A battery electrode separator having a protrusion includes a rectangular band and a protruding part with a width and height at one end of and transverse to the band. A cylindrical alkaline battery employs the separator. Since the separator having a protrusion is made of a flexible material, such as a nonwoven fabric or a porous resin film, anode and cathode plates are not damaged during beading and crimping processes in manufacturing the battery. Thus, inferiority and lower performance of a battery can be prevented. Since an additional process for inserting the upper insulator is not required, the manufacturing process if simplified, lowering manufacturing costs.

The present invention relates to a secondary battery, and, more particularly, to a separator having a protrusion which is obtained by modifying the shape of the conventional separator and that also functions as an upper insulator, and a cylindrical secondary battery employing the same.
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a general cylindrical secondary battery, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing only the cap assembly of the cylindrical secondary battery. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a cylindrical secondary battery has a structure in which a roll of cathode and anode plates 16 and 17 with a separator 18 therebetween is placed in a cylindrical metal can 10. Also, upper and lower insulators 15 and 20 for supporting and fixing the roll and for insulating the roll from the bottom of the metal can 10 or cap portion are installed at the upper and lower portions of the roll. A cap 11 having a rubber-vent 12 therein and a cap cover 13 are installed on the upper insulator 15. Cap cover 13 is electrically connected to the cathode plate 16 via a tab 21. Also, a gasket 14 is installed around the sealing portion between the cap 11 and the cap cover 13, supporting and fixing the cap and the cap cover 13.
The assembly process of the cylindrical secondary battery having the above structure is as follows. First, the lower insulator 20 is inserted to the bottom of the cylindrical metal can 10 parallel to the bottom surface, and then the roll of cathode and anode plates 16 and 17 having the separator 18 therebetween is inserted therein. Thereafter, a flat upper insulator 15 having a through hole in the center is put on the roll. Next, a beading process is performed and then a gasket 14 is inserted. The gasket 14 prevents leakage of electrolyte, thereby protecting the battery. Then, a cap assembly including the cap 11, the cap cover 13 and the rubber-vent 12 is seated on the upper end of the metal can. Then, the metal can 10 is crimped and pressed to complete the cylindrical secondary battery.
However, in the manufacture of the cylindrical secondary battery, since the flat upper insulator having a through hole in the center is formed of a hard synthetic resin such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polypropylene (PP), the roll of anode and cathode plates may be damaged by the inner wall of cylindrical metal can when the metal can is crushed during the beading, crimping, and pressing processes, which lowers the performance of a resultant battery.

Cylindrical battery employing a separator having a protruding part


Power-sequencing controllers are connected to allow more complex power sequencing and/or larger numbers of voltage supplies to be monitored than with a single controller. Power-on-reset (POR) output signals from the “slave” controllers are connected by a wired-OR, and the composite output is used as a reset signal or indicator signal by the “master” controller. An output from the master controller coupled to the composite input signal is connected with the {overscore (POR)} output of the master controller by a wired-OR, and this composite signal is coupled to the reset terminals of the slave controllers. Connecting controllers in a master/slave configuration allows prevents any of the slave devices from starting until all the devices have been released, resulting in synchronous processing of subsequent signals and events.

Many types of current semiconductor devices, such as complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), have multiple voltage sources or supplies (e.g., 3.3V and 5V) to power different portions of the device. For example, with voltage rails supplying two different voltages, a control mechanism is needed to control the order, timing, ramping, and voltage differential in which the rails are powered up and down. This is commonly known is power-sequencing. Without proper power-sequencing, the device can be subject to short-term failures or malfunction. For example, improper sequencing can damage portions of the device by mechanisms known as latch-up or cause false initialization of device portions, such as memory or logic circuits.
To address this general problem of power-sequencing, dedicated devices have been developed specifically suited to perform the controlled sequencing of several power supplies. These are referred to as power-sequencers. However, as sequencing requirements for boards requiring many power supplies or power supply areas become increasingly more complex, a single power-sequencer device may no longer be able to meet all the system or user needs. Even though each power-sequencer may be highly programmable in both characteristics and functionality, the actual needs in any given power-sequencing application may exceed the capabilities of any of those devices. In these cases, connecting multiple devices together can increase the functional capabilities and allow more complex functions to be implemented. In some applications, large numbers of power supplies, e.g., 12 or more, may have to be monitored and controlled on a board, such as properly sequenced generation of Enable signals for power supplies, LDOs (low drop out voltage regulators), or power FET (field effect transistor) switches. As a result, multiple devices assigned to handle the complex power-sequencing process may be required.
In those cases, problems generally arise during power-up or power-down sequences since each power-sequencer device typically has its own protocol for supplying power during these operations with different electrical characteristics, including start times and ramping rates. Currently, both programmable and fixed devices exist to handle the power management process, such as during power-up or power-down. However, problems may arise when combining these devices to handle complex power-sequencing needs. For example, during a power-up (or wake-up) phase, control signals to multiple power supplies, LDOs or power-FETs may be improperly or unintentionally released.
Such undesired wake-up results are due in part to the finite time required for each of the devices to assume their internal configuration, establish all internal operating points, and begin proper operation. That finite wake-up time varies due to manufacturing tolerances, making it necessary to synchronize the actual start of the overall sequencing process. It is also conceivable that other devices (e.g., third-party supervisory and monitory ICs, either fixed or programmable) would participate in the overall power-supply monitoring and sequencing process, making it desirable to allow for synchronization of all devices involved. Thus, a method that inhibits the release of any control signals which could potentially turn on various power supplies and thereby harm or destroy the electronics connected to those supplies is desired.
Furthermore, since power supply monitoring and sequencing is highly critical to the robust operation of the entire system which these power supplies feed, the sequencers for both single and multiple devices should be able to withstand harsh operating conditions (e.g., large transitions in supply voltage).
Accordingly, it is desirable to have a robust power-sequencing method for multiple devices that is not prone to false synchronization and premature assertion of operational signals.

Expansion method for complex power-sequencing applications


A tooling for use in a method for electromagnetic welding of two contacted surfaces of molded parts. The tooling includes a rubber body and pressurizing means for pressurizing the rubber body and applying pressure to the contacted surfaces. The rubber body includes an embedded stiff body shaped such as to define different rubber body thicknesses in different directions, which causes a different pressure build-up in the different directions. A method for manufacturing the tooling. The tooling may be used in electromagnetic welding of two contacted surfaces of molded parts by moving a joining inductor along the contacted surfaces, generating an electromagnetic field in an induction-sensitive component of the molded parts to heat a thermally activated coupling means of the molded parts to above a melting temperature of the coupling means.

A number of technologies exist for joining molded parts, for instance fiber reinforced thermoplastic or thermosetting composite parts. Mechanical fastening and adhesive bonding are traditionally used to join two contact surfaces of the molded parts. However, both mechanical fastening and adhesive bonding appear to be costly and time consuming. Mechanical fastening for instance requires expensive hole locating, drilling, shimming, and fastener installation, while adhesive bonding requires complicated surface pre-treatments that may involve chemical substances.
Electromagnetic welding may eliminate the use of separate fasteners and potentially offers the ability to join contact surfaces of molded composite parts at relatively high speeds and little, if any, pre-treatments. Electromagnetic welding generates an electromagnetic field in an induction-sensitive component of one or more of the molded part(s) to heat a thermally activated coupling means of the molded part(s) to above a melting temperature of the coupling means. The contact surfaces of the molded parts are joined to each other by the molten coupling means. The coupling means may for instance be a thermoplastic resin of one or more of the parts to be joined, or may be a separately applied thermoplastic resin. For welding thermoplastic and thermoset molded parts together, the thermoplastic resin that the induction-sensitive component melts may function as a hot melt adhesive for instance.
A number of welding methods are available for creating a welded connection between molded parts such as fiber reinforced composite molded parts. In vibration welding the reinforcing fibers may be damaged by the movement, and ultrasonic welding is less suitable for continuous welding for instance. Known methods of electromagnetic welding may produce joined products of inferior quality, particularly in high-grade applications in which relatively high mechanical strength and load-bearing capacity of the welded connection is desired, such as in the aviation industry.
In order to be able to achieve an adequate quality weld with electromagnetic welding, it is generally required to apply sufficient pressure on the contacted surfaces of the molded parts that need to be connected by welding. The state of the art method of applying pressure to the contacted surfaces is generally based on the use of inflatable elements that transfer pressure on the components. Inflatable elements however provide an isotropic all-round pressure. The inflatable elements therefore must be enclosed in a mold cavity which is only open on the side where the pressure has to be exerted. This makes it necessary to apply robust, rigid and strong molds, which, however, is not always possible due to space restrictions. This for instance applies to products such as control surfaces, flaps, and other similar products. For induction welding, the use of strong metal molds is not preferred since metal molds heat up easily in an induction field.
Typical state of the art inflatable bodies comprise silicone hoses that radially expand when inflated. Applying uniform pressure on a flat laminate is not possible since more pressure is built up in the middle of the hoses than at their edges. Furthermore, in case of narrow products, there may not be enough room to provide a hose in a small radius section and build up sufficient pressure. Also, the all-round pressure build-up in state of the art methods may also provide such high forces in a tooling that said tooling is pushed away in a lateral direction.

