The present invention relates to the use of low-dose photodynamic therapy (PDT) to prevent, treat, inhibit or reduce restenosis in blood vessels. The present invention may be used in combination with any angioplastic procedure to prevent restenosis or to decrease the intima thickness, and thus luminal narrowing.

In humans, angioplasty is an increasingly common invasive vascular procedure whereby luminal narrowing due to increases in intima thickness is reduced by mechanical dilation. One common form of this procedure is where a balloon catheter is expanded at a narrowed site in a blood vessel. Unfortunately, angioplasty often also results in vascular injury which produces subsequent narrowing at the site of angioplasty, referred to as restenosis, as a direct response. The exact causes of restenosis have yet to be completely elucidated, but have been postulated to involve arterial wall remodeling and/or intimal hyperplasia (IH). IH is characterized by cellular proliferation and the accumulation of matrix components on the inner wall of blood vessels, leading to luminal narrowing. IH is also characterized by a thickened fibromuscular layer between the blood vessel's endothelium and the inner elastic lamina (IEL).
Considerable research has aimed at clinical and pharmacological intervention to prevent or treat restenosis, including experimental attempts to use photodynamic therapy (PDT) in animal models. Generally, PDT involves the use of an inert photosensitizer (PS) that is activated by specific wavelength(s) of radiation to produce a toxic agent, thought to be singlet oxygen in the case of porphyrins, which causes the destruction of unwanted cellular tissue. The PS is essentially a catalyst for generating the toxic agent.
Some research has been based upon the observation that PDT may be adapted for photoangioplasty (see Rockson et al. Circulation 102:591-596, 2000) for a recent review. Other research has been based upon the use of PDT to kill smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in vitro (see Sobeh et al. Eur. J. Vasc. Endovasc. Surg. 9:463-468, 1995).
Research with animal models to study the possible use of PDT to prevent or treat human restenosis utilize normal arteries. This is despite the contrasting situation with restenosis in human arteries, which is the response to angioplastic treatment of arteries with pre-existing disease. Such arteries contain advanced atherosclerotic lesions, often with regions of calcification. Treatment of such diseased arteries with angioplastic procedures, such as percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (used as an alternative to coronary artery bypass grafting), frequently results in considerable tissue damage, including tears in the intima and media of the artery. This degree of injury, and thus the subsequent restenotic response, is inadequately modeled in most animal systems used, where simple endothelial denudation, rather than the deeper injury seen with human angioplasty, is used. As such, the results with animal models should be reviewed with caution. For reviews of animal models and restenosis, see Lafont et al. (Cardiovascular Res. 39:50-59, 1998), Ferns et al. (Int. J. Exp. Path. 81:63-88, 2000), and Schwartz (Lab. Investig. 71(6):789, 1994). Interestingly, some of this work has led to the suggestion that arterial remodeling, rather than intimal formation, accounts for restenosis after angioplasty (see Lafont et al.)
One example of PDT in an animal model is described by Asahara et al. (Circulation 86 (Suppl) 1-846, 1992). They observed that PDT was able to inhibit restenosis in rabbits that had been fed a high cholesterol diet and received balloon injuries of the iliac artery. Importantly, they found that immediate PDT treatment following balloon injury was ineffectual at decreasing intimal thickness (expressed as the intima:media, I/M, ratio). Instead, they observed the best results by using PDT one week after balloon injury. Gonschior et al. (Photochemistry and Photobiology, 64(5):758-763, 1996) conducted similar PDT experiments in a swine model using injury to nondiseased arteries (see also Gonschior et al., J. Amer. Coll. Cardiol. 27(2, Suppl A):196A, 1996).
Other workers have used PDT to inhibit IH and completely deplete endothelial cells, as well as medial cells in some instances, from rat arteries (Nyamekye et al. Eur. J. Vasc. Endovasc. Surg. 11: 19-28, 1996; LaMuraglia et al. Photodynamic therapy inhibition of experimental intimal hyperplasia: acute and chronic effects. J Vasc Surg, 19:321-331, 1994; Grant et al. Br. J. Cancer 70:72-78, 1994; and Ortu, P. et al. Circulation 85:1189-1196, 1992). In all of these instances, the photosensitizer was administered systemically and the radiation performed external to the blood vessel. For example, Ortu et al. used endothelial denudation (with an embolectomy catheter) of normal rat carotid arteries to study PDT with systemically administered chloraluminum-sulfonated phthalocyanine (CASPc) used as the photosensitizing agent. They noted that their denudation protocol did not disrupt the internal elastic lamina (EL) and was effective in inhibiting the induced IH response on day 14 when PDT was conducted on days 2 and 7 after denudation. External irradiation of the artery was used to activate CASPc. It is unknown whether complete depletion as seen in these methods would be safe or advantageous in humans.
Similar depletion of endothelial cells and medial cells were observed by Adili et al. (Lasers in Surgery and Medicine 23:263-273, 1998; and SPIE 2395:402-408, 1995) upon the use of PDT with locally administered photosensitizer in injured rat carotid arteries and 100 J/cm2 external photoactivation. In the 1998 work, they reported that the photosensitizer dosage in the vessel wall was approximately 2.5 ng/mg after local pressurized delivery of a 25 μg/ml solution for two minutes and approximately 1.4 ng/mg after systemic delivery of a 2 mg/ml solution via injection. In the 1995 work, they reported similar concentrations of approximately 1.5 ng/mg with both local and systemic administration, at 25 μg/ml and 0.5 mg/kg body weight, respectively. 15 minutes after localized delivery, irradiation was performed externally with 100 J/cm2 of 690 nm light.
Eton, D. et al. (J. Surg. Res. 53:558-562, 1992) used a similar endothelial denudation (with a balloon catheter) of normal rabbit carotid arteries to study PDT with systemically administered Photofrin™. This denudation protocol again leaves the media and adventitia of the artery intact, and PDT was effective in reducing the induced IH response (recorded as a ratio of IH area to normalized area enclosed by the IEL based on cross sectional analysis of the arteries five weeks after PDT). Photofrin™ was systemically administered 7 days after denudation, with external irradiation of the artery two days later. In a similar model, Hsiang et al. (Ann. Vasc. Surg. 9:80-86, 1995) reported the prevention of IH with PDT in rabbit arteries injured by endothelial denudation. In this approach, Photofrin™ was administered systemically after injury, with 120 or 240 J/cm2 irradiation following 24 hours later.
In a porcine model for the prevention of IH, however, Sobeh et al. (SPIE 2395:390-395, 1995) observed the failure of systemic administration of photosensitizer followed by balloon injury and external irradiation to result in the prevention of IH. Instead, they observed that PDT under such conditions resulted in a significant increase of intimal area. The PDT conditions were injection of 0.3 mg/kg of metatetrahydroxyphenyl-chlorin (m-THPC) four hours prior to endothelial denudation and external irradiation with 20 J/cm2 of 652 nm light.
One possible explanation for the above results may be based on the observations of Adili et al. (Photochemistry and Photobiology, 70(4):663-668, 1999) concerning the applied dose of PDT. With the rat carotid artery model, Adili et al. used balloon mediated endothelial denudation before pressurized local delivery of either a 0.5 μg/ml or a 25 μg/ml solution of BPD-MA for two minutes followed 15 minutes later by external irradiation with either 50 or 100 J/cm2 light of 690 nm. The use of 0.5 μg/ml BPD-MA with 50 and 100 J/cm2 light (Stages I and II, respectively) was observed to have little effect on reducing IH. Instead Stage II is noted to be associated with induction of significant IH (see page 666, top of right column). The use of 25 μg/ml BPD-MA with 50 and 100 J/cm2 light (Stages III and IV, respectively) was observed to inhibit IH and induce photothrombosis, respectively. As such, Adili et al. suggest that correct dosimetry is needed to effectively inhibit IH. In particular, relatively low dose PDT is ineffectual while relatively high doses may trigger thrombosis. See Hsiang et al. (Cardiovasc. Surg. 3(5):489-493, 1995, and Photochem. Photobiol. 53(3):518-525, 1993) for previous studies on PS dosages.
Lastly, a variation of PDT, wherein no photoactivation is induced, has also been described as inhibiting restenosis and intimal hyperplasia (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,422,362, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety as if fully set forth).

