In accordance with the present invention, there exists a voting system for making family decisions. A chart with write-on, wipe-off and steel properties is used to record preferred choices in family decisions on which to vote. One such application is the charting of baby names for a new baby. Magnets with the designations, Yes, No and ? are used by the family members to vote for each potential baby name. The name will be chosen when the voters reach a consensus on one baby name.

Group decisions require open communication and shared ideas, especially those decisions faced by families. Decisions such as the choice of a new baby's name, the choice of vacation or travel location, the choice of a kind of pet, the naming of such pet and other similar choices require open communication among family members. In one such decision, the choice of a new baby name, there exists many facets to a seemingly simple endeavor.
Choosing the name for a new baby has always been an exciting yet difficult experience for new families. Each family member has their own perceptions of a name. The name choice is a critical decision that has the potential of affecting a child's future immeasurably; just ask any boy named Poindexter or girl named Bambi. Name perceptions often exist from knowing someone with a certain name. If, for instance, a man knew a girl named Katherine in grade school and she was a large-framed bully, he may attach that stereotype to the name itself. While Mom may think Katherine is a beautiful and graceful name for their new daughter, Dad does not. Some names evoke images of the famous people who bear them. Naming a child Keanu or Cher can disable the child with a lifetime of combating other people's perceptions.
When selecting a new baby's name it is beneficial to see the choices in print. The ability to see and say the names often help the family as preferences can change the more often the names are said aloud or read.
Yet another, not so readily recognized issue also exists when naming a new baby. If older siblings are present, there exists the possibility of hurt feelings if the older children are not included in the choosing of the new baby's name. This can lead to alienation and resentment of the new baby.
Issues with other family decisions, such as the choice of vacation or travel location, the choice of a kind of pet, the naming of such pet, the choice of a college and other similar choices can all benefit from the use of a charted voting system. Therefore, a need exists for a visual charting system that focuses on group interaction and the sharing of ideas or perceptions.
There is no prior art addressing these specific issues.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a group voting system.
It is another object of the invention to foster a fun and family-centered activity.
It is another object of the invention to provide better communication between family members.
It is another object of the invention to give the ability to visualize the voters' choices over any period of time.
It is another object of the invention to allow for changed votes.
It is another object of the invention to give an ongoing visual picture of which choices are preferred by the majority and the minority of voters.
It is another object of the invention to provide a means to voting in a fair environment allowing all voters' choices to be recognized.
It is another object of the invention to involve family members in decisions which will affect future relationships.
It is another object of the invention to facilitate a voting system with a positive outcome.
It is another object of the invention to provide a forum where participants can discuss the reasoning behind voting a particular way.

Voting system for making family decisions and method employing such system


An actuator assembly in a disc drive includes a track accessing arm, a load beam and a slider. A proximal end of the load beam is mounted to the track accessing arm and a distal end of the load beam carries the slider proximate to a rotatable data storage disc. The load beam transmits a load force to the slider in the direction of the data storage disc. A support beam extends from the track accessing arm and supports a load force reducer between the support arm and the load beam. The load force reducer is operatively coupled between the support beam and the load beam for reducing the load force during take-off and landing of the slider relative to the disc surface.

The present invention relates to a disc drive storage system and, in particular, to a disc drive storage system having a head suspension assembly with a gram load reducer.
Disc drives of the "Winchester" type are well known in the industry. Such drives use rigid discs coated with a magnetizable medium for storage of digital information in a plurality of circular, concentric data tracks. The discs are mounted on a spindle motor which causes the discs to spin and the surfaces of the discs to pass under respective hydrodynamic (e.g. air) bearing disc head sliders. The sliders carry transducers which write information to and read information from the disc surfaces.
An actuator mechanism moves the sliders from track to track across the surfaces of the discs under control of electronic circuitry. The actuator mechanism includes a track accessing arm and a suspension for each head gimbal assembly. The suspension includes a load beam and a gimbal. The load beam provides a load force which forces the slider toward the disc surface. The gimbal is positioned between the slider and the load beam, or is integrated in the load beam, to provide a resilient connection that allows the slider to pitch and roll while following the topography of the disc.
The slider includes an air bearing surface which faces the disc surface. As the disc rotates, the disc drags air under the slider and along the air bearing surface in a direction approximately parallel to the tangential velocity of the disc. As the air passes beneath the air bearing surface, air compression along the air flow path causes the air pressure between the disc and the air bearing surface to increase which creates a hydrodynamic lifting force that causes the slider to lift and fly above the disc surface. This process is known as slider "take-off". A suction force may also be created between the disc and the air bearing surface, depending upon the geometry of the air bearing surface. The load force supplied by the load beam and the suction force counteract the hydrodynamic lifting force. The load force, the suction force and the hydrodynamic lifting force reach an equilibrium based upon the geometry of the slider and the speed of rotation of the disc. This equilibrium determines the flying height of the slider, and thus the resolution of the read and write transducer carried by the slider.
One of the major technical challenges for the design of head gimbal assemblies is to maintain a desirably low and flat flying height profile over the disc surface and to reduce mechanical interference between the head and disc. A low and flat fly height profile is achieved in part by providing the slider with an air bearing having a high stiffness. Unfortunately, this may lead to an undesired level of mechanical interference between the head and disc during take-off and landing. Also, the larger the load force, the higher the rotational velocity the disc must reach before the slider will lift and fly above the disc surface. A prolonged period of contact between the slider and the disc surface causes wear of the slider, the transducer and the disc surface.
Several attempts have been made to reduce mechanical interference between the head and disc, but these attempts have not reduced the interference dramatically. For example, a typical magnetic disc is coated with a thin layer of lubricant for reducing wear at the head and disc interface. However, when the disc stops rotating and the slider rests on the disc surface, the lubricant tends to pull the slider and the disc surface together by the action of meniscus surface tension. Since the stiction force must be overcome before the disc can move relative to the slider, the stiction force adversely affects contact start and stop (CSS) performance of the slider. This stiction force has been reduced slightly by texturing the take-off and landing zone of the disc surface. The preload force applied to the slider, however, remains one of the largest contributors to stiction.

Disc drive having gram load reducer and method of operating gram load reducer


A sexual aid in the form of a string of anal beads is provided wherein each bead is preferably in the form of a hollow spherical plastic shell. A liquid or gel fills the hollow spheres of the beads and can be heated or chilled prior to use. The liquid or gel is chosen so as to be able to retain the cold or heated temperature for a substantial period of time whereby the beads can transfer the heat or cold to the human body over a period of time during the use of the anal beads.

The present invention is directed toward a sexual aid for increasing the sexual pleasure of both men and women during orgasm and more particularly toward a sexual aid in the form of anal beads wherein each bead contains a liquid or gel that can be prechilled or preheated prior to use.
Anal beads, per se, have been known and used for many centuries as a sex aid to increase sexual pleasure. While no one, of course, knows for certainty, the common belief is that such devices originated with the ancient Chinese.
Conventional anal beads are essentially a string of beads. Each bead is generally spherical in shape having a diameter of between one quarter inch and three quarters of an inch. From three to six or seven or more beads are carried on the string and are normally spaced from each other the distance of approximately one to two inches. The free end of the string has a handle portion preferably in the form of a loop or finger ring or the like.
Conventional anal beads are used by first inserting all the beads into the rectal canal passed the sphincter muscle leaving only the loop or finger ring exposed. A lubricant such as KY jelly or the like may be utilized with the beads in order to aid in the insertion process. During sexual activity and particularly when experiencing orgasm, the beads are removed by pulling on the finger ring. This can be done relatively quickly or slowly depending on the desires of the person utilizing the same. Different people will, of course, have different reactions and responses to the sensations experienced through the use of such device.
Through the years, anal beads have been made from various materials including glass or ceramics, metals, plastics and numerous others. To Applicant's knowledge, however, there have essentially been no changes or improvements to anal beads since the beginning of their use. Applicant has found that increased pleasure can be obtained by first chilling or heating the beads before use and, to this end, has designed anal beads which have a fluid reservoir within each bead that can be chilled or heated and which will retain its heated or cooled temperature for a substantially period of time.
While devices having a fluid reservoir therein for heating or cooling the rectal area have previously been known, these have been therapeutic devices for treating hemorrhoids and other inflammations. Such devices are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,939,842; 4,841,970 and 4,938,221. To Applicant's knowledge, however, no one has proposed to utilize cooled or heated materials rectally in order to increase sexual pleasure.