Tooling for use in a method for electromagnetic welding of molded parts, and method for manufacturing the tooling

KOK & VAN ENGELEN COMPOSITE STRUCTURES B.V.


The application discloses an arrangement of switches for a voltage source converter cell, the voltage source converter cell having two AC terminals, wherein the arrangement of switches forms a number of parallel series circuits (branches, current paths), wherein the switches in each of the series circuits paths are being controlled by external signals to alter a conductivity status of the switches between an “ON”-state and an “OFF”-state. The external signals are generated by one or more control units, and the two AC terminals are each connected to subsets of the series circuits of the switches. The control units comprises failure detection means, the failure detection means being adapted to determine a defective switch in the series circuits by predetermined conditions. The control units are further configured to output a control signal to alter a conductivity condition of each of the switches in the series circuits in such a manner, that a short circuit between the two AC terminals is created, if one of the switches is determined as being defective according to the predetermined conditions.

Semiconductor modules usually include several parallel chips per switching function, each connected to a related electrode via bond wires. A typical failure mode of such a module is, that one of the parallel arranged chips fails and may short module terminals. This may also include control terminals, which are e.g. Gate and Emitter for an IGBT.
By this, the healthy chips in the parallel arrangement cannot be controlled anymore by a standard Gate Driver. In a converter, like a two-level voltage source converter, this may be not problematic, as the switching function may be unique and once it cannot be switched between on and off on demand anymore, the converter anyhow has to be shut down.
But in converters, known as chain-link converters or Modular Multilevel Converter (MMC), the modules are providing the switching functions for the cells, either full-bridge cells for the chain-link converter or half-bridge cells for the Modular Multilevel Converter.
These converters include series connected cells and it is expected, that these converters do not stop operation after a single semiconductor fault. This can be achieved by shorting the AC-terminals of the cell concerned. Due to the fact that a module including a broken chip cannot be safely loaded continuously with the operational current, module based chain-link and MMC include dedicated AC-terminal shorting devices, attached between the AC terminals. These might be mechanical switches, moved by springs, electromechanically force or pyrotechnically, or even additional semiconductor switches. These switches or devices add costs without contributing any additional operational advantage.
There are several ways to at least improve an overload situation of the switches. One is, to replace modules with modules having a higher power capability. But increasing the allowed operational current in a converter by replacing the smaller modules by bigger ones may not improve the situation in a fault case. Solutions for improved control of power modules are therefore highly appreciated.

Artificial stable short circuit failure mode function by using parallel modules for each switching function


It is an object of the present invention to provide an agricultural and horticultural fungicide composition that exhibits an excellent control effect on plant diseases even in a small dose and causes no fear of phytotoxicity to useful plants. The agricultural and horticultural fungicide composition of the present invention comprises at least one compound A selected from the group consisting of a compound of formula (1) {wherein each X independently is a halogeno group or a C1-6 alkyl group; n is the number of X and is any integer of 0 to 5; X′ is a halogeno group; R1, R2 and R3 each independently are a C1-6 alkyl group, a C1-6 alkoxy group or a hydroxyl group; and A1 and A2 each independently are a nitrogen atom or a carbon atom}, and the like, and at least one compound B selected from the group consisting of silthiofam, an antibiotic, propineb and chinomethionat.

In cultivation of agricultural and horticultural crops, a large number of drugs for crop disease control are used. However, it is hard to say that many of them are fully satisfactory controlling drugs on the grounds that the control effect is insufficient, appearance of drug-resistant pathogens restricts use of drugs, a plant body suffers phytotoxicity or contamination, toxicity to humans, animals and fishes is strong, etc.
Under such circumstances, various fungicide compositions containing a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compound and/or its salt as an active ingredient have been proposed (see for example, patent documents 1 and 2).

Agricultural and horticultural fungicide composition


Providing a method of manufacturing a flat circuit body with terminals with small number of steps of process, a terminal pressure welding apparatus includes a pair of dies having respectively a recess, in which claws of a piercing terminal penetrating through a conductive area of a flat circuit body. The dies are slid in a direction intersecting to a direction of the claw piercing in the flat circuit body by cylinders as a slide unit. Thereby, the claws received in the recess abuts seriously and gradually on a second curved surface and a first curved surface provided in the recess so as to be bent smoothly and fixed on the flat circuit body.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a flat circuit body with terminals, which is made by connecting terminals, such as a piercing terminal, with a conductive area of a flexible flat circuit body, such as an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit) and an FFC (Flexible Flat Cable).
2. Description of the Related Art
Various electronic apparatuses are installed in a car as a vehicle. In the car, a wiring harness is wired for transmitting electric power and control signals. The wiring harness includes a plurality of electric wires and a plurality of connectors. The electric wire has a conductive core wire and an insulation cover for covering the core wire, as a covered wire.
The connector has a pair of insulation connector housings to be fit to each other and conductive terminals received in respective housings. The terminal includes a wire connecting portion at one end thereof to be joined with an end of the electric wire for connecting electrically with the core wire and an electric contact portion at the other end thereof to be in contact with a mating terminal. The wiring harness transmits the control signals to the electronic apparatuses through connecting the connectors to each other.
At present time, the wiring harness is having more amount of wires according to increase of electronic apparatuses installed in the car. Therefore, flat circuit body, such as the FFC and the FPC, which is lighter and thinner than a usual used round wire and can be wired compactly in high density, is used in many cases as the electric wire.
For joining the terminal with the flat circuit body, a terminal pressure welding machine 204 shown in FIG. 9 is usually used. In the terminal pressure welding machine 204, by piling a terminal 102, in which a plurality of claws 124 projects in alternate positions thereof, on a flat circuit body 103 on a crimper 245, pressing the terminal 102 by an anvil 247 so as to make each claw 124 pierce in a conductive area 131 of the flat circuit body 103, and bending the claws piercing the conductive area 131 and a cover 132 of the flat circuit body 103 to face inwardly to each other, the terminal 102 is mounted on the flat circuit body 103. The flat circuit body 103, on which the terminal 102 is mounted as mentioned above (call the flat circuit body with terminals hereafter), is assembled as the aforesaid wiring harness by that the terminals are received in the connector housing.
However, the usual terminal pressure welding machine 204 shown in FIG. 9 deforms the flat circuit body 103 bent toward the crimper 204 when each claw 124 pierces in the flat circuit body 103, so that it is difficult to make securely the claw pierce in the conductive area 131 of the flat circuit body 103. A terminal pressure welding machine 104 (refer Patent Document 1), which intends to make the claws 124 pierce securely in the conductive area 131 of the flat circuit body 103 by separating a process of making the claw 124 pierce in the flat circuit body 103 and a process of bending the claw as shown in FIG. 10, is provided. Reference Patent 1 is Japan Patent Application Laid Open No. 2002-246091.
The terminal pressure welding machine 104 shown in FIG. 10 is provided with a bottom die 145, in which a piercing die 145A having a pair of grooves 152 to receive the claws 124 of the terminal 102 piecing in the flat circuit body 103 shown in FIG. 9 and a crimping die 145B having a recess 153 for bending the claws 124 piercing in the flat circuit body 103.
In a process of making the claw 124 pierce in the flat circuit body 103 in the aforesaid terminal pressure welding machine 104, by setting the piercing die 145A in a position to face an anvil 147, piling the flat circuit body 103 and the terminal 102 on the piercing die 145A, and pressing the terminal 102 by the anvil 147 to make the claw 124 piece in the conductive area of the flat circuit body 103, the claw 124 piecing the flat circuit body 103 is received in the groove 152 of the piecing die 145A. A surface 155, on which the flat circuit body 103 is piled between the pair of grooves of the piercing die 145A, supports the flat circuit body 103. Thereby, the flat circuit body 103 is prevented from deformation to be bent in the grooves 152. Therefore, the claw 124 can pierce securely in the conductive area 131 of the flat circuit body 103.
In a process of bending the claw 124 piercing in the flat circuit body 103 in the terminal pressure welding machine 104, by moving the bottom die 145 down in a direction of an arrow Y and moving the bottom die 145 horizontally in a direction of an arrow X for positioning the crimping die 145B to face a front end of the claw 124, the crimping die 145B is set in a position to face the claw 124 by moving the bottom die 145 upwardly in a direction opposite to the direction of arrow Y. Thereafter, by pressing the terminal 102 by the anvil 147, the claw 124 is bent along a curved surface of the recess 153 of the crimping die 145B, and the terminal 102 is mounted on the flat circuit body 103.