Use of low-dose PDT to inhibit restenosis


A contact that takes a structure to laminate a protective conductive film over a metal film has a high hardness of the protective conductive film; therefore, a damage of contact surface made by contacting with an electrode of an inspection apparatus can be prevented in an inspection before boding FPC. However, the protective conductive film has higher resistivity compared to the metal film; therefore, contact resistivity with FPC gets higher, and power consumption gets bigger in the condition of using the display device. The present invention provides a contact structure, wherein a structure of FPC contact is formed of a layered film of the metal film and the protective conductive film, and a conductive particle included in an anisotropic conductive film is formed of the protective conductive film in a slit shape having a space wider than a width necessary for an electrical connection with the metal film and a space narrower than a width of an electrode of an inspection apparatus and can be electrically connected with the FPC in both of the protective conductive film and the metal film, and a display device having the contact structure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a contact structure for connecting a circuit composed of a thin film transistor (hereinafter referred to as TFT) with a circuit over another substrate. Also, the present invention relates to a semiconductor device such as a display device utilizing such a contact structure. Especially, the present invention provides a technique that can be appropriately utilized for a liquid crystal display device and an electroluminescence (EL) display device that provided over one substrate a driving circuit set at a pixel portion and its periphery; a display device that formed together CPU, memory, data processing circuit, and the like over one substrate with the device; and furthermore, electronics that mounted these display devices. Note that, in the present specification, a display device refers to an overall display device that operate by utilizing a characteristic of a semiconductor, and not only the liquid crystal display device and the EL display device, but also the electronic device that mounted the display device are included into its category.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, the contact has been mainly formed in a laminated structure of a metal film and a protective conductive film over a substrate (for instance, Patent Document 1 can be referred) in the case of connecting electrically a connection wiring over a substrate with another wiring over a substrate by an anisotropic conductive film.
A method for connecting a substrate and a flexible printed circuit (FPC) is described using a cross-sectional view of a contact portion shown in the Patent Document 1. As shown in FIG. 3, an FPC 104 is formed of a substrate 105 and a wiring 106. A contact that laminates a metal film 102 and a protective conductive film 103 is formed over a substrate 101. An interlayer insulating film 109 and a protective film 110 are formed on a periphery of the contact to protect the metal film 102. The contact over the substrate 101 and the wiring 106 over the FPC 104 are connected by bonding using an anisotropic conductive film 107 that includes conductive particles 108.    [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-93598
A circuit formed within a display device is performed an examination before bonding the FPC using an inspection apparatus to confirm operation of the display device in a process for manufacturing the display device. As shown in FIG. 6, an inspection apparatus 322 is composed of an external driving circuit 323 for driving a display device 311 with the purpose of inspecting; a measuring equipment 324 for measuring an electric characteristic of the display device 311; and an inspection electrode 321 for electrically connecting the display device 311, the external driving circuit 323, and the measuring equipment 324.
The inspection electrode 321 obtains an electric connection by physically contacting with a contact 120 formed on an FPC contact portion 316 over the display device 311. A signal line driving circuit 314 and a row select line driving circuit 315 formed within the display device 311 are driven using the external driving circuit 323 included in the inspection apparatus 322, and an electric characteristic of the signal line driving circuit and the row select line driving circuit 315 is measured using the measuring equipment 324 included in the inspection apparatus 322.
A contact by the conventional technique takes a structure that laminates the protective conductive film over the metal film in order to prevent corrosion and oxidation of the metal film. The protective conductive film has a high hardness; therefore, the damage of a contact surface due to a contact of the inspection apparatus 322 with the inspection electrode 321 can be prevented in the inspection during the process for manufacturing before bonding the FPC. However, the protective conductive film has high resistivity compared with that of the metal film; therefore, there is a problem that contact resistivity with the FPC gets higher and power consumption gets bigger in the condition of using the display device.

Contact structure, display device and electronic device

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


An object of the present invention is to improve the compatibility of the resin composition comprising the PAI resin and the PAS resin so as to provide a resin composition which is excellent in flowability when molten, strength, tenacity and heat resistance.

Aromatic polyamide imide resins (hereinafter may be abbreviated as "PAI resins") are plastic materials which are excellent in heat resistance, mechanical strength, electric properties and chemical resistance and have self-lubricating ability. However, melt flowability thereof is unsatisfactory except for such applications as varnish and films, and most of them are often difficult to injection-mold. Thus, they are currently molded by a compression molding method.
Meanwhile, polyarylene sulfide resins (hereinafter may be abbreviated as "PAS resins") typified by polyphenylene sulfide resins (hereinafter may be abbreviated as "PPS") are excellent in heat resistance, electric properties and solvent resistance and particularly excellent in melt flowability. Further, it is known that they are provided with excellent mechanical strength, rigidity and dimensional stability when reinforced by use of a filler, et al.

Abstract: A resin composition comprising:    (1) 5 to 60 parts by weight of aromatic polyamide imide resin (A) having a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of 1,000 to 100,000 and having an amino group in an amount of 0.00002 to 0.002 mol/g in a molecule,    (2) 95 to 40 parts by weight of polyarylene sulfide resin (B), and    (3) 0.01 to 10 parts by weight of episulfide compound (C) based on 100 parts by weight of the total of (A) and (B).


A method and apparatus for manufacturing high-purity long silicon seed rods with controlled resistivity for Siemens and similar processes with using a film of silicon dioxide, wherein a film of silicon dioxide is formed on the seed rod in the course of a reaction between a silicon melt and oxygen. The rod is formed with a quartz die and cooled by direct immersion into a cooling fluid, such as de-ionized water and/or by cooling fluid vapor in the gas cooling zone.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to a method and apparatus for manufacturing of crystalline materials and more particularly to the manufacturing of silicon seed rods for Siemens and similar processes, which are the main methods for manufacturing high-purity polycrystalline silicon and silicon for solar cells.
2. Description of Related Art
In the Siemens process of manufacturing polycrystalline silicon for the semiconductor industry and solar cells, polycrystalline silicon is manufactured by the deposition or growth of silicon on the surface of a solid silicon rod, referred to as a silicon seed rod or core.
As described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0220283 A1 on a disclosure of Akimichi Nagaura et al., the major trends in conventional methods for manufacturing high-purity polycrystalline silicon (SEG-Si) are the Siemens method and the monosilane method, in which a starting-material silane gas is supplied to the interior of a high-temperature reaction furnace, and polycrystalline silicon is manufactured by the deposition or growth of silicon on the surface of a solid silicon rod (silicon seed rod or core). According to this producing method, a plurality of silicon seed rods are provided in a reactor and heated, feed gas is supplied to the reactor and brought into contact with the heated silicon seed rods, and polycrystalline silicon is deposited on the surface of the silicon seed rods by heat decomposition and hydrogen reduction of the feed gas to grow columnar-shaped silicon rods. The silicon seed rods are fixed upright on electrodes that are mounted on a bottom plate portion of the reactor. Every two silicon seed rods are paired and the upper end portions thereof are connected to each other by a short connection rod, so that they form a U-shape.
The silicon seed rods are manufactured by hewing out from a silicon rod. Therefore, since the silicon seed rods are getting shorter after every manufacturing and hewing out cycle, it is necessary to manufacture silicon seed rods from long silicon seed rods periodically. The long silicon seed rod can be produced, for example, by joining short silicon seed rods by welding. See Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication # S63-242339, and U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 2011/0220283 A1.
Since the diameter of the silicon rod on which the silicon polycrystals are deposited following the pyrolysis is extremely slender at around 5 mm, the surface area available for deposition in the initial stage of the reaction is so small that this method suffers from the drawback of a slow deposition rate. Furthermore, the resistivity of the silicon rod is high, i.e., 1 kiloohm-cm or higher so that is difficult to pass current through the rod at room temperature. Accordingly, when the reaction is initiated, it is necessary to heat the seed rod from outside by means of a preparatory heating device up to a temperature that enables heating by passage of electrical current. Not only is a high-voltage power supply device required for this heating, but a large amount of electric energy is consumed. This is a factor that increases the cost.
A method using a slender core rod comprising a metal, such as Mo, W, Ta, Nb or the like, with a high recrystallization temperature instead of the Si seed rod used in the Siemens method is also known (U.S. Pat. No. 7,732,012 B2). However, in case of SEG-Si obtained by using a slender core rod comprising metals, such as Mo, W, Ta, Nb or the like, the core part must be removed by some method following completion of the reaction. Moreover, these metals cause diffusion into the silicon that is deposited and grown.