A method for thermally cracking a hydrocarbonaceous feed material using a combustion fuel fired furnace wherein at least part of the combustion fuel employed in the furnace is syngas.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the thermal cracking (pyrolysis) of hydrocarbonaceous materials to form a plurality of individual chemical products. More particularly, this invention relates to the expansion of the product slate of individual chemicals produced by a conventional pyrolysis plant.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Thermal cracking of hydrocarbons is a petrochemical process that is widely used to produce olefins such as ethylene, propylene, butenes, butadiene, and aromatics such as benzene, toluene, and xylenes. In such an olefin production plant (cracking plant, pyrolysis plant, or plant), a hydrocarbonaceous feedstock such as ethane, naphtha, gas oil, or other fractions of whole crude oil is mixed with steam which serves as a diluent to keep the hydrocarbon molecules separated. This mixture, after preheating, is subjected to hydrocarbon thermal cracking at elevated temperatures (1,450 to 1,550 degrees Fahrenheit or F.) in a pyrolysis furnace (steam cracker or cracker).
The cracked product effluent of the pyrolysis furnace (furnace) contains hot, gaseous hydrocarbons of great variety (from 1 to 35 carbon atoms per molecule, or C1 to C35 inclusive, both saturated and unsaturated). This product contains aliphatics (alkanes and alkenes), alicyclics (cyclanes, cyclenes, and cyclodienes), aromatics, and molecular hydrogen (hydrogen).
This furnace product is then subjected to further processing to produce, as products of the plant, various, separate and individual chemical product streams such as hydrogen, ethylene, propylene, fuel oil, and pyrolysis gasoline. After the separation of these individual product streams from the process, the remaining cracked product contains essentially C4 and C5 hydrocarbons, and heavier gasoline components. This remainder is fed to a debutanizer wherein a crude C4 stream is separated as overhead while the C5 and heavier stream is removed as a bottoms product.
Such a C4 stream can contain varying amounts of n-butane, isobutane, 1-butene, 2-butenes (both cis and trans isomers), isobutylene, acetylenes, and diolefins such as butadiene (both cis and trans isomers).
Thus, a cracking plant is composed of two basic sections. The first section is a thermal cracking unit that employs at least one furnace fired by at least one combustion fuel (fuel) to form the cracked gas furnace product. The second section is a separation unit that, by various fractionation processes, separates various individual product streams aforesaid from the cracked gas of the first section. These individual product streams are the final products of the plant, and are exported from the plant for marketing to third parties or used internally within the plant complex to make other products.
The thermal cracking section normally burns a mixture of combustible fuels in the heating of the cracking furnaces. Basic fuels for such furnaces are natural gas and recycled fuel gas that was produced in the plant itself.
Fuel gas is a by-product of the cracking process that is carried out in the thermal cracking section and is primarily (major amount or greater than half) a mixture of hydrogen and methane.
The individual product separation section, while making the desired individual product stream separations, routinely additionally separates at least one fuel gas stream that is suitable for combustion in a plant furnace.
Heretofore, a plant that employed natural gas as a substantial part of the fuel for its furnaces recycled essentially all of its fuel gas stream(s) to its or other plant furnaces so as to minimize the amount of natural gas that had to be purchased in order to fire the furnaces to the desired extent. This recycled fuel gas was not processed, e.g., to make same acceptable to a common carrier pipeline, for purposes of marketing same to a third party as an individual plant product as was ethylene, propylene, and the like.
Synthesis gas (syngas) is made by way of several basic and well known processes, including the reforming process and the partial oxidation process, otherwise known as gasification. The steam reforming process reacts hydrocarbons with steam in the presence of a nickel catalyst to produce an equilibrium mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. At the same time, the water gas shift reaction reacts carbon monoxide with water to produce carbon dioxide and hydrogen. The final product is thus a mixture of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen with trace amounts of methane. The hydrocarbon feed for the steam reforming process is usually natural gas, but can include hydrocarbon feeds as heavy as naphtha. For natural gas feedstocks, the hydrogen/carbon oxide ratio is typically 3.5 to 1.
The partial oxidation process reacts carbon with oxygen and steam, in a reducing atmosphere to produce a mixture of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen. Depending on the carbon source feed used in the reforming reaction and the specific processing scheme, the hydrogen/carbon oxide (H2/COx) ratio in the syngas will vary widely depending on the ratio of oxygen-to-carbon and the ratio of water-to-carbon in the feed to the reactor. Other factors include the ratio of hydrogen-to-carbon in the carbonaceous feedstock as well as operating pressure and temperatures. Feedstocks can range from methane to petroleum coke or coal to naturally occurring hydrocarbonaceous materials or waste products. This partial oxidation process is also referred to as gasification, or more specifically, as coal gasification when coal is the feed.
Syngas is combustible. Currently syngas is combusted or otherwise burned only in Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) plants. Syngas cannot be substituted for natural gas, e.g., in conventional common carrier natural gas pipelines, because of its high hydrogen and carbon monoxide content and consequent low heating value on a volumetric basis, Btu/cubic foot of gas. Syngas is also employed to produce chemicals as explained later, but these processes do not in any way involve the combustion of syngas.
Although IGCC plants can employ as their primary feedstock a number of hydrocarbonaceous materials such as coal, oil, coke, refinery bottoms, biomass, and certain waste materials (municipal, hazardous, etc.), they find their roots in the evolution of coal gasification. The IGCC description will, for sake of clarity, hereafter be directed toward coal, but this is not to exclude the other feedstocks just mentioned.
Coal gasification to produce a commercial fuel is approaching 200 years of age in the United States, the first such application starting in 1816 in Baltimore to provide lighting in that city. By 1920 coal gas served an estimated 46 million people. Coal gas use declined in the 1930s and 1940s with the increasing availability of natural gas from Texas and Louisiana, but in the 1930s and 1940s Germany developed processes for producing gasoline, diesel, and other liquid fuels from coal. In this regard, the Fisher-Tropsch (F-T) process was developed and is still employed with syngas at present. F-T is a catalytic reaction that produces longer chain hydrocarbons (synfuels) from syngas.
Interest in the production of synfuels was stimulated by the energy crises of the 1970s which ultimately led to the IGCC process. This process involves an endothermic chemical conversion (partial oxidation) of a feed such as coal into syngas. The conversion is carried out in a gasifier that employs a maximum amount of carbon, a high temperature, a minimum amount of oxygen, and water. The raw syngas formed in the gasifier is then cleaned by removing particulates and chemical contaminates such as hydrogen sulfide, carbonyl sulfide, ammonia, and chlorides. The cleaned syngas is fed to a combustion turbine that drives an electric generator to produce electricity to feed into the power grid.
Hot exhaust gas from the combustion turbine generator plus process heat from the gasifier itself is passed to a waste heat recovery steam generator which drives a steam turbine/electric generator to produce additional electricity for the power grid. The combination of the combustion turbine generator and steam turbine generator together with intermediate heat recovery and steam generation is referred to as "combined cycle" and is the "CC" in IGCC.
Thus, IGCC technology is the integration of carbon gasification with combined cycle, and this combination significantly improves the efficiency for utilizing hydrocarbonaceous feeds as set forth hereinabove for electrical generation purposes with concomitant low pollutant formation.
IGCC technology is now proven and well established. It has been demonstrated with coal at a commercial scale for up to ten years at two sites in the United States and two in Europe. Although these IGCC plants were originally demonstration plants, they are now in regular commercial operation.
As already mentioned, cleaned syngas from an IGCC plant can be combusted in a gas turbine context. Alternatively, syngas can be employed in the production of chemicals such as hydrogen, carbon monoxide, fertilizer, methanol, ethanol, and other industrial chemicals; or in F-T processing to produce naphtha, diesel fuel, jet fuel, and wax; or to produce synthetic natural gas.
However, none of these alternative uses for syngas involve the combustion of the syngas, IGCC plants being the one and only technology at present that can employ syngas as a combustion fuel.
Syngas typically has an H2/CO molar ratio of about 0.4/1 to about 0.7/1. It has a heating value of only about 260 to about 280 Btu per standard cubic foot (Btu/SCF) as compared to about 950 to about 1,100 Btu/SCF for natural gas. Syngas does not, therefore, come even close to the Btu value specification for common carrier natural gas pipelines. Accordingly, syngas is not a simple substitute as a combustion fuel, especially natural gas. For example, in a natural gas fired turbine, the fuel gas is only about two percent of the total gas flow and the remainder is air for dilution and combustion purposes. On the other hand, if syngas and the required diluent were to be substituted for natural gas in this application, it would account for fourteen to sixteen percent of the total gas flow, a very considerable increase in mass flow that turbine operators must seriously take into account. Another example is dry low NOx combustors. These combustors cannot use syngas as a combustion fuel because of its high hydrogen content which gives syngas a high flame speed that can initiate flashback and cause combustor failure. Syngas can also adversely affect the heat flux distribution between the radiant and convection sections of a furnace.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to find other uses for syngas as a combustion fuel. This invention does just that in the thermal cracking area, and does so with surprising additional results.