Flat circuit body with terminals, method of manufacturing the same, die system for manufacturing the same and manufacturing apparatus for the same


A backlight device for applying white light to a rear face of a display panel, includes: a plurality of light sources each including a plurality of light-emitting diodes of at least three colors mounted on one surface, for emitting lights in the colors to be mixed into the white light, the light sources being divided into a plurality of unit light-emitting blocks each including a predetermined number of light sources. The device further includes a plurality of light sensors; a drive control section; and a storage section.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a backlight device having a number of light sources, each including a plurality of light-emitting diodes of three colors or more mounted on one surface, for combining lights emitted from the light-emitting diodes into white light, and applying the white light to a rear surface of a display panel, a method of driving the backlight device, and a color image display apparatus incorporating the backlight device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Television receivers have long been CRT (Cathode-Ray Tube) television receivers since the beginning of television broadcasts. In recent years, however, thin television receivers incorporating a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel or a plasma display panel (PDP) have become mainstream television receivers. Particularly, liquid crystal display panels have become more and more popular as they can be energized with low power consumption and the cost of large-size liquid crystal display panels is lower.
Color liquid crystal display panels are mainly of the backlight design including a color liquid crystal panel having color filters combined with a backlight device for supplying illuminating light to the color liquid crystal panel. The backlight device generally employs as a light source a fluorescent lamp such as a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) for emitting white light from a fluorescent tube. Since mercury sealed in the fluorescent tube of the CCFL is environmentally harmful, light-emitting diodes (LED) which are of high luminance, lower power consumption, and long life have begun to be used as a desirable light source in place of the CCFL.
Light-emitting diodes which have heretofore been available include red light-emitting diodes for emitting red light and green light-emitting diodes for emitting green light. In addition, blue light-emitting diodes for emitting blue light have just started to be mass-produced, so that three color primaries can now be produced by these red, green, and blue light-emitting diodes.
In backlight devices using light-emitting diodes as the light source, white light of high chromatic purity which is produced as a mixture of red light, green light, and blue light emitted respectively from the red, green, and blue light-emitting diodes is supplied to a color liquid crystal panel to provide a much wider color reproduction range than possible with the conventional CCFL light sources. If light-emitting diodes having light-emitting chips of high output capability are used as light-emitting diodes for light sources, then the backlight device has greatly improved luminance characteristics.
For details of a color liquid crystal display apparatus with red, green, and blue light-emitting diodes, reference should be made to Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2006-171693.
The CCFL heretofore used in the backlight device for liquid crystal displays has its white color temperature which cannot be set to a desired value by the user because of structural limitations thereof. If the color temperature of a liquid crystal display is to be changed, then the cold cathode-ray tube needs to be replaced or the aperture of the liquid crystal has to be adjusted to achieve a desired white color temperature. However, it takes time and expenses to replace the cold cathode-ray tube, and adjusting the aperture of the liquid crystal to achieve a desired white color temperature results in an elimination of liquid crystal gradations which leads to a reduction in the quality of displayed images.
The liquid crystal display apparatus with red, green, and blue light-emitting diodes being used as the light sources is problematic in that the light emission of the red, green, and blue light-emitting diodes varies due to ambient temperature changes, product variations and aging, bringing the displayed light out of white balance to cause luminance and color hue variations.
Furthermore, the light-emitting diodes have their light emission characteristics suffering temperature drifts and aging even if they are energized with a constant current.

Backlight device having LEDs controlled as a function of target values and influential extent data


An archery bow is provided including a cam rotatable about an axis, a bowstring disposed in a bowstring track of the cam having a plane of rotation perpendicular to the axis, and a power cable that is displaced along the axis toward the plane of rotation to concentrate a force of the power cable near a force of the bowstring along the axis to inhibit twisting of a limb, when the bow is drawn. A related method of use is provided.

The present invention relates to archery bows, and more particularly to archery bows having cams that alter a power cable path to redistribute forces on a cam or limb during a draw cycle or a shot cycle.
Conventional compound archery bows include a bowstring and a set of power cables that transfer energy from the limbs and cams or pulleys, both generally referred to as "cams" herein, of the bow to the bowstring, and thus to an arrow shot from the bow. The power cables and bowstring may be strung from one cam on one limb to another cam on another limb of the bow. The function of the cams is to provide a mechanical advantage so that energy imparted to the arrow is a multiple of that required of an archer to draw the bow.
The cams on most compound bows include a bowstring track within which the bowstring is let out and/or taken up, and at least one additional power cable track within which power cables also are let out or taken up. The bowstring moves in a single plane, and is generally guided in that single plane by the bowstring track. The power cables are offset laterally from the single plane in which the bowstring moves, and generally are guided in cable tracks that are offset to the left or right of the bowstring track from the perspective of an archer holding or drawing the bow.
When the bowstring is drawn during a draw cycle, loads are dynamically shifted from the bowstring to the power cables. Due to the typical lateral offset of the power cable track and power cable from the bowstring and bowstring track, the cable loads are unbalanced relative to the longitudinal axis or central plane of the limbs. These unbalanced loads typically cause the cam to become overloaded on one side of a balance point, or generally unbalanced about the balance point, which results in the associated limb to twist or torque about its longitudinal axis, and further resulting in unwanted cam lean. This problem is exacerbated when a cable guard is employed on the bow because the cable guard further offsets the cables from the limb central plane.
The cam lean and limb twist generated by conventional compound bow cam assemblies can generate significant stress on the axle components and the bow limbs. Such frequent and significant longitudinal twisting also can accelerate fatigue and breakage of limbs. Cam lean and limb twist common to conventional cams also present other issues for an archer shooting the bow. For example, cam lean can cause non-parallel nock travel in the windage or horizontal plane. This can cause inconsistent left and right point of impacts of arrows shot from the bow. Cam lean further can require an archer to position sight pins, of a sight mounted to the bow, off center from the arrow to be shot from the bow. This can exacerbate windage error and point of impact for longer range shots, and can complicate sight set-up.
While conventional compound bow cams can provide reasonably satisfactory performance, there remains room for improvement to reduce cam lean, bow limb twist and/or excessive cable wear due to the same.

Archery bow cam and related method of use


Various embodiments of the teachings herein include a grid influencing system for a power supply grid comprising: a current-conducting grid influencing component; and a vacuum circuit breaker including a vacuum circuit breaker tube containing an at least partly integrated pre-arcing device for actively generating an arc between two contacts.

In grid influencing systems such as systems for increasing or controlling the transmission power of high-voltage grids such as series compensation systems (referred to as Fixed Series Capacitor—FSC) or in power flow controllers (Universal Power Flow Control—UPFC or APCU), it is necessary to provide protective devices in the case of a grid fault, for example a short circuit or ground fault. The protection consists of a surge arrester and a bypass current path, which is closed in an electrically conductive manner if a grid fault occurs. The fastest possible reaction in the case of a grid fault is crucial for the protective effect. The bypass current path should typically be closed within two milliseconds (ms) and subsequently be able to carry the fault current for a time of a few seconds.
In known solutions, power semiconductors or a combination of a spark gap and circuit breakers are usually used for the exemplary applications described. In this case, power semiconductors are comparatively cost-intensive since they have to be designed for the short-circuit current for a time that is comparatively long for them. On the other hand, the parallel arrangement of a spark gap and a circuit breaker that is likewise used requires a very large structural space. Moreover, by virtue of its open design, the spark gap is susceptible to environmental influences such as ice or exposure to dust.


A material, a process for forming a biocidal material, and an article of manufacture. The material includes a particle and first and second functionalities bound to first and second faces of the particle. At least one of the first and second functionalities are biocides. The process includes forming colloidosomes having particles with exposed first faces partially embedded in a wax droplet. The process also includes selecting first and second functionalities, wherein at least one of the first and second functionalities are biocides, and binding the first functionalities to the first faces of the particles. Further, the process includes removing the particles from the colloidosome, and binding the second functionalities to the second faces. The article of manufacture includes a polymer matrix, particles, first functionalities bound to first faces of the particles, and second functionalities bound to second faces of the particles.

The present disclosure relates to biocides and, more specifically, to Janus particles with biocidal functionalities.
Janus particles are nano- or microparticles named after the Ancient Roman god of duality because they are "two-faced" particles. That is, a Janus particle has two different regions, or faces, having asymmetric physical and chemical properties (e.g., different core materials, coatings, or orthogonal functionalities). For example, different orthogonal functionalities on each face can allow a single particle to simultaneously carry out more than one type of chemistry (e.g., adhesion and water-repellence). The dual properties of a Janus particle allow it to have applications that can include drug delivery, biomedical imaging, magnetolytic therapy, electronic paper, solid surfactants, emulsion stabilization, catalysis, microprobes, micromotors, water-repellent fibers or coatings, and combinations thereof.