Method and apparatus of manufacturing silicon seed rods


Method and apparatus for elevated storage of articles including application of a spring clutch winch to provide the required lifting and holding forces. In preferred embodiments, the apparatus includes a spring clutch winch, one or more elongate elements payed out from and, alternatively, wound onto the winch, at least one rotational support supporting each elongate element and a hanger secured to an elongate element end. The article to be stored can be raised by winding each elongate element onto the spring clutch winch and can be lowered by unwinding the line from the spring clutch winch. Use of a spring clutch winch for this storage application provides a highly effective yet simple and cost effective manner of raising and lowering the article and securely holding the article in an elevated position.

Families, business and others require ways to store a wide range of personal property articles at their residences, workplaces and other storage locations when the articles are not in use. Virtually an unlimited range of personal property articles require such storage. Representative types of articles which require storage can include, for example, ladders, lawn mowers, spreaders, tools, automobile detachable seats, bicycles and goods stored in boxes, crates or totes.
Personal property articles can be stored in many different locations within a residence, workplace or other storage location. Representative locations can include garages, car ports, basements, warehouses, sheds as well as other locations. These locations typically include a floor and a ceiling or roof supported by joists, trusses or like supports. The ceiling or roof supports are typically supported by vertical supports which may further support one or more walls.
Typically, the available space for storage of articles in a residence or workplace is limited and there is a need to optimize such space. One way to optimize storage space is to take advantage of the available volumetric space in the storage location by storing articles on the floor and at positions above the floor.
Many attempts to store articles at elevated positions are known. Examples include U.S. Pat. No. 6,237,781 (Dahl) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,161,702 (Campbell). Traditional block-and-tackle devices have also been utilized. While such devices may be satisfactory for their intended purposes, there are disadvantages associated with such devices.
For example, these types of storage systems may require complex electrical and mechanical components which are costly and subject to failure. Such electrical and mechanical components may require complex mounting to the ceiling or ceiling joists and may be difficult and costly to install.
Block and tackle lift devices secured to a ceiling or ceiling support can be difficult for some persons to operate because such persons may have difficulty pulling the line. Block and tackle lift devices can fail if the line or lines are not tied off or secured properly. The result of any such failure is that the articles will crash down potentially damaging the stored articles or damaging automobiles or other valuable things onto which the articles may fall.
It would represent a significant improvement in the art to provide apparatus and methods for elevated, secure storage of articles thereby optimizing storage space, which can be used to reliably store a wide range of articles and things and which is very simple and economical in its manufacture and use.


The present invention provides a screening method for a compound which is highly safe and has a prophylactic or therapeutic effect on diabetes, and a highly safe pharmaceutical composition for the prophylaxis or treatment of diabetes. Specifically, a drug for the prophylaxis or treatment of diabetes, which contains, as an active ingredient, a compound having PPARγ activation activity and PTP inhibitory activity, and a method of screening for the drug are provided.

PPARγ is one of the nuclear receptors that express mainly in adipocytes. Activation of PPARγ is considered to not only promote differentiation or maturation of adipocytes, but also be involved in the improvement of insulin resistance in diabetes, macrophage's transformation into foam cells in arteriosclerosis, and the like. For example, it is considered that, by the activation of PPARγ and promotion of differentiation of adipocyte, insulin resistance caused by TNF-α, free fatty acid and the like is eliminated and a blood glucose lowering effect and the like are exhibited on type 2 diabetes. Therefore, a compound having a superior PPARγ activation activity is known to be useful as an anti-hyperglycemia, anti-hyperlipidemia, insulin sensitizer, therapeutic agent for diabetes, therapeutic agent for diabetic complications, impaired glucose tolerance improving agent, anti-arteriosclerosis, anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory agent, an agent for the prophylaxis or treatment of PPAR-mediated diseases and an agent for the prophylaxis or treatment of syndrome X. However, PPARγ activators may express adverse events as side effects in clinical use, such as heart weight gain, cardiac enlargement, edema, hydrothorax and the like. These side effects are considered to be the events associated with accumulation of body fluid caused by activation of PPARγ.
PTP is an enzyme that catalyzes dephosphorylation of phosphotyrosine in protein, and PTP-1B, LAR (leukocyte antigen-related) PTP, LRP and the like are known. In addition, PTP is considered to be a phosphatase that dephosphorylates, for example, insulin receptor and the like. It is known that PTP is involved in the regulated inhibition of insulin receptors through dephosphorylation of insulin receptors. Therefore, a pharmaceutical agent that selectively inhibits PTP (preferably PTP-1B) enhances signaling after binding of insulin to its receptor, by the activity and has a known potential of becoming a drug for the prophylaxis or treatment of, for example, diabetes, hyperglycemia, impaired glucose tolerance, obesity, hyperlipidemia, diabetes complication, gestational diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome, malignant tumor, autoimmune disease, allergic disease, immunodeficiency, inflammatory disease, neuropathy, neurodegenerative disease, infectious disease and the like (particularly a drug for the prophylaxis or treatment of diabetes) (see Biochemical Journal, 1992, vol. 284, p. 569 and Science, 1999, vol. 283, p. 1544).
At present, vanadium derivatives, phosphotyrosine derivatives and the like are known as PTP-1B inhibitors. Due to the problems in the specificity of inhibitory activity, permeability into cells, toxicity and the like, however, they have not been put to practical use as yet.
While WO02/096880 discloses compounds having PPARγ activation activity, it is not known at all that the compounds have PTP inhibitory activity.

Insulin resistance curative and method of screening the same


A back-up tong is provided for use with a power tong to make up and break out longitudinally adjoining pipe sections. A torque arm engages the back-up tong and power tong to transfer torque therebetween, and a load cell is provided to measure the torque. The rear of the back-up tong has a fin element is rotatably mounted thereto. The fin element and torque arm are driven together upon initiating make up or break out operations to trap the load cell therebetween. The rotatable fin element substantially maintains alignment with the load cell and torque arm during make up for more reliable torque measurements. The fin element may alternately be mounted to the power tong.

