display method and its display apparatus for displaying a so-called solid picture image.
2. Related Background Art
FIG. 1 shows a schematic construction of one example of a conventional both-eyes type solid image display method. A left-hand projected image IL and a right-hand projected image IR having different polarizing directions on left-hand and right-hand sides are projected in consideration of the parallax of left-hand and right-hand naked eyes on a screen Sc. The above left-hand projected image IL and the above right-hand projected image IR are observed by a left-hand naked eye EL and a right-hand naked eye ER through a pair of polarizing glasses G having different polarizing directions on the left-hand and right-hand sides. In this case, an observer having the left-hand naked eye EL and the right-hand naked eye ER observes the projected images as a solid image by overlapping the left-hand projected image IL and the right-hand projected image IR.
In the example of FIG. 1, the observer observes the solid image by focusing his eyes on the optical images IL and IR projected onto the screen Sc. However, a convergence position of the two picture images IL and IR is a position Po located considerably before a position Ps of the screen Sc. Therefore, problems exist in that the observer greatly gets tired at an observing time and has a feeling of physical disorder.
Various kinds of systems for solving such fatigue problems are proposed as apparatuses capable of observing the projected images as a more excellent solid or three-dimensional image. For example, there is a display system in which a screen moved in a depth direction is arranged and a three-dimensional image is divided and sampled in this depth direction and the screen is moved in accordance with a divisional depth position of this picture image. In this case, the observer can observe the picture image on the screen as a three-dimensional image.
However, the display apparatus is particularly large-sized by moving the screen in this way when the three-dimensional picture image is widened on the screen. Further, no observer can observe this three-dimensional image as a deep three-dimensional image having an actual place feeling or presence. Accordingly, many problems are left in any of the apparatuses.

Three-dimensional image display method and its display apparatus


A common conductor assembly is employed in a contact switch and includes a mounting plate, a pivotally movable member and a tension spring. The mounting plate has an elongated flat portion with first and second vertical edges, and first and second end plate portions extending integrally and transversely from a respective one of the first and second vertical edges in a same direction. The first end plate portion has an outward face formed with an engaging groove that is perpendicular to the vertical edges of the elongated flat portion. The second end plate portion has a spring mounting neck formed thereat. A conducting leg plate portion extends downwardly and integrally from the second vertical edge of the elongated flat portion. The movable member has an engaging end received in the engaging groove of the first end plate portion, a central spring engaging hole formed therethrough, and an access slit extending from the engaging hole to one side of the movable member in the direction in which the first and second end plate portions extend. The slit has a width less than a diameter of the engaging hole. The tension spring has a looped end engaging the spring mounting neck and a hook end engaging the engaging hole via the slit so as to interconnect the movable member and the second end plate portion under tension.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a common conductor assembly, more particularly to a common conductor assembly for a contact switch.
2. Description of The Related Art
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional common conductor assembly is employed in a contact switch and includes a mounting plate 12, a pivotally movable member 13 and a tension spring 14. The contact switch includes a lower switch casing part 10, an upper switch casing part 11 connected to the lower switch casing part 10 to form a switch casing, a push button 15 and first and second conductors 16, 17. The mounting plate 12 is provided on the lower switch casing part 10 and has an elongated flat portion 120 with first and second vertical edges, and first and second end plate portions 125, 122 extending integrally and transversely from a respective one of the first and second vertical edges in a same direction. The first end plate portion 125 has an outward face formed with an engaging groove 126 that is perpendicular to the vertical edges of the elongated flat portion 120, and an upper edge formed with a notch 127. The second end plate portion 122 has a spring mounting hole 121 formed therethrough, and a distal end formed with a notch 124. A conducting leg plate portion 121 extends downwardly and integrally from the second vertical edge of the elongated flat portion 122 and through the lower switch casing part 10. The pivotally movable member 13 has an engaging end received in the engaging groove 126 of the first end plate portion 125, and a spring engaging hole 131 formed therethrough. The tension spring 14 has a first hook end and a second hook end. The first hook end of the tension spring 14 extends through the notch 127 of the first end plate portion 125 to engage the spring engaging hole 131, while the second hook end of the tension spring 14 extends through the notch 124 of the second end plate portion 122 to engage the spring mounting hole 123 so as to interconnect the movable member 13 and the mounting plate 12 under tension in order to permit movement of the movable member 13 between upper and lower positions when the push button 15 is pressed. Each of the first and second conductors 16, 17 has a downwardly extending leg portion which projects out of the lower switch casing part 10 in the same direction as the conducting leg portion 121 of the mounting plate 12. The first and second conductors 16, 17 have contact portions which are disposed inside the switch casing and which extend respectively above and below the movable member 13. The push button 15 is in contact with a portion of the tension spring 14, which portion is adjacent to the first hook end of the tension spring 14. The push button 15 is operable to actuate the tension spring 14 to move the movable member 13 between the upper position, wherein the movable member 13 is in contact with the first conductor 16, and the lower position, wherein the movable member 13 is in contact with the second conductor 17. The notch 124 of the second end plate portion 122 prevents the second hook end of the tension spring 14 from any vertical movement. The notch 127 of the first end plate portion 125 prevents the misplacement of the tension spring 14 in the first end plate portion 125 when the tension spring 14 is actuated.
The main drawback of the aforementioned conventional contact switch resides in the mounting of the tension spring 14. Since the spring mounting hole 121 of the second end plate portion 122 does not lie in the same orientation as that of the spring engaging hole 131 of the movable member 13, full automation of the mounting procedure of the tension spring 14 to interconnect the second end plate portion 122 and the movable member 13 is difficult, thereby resulting in waste of labor, a longer production time and a lower production rate. In addition, a manual mounting operation often results in poorer quality.

Common conductor assembly for a contact switch


A method of operating an amplifier system includes providing a pump signal at a pump wavelength. The pump signal is a function of a pump power. The method also includes providing an input signal at a signal wavelength and coupling the pump signal and the input signal to an optical amplifier. The optical amplifier includes a gain medium characterized by a gain value at the signal wavelength. The method further includes amplifying the input signal to provide an output signal, detecting a feedback signal related to the gain value, and modifying the pump power based on the detected feedback signal.