International Business Machines Corporation


Methods of producing shaped, embossed, or decorated confectionery chocolate products by using chilled forming, shaping, or embossing devices.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods of forming shaped or embossed chocolate compositions that can include detailed designs and/or planar surfaces.
2. Related Background Art
The unique flavor and mouthfeel of chocolate is a result of the combination of numerous components as well as the process of manufacture. Chocolate contains solid particles dispersed throughout a fat matrix (the term "fat" includes cocoa butter and milk fat).
Similarly, chocolate-like compositions may also contain fats other than cocoa butter or milk fat. Accordingly, melted chocolate and chocolate-like compositions are suspensions of non-fat particles (e.g., sugar, milk powders and cocoa solids) in a continuous liquid fat phase. The fat phase of milk chocolate, for example, is typically a mixture of cocoa butter, a suitable emulsifier, and milk fat. Cocoa butter is typically the predominant fat in the chocolates.
Cocoa butter is a polymorphic material in that it has the ability to crystallize in a number of different crystal packing configurations (Wille and Lutton "Polymorphism of Cocoa Butter", J. Amer. Oil Chem. Society, Vol. 43 (1966) pages 491–96, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety). Six different polymorphic forms are generally recognized for cocoa butter. Forms I and II are produced, for example, by rapidly cooling melted untempered chocolate to low temperatures and are very unstable with low melting points. Forms III and IV melt at higher temperatures than Forms I and II but are not the most desirous forms for confectionery manufacture. Forms V and VI are the most stable forms of cocoa butter. It is desirable to have Form V as the predominant form in a well-tempered chocolate. Form V transforms slowly into Form VI after a period of time. Accordingly, chocolate processing is strongly linked to the crystallization and polymorphic behavior of the fat phase. Before chocolate can be satisfactorily processed from liquid to solid using conventional methods, it must be tempered after which it is gently cooled to form a set chocolate having a stable fat phase.
The most commonly used method of processing chocolate involves the following sequential steps:                A. complete melting of the chocolate fat phase;        B. cooling to the point of initial crystallization of the fat phase (i.e., below the melting point of the liquid fat phase);        C. crystallizing a portion of the liquid fat phase;        D. slight heating to melt out any unstable crystals that may have formed leaving from about 3 to 8 wt % as seeds for crystallizing the remaining liquid fat; and        E. gently cooling to set the chocolate, typically in a cooling tunnel.
During conventional chocolate processing, the chocolate mixture is initially melted at temperatures of about 45° C. and tempered by cooling with agitation to about 29° to 30° C. The tempering of the chocolate results in a chocolate dispersion having fat crystals dispersed throughout the liquid fat phase. The chocolate suspension may then be further processed prior to setting by, for example, enrobing the chocolate onto an edible center or molding the chocolate. The chocolate is finally set into a form sufficiently solid for wrapping by gentle, controlled cooling.
Conventional tempering is the controlled partial precrystallization of the fat phase which is believed to be necessary to produce a stable solid form of the fat in the finished product. Therefore, one important object of tempering is to develop a sufficient number of stable seed crystals so that under appropriate cooling conditions the fat phase of the chocolate is able to crystallize into a stable polymorphic form. Tempering plays a key role in ensuring that the cocoa butter crystallizes in the stable form. "Chocolate must be properly tempered. Undertempered chocolate causes delayed setting in the cooler and adhesion to [processing equipment such as a] conveyor belt, and ultimately bad chocolate color and fat bloom" (see Chocolate, Cocoa and Confectionery: Science and Technology, by Minifie, 3rd Ed., p. 218, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety).
Although it is important that the chocolate is well seeded with stable forms of cocoa butter crystals, the tempered chocolate still contains a high proportion of liquid cocoa butter, estimated from about 92 to 97 wt % of the fat phase. This must be solidified or at least partially solidified in the cooling process so that the set chocolate can be wrapped and ultimately be completely solidified into a stable crystalline form. (see Chocolate, Cocoa and Confectionery: Science and Technology, by Minifie, 3rd Ed., p. 195, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety).
Chocolates having a desired three-dimensional shape or having an image or design imprinted on a surface (herein referred to as "formed chocolates") are conventionally produced by molding. Molding is the casting of liquid chocolate into molds (plastic or metal) followed by cooling and demolding. The finished chocolate may be a solid block, a hollow shell, or a shell filled with a confectionery material such as fondant, fudge or soft caramel (Chocolate, Cocoa and Confectionery: Science and Technology by Bernard W. Minifie, Third Edition, page 183, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety).
The term molding includes methods wherein chocolate is deposited into molds, allowed to cool and hardened into solid pieces. The chocolates used in molding processes usually can be somewhat more viscous than coating chocolates since the chocolate can be vibrated and/or forced into a mold over a longer period of time than allowed in enrobing, for example. However, chocolate molded with food inclusions generally must be as fluid as coating chocolates.
Formed chocolate products are conventionally produced by depositing tempered chocolate having a liquid fat phase into molds, allowing the chocolate to cool and harden into solid pieces before demolding the chocolate (Chocolate, Cocoa and Confectionery: Science and Technology by Bernard W. Minifie, Third Edition, pages 198–206, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety).
The most commonly used method of producing a shaped chocolate involves the following sequential steps:                A. heating the chocolate to soften, i.e., melting of the fat phase;        B. tempering the chocolate;        C. depositing the tempered chocolate into a mold;        D. shaking the mold to remove air bubbles and fully distribute the chocolate in the mold cavity;        E. cooling to harden the chocolate; and        F. removing said set shaped chocolate from said mold ("de-molding").
One disadvantage of the conventional molding process is the excessive time required to fill the mold, shake the mold to remove air pockets and solidify the chocolate to form a shaped piece. The molding time typically exceeds 10 to 20 minutes. The requirement of the use of molds to form shaped or decorated products greatly reduces the efficiencies of such commercial production lines.
The decoration or embossing of a surface of a chocolate, typically the top surface, by conventional methods is also disadvantageous. In the hand-dipping days, decorations were made by hand using hand tools (Industrial Chocolate Manufacture and Use by S. T. Beckett, second edition, page 227, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety). The Sollich Decormatic [Sollich GMBH &Co., KG, Bad Salzuflen, Germany] and Woody Stringer [Woody Associates, Inc., York, Pa., USA] are two conventional decorating apparatuses. The Decormatic decorates the chocolate by applying additional chocolate through a nozzle. The decoration is limited by the movement of the nozzles in relation to the chocolate product (i.e., circulatory or oscillating movements). The Woody Stringer also functions by applying additional chocolate onto the chocolate product to form a decoration. Such devices are limited to the speed in which the additional decorative chocolate can be applied. Moreover, the types of decorations that can be created are limited to those which are able to be formed with the chocolate applicator. These types of devices cannot be used to form the chocolate product into a particular shape or provide a chocolate having an image embossed on at least one surface.
There are a variety of methods in the prior art to decorate chocolate surfaces. U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,696 to Nendl et al. relates to the creation of fine patterns in chocolate surfaces using offset printing of a colored cocoa butter pattern on a printing sheet and thereafter embedding it in a molded chocolate surface. U.S. Pat. No. 4,668,521 to Newsteder relates to a process for producing a photographic quality likeness of a photographic image on the surface of a chocolate candy. The method involves the use of a film surface of a photorelief imaged in a photosensitive element such that peaks and valleys are created in the photosensitive element corresponding to the selected image. A deformable transfer blanket is cast against the photosensitive element surface to record in a surface of the transfer blanket peaks and valleys corresponding to the selected image. A chocolate material is then cast against the surface of the transfer blanket to record the selected image by peaks and valleys in the surface of the chocolate. U.S. Pat. No. 4,455,320 to Syrmis relates to a method for sculpting a person's face from a photograph onto a chocolate candy by adapting a photographic image of a person's face, converting the adapted image into a transfer medium or die and then embossing such adapted image onto chocolate candy.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,183,968 to Beckers relates to a method and apparatus for continuously stamping pieces of candy from travelling lengths of confectionery material and comprises rotating laterally open chambers into which is arranged to project, from opposite sides thereof, axially disposed co-rotating stamping dies. U.S. Pat. No. 3,303,796 to Novissimo relates to a method for continuously forming three-dimensional confectionery shapes in sheet form by a roll-pressing operation. U.S. Pat. No. 2,304,494 to Cahoon relates to candy-forming machines for continuously molding confectionery products.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,522,738 to Miller relates to the production of candy in the form of strips which are substantially rectangular in cross-section. The above U.S. patents are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,829 to Cattani relates to a device for shaping ice creams and food articles that have a thick and creamy nature comprising at least one forming unit including an air-pervious contoured die and drive elements for moving the die, and members operative to supply compressed air to the die from the opposite side thereof to that engagable to articles to be shaped. U.S. Pat. No. 4,847,090 to Della Posta et al. relates to improved confectionery products which are characterized in having a single product body of discrete component parts at least certain of which differ from others in respect to their physical and/or chemical properties. A co-extruded confection product may be shaped via the use of opposed forming dies. The above U.S. patents are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
The above-identified methods of forming shaped chocolate products or chocolate products having an embossed surface are slow and lack efficiency. When compared to other processing steps in making a chocolate, the molding process is inefficient. While a conventional enrobing line, for example, can operate at up to 10,000 pieces/minute, molding lines can only operate at about 2,000 pieces/minute for molding pieces of similar widths, sizes and shapes. Molding produces, however, desirable properties such as high gloss and detail not attainable by other methods. Such inabilities of other processes to provide an acceptable gloss and the high detail comparable to that provided by a molded product, without the use of a mold, reduces the commercial efficiencies of conventional chocolate processing facilities. It would be desirable to provide a method of making such products in a more efficient manner.
Some known methods have incorporated the use of chilled molds or chilled plunging devices to set chocolate products more rapidly. However, the known methods utilizing molds still require the time consuming steps of (i) shaking the mold to remove air bubbles and to distribute the chocolate in the mold, as well as (ii) setting the chocolate in the mold to allow for de-molding. Moreover, the use of chilled molds by prior methods results in chocolate products having poor gloss. The following references relate to methods of using chilled molds or molds with chilled plungers.
PCT Patent Publication WO 95/32633 to Aasted relates to a method for producing molded shells of fat-containing, chocolate-like masses wherein a mold cavity is filled with a mass and a cooling member having a temperature below 0° C. is subsequently immersed in the mass to define a predetermined shell volume between the member and the mold cavity. This publication is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
U.K. Patent publication GB 2 070 501 relates to making confections, such as chocolates and the like, of substantially uniform size. The method involves the steps of depositing a gob of flowable confectionery substance onto a surface, surrounding the gob in spaced relationship with an annular mold, exerting pressure upon the gob to cause the gob to spread apart and come into contact with the mold causing the gob to set so as to form a confectionery body in the mold and separating the confectionery body and the molds from one another. Pressure is exerted on the gob by a ram. It is advantageous if each of the annular molds has a hollow circumferential wall and if a cooling fluid circulates through this hollow wall to create a cooling channel so as to obtain a rapid chilling (and thus setting) of the gob. The inner circumference of the mold may have any desired regular or irregular shape, depending upon what shape is desired to impose upon the finished confectionery body. This publication is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
European Patent Application 0 589 820 to Aasted relates to a method for producing molded outer shells of fat-containing, chocolate-like masses wherein a mold cavity is filled with a tempered chocolate-like mass which solidifies from the mold cavity inwardly to form the outer shape of the shell, the temperature of the mold cavity being lower than the temperature of the tempered mass. The mold cavity is filled with a chocolate-like mass in an amount which is just slightly larger than the volume of the finished shell. A cooling member, which has preferably been cooled to −15 to −30° C., is then immersed into the chocolate mass and kept in a fully immersed position for about 2 to 3 seconds. The chocolate-like mass will then solidify rapidly during crystallization from the cooling member and will readily release the cooling member, which can be lifted up and out of the mold of the cavity. This publication is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
PCT Patent Publication WO 94/07375 to Cebula et al. relates to forming fat-containing products such as chocolate in molds at temperatures at or below 0° C. to provide unforced demolding. This publication is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,426,402 to Kaupert relates to a method and an apparatus for producing chocolate forms using molding tools. During an injection step, the molding tool is cooled with a coolant, wherein one of the molding parts is maintained at about 20° C., while the other is maintained at a substantially lower temperature of 0° C. or less, such as about −5° C. Even lower temperatures, such as −10° C. and even −20° C., are disclosed as acceptable for still faster molding speeds if the formed chocolate body is carefully handled. This U.S. patent is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
The above-identified references fail to teach or suggest forming, shaping, or embossing methods to produce embossed or highly detailed and highly reproducible decorated chocolates having acceptable gloss with the efficiency and speed of an enrobing line. Thus, the development of methods which increase the speed and efficiencies of shaped chocolate processing lines would be a valuable addition to the art and offer alternate manufacturing methods.
The above-identified references also fail to teach or suggest that it is possible to emboss highly intricate details onto the tops of enrobed products. A method to add reproducible fine details to an enrobing process is not currently available. Thus, the development of methods which enable the convenient inclusion of highly intricate designs on the surfaces of enrobed products would be a valuable addition to the art and offer expanded opportunities for manufacture and design.