An oil pump includes a shaft bearing bore, a drive shaft supported by the shaft bearing bore, an annular space between an inner peripheral surface of the shaft bearing bore and an outer peripheral surface of the drive shaft, a communication passage portion formed on the side of a pumping chamber inside the shaft bearing bore, and a communication groove formed opposite to the communication passage portion inside the shaft bearing bore. The communication passage portion is communicated between a discharge port and the annular space, and the communication groove is communicated with the annular space. Oil is stored in the annular space from the discharge port via the communication passage portion, and the oil flows into sliding clearance spaces of first and second journal portions via the annular space and the communication passage portion and the communication groove.

The present invention relates to an oil pump which supplies lubricating oil to each part of sliding portions in a piston, a valve system, or the like for an internal combustion engine etc., and more specially, to an oil pump which is capable of improving lubricity.
In recent years, there have been proposed and developed various oil pumps, such as a trochoid pump generally known and used, for lubrication of engine. One such oil pump for lubrication of engine has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 2003-239869 (hereinafter is referred to as "JP2003-239869").
The oil pump disclosed in JP2003-239869 comprises a pump housing, an working chamber formed in the pump housing, an outer rotor with a plurality of internal teeth integrally formed with the inner circumference thereof, which is rotatably housed in the working chamber, an inner rotor with a plurality of external teeth integrally formed with the outer circumference thereof and meshing with the internal teeth of the outer rotor, which is rotatably housed in the working chamber, and a drive shaft rotating and driving the inner rotor, which is rotatably housed in the pump housing.
As the inner rotor turns via the drive shaft, the outer rotor also turns in response. And then, the volume of a pumping chamber formed by the mesh of the internal and external teeth varies, it forces oil to flow from a suction port into the pumping chamber, and to flow toward a discharge port. Thus, this oil pump works as a pump supplying lubricating oil to each part of sliding portions in an internal combustion engine.
The drive shaft is rotatably supported on an inner peripheral surface of a journal formed in the pump housing. Between the drive shaft and the journal, a first groove and a second groove are provided. The first groove has its one end communicating with the discharge port and the other end reaching the halfway of the journal. The second groove has its one end communicating with the outside of the pump housing and the other end finished in the halfway of the journal.
These first and second grooves are arranged so that both of the grooves are spaced apart from each other, and a part of each the groove is overlapped to each other in the groove extending direction.
Accordingly, when the engine starts, air which has accumulated in the discharge port is discharged rapidly. Additionally, during operation of lubricating, oil having flowed out or spilled out from the discharge port flows into the first groove, and further flows into the second groove from the first groove through a sliding clearance space between an outer peripheral surface of the drive shaft and the inner peripheral surface of the journal. Simultaneously, the sliding clearance space between the outer peripheral surface of the drive shaft and the inner peripheral surface of the journal is lubricated by way of the above oil flow.


Four bus bars, which are two positive-electrode-side bus bars connecting a positive electrode of a capacitor series circuit and a positive electrode of a power conversion section, a negative-electrode-side bus bar connecting a negative electrode of the capacitor series circuit and a negative electrode of the power conversion section, and an intermediate connection bus bar connecting in series two smoothing capacitors in the capacitor series circuit, are stacked in close contact with one another via insulating layers, to form a 4-layer bus bar. The two positive-electrode-side bus bars are not adjacent to each other and are connected in parallel to each other. The positive-electrode-side bus bar which is one of them and the negative-electrode-side bus bar are disposed adjacent to each other, thereby to reduce DC wiring inductances of the wiring structure in which the capacitor series circuit and the power conversion section are connected.

A conventional power conversion device includes: a capacitor series circuit which smooths DC voltage of a DC power supply circuit; and a power conversion section which converts the smoothed DC voltage into AC voltage by means of a semiconductor switching element. The conventional power conversion device also includes: a positive-electrode-side bus bar which connects the positive electrode of the capacitor series circuit and the positive electrode of the power conversion section; a negative-electrode-side bus bar which connects the negative electrode of the capacitor series circuit and the negative electrode of the power conversion section; and an intermediate connection bus bar which connects in series a first smoothing capacitor and a second smoothing capacitor. All the bus bars are formed so as to have substantially the same outer shape. In addition, the positive-electrode-side bus bar, the intermediate connection bus bar, and the negative-electrode-side bus bar are stacked with the intermediate connection bus bar interposed between the positive-electrode-side bus bar and the negative-electrode-side bus bar, thereby forming a three-layer structure. Accordingly, the current flows of adjacent bus bars are made opposite to each other, thereby allowing decrease of DC wiring inductances and reduction of spike voltage of the semiconductor switching element (see Patent Document 1, for example).

TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION


A method for implementing a redundant structure of an ATCA system via a base interface of a network system based on an ATCA standard, and the ATCA system for use in the same are disclosed. Each of routing protocol shelves and LI shelves includes two ports connected to two IPC paths provided from the base interface, such that a representative IP address is assigned to a single port to be used, performs IPC communication using the representative IP address. If a port error or link-down state occurs, the representative IP address is assigned to the other port, resulting in the implementation of stable IPC communication. If the port error or link-down state occurs in an active-mode ShMC shelf, an IPC path passing through a standby-mode ShMC shelf is provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for implementing a redundant structure (also called a dual or duplex configuration) of an ATCA (Advanced Telecom Computing Architecture) system via a base interface of a network system based on an ATCA standard, and the ATCA system for use in the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Since the ATCA standard has been recently being introduced to network devices, many of the compatibility limitations between the network devices have been obviated, and the cost of ATCA device-associated technologies have been reduced.
The above-mentioned network system based on the ATCA standard (hereinafter referred to as an ATCA system) employs duplex or dual configurations of individual internal constituent elements. These ATCA individual internal constituent elements can include, for example, a routing protocol shelf, a switch fabric shelf, a shelf management control (ShMC) shelf, and IPC shelves.
The ATCA standard provides only duplex- or duplex-hardware configurations of individual shelves. However, the ATCA standard does not provide unique functions to be executed by the individual shelves so as to implement the duplex hardware configurations.
A network system incapable of satisfying the ATCA standard may even require hardware and software engineering to achieve duplex configuration.
However, an ATCA system that does implement the duplex configuration within a predetermined range means the hardware standard is not compromised.
In more detail, the conventional ATCA system independently configures a duplex channel or hardware device between the individual shelves, and can implement the duplex configuration by allowing duplex shelves to communicate with each other via the above-mentioned channel or hardware device. However, configuring the above-mentioned conventional ATCA system is difficult to add additional channels or hardware devices for implementing the duplex configuration within the ATCA standard. As a result, the ATCA system cannot be configured in a duplex configuration using the above-mentioned conventional method without significant changes.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a conventional ATCA system. Referring to FIG. 1, the ATCA system includes a Routing Protocol (RP) shelf 101, an Inter-Processor Communication (IPC) shelf 102, a Switch Fabric (SF) shelf 103, a Line Interface (LI) shelf 104, a Shelf Management Control (ShMC) unit. Two RP shelves 101, two IPC shelves 102, two SF shelves 103, and two ShMC shelves 105 are required to implement the duplex configuration.
The RP shelf 101 acts as a processor shelf for controlling overall operations of the ATCA system and the routing process. The RP shelf 101 transmits or receives control packets to other shelves 103, 104, and 105 contained in the ATCA system via the IPC shelf 102 connected to the base interface 110 defined in the ATCA standard.
The IPC shelf 102 acts as a switch for exchanging control packets with individual shelves, and is connected as a dual-star configuration to the individual shelves 101, 104, and 105 via the base interface 110.
The SF shelf 103 acts as a switching shelf for exchanging packet data with a plurality of LI shelves 104, and is connected as a dual-star or full-mesh configuration to the LI shelves 104 via a fabric interface 120.
The LI shelf 104 acts as an I/O (Input/Output) interface between the ATCA system and an external device, and at least one LI shelf 104 exists. Each LI shelf 104 is connected to the SF shelf 103 via the fabric interface 120, and is connected to the IPC shelf via the base interface 110.
The ShMC shelf 105 manages status-, sensor-, and event-information of the individual shelves 101, 102, 103, and 104 contained in the ATCA system, and controls the power of each shelf 101, 102, 103, or 104, such that it can manage the ATCA system. In more detail, the ShMC shelf 105 is connected to the RP shelf 101 via the base interface 110, performs IPC communication, and at the same time manages each shelf via an IPMB (Intelligent Platform Management Bus) interface 130.
The base interface 110 is implemented with a duplex path between the RP shelf 101 and the IPC shelf 102 or between the IPC shelf 102 and the LI shelf 104. The base interface 110 is implemented with a single path between the IPC shelf 102 and the SF shelf 103 or between the IPC shelf 102 and the ShMC shelf 105.
The above-mentioned interface applied to the ATCA system will hereinafter be described with reference to FIG. 2.
FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram illustrating an ATCA system's backplane based on the ATCA standard.
Referring to FIG. 2, the base interface 110 and the fabric interface 120 are defined in a "Zone2" area for transmitting ATCA-based high-speed data. The IPMB interface for managing the ATCA system of the ShMC shelf 105 is defined in a "Zone1" area based on the ATCA standard.
The IPC shelf 102 and the SF shelf 103 are located at the same places, such that they can be easily connected to the base interface 110 and the fabric interface 120. Generally, the IPC shelf 102 and the SF shelf 103 are integrated in a single shelf, or the IPC shelf 102 configured in the form of a dot-shelf is located at the SF shelf 103.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the IPC shelf 102 and the SF shelf 103.
Referring to FIG. 3, the SF shelf 103 includes: a switch processor (SWP) 301 for controlling the IPC switching operation and the data switching operation; a data switch 302 for switching I/O packets of the LI shelves 104 via the fabric interface 120; and an IPMC (Intelligent Platform Management Controller) 304 for communicating with the ShMC shelf 105 via the IPMB interface 130, and performing shelf management.
The IPC shelf 102 includes the IPC switch 303 for switching data exchanged with individual shelves via the base interface 110. The IPC switch 303 is controlled by a switch processor 301 contained in the SF shelf 103.
The switch processor controls the data switch 302 and the IPC switch 303 via the data bus 305.
In addition, the IPC switch 303 configures the Ethernet interface with the SF shelf 103 via the line 307.
As described above, the ATCA standard has hardware for the duplex configuration, however, it does not describe a method for controlling a duplex configuration between two RP shelves 101, a duplex configuration between two IPC shelves 102, a duplex configuration between two SF shelves 103, and a duplex configuration between two LI shelves 104. As a result, it is difficult to implement a stable duplex configuration using only the above-mentioned configurations and components.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a duplex configuration of the ShMC shelf used for the conventional ATCA system.
Referring to FIG. 4, the reference numbers 401 and 402 indicate two duplex ShMC shelves. The reference numbers 404 and 405 indicate two duplex SF shelves. In this case, the SF shelves 404 and 405 include the IPC shelves, each of which is configured in the form of a dot shelf, or the SF shelves 404 and 405 may be located at the same shelf.
In order to acquire stable duplex operations from the above-mentioned duplex configuration, duplex information is continuously communicated between an active ShMC shelf 401 and an inactive ShMC shelf (also called a standby ShMC shelf) 402, and is continuously communicated between an active SF shelf 404 and an inactive SF shelf (also called a standby SF shelf) 405. In this case, if an unexpected problem occurs in the active shelf, the inactive shelf (i.e., the standby shelf) must quickly enter into the active mode.
For this purposes, the ShMC shelf 401 transmits/receives duplex-associated information to/from the other ShMC shelf 402 over a single Ethernet channel 403 received via the base interface 110. If an unexpected problem does occur during the communication time of the two ShMC shelves 401 and 402, then shelf switching is performed.
The ShMC shelf 401 is connected to the SF shelf 404 over a single Ethernet channel 409 received via the base interface, and the other ShMC shelf 402 is connected to the other SF shelf 405 over a single Ethernet channel 410 received via the base interface. The ShMC shelf 401 is connected to the first IPMC 406 contained in the SF shelf 404 via the IPMB interface 408, and the other ShMC shelf 402 is connected to the second IPMC 407 contained in the other SF shelf 405 via the IPMB interface 408, such that the ATCA system can be managed by the ShMC shelves 401 and 402.
For reference, interfaces of the SF shelves 404 and 405 are interconnected via a backplane 413, and interfaces of the ShMC shelves 401 and 402 are interconnected via the other backplane 414. The backplanes 413 and 414 are separated from each other.
However, each of the Ethernet channels 409 and 410 contained in the above-mentioned duplex configuration is configured in the form of a single configuration. Therefore, if unexpected problems occur in the Ethernet port, the conventional ATCA system has difficulty in performing normal duplexing operations.

