A feeder channel for use in a filter separator machine is used for separation of undesired particles from a well fluid used in petroleum industry which has a purpose of guiding fluid and particle flow to the area of the filter that provides the best utilization of available filtration area and includes: a feeder channel is arranged so that the upstream well fluid is guided via a guiding- and turning plate, which is installed in series in opposite repeated direction in which the outlet of each guiding- and the turning plate facing the center of the vertical line. The fluid will for this reason be independent on how the feeder channel is installed in the direction and angle, and will provide a homogeneous flow profile as it guided through the mouth guide plate and internal guide fin against the distribution plate. The fluid is then distributed to the filter's inner part and utilizes the entire filter surface area and the filter separator machines movement and function.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an improved feeder channel for distribution of fluid and particles for a well fluid filter separator.
The invention relates to an improved feeder channel for the distribution of well fluid and particles which is fed into a filter separator machine used for separation of undesired particles from a well fluid used in petroleum industry. The separated particles may include cuttings, rock particles, metal particles, additive particles and chemicals. The well fluid may be a water-based (WBM) or an oil based (OBM) drilling fluid if filtering shall be conducted during drilling, or a so-called completion fluid if one intends to circulate under conditions other than drilling.
2. Description of Background Art
Each provider of filter separator machines (shale shakers) has developed their own design for feeder channels. The efficiency and practical usefulness of the fluid and particle distribution on the filter is varied. They do not fully utilize the potentially available filtration area, movement pattern (vibration) and transport length for particles on the filters, or the through flow of well fluids at the same. This potentially incurs reduced quality of the primary cleaning and hence increased consumption of such filters, well fluid and wear on all equipment in contact with the heterogeneous fluid in connection with the particle variations.
WO2009/111730 concerns a fluid distribution apparatus configured to receive a drilling material and direct the drilling material onto a separatory surface; and a damper coupled to the housing and configured to distribute a flow of the drilling material onto the separatory surface.
WO03/028907 describes a vibratory separator and a screen assembly. In the drilling of a borehole in the construction of an oil or gas well, a drill bit is arranged on the end of a drill string and is rotated to bore the borehole. A drilling fluid known as "drilling mud" is pumped through the drill string to the drill bit to lubricate the drill bit. The drilling mud is also used to carry the cuttings produced by the drill bit and other solids to the surface through an annulus formed between the drill string and the borehole. The drilling mud contains expensive synthetic oil-based lubricants and it is normal therefore to recover and re-use the used drilling mud, but this requires the solids to be removed from the drilling mud.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,535 relates to an apparatus which distributes the flow of solids to two or more solid separation devices. The apparatus comprises a plenum, such as a horizontally disposed elongated chamber, that is positioned above inlet zones of the solid separation devices. The plenum includes an inlet for communication with a source of the flow of solids and liquid, such as from a drilling well, and also includes lower outlets positioned adjacent the solids separation device's inlet zones. Valves are positioned across these lower outlets for regulating the quantity of solids and liquid that flow to each solid separation device. A variable distribution device, such as a movable or tiltable plate, is connected within the plenum adjacent the solids and liquid inlet for regulating the proportion of solids directed to each solid separation device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,582 describes a shale shaker having two feeds, two screens, two mud outlets and a removable tray between the screens is disclosed. Each screen receives one feed and produces one outlet of cuttings and another outlet for separated mud for either bypass or direct feed to the mud tank or the other screen. The removable tray or trays facilitate the two screens acting in cascade. Valves are provided to control the overall flow rate to the shaker and to the lower level screen.
WO9608301 describes a vibratory screen filter apparatus. In the vibratory screen filter apparatus a plurality of vibratory screening units are provided. Each unit has its own filter screen and vibrating means for vibrating the screen, and receives mixture to the process from a common inlet reservoir which includes means for varying the relative rates of supply of mixture to the screens of the screening units. Sensor means detects the amount of mixture on each screen, and the output of the sensor means is used by control means which controls the amount of mixture deposited on each unit, and can selectively activate or de-activate units to cope with changes in the required rate at which the apparatus is to process a mixture of drilling mud and cuttings.
WO02/40186 discloses a shale shaker for separating material, the shale shaker comprising a basket for supporting a screen assembly, a collection receptacle, and a vibratory mechanism for vibrating the basket, the basket comprising two side walls, an end wall and an opening in the bottom of the basket, the basket having means to support screen assemblies for substantially covering the opening characterized in that the basket further comprises separating means in or on any of the walls for separating material. Preferably, the shale shaker further comprises directing means for directing separated material therefrom into said collection receptacle.
Explanation:
                100% coverage ratio (DG) provides continuous loss of fluid on the top filter.        90% DG provides a risk of loss.        75% DG by even distribution front does not provide loss. Table B: shows the cost per machine filter per drilled meter of formation of sections 24″, 17.5″, 12.25″, and 8.5″.
The numerical values are from the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate's website for the Norwegian sector for the period 1999-2008 and is based on well specified length. Based on this, the average consumption and the costs are estimated. This is defined as historical data.
An essential problem with the feeder channels in the background art is that they lead fluid and particle flow ahead on the filters in the filter separator machines movement and transport direction—see FIGS. 7A-11. This incurs in a reduced transport path in distance and time from the landing point on the filter to the outlet on the end of the same.
Common to FB & HB, Another essential problem is the lack of utilization of available filtration area of the inner portion of the filter, which is located under and behind the landing point of liquid and particles—see FIGS. 5-8B. This, in practice, provides reduced receiving capacity for liquid and particles at the same filter quality.
This is common for feeder box and header box devices. A third essential problem with the functional design of the feeder channel is that the feeding out section and the degree of cover distribution of fluid particles reflects how the supply to the feeder channel is oriented in its direction and angle.                A vertical or a perpendicular flow provides one type of flow distribution on the filter, see FIGS. 9A and 9B, the arrow indicates the direction of main flow.        An oblique flow from the left, versus right, provides other flow patterns for the same filter, see FIGS. 10 and 11. The arrow indicates the direction the main flow.
A fourth, substantial problem is related to the HSE (Health and Environment Safety) by personnel exposed to chemical composition of the drilling fluid (risk of chemical pneumonia, etc.) through increased handling of the increasing wear on the primary filter as reduced filter area leads to the use of coarse top filter (scalping screen). Coarser top filter lets through a significant amount of particles (volume & weight), incurring increased wear on the main filter. FIG. 12, Table A illustrates an approximate coverage on the top deck VS filter quality.
A fifth essential problem is economic related in that a high consumption of filter screens during the drilling of a well—please see FIG. 13, Table B, as well as the negative consequences this incurs to the operational progress, maintenance of equipment in the well and fixed or portable equipment on a rig. This is because the quality of the drilling fluid is influenced by the primary cleaning (filter separator machine with associated filter) through the particle content and size distribution (PSD).


A plinth attachment system for attachment to at least one track includes: a first plate having a first side configured for mounting to a longitudinally extending track, and a first mounting feature for mounting a first structure; and a second plate having a first side configured for mounting to the track, and a second mounting feature for mounting a second structure. When mounted on the track, at least one interlinking feature of the first side of the first plate and at least one interlinking feature of the first side of the second plate interlock at the track, and, the first mounting feature and second mounting feature are aligned at essentially equivalent longitudinal positions.

Commercial aircraft cabins are typically configured to accept seating designed specifically to attach to existing longitudinal seat tracks. These existing seat tracks may run primarily parallel to the aircraft centerline over the length of the cabin. Multiple seat tracks may be spaced across the width of the aircraft to provide attachment locations primarily for seating products and furniture. The lateral spacing of the seat tracks may be unique to the aircraft type. Commercial-type seats are typically multi-place seats ranging from double seats to seats made for up to five passengers. These commercial-type seats may be attached directly to the seat tracks using industry standard attachment fittings.
Aircraft may also be configured for executive use. Individuals, corporations, fractional ownership companies, and others typically configure cabins in a different manner than for commercial use. These executive cabins may utilize single and multi-place seats, side-facing divans, and other specialty seating for added comfort. In addition, interior components (e.g., bulkheads, credenzas) may be added to configure the cabin in a custom manner. As such, executive seating and interior components often have different lateral leg spacing that does not coincide with the standard/existing seat track locations. Moreover, some aircraft do not have seat tracks, and provide only longitudinal floor beams that require all attachments to utilize special attachment fittings. This attachment scheme requires that all seats be designed or redesigned to utilize these fittings, often warranting new certification.
Therefore, to facilitate installation flexibility and allow custom seat, furniture, bulkhead, etc. placement within the aircraft cabin, what is needed is a system that makes use of the existing seat tracks in the aircraft to provide additional attachment points for attaching seats, furniture, bulkheads, etc.

Interlinked plinth attachment system for aircraft seats


An umbrella includes a cover, a shaft with a multi-sectional structure, a notch, a runner, main ribs, stretchers, other coordinating multi-sectional ribs, or optionally, in addition, an auxiliary runner, a compression spring between the auxiliary runner and a plurality of stretching ribs. Around the notch is a plurality of pivotally disposed main ribs for supporting the cover, and around the runner is a plurality of pivotally disposed stretchers for supporting the main ribs. A locating tube is disposed below the notch which is pivotally connected to the main ribs. The locating tube has an upper end thereof fastened with the notch, and the auxiliary runner and the runner are accommodated around the locating tube, such that the runner is capable of firm up-and-down sliding movements on the locating tube, thereby steadily stretching the umbrella.