An integrated circuit device having memory is disclosed. The integrated circuit device comprises programmable resources; programmable interconnect elements coupled to the programmable resources, the programmable interconnect elements enabling a communication of signals with the programmable resources; a plurality of memory blocks; and dedicated interconnect elements coupled to the plurality of memory blocks, the dedicated interconnect elements enabling access to the plurality of memory blocks. A method of implementing memory in an integrated circuit device is also disclosed.

The use of memory is an important aspect of almost any electronic device. There are different types of memory. For example, volatile memory is a type of memory which will retain values stored in the memory only when power is applied to the memory. When power is removed, the data stored in the memory will be lost over some period of time. In contrast, non-volatile memory is a type of memory whose data is not affected when power is removed.
Different types of memory elements may have different properties. For example, memory elements may have different access times, power consumption, immunity to the effects of radiation, etc. Accordingly, memories can be selected not only based upon a desired operation of the memory, but operational qualities of a memory.
Depending upon the functionality or operational qualities of the memory, a memory may be included on an integrated circuit device, or implemented separate from the integrated circuit device and accessed by the integrated circuit device. Providing a memory separate from an integrated circuit device may affect the operation of the overall circuit implementing the memory. Accordingly, there are various considerations when selecting both the type of memory and the locations of memory when implementing memory associated with an integrated circuit device.

Integrated circuit devices having memory and methods of implementing memory in an integrated circuit device


A lightweight V-grooved pulley obtained from a metal plate and having a cylindrical member with one open end, the cylindrical member having a circumferential surface formed with at least one groove having a substantially V-shaped section is provided in which the material of the metal plate consists of an aluminum alloy containing 2 to 6 wt% of Mg, at least one of 0.005 to 0.2 wt % of Ti, and 0.0005 to 0.02 wt % of B, impurities containing not more than 0.2 wt % of Si, not more than 0.2 wt % of Fe, and not more than 0.5 wt % of Zn, and a balance consisting of Al and an inevitable impurity, and an anodized film is formed on a region including the groove. The material of the metal plate may additionally contain at least one element selected from the group consisting of 0.01 to 2.0 wt % of Cu, 0.02 to 1.0 wt % of Cr, and 0.01 to 0.3 wt % of Zr.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lightweight V-grooved pulley and, more particularly, to a lightweight V-grooved aluminum alloy pulley easily formed from plate and having a high mechanical strength, in which the V-grooved portion has excellent wear resistance.
2. Description of the Related Art
A so-called V-grooved pulley 1 having a substantially V-shaped section, as shown in FIG. 1, is conventionally manufactured in accordance with two methods. According to the first method, a steel mass is cut to obtain a final shape as shown in FIG. 1. According to the second method, a steel plate is worked out as shown in FIGS. 2A to 2E. A steel plate blank 20 as shown in FIG. 2A is drawn to form a cylindrical member 21 having one open end, as shown in FIG. 2B, and the cylindrical member 21 is further drawn to fabricate a cup-shaped member 22 as shown in FIG. 2C. A circumferential surface 22a of the cup-shaped member 22 is subjected to rotational formation to form grooves 23 each having a substantially V-shaped section to obtain a final V-grooved pulley in which a bottom surface 22b of the cup-shaped member 22 has a disk-like shape, as shown in FIGS. 2D and 2E. According to the second method, a lighter V-grooved pulley can be obtained compared to the first method, since the pulley is fabricated from the steel plate. However, a further decrease in weight of the V-grooved pulley is demanded. To meet this demand, a method of using a high-strength material to decrease the thickness or a method of substituting a steel with a lighter material may be possible.
In general, however, when the strength of the material is increased, formability is degraded; when the formability of the material is improved, the mechanical strength is decreased, leading to a contradictory problem. Hence, a lightweight V-grooved pulley satisfying the both characteristics does not conventionally exist.


An improved paper and coin currency totalizer is installed on an existing vending machine and utilizes the existing coin receiving channels and the existing movable mechanical release mechanism and reset mechanism. An electronic coin sensor is installed in alignment with the coin receiving channel to produce a coin signal. A box is mounted on the vending machine and includes a paper currency sensor to produce a paper signal. A totalizer control circuit in the box accepts the coin signals and paper signals to determine when the proper amount of currency has been deposited to activate an actuation mechanism installed in the machine to move the release mechanism to the release position to allow a selection. After a selection is made, a reset sensor installed in the machine in alignment with the reset mechanism sends a reset signal to the totalizer control circuit to discontinue the actuation mechanism and to indicate no currency has been deposited. A method is provided to convert the mechanical totalizer in an existing vending machine to include the improved paper and coin currency totalizer.