Tubular members such as drill pipe, tubing pipe and casing used in the oil and gas industry (herein referred to as "pipe sections") are joined at their ends by threaded connections. Power tongs and back-up tongs are used to make up (i.e. join) and break out (i.e. disconnect) these threaded connections. The back-up tong grips the lower stationary pipe section while the power tong grips the adjoining upper pipe section and rotates it to provide a fluid-tight seal during make up of the drill string, and to break out the threaded connection during disassembly of the drill string. Under-torquing a connection during make up may not provide the desired fluid-tight seal and adversely affect the integrity of the drill string, while over-torquing a connection may result in costly damages to the drill string, such as stripped threads on the pipe connection, and unnecessary operational delays. Hence, reliable torque readings during make up operations are increasingly important, particularly as equipment and manpower costs continue to rise.
The back-up tong is typically supported from and interconnected with the power tong by a support structure well known in the industry. Referring to the prior art assembly shown in FIG. 1, the frame structure normally includes a torque plate or leg 12 which extends downwardly from the power tong 10 and engages a rearwardly extending portion or heel 14 of the back-up tong 11. During make up operations the torque leg engages and bears against the back-up tong's heel to counteract the twisting forces of the power tong, although the torque leg is free to move vertically with the power tong relative to the back-up tong during make up and break out operations. A load cell or torque gauge 15 is located between the torque leg and back-up tong to measure the force therebetween to determine the torque applied by the power tong to the pipe connection between the upper and lower pipe sections 16, 17, respectively. The load cell may be fixed to the back-up tong's arm or to an adjacent surface of the torque leg.
A disadvantage of such prior art arrangements is that a rig operator does not obtain reliable torque measurements during make up operations. Forces exerted by the power tong on the frame structure can flex the torque leg so that it engages the load cell and/or the heel of the back-up tong at an angle rather than in a flat (i.e. parallel) manner, thus providing an uneven force distribution over the load cell and inaccurate torque readings. As a result the rig operator can not be sure whether the pipe connection is being under-torqued or over-torqued. Another problem is that such eccentric loadings on the load cell also lead to premature wear of the cell, which result in further inaccuracies and requires frequent replacement.
What is therefore desired is a novel back-up tong body which overcomes the limitations and disadvantages of the existing arrangements. Preferably, it should provide a means for enhancing the accuracy of torque measurements during make up of pipe connections, and in particular by improving alignment of the load cell with a torque plate or equivalent part of a tong's frame structure during make up operations. It should also reduce wear on the load cell and associated servicing costs.