(a) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a firm automatic multi-sectional collapsible umbrella structure, and more particularly, to a multi-sectional automatic collapsible umbrella having a minimal volume when collapsed and enabling a shaft thereof to steadily stretch the umbrella for usage.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
Umbrellas are people's daily commodities for shielding against the sun and/or rain, with conveniences and practicability thereof being long favored. To offer better portability, a shaft of an umbrella is often devised as a multi-sectional design, so that an overall volume of the umbrella is reduced when collapsed and the umbrella can thus then be stored and carried in a more handy manner. To satisfy expanding market demands as well as to provide users with further conveniences, umbrella manufacturers later proposed an automatic multi-sectional collapsible umbrella as shown in FIG. 1.
Referring to FIG. 1, a current automatic multi-sectional collapsible umbrella 1 having automatic stretching capability comprises a cover 11, a multi-sectional shaft 12, a notch 13, an auxiliary runner 10, a runner 14, main ribs 15 and stretchers 16. Around the notch 13 is a plurality of pivotally disposed main ribs 15 for supporting the cover 11; around the auxiliary runner 10 is a plurality of pivotally disposed stretchers 16 for supporting the main ribs 15; and around the runner 14 is a plurality of pivotally disposed stretching ribs 18 for supporting the stretchers 16. The shaft 12 is in a multi-sectional form, and has an upper end thereof fixed to the notch 13. Within the multi-sectional tube of the shaft 12, and between the auxiliary runner 10 and the runner 14, are respectively provided with compression springs 32 and 31. When the umbrella 1 is collapsed, the shaft 12 is compressed and maintains as a shortened structure using a fastening device in a handle 19. Meanwhile, the compression spring 31 between the auxiliary runner 10 and the runner 14 is also set in a compressed state. When a trigger button at the handle 19 is triggered, the fastening device is instantaneously set free. The multi-sectional shaft 12 rapidly expands using elasticity of the compression spring 32 therein, and the auxiliary runner 10 and the runner 14 are instantaneously stretched using elasticity of the compression spring 31. Hence, through interlocking effects of the stretching ribs 18, the auxiliary runner 10 and the runner 14 are quickly sprung upwards to approach a place near and below the notch 13 to assist stretching the umbrella. To collapse the umbrella, the runner 14 is pulled downwards, and the umbrella can be entirely collapsed by overcoming elasticity of the compression springs 31 and 32.
Referring to FIG. 2 showing a elevational view, partially in section and with portions broken away of another multi-sectional collapsible umbrella capable of automatic stretching and collapsing movements, an umbrella 1A comprises a cover 11, a multi-sectional shaft 12, a notch 13, a runner 14, main ribs 15 and stretchers 16. Around the notch 13 is a plurality of pivotally disposed main ribs 15, and around the runner 14 is a plurality of pivotally disposed stretchers 16 for supporting the main ribs 15. The shaft 12 is a multi-sectional form, and has an upper end thereof fixed to the notch 13. The shaft 12 is further provided with a compression spring 31 therein, and between the runner 14 and the notch 13 is a connecting pull rope 4. The pull rope 4 has an outer end thereof connected to the runner 14, inserted through sliding wheels 131 and 132 at the notch 13, and a sliding wheel 133 at the runner 14; and the other end thereof inserted into the shaft 12, extended downward along the shaft 12, and connected to a fastening device at a handle 19. To stretch the umbrella, a button at the handle 19 is triggered to set free the fastening device, and the multi-sectional shaft 12 is then rapidly elongated using elasticity of the compression spring 31 therein. Meanwhile, a lower end of the pull rope 4 passes through the fastening device to be connected at the handle 19 while remaining immobile, such that the length of the pull rope 4 between the shaft 12 and the sliding wheel 131 at the runner 14 is gradually reduced, thereby lifting the runner 14 to approach a place near and below the notch 13 to complete stretching the umbrella. To collapse the umbrella, the button at the handle 19 is triggered, so as to first loosen the fastening device at the lower end of the pull rope 4. The pull rope 4 in the shaft 12 also becomes lax, and using a collapsing spring 161 for gathering the stretchers 16, the runner 14 is pushed to slide downward, thereby accomplishing automatic collapsing of the umbrella 1A.
According to the aforesaid descriptions, although the umbrellas 1 and 1A are capable of automatic stretching and collapsing movements the shaft 12, due to generally being two-sectional or multi-sectional designs, needs to be further devised into having more sections in order to provide the umbrella with a reduced overall volume. However, as the number of sections of the shaft 12 increases, it is inevitable that diameters of an innermost tube and an outermost tube thereof differ to a large extent. In addition, to prevent undesired wavering and deviations of the runner 14 and the auxiliary runner 10 when performing up-and-down movements at the shaft 12, the shaft 12 often has a section with a smallest outer diameter as it lower portion joined to the handle 19. Therefore, for that section of the shaft 12 with the smallest outer diameter, since its diameter is smaller than other section and thus relatively weaker in strength, bending and chipping are likely to result and thereby fail to steadily stretch the umbrella. Therefore, it is a vital task of umbrella manufacturers to provide an automatic multi-sectional collapsible umbrella, which has minimized overall volume and length and allows a shaft thereof to firmly support the umbrella to a stretched state when stretching the umbrella.

Firm automatic multi-sectional collapsible umbrella structure


A hypervisor, during device discovery, has code which can examine the south-side management data structure in an adapter's configuration space and determine the type of device which is being configured. The hypervisor may copy the south-side management data structure to a hardware management console (HMC) and the HMC can populate the data structure with south-side data and then pass the structure to the hypervisor to replace the data structure on the adapter. In another embodiment the hypervisor may copy the data structure to the HMC and the HMC can instruct the hypervisor to fill-in the data structure, a virtual function at a time, with south-side management data associations. The administrator can assign south-side data, such as a MAC address for a virtual instance of an Ethernet device, to LPARs sharing the adapter. Thus, a standard way to manage the south-side data of virtual functions is provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved data processing system and method. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a system and method for the management of device specific virtual function (VF) data (for example, the network addresses for the VFs) on an input/output virtualization (IOV) enabled adapter, such as a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) IOV adapter. Even more specifically, the management of this device specific data may be referred to as the adapter "south-side management," since this data is used to operate on the device below the PCI hierarchy.
2. Background of the Invention
Most modern computing devices make use of input/output (I/O) adapters and buses that utilize some version or implementation of the Peripheral Component Interconnect standard, which was originally created by Intel in the 1990s. The Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) standard specifies a computer bus for attaching peripheral devices to a computer motherboard. PCI Express, or PCIe, is an implementation of the PCI computer bus that uses existing PCI programming concepts, but bases the computer bus on a completely different and much faster serial physical-layer communications protocol. The physical layer consists, not of a bi-directional bus which can be shared among a plurality of devices, but of single uni-directional links, which are connected to exactly two devices.
FIG. 1 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a system incorporating a PCI Express (PCIe) fabric topology in accordance with the PCIe specification. As shown in FIG. 1, the system 100 is comprised of a host processor (CPU) 110 and memory 120 coupled to a root complex 130, which is in turn coupled to one or more of a PCIe endpoint 140 (the term "endpoint" is used in the PCIe specification to refer to PCIe enabled I/O adapters), a PCI express to PCI bridge 150, and one or more interconnect switches 160. The root complex 130 denotes the root of an I/O hierarchy that connects the CPU/memory to the I/O adapters. The root complex 130 includes a host bridge, zero or more root complex integrated endpoints, zero or more root complex event collectors, and one or more root ports. Each root port supports a separate I/O hierarchy. The I/O hierarchies may be comprised of a root complex 130, zero or more interconnect switches 160 and/or bridges 150 (which comprise a switch or PCIe fabric), and one or more endpoints, such as endpoints 140, 170 and 182-188. For more information regarding PCI and PCIe, reference is made to the PCI and PCIe specifications available from the peripheral component interconnect special interest group (PCI-SIG) website at www.pcisig.com.
In addition to the PCI and PCIe specifications, the PCI-SIG has also defined input/output virtualization (IOV) standards for defining how to design an I/O adapter (IOA) which can be shared by several logical partitions (LPARs). A LPAR is a division of a computer's processors, memory, and storage into multiple sets of resources so that each set of resources can be operated independently with its own operating system instance and applications. The number of logical partitions that can be created depends on the system's processor model and resources available. Typically, partitions are used for different purposes such as database operation, client/server operation, to separate test and production environments, or the like. Each partition can communicate with the other partitions as if the other partition is in a separate machine. In modern systems that support LPARs, some resources may be shared amongst the LPARs. As mentioned above, in the PCI and PCIe specification, one such resource that may be shared is the I/O adapter using I/O virtualization mechanisms.

International Business Machines Corporation


A backlight module includes a back plate, light sources, protrusive pieces and a reflective sheet. The light sources are disposed on the back plate. The protrusive pieces protrude from the back plate. Each of the protrusive pieces is located between at least two adjacent light sources. The reflective sheet is disposed on the back plate and has through holes. Each of the light sources passes through a corresponding through hole. The reflective sheet further has cutting line groups. Each of the cutting line groups includes two cutting lines intersected at an intersection point. Each of the intersection points is substantially aligned with a corresponding protrusive piece. Portions of the reflective sheet adjacent to the cutting line groups are warped upwards from the back plate, and respectively resist the protrusive pieces.

Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a backlight module.
Description of Related Art
A backlight module is one of the key components of liquid crystal display (LCD) panels and functions to provide a light source with sufficient brightness and uniform distribution for enabling the LCD panel to display an image normally.
According to the positions of light sources, backlight modules can be generally divided into two types: edge lighting and bottom lighting. For the edge lighting, a light source is disposed on a side surface of the backlight module. This design can help to effectively reduce the thickness of the backlight module, and thus is mostly used in a portable LCD. For the bottom lighting, a light source is disposed below the backlight module. This design can help to provide uniform brightness. Moreover, because having a relatively larger installation space, this design may allow more light sources to be installed therein, and is suitable for use in a display requiring high brightness and a wide viewing angle.
Generally speaking, a bottom lighting backlight module is disposed with a reflective sheet. With the reflective sheet, light emitted from the light source is reflected to a LCD panel. Besides the enhancement of the overall luminous efficiency of the backlight module, the phenomenon of the un-uniform brightness due to the long distance between the light sources is improved.
Nevertheless, conventionally, the reflecting direction of the reflective sheet is mostly limited to one direction. In addition, the folding procedure consumes a lot of time and effort. If the reflective sheet needs to be folded for achieving a two-dimensional reflection effect, the procedure of folding and assembling the reflective sheet will become more complicated, and the manufacturing cost will be greatly increased.


The arrangement for examining microscope preparations with a scanning microscope comprises a laser (1) and an optical means (12) which images the light generated by the laser (1) onto a specimen (13) that is to be examined. Provided between the laser (1) and the optical means (12) is an optical component (3, 20) that spectrally spreads, with a single pass, the light generated by the laser (1). The optical component (3, 20) is made of photonic band-gap material. It is particularly advantageous if the photonic band-gap material is configured as a light-guiding fiber (20).

In scanning microscopy, a specimen is scanned with a light beam. Lasers are often used as the light source for this purpose. An arrangement having a single laser which emits several laser lines is known, for example, from EP 0 495 930, "Confocal microscope system for multi-color fluorescence." Mixed-gas lasers, in particular ArKr lasers, are usually used at present for this purpose.
Diode lasers and solid-state lasers are also in use.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,053 entitled "Confocal microscope" discloses a confocal microscope in which light of an external light source is transported with the aid of a glass fiber to the beam path of the microscope and the end of the glass fiber serves as a point light source, so that a mechanical stop is superfluous.
The emission spectrum of lasers is confined to a narrow wavelength range, so that for simultaneous multiple-line excitation, the light of several lasers must be combined into one illumination beam.
The gas lasers usually used as multiple-line lasers are very complex and expensive. They moreover require a great deal of maintenance, making them difficult to use continuously in many microscopy applications.

Broadband laser illumination device for a scanning microscope with output stabilization


This invention is a message crating apparatus and message writing method for mobile phone. The above message (SMS or LMS) of mobile phone is including an attribute information(letter color, background color, background scene, letter blink, etc.). Therefore, message creating apparatus and message writing method of the present invention add an attribute information that can select freely that letter color, background color, background scene, letter blink, etc., and use non-print code of ASCII code to keep compatibility with a short message service (SMS) function of existing mobile phone.

Text message services [short message service(SMS) and long message service(LMS)] are now prevalent for mobile phones. The text message services such as SMS and LMS refer to services providing combinations of characters and numerals made out by the users of mobile phones, internet and personal computer communication, or various information prepared by service providers through mobile phone communication system. These message services are effectively used in financial businesses such as notification of balance changes, particulars of deposit and drawing, arrear information and new services; businesses such as communications among staffs, order/distribution information, event notice, customer management, employee calling; government and public affairs such as taxation advice, training advice, event notice; electronic commerce, auction and community activity, etc. In addition, recently SMS businesses are carried out through Internet Network or business private lines by SMS gateways or ASP service providers.
Messages are generally transmitted by means of mobile phones in the same manner as shown in the FIG. 1. When a user accesses a message care menu as shown in the (A), out-going message menu appears, and when he selects it, the menues of letter writing, mobile phone calling, out-going message box arrangement appear as shown in the (B), and menues such as writing of new sentences, calling of stored sentences and transmission appear. When the user writes and transmits a message by using a keypad, the message is received by a mobile phone of a recipient via the message system.
But, as the text message of the conventional mobile phone is made in monochrome and does not have the function of character blink, it could not grab the user's interest, especially the young user's.

Message creating apparatus and method for mobile phone


A deep gradient-density filter device capable of effectively filtering a fluid containing a distribution of particles in the range of approximately 25 microns to approximately 0.2 micron at a fluid velocity of at least approximately 100 cm/hr and an initial hydraulic permeability of greater than approximately 10 cm/hr/psi. The deep gradient-density filter device includes several layers of filtration material, each having specific predetermined particle retention properties. In one product embodiment, the deep gradient-density filter device uses “loose” fibrillated cellulose fiber material as a primary filter element. In a method aspect, the deep gradient-density filter device is used for either the secondary clarification of industrial-scale volumes of cultured or fermented protein-containing biopharmaceutical fluids or the primary clarification of pilot-scale volumes.

Depth filters (e.g., gradient-density depth filters) achieve filtration within the depth of the filter material. A common class of such filters are those that comprise a random matrix of fibers, bonded (or otherwise fixed) to form a complex, tortuous maze of flow channels. Particle separation in these filters generally results from entrapment by, or adsorption to, the fiber matrix. In gradient-density depth filters, several fiber-based filter materials (e.g., in mat or pad format) of different average nominal pore size are arranged sequentially in progressively increasing retentiveness.
Current technologies relative to depth filtration, particularly for applications requiring the removal of submicron particles, are limited to comparatively thin layer(s) of filtration material. With respect to common biopharmaceutical applications, the two most popular clarification fiber-based depth filter materials are dry-laid, gradient density, synthetic fiber pads and wet-laid, cellulose fiber sheets (with or without embedded inorganic filter aids). In either case, the overall filter material depth (or thickness) is invariably restricted to less than 10 millimeters (0.394 inches), primarily due to the high hydraulic resistance (i.e., native pressure drop per unit of fluid flow per unit area) of the filter material. Accordingly, to assure an acceptable rapid rate of fluid throughput, fiber-based depth filters based on conventional filter materials and formats are designed with an eye towards maximizing filter surface area.
The conventional predisposition towards use of large surface area filter materials is evident in the wide popularity of the saucer-like lenticular design of conventional fiber-based depthfilters for pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical fluid clarification processes. See e.g., FIG. 7A. In practice, several of these double-sided "platters" are stacked within an external housing to effect parallel filtration (i.e., contemporaneously by each "platter") of fluid brought into the housing. Examples of this common filter system design can be found in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,783,262, issued to E. A. Ostreicher et al. on Nov. 8, 1988; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,055,192, issued to A. Artinyan et al. on Oct. 8, 1991.
In general, high-area depth filter systems are bulky, prone to poor reliability, and often have high manufacturing costs. An extensive arrangement of media seals is often required to keep the system "tight" and/or non-leaky. And, unlike surface filter media,—such as porous films or membranes which typically can be effectively packaged in a wrapped or pleated cartridge on account of their relative thinness—depth filter media do not tolerate as well the mechanical stresses typical of high surface area cartridge fabrication.
High-area depth filter systems tend also to be slow. It is well known that the filtration performance of a conventional fiber-based depth filter, as measured by filter capacity (i.e., solids loading) or particle retention or both, generally increases as fluid velocity or flux rate decreases. Particle capture—by size and amount—is more generally effective the slower particles travel through a thin filter media. (The mechanism(s) underlying particle capture are not well understood, but likely involve sieving, adsorption, and impingement.) Slow rates (per unit area) also minimize the operating pressures required which at any higher flow rate can be impractical for the high density (low permeability) filter media employed in such applications.
In light of the above, there is a need currently for a compact high-capacity deep gradient-density filter device that is reliable, robust, and easy to manufacture.


A process for the polymerization of olefinic hydrocarbons is carried out in the presence of a catalyst comprising a catalyst component derived from reacting a compound of the formula Me.sup.1 R.sup.1.sub.n X.sup.1.sub.4-n, a compound of the formula Me.sup.2 R.sup.2.sub.m X.sup.2.sub.z-m, an organocyclic compound having two or more conjugated double bonds and a carrier of inorganic or polymeric material, and a modified organoaluminum compound having Al--O--Al bonds, the resulting polyolefins having a relatively wide molecular weight distribution, a relatively narrow composition distribution and increased bulk density.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for the manufacture of olefinic polymers in the presence of a selected catalyst.
2. Prior Art
Catalyst compositions comprising zirconium compounds, typically metallocene and aluminoxane are known for use in the homopolymerization of olefins such as ethylene or the copolymerization of ethylene/alpha-olefins as disclosed for example in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 58-19309. While the disclosed prior art process is advantageous so far as concerns the availability of polymerized products at increased rate of yield, it has a drawback in that the polymers obtained have a relatively narrow distribution-of molecular weight or composition, coupled with a relatively low molecular weight. When taking into account the molecular weight alone, it would be possible to increase the molecular weight of a polymer to some extent by making a proper selection of transition metals from among the group of metallocene. The molecular weight of a polymer may be increased by the use of a transition metal compound having a 2,3 and 4-substituted cyclopentadienyl group as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 63-234005, or by the use of a hafnium compound having a ligand bonded to at least two cross-linked conjugated cycloalkadienyl groups as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2-22307. However, such catalyst components are complicated if not difficult to synthesize. The use of hafnium compounds is not very conducive to polymer yields. The prior catalysts being often soluble in the reaction system are further disadvantageous in that the polymer resulting from slurry or gas-phase polymerization would have reduced bulk density and deteriorated granular properties.