1. Field of Invention.
This invention relates to an improved paper and coin currency totalizer for being installed on an existing vending machine and to the method of converting an existing vending machine to enable paper currency and coin currency to be used to allow an item in the existing vending machine to be dispensed therefrom.
2. Description of the Prior Art.
There exists numerous types of vending machines for cigarettes, candy, snacks, soft drinks, etc. which include a wide array of electronic and mechanical means for facilitating the proper dispensing of the items therein. Recent innovations in coin or paper currency verification and totalization devices have been introduced into the vending machine field. A similar wide array of electronic dispensing mechanisms have been increasingly employed in various vending machines for the actual control of the dispensing of the items from such machines. While such improvements in both dispensing mechanisms and currency totalizers for such machines have resulted in an introduction of new, improved vending machines which could be utilized throughout the vending field, there remains an interest in older, and, in some cases, obsolete vending machines because of the cost of the newer machines as compared to a possible conversion of older, existing machines.
Historically, prior to the introduction of electronics to the vending machine field, most vending machines included mechanical coin currency totalizers and mechanical means for dispensing items therefrom. While there has clearly been a conversion from such mechanical totalizers and mechanical dispensing mechanisms in, for example, the soft drink vending field, mechanical totalizers and mechanical dispensing mechanisms for vending machines in the cigarette vending art have remained quite popular.
Although there are numerous electronically controlled cigarette vending machines with electronic currency totalizers, they tend to be quite expensive and require a significant investment to replace older, existing mechanical cigarette vending machines. In fact, if the cost of cigarettes were to have remained relatively low, it is questionable whether there would be any significant replacement of older mechanical cigarette vending machines by the newer electronic cigarette vending machines.
Some mechanical cigarette vending machines have proven to be quite reliable and relatively inexpensive to maintain. One type of vending machine which continues to be widely accepted in the cigarette vending field is produced by National Vendors of St. Louis, Mo. The basic mechanical dispensing mechanisms in the machines for physically dispensing the cigarettes were developed many years ago and have been sold and maintained, for example, under the names Crown Line, Series 800; Crown Line, Cabaret 800; Crown Elite 222; and Golden Cabaret 222 by National Vendors. Such cigarette vending machines typically include a coin receiving slot on the face thereof and employ a series of mechanical selection knobs. The selection knobs are respectively aligned with stacks of cigarette packs stored within the machine and are capable of being pulled to dispense a single pack after the proper amount of coin currency has been deposited in the slot. In order to control the mechanical dispensing mechanism, National Vendors, Inc. has provided such machines with various types of mechanical coin recorders or totalizer units. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,935,170; 2,993,581; and 3,028,940, which were assigned to National Vendors, Inc. of St. Louis, Mo. disclose the evolution in the design of such mechanical dispensing mechanisms and such mechanical coin totalizer units for the control and operation of the mechanical cigarette vending machines.
The present invention is directed to the modification of one particular series of mechanical coin totalizer units, which have been provided by National Vendors, Inc., and are particularly adapted to be utilized in numerous existing vending machines which employ mechanical dispensing mechanisms. While the specific mechanical coin totalizer unit will be disclosed in detail in the Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment, it is significant to note that some of the features therein are specifically disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,993,581 and 3,028,940.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,028,940, which is entitled "Coin Apparatus", discloses a comparable mechanical coin totalizer unit and how it is configured to cooperate with the typical mechanical dispensing mechanisms which have been widely accepted and utilized in the cigarette vending field. U.S. Pat. No. 3,028,940 includes specific references to U.S. Pat. No. 2,993,581, which is also entitled "Coin Apparatus" but discloses features of the mechanical dispensing mechanisms which have been widely accepted in the cigarette vending field and are well-known in the vending art. Significantly, both the devices shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,993,581 and 3,028,940 include a series of three release means which provide a lockout means to prevent the dispensing of a pack of cigarettes if the proper amount of coin currency has not been deposited in the coin slot for passage through the mechanical coin totalizer unit. Upon movement of the release means to the release position after the proper amount of coin currency is provided, the last amount of pulling movement of the cigarette pack selection knob will physically dispense the selected pack of cigarettes. Specifically, three such release means have been provided because the cigarette vending machines were configured to include cigarette packs having three different prices to accommodate various types of cigarettes being sold during the early use of such machines.
The preferred machines disclosed in the above mentioned patents include mechanical coin totalizer units having the primary purpose of mechanically determining if the proper amount of coin currency has been deposited in the coin slot for the purchase of a pack of cigarettes. The coin totalizer unit not only includes means for mechanically totaling the coin currency deposited but also includes three separate means for being selectively adjusted for three different currency values, as mentioned above, to specifically allow a selected pack of cigarettes, depending on its particular value, to be dispensed.
The totalizer unit of U.S. Pat. No. 3,028,940 is mounted within the machine at an outside wall adjacent to the above mentioned release means. The mechanical totalizer unit includes vertical inside and outside plates which are spaced one from the other and parallel to the side wall of the machine. A coin chute assembly is mounted between the plates. The assembly includes a nickel chute, a dime chute and a quarter chute. The chutes have an elongated generally rectangular cross section corresponding to the size of coin currency to be passed therethrough and are located side-by-side in a flatwise parallel relation with the dime chute being located between the nickel and quarter chutes.
Each of the plates forming the walls of the chutes is slotted to provide an arcuate slot through the entire coin chute assembly. A portion of the arcuate slot registers with the nickel chute at the upper end thereof and has a length approximately one-fifth of the entire length of the arcuate slot. The arcuate slot registers with the dime chute from its upper end through a portion of the arcuate slot having a length approximately twice the length of the portion in the nickel chute. It also registers with the quarter chute through the entire length which is about five times the length of the portion of the arcuate slot for the nickel chute.
Although the coin chute assembly of the vending machines has chutes for nickels, dimes and quarters, it should be recognized that each coin directed to its respective chute will enter a coin selector and slug rejecter device mounted above the totalizer unit to deliver nickels to the nickel chute, dimes to the dime chute and quarters to the quarter chute. The coin selector and slug rejecter device is not specifically shown or described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,028,940. Such coin selector and slug rejecter devices are well known in the vending field and are outside of the scope of the invention as disclosed herein. Generally, the coin selector and slug rejecter device acts to reject coins of improper denominations, such as pennies, and other spurious coins. The rejected coins drop out of the device through a separate chute. Various coin selector and slug rejecter devices are suitable for use in both the prior art vending machines and the vending machine of the present invention, are well known and could include, for example, a device similar to that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,292,628.
The coin recorder mechanism of the totalizer unit includes a primary shaft which is journaled to the inside and outside plates of the unit. The center of the arcuate slot is at the axis of the primary shaft. The coin recorder mechanism is driven by a trip wire which is fixed to the shaft to produce rotation thereof. The end of the trip wire includes a finger which extends into the common arcuate slot to intersect and extend across each of the coin receiving chutes. Basically, the trip wire is biased to swing upward to a raised or retracted position prior to the insertion of each individual coin. The trip wire will be moved in a downward direction under the weight of each coin as it is deposited in its respective chute. The actual amount of movement of the trip wire, and thus the shaft to which it is attached, will depend on the particular denomination of coin deposited in the respective chutes.
Although it is clearly disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,028,940, it is appropriate to understand that the particular amount of rotational movement of the wire and associated shaft produces a registered, rotational movement of a ratchet wheel which are mounted on the shaft within the interior of the coin recorder mechanism. Consequently, any coin whether a nickel, dime or quarter falling through its respective chute engages the finger on the trip wire and swings the wire downward against the biasing of the spring. A nickel falling in the nickel chute swings the wire down through the particular arc discussed hereinabove to a point where the finger passes out of the nickel chute and the nickel rides over the finger, continues to fall and exits from the lower end of the nickel chute. Similarly, a dime falling into the dime chute swings the wire downward through an arc which is twice as large as that for the nickel chute until the finger passes out of the dime chute and the dime rides off the finger, continues its fall and exits from the lower end of the dime chute. A quarter falling into the quarter chute swings the wire downward through an arc five times as large as that of the nickel chute and in a similar manner falls and exits from the lower end of the quarter chute after the appropriate movement of the trip wire.
Upon the downward swing of the trip wire, the ratchet wheel mounted on the shaft is rotated through a corresponding distance. After the coin releases the finger of the trip wire, the trip wire returns to the upward position with the ratchet wheel being retained in the particular rotational position by a retaining pawl which engages the teeth at the outer edge of the ratchet wheel. Clearly, as each additional coin is deposited in its appropriate chute, a corresponding mechanical ratcheting of the ratchet wheel will produce additional rotational movement and positioning of the ratchet wheel. With each tooth provided on the ratchet wheel representing each nickel value of the coin currency, the ratchet wheel is rotationally advanced according to the denomination of the coin currency deposited in the chutes. Specifically, the ratchet wheel is held in an advanced position against the biasing of a ratchet return spring by both a driving pawl and a retaining pawl. While there is included means for returning the ratchet wheel to its "zero" position after a pack of cigarettes has been removed from the machine, it is most significant to understand that rotational position of the ratchet wheel, at any time after the insertion of some coins during the selection process, corresponds to the total amount of coin currency deposited in the slot.