Method for implementing redundant structure of ATCA (advanced telecom computing architecture) system via base interface and the ATCA system for use in the same

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


A heat dissipation device attached to a top surface of an electronic device mounted on a printed circuit board, includes a heat sink and a retainer securing the heat sink onto the electronic device. The retainer includes a frame, a plurality of baffle walls and protrusion posts extending downwardly from the frame. Lower ends of the baffle walls of the retainer extend downwardly through the heat sink and engage with engaging edges of the electronic device. The heat dissipation device is further provided with a plurality of elastic members which respectively surround the protrusion posts of the retainer and are compressed between the retainer and the heat sink, thereby pushing the heat sink downwardly toward the electronic device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heat dissipation device, and particularly to a heat dissipation device with a retainer for fastening the heat dissipation device to an electronic device.
2. Description of Related Art
With advancement of computer technology, electronic devices operate at a high speed. It is well known that the more rapidly the electronic devices operate, the more heat they generate. If the heat is not dissipated duly, the stability of the operation of the electronic devices will be impacted severely. Generally, in order to ensure the electronic device to run normally, a heat dissipation device is used to dissipate the heat generated by the electronic device.
Typically, a retainer is implemented in order to facilitate a close attachment of a heat sink onto an electronic device so as to efficiently dissipate heat created by the electronic device. The retainer usually includes a rectangular frame pressing downwardly against the heat sink and having baffle walls respectively extending downwardly from its four lateral sides, wherein a protruding hook is formed on an inner face of a lower portion of each baffle wall. In use of the retainer, the protruding hooks at the lower portions of the baffle walls extend through the heat sink and fasten to the electronic device or the printed circuit board on which the electronic device is mounted. However, the pressure directly exerted downwardly against the heat sink by the retainer is difficult to control to a proper level. When the fastening force is too small, the heat-dissipation efficiency is usually low because of loose attachment of the heat sink onto the electronic device. Conversely, when the fastening force is too large, it could possibly damage the electronic device.
What is needed, therefore, is a heat dissipation device having a retainer which could produce an appropriate fastening force and facilitate an attachment of a heat sink onto an electronic device.

Fu Zhun Precision Industry (Shen Zhen) Co., Ltd.


A bipolar blood coagulator probe has a coaxial or other bipolar arrangement for use submerged in a sterile fluid during arthroscopy of joints, with an elongated outer electrode positioned in juxtaposition to an elongated inner electrode and with an elongated electrical inner insulation layer positioned between the outer electrode and the inner electrode. The outer electrode, inner electric, and inner insulation can be concentric to each other or in other configurations, including sandwiched or laminated together. The bipolar probe also has an elongated outer electrical insulation sleeve over the outer electrode and a proximal end outer housing terminating in a plug with two prongs that are electrically connected in the housing to outer electrode and inner electrode. The prongs of the plug are adapted to plug into a suitable receptacle for connection to an RF generator. The distal ends of the outer electrode, inner insulation layer, and inner electrode of the bipolar probe extend longitudinally a distance beyond the distal end of the outer insulation sleeve to leave a length of exposed surface of the outer electrode. Positioning the surface of the exposed portion of the outer electrode in contact with the tissue near a bleeding blood vessel with the inner electrode a distance spaced away from the tissue in the sterile fluid and applying RF power results in initial coagulation of blood and denaturing of a small amount of surrounding tissue, which is a self-limiting process that prevents excessive necrosis. The probe can also be used with some or all of the distal ends of both of the electrodes or just one of the electrodes in contact with tissue that is submersed in the sterile fluid and is to be necrosed or with blood that is to be coagulated during arthroscopy.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to electrosurgical devices and more specifically to bipolar blood coagulation apparatus and method for arthroscopy.
2. State of the Prior Art
Arthroscopic surgery is used to treat: (i) torn menisci, anterior cruciate, posterior cruciate, patella malalignment, synovial diseases, loose bodies, osteal defects, osteophytes, and damaged articular cartilage (chondromalacia) of the knee; (ii) synovial disorders, labial tears, loose bodies, rotator cuff tears, anterior impingement and degenerative joint disease of the acromioclavicular joint and diseased articular cartilage of the shoulder joint; (iii) synovial disorders, loose bodies, osteophytes, and diseased articular cartilage of the elbow joint; (iv) synovial disorder, loose bodies, ligament tears and diseased articular cartilage of the wrist; (v) synovial disorders, loose bodies, labrum tears and diseased articular cartilage in the hip; and (vi) synovial disorders, loose bodies, osteophytes, fractures, and diseased articular cartilage in the ankle. When performing an arthroscopy of the shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, or ankle involving connective tissue using a rotary shaver, the laceration of blood vessels, such as veins and venuals, arterials and arteries, and capillaries, produces bleeding. Very minor bleeding can be tolerated if the sterile fluid used in arthroscopy flushes the blood away and maintains visibility in the joint. However, if a damaged blood vessel bleeds enough to impair the surgeon's vision in the joint, the bleeding has to be stopped quickly and efficiently to avoid delays or possibly even having to abort the arthroscopic procedure. While it is not desirable, bleeding can be controlled in a knee joint by applying a tourniquet to the thigh above the knee. However, no tourniquet is possible to stop bleeding in the shoulder, and some surgeons would prefer not to use tourniquets in arthroscopy of other joints, such as elbows, wrists, hips, knees, and ankles, if bleeding can be controlled in other ways. Also, excessive bleeding can cause the surgeon to have to provide a temporary drain in the joint for post surgery draining of excessive blood accumulation in the joint.
The most common method of controlling bleeding blood vessels, "bleeders," in arthroscopic procedures in shoulders and in other joints when tourniquets are not possible or desirable is to use a monopolar electrosurgical probe to coagulate or cauterize the bleeding blood vessel. A typical monopolar electrosurgical device utilizes a monopolar probe for one electric pole and a large area plate in contact with the patent's skin at a location remote from the arthroscopic surgery, such as the patient's back, for the other electric pole. Both the probe and the plate are connected electrically to a radio frequency (RF) generator. When the tip of the monopolar probe is positioned adjacent or touching the connective tissue and the RF electrical power is turned on, the person's body completes the electric circuit between the monopolar probe and the large area plate, and electric current flows through the patient's body between the monopolar probe and the plate. When enough current and voltage is applied, the tissue where the current is flowing will get hot and result in hemostasis (stopping the flow of blood) and necrosis (pathologic death of cells) of the surrounding tissue. Since the plate is in contact with a much larger surface area of the body than the monopolar probe, the density or concentration of the electric current flowing through the body tissue is greater at the probe than at the plate. Therefore, the tissue adjacent the monopolar probe becomes hotter than the tissue adjacent the plate, and the heat produced where the monopolar probe contacts the tissue where the bleeding occurs causes coagulation resulting in hemostasis (stemming flow of blood). In addition, normal tissue adjacent the probe contact point becomes denatured and damaged by the heat produced by electric current flowing through the tissue near the probe during this coagulation method. Therefore, when the monopolar probe is positioned on the tissue surrounding the bleeder, or on the bleeding blood vessel itself, the RF current will cause denaturing and necrosis at the target site as well as of the surrounding tissue. Since the electric current flows through the body tissue between the monopolar probe and the remotely located plate, the depth and volume of necrosis is indefinite and difficult to control, but can easily extend, for example, to over one centimeter wide and over one-half centimeter deep in a typical operation to stop a bleeder, but it will continue to extend even deeper as long as the monopolar probe is held in contact with the tissue while the power is turned on. While such monopolar coagulation is effective to stop the bleeding, it also denatures a considerable amount of surrounding tissue, thus necrosing more of the normal surrounding connective tissue in the joint than is strictly needed or desired.
The bipolar coagulator disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,089,002, issued in 1992 to Lawrence T. Kirwan, Jr., one of the co-inventors of this invention, and which is incorporated herein by reference, is a bipolar device that was designed for desiccating several microscopic layers of eye tissue, including tiny blood vessels, on the eye before eye surgery in order to reduce bleeding encounters during eye surgery. The result is that the tiny blood vessels near the eye surface, where the surgical incisions are to be made during eye surgery, are necrosed--virtually obliterated or erased--before any incisions are made. A bipolar coagulator similar to that shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,089,002, but with an electrical insulation coating around substantially the entire length of the outer conductor or electrode, was also developed by Lawrence T. Kirwan, Jr., for very fine hemotosis in neural endoscopy applications where the insulation coating prevents outer electrode contact with surrounding tissue. However, both of those bipolar coagulators developed by Kirwan are designed for the specific eye surgery and neural endoscopy necrosing applications described above, which are not in fluid-filled environments and which are not effective for coagulating bleeders encountered in the arthroscopy procedures described above.