Catalyst components for polymerization of olefins


A connector has a slider (60) with a base (61) extending along a width direction and to be inserted below a lock arm (17). Two arms (62) project from opposite widthwise ends of the base (61). A coupling (63) couples projecting end parts of the arms (62) and faces an upper surface side of the lock arm (17). A deflectable initial position holding portion (76) is provided on the base (61) and is configured to regulate a movement of the slider (60) to a connection position by resiliently locking an initial position holding receiving portion (25) of a housing main body (11) at an initial position. A connection position holding portion (64) is provided on the coupling (63) and is configured to regulate a detachment of the slider (60) by contacting a connection position holding receiving portion (23) of the lock arm (17) at the connection position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
A connector disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-184526 includes first and second housings connectable to each other (called "male and female connectors" in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-184526) and a slider (called a "front slider and a rear slider" in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-184526) movably assembled with the first housing. A coil spring is incorporated into the slider. When a connecting operation is stopped in the process of connecting the first and second housings, a spring force of the coil spring accumulated thus far is released and the first and second housings are moved and biased in directions separating from each other, thereby preventing the first and second housings from being left in an incompletely connected state.
Further, the first housing includes a tubular receptacle into which the second housing is fittable, and an accommodating chamber capable of accommodating the slider is provided on a ceiling part of the receptacle. When the slider is accommodated into the accommodating chamber, the ceiling wall of the accommodating chamber is located above the slider and a holding portion (called a "butting portion" in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-184526) is locked to a holding receiving portion (called a "locking step portion" in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-184526) formed on the ceiling wall, thereby preventing a detachment of the slider from the first housing.
In the above case, since the ceiling wall is arranged to cover the slider from above, there is a problem of increasing a height of the connector by a thickness of the ceiling wall. Thus, although it is desired to omit the ceiling wall from the first housing, the holding receiving portion is also eliminated if the ceiling wall is merely omitted, wherefore a detachment of the slider cannot be prevented. This is an unfavorable situation.
The present invention was completed based on the above situation and aims to prevent a detachment of a slider while avoiding the enlargement of a connector.

Connector having a housing with a fitting tube with guide walls with a lock arm inbettween


An implant is provided for fixing neighboring bone plates of the cranial bone in a simple and reliable manner. The implant comprises an outer bearing element for covering a spacing gap between the bone plates, which sits on outer surfaces of the bone plates. The outer bearing element has a first pair of outer openings and a first pair of inner openings. An inner bearing element is provided for covering the spacing gap between the bone plates, which sits on inner surfaces of the bone plates. The inner bearing element has a second pair of outer openings and a second pair of inner openings. A tensioning element is provided which is threaded through the openings of the outer and inner bearing elements in a displaceable manner, such that, when tensioned, the tensioning element draws the inner bearing element and the outer bearing element together.

Implants of this type are known from the German utility model 29919090 for example. They are used in order to relocate bone plates in their original position within the cranial bone after they have been separated therefrom by means of a saw cut so that they can graft back in this position.
For this purpose, it is known to arrange plate-like bearing elements on both sides of the bone plates, which are separated from one another by a spacing gap, and to connect them together by means of a central pin or a central locking strap. Moreover, rather than utilising latching or clamping means of this type, it is also known to simply draw the two plate-like bearing elements together by means of a thread-like tensioning element and to keep them clamped against one another by means of this thread-like tensioning element.
When using pin-like connecting means, it is necessary to clamp the two bearing elements together by means of a suitable tool which engages with the connecting device, which penetrates the outer bearing element and which simultaneously moves the outer bearing element along the connecting device in the direction of the inner bearing element. Such instruments are of complicated construction and are not always easy to manipulate.
If one uses a thread-like tensioning element for connecting the two bearing elements, then it is relatively easy to manipulate it when tensioning the bearing elements. However, this method results in a connection between the bearing elements which is very flexible and may sometimes give way in an undesirable manner in certain circumstances, for example, if the thread-like tensioning elements should work loose or if they dissolve in the case where a thread of resorbable material is being used.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A roof rail assembly for a motor vehicle having an open frame vehicle architecture includes a side air curtain fixedly coupled with a sport tube extending along a longitudinal axis of the motor vehicle. A one way hinge bracket overlaying the side air curtain includes an upper bracket portion coupled to the sport tube via a fastener extending through an orifice in the upper bracket portion, a lower bracket portion depending from a lower edge of the upper bracket portion, and a plurality of aligned openings disposed on the upper bracket portion below the orifice in the upper bracket portion and above the lower edge of the upper bracket portion. The lower bracket portion rotates about a bend line defined by the plurality of aligned openings as the side air curtain deploys from a stowed condition to an inflated condition.

Traditional motor vehicle architecture may include a side air curtain/curtain air bag (SAC/CAB) that interfaces with a soft/flexible headliner and hard trim on the upper pillar trim. The soft/flexible headliner allows for the actuation of the SAC/CAB during an impact event. Certain nontraditional motor vehicles may employ an open frame vehicle architecture that provides the ability for the roof and doors to be removed by the customer. Thus, motor vehicles that employ an open frame vehicle architecture require unique design configurations to provide such additional occupant restraining features for occupants via a curtain restraint, where traditional applications for a SAC/CAB may not be entirely appropriate.

One way hinge bracket for open frame vehicle side occupant restraint system


A miniature fiber optic hydrophone based on the principles of a Fabry-Perot interferometer. The hydrophone, in one embodiment, includes a body having a shaped flexible bladder at one end which defines a volume containing air or suitable gas, and including a membrane disposed adjacent a vent. An optic fiber extends into the body with one end terminating in spaced relation to the membrane. Acoustic waves in the water that impinge on the bladder cause the pressure of the volume therein to vary causing the membrane to deflect and modulate the reflectivity of the Fabry-Perot cavity formed by the membrane surface and the cleaved end of the optical fiber disposed adjacent to the membrane. When the light is transmitted down the optical fiber, the reflected signal is amplitude modulated by the incident acoustic wave. Another embodiment utilizes a fluid filled volume within which the fiber optic extends.

The present invention relates to hydrophones, particularly to an optical fiber hydrophone, and more particularly to a miniature Fabry-Perot fiber optic hydrophone.
It is well known that when an acoustic wave propagates in a medium, the periodic variations in pressure cause corresponding periodic variations in the optical index of the medium. Thus, if a light beam is directed through a straight optic fiber and the optic fiber is subjected to an acoustic wave, the index of refraction of the optic fiber will be changed. As the index of refraction of the optic fiber changes, the phase of the light beam traversing the optic fiber will change. Thus, as the acoustic waves change the index of refraction of the optic fiber, the light passing through the optic fiber changes its phase. This phase change is proportional to the change in the index of refraction of the optic fiber, which is proportional to the pressure variation in the acoustic wave. Therefore, the phase change in the light is a measure of the acoustic pressure field incident on the optic fiber.
Hydrophones utilizing fiber optics have been developed wherein a light passing through an optical fiber is modulated by an acoustic-optic interaction. Such prior art hydrophones are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,130 issued Mar. 11, 1980 to A. M. Young et al.; No. 4,519,252 issued May 28, 1985 to D. H. McMahon; and No. 4,951,271 issued Aug. 21, 1990 to S. L. Garrett et al. In addition, the literature reports an acoustic sensor based on a Fabry-Perot interferometer, with such an interferometer on the end of an optic fiber using the fiber tip as one mirror and a sound receiving diaphragm as the second mirror. See M. Matsumoto et al., Tech. Digest OFS '86, p. 43-46, 1986; and R. Ohba et al., J. Phys. E: Sci. Instrum. 20, 1380-2, 1987.
It is thus seen that the advantages of fiber optic sensors in hydrophone applications are well known. They offer excellent sensitivity, resistance to electromagnetic interference, and all active electronics are kept out of the water. One aspect where they are not clearly superior to conventional piezoelectric transducers is their size. For some applications size is critical and existing designs are too large. Thus, there exist a need in the field of fiber optic hydrophones for a very small hydrophone to satisfy certain applications. This need is satisfied by the present invention in that it provides a very small fiber optic hydrophone based on a Fabry-Perot interferometer.

The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy


A FED is provided comprising: an emitter located on a cathode; a pixel located on an anode positioned to receive electrons from the emitter; and a getter located on the anode. According to another aspect of the invention, a method of making an FED is provided comprising: depositing getter material over a tip on a cathode; assembling the cathode with an anode, wherein the getter is between the tip and the anode; and activating the getter, whereby the activation causes the getter to be deposited on the anode.