Provided is a numerical controller having a machining curve creating function. A command point sequence is divided into a plurality of segments and a segment curve corresponding to each segment command point sequence is created. The segment curve is created so that a distance of the segment curve from the segment command point sequence is within a permissible value set in advance, and the maximum number of command points are included between a starting point and an ending point of the segment command point sequence. This process of segment curve creation is repetitively executed from the starting point to the ending point of the command point sequence to create a machining curve. Subsequently, the machining curve is interpolated and drive axes of a machine tool are moved to the interpolated positions on the machining curve.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a numerical controller that performs machining by creating a curve for machining (machining curve) based on a command point sequence obtained from a machining program for a machine tool having a plurality of drive axes including at least two linear axes, interpolating the machining curve, and driving the drive axes to the interpolated positions on the machining curve.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, with a numerical controller that controls a machine tool, a method of creating a curve or a straight line from a supplied point sequence and interpolating the curve or the straight line is known.
<1> Curve Creation
1-1. A spline curve when a starting point condition at a starting point and an ending point condition at an ending point of a command point sequence are specified
Generally, when a point sequence P0, P1, P2, . . . , Pn, a first-derivative vector P0′ as a starting point condition at a starting point of the point sequence, and a first-derivative vector Pn′ as an ending point condition of an ending point of the point sequence are given as shown in FIG. 1, a cubic function representing a cubic curve connecting the respective points so that first-derivative vectors and second-derivative vectors at each point are continuous is obtained as follows.
Expression (1) below holds for first-derivative vectors (P0′, P1′, P2′, . . . , Pn′)T at the respective points, where "T" denotes transposition. However, hereinafter, the sign will be omitted whenever self-evident. t1, t2, . . . , tn denote differences in values of parameters (cubic function parameters t) of a created cubic function between the respective points P0, P1, P2, . . . , Pn and is generally expressed as distances (curve lengths) between the respective points P0, P1, P2, . . . , Pn of the created cubic function. However, a cubic function cannot be determined unless P0′, P1′, P2′, . . . , Pn′ are determined, and the distances (curve lengths) between the respective points P0, P1 P2, . . . , Pn of a curve representing a cubic function cannot be determined unless the cubic function is determined. Therefore, the distances (curve lengths) between the respective points P0, P1, P2, . . . Pn are often approximated by linear distances between the respective points P0, P1, P2, . . . , Pn. For example, a linear distance between P0 and P1 is denoted by t1, a linear distance between P1 and P2 is denoted by t2, . . . , and a linear distance between Pn-1 and Pn is denoted by tn. Moreover, a first-derivative vector and a second-derivative vector respectively refer to values at each point (values of parameter t at each point) of a first-order differentiation and a second-order differentiation of a cubic function by the parameter t.
In this case, P0, P1, P2, . . . , Pn and P0′, P1′, P2′, . . . , Pn′ are vectors having elements corresponding to at least two linear axes. Depending on machine construction, the vectors may have elements of third, fourth, . . . linear axes or elements of rotational axes in addition to the two linear axes.
                                          [                                                            1                                                  0                                                  …                                                  …                                                  …                                                  …                                                  0                                                                                t                    2                                                                                2                                                              (                                                                        t                          1                                                +                                                  t                          2                                                                    )                                                                                t                    1                                                                    0                                                  …                                                  …                                                  0                                                                              0                                                                      t                    3                                                                                2                                                              (                                                                        t                          2                                                +                                                  t                          3                                                                    )                                                                                t                    2                                                                    0                                                  …                                                  0                                                                              …                                                  …                                                  …                                                  …                                                  …                                                  …                                                  …                                                                              0                                                  …                                                  …                                                  0                                                                      t                    n                                                                                2                                                              (                                                                        t                                                      n                            -                            1                                                                          +                                                  t                          n                                                                    )                                                                                t                                          n                      -                      1                                                                                0                                                  …                                                  …                                                  …                                                  …                                                  0                                                  1                                                      ]                                          [                                                                                P                    0                    ′                                                                                P                    1                    ′                                                                                P                    2                    ′                                                                                …                                                                                P                                          n                      -                      1                                        ′                                                                                P                    n                    ′                                                                        ]                          =                  [                                                                      P                  0                  ′                                                                                3                                                                  t                        1                                                                                t                        2                                                                                (                                                                                t                          1                          2                                                                                (                                                                                P                              2                                                        -                                                          P                              1                                                                                )                                                                    +                                                                        t                          2                          2                                                                                (                                                                                P                              1                                                        -                                                          P                              0                                                                                )                                                                                )                                                                                3                                                                  t                        2                                                                                t                        3                                                                                (                                                                                t                          2                          2                                                                                (                                                                                P                              3                                                        -                                                          P                              2                                                                                )                                                                    +                                                                        t                          3                          2                                                                                (                                                                                P                              2                                                        -                                                          P                              1                                                                                )                                                                                )                                                                                …                                                                                3                                                                  t                                                  n                          -                          1                                                                                t                        n                                                                                (                                                                                t                                                      n                            -                            1                                                    2                                                                                (                                                                                P                              n                                                        -                                                          P                                                              n                                -                                1                                                                                )                                                                    +                                                                        t                          n                          2                                                                                (                                                                                P                                                              n                                -                                1                                                                                -                                                          P                                                              n                                -                                2                                                                                )                                                                                )                                                                                P                  n                  ′                                                              ]                                    (        1        )
Therefore, since P0′, Pn′, P0, P1, P2, . . . , Pn are given by Expression (1) above and t1, t2, . . . , tn can be derived from P0, P1, P2, . . . , Pn, P′=(P0′, P1′, P2′, . . . , Pn′)T can be determined. In other words, if Expression (1) is represented by Expression (2) below, then P′ can be determined as represented by Expression (3).M*P′=B  (2)P′=M−1*B  (3)
Once P′ can be determined, a function of a cubic curve between the respective points can be derived from P0, P1, P2, . . . , Pn. In other words, a function fi(t) (i=0, 1, 2, . . . , n-1; 0≦t≦ti+1) of a cubic curve between Pi and Pi+1 which is expressed as represented by Expression (4) below can be derived from Pi, Pi+1, Pi′, Pi+1′. Therefore, from command point sequence positions (P0, P1, P2, . . . , Pn), a starting point condition (in this case, P0′), and an ending point condition (in this case, Pn′), a function representing a cubic curve between the respective points such that first-derivative vectors and second-derivative vectors at each point are continuous can be derived. Afi, Bfi, Cfi, Dfi are coefficients of the function fi(t). The coefficients and the function fi(t) are vectors having elements corresponding to the number of axes in a similar manner to P0, P1, P2, . . . , Pn.fi(t)=Afi*t3+Bfi*t2+Cfi*t+Dfi  (4)
fi(t) may be determined as follows. When fi(t) is expressed as represented by Expression (4) above, fi′(t) may be expressed as represented by Expression (5) below. Therefore, Expression (6) holds, and by solving Expression (6) to derive Afi, Bfi, Cfi, and Dfi, the function fi(t) can be determined.fi′(t)=3*Afi*t2+2*Bfi*t+Cfi  (5)fi(0)=Dfi=Pi fi(ti+1)=Afi*ti+13+Bfi*ti+12+Cfi*ti+1+Dfi=Pi+1 fi′(0)=Cfi=Pi′fi′(ti+1)=3*Afi*ti+12+2*Bfi*ti+1+Cfi=Pi+1′  (6)
A group of cubic curves determined in this manner is referred to as a spline curve. Since first-derivative vectors and second-derivative vectors at each point of a spline curve are continuous, a smooth machining shape and a smooth operation with continuous acceleration of each drive axis are obtained.
However, this method requires calculations be performed by reading in all command point sequence positions (P0, P1, P2, . . . , Pn). As the number of points constituting the command point sequence increases, the scale of matrix calculation becomes enormous and necessitates a large memory region and a long computation time.
Moreover, while a condition that P0′ and Pn′ are specified has been adopted above, it is known that an expression approximately similar to Expression (1) above may be derived by adopting the following conditions. As described above, a condition at P0 is referred to as a starting point condition and a condition at Pn is referred to as an ending point condition.                Second-derivative vectors at P0 and Pn are 0. That is, P0″=0 and Pn″=0.        P0′ is specified, and Pn″=0.        Let P0″=0, and Pn′ is specified.
Therefore, even when conditions such as given above are adopted, a function fi(t) (i=0, 1, 2, . . . , n−1; 0≦t≦ti+1) of a cubic curve between Pi and Pi+1 can be determined in an approximately similar manner.
1-2. Creating a curve of a cubic function that sequentially connects points constituting a command point sequence
A method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2-113305 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,140,236) is a method of sequentially determining cubic expressions between points by deriving a first-derivative vector from a predetermined number of points including a starting point, deriving a cubic expression between the starting point and a next point based on coordinate values of predetermined points including the starting point, an end-point condition of the starting point, and the first-derivative vector, determining a spline curve between the starting point and a point subsequent to the starting point, and adding a new next point in place of the starting point. According to this method, a cubic spline curve is created without having to read in all points constituting a command point sequence. Although this method is advantageous in that a practically acceptable spline curve can be obtained by sequentially reading in points that constitute a command point sequence without increasing error from the theoretical spline curve described in "<1> Curve creation, 1-1" above, the method is problematic in that
(a) since a cubic spline curve is sequentially created between points while reading in points that constitute a command point sequence, if intervals between the points are small, a capacity of a numerical controller for creating and interpolating a cubic spline curve becomes insufficient and the numerical controller decelerates movements of axes, and
(b) if positions of the command point sequence are varied due to error with respect to a target curve, the created curve ends up being similarly varied.
<2> Thinning Out
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 10-49215 discloses a method of performing straight-line approximation on a command point sequence and thinning-out points that correspond to approximated points. This method is problematic in that, since the command point sequence is approximated by a straight line, the approximated point sequence does not have a smooth shape.
<3> Correcting Command Point Positions
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 10-240328 discloses a method of correcting positions of command points within a range of a permissible value so that the command points line up in a smooth manner. With this method, when a point sequence having small intervals between command points is commanded, processing capacity may become insufficient and deceleration may occur. Since the method of correcting command point positions involves creating an curve for approximation from several consecutive points (for example, five points) and correcting command point positions toward the curve, when positions of a command point sequence that is an approximated curve creation object have similar errors with respect to a target curve such as shown in FIG. 3, a correction that approximates the target curve cannot be performed due to the effect of the errors. In FIG. 3, tips of arrows depicting respective created curves indicate corrected positions of a command point sequence.

Numerical controller with machining curve creating function


A low profile valve for discharging pressurized air to a system for utilizing such pressurized air. The valve includes a housing for mounting in or to an associated structure, and has at least one opening through which pressurized air is directed to and from the valve. A piston is located in the housing for axial movement therein, and the piston has a face portion containing a seal for sealing the piston against a fixed surface of the associated structure. In addition, a spring can be located about the piston for biasing the piston in the direction of the fixed surface.

All such dryers discharge dry pressurized air to systems utilizing such air, which systems often include main reservoirs that store the air for use by such systems. Dry air is discharged from the dryers through a check valve, and the valve remains closed when discharge air is not available to open the valve. The purpose of such a valve is to seal an air compressor and air dryer from the pressure contained within the main reservoir when the air compressor is idle and to prevent any loss of main reservoir pressure (MRP) through the compressor. In the first of the above applications there is an objective to make such an air dryer as compact as possible since ample space is not always available for containing dryers.


A process converts ethylbenzene in a C8 aromatic hydrocarbon mixture containing a large amount of non-aromatic hydrocarbons, mainly to benzene, by which the xylene loss is small, the deactivation rate of the catalyst can be reduced, and a high conversion rate to p-xylene can be attained. The process for converting ethylbenzene includes bringing a feedstock containing an alicyclic hydrocarbon(s) in an amount of not less than 1.0% by weight, ethylbenzene and xylene into contact with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst to convert ethylbenzene mainly to benzene, wherein the catalyst is mainly composed of MFI zeolite and an inorganic oxide(s) and rhenium-supported, and wherein the conversion is carried out at a reaction pressure of not less than 1.0 MPa-G.