The present invention relates generally to the field of optical amplifiers and lasers. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for providing high power pulsed laser sources useful for industrial applications such as trimming, marking, cutting, and welding. Merely by way of example, the invention has been applied to a laser source with real-time tunable characteristics including pulse width, peak power, repetition rate, and pulse shape. However, the present invention has broader applicability and can be applied to other laser sources.
Conventional laser-based material processing has generally used high peak power pulsed lasers, for example, Q-switched Nd:YAG lasers operating at 1064 nm, for marking, engraving, micro-machining, and cutting applications. More recently, laser systems based on fiber gain media have been developed. In some of these fiber-based laser systems, fiber amplifiers are utilized.
Some optical amplifiers and lasers utilizing a fiber gain medium are optically pumped, often by using semiconductor pump lasers. The fiber gain medium is typically made of silica glass doped with rare-earth elements. The choice of the rare-earth elements and the composition of the fiber gain medium depend on the particular application. One such rare-earth element is ytterbium, which is used for optical amplifiers and lasers emitting in the 1020 nm-1100 nm range. Another rare-earth element used in some fiber gain media is erbium, which is used for optical amplifiers and lasers emitting in the 1530 nm-1560 nm range.
The wavelength of the optical pump source used for ytterbium-doped fiber amplifiers and lasers is typically in the wavelength range of 910 nm to 980 nm. The wavelength of the optical pump source used for erbium-doped fiber amplifiers and lasers is typically in a wavelength range centered at about 980 nm or about 1480 nm.
When the laser is operated in a pulse-on-demand mode, the first optical pulse in a series of pulses tends to be more powerful than the following pulses in the series. This situation is sometimes referred to as the first pulse problem and occurs because the energy stored in the laser gain medium, which is depleted significantly after the first pulse, is not fully replenished by the time the next pulse passes through the gain medium. It is possible that if the next pulse arrives after the gain medium is recovered fully, then another pulse similar to the first pulse will be produced. Hence, depending on the pulse repetition rate, which can be varied during the laser operation, the energy in each pulse will generally vary as a function of the state of the gain medium. In laser processing applications, this behaviour is generally undesirable because of the inconsistency in laser pulses and the results achieved during processing operations.
In systems designed to produce a series of high power pulses, the output pulse energy is related to the energy stored in the optical amplifier, which is related to the gain. Generally, to achieve a high energy per pulse, a high gain needs to be created in the optical amplifier, which typically amplifies the first pulse at the expense of the following pulses. If the pulse repetition rate is reduced to enable the gain to recover between pulses, the high gain present in the optical amplifier can create instabilities in the gain medium. Thus, there is a need in the art for high peak power fiber-based amplifiers with repeatable pulse amplification characteristics over a range of pulse repetition frequencies.

Methods and systems for gain control in pulsed optical amplifiers


A textile product and a method of making the same is described wherein the textile product includes a layer of metal elements, an array of stitches, and wherein the metal elements are encased between the legs of the stitch and the underlap of the stitch. Preferably, the overlaps and/or underlaps span between at least two stitch lines. This provides an improved metal element based textile product for preparing reinforced articles. The metal element based textile product of the present invention allows improved processing and improved performance as compared to conventional metal element based textile products.

Metal element based textile products and their use for reinforced articles have been extensively described in the prior art. An example of such textile product is exemplified in WO 2005/118263 describing metal cord based technical textile products with in warp direction parallel metal cord and in weft direction parallel textile yarns or fibers.
In order to manufacture such a reinforced article, following the compression moulding process, composite fabrics comprising the metal based textile product are subjected to a temperature and/or pressure sufficient to cause a polymeric material, optionally containing polymer fillers and/or short/long reinforcing fires (such as glass, aramid, carbon, ceramic, . . . ), to flow and fill the interstices between the metal filaments. This can be done in one step or may require subsequent steps. Possibly, other polymer material, e.g. polymer sheets, are added or a layer of polymer material is extruded around.
A more preferred metal element based textile product for preparing reinforced articles would be a textile product having a stable structure during the processing whereby the textile product retains its parallel arrangement and geometry.
A highly preferred metal element based textile product would be a textile product which maintains its properties in further production steps of manufacturing the reinforced article such as wet impregnation characteristics and processability towards laminating, extrusion, pultrusion, reaction injection moulding, injection, resin transfer moulding, resin infusion and compression moulding.
It is known to add a parallel roving to the metal cord or simply using higher tex value yarn for binding the metal cord, thereby increasing the preload tension during manufacturing. A 1 tex yarn is a yarn that weighs 1 gram per 1000 m. This addition reduces the free reachable surface of metal cord, or in other words, generates a shielding effect, resulting in inferior impregnation, less adhesion and reduced impact resistance.

Metal element based textile product with improved widthwise stability


System for releasably attaching a shell segment to a core section of a drum useful in the manufacture of vehicle tires. The system includes an outwardly opening longitudinal groove in the outer surface of the core section and a like groove in inner surface of the shell segment. These grooves are designed to overlie one another and cooperatively define a channel when the segment is positioned in overlying relationship to the core section. An actuator/slide/wedge/stop combination is disposed with the channel. The relationship to the actuator and the slide/wedge/stop combination is such that activation of the actuator acting upon the slide causes the slide to move longitudinally within its groove, engage the wedge and urge the wedge initially in a generally longitudinal direction along the channel until its longitudinal movement is halted by the stop, whereupon further longitudinally directed force exerted by the slide against the wedge causes the wedge to move laterally of the channel to frictionally engage the side edges of the core section groove and/or the side edges of the shell segment groove to align the shell segment with respect to the core section and to releasably anchor the shell segment to the core section. Upon deactivation of the actuator, the slide is freed to move longitudinally of the channel, thereby releasing the wedge and releasing the shell segment. In a preferred embodiment, the shell segment is divided into two pieces, e.g. halves, and there is provided a slide/wedge/stop block combination for releasably attaching each of the half-segments to a single core section. A method for releasably attaching a first member to a second member, such as shell segments to a core section of a vehicle tire-making drum, is disclosed.

This invention relates to drums employed in the manufacture of vehicle tires and particularly to such drums having the ability to expand and retract in diameter so that the drum is useful in making different size tires and which have provision for adjusting the working lencgth of the outer surface of the drum to make tires of differert widths.
In the manufacture of vehicle tires, it is common practice to fabricate separate elements of the tire and thereafter to marry the elements. Certain of these elements are generally thyroidal in geometry and are fabricated on a rotating drum by laying down fabrication materials on the outher circumferential surface of the drum as the drum is rotated. This procedure builds up the element on the drum. The diameter of the drum at its outer circumference is employed to establish the inner diameter of the element which is fabricated on the drum. After fabrication of the element, the drum commonly is collapsed, that is, its diameter is reduced so that the completed element can be Withdrawn from the outer surface of the drum. Collapsible drums are well known in the tire-making industry.
Whereas the outer circumference (diameter) of a drum is employed to establish the inner diameter of a tire element made on the drum, the length of the drum (its outer surface dimension measured in a direction parallel to its axis of rotation) is employed in establishing the width of a tire. In either instance, it is desirable that a given drum be adjustable in circumference and in length. Adjustment of the drum circumference is provided for by several means in the prior art and most always involves the use of a plurality of segments which define the outer surface of the drum, the segments being required to permit the movements necessary to radially inwardly collapse the circumference of the drum. On the other hand, adjustment of the length of a drum is currently limited to replacement of the individual segments which collectively define the outer surface of the drum, frequently employing "left" and "right" hand segment halves which are individually removably secured to a core section of the drum. Spacers interposed between the inboard adjacent ends of the two segment halves permit the use of fixed-length segment halves to attain drum lengths in excess of the combined lengths of the segment halves themselves. Because the outer surface of the drum must remain smooth and as continuous as possible, the means for securing the segments to the core section heretofore has been disposed generally on the inside the core. To change the length of such a drum requires that an operator be able to reach inside the core to loosen and/or tighten bolts, screws, or other fastening means, and at the same time hold the segment half in proper alignment with its core section and adjacent segments, as well as the relationship of the segment half with its mating segment half. Obviously excessive time and energy, not to mention frustration, are involved in these prior art drums. Further, in certain prior art segment attachment devices, the mere act of attaching the segment to a core section tends to move the segment relative to the core.
One prior art drum which suffers from certain of the aforedescribed problems is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,636,277, which patent is incorporated hereir in its entirety by reference. In the drum described in this patent, each half segment is releasably secured to a respective core section of the drum by means of two locking lugs secured on the outboard ends of respective bolts that are loosely mounted in the core section wall and project radially outwardly of the core section such that the lugs are received in a mating slot provided in the inner surface of the segment half. Upon application and tightening of a nut on each bolt, the lugs, hence the segment half, are drawn radially inwardly of the core section to cause the segment half to encage and be securely attached to the core section. To access these nuts and bolts interiorly of the core requires the workman to reach inside the core and manipulate a wrench for loosening or tightening the nuts, while simultaneously holding the segment half in position for receipt of the locking lugs and for subsequent adjustment of the position of the segment half relative to its core section. In a drum having eight segments, each of which comprises two halves, in this particular drum, there are thirty-two nuts which have to be individually manipulated to remove or secure all the segment halves to the core of the drum, resulting in excessive time and expense to perform a length change on the drum.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a system for efficiently and effectively releasably securing a drum segment to a drum core.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for releasably securing a drum segment to a drum core and which is both efficient and effective.