Bipolar coagulation apparatus and method for arthroscopy


.beta.-1,4-glucans, particularly cellobiose, can be used to inhibit the glucan-specific enzymatic pathway in an amebocyte lysate. So inhibited, the amebocyte lysate can then be used to specifically detect endotoxin in a test sample. .beta.-1,4-glucan inhibitors can be used in a variety of amebocyte lysate assays, including kinetic-chromogenic, end-point chromogenic, turbidimetric, gel-clot, and ELISA assays.

Horseshoe crab hemolymph contains an endotoxin-mediated serine protease pathway which causes coagulation of hemolymph in response to endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide) (reviewed in Iwanaga, Curr. Opin. Immunol. 5, 74-82, 1993). Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) is widely used in assays to detect endotoxin in a variety of test samples, including human and animal pharmaceuticals, biological products, and medical devices. Pharmaceuticals and research products are often tested for contamination from bacterial endotoxins. These contaminants can cause serious side effects if injected into the body, including fever and possibly death.
In an LAL assay, an extract of Limulus amebocytes is mixed with components which confer increased sensitivity and/or stability to the LAL, forming an LAL reagent. A test sample is mixed with the LAL reagent and compared with a series of known endotoxin standards mixed with LAL reagent. Sample and standard results are compared to determine the concentration of endotoxin in the sample.
The LAL assay for endotoxin is not entirely specific. Reaction also occurs in response to .beta.-1,3-glucans, which react with LAL through a separate glucan-sensitive enzymatic pathway (see Iwanaga, 1993). These .beta.-glucans are polymers of glucose, with varying molecular weights and, primarily, .beta.-1,3-glycosidic linkages between the glucose subunits. If a sufficient quantity of a .beta.-glucan is present in a test sample, a false-positive result occurs. A false-positive can result in a manufacturer unnecessarily discarding an expensive medical device or lot of product.
It can often be difficult to determine whether a positive result in the LAL test is due to endotoxin or to .beta.-glucan contamination. Thus, there is a continuing need in the art for endotoxin-specific assays which reduce or eliminate the incidence of false-positive results due to .beta.-glucan contamination.


Monoclonal antibodies are revealed which bind to the gp 120 protein on the envelope of HIV-1. These antibodies neutralize HIV-1. They inhibit the rate of infection of T cells, and also inhibit syncytium formation. Further, the antibodies are group-specific and neutralize different strains and isolates of HIV-1. These antibodies have a variety of uses, including the treatment and prevention of AIDS and ARC.