This invention relates to flat panel displays and more specifically to positioning of getters in field emission devices ("FEDs"), examples of which are seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,665,241; 3,755,704; 3,812,559; and 5,064,396, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
In the use of FEDs, where there is a vacuum between and electron emitter and an anode, gas molecules are released which can cause operational problems (for example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,223,766; and 4,743,797, incorporated herein by reference). Thus, a material commonly known as a "getter" is inserted in the vacuum space, for example on the side of the area between the emitter on the cathode and the phosphor on the anode. Common getter materials include titanium and other highly reactive materials. These materials react with the molecules generated during operation, preventing the molecules from causing voltage breakdown within the device.
However, the placement of the getter on the side increases the width of the display. Further, activation of the getter by heating or passing a current through the getter causes evaporation or sublimation of the getter material. Since the getter material is, at least in some cases, conductive, deposition of the material on the cathode or grid of the FED could cause shorts or otherwise adversely effect the operation of the device. Therefore, various bulky methods, such as shields, have been devised to isolate the getter from the cathode and grid. Therefore, during the evaporation or sublimation, the getter material will deposit on non-active elements in the vacuum space. Unfortunately, however, this results in the getter being placed in areas remote from the very location where molecules are generated--namely, the cathode, grid and anode.
Therefore, there is a need for a method and device for placement of a getter in an FED wherein the activation of the getter does not cause a deposit of conductive material on the grid or cathode, wherein the getter is near the locations where molecules are generated, and without the extra space and bulk used in previous devices and methods.
It is an object of the present invention to fulfill those needs.

Device and method for efficient positioning of a getter


A gas laser device, including an a.c. power source for generating a.c. output voltage and a pair of electrodes positioned sandwiching discharge gap through which laser gas circulates. The pair of electrodes are connected to the a.c. power source for applying the a.c. voltage across the electrodes to achieve discharge in the discharge gap such as to create a positive column region and boundary layer regions, thereby to generate laser light. The positive column region is created in the discharge gap and a.c. power injected therein contributes to laser excitation. The boundary layer regions is created in a vicinity of one of the pair of electrodes, respectively and a.c. power injected therein does not contribute to laser excitation. A frequency of the a.c. power source is set to at least 700 kHz and an a.c. output voltage of the a.c. power source is set at a level such that a voltage in the positive column region is larger than a burden voltage in the boundary layer regions.. In the gas laser device, it may be set that a dimension d between the pair of electrodes and a pressure p of the laser gas in the relationship of the following formula (A) EQU pxd.gtoreq.34 torr.multidot.cm (A). As a result the input power supplied for laser excitation in the discharge gap is at least 50% of a total input power.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gas laser device, and more particularly to a gas laser device in which laser light is generated by applying a high-frequency voltage across electrodes to achieve electrical discharge.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 shows the longitudinal cross-sectional structure of a so-called cross-flow type of gas laser device in which the gas flow is orthogonal to the output optical axis. In FIG. 1, a metallic inner flume 2 made of, for example, stainless steel, iron or aluminum with a U-shaped cross-section is provided inside an outer flume 1 made of, for example, stainless steel, iron or aluminum with a rectangular cross section. A first tabular dielectric 3a made of ceramic is hermetically attached to the central portion in the top surface of the outer flume 1. A second tabular dielectric 4a is hermetically attached to the inner flume 2 in such a way as to close the opening in the top surface. And the arrangement is such that a discharge gap 5 with a predetermined spacing exists between these dielectrics 3a and 4a. Further, a first electrode 3b is attached to the central portion in the top surface of the first dielectric 3a to form a first dielectric electrode 3. And a second electrode 4b is attached in the central portion in the bottom surface of the second dielectric 4a to form a second dielectric electrode 4 which constitutes a pair with the first dielectric electrode 3. Moreover, the first electrode 3b and second electrode 4b are connected to an a.c. power source 6.
The laser gas is enclosed at the desired pressure in the gap between the outer flume 1 and the inner flume 2, and the inside of the inner flume 2 is connected to the outer atmosphere. A blower 7 for circulating the laser gas in the direction of the arrow A and a heat exchanger 8 for cooling the laser gas after it has flowed through the discharge gap 5 are placed at the bottom on the inside of the outer flume 1.
When an a.c. voltage from the a.c. power source 6 is applied across the first electrode 3b and the second electrode 4b in the laser device with this configuration, an a.c. discharge occurs in the discharge gap 5 via the first dielectric 3a and the second dielectric 4a, the laser gas flowing in the discharge gap 5 is excited and the laser light 9 is produced in a direction orthogonal to the surface of the paper.
As shown in model form in FIG. 2, the physical composition for the discharge in the discharge gap 5 comprises a positive column 10 and boundary layers 11 in the vicinity of the first and second dielectric electrodes 3 and 4. The behavior of the boundary layer 11 depends on the discharge frequency.
Next, in order to raise the laser oscillation efficiency (conversion efficiency from discharge input to laser output) it is necessary to raise the frequency of the a.c. power source. In this case, the a.c. power source of the vacuum tube type is to be used. The efficiency of the a.c. power source (conversion efficiency from 200 V a.c. input power to high frequency output power) is up to 70% in the case of C class amplification type, and is usually 55%. As a result, it is impossible to raise the overall efficiency of the gas laser device (conversion efficiency from 200 V a.c. input power to the laser output power). Besides, the size of the a.c. power source is large, because the power source of the vacuum tube type is used.
Contrary, in order to raise the power source efficiency (maximum about 90%) and to reduce the size of the a.c. power source, it is necessary to use the solid state device in the a.c. power source and to make the frequency of the a.c. power source low (100 kHz). In this case, the laser oscillation efficiency will be reduced, as a result the overall efficiency of the gas laser device will not be raised.
Namely, the power injected to the positive column 10 contributes to laser excitation but the power injected to the boundary layer 11 does not contribute to laser excitation. Gas laser devices with a conventional configuration, however, do not take into account power losses in the region of the boundary layers 11 and therefore experience problems in that the laser oscillation efficiency is low since power loses in the region of the boundary layer 11 account for a large proportion of the overall discharge input.
Moreover, as the output frequency is low which will not give rise to the phenomenon of electron trapping and will make the ignition voltage high. As a result, laser pulse characteristic is also not good. The conventional gas laser device described above suffers from the problems as described above.
Next, the operation of the a.c. power source 6 will be described. The a.c. power source 6 here carries out a continuous (CW) operation and pulse operation. In order to improve the discharge ignition characteristic for the pulse operation, the discharge is ignited by a preliminary ionization means such as Simmer discharge even when the laser pulse is off. The power-source output from the a.c. power source 6 as shown in FIG. 3 therefore has alternate Simmer discharge periods T1 and main discharge periods T2.
The load on the a.c. power source 6 is thus lessened when carrying out the laser pulse operation by reducing the difference between the voltage in the Simmer discharge period T1 and the voltage in the discharge period T2 generated by the a.c. power source 6.
However, conventional gas laser device with the configuration described above suffers from problems as described below.
Because the device has Simmer discharge, the discharge always has to be ignited even when the laser pulse operation is not being carried out and the efficiency is reduced.