System and method for releaseably attaching outer segments to a drum useful in the manufacture of vehicle tires


A wheel for a wheelchair according to the present invention includes: an outer wheel or ring mounted on the inner periphery of a tire; an inner ring connected with a wheelchair frame (concentric with the outer ring and positioned inside the outer ring); a plurality of rolling elements interposed between the outer ring and the inner ring, arranged with an interval between each other in a circumferential direction; and a plurality of spacers (retainers or interval-holding members) for holding intervals between the rolling elements. Each spacer is in a shape extending along a circumferential direction of the outer ring and the inner ring, and is provided between the rolling elements respectively. The wheel does not have a hub and spokes, and the inner peripheral side does not rotate, and further the wheel weight is light. The wheelchair of the present invention includes the wheel for a wheelchair.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a conventional self-traveling manual wheelchair 50. The wheelchair 50 has such a configuration that wheels are mounted to a chair unit 60. The wheels include large drive wheels 51 mounted on the transverse sides of the chair unit 60, and small casters 52 mounted on both front corners. The drive wheel 51 has such a configuration that a tire 53 is fixed to a hub 55 with spokes 54, and that a hand rim 56 for transmitting a driving force by a hand of a user is mounted to the drive wheel 51. The chair unit 60 consists of a seat surface 61, a back rest 62, arm rests 63, leg supports 64, and a frame 65 for connecting them so as to form the chair unit. Further, on the rear side top parts of the frame 65, grips 65a used when a carrier pushes the wheelchair are mounted.
The drive wheel 51 is connected of the chair unit 60 by mounting a hub mounting part 57 fixed to the frame 65 to the hub 55. Further, the casters 52 are connected in such a manner that holding members 59b are mounted to axes 59a provided at the center of the casters 52, and the holding members 59b are fixed to the frame 65.
Although the configuration of the drive wheel 51 of a typically used wheelchair is that the tire 53 is fixed to the hub 55 with the spokes 54, as shown in FIG. 11 (conventional example 1), a drive wheel without a hub and spoken as recently been proposed. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 12 [A is a side view showing a wheelchair of a conventional example 2, B and C are perspective views thereof], a drive wheel 71 includes the tire 53, a rail part 72 mounted on the inner periphery thereof, and three pulleys 73 which are connected with the frame 65 of the wheelchair respectively. When the tire 53 rotates, the pulleys 73 travel on the rail part 72 in a state that the positions thereof are fixed with respect to the frame 65 (conventional example 2). (For example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-342632 (FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 5, and FIG. 6), Japanese Utility-Model Application Laid-Open Publication No. 62-66629, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 47-32550).
Further, metallic rings which are doubled inside and outside like a rolling bearing mounted via rollers are proposed as another example of a drive wheel without a hub and spokes (conventional example 3). For example, as shown in FIG. 13 [A shows a wheelchair of the conventional example 3, which is a partially broken perspective view of a drive wheel 81 thereof, and B is a sectional view taken along the line B-B shown in A.], a roller chain 75 compose a plurality of rollers 79 and links 76 to connect the rollers 79, and the roller chain 75 is provided between, and is so configured that an outer ring 78 mounted on the inner periphery of a tire 53 and an inner ring 77 mounted inside thereof and mounted to the frame 65 (see Japanese Patent Publication No. 2960161 (p. 4, FIG. 1 to FIG. 3) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,593,929 (FIG. 65, FIG. 66)).
In these conventional examples 2 and 3, there is no spoke 54, different from the conventional example 1. Therefore, when a baggage basket 70 is provided right under the seat surface 61 of a wheelchair, this provides an advantage that a baggage can be put into or taken out of the baggage basket 70 easily (see FIG. 12).

Wheelchair, wheel for wheelchair, and method of producing wheel for wheelchair


A microcutting device incises minute samples of organisms, such as egg cells and protozoa, and the like. This device is made of a thin film plate which is formed by use of a semiconductor manufacturing technique, and has a heater in the vicinity of its cutting edge. The microcutting device is sharper than a metal-blade incision device and is suitable of mass production.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a microcutting device for cutting or incising a minute sample of organisms, such as egg cells and protozoa, and so forth under microscopic observation or the like; and a method of cutting or incising the minute sample using this device.
2. Related Background Art
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-85018 discloses a conventional microcutting device for cutting or incising a minute sample of organisms, such as egg cells and protozoa, and the like. This device is made of a thin film plate formed by use of a semiconductor manufacturing technique. Thus made microcutting device is sharper than a metal-blade incision device and is suitable for incising microorganism samples, while being capable of mass production.


Providing a toilet apparatus which can reduce an amount of water discharged into a waste collection tub. The toilet apparatus includes a toilet body (10) equipped with a toilet bowl (11) having a drain outlet (11A) in its lower part, a discharge part (20) communicating between the drain outlet (11A) and a waste collection tub (90) located below the toilet body (10), a drainage channel (30) branched from the discharge part (20), and a private parts cleaning device (50) assembled to the toilet body (10) and having a cleaning nozzle (51). When the private parts cleaning device (50) is actuated and an amount of cleaning water ejected from the cleaning nozzle (51) equals or exceeds a set amount, the cleaning water flowing into the toilet bowl (11) is caused to flow into the drainage channel (30) without being discharged via the discharge part (20) into the waste collection tub (90).