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, generally known by its acronym AIDS, is probably the most serious health threat confronting society. The disease runs a painful and debilitating course and usually results in the death of its victim. In fact, from diagnosis onward, the average life span of an AIDS victim is less than two years,
To date, about 40,000 AIDS cases have been reported in the United States. Approximately two-thirds of individuals have died from the disease.
AIDS is caused by a virus which has at various times been called human T-cell lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV III), or lymphoadenopathy-associated virus (LAV). The virus is currently known as human immunodeficiency virus I (HIV-1). It is estimated by the Center for Disease Control, U.S. Public Health Services, and the National Academy of Sciences that in the United States alone, about 1.5 million people will have been infected by 1991. The results from many long-term epidemiological studies indicate that twenty to sixty percent of the infected group will develop AIDS within the next five to seven years. For example, the Center for Disease Control has estimated that there will about 300,000 AIDS cases by the 1991.
HIV-1 also causes a somewhat less serious immunodeficiency syndrome clinically defined as AIDS related complex (ARC). ARC will often precede the onset of AIDS. There are currently many more ARC cases than there are AIDS cases. As the number of cases continues to increase, ARC will, in and of itself, become an extremely costly and serious health problem.
AIDS results because infection with HIV-1 damages and eventually destroys the victim's immune system. The immune system is reduced to the point where the victim can no longer ward off secondary opportunistic infections. It is often the secondary infections which debilitate the victim and cause death.
In addition to their susceptibility to secondary infections, AIDS victims frequently develop otherwise rare conditions. A large number develop a rare form of skin cancer known as Kaposi's sarcoma. It is believed that this condition also results from the immunodeficiency brought on by the virus.
HIV-1 damages the immune system by infecting and depleting T helper/inducer lymphocytes (hereinafter referred to "T cells"). T cells are essential because they control the production of antibodies by the B cells, the maturation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (killer T cells), the maturation and activity of macrophages and natural killer cells, and, directly and indirectly, numerous other regulator and effector functions of the immune system.
Infection of a T cell occurs through interaction between an epitope borne by HIV-1 and a receptor site which is located on the T cell surface. This receptor site on the T cell is protein molecule known as the CD4 antigen. The epitope on HIV-1 is borne by the envelope glycoprotein gp 120 (molecular weight 120,000 daltons). The glycoprotein gp 120 is produced when a precursor glycoprotein gp 160, made in the T cell, is cleaved apart into gp 41 (molecular weight 41,000 daltons) and gp 120. Gp 41 bears the epitope which induces the dominant antibody response in most infected individuals, whereas the epitope borne by gp 120 binds to the CD4 antigen and thereby allows the virus to enter the cell.
HIV-1 is a retrovirus. After the virus has entered the cell, a viral enzyme called reverse transcriptase transcribes the viral genomic RNA into DNA in the host cell nucleus. The newly synthesized DNA acts as a template and causes the infected T cell to begin to transcribe the new DNA to make copies of messenger RNA and genomic RNA. The viral genomic RNA's are packed with core proteins, reverse transcriptase, and certain other proteins. They are then enveloped by parts of the cellular membrane and budded off from the cell into the bloodstream as newly synthesized virions. These new virions can enter and infect other T cells.
There are two known mechanisms by which HIV-1 is transmitted to T cells in the body of infected individuals. The first occurs when the free virus binds to the CD4 antigen on the T cells. The second mechanism is through direct, cell-to-cell transmission of the virus.
Direct, cell-to-cell transmission occurs when an infected cell, which expresses the viral gp 120 on its surface, binds with the CD4 antigen of an uninfected cell. As a result the two cells fuse and virions can pass to the uninfected cell.
Direct, cell-to-cell contact and the resulting fusion are a significant source of cellular infection, and may be a major mechanism of T cell destruction in HIV-1 infected individuals. Infected and uninfected cells often fuse in large groups, thereby forming multi-nucleated aggregates known as syncytia. The cell fusion causes the death of cells in the syncytia. See Lifson et al. "Induction of CD4-Dependent Cell Fusion by the HTL-III/LAV Envelope Glycoprotein", Nature 323:725-27 (1986).
The majority of cell death is believed to take place in syncytia. This theory follows because it seems unlikely that significant infection can occur from other sources, such as free virus in the bloodstream. Concentrations of free virus in the bloodstream of infected individuals are typically very low. It also seems unlikely that significant cell infection can occur from discrete fusion of individual infected and uninfected cells. In one study it was found that the proportion of infected T cells in infected individuals is usually only one out of every 10,000 to 100,000 white blood cells. Nevertheless it was reported that the number of CD4 positive cells (i.e., T cells) gradually decreased.
Patients who are infected by HIV-1 do not generate sufficient amounts of neutralizing antibodies. They typically have very low titers of neutralizing antibodies in their serum. Thus, monoclonal antibodies which neutralize HIV-1 would be particularly useful for treatment.
Monoclonal antibodies are produced by hybridoma cells. Hybridomas are cells which have all been cloned from a single fused cell. All the clones are identical to the parent. Accordingly, all the hybridomas of the same clone produce identical antibodies which bind to the same epitope.
A method of making monoclonal antibodies was first described by Koehler and Milstein. See Milstein et al., Nature 256:495-97 (1975); Koehler et al., Eur J. Immunol., 6:511-19 (1976). A host animal, usually a mouse, is immunized with an antigen and then sacrificed. Lymphocytes containing B-cells are then removed, usually from the spleen or other lymphoid tissues. The removed lymphocytes are fused with myeloma cells to form hybridomas. The hybridomas which produce antibody against the designated epitopes of the immunizing antigen are cloned and screened. These hybridomas are then used to manufacture the desired monoclonal antibodies.
A monoclonal antibody which inhibits infectivity and syncytium formation would have many advantages over other neutralizing agents. Large quantities of the monoclonal antibody could be produced. The hybridomas are immortal due to the fusion with myeloma cells, and can be reproduced almost endlessly.
Another advantage of monoclonal methodology is that monoclonal antibodies of high specificity and high affinity can be screened from a large number of antibodies of diverse reactivities and affinities. If one can obtain antibody of high specificity and high affinity, this may allow therapeutic use of the antibody in minimal quantities which are just sufficient enough to bind the appropriate epitopes to neutralize the virus and to prevent syncytia formation.
The high specificity of monoclonal antibodies is to be contrasted with that of other neutralizing agents. In one study, antisera was collected from goats which had been immunized with various proteins from the envelope of HIV-1, including gp 120. The antisera effectively blocked infection of HIV-1 only at low dilutions. See S. D. Putney et al., "HTLV-III/LAV-Neutralizing Antibodies to an E. coli-Produced Fragment of the Virus Envelope", Science 234:1392-95 (1986). Similarly, antisera from rabbits and guinea pigs which were immunized with recombinant gp 120 was effective for HIV-1 neutralization only at low dilutions. See L. A. Lasky et al., "Neutralization of the AIDS Retrovirus by Antibodies to a Recombinant Envelope Glycoprotein", Science 233:209-212 (1986). The polyclonal antibodies used in these studies are non-specific and therefore had to be used in relatively large quantities.
The above results suggest that entire gp120 and long recombinant peptides can not induce high titer neutralization antibodies probably because the "neutralization eptiopes" are not immunogenic. Moreover, the antibodies are found to be typespecific and not group-specific, i.e. they react with only the immunizing HIV-1 strain and not with other strains that are genetically significantly different.
In order for a monoclonal antibody to be used for therapeutical and prophylactic purposes in AIDS, it must exhibit protective activity against diverse HIV-1 strains and a large numver or a significant proportion of field HIV-1 isolates.
In summary, a monoclonal antibody of potential therapeutical value to treat patients with AIDS or ARC and of protective value in preventing AIDS in asymptomatic healthy HIV-1 infected individuals or in preventing HIV-1 infection in individuals of high-risk groups is one that inhibits infection of susceptible cells by broad strains of HIV-1 either via attack by free virions or by direct cell-to-cell transmission (syncytium formation).

Chimeric monoclonal antibodies which neutralize HIV-1 infection and their applications in therapy and prevention for AIDS


An antenna arrangement for coupling high frequency electromagnetic waves into or out of a pipe-shaped hollow body includes two patch antenna elements that are located opposite one another and integrated in the pipe inner wall (5) of the hollow body (1), and have curved surfaces fitted to the curved longitudinal pipe inner wall of the hollow body (1). An apparatus for mass flow measurement includes at least two of such antenna arrangements axially spaced apart from one another in a conveyor pipe section.