Among xylene isomers, the most industrially important one is p-xylene. At present, p-xylene is used as a raw material for producing terephthalic acid, which is a monomer constituting polyesters that are ranked with nylons as major polymers. Its demand is high especially in Asia in recent years, and this trend is expected not to change in the future. On the other hand, since the demands of other xylene isomers, o-xylene and m-xylene, are much smaller than that of p-xylene, it is industrially important to convert o-xylene and m-xylene to p-xylene.
The raw material of p-xylene is a C8 aromatic hydrocarbon mixture. Since C8 aromatic hydrocarbon mixture generally contains high boiling components having not less than 9 carbon atoms in addition to xylene isomers and ethylbenzene, these high boiling components are first removed by distillation. The purified C8 aromatic hydrocarbon mixture is supplied to p-xylene-separating step to separate p-xylene. Since the boiling points of xylene isomers and ethylbenzene are close, it is difficult to separate p-xylene by distillation. Therefore crystallization or adsorptive separation is utilized.
In the case of crystallization, since a eutectic mixture of p-xylene, other xylene isomers and ethylbenzene is generated, the recovery of p-xylene per one path is limited, and is usually limited to about 60% at most. In case of crystallization, the higher the concentration of the p-xylene in the C8 aromatic hydrocarbon mixture supplied to the crystallization, not only the higher the productivity, but also the higher the recovery of p-xylene per one path.
In the case of adsorptive separation, almost 100% of p-xylene can be recovered in one path. In the adsorptive separation, the key component in the C8 aromatic hydrocarbons, which most strongly inhibits the separation of p-xylene, is ethylbenzene. Therefore, by decreasing the concentration of ethylbenzene in the C8 aromatic hydrocarbon mixture supplied to the adsorptive separation, since the load of the adsorptive separation can be decreased due to the decrease in ethylbenzene which is an obstacle to the separation, and since the p-xylene concentration in the C8 aromatic hydrocarbon mixture to be supplied to the adsorptive separation can be increased, the production capacity of p-xylene in the same adsorptive separation equipment can be increased.
The C8 aromatic hydrocarbons from the p-xylene-separation step, having a low concentration of p-xylene, are then transferred to a xylene-isomerization step and xylene isomers are isomerized with a zeolite catalyst to a p-xylene concentration close to that in the thermodynamic equilibrium composition. After removing the by-products having lower boiling points than the C8 aromatic hydrocarbons by distillation, the resulting product is mixed with the above-described fresh C8 aromatic hydrocarbon mixture and the resulting mixture is recycled to high boiling components separation step to remove by distillation the high boiling components having not less than 9 carbons, followed by separation and recovery of p-xylene again in the p-xylene separation step. This series of cycle is hereinafter referred to as "separation-isomerization cycle".
FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing this "separation-isomerization cycle". Usually, the C8 aromatic hydrocarbon mixture which is the raw material of p-xylene is transferred to a high boiling components separation step 1 from the supply line denoted by stream 36. In cases where it is desired to remove the low boiling components contained in the fresh C8 aromatic hydrocarbon mixture, the mixture is supplied to a low boiling components separation step 4 from the supply line denoted by stream 45. In some cases where it is not necessary to remove the high boiling components and the low boiling components, the fresh C8 aromatic hydrocarbon mixture is directly supplied to a p-xylene-separation step 2 from the supply line denoted by stream 46. In either case, the fresh C8 aromatic hydrocarbon mixture is transferred to the p-xylene-separation step 2 together with C8 aromatic hydrocarbon components isomerized to attain a p-xylene concentration close to that in the thermodynamic equilibrium composition in a xylene-isomerizing step 3. In the high boiling components separation step 1, the high boiling components are removed through a line denoted by stream 38. The C8 aromatic hydrocarbons from which the high boiling components have been removed are transferred to the p-xylene-separation step 2 through a line denoted by stream 37, and p-xylene is separated through the line denoted by stream 39. The C8 aromatic hydrocarbons having a low p-xylene concentration are transferred to the xylene-isomerizing step 3 through a line denoted by stream 40, and isomerized to attain a p-xylene concentration close to that in the thermodynamic equilibrium composition. To the xylene-isomerizing step, hydrogen or a hydrogen-containing gas is also transferred through a line denoted by stream 41. The C8 aromatic hydrocarbon mixture from the xylene-isomerizing step, which contains by-products, is transferred to a low boiling components separation step 4 through a line denoted by stream 42, and the low boiling components such as benzene and toluene generated as by-products in the xylene-isomerizing step are removed through the line denoted by stream 43. The p-xylene-enriched stream containing high boiling components is transferred to the high boiling components separation step 1 through the line denoted by stream 44. The p-xylene-enriched stream is again recycled to the p-xylene-separation step 2 after removing in the high boiling components separation step 1 the high boiling components generated as by-products in the xylene-isomerizing step.
As described above, the C8 aromatic hydrocarbon mixture supplied to the "separation-isomerization cycle" contain ethylbenzene. In the above-described "separation-isomerization cycle", the ethylbenzene is not removed and remains in the cycle, so that ethylbenzene accumulates. If the ethylbenzene is removed in some way to prevent accumulation thereof, ethylbenzene in an amount corresponding to the degree of removal thereof circulates in the "separation-isomerization cycle". If the amount of the circulating ethylbenzene is decreased, the total amount of the circulation is also decreased, so that the energy unit consumption is decreased, which is greatly advantageous from the economical viewpoint. In addition, since the p-xylene concentration is increased and the ethylbenzene concentration is decreased in the C8 aromatic hydrocarbon mixture to be supplied to the p-xylene-separation step, the load in the p-xylene-separation step can also be decreased, which leads to the increase in the production of p-xylene.
The methods for removing ethylbenzene usually employed include the method in which an ability to convert ethylbenzene is given to the isomerization catalyst used in the xylene-isomerizing step, thereby converting ethylbenzene to xylene or to a substance which can be easily separated from xylene, in the isomerization step, that is, the reforming method in which ethylbenzene is isomerized to xylene simultaneously with the isomerization of xylene in the isomerization step (for example, JP 49-46606 B); and the dealkylation method in which ethylbenzene is converted to benzene and ethane by hydrogenation and dealkylation thereof in the isomerization step of xylene, and then the benzene is separated by distillation in the subsequent distillation step (for example, JP 57-200319 A).
In the reforming method, since it is necessary to give to the catalyst hydrogenation/dehydrogenation ability, it is indispensable that the catalyst contain platinum which is a very expensive noble metal. Further, to convert ethylbenzene to xylene, the reaction mechanism requires mediating the reaction through a non-aromatic hydrocarbon such as naphthene or paraffin, and the non-aromatic hydrocarbon exists in the product at a concentration from several percent to ten and several percent, and circulates in the "separation-isomerization cycle". Further, since the ethylbenzene conversion rate in the reforming method is restricted by the thermodynamic equilibrium, the conversion rate is only about 20% to 50%.
On the other hand, in the dealkylation method, since only the hydrogenation ability to hydrogenate the ethylene generated by dealkylation of ethylbenzene is need to be given to the catalyst, a hydrogenation-active metal which is less expensive than platinum may be used, or even when platinum is used, the content thereof can be largely reduced, so that the catalyst is inexpensive. Further, since the reaction between ethylene and hydrogen is very quick, which ethylene is generated by the dealkylation reaction of ethylbenzene, the dealkylation reaction of ethylbenzene proceeds as if it is a substantially non-equilibrium reaction, and a very high ethylbenzene conversion rate can be attained.
Under these circumstances, the dealkylation method in which the catalyst is inexpensive and the amount of circulating substances in the "separation-isomerization cycle" can be made smaller is mainly used.
In converting the ethylbenzene in ethylbenzene-containing C8 aromatic hydrocarbons to benzene by dealkylation and in isomerizing o-xylene and m-xylene to p-xylene, (1) to make the ethylbenzene conversion rate as high as possible is preferred to decrease the energy unit consumption for the production of p-xylene so as to increase the production of p-xylene; (2) to make the conversion rate to p-xylene as high as possible is preferred to increase the p-xylene concentration in the C8 aromatic hydrocarbons circulating in the "separation-isomerization cycle" so as to promote the productivity of p-xylene; and (3) to make the xylene loss as small as possible is preferred to decrease the raw material unit consumption in the p-xylene production so as to decrease the production cost of p-xylene.
On the other hand, the usually used raw material of p-xylene is the C8 aromatic hydrocarbon mixture which is the reformate obtained by reforming naphtha and subsequent fractional distillation. A representative composition of this C8 aromatic hydrocarbon mixture is as follows: ethylbenzene: 18% by weight, p-xylene: 19% by weight, m-xylene: 42% by weight, and o-xylene: 21% by weight. However, with the increase in the demand of p-xylene, supply of the above-described reformate C8 aromatic hydrocarbon mixture tends to be short. Further, under the circumstances where it is emphasized that the amount of petroleum resources in the world is limited and petroleum will deplete in some day, C8 aromatic hydrocarbon mixture generated from thermal cracking, hereinafter referred to as "pyrolysis gasoline", is now attracting attention. A representative composition of such "pyrolysis gasoline" is as follows: ethylbenzene: 60% by weight, p-xylene: 8% by weight, m-xylene: 19% by weight, and o-xylene: 10% by weight, non-aromatic components: 3% by weight.
When compared with the reformate C8 aromatic hydrocarbon mixture, since "pyrolysis gasoline" has a higher ethylbenzene concentration, ethylbenzene accumulates in the "separation-isomerization cycle" and the amount of the ethylbenzene circulating in the "separation-isomerization cycle" is increased, so that the load in the p-xylene-separation step is increased, which leads to decrease in the p-xylene production, only a limited amount thereof has been used so far. Further, "pyrolysis gasoline" much contains not only ethylbenzene, but also non-aromatic hydrocarbons. Thus, when the dealkylation method is used, because of the large amount of the non-aromatic hydrocarbons circulating in the "separation-isomerization cycle", the xylene loss in the xylene-isomerizing step is sharply increased and the deactivation rate of the catalyst is increased, which are problematic.
In view of these circumstances, in the conversion of ethylbenzene to benzene and ethane by the dealkylation method, the following four points are industrially important tasks for attaining increase in the production of p-xylene, decrease in the raw material unit consumption and energy unit consumption, and attaining stable supply of the raw material:
(1) A high ethylbenzene conversion rate can be attained.
(2) The feedstock containing non-aromatic hydrocarbons can be treated without increasing the deactivation rate of the catalyst.
(3) Xylene loss can be made small even if the ethylbenzene conversion rate is made high.
(4) A high conversion rate to p-xylene can be attained.
As a method by which xylene loss is small even if the ethylbenzene conversion rate is made high in the conversion of ethylbenzene to benzene and ethane by the dealkylation reaction, a method wherein a zeolite having a crystal size larger than 1 μm is used to decrease the diffusion rate of o-xylene (e.g., JP 8-16074 B) has been tried.
However, even if such a method is used, with a raw material such as "pyrolysis gasoline", having a high ethylbenzene concentration and containing non-aromatic hydrocarbons in a large amount, the xylene loss is sharply increased.
In the isomerization reaction of xylene, if the reaction pressure is increased, bimolecular reaction such as the disproportionation reaction and transalkylation reaction, and aromatics ring hydrogenation, preferentially occur, so that xylene loss and generation of non-aromatic hydrocarbons are increased. Further, if a catalyst containing platinum is used as the hydrogenation/dehydrogenation component, the price of the catalyst is high. In addition, since the hydrogenation reaction of the aromatic hydrocarbons drastically proceeds due to the raise of the reaction pressure and reaction temperature, not only the xylene loss is increased, but also the recovery of the aromatic hydrocarbons is decreased (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,001 B (Table 1)), which are problematic.