Patent Document 1 discloses a conventional toilet apparatus. The disclosed toilet apparatus includes a toilet body provided with a toilet bowl having a drain outlet in a lower part thereof, a discharge part communicating the outlet to a waste collection tub located below the toilet body, a drainage channel branched off from the discharge part, a toilet flushing device supplying flush water to the toilet bowl and a detecting device which detects a user of the toilet body.
In this toilet apparatus, after the detecting device has ceased detecting the user, a small amount of flush water is firstly supplied into the toilet bowl by the toilet flushing device so that toilet paper or the like remaining in the toilet bowl is caused to flow into the waste collection tub with the flush water. A large amount of flush water is subsequently supplied into the toilet bowl to flush the toilet bowl. In this case, the flush water supplied into the toilet bowl is caused to flow into the drainage channel but not discharged through the discharge part into the waste collection tub. Accordingly, the toilet apparatus can prevent a large amount of flush water from being discharged into the waste collection tub.
Patent Document 2 discloses another conventional toilet apparatus. The disclosed toilet apparatus includes a toilet bowl, a waste collection tub, a discharge part and a closing tool. The waste collection tub is provided below the toilet bowl. The discharge part communicates between the toilet bowl and the waste collection tub. The discharge part can be opened and closed by the closing tool. More specifically, when a user is seated on a toilet seat provided above the toilet bowl, the resultant load causes the closing tool to open the discharge part. The closing tool closes the discharge part when the user departs from the toilet seat. The toilet apparatus includes a drainage channel from which is branched from the discharge part located above the closing tool. The drainage channel has a downstream end communicating with a purification processing device. An exhaust pipe is connected to the drainage channel. The exhaust pipe is provided with air exhaust equipment.
When the user departs from the toilet seat and the toilet is to be flushed, flush water discharged from the toilet flushing device flows through the drainage channel into a purification processing device since the discharge part is closed by the closing tool in the above-described toilet apparatus. Foul odor rising from the purification processing device is exhausted through the exhaust pipe provided in the middle of the drainage channel.


A volume-selective magnetic resonance method for the determination of an MRI spectrum MR image, comprises a 90.degree. excitation pulse (p.sub.0) followed by two 180.degree. pulses (p.sub.1, p.sub.2,) the pulses (p.sub.0, p.sub.1, p.sub.2) being slice-selective. The magnetic resonance signal (SE) is sampled in the absence of magnetic field gradients and a spectrum is determined by way of Fourier transformation.. In comparatively simple spin systems, J-refocusing is achieved for a specific choice of the echo time (TE), while only one J-coupling of more complex spin systems, comprising more than on J-coupling, is refocused by a specific choice of the echo time (TE).. The method in accordance with the invention applies either a chemically selective 180.degree. pulse (p.sub.3) or a broadband 90.degree. pulse (p.sub.4) between the 180.degree. pulses (p.sub.1, p.sub.2). This causes J-refocusing to then occur, regardless the selected echo time (TE).

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a volume-selective magnetic resonance method for determining a spectrum or a spectroscopic image of a region of an object which is arranged in a steady, uniform magnetic field, a volume-selective pulse and gradient sequence being applied to the region of the object in order to generate magnetic resonance signals, which sequence comprises a 90.degree. excitation pulse followed by a first and a second 180.degree. pulse, a magnetic field gradient superposed on the steady field being applied during at least one of the pulses in order to obtain volume-selective resonance signals.
The invention also relates to the use of such a method.
The invention also relates to a magnetic resonance device for volume-selective magnetic resonance spectroscopy or spectroscopic imaging, comprising means for generating a steady, uniform magnetic field, transmitter means for transmitting RF electromagnetic pulses to an object arranged in the steady field, means for generating magnetic field gradients superposed on the steady field, and receiver and processing means for receiving and processing magnetic resonance signals generated in the object, which processing means comprise programmed means which are operative to apply pulse and gradient sequences to the object in order to generate volume-selective magnetic resonance signals, which sequences comprise a 90.degree. excitation pulse followed by a first and a second 180.degree. pulse, at least one of which is volume-selective.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
A volume-selective magnetic resonance method of this kind is known from EP-A 0 106 226, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 4,480,228. According to such a method, an object is exposed to a slice-selective 90.degree. pulse, i.e. an RF pulse in the presence of a magnetic field gradient superposed on the steady field, after which it is exposed to slice-selective 180.degree. pulses, the respective gradient directions thereof extending mutually perpendicular. A magnetic resonance signal is thus obtained from a region of the object. The so-called spin-echo resonance signal arising after the second 180.degree. pulse is observed in the absence of gradients and is subsequently subjected to a Fourier transformation so that a localized spectrum is obtained from the region of the object.
Even though inhomogeneities in the steady field are refocused by means of the known so-called spin-echo method, the known method has the drawback that neat refocusing is not obtained for mutually weakly coupled nuclei in a molecule of the object, the so-called J-coupling. For example, in order to make a doublet visible in a molecule in which a group is weakly coupled to a proton in the molecule, a specific choice of the echo time is necessary. In the case of more complex molecules with different Js, a large number of couplings exists and one coupling can be made visible by a specific choice of the echo time. An example of such a more complex molecule is glutamate.

Volume-selective magnetic resonance imaging method and device


The subject invention concerns methods and compounds for inhibiting Shp2. In one embodiment, a compound of the invention has a chemical structure as shown in formula I or II:

Tyrosyl phosphorylation is a mechanism involving in regulation of human cellular processes from cell differentiation and growth to apoptosis. The process of tyrosyl phosphorylation is regulated by protein-tyrosine phosphatases (PTP) and protein-tyrosine kinases (PTK). When this regulation is disrupted, diseases such as cancer can arise (Mohi and Neel, 2007). Although there is more research on PTKs since the first PTK was discovered about 10 years earlier than the first PTP, recent studies have found that PTPs have a prominent role in regulation of tyrosyl phosphorylation in the cells (Alonso et al., 2004).
Shp2, encoded by the PTPN11 gene, is found to be mutated in several types of leukemias (Mohi and Neel, 2007). Furthermore, the wildtype Shp2 mediates cell signaling of many protein tyrosine kinase oncogenes such as ErbB and Met. Shp2 is necessary for embryonic development and for growth factor, cytokine, and extra-cellular matrix signaling (Salmond and Alexander, 2006) and is involved in regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation, and migration. Shp2 mutations are linked to Noonan syndrome, juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia, acute myelogenous leukemia, and LEOPARD (lentigines, electrocardiogram abnormalities, ocular hypertelorism, pulmonic valvular stenosis, abnormalities of genitalia, retardation of growth, and deafness) syndrome.
Within these diseases, Shp2 is activated and interacts with the Gab family of docking proteins. This interaction activates a pathway leading to cell proliferation and tumorigenesis. The identification of Shp2's role in these diseases is very important for developing cancer therapy. Targeting and inhibiting Shp2 with small molecule inhibitors has become a major goal in developing a new cancer therapy.
Currently, there are a few known inhibitors of Shp2. Two of these compounds are CDL 4340-0580 (Hellmuth et al., 2008) and NAT6-297775, seen in FIGS. 1A and 1B (Noren-Muller et al., 2006). Although these compounds have the ability to inhibit Shp2, they also inhibit tumor suppressor Shp1, which is not the cause of these malignancies. Ultimately, a Shp2 inhibitor should only affect Shp2 and not other important cellular processes.