Secured to the ratchet wheel for basic rotation therewith is a disc assembly which includes three separate discs. Each disc is adapted to be selectively positioned relative to the ratchet wheel according to the amount of coin currency which is required for the different priced packs of cigarettes. The three discs in the disc assembly include notches having radial shoulders on the leading ends thereof. While the operation of such discs is disclosed in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 3,028,940, it is sufficient to know that with the proper amount of coin currency being deposited in the chutes, the discs, as selectively positioned for the amount desired, will have the notches thereof advanced to a position to allow movement of one end of a corresponding one of three latch release bars. The other end of each of the three latch release bars is basically coupled to a corresponding one of the three release latches of the totalizer unit which control the movement of the release means of the basic machine mentioned hereinabove. Each release latch, through the release means, provides the last secure lockout means for preventing the movement of a cigarette pack selection knob which would dispense the pack unless moved to the release position. Each of the latch release bars is mounted for relative alignment with an appropriate one of the discs so that that individual latch release bar will not be capable of producing corresponding movement of its respective release latch to the release position unless the notch on its particular disc is properly oriented by the deposit of the correct amount of coin currency. Full movement of the respective latch release bars is only initiated when the selection knob is being pulled.
As described, it would appear that movement of the cigarette pack selection knob is configured to dispense the particular pack of cigarettes if the release means is simply withdrawn to the release position by the release latch to allow the particular pack to be dispensed from the machine. However, in order to provide a preferred method of operation of the entire dispensing mechanism, there are other features which are included in order for the overall totalizer unit to operate in an effective and reliable manner. Accordingly, as a purchaser begins to pull the particular selection knob, other components within the totalizer unit produce the initial movement of each of the latch release bars. The latch release bars are basically biased away from the discs so that there is no mechanical, sliding contact therebetween until a particular selection knob is physically pulled by a purchaser with the intention of actually dispensing the selected pack of cigarettes. In other words, the initial movement of the selection knob produces an initial movement of the latch release bar against biasing to determine if the appropriate notch is properly aligned to allow continued movement of the latch release bar which would result in the movement of the release latch and the release means to the release position. If the selected knob is pulled prior to the proper amount of coin currency being deposited in the coin channels, the corresponding disc will not be properly oriented to align the notch to allow full movement of the latch release bar. If the proper amount of coin currency has not been received in the totalizer unit, continued movement of the selection knob which is needed to directly dispense the pack of cigarettes is prevented by the fact that the release latch of the totalizer unit and the release means of the basic machine has not been moved to the release position. If the proper amount of coin currency has passed through the coin chutes, the alignment of the notch on the disc allows full movement of the latch release bar to move the release latch, and thus the release means, to the release position and continued movement of the selection knob causes the selected pack of cigarettes to be dispensed.
When a purchaser releases the selection knob, additional mechanisms within the totalizer unit and within the vending machine itself, returns the ratchet wheel and discs to the "zero" position. When in the "zero" position, full movement of any of the selection knobs is prevented, because the release latches, and thus the release means, will not be returned to the release position until the proper amount of coin currency has been deposited through the chutes. Of course, the return of the selection knob to the non-selected position also allows each of the latch release bars to be biased to prevent any engagement with the respective discs until another selection is being made.
It should be recognized that U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,993,581 and 3,028,940 disclose specific mechanisms for initially producing the desired movement of the latch release bars upon the movement of the selection knob and particular linkage means for resetting the ratchet wheel and discs to the "zero" position after a selection has been made. The same functions are provided by different mechanisms in the preferred existing cigarette vending machine and will be specifically discussed in the Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments hereinbelow. In other words, although a detailed description of the particular components employed in the specific existing cigarette vending machine to be modified by the preferred apparatus and method is provided hereinbelow, the functions produced by those particular components are well known in the cigarette vending machine art and produced, for example, by other specific configurations in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,993,581 and 3,028,940.
As thus described, the basic devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,993,581 and 3,028,940 have been found to function properly and to insure the proper selection and dispensing of an appropriate pack of cigarettes. While these patents disclose mechanisms which were satisfactory, the preferred existing cigarette vending machine, which is to be specifically modified by the present invention, has experienced greater acceptance and use throughout the cigarette vending field. In either case, such mechanical vending machines would likely have continued to be extensively used in the cigarette vending field if it were not for the increasing cost of a pack of cigarettes.
For example, a preferred existing mechanical totalizer unit which has provided the same functions as those described hereinabove is described in detail hereinbelow. The existing mechanical totalizer unit to be modified by the present invention has been offered by National Vendors, Inc., under a number of different model numbers depending on the particular amount of money which may be selected for the cost of the various packs of cigarettes therein. For example, Series 560 ACMR, as manufactured, provided a price range from $0.05 through $0.60. The Series 100 ACMR and 5100 ACMR, had a price range from $0.05 through $1.00. The Series 130 ACMR included a price range of $0.05 through $1.30 while Series 160 ACMR had a price range from $0.05 through $1.60. Accordingly, while the basic mechanisms are the same, it can be seen that different ratchet wheel and disc configurations have been needed in these mechanical totalizer units because of the increasing cost of the packs of cigarettes to be dispensed thereby.
In fact, with still further increases in the cost of a basic pack of cigarettes, one major cigarette company has offered a means for physically replacing the disc assemblies provided by National Vendors, Inc. with a different disc assembly and a physical conversion of the quarter channel to produce a different amount of travel for the trip wire. As a result, the converted mechanical totalizer unit would function in a similar manner but has resulted in the totalizer unit being capable of receiving, in one case, up to $2.25 and, in another case, up to $2.60 in coins for the dispensing of packs of cigarettes at an increased cost.
In the meantime, National Vendors, Inc., also recognized the need for some other means to increase the amount of coin currency which can be selectively deposited in their existing cigarette vending machines. Consequently, National Vendors, Inc., introduced an electronic coin totalizer unit, such as the Series 600 Electronic ACMR unit, which could be mounted within the existing cigarette vending machines to replace the mechanical coin totalizer units discussed hereinabove. The new electronic coin totalizer unit was adapted to control the same type of mechanical dispensing mechanism including the release means discussed hereinabove.
The new electronic coin totalizer unit included different coin channel configurations and a different, electronic means for actually sensing the coin currency deposited therein. Nevertheless, the existing cigarette vending machines functioned in a similar manner and continued to rely upon the series of three release means which must still be moved to the release position to allow continued movement of the selection knob actually needed to dispense the selected pack of cigarettes. An alternative linkage within the electronic coin totalizer unit again allowed it to be returned to the "zero" position after a proper selection has been made and the selection knob is returned to the "non-selected" position. The Series 600 Electronic ACMR has a price range from $0.05 through $6.35. Accordingly, it would appear that owner-operators of the existing mechanical cigarette vending machines could provide a reasonable conversion thereof through the use of the electronic coin totalizer unit offered by National Vendors, Inc. Such a conversion would allow continued use of the reliable cigarette vending machines employing the mechanical dispensing mechanisms having the release means while being able to select an appropriate price range for the packs of cigarettes to be dispensed thereby.
It should be noted that the various models of the mechanical totalizer units, which were offered by National Vendors, Inc., and which were modified to accept more coin currency by the major cigarette company, were adapted and converted to allow a selection of higher prices for the packs of cigarettes but some of these higher prices are below the current prices of such cigarettes in the industry. Further, while there was some acceptance of the electronic coin totalizer unit offered by National Vendors, Inc., which would allow more coin currency to be deposited in the machine, the cost of completely replacing the mechanical totalizer unit with an electronic coin totalizer unit was relatively high. Consequently, some time ago, another company, Holiday Electronics of Phoenix, Ariz., offered a different conversion of the mechanical totalizer units of National Vendors, Inc. The conversion required removal of the mechanical coin recorder mechanism and replaced it with an electronic coin adding device. The conversion basically employed a similar trip wire configuration but included an electronic means for adding the coin currency and for selectively varying the price of the cigarettes. A similar mechanical operation of the remaining components of the mechanical totalizer unit is produced after the higher amount of coin currency has been deposited. The cost of a pack of cigarettes could be varied from $0.05 to $6.35. However, this conversion has had only limited success because of the questionable reliability of the electronic coin currency adding device.
If the various packs of cigarettes were to have remained at a relatively low cost, although still above that offered by some of the various mechanical totalizer units discussed above, one would assume that the entirely different electronic totalizer unit or the electronic coin adding device would provide an acceptable, satisfactory and convenient means for continued use of the basic existing vending machines having the reliable mechanical dispensing mechanisms. However, with the continued increase of the price of various packs of cigarettes, the amount of coin currency which is physically required for the dispensing of cigarettes has significantly increased. The actual physical amount of coin currency required has clearly discouraged use of any cigarette vending machine relying entirely on coin currency for the dispensing of packs of cigarettes thereby.
Because of the large amount of coin currency that is required for the purchase of cigarettes at the present time, a number of new cigarette vending machines have been introduced which include paper currency acceptance and verification units. If the price of a pack of cigarettes, for example, is $3.00, three one dollar bills can simply be deposited in the paper currency verification and totalizer portion of such new cigarette vending machines for the selection and dispensing of a pack of cigarettes therefrom. Most of these new cigarette vending machines also include coin currency depositing means so that either coin and/or paper currency can be deposited therein for the dispensing of packs of cigarettes. However, these new cigarette vending machines which are capable of receiving coin and/or paper currency are relatively expensive. Clearly, in order to provide such machines, owner-operators require a significant initial investment for the purchase of such machines and must accept the fact that the withdrawal of existing mechanical vending machines from service represents a total loss of such assets.