The venting chassis is designed to function optimally with jar candles that have small diameter mouths, and jar candles that have oddly shaped, non-cylindrical or smaller sized jars. The venting chassis includes an annular skirt that is dimensioned to extend below the jar shoulder that is formed between the sidewalls and jar brim. The skirt physically separates the inlet air flow from the exhaust air flow to facilitate laminar air flow within the jar candle. The skirt has three longitudinal depressions or channels, which form three inlet vents that open just below the shoulder. The skirt is shaped and configured to acts as a nozzle to constrain thereby increasing the velocity and inertia of the airflow and to vent the inlet airflow under the shoulder directly onto jar sidewalls thereby cooling the jar sidewalls.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,382,962, 6,585,510, 6,589,047, and 6,663,384 disclose various venting devices (plates and chassis) that are used atop containerized (jar) candles to improve combustion and reduce soot. The venting plates of U.S. Pat. No. 6,382,962 are flat discs that have several inlet vents radially spaced from a central exhaust vent so as to provide separated laminar inlet and exhaust air flows. The venting chassis of U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,585,510, 6,589,047, and 6,663,384 provide a substructure upon which various ornamentation and decorative reliefs are mounted, as well as facilitating laminar air flow within the jar candle. The ornamentation and decorative reliefs are bonded to the top of the venting chassis around a central chimney through which exhaust air is vented. The venting chassis is supported atop the candle by a number of feet which space the chassis over the brim of the candle to create an annular inlet vent. The venting chassis also include an internal baffle for physically separating the inlet and exhaust air flows within the vessel interior. The baffle directs inlet air flow downward into the interior of the candle through the inlet vent downward along the sidewalls of the vessel and separates the downward inlet air flow from the upward exhaust air flow. In addition to creating separated laminar inlet and exhaust airflows within jar candles, which improves combustion and reduces soot, these venting devices help regulate the surface temperature of the jar candle by venting cool inlet air downward along the jar sidewalls. This cooling function helps to insure that the jar candle can be safely handled and operated by a user.
The above mentioned venting devices are designed to work optimally with standard "three inch" apothecary jar candles. The descriptive term "three inch" refers to the diameter of the jar's mouth. In the candle industry, apothecary jars typically conform to certain basic dimensional standards whether constructed from blown or I.S. glass insure use with automated filling systems. The body diameter of a standard "three inch" apothecary jar is approximately 4.0 inches and the mouth diameter is approximately 3.26 inches (83 mm) for blown glass and 3.50 inches (89 mm) for I.S. glass. While varying in height three to six inches, the dimension of a typical apothecary jar varies very little, only a few tenths of an inch, particularly in the diameters of the body and mouth. Heretofore, while working optimally with standard three inch apothecary jar candles, these venting plates and venting chassis have not worked optimally with jar candles that have small diameter mouths, or jar candles that have oddly shaped, non-cylindrical or smaller sized jars.
The venting and cooling functions of the above mentioned venting devices are critically effected by the area, diameter and configuration of both the jar mouth and the jar interior. Small mouthed jar candles (typically diameters less than 3.26 inches) are particularly problematic simply because there is less area in which to separate the inlet airflow from the exhaust airflow. Because both inlet and exhaust air must both physically pass through the jar's mouth, smaller mouthed jar candles physically limit the venting device's capability to sufficiently separate the inlet and exhaust air flows. Non-cylindrical and oddly shaped jar candles also present significant venting problems, particularly jars with pronounced shoulders between the sidewalls and brim of the jars. In most candle jars, the brim of the jar mouth is inset some distance from the sidewall of the jar forming a pronounced shoulder interior. Because the skirts or baffles of conventional venting plates and chassis direct the inlet air flows directly downward, an air gap is formed beneath these pronounced shoulders in the jars and the cool inlet air flow is not vented directly out to the sidewalls from the inset jar mouth. Furthermore, conventional venting plates and chassis cannot direct inlet air flow back onto angled and curved sidewalls of the many oddly shaped jar candles that are available.
The cooling function provided by a venting device becomes more critical as the volume or the jar and the area of the jar mouth decreases. The smaller volume jar candles have less interior within which the thermal energy of the candle can be diffused. Consequently, the surface temperature of the jar, the melted wax pool and internal air temperature is higher in smaller jar candles than in standard three inch apothecary jar candles. In smaller sized jar candles, the surface temperature can often be too hot to touch and more even elevate to the flash point of the wax, presenting serious fire and safety hazards.

Venting chassis for a containerized candle


An electrophotographic photoconductor having at least a photoconductive layer on an electrically conductive support, in which a surface layer of the photoconductive layer can be obtained by curing at least a free-radical-polymerizable monomer having no charge transporting structure, represented by general formula (A)

1. Field of the Invention
First, the present invention relates to an electrophotographic photoconductor that can realize excellent service durability, stable electrical characteristics, and high quality image formation for a long period, using a photoconductive layer with high abrasive resistance, good film surface properties, and good electrical characteristics.
Second, the present invention relates to an electrophotographic photoconductor that can realize excellent service durability, stable electrical characteristics, and high quality image formation for a long period, using a surface layer with high abrasive resistance, a smooth film surface, and little variation in electrical characteristics dependent on the environment.
Further, the present invention relates to an image formation method, an image formation apparatus and a process cartridge for image formation apparatus using the aforementioned high quality photoconductor with a long operating life.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, an organic photoconductor (OPC) is frequently used in a copying machine, a facsimile machine, a laser printer, and a complex machine thereof, due to good performance and various advantages of it, instead of an inorganic photoconductor. As the reasons, for example, (1) excellent optical properties such as a wider wavelength range for light absorption and higher rate of absorption, (2) excellent electrical characteristics such as high sensitive and stable charging property, (3) a wide scope of material selection, (4) easier manufacturing, (5) lower cost, and (6) no toxicity can be listed.
On the other hand, recently, the achievement of high durability of a photoconductor has been desired for the miniaturization of a photoconductor promoted in accordance with the miniaturization of an image formation apparatus, the speeding up of a machine, and the tendency of maintenance-free.
From this viewpoint, since a surface layer of the organic photoconductor is based on a low-molecular-weight charge transportation material and an inactive polymer, the organic photoconductor is generally soft, and, therefore, has a disadvantage of easily causing abrasion by mechanical load from a development system or a cleaning system, when the organic photoconductor is used repeatedly in an electrophotographic process.
In addition, with the miniaturization of the particle diameters of toner particles for the requirement of achieving a high quality image, the increase of the rubber hardness and the contact pressure of a cleaning blade has to be made for improving a cleaning property, which increase is a factor of accelerating the abrasion of the photoconductor. Such abrasion of the photoconductor lowers the sensitivity and degrades electric characteristics such as the charging property, so as to cause the lowering in image density and improper imaging such as background contamination. Also, the damage caused by local abrasion results in insufficient cleaning, and therefore, an image with linear contamination. In the present circumstances, the operating life of the photoconductor, that is, the replacement of the photoconductor, is regulated by the abrasion and the damage.
Accordingly, it is necessary to reduce the aforementioned abrasion for achieving the high durability of an organic photoconductor, and further, an organic photoconductor having good surface properties are required for giving an excellent cleaning property and a transcription property to the organic photoconductor. These problems are required to be solved in the art.
As techniques for improving abrasive resistance of a photoconductive layer, (1) the use of a curable binder in a surface layer (ex. see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 56-48637), (2) the use of a polymeric charge transportation material (ex. see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 64-1728), (3) dispersing an inorganic filler in a surface layer (ex. see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 4-281461) can be provided.
Among these techniques, (1) the use of a curable binder tends to elevate a residual potential and cause lowering in image density due to a low compatibility with a charge transportation material and impurities such as a polymerization initiator and an unreacted residue. Also, (2) the use of a polymeric charge transportation material and (3) dispersing an inorganic filler can improve abrasive resistance to some extent, but have not satisfied sufficiently the resistance required for an organic photoconductor. Additionally, (3) dispersing an inorganic filler tends to elevate a residual potential and cause lowering in image density due to a trap existing on the surface of the inorganic filler. Moreover, these techniques denoted by (1), (2), and (3) have not satisfied sufficiently the overall durability that includes electric durability and mechanical durability required for an organic photoconductor.
Furthermore, a photoconductor that contains a material obtained by curing multi-functional acrylate monomers for improving the abrasive resistance and the damage resistance is known (see Japanese Patent No. 3262488). With respect to the photoconductor, the patent discloses that the material obtained by curing multi-functional acrylate monomers is contained in a protective layer provided on a photoconductive layer. Also, the patent discloses that the protective layer may contain a charge transportation material but no specific explanation. Further, when a low-molecular-weight charge transportation material is simply contained in a surface layer, there is a problem of the compatibility with the cured material, whereby the precipitation of the low-molecular-weight charge transportation material and the production of a crack can be caused to lower the mechanical strength.
Although the patent also discloses that a polycarbonate resin is contained for improving the compatibility, the content of the acryl monomers to be cured is reduced and, consequently, sufficient abrasive resistance cannot be achieved. Additionally, with respect to a photoconductor that contains no charge transportation material in the surface layer, the patent discloses that the surface layer is made be a thin film against the lowering in the electric potential of a light-exposed portion. However, since the film thickness is small, the operating life of the photoconductor is short. Further, the environmental stability of charging electric potential and the electric potential of a light-exposed portion is low and the values of them varies widely dependent on the environment factors such as temperature and humidity and cannot be kept at a sufficient values at present.
Instead, as a technique for improving an abrasive resistance of a photoconductive layer, it is known that a charge transportation layer formed from a coating liquid that contains a monomer having a carbon-carbon double bond, a charge transportation material having a carbon-carbon double bond and a binder resin is provided (ex. see Japanese Patent No. 3194392). The binder resin includes that of having a carbon-carbon double bond and reactivity to the charge transportation material and that of having no carbon-carbon double bond and no reactivity to the charge transportation material.
The photoconductor attracts attention since the photoconductor has both abrasive resistance and good electrical characteristics, but when a binder resin having no reactivity is used, the compatibility of the binder resin with a cured material produced by the reaction of the aforementioned monomers and the charge transportation material is low and layer separation or the production of surface irregularity are made at the time of cross-linking. As the result, it is observed that the photoconductor tends to cause improper cleaning.
As described above, the binder resin disturbs the curing of the monomers. Further, the patent discloses a two-functional monomer as the monomer used in the photoconductor but sufficient cross-link density cannot be obtained by the two-functional monomers since the number of functional groups of the monomer is small and the photoconductor does not satisfy the sufficient abrasive resistance.
Also, when the binder resin having reactivity, due to the small number of functional groups contained in the monomer and the binder resin, it is difficult to balance the extent of monomer coupling in the charge transportation material and the cross-link density of the charge transportation material, and the electrical characteristics and the abrasive resistance are insufficient.
Moreover, a photoconductive layer that contains a compound obtained by curing hole transportation compounds having more than one chain-polymerizable functional group in the molecule thereof is known (ex. see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2000-66425).
However, since the bulky hole transportation compound in the photoconductive layer has more than one chain-polymerizable functional group, distortion is caused and the internal stress increases in the cured compound. As the result, the surface layer may easily become rough or produce a crack with time, so that the surface layer does not have sufficient durability.
Thus, the photoconductor having a cross-linked photoconductive layer obtained by chemically bonding the charge transporting structures in these conventional techniques does not have the sufficient overall characteristics at present.