Indoline scaffold SHP-2 inhibitors and cancer treatment method

Abstract: wherein    X, Y, and Z are independently N or S;    R1 is cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, aryl, or heteroaryl, any of which can be optionally substituted with one or more of halogen; alkyl; heteroalkyl; —COOH; —C(R3)3, wherein R3 can independently be any of —H or halogen; or —OR4, wherein R4 can be any of H, alkyl, or heteroalkyl;    R2 is alkyl, alkylcarbonyl, heteroalkylcarbonyl, aryl, arylcarbonyl, heterocycloalkylcarbonyl, cycloalkylcarbonyl, or —C(O)NR6R7, any of which can be optionally substituted with one or more of halogen; alkyl; heteroalkyl; carbonyl; —OR4, wherein R4 can be —H, alkyl, or heteroalkyl; —OH; —C(R3)3, wherein R3 can independently be any of —H or halogen; aryl, which can be substituted with one or more of halogen or —OR4; heterocycloalkyl; or —C(O)OR5, wherein R5 can be —H or alkyl;    R6 and R7 are independently —H, alkyl, heteroalkyl, aryl, or heteroaryl; and    R′ is H or alkyl;    or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or hydrate thereof.


Embodiments of the present invention include an integrated circuit comprising an integrated transmission line, wherein the integrated transmission line is used as a timing reference for a feedback loop and wherein the feedback loop and the transmission line are integrated on a single integrated circuit. The feedback loop and transmission line may be used as a frequency generator or controlled delay, for example. In another embodiment, the present invention includes a timing loop with first and second commutating phase detectors.

The present invention relates to generating and controlling signals on an integrated circuit. One embodiment of the present invention relates to timing circuits, and in particular, to frequency generator circuits and methods that can be fully integrated on a single integrated circuit.
In almost every computer system or digital system, there is a requirement for at least one signal having a specified frequency. One example of such a signal is a reference frequency signal (i.e., a timing reference). For example, a reference frequency signal or timing reference may be a system clock. Signals with specified frequencies, such as a system clock, are created using frequency generators. One example of a frequency generator is a crystal oscillator. A crystal oscillator is an electrical circuit that uses a quartz crystal as a reference device to generate a frequency. Quartz crystals are piezoelectric devices that are made from crystalline silicon dioxide. When quartz crystals are driven by an electrical signal, they will exhibit a mechanical resonance (vibration) at certain frequencies of the driving signal. By using the appropriate electrical circuit, an electrical signal can be generated that is equal in frequency to the quartz crystal's mechanical resonant frequency. Such circuits are advantageous because quartz crystals may be used to generate very precise reference frequency signals.
Even though crystal oscillators have an advantage of being very accurate, they do have some well-known disadvantages. For example, since the creation of the reference frequency involves physically vibrating a silicon dioxide crystal at the reference frequency, over-driving the crystal with too large of an electrical signal can damage it. This damage to the quartz crystal can result in a shift of the resonant frequency, or in extreme cases the crystal can fracture. If a fracture were to occur, the crystal would become non-functional and the crystal oscillator would stop operating at the reference frequency. Sudden large changes in temperature can also damage the quartz crystal. Again, this damage could result in a shift of the crystal's resonant frequency or the fracture of the crystal. Another disadvantage associated with these crystal oscillators are their susceptibility to mechanical vibration or shock. A mechanical shock to the crystal can cause a sudden momentary shift in the oscillator frequency. This occurs because the shock can disturb the mechanical vibration of the quartz crystal. In the same manner, a constant mechanical vibration of the circuit board to which the crystal is attached can interfere with the mechanical vibration of the quartz crystal. A mechanical vibration of the circuit board would cause periodic variations of the output frequency of the crystal oscillator.
A particularly significant drawback to crystal oscillator circuits is that a quartz crystal cannot be integrated into a monolithic integrated circuit together with the electrical drive circuitry. The silicon dioxide crystal is always placed external to the integrated circuit, which contains the electrical devices that drive the crystal. Because the crystal is external to the integrated circuit, the crystal oscillator is much more susceptible to electrical disturbances from external sources. Signals adjacent to the quartz crystal can couple electrical disturbances into the leads of the crystal. These disturbances may result in variations of the output frequency of the oscillator circuit. Having the quartz crystal external to the integrated circuit may also result in the crystal oscillator being more susceptible to humidity and dirt. Accumulated moisture or dirt across the leads of the crystal would create a conduction path between the leads. If the resistance of this parasitic conduction path becomes too low, the crystal oscillator circuit would stop oscillating. Still another drawback to the crystal oscillator is related to economics. Since the quartz crystal is external and separate from the integrated circuit that drives it, additional costs are incurred. One additional cost is due to the extra assembly costs required to attach the external crystal to the printed circuit board. Another additional cost is due to the extra printed circuit board space that is used.
Despite these many disadvantages, crystal oscillators are very popular because they are capable of generating extremely accurate reference frequency signals. The precision of the output frequencies from these crystal oscillator circuits is on the order of 0.01%. However, in many applications such a high level of precision is not required. For example, in many digital systems a precision on the order of 1.0% for the system clock is sufficient.
Thus, there is a need for improved frequency signal generators over existing crystal oscillator techniques. In particular, there is a need for a frequency generator that is fully integrated on a single integrated circuit. The present invention solves these and other problems by providing a frequency generator that can be fully integrated on a single integrated circuit. Features and advantages of the present invention include providing a frequency generator with improved reliability and lower cost.
The present invention also relates to controlled delay lines and delay locked loops, and in particular, to a controlled delay line circuit with an integrated transmission line reference.
One of the most important issues in the design of the digital logic section of an integrated circuit is the system clock to data timing relationship. In order to optimize this important timing relationship, a controlled delay line is often used. The controlled delay line is used to delay the data and/or the system clock in such a way as to improve the timing relationship. For example, one common type of controlled delay line that is often used is a voltage controlled delay line (VCDL). Voltage controlled delay lines are advantageous because the delay time of a VCDL is relatively accurate, predictable, and stable. The accuracy and stability of the voltage controlled delay line depends on how the control voltage for the VCDL is generated. The control voltage is typically created using a reference VCDL within the feedback loop of a Delay Locked Loop (DLL). The DLL forces the reference VCDL to have the same time delay as the timing reference for the DLL. The timing reference for the DLL is usually the period of the system clock or some multiple of this period. Since the system clock is normally oscillating at a very precise and stable frequency, this results in the delay time of the VCDL also being relatively precise and stable.
In some applications, there is a requirement that the digital logic of an integrated circuit has to operate at more than one system clock frequency. If the system clock shifts to a new frequency, the delay time of the VCDL could also change if it is dependent on the period of the system clock. This change in delay time for the VCDL may adversely affect the system clock to data timing relationships. For this design situation, a voltage controlled delay line that is independent of the system clock would be advantageous.
One possible method to create a VCDL that is not dependent on the system clock is to use a resistor and capacitor network as a timing reference device for the Delay Locked Loop. Even though a resistor and capacitor network can be integrated into an integrated circuit, the repeatability and stability of an integrated resistor and capacitor network's RC time constant is poor. An integrated circuit RC time constant can vary quite a lot due to variations in the manufacturing process. For example, such manufacturing process variations may cause the value of an integrated resistor to vary as much as +/−20% and the value of an integrated capacitor can vary as much as +/−10%. These large variations in the values of the integrated resistors and capacitors mean that the precision of an integrated circuit RC time constant is low. Moreover, the value of an integrated resistor can change significantly over a temperature range. The value of an integrated resistor will typically change by 7% over a temperature range of 70 degrees Celsius. Thus, the RC time constant of an integrated circuit resistor and capacitor network is not very stable across a temperature range. Because of the wide changes in value due to manufacturing and temperature variations, an integrated circuit resistor and capacitor network would not make a good timing reference for an integrated DLL.
Thus, there is a need for an improved controlled delay line circuit that is repeatable, stable across manufacturing processes, and independent of the system clock.
The present invention also relates to reducing static phase offset in timing loops, and in particular, to circuits and methods of reducing static phase offset using commutating phase detectors.
Timing loops are feedback loop circuits that are used in a wide variety of electronic applications. Timing loops are typically used to generate signals that have particular frequencies, periods, or delays. Such loops include phase locked loops and delay locked loops, for example. FIG. 1A illustrates a phase locked loop architecture, which is one type of timing loop. Phase locked loop ("PLL") 100A includes a phase detector 110, loop filter 120, voltage controlled oscillator ("VCO") 130, and may optionally include feedback 140 such as a divider, for example. Phase detector 110 includes two input terminals and an output terminal. The first input terminal receives a reference frequency ("REF"), which may be a digital or analog signal. The second input terminal of phase detector 110 is a feedback signal ("FB") coupled to the output of VCO 130. Phase detector 110 translates phase differences between the input signals into an output signal. The output of phase detector 110 may be a current into a capacitance in loop filter 120, for example. The output of loop filter 120 is a voltage that controls the frequency of oscillation of VCO 130. The output frequency generated by VCO 130 may be divided by feedback 140 or coupled directly to the feedback input of phase detector 110.
As mentioned above, timing loops are used in a variety of applications. For example, in the design of computer systems, maintaining adequate timing margin between the computer system's clock signal and data is very important. As the frequency of the system clock increases, maintaining adequate timing margin becomes even more difficult. Thus, the design of clock distribution networks for the computer becomes more and more difficult as frequencies increase. One application of a timing loop is a zero delay buffer ("ZDB"), which is shown in FIG. 1B. In ZDB 100B, the output of the VCO is typically fed back directly to the input of the phase detector. In this example, the phase detector is implemented using a phase frequency detector and a charge pump. A ZDB may be used to improve the performance of the clock distribution network in a computer system. A ZDB may be used to regenerate a clock signal to improve drive capability or to regenerate multiple copies of the system clock. An ideal ZDB has an output that is an identical version of the input signal in phase and frequency (e.g., the divider modulus of the feedback shown in FIG. 1A is equal to one). Since the output signal of an ideal ZDB is exactly in phase with the input signal, there would appear to be no delay in the buffer, hence the name "zero delay buffer." However, in a real application some delay is introduced by non-idealities in the PLL. For example, "static phase offset" is a specification that quantifies the phase difference between the input signal and the output signal. Static phase offset is the average phase offset between the input reference signal received by the PLL and the output of the VCO. In other words, static phase offset is the difference in time between the input and the output signals. Ideally, the static phase offset should be zero seconds for a ZDB. However, in real world applications there is always some phase error between the input and output.
FIG. 1C illustrates another timing loop. Timing loop 100C is a delay locked loop ("DLL") architecture, which is another type of timing loop. An example delay locked loop includes a phase detector 110, filter 120, and voltage controlled delay 150. An input signal to be delayed is coupled to one input of the voltage controlled delay 150, and a second input of the voltage controlled delay is coupled to the output of phase detector 110. The input signal will be delayed by an amount of time set by a voltage at the output of phase detector 110. The input signal to be delayed is also coupled to one input of phase detector 110, and the output of the voltage controlled delay 150 is coupled to the other input of the phase detector 110. In some applications feedback may be included between the output of the voltage controlled delay and the input of phase detector 110. Thus, in the absences of static phase offset error, the output of the controlled delay 150 will be precisely in phase with the input signal when the loop is closed.
Typically, the majority of static phase offset error is generated in the phase detector. For example, referring to FIG. 1A, if the delay between REF input of phase detector 110 to the output of the phase detector is the same as the delay from FB input of phase detector 110 to the output then there should be no static phase offset. Similarly, if the circuitry in the phase detector is matched, then there should be no static phase offset. For example, if the phase detector includes a phase frequency detector and charge pump, then if the pull up and pull down currents in the charge pump are matched, then there should be no static phase offset. However, typically the delays are different and the circuitry is mismatched due to manufacturing variations and imperfections.
Static phase offset is problematic in timing loop designs. In particular, static phase offset in timing applications can severely impact the timing margins, such as computer system clock margins described above. Thus, it would be desirable to reduce static phase offset so that the timing margin in computer system clocks can be improved. Such improved timing margins would allow for greater and more robust system performance.
Thus, there is a need for reducing static phase offset in timing loops. Some embodiments of the present invention solve these and other problems by providing circuits and methods for reducing static phase offset in timing loops using commutating phase detectors.