The methods for further decreasing the amount of the circulating ethylbenzene in the "separation-isomerization cycle" include a method wherein the ethylbenzene in the C8 aromatic hydrocarbon mixture is treated by the above-described dealkylation method to convert the ethylbenzene mainly to benzene and the generated benzene is separated by distillation before feeding the C8 aromatic hydrocarbon mixture to the "separation-isomerization cycle", thereby largely decreasing the circulation of the ethylbenzene in the "separation-isomerization cycle" (e.g., JP 5-87054 B); and a method wherein the C8 aromatic hydrocarbon mixture is supplied to a xylene-isomerizing step having an ability of hydrogenation and dealkylation, and then the product is supplied to a p-xylene-separating step (e.g., JP 5-24661 A).
These methods are similar to the isomerization reaction in the "separation-isomerization cycle" in the respect that the reaction to convert ethylbenzene to benzene and ethane by dealkylation reaction is carried out. However, in cases where the former method is used, since the feedstock is not diluted with the C8 aromatic hydrocarbons circulating in the "separation-isomerization cycle", especially in cases where "pyrolysis gasoline" containing large amount of non-aromatic hydrocarbons is used as the feedstock, the xylene loss is extremely increased and the deactivation rate of the catalyst is drastically increased. In cases where the latter method is used, although the feedstock is diluted with the C8 aromatic hydrocarbons circulating in the "separation-isomerization cycle", since the amount of the feedstock of xylene-isomerization step is increased, even if the xylene loss is slightly increased, its influence on the raw material unit consumption is large, which is problematic. Thus, in cases where "pyrolysis gasoline" containing a large amount of non-aromatic hydrocarbons is used, if the prior art technique is applied, the deactivation rate of the catalyst is sharply increased and the xylene loss is also increased, so that the catalyst life is shortened and the raw material unit consumption is largely aggravated, which are problematic. Therefore, when "pyrolysis gasoline" containing a large amount of ethylbenzene is used and so the amount of the ethylbenzene circulating in the "separation-isomerization cycle" is desired to be decreased, these processes cannot be employed.
It could therefore be helpful to provide a process for converting ethylbenzene in a C8 aromatic hydrocarbon mixture containing a large amount of non-aromatic hydrocarbons to mainly benzene, by which xylene loss is small, the deactivation rate of the catalyst can be reduced, and a high conversion rate to p-xylene can be attained.
It could also be helpful to provide a process for producing p-xylene, by which the concentration of ethylbenzene in the C8 aromatics hydrocarbon mixture for p-xylene-separation step can be largely decreased.

Method of converting ethylbenzene and process for producing


A crossbow with rotating limb pockets has a rifle-like frame with forward, outward limb arch supports which support pivot pins at their distal ends. Rotating limb pockets are pivotally and rearwardly secured to the arch support pivot pins. Limbs with distal cams supporting cables and bow string are suitably fixed to the limb pockets such as by screws. Forwardly the limb pockets are pivotally secured to links which are pivotally joined to a forward and rearward moving actuator controlled by a crank mechanism. Extending the actuator rotates the limb pockets outwardly and the limb cams inwardly to a low poundage state for easy cocking of the string and loading a bolt or arrow. Retracting the actuator rotates the limb pockets inwardly and the limb cams outwardly to a high poundage state ready for shooting.