Electrophotographic photoconductor, and image formation method, image formation apparatus, and process cartridge for image formation apparatus using the same

Abstract: and a one-functional free-radical-polymerizable compound having a charge transporting structure, wherein R71, R72, R73, R74, R75, and R76 are described in the specification.


An arc extinguishing circuit for use with glow discharges employed in manufacturing thin-film apparatus (such as, sputtering apparatus etc.), and is capable of more rapidly extinguishing arc discharges occurring within a glow discharge. The arc extinguishing circuit includes a voltage sense circuit, a secondary winding, a switch element, a positive output terminal, and a negative output terminal, the voltage sense circuit having a voltage sense capacitor and a primary winding. When the potential of the negative output terminal rapidly rises so that an arc discharge occurs while generating a glow discharge across the positive output terminal and the negative output terminal, a current flows from the voltage sense capacitor connected to the negative output terminal through the primary winding, and a voltage is induced at the secondary winding magnetically coupled to the primary winding and the switch element connected to the secondary winding conducts. The positive output terminal and the negative output terminal are therefore short-circuited and the arc discharge is extinguished.

The present invention relates to an arc extinguishing circuit; and more particularly, relates to an arc extinguishing circuit capable of extinguishing arc discharges occurring within a glow discharge when used in a power supply circuit for generating a glow discharge.
Conventional glow discharge power supply circuits comprise a direct current (d.c.) voltage generating circuit, with a positive terminal and a negative terminal connected to the anode and cathode of the d.c. voltage generating circuit respectively. The negative terminal is connected to a target and the positive terminal is connected to a substrate holder. A substrate is then supported by the substrate holder so that the target and a surface of the substrate (hereinafter referred to as the xe2x80x9csubstrate surfacexe2x80x9d) face each other within a low pressure atmosphere. When the d.c. voltage generating circuit is then activated and a d.c. voltage is applied across the positive terminal and the negative terminal, a glow discharge is generated across the substrate surface and the target, the target is sputtered and a thin-film is formed on the substrate surface.
However, arc discharges can occur when certain kinds of abnormalities occur within the glow discharge. When arc discharging occurs, the target is sputtered in a localized manner and the thin film is unevenly formed on the substrate surface. Depending on the circumstances, this can be destructive to the thin-film formed on the substrate surface.
In order to resolve the aforementioned problems, it is the object of the present invention to provide an arc extinguishing circuit capable-of reliably suppressing arc discharges when used in a power supply for generating a glow discharge.
An arc extinguishing circuit of the present invention comprises a switch element equipped with a control terminal and two input/output terminals, with conduction across the two input/output terminals being based on a voltage inputted to the control terminal, a sense circuit, being a circuit having a primary winding and a voltage sense capacitor connected in series, with one end thereof connected to one input/output terminal and a remaining end thereof connected to the remaining input/output terminal and a secondary winding being magnetically coupled with the primary winding and having one end connected to the control terminal and a remaining end connected to one of the input/output terminals.
The arc extinguishing circuit of the present invention can also be configured in such a manner that when a trigger current flows in the primary winding, the voltage sense capacitor discharges due to the switch element conducting due to a voltage induced in the secondary winding, and a discharge current flows in the primary winding, with the discharge current flowing in the primary winding in the same direction as the trigger current.
The arc extinguishing circuit of the present invention can also have at least one inductance element, with one end of the inductance element being connected to one or both of the input/output terminals.
An arc extinguishing circuit of the present invention a switch element equipped with a control terminal and two input/output terminals, with conduction across the two input/output terminals being based on a voltage inputted to the control terminal, a sense circuit, being a circuit having a primary winding and a voltage sense capacitor connected in series, with one end thereof connected to one input/output terminal and a remaining end thereof connected to the remaining input/output terminal, a secondary winding being magnetically coupled with the primary winding and having one end connected to the control terminal and a remaining end connected to one of the input/output terminals, a resonant circuit, constituted by a resonant inductance element and a resonant capacitor connected in series, with one end thereof connected to one input/output terminal and a remaining end thereof connected to the remaining input/output terminal and a diode inserted across one or both of said one end of the resonance circuit and said one input/output terminal or said remaining terminal of the resonance circuit and said remaining input/output terminal.
The arc extinguishing circuit of the present invention can also comprise at least one inductance element, with one end of the inductance element being connected to a terminal of the resonant capacitor.
The arc extinguishing circuit of the present invention can also comprise a voltage limiting circuit connected in parallel with the voltage sense circuit and constructed in such a manner as to prevent a voltage across the terminals of the voltage sense circuit from rising above a fixed voltage when a voltage of a polarity which is opposite to a polarity in a steady state occurs across the terminals of the resonant capacitor.
An arc extinguishing method of the present invention comprises the steps of pre-charging a resonant capacitor while supplying a fixed voltage to a load from first and second output terminals in a steady state, when load impedance rapidly drops, sensing the rapid drop in impedance, causing a switch element connected across the first and second output terminals to conduct, short-circuiting the first and second output terminals, and discharging the resonant capacitor; causing the discharged current to flow through a resonant inductance, and causing the resonant capacitor and the resonant inductance element to resonate, generating a voltage, of a polarity which is opposite to the polarity generated in the steady state, at the resonant capacitor due to the resonance and putting the switch element into a non-conducting state using the reverse voltage and having the voltage across the first and second output elements revert to the steady state voltage.
The arc extinguishing method of the present invention can further comprise the steps of pre-inserting a diode element in the path of current flowing between the first and second output terminals via the switch element when the switch element is in a conducting state and the first and second output terminals are short-circuited and reverse biasing the diode element using a voltage generated at the resonant capacitor of an opposite polarity to the voltage generated in a steady state so as to halt resonance when a current flows between the first and second output terminals via the switch element.
The arc extinguishing method of the present invention can also comprise the steps of connecting a circuit constituted by the voltage sense capacitor and the primary winding connected in series across the first and second output terminals and pre-charging the voltage sense capacitor in the steady state and, when the load impedance falls rapidly, causing a current to flow in the primary winding due to discharging of the voltage sense capacitor, inducing a voltage in a secondary winding magnetically coupled with the primary winding, and putting the switch element into a conducting state using the voltage induced at the secondary winding.
The arc extinguishing method of the present invention can further comprise the steps of connecting a delay circuit to the voltage sense capacitor and increasing the time taken from commencing charging of the voltage sense capacitor until the voltage across both terminals of the voltage sense capacitor becomes the voltage across both terminals occurring in the steady state using the delay circuit.
In the present invention having the above configuration, both terminals of a d.c. power supply for generating a d.c. voltage are respectively connected to input/output terminals of a switch element, with the input/output terminals being taken as first and second output terminals, respectively, with each being connected to an electrode that is within a vacuum. The d.c. power supply is then activated with the electrodes separated from each other, a high voltage is applied across the electrodes and a glow discharge is generated. One electrode is connected to a target and the other electrode is connected to a substrate. When the target and substrate are arranged in such a manner as to face each other, the target material is sputtered by the glow discharge and a thin film is formed on the substrate surface.
The present invention also has a voltage sense circuit constituted by a voltage sense capacitor and a primary winding connected together in series. When the voltage sense capacitor is pre-charged in a steady state and an arc discharge then occurs as the result of some kind of abnormality so that the potential difference across the first and second output terminals drops rapidly, a discharge current is supplied from the voltage sense capacitor to the primary winding and a voltage is induced at the secondary winding magnetically coupled with the primary winding.
When the voltage sense capacitor is pre-charged to a voltage of an appropriate value and a voltage is induced at the secondary winding, the switch element in a non-conducting state connected across the first and second output terminals can be put into a conducting state, the first and second output terminals are short-circuited, the electrodes are short-circuited and arc discharges can be extinguished. As arc discharges can be extinguished a short time after occurring, the quality of thin films formed on the substrate surface does not deteriorate.
The arc extinguishing circuit of the present invention is configured in such a manner that when a trigger current flows in the primary winding, the switch element conducts due to the voltage induced at the secondary winding so that when the voltage sense capacitor discharges, a discharge current flows in the primary winding in the same direction as the trigger current.
By adopting this kind of configuration, the discharge current flows in the same direction as the trigger current that causes the switch element to conduct. The conducting state of the switch element is therefore maintained while the discharge current is flowing and is maintained until discharge of the voltage sense capacitor is complete.
Furthermore, in the present invention, an inductance element is provided, with one end thereof being connected to one or both of the input/output terminals.
In this case, the current flowing between the electrodes can be limited by the inductance element even when arc discharges occur due to an abnormality and a large current flows between the electrodes, and the potential difference across the electrodes can be rapidly reduced. Therefore, when an arc discharge occurs, the pre-charged voltage sense capacitor is discharged, the switch element is made to conduct by the discharge current and the arc discharge can be extinguished.
A further arc extinguishing circuit of the present invention has a resonance circuit. With this configuration, the voltage sense capacitor and the resonant capacitor are pre-charged in the steady state. When an arc discharge occurs in this state, the switch element conducts so that the output terminals are short-circuited, the resonant capacitor discharges, the discharge current flows through the resonant inductance, and the resonant capacitor and the resonant inductance element resonate. A voltage of a polarity opposite to that occurring in the steady state is therefore generated at the resonant capacitor due to this resonance and the switch element is therefore put into a non-conducting state.
As an example, if a diode element is inserted beforehand in the path of current flowing between the first and second output terminals via the switch element when the first and second output terminals are short-circuited, when a current flows between the first and second output terminals, the diode element is reverse biased by the voltage occurring at the resonant capacitor of a polarity opposite to that which occurs in the steady state and the switch element is therefore put into a non-conducting state.
In this case, a non-conducting state can be entered before the voltage sense capacitor has finished discharging. The time until the switch element returns to a non-conducting state can therefore be made short and the time taken to return to a steady state after extinguishing an arc discharge can also be made short.
When a resonance circuit is provided in this way, if the reverse voltage occurring due to the resonance becomes too large, directly after the first and second output terminals are short-circuited and the arc discharge is extinguished, the voltage across the first and second output terminals rises excessively and again becomes a voltage at which arc discharges become possible so that arc discharges may occur again.
Therefore, in the present invention a voltage limiting circuit is connected in parallel with the voltage sense circuit. In this case, as it is possible to ensure that the voltage across the first and second output terminals does not rise above a prescribed voltage, the voltage across the first and second output terminals can be made so as not to rise as high as a voltage at which arc discharges are possible by setting the prescribed voltage to an appropriate value. It can therefore be ensured that arc discharges do not occur again directly after the first and second output terminals are short-circuited.
Further, according to an arc extinguishing method of the present invention, first and second output electrodes are each connected to one electrode that is within a vacuum, and when a d.c. power supply is turned on with each electrode placed apart from the other electrode, a high voltage is applied across the electrodes and a glow discharge is generated in a steady state.
When an arc discharge then occurs due to some kind of abnormality and the impedance across the electrodes falls rapidly, this abrupt fall is sensed, a switch element connected across the first and second output terminals is put into a conducting state, the first and second output terminals are short-circuited and the electrodes are short-circuited so that the arc discharge can be extinguished.
The switch element is made to conduct and the arc discharge is extinguished, the resonant capacitor pre-charged in a steady state is made to discharge, the current discharged flows through the resonant inductance and the resonant capacitor and resonant inductance element resonate. A voltage of a reverse polarity to that generated in the steady state is therefore generated at the resonant capacitor, the switch element is put into a non-conducting state by the reverse voltage and the steady state is made to return.
In the arc extinguishing method of the present invention, the configuration may be such that a circuit constituted by a voltage sense capacitor and a primary winding connected in series is connected across the first and second output terminals and the voltage sense capacitor is pre-charged in a steady state. When the load impedance then falls rapidly, a current flows in the primary winding due to discharging of the voltage sense capacitor, a voltage is induced in the secondary winding magnetically coupled to the primary winding and the switch element is put into a conducting state by the voltage induced at the secondary winding.
With this configuration, abrupt falls in load impedance are sensed using discharging of the voltage sense capacitor, the discharge current flows through the primary winding and the switch element is made to conduct. The first and second output terminals are therefore short-circuited and it is possible to extinguish arc discharges.
With the arc extinguishing method of the present invention, a delay circuit is connected to the voltage sense capacitor and the time from charging of the voltage sense capacitor being started to the voltage across both terminals reaching that of the steady state is lengthened using this delay circuit.
By adopting this kind of configuration, the voltage induced in the secondary winding as a result of current flowing in the primary winding due to the voltage across the terminals of the voltage sense capacitor is prevented from reaching a voltage at which the switch element can enter a conducting state before the voltage across the first and second output terminals reaches the voltage occurring in a steady state where a glow discharge is possible.
Therefore, before a glow discharge is generated, when the state is such that an arc discharge is possible, it is ensured that it is not possible for the switch element to erroneously conduct, resulting in a short circuit across the first and second output terminals to short circuit; and a glow discharge can therefore be generated in a reliable manner.