Circuits and methods of generating and controlling signals on an integrated circuit


A method of electrically conductively connecting two superconductive cables includes freeing the conductors and screens of surrounding layers at the ends of the two cables. Subsequently, the ends of the two cables (1, 2) are placed next o each other and parallel to one another in such a way that their free ends point, in the same direction, and the ends are rigidly connected to one another in this position. The conductors and their screens are electrically conductively connected to each other through electrical contact elements (8, 9) extending transversely of the axial direction. and the two cable ends treated in this manner are arranged in a housing (10) of a cryostat when building up the transmission length which, during operation of the transmission length, a flowable cooling agent with insulating properties flows through the housing.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method of electrically conductively connecting two superconductive cables which each have at least one superconductive cable surrounded by a dielectric and at least one electrically effective screen arranged above the dielectric, wherein the conductors and screens are at the end of the two cables initially freed of the surrounding layers and are subsequently electrically conductively connected to each other.
2. Description of Related Art
Superconductive cables have been known for a long time in various embodiments. This is basically also true for technology for electrically connecting two superconductive cables. A significant difference of the superconductive cables as compared to conventional cables resides in the fact that the superconductive cables include electrical conductors of a material which, at sufficiently low temperatures, changes over into the superconductive state, with an electrical direct current resistance which is around zero. Suitable superconductive materials are, for example, oxidic materials on the basis of rare earths. Sufficiently low temperatures for changing the material over into the superconductive state are, for example, between 67K and 110K. Suitable cooling agents for all these materials are, for example, nitrogen, helium, neon, and hydrogen or mixtures of these substances. When operating a transmission length for electrical energy with at least one superconductive cable, the superconductive cable is arranged in accordance with known technology in a cryostat which consists of at least one thermally insulated pipe through which a cooling agent suitable for the superconductive material being used is conducted when operating the transmission length, wherein the cooling agent is advantageously one of the cooling agents mentioned above.
In transmission lengths of electrical energy, two or more lengths of a superconductive cable must be connected electrically conductively with one another. This means that the conductors and the screens of the two cables must initially be freed of surrounding layers. After electrically conductively connecting the conductors, the removed layers are in accordance with conventional technology once again applied. This is particularly true for an insulation (dielectric) surrounding the superconductive conductor which is reconstructed, for example, by winding bands of insulation material onto the entire connecting point, including the two conductors. Subsequently, the screens are also electrically conductively connected and if necessary, any layers located above the conductors are restored. This is already very complicated and time consuming in a cable having only one conductor and one screen. In addition, it requires the use of expert personnel. In a cable with two or three concentrically arranged conductors which are insulated relative to each other, as it is disclosed for example in EP 1 552 536 B1, the expenditures are extremely high, especially since it must be insured in this connection that the wall thickness of restored insulation or insulations is at least not significantly greater than the original wall thickness. It is only then that the dimensions of a cryostat surrounding the connecting point can be kept so small that the operation of the transmission length, particularly the flow of the cooling agent, is not impaired by the cryostat.