The present invention relates to high poundage crossbows, and more particularly to a high poundage crossbow that is easily cocked.
Crossbows have been around for centuries going back to middle ages. In most cases they replaced archery bows when the former archers had muscular or skeletal injuries which prohibited them from pulling and holding the bow back to fully loaded position ready for release of an arrow. Also because crossbows are easily aimed, a novice or an elderly person may accurately shoot a crossbow without any previous archery experience.
Today crossbows are of a much higher poundage than most bows and are extremely accurate. FIG. 1 shows a modern crossbow 10 which may have a poundage of 180-200 pounds. The crossbow 10 has a rifle-like frame 12 with transverse limbs 14. The limbs 14 are fastened to the frame with permanent, fixed limb pockets 16. Cams 18 extend outwardly from the limbs 14 around which is wrapped the cable or bow string 20. At the front of the crossbow extending forwardly is a stirrup 22 for placing one's foot therein for cocking the crossbow string 20 with hands and fingers, after which an arrow or bolt 24 is loaded into position for shooting. Thereafter, the crossbow 10 shoots much like a rifle.
FIG. 2 shows a modern crossbow 26 with reverse limbs which also may have a poundage of 180-200 pounds. The crossbow 26 has a rifle-like frame 12 with transverse reversed limbs 14. The limbs 14 are fastened to the frame with permanent, fixed limb pockets 16. Cams 18 extend outwardly from the limbs 14 around which is wrapped the cable or bow string 20. At the front of the crossbow extending forwardly is a stirrup 22 for placing one's foot therein for cocking the crossbow string 20, after which an arrow or bolt 24 is loaded into position for shooting. Thereafter, the crossbow 26 shoots much like a rifle.


The battery is provided. The battery includes an electrode. The electrode includes a current collector and an active material layer provided on an inside surface of the current collector. The active material layer includes a first region and a second region, where the second region includes an area density lower than the first region, and the second region is provided in a winding-back portion of the active material layer.

The present technology generally relates to a battery including a belt-shaped flat electrode wound element, a battery pack, an electronic device, an electrically driven vehicle, an electric storage device, and an electric power system including the battery.
There is known a wound type battery including an electrode body in which a positive electrode in which a positive electrode active material layer is formed on a positive electrode current collector and a negative electrode in which a negative electrode active material layer is formed on a negative electrode current collector are wound into a flat shape with a separator interposed therebetween. Increasing a capacity of the battery by improving an area density of the active material layer is studied in the wound type battery.
However, when the area density of the active material layer is improved, in winding the positive electrode, the negative electrode, and the separator into the flat shape to produce the electrode body, a crack or a break (hereinafter, referred to as "crack and the like") is easily generated in the positive electrode current collector and the negative electrode current collector at winding-back portions of the positive electrode and the negative electrode. Between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, the crack and the like are particularly easily generated in the positive electrode. In the positive electrode, the crack and the like are particularly easily generated at the first winding-back portion of the positive electrode active material layer provided on an inside surface of the positive electrode current collector.

Battery, battery pack, electronic device, electrically driven vehicle, electric storage device, and electric power system


A rotor for a turbomachine, having at least two bladed stages, the discs of which are detachably connected to one another, in which rotor, in order to avoid notch locations in the highly stressed discs, a first disc, at least at one side face, has a first flange which is connected to or restrained with a second flange of an adjacent disc by bolts.

The present invention relates to a rotor for a turbomachine, having at least two bladed stages, the discs of which are detachably connected to one another.
Rotors of turbomachines generally have a plurality of stages, which are provided with blades and the discs of which are connected to one another in different ways, e.g. by welding or detachably by bolting. Only stages which are detachably connected to one another are considered in this case.
In a known rotor, the discs have cylindrical or conical shells which extend essentially in the axial direction and on whose end sections in each case flanges in the shape of a disc ring are provided, to which adjacent discs are connected by screws, studs or the like. If an intermediate-stage seal is not integrated in the shells, it is in each case clamped in place between the flanges. Such a type of connection can only be used in the case of components having a relatively low circumferential velocity, such as, for example, slow-speed low-pressure turbines, since the centrifugal forces which occur in the case of discs designed for high circumferential velocities produce excessive circumferential stresses in the flanged connection. The bores in the flanges constitute notch locations causing local stress increases and greatly restrict the cyclical service life of the component.
German Published Patent Application No. 196 27 386 discloses a connecting arrangement for two turbine rotor discs which each have disc connecting arms with through-bores into which specially designed threaded bolts for connecting the rotor discs are inserted. The fact that radial expansion of the flanged connection occurs as a result of centrifugal-force effect proves to be disadvantageous especially at high circumferential velocities.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,963 discloses a rotor for compressors of gas turbines, in which rotor adjacent discs are detachably connected by flanges, a first flange having slots and a second flange having holes for receiving connecting bolts, and a separate clamp with opposite tongues, which can be bent, being used in order to prevent turning of the connecting bolt during assembly and dismantling.
German Published Patent Application No. 2 104 172 discloses a turbine rotor and a method of producing it, in which adjacent discs are clamped together via inwardly directed flanges having aligned bolt bores through which a bolt is passed in each case. A problem in this case is that the bolt bores in the flange constitute notch locations causing local stress increases and restrict the cyclical service life of the rotor.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,350,278 discloses an arrangement of spaced apart rotor discs which are detachably bolted to one another via flanges provided on spacers, an annular space along a disc pair for structural support being defined by the spacers. For the bolting, bores, which constitute notch locations, are provided in the flanges.
In high-speed low-pressure turbines, additional discs extending radially inwards have been provided, for example, at the intermediate-stage seals.
This is intended to limit the radial expansion in such a way that the circumferential stresses produced as a result of the centrifugal -force effects are kept at a low level and the requisite cyclical service life is achieved. However, the additional discs lead to considerable weight disadvantages and problems during assembly.
In a further known turbine, the disc has bores through which it is connected by bolting to adjacent discs which have cylindrical or conical shells with flanges. The disc body limits the radial expansion of the connecting point as a result of centrifugal-force effect. A problem, however, is that the bores in the highly loaded disc body constitute notch locations, which limit the service life.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,694 discloses a connection of rotor elements of a gas turbine in which the disc lying at the connecting point has a bore for inserting a bolt, the bores in the highly loaded disc body constituting notch points, which limit the service life. The last mentioned disadvantage also exists in the bolt connection disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,891 between rotor elements of a gas turbine, in which bolt connection a bore for the same is provided in the disc lying at the connecting point.
An object of the present invention is to provide a rotor for a turbomachine of the generic type described at the beginning, in which rotor the discs are detachably connected to one another without extreme stress increases occurring due to notch locations in the disc.
The advantage of such a refinement consists in the fact that the radial expansion of the flanged connection by the disc body is limited, but the disc itself has no bores or notch locations which cause the local stress increases, which are partly extremely high.
The first flange preferably extends radially inwards at an axial distance from the side face of the first disc while forming an intermediate space.
The first flange is designed as a disc ring which has apertures along its inner end edge or circumferential edge.
The apertures are open towards the inside, so that the centrifugal force produced by the bolts can be absorbed by the marginal surface of the apertures.
Furthermore, it is advantageous that the apertures are arranged equidistantly along the circumferential edge.
To reduce the notch effect, in each case a bore, an elongated hole or a further aperture may be provided between the apertures.
It is highly preferable for a flange section of an intermediate-stage seal to be clamped in place in each case between the first and second flanges, the flange section of the intermediate-stage seal preferably having bores which are in alignment with the apertures of the first flange and fix the bolts in the radial direction during assembly.
Furthermore, it is expedient that the bolts, at their ends facing the first disc, have a transverse portion which extends at right angles to their longitudinal axis and with which they are supported on the inner side face of the first flange. The bolts are preferably T-head bolts.
The distance of the first flange from the side face of the first disc is preferably as small as possible, but greater than the thickness of the transverse portion of the bolt in order to avoid a pressure point at the highly loaded, first disc.
The flange of an adjacent disc, at its radially inner end, has a supporting portion which extends substantially in the axial direction and on which the transverse portion of the bolts is supported in order thus to provide anti-rotation locking of the bolts.
In a preferred refinement, the first disc has a first flange at both side faces, so that, in this way, the discs of rotors having more than two stages can also be detachably connected.