Arc-extinguishing circuit and arc-extinguishing method

Shindengen Electric Manufacturing Co., Ltd.


An air-fuel ratio control system for an internal combustion engine includes an air-fuel ratio sensor arranged in the exhaust system of the engine. An ECU estimates the air-fuel ratio of a mixture supplied to each of the cylinders cylinder by cylinder in response to an output from the air-fuel ratio sensor, by using an observer for observing an internal operative state of the exhaust system, based on a model representative of the behavior of the exhaust system, and calculates cylinder-by-cylinder air-fuel ratio control amounts corresponding respectively to the cylinders for carrying out feedback control of the air-fuel ratio of the mixture supplied to each of the cylinders such that the estimated air-fuel ratio of the mixture supplied to each of the cylinders is converged to a desired value. Upper and lower limit values of the cylinder-by-cylinder air-fuel ratio control amounts are set according to at least one of an rotational speed change amount of the engine and atmospheric pressure, and the cylinder-by-cylinder air-fuel ratio control amounts are limited so as to fall within an allowable range defined by the upper and lower limit values.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an air-fuel ratio control system for internal combustion engines, and more particularly to an air-fuel ratio control system of this kind, which feedback-controls the air-fuel ratio of a mixture supplied to the engine cylinder by cylinder, by means of feedback control to which an observer based on a modern control theory is applied.
2. Prior Art
Conventionally, there has been proposed an air-fuel ratio-estimating system for internal combustion engines, for example, by Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 6-173755, which uses an observer to estimate the air-fuel ratio of a mixture supplied to each cylinder, based on an output from an air-fuel ratio sensor arranged in a confluent portion of the exhaust system of the engine, for generating an output proportional to the air-fuel ratio of exhaust gases. According to the system, when the estimated air-fuel ratio falls out of a range defined by predetermined upper and lower limit values, the estimated air-fuel ratio is reset to an initial value (value corresponding to A/F=14.7), to thereby prevent the estimated air-fuel ratio from diverging.
The proposed air-fuel ratio-estimating system can thus prevent the estimated air-fuel ratio from diverging by resetting the same to its initial value when the estimate air-fuel ratio falls out of the range defined by the predetermined upper and lower limit values. The system, however, has the disadvantage that it takes a considerable time period for the estimated air-fuel ratio to converge again to a desired air-fuel ratio. Further, although the flow rate of exhaust gases influences estimation of the air-fuel ratio for each cylinder (hereinafter referred to as "the cylinder-by-cylinder air-fuel ratio"), a change in the rotational speed of the engine and the density of air (atmospheric pressure) which influence the exhaust gas flow rate are not taken into consideration.
Further, when an air-fuel ratio control amount is calculated based on the detected air-fuel ratio of exhaust gases, and the air-fuel ratio of a mixture supplied to the engine is feedback-controlled based on the thus calculated air-fuel ratio control amount, the air-fuel ratio control amount is normally set to a predetermined upper or lower limit value when the former falls outside a range defined by the upper and lower limit values. In such a case, however, the predetermined upper and lower limit values are fixed values, and therefore, if the above-mentioned method of setting the air-fuel ratio control amount is applied as it is to cylinder-by-cylinder air-fuel ratio feedback control based on the estimated cylinder-by-cylinder air-fuel ratio, it can result in degraded controllability of the air-fuel ratio, since the predetermined upper and lower limit values can assume unsuitable values depending on the change in engine rotational speed and air density (atmospheric pressure).

Air-fuel ratio control system for internal combustion engines


Light field images of a three-dimensional scene are transformed from an (image,view) domain to an (image,scale,depth) domain. Processing then occurs in the (image,scale,depth) domain.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the processing of light fields (including multi-view images) of three-dimensional scenes, for example the processing of light fields of a three dimensional scene captured by a plenoptic imaging system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Light fields have been first introduced in the computer graphics community for representing three-dimensional scenes via multiple views of that scene taken from different viewpoints. In general, the light field of a scene is a seven-dimensional function that contains two-dimensional images (i.e., light field images) of the scene taken from any viewpoint in three-dimensional space, at any wavelength and any time instant. In computer graphics applications, a computer can render the scene from any viewpoint because it has the explicit three-dimensional scene model, including its three-dimensional shape and texture. That is, the computer can render any of the light field images and therefore can also calculate the entire light field of the scene.
Recently, systems have been developed for capturing a four-dimensional light field of three-dimensional scenes. These systems include camera arrays and plenoptic imaging systems. These systems typically capture a four-dimensional light field: two-dimensional images of a scene taken from various viewpoints on a two-dimensional surface (rather than allowing any viewpoint in three-dimensional space), at a certain wavelength (or wavelength band) and time instant. In these systems, the three-dimensional scene information is not explicitly captured. Rather, it is implicitly contained within the pixels of the captured four-dimensional light field.
Extracting three-dimensional information from the four-dimensional light field is an inverse problem. It is a challenging problem because of the high dimensionality of light fields. Dense depth estimation (e.g., estimating depth of each pixel in a scene) is one of those challenging problems, because obtaining a globally smooth and consistent depth map typically requires global optimization, which is usually of prohibitive complexity for such high-dimensional data processing.
Therefore, there is a need for light field processing approaches that efficiently and robustly extract depth and other information from light fields.

Processing of light fields by transforming to scale and depth space