Method of electrically conductively connecting two superconductive cables


An assembly for a hydraulic dashpot. The dashpot is accommodated in an overall housing (1) and provided with a shock-absorbing piston (3) traveling back and forth inside the housing on one end of a piston rod (2) and partitioning the housing into two compartments (19 & 23), and a vibration-compensating piston (11) hydraulically paralleling the first piston and accommodated inside a subsidiary housing (10).

The present invention concerns an assembly for a hydraulic dashpot. The dashpot is accommodated in a housing that is partitioned into two compartments by a shock-absorbing piston mounted on one end of a piston rod and accordingly traveling back and forth inside the housing. Dashpots of this genus can be solid walled or hollow-walled. The shock-absorbing piston is transversed by fluid-conveying channels provided with stacks of cupsprings that open and close to control the flow in both the vacuum phase and the pressure phase.
Low-amplitude oscillations sometimes reach the piston rod and break the cupsprings loose, leading to irregular shock absorption. European Patent 1 152 166 A1 proposes counteracting this tendency using another, vibration-compensating, piston hydraulically paralleling the shock-absorbing piston but accommodated in a subsidiary housing. The vibration-compensating piston in one embodiment is mounted on the face of the shock-absorbing piston more remote from the piston rod. There is a drawback here in that rod's radial moment of support is too short. In one alternative embodiment, the vibration-compensating piston is mounted in an adaptor between the end of the piston rod and the shock-absorbing piston. Here again there are drawbacks—the design is complicated and the shock-absorbing piston is of course not as rigidly fastened to the piston rod.

Abstract: The object of is to ensure a solid and reliable connection between the shock-absorbing piston and the piston rod while allowing as much of the piston rod as possible to find support inside the housing.

Abstract: The vibration-compensating piston is accordingly an annular piston and travels back and forth with its inner surface resting against a section (9) of the piston rod adjacent to the fastening for the shock-absorbing piston, and with its outer surface against the inner surface of the subsidiary housing.


A needle thread changing device of a sewing machine, comprises: a first thread end holding section for holding thread end portions of plurality threads respectively drawn from a plurality of spools; a thread cutting section for cutting a thread being currently used while selectively drawn from the first thread end holding section; a second thread end holding section for holding an end portion of the thread of a needle side cut by the thread cutting section; a thread selecting section for selecting a changing thread from the plurality of threads held by the first thread end holding section; a thread end portion moving section for moving an end portion of the thread selected by the thread selecting section to a predetermined knotting position; and a knotting section for connecting the end portion of the thread thus selected to the end portion of the thread currently used held by the second thread end holding section at the knotting position after the thread thus selected has been moved to the predetermined knotting position.

The invention relates to a needle thread changing device of a sewing machine that can automatically change a needle thread for another thread having different colors, kinds or the like.
A needle thread changing device of a sewing machine in which a thread currently using is knotted with a thread to be changed is disclosed in Examined Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei. 3-5834.
In the technology disclosed in the aforementioned publication, mechanisms for respectively holding a plurality of spools is arranged on a rotating table unit. Further, a predetermined actuator for clamping a thread end portion drawn from a spool is arranged for each holding mechanism. A single needle thread is selected from the plurality of spools and fed to the needle.
A currently used needle thread (changed thread) is changed for a new thread (changing thread) by cutting the currently used needle thread at a predetermined position on the head portion of the sewing machine, clamping the end portion of the currently used needle thread on the preceding thread side (the "preceding thread side" meaning a side of the cut changed thread to be knotted with a changing thread) with the predetermined actuator, and clamping the end portion of the changing thread on the spool side with the actuator arranged for the corresponding-holding mechanism. Then, the table unit is rotated to move the spool of the changing thread to a position confronting the head portion of the sewing machine, and the spool of the changing thread is moved toward the head portion of the sewing machine from the table unit together with the spool holding mechanism. Then, the end portion of the changing thread clamped by the actuator in the holding mechanism is set to the predetermined position (thread cutting position), and a knotting unit is driven to connect the end portion of the changing thread to the preceding thread.
However, the following problems have been addressed in the aforementioned conventional technology.
That is, the aforementioned technology requires that not only the table unit be rotated but also the spool of a changing thread be moved between the table unit and the head portion of the sewing machine together with the corresponding holding mechanism every time threads are changed. The aforementioned technology further requires a thread end portion clamping means for each spool.
For this reason, there exist problems that thread changing speed is slow and that sewing efficiency is low. In addition, since the mechanisms are complicated, the number of parts is increased, which in turn increases not only the structure of the device but also the cost of manufacture.
Therefore, an object of the invention is to provide a needle thread changing device of a sewing machine that can not only implement high sewing efficiency but also downsize the structure of the device and reduce the cost of manufacture by allowing threads to be changed without moving spools.
Another object of the invention is to provide a needle thread changing device of a sewing machine that can downsize the structure of the device and reduce the cost of manufacture by dispensing with a thread end portion clamping means per spool.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a needle thread changing device of a sewing machine that can facilitate the cleaning of the waste threads produced by the thread connecting operation.
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a needle thread changing device of a sewing machine, comprising: a first thread end holding section for holding thread end portions of plurality threads respectively drawn from a plurality of spools; a thread cutting section for cutting a thread being currently used while selectively drawn from the first thread end holding section; a second thread end holding section for holding an end portion of the thread of a needle side cut by the thread cutting section; a thread selecting section for selecting a changing thread from the plurality of threads held by the first thread end holding section; a thread end portion moving section for moving an end portion of the thread selected by the thread selecting section to a predetermined knotting position; and a knotting section for connecting the end portion of the thread thus selected to the end portion of the thread currently used held by the second thread end holding section at the knotting position after the thread thus selected has been moved to the predetermined knotting position.
According to the needle thread changing device of a sewing machine of the first aspect, threads are no longer changed by moving the spool of a changing thread as in the conventional example. That is, a plurality of thread end portions respectively drawn from a plurality of spools are held by the first thread end portion holding section; a changing thread is selected from the threads held by the first thread end portion holding section; and the end portion of the selected thread is moved to a predetermined knotting position. Compared with the conventional example in which the spool itself is moved, the operation of moving the end portion of the thread drawn from each spool to a knotting position can be performed with a simpler means and within a shorter period of time.
Therefore, according to the needle thread changing device of a sewing machine, not only high sewing efficiency can be implemented but also the device structure can be downsized and the cost of manufacture can be reduced by allowing threads to be changed without moving spools.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided the needle thread changing device of a sewing machine of the first aspect, wherein the first thread end holding section holds the thread end portions of the threads so as to hang down in a row.
According to the needle thread changing device of a sewing machine of the second aspect, the first thread end portion holding section holds the respective thread end portions drawn from the plurality of spools so as to hang down in a row. Therefore, there is no inconvenience in positioning the thread end portions for knotting even if there is no thread end portion clamping means per holding mechanism that holds a spool as in the conventional example.
Therefore, according to the needle thread changing device of a sewing machine of the second aspect, the device structure can be downsized and the cost of manufacture can be reduced by dispensing with a thread end portion clamping means per spool, in addition to the operation and advantages provided by the needle thread changing device of a sewing machine of the first aspect.
According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided the needle thread changing device of a sewing machine described above, further comprising: a remaining thread discharging section for discharging thread portions remaining after the threads have been connected.
In the needle thread changing device of a sewing machine of the third aspect, the remaining thread discharging section that discharges thread portions remaining after the threads have been connected to a predetermined place is included. Therefore, the operation of cleaning the waste threads produced after the threads have been connected can be facilitated, in addition to the operation and advantages provided by the needle thread changing device of a sewing machine described above.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a thread changing device comprising; a sewing machine having a needle; a plurality of thread winding members, each having a thread; a first holding member for holding the respective threads in such a manner that the threads respectively paid off from the thread winding members are arranged along thread passages and are maintained so as to be substantially in parallel with one another; a selecting means for selecting a thread to be fed to the needle while moving the first holding means in a direction perpendicular to the thread passages; a thread cutting member being arranged closer to the needle than the selecting means along the thread passages and being movable to an operating position and to a return position, the operating position being a position at which the thread cutting member picks up a currently selected thread while crossing the thread passage of the currently selected thread, the return position being a position toward which the thread cutting member moves away from the operating position so that the thread cutting member draws near and cuts the picked up thread and holds an end portion of a cut thread portion extending to the needle; a pickup member being movable to an operating position and to a return position, the operating position being a position at which the pickup member picks up an end portion of a newly selected thread while crossing the passage of the newly selected thread, the return position being a position at which the pickup member draws near and holds the picked up end portion of the newly selected thread so that the pickup member holds the newly selected thread at a predetermined distance from the currently selected thread held by the thread cutting member with one of the threads up and the other down; and a knotting unit being parallelly movable to an operating position and to a standby position, the operating position being a position at which the knotting unit advances into the distance between the currently selected thread held by the thread cutting member and the newly selected thread held by the pickup member, the standby position being a position toward which the knotting unit moves away from the operating position, the knotting unit also knotting both threads at the operating position.
In the fourth aspect, advantages similar to those of the first aspect can be obtained in a thread changing device that connects a currently used thread to a changing thread by knotting threads in such a way as described in the invention.
According to a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided the thread changing device of the fourth aspect, wherein the thread cutting member and the pickup member are located with one up and the other down, and the thread knotting unit is arranged so as to be distanced therefrom in a horizontal direction.
In the fifth aspect of the invention, the knotting unit can be moved linearly in the horizontal directions, which in turn allows advantages similar to those of the first aspect to be obtained.
According to a sixth aspect of the invention, there is provided the thread changing device of the fourth aspect, wherein the moving direction of the selecting means is parallel with the moving directions of the thread knotting unit.
In the sixth aspect, advantages similar to those of the fifth aspect can be obtained.
According to a seventh aspect of the invention, there is provided the thread changing device of the fifth aspect, wherein discharge members are arranged below the operating position of the thread cutting member and the operating position of the pickup member, the discharge members serving to scrap cut waste thread portions.
In the seventh aspect, advantages similar to those of the third aspect can be obtained.