Another electronic totalizer unit was recently offered by WGB Manufacturing of Pittsburgh, Pa., under the Model No. ECKO 635 for use in the 222 and 800 series machines offered by National Vendors, Inc. However, the required physical modification of the mechanical coin totalizer units of National Vendors, Inc. was quite extensive for the owner-operators of cigarette vending machines in order to install the ECKO 635 conversion elements within the basic frame and housing of the mechanical coin totalizer unit. Basically, the major internal mechanisms had to be completely removed which often required the drilling out of original welds and the like. The conversion of the interior of the mechanical coin totalizer unit was so extensive that the only components which remained therein included the three release latches and some of the channeling means at the lower end thereof for the collection of coins and the return of coins to a return chute.
The ECKO 635 conversion allowed a total deposit of up to $6.35 and included the capability of adding a paper currency verification and sensing device if desired. With the interior components removed but the basic frame and housing of the mechanical coin totalizer unit being retained, the ECKO 635 conversion required an entirely new configuration of coin slots, a new electronic coin adding means in the form of a printed circuit board mounted within the housing of the mechanical totalizer unit, and an electrical actuation means for operating one of the release latches. The conversion to accept paper currency was made by an electrical coupling of a separate paper currency verification and sensing device to the basic printed circuit board of the ECKO 635 totalizer unit.
There has been little acceptance of the ECKO 635 electronic totalizer unit because of the extensive and time consuming conversion and numerous problems associated with its operation. For example, there was included no means for indicating the total amount of coins and/or paper currency which was deposited therein. Additionally, it was found that electronic noise was experienced within the printed circuit board located within the housing of the totalizer unit which occasionally resulted in giving a potential purchaser "free" credit for currency not actually deposited therein to allow improper dispensing of a pack of cigarettes from the vending machine. Some problems associated with the printed circuit board being installed within the housing of the totalizer unit might have occurred because of the excessive mechanical vibrations which occurred through repeated opening and closing of the door of the vending machine when adding packs of cigarettes to or removing coin or bill currency from the machine. The mechanical vibrations of such mechanically operated vending machines is quite extensive and tends to provide an unfavorable environment for the reliable operation of the printed circuit board. Additional problems resulted from the fact that the overall system allowed the return of coin currency but included no means for the return of bill currency if the purchaser chose not to make a selection after coin and paper currency had been deposited for the purchase of a pack of cigarettes. Accordingly, the ECKO 635 electronic totalizer unit by WBG Manufacturing is no longer being offered and is no longer considered an acceptable alternative for the conversion of existing vending machines.
As a result, owner-operators of cigarette vending machines have remained interested in a reliable means to accept paper currency but in continuing to use existing cigarette vending machines which employ the reliable mechanical dispensing mechanisms. There has remained a need for being able to reliably convert various vending machines which accepted coin currency to also be capable of accepting paper currency.
One such conversion has been offered by the Revenco Corporation of North Huntingdon, Pa., and sold under the trademark THE BILL COLLECTOR. THE BILL COLLECTOR basically includes a system which utilizes a separate box or housing attached to the outside of the existing cigarette vending machine. The separate box includes any one of numerous paper currency verification and recording devices which are well known in the vending field. The separate box also includes electronic control means, in the form of a specifically designed printed circuit board, to produce a particular electronic output signal indicative of the amount of paper currency deposited therein. However, such electronic circuitry in the printed circuit board would not be universally applicable for all cigarette vending machines. The electronic counting means therein produces an electronic output signal, however, which cannot be utilized in any of the mechanical coin totalizer units discussed hereinabove. The basic purpose of the paper currency receiving box is to include a means for "fooling" the existing electronic coin currency totalizer units in some of the existing cigarette vending machines. For example, the electronic coin currency totalizing function of the device sold by Holiday Electronics, Inc., includes electronic signaling means therein to indicate when an appropriate total amount of coin currency has been deposited in the mechanical totalizer unit. Accordingly, the electronic control means and printed circuit board of one model of the THE BILL COLLECTOR box is particularly adapted to provide an electronic signal to the electronic coin totalizer mechanism to "fool" the mechanism into believing that a proper amount of coin currency has been deposited even though the electronic signal is actually received from the attached box when an appropriate amount of paper currency has been deposited therein.
While the physical conversion to accept THE BILL COLLECTOR box is within the capability of most owner-operators of existing vending machines, it is relatively complicated and has lead to some difficulty. For example, some relatively difficult wire soldering of the small printed circuit board of the electronic coin adding device is required and, as mentioned above, the basic mechanism itself is not always considered that reliable. Therefore, while the use of the separate, attached box for the receipt of paper currency has been generally accepted, wide acceptance has not occurred because of the unreliable operation of the electronic coin adding device by Holiday Electronics, Inc., and the difficulty of producing a reliable solder on the small printed circuit board thereof.
The same model of THE BILL COLLECTOR box, which includes the same electronic control means and printed circuit board, could be used to produce a similar "fooling" of the electronic coin adding and counting function of the Series 600 Electronic ACMR models offered by National Vendors, Inc. However, the required soldering to the small printed circuit board is again very difficult and not always reliable. Once installed, the device functions in a similar manner as additional wiring to the printed circuit of the electronic totalizer unit provides additional electronic signals to produce the same results by the deposit of paper currency in the attached box as would otherwise be produced by the deposit of coin currency in the existing cigarette vending machine.
Accordingly, although there has been some acceptance of the general concept of providing a separate, attached box for the receipt of paper currency to convert various existing cigarette vending machines, the general acceptance has been limited because of the need for a particular electronic circuit and printed circuit board for the electronic coin adding devices or electronic coin currency totalizer units employed in a limited number of cigarette vending machines. The separate, attached box of THE BILL COLLECTOR system for the receipt of paper currency could not be employed with any such machine having a mechanical coin currency totalizer unit.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,671, entitled Paper Currency Accepter And Method Of Handling Paper Currency For Vending Machines And The Like, discloses a paper currency accepter which can be installed within the front panel of an existing vending machine. While the paper currency accepter is suggested to be used in conjunction with existing coin currency accepting means, the disclosure does not indicate how the existing coin mechanism can be altered or modified to operate in conjunction with the new paper currency accepter. Accordingly, while suggesting the use of such a paper currency accepter which may physically be capable of installation on the front panel of a vending machine, little information is provided to disclose or suggest to those skilled in the art how such a paper currency accepter can be actually employed in an existing vending machine for use in conjunction with the existing coin currency accepter thereof.
While it is clear that there has been an extensive and continuing evolution of cigarette vending machines, it should be recognized that the existing mechanical dispensing mechanisms and the existing mechanical totalizer units of the cigarette vending machines produced many years ago by National Vending, Inc., would probably still be extensively used if the basic cost of a pack of cigarettes had not increased. These older mechanical cigarette vending machines were considered to be extremely reliable and were widely accepted by many owner-operators in the cigarette vending field. Additionally, it should be noted that the owner-operators of cigarette vending machines have been quite familiar with and accustomed to adapting, repairing and maintaining such vending machines. In fact, with a conversion, either through the use of the electronic coin adding device by Holiday Electronics or the alteration to include the electronic totalizer unit in the form of Series 600 Electronic ACMR by National Vendors, Inc., many, if not all, of these owner-operators would typically remove the mechanical totalizer units or components thereof and simply "store them away" in inventory for possible use at a future date. Most owner-operators of various vending machines are quite accustomed to the conversion, alteration and repair of various types of vending machines and recognize that components removed from one vending machine, because of a conversion, could later be employed in the same or similar machines which might be converted at some future date.
Consequently, because of the wide acceptance and satisfaction of the types of existing mechanical cigarette vending machines discussed hereinabove, any means which could be introduced to allow a convenient conversion thereof for the receipt of coin currency and/or paper currency would be highly desirable. With most owner-operators of vending machines being capable of and interested in simple, reliable conversion of such vending machines, there would clearly be a desire to convert any existing machine rather than to purchase an entirely different vending machine requiring a significant investment.
It should be noted that the existing cigarette vending machines which generally employ the reliable mechanical dispensing mechanisms, which have been and are still being produced by National Vendors, Inc., are extensively used throughout the cigarette vending field. Some such machines have been in existence for thirty years or more and are quite satisfactory for the dispensing of packs of cigarettes therefrom if they can be properly regulated and controlled by the proper depositing of currency therein. It should also be noted that, although the specific mechanical totalizer units produced by National Vendors, Inc., Series 100, 130, 160, 560 and 5100 ACMR, are not being extensively used, those which have been mechanically converted to accept more coin currency by the conversion of the quarter chute are still in extensive use.
Accordingly, many, if not most, of the basic mechanical totalizer units originally sold by National Vendors, Inc., are still available from machines which can accept up to $2.25 or $2.60 or from storage by most owner-operators of vending machines. It should be understood that the number of such cigarette vending machines and mechanical totalizer units probably exceeds one million. In other words, although perhaps a million of such mechanical totalizer units are in existence, it appears doubtful that they would continue to be used in the future. Because of the increased cost of a pack of cigarettes, they would soon be considered obsolete for use in the existing vending machines which employ the reliable mechanical dispensing mechanisms of the type described hereinabove because the large amount of coin currency required is proving to be increasingly inconvenient and unacceptable. Clearly, any coin and/or paper currency totalizing system which could be employed while utilizing the mechanical totalizer unit or major portions thereof in the existing cigarette vending machines which employ the existing mechanical control mechanisms would be highly desirable.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,292,628; 2,935,170; 2,993,581; 3,028,940; and 4,884,671 are incorporated by reference as if included in their entirety herein.

Paper and coin currency totalizer for an existing vending machine