Needle thread changing device of sewing machine


In the case of a fuel supply system for supplying an internal combustion engine (2) of a motor vehicle via two feed units (5, 5′), a mixer valve is arranged in a connecting piece (11, 12) connecting the feed units (5, 5′). The mixer valve has a moveable valve body between two mutually opposite valve seats. When only one of the feed units (5, 5′) is switched on, the connection to the other feed unit (5, 5′) is interrupted. This prevents fuel being fed by a feed unit (5, 5′) which is switched off.

The invention relates to a fuel supply system for supplying an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, having two feed means, which are arranged in a fuel tank, for feeding fuel, and having a connecting piece for guiding the fuel fed by the feed means from two inlets, which are each connected to the feed means, to an outlet.
Fuel supply systems of this type are used, for example, for motor vehicles having a high power consumption and narrow fuel tanks, in which an individual feed means is frequently insufficient in terms of power, and are known in practice. Furthermore, fuel supply systems of this type are used in what are referred to as saddle tanks, in which the fuel tank has two chambers, with suction jet pumps which feed fuel into one or two baffles additionally being arranged in the individual chambers. The connecting pieces combine a flow from two lines, for example from the feed units, into one fuel line leading to the internal combustion engine or to one or two suction jet pumps. The connecting pieces of the known fuel supply system are conventional T-pieces.
A disadvantage of the known fuel supply system is that, for example, if one of two feed means is in operation, fuel may overflow from one of the feed means to the feed means which has been switched off. This results in an unnecessary circulation of the fuel and to energy losses in the feeding of the fuel to the internal combustion engine. In order to avoid this problem, a practical remedy is to use a respective nonreturn valve between the inlets and the feed means. However, this results in a very large structural outlay on the fuel supply system.
The invention is based on the problem of developing a fuel supply system of the type mentioned at the beginning in such a manner that an unnecessary overflowing of the fuel via the connecting piece is avoided and that the fuel supply system is constructed in a particularly simple manner.


Parallel imaging magnetic resonance reconstruction is performed with temporal sensitivity. Rather than estimate the coil sensitivity once for each coil of an array, the coil sensitivity at different times is estimated. The movement of the patient may result in different sensitivities at different times. By using the time varying sensitivity in iterative, self-consistent, non-linear parallel imaging, real-time imaging may be provided with stable artifacts in view of increasing SNR even with higher reduction factors (e.g., 4-6).

The present embodiments relate to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In particular, parallel imaging is provided.
Parallel imaging provides for fast image acquisition for MRI. Parallel imaging includes image domain approaches (e.g., SENSE) and k-space reconstruction approaches (e.g., GRAPPA). These approaches are essentially linear in the sense that unknowns (e.g., MR images or k-space points) are solved as the solution to a least-square problem (AX=b). An advantage for the linear formulation is the relatively low computational cost.
Parallel imaging may speedup the acquisition time by acquiring a less dense sampling. The speedup or field-of-view reduction factor practical for a state-of-art clinical phased array coil is limited for most applications. There is a tradeoff between signal-noise-ratio (SNR) and artifacts for linear parallel imaging. Further increase of the reduction factor (R) along the phase encoding direction results in greater artifacts.
Parallel imaging may be formulated as a nonlinear problem. Iterative Self-consistent Parallel Imaging Reconstruction (SPIRiT) is a nonlinear parallel imaging technique. In this framework, every k-space point is estimated from all surrounding points including acquired and not acquired ones. As a result, the not acquired points cannot be directly solved as a least-square solution. With proper regularization, a better trade-off between SNR and artifacts may be feasible. However, these benefits may be reduced for dynamic or real-time imaging.

Self consistent parallel imaging with temporal sensitivity estimation in real-time magnetic resonance imaging