For the transmission of high frequency energy through the atmosphere or in hollow bodies, antenna arrangements are known, which radiate electromagnetic high frequency waves in these media, whereby the high frequency waves also can again be received via such antenna arrangements. Such antenna arrangements serve for the conversion of electrical signals into electromagnetic waves or electromagnetic waves into electrical signals. These arrangements are used for information transmission or for evaluating the transmission space. Especially in the measurement technology, often spacing distances, speeds or the distribution of solid bodies or particles in dielectric media are detected through use of high frequency waves in the microwave frequency range, and the magnitude or quantity thereof are evaluated through special evaluating or measuring apparatuses. For that purpose, the solid bodies or particles to be measured must come into the radiation emission area, or the radiation emission area must be directed onto the measurement objects, whereby the radiation emission can be achieved by variously embodied antenna arrangements.
A method and an apparatus for the measurement of the volume proportion of a multi-phase flow in a pipeline by means of microwave radiation is known from the EP 0 703 447 B1. For that purpose, a row of microwave antennas are arranged on the circumference of the pipeline being flowed through, whereby the microwave antennas feed microwave energy into the pipeline, whereby the coupled-in microwave energy is simultaneously detected by a different microwave antenna. By integrating the coupled-out microwave energy, the particle volume proportion present in the flow is determined in the spread-out or propagated microwave field. For that purpose, twelve dipole antenna pairs are arranged symmetrically on the circumference of the pipe, whereby the dipole antenna pairs radiate the microwave energy orthogonally to the flow direction and perpendicularly to the radial direction into the pipeline being flowed-through. The dipole antenna pairs involve cross-wise arranged dipoles, which consist of a plurality of small pipe pieces welded together with one another, and which are arranged on the circumference of the pipe inner wall. Such antennas are very complicated or costly in the production and can impair a through-flowing multi-phase particle flow at least with smaller pipe cross-sections, so that such antennas are preferably utilized for larger pipeline diameters.
A further microwave measuring method for mass flow determination of a particle flow or stream in a round pipe-shaped hollow body is known from the DE 101 37 009 C1. For that purpose, an opening is provided in the pipe wall, into which opening a horn antenna is set-in or inserted, by which horn antenna microwave energy produced by a Gunn diode is coupled into the pipe interior via a hollow conductor or waveguide. These electromagnetic waves radiated into the flow channel are reflected by the particle stream and are simultaneously again received by the horn antenna and are supplied to a Schottky diode as a reflection receiver. Thereby, the measure or degree of reflection represents a function of the electromagnetic radiation reflected by the solid material proportion or component over the cross-section of the flow channel. The differential quotient according to time is formed from the time progression or course of the measurement signal, whereby this differential quotient represents a measure for the concentration of the particle distribution in the measurement area. Through a subsequent bridge rectifier circuit, the integral is mathematically formed from the derived measurement signal, whereby the magnitude value of the integral is to represent a measure for the mass through-flow in the flow channel. In that regard, the horn antenna radiates the microwave energy into the flow channel essentially only over the cross-section, so that only a small measurement range or area can be utilized in the axial direction, and only a limited measurement accuracy should be achievable therewith.
A further microwave measuring arrangement is known from the DE 44 06 046 C2, with which measuring arrangement a powder mass flow in a pneumatic conveying line is quantitatively determinable. For that purpose, a microwave resonator is arranged or mounted on the outer casing of the conveyor line, whereby this microwave resonator essentially consists of a resonance space or chamber, in which a high frequency antenna produces a microwave field. Since the conveyor line is apparently embodied as a plastic hose, the electromagnetic microwaves penetrate through the conveyor line wall and are damped in their amplitude and changed in their resonance frequency by the through-flowing mass particles. Thereby, the powder mass per unit volume is measured in the pipe interior. Simultaneously, still additionally, the speed of the through-flowing particle stream is detected by means of two spaced apart electrodes, and the conveying magnitude or the through-flow quantity is calculated by means of the measured volume mass. Such a coupling-in of microwaves, however, has a poor efficiency or degree of effectiveness, because the majority of the produced microwave radiation is radiated away outside of the pipe and therefore can no longer be coupled-out for the measurement signal evaluation. Such a measuring arrangement therefore requires a relatively high microwave energy for radiating-in, or a high measurement technology evaluation effort or expense, in order to achieve a sufficient measuring accuracy.
A further microwave measuring method and a corresponding apparatus is known from the EP 0 717 269 A2, in which the mass throughput is detectable in a pipe-shaped pneumatic conveyor line. For that purpose, for feeding-in microwaves, three coupling openings are provided on the circumference of the pipe wall, and the microwave energy is delivered to the coupling openings by means of hollow conductors or waveguides, coaxial conductors or strip line conductors, and can be coupled into the pipe-shaped conveyor line. At an axial spacing distance from the in-coupling openings, further similar out-coupling openings are mounted or arranged in the pipe wall, through which the coupled-in microwave energy is again coupled out. In order that also a multi-phased fluctuating particle flow is sufficiently accurately detectable over the entire conveyor line cross-section, three in-coupling and three out-coupling openings are provided, into which the microwave energy is coupled-in and coupled-out in a pulsed fashion one after another. For the determination of the conveying magnitude, the out-coupled microwaves are compared with a reference value without conveyor line loading, both after the damping thereof in the amplitude, as well as after the phase shifting thereof. In that regard, the deviation from this reference value is proportional to the loading density on the measurement section or path. Through a cross-correlation, the conveying speed is additionally determined, from which the conveying magnitude or the mass flow can be calculated by multiplication with the loading density on the measurement section.
The coupling openings or slots utilized in that regard feed the microwave energy basically uniformly into both axial pipe directions, so that maximally 50% of the supplied microwave energy is available for evaluation in the measurement direction. For the exact evaluation of the coupled-in microwave energy over a necessary measuring section length within the conveyor pipe, therefore relatively high microwave energies are necessary, which can also lead to reflections due to the undirected spreading-out or propagation, whereby these reflections interfere with the measuring signal and are only reducible through suitable time windows and thus only in a pulsed operation. For this purpose, however, a relatively high expense or effort is necessary for the coupling-in and coupling-out of the microwave energy and for the evaluation thereof.
A special antenna arrangement for the in-coupling of microwaves into a pipe-shaped hollow body, for the measurement of a volume proportion located therein, is known from the DE 94 12 243 U1, which makes possible a microwave radiation in one axial direction of the hollow body. This antenna arrangement is utilized for the filling level measurement in a pipe-shaped container, and includes a rod radiator antenna, which radiates out the microwave energy in one axial longitudinal direction of the pipe-shaped hollow body, of which the radiated energy in this direction comprises a high efficiency or degree of effectiveness. This rod radiator antenna would, however, be located in the conveyor stream in a pipe-shaped hollow body being flowed through, and here would not only interfere with the particle stream, but also be subjected to wear depending on the abrasion.
A further antenna arrangement for filling level measurement in a pipe-shaped hollow body is known from the DE 198 00 306 A1, which provides an axially directed microwave in-coupling by means of a so-called flat patch element. For that purpose, a planar radiator element is provided on the front end or end face of a hollow conductor or waveguide, whereby the planar radiator element essentially consists of a flat electrically conductive metal disk, which is applied on a plate-shaped dielectric substrate. An electrically conductive layer or a part of the metallic waveguide rear wall is applied above the dielectric substrate, and the high frequency energy is coupled-in therethrough. For that purpose, a coaxial connector is provided outside of the pipe wall, whereby the inner conductor is connected with the patch element and the outer conductor is connected with the metallic pipe wall or the electrically conductive layer. In that regard, the supplied microwave energy is coupled only in one axial direction into the pipe-shaped waveguide through the flat patch element, so that with this antenna arrangement nearly the entire microwave energy is radiated out in the measuring direction, whereby a high efficiency would be achievable with a targeted out-coupling over a measuring section or path. If one would, however, utilize such a patch element in a through-f lowable conveyor pipe, it would have to be arranged transversely in the conveyor stream and would similarly considerably impair the particle stream and would be subjected to wear by to the particle stream.

Antenna device for injecting or extracting microwaves into/from tubular hollow bodies, and device for measuring mass flow by using antenna devices of this type


A bandgap voltage reference circuit includes a bandgap voltage generation circuit that can produce a bandgap reference voltage in response to an activation voltage signal, a start-up circuit that can produce the activation voltage signal in response to one-shot voltage pulse and an one-shot pulse generator circuit configured to produce the one-shot voltage pulse. The start-up circuit can be automatically shut off after the one-shot voltage pulse.

The present disclosure relates to an electronic circuit, more particularly, to a fast start-up circuit for a bandgap reference voltage generator.
A bandgap reference voltage generator can provide a voltage reference that is independent of the voltage supply and temperature. A bandgap reference voltage generator is commonly used in mixed-signal designs that include analog blocks. A bandgap reference voltage generator is similar to a voltage regulator and a current reference. A bandgap reference voltage generator typically includes two operation conditions for the bandgap; a power-down point and a start-up point. The power-down point can provide bias to the gates of PMOS transistors at the voltage of the high voltage supply (VDD) to prevent current flowing through the bandgap reference voltage circuit. The bandgap output voltage is kept near the bandgap voltage of the semiconductor substrate. The bandgap voltage for Silicon-based substrate is about 1.25V. At the start-up point, the PMOS transistors are biased in saturation region. A DC current flows through the bandgap reference voltage circuit. The bandgap output voltage is around 1.25V, which is the bandgap voltage of silicon.
Some conventional bandgap reference voltage generators can provide proper start-up operations. However, the conventional bandgap reference voltage generators usually include several drawbacks. Some conventional bandgap reference voltage generators cannot provide a fast start-up. They take quite a long time to start from a power-down state. Some conventional bandgap reference voltage generators draw static DC current after the bandgap voltage reference circuit becomes stable.
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional bandgap voltage reference circuit 100 includes an operational amplifier (op-amp) 110, bipolar transistors 114 and 115 that are connected as diodes, resistors 111-113, and a biased PMOS transistor 108. The resistors 111-113 respectively have resistance Ra, Rb, and Rc. VBG is the bandgap voltage output.
A relation between current I and voltage Vf in a diode can be expressed as
                                                                        I                =                                                                                I                    S                                    ×                                      (                                          ⅇ                                                                        q                                                                                (                                                                                V                                f                                                            /                              kT                                                        )                                                                          -                        1                                                              )                                                                                ≅                                                                                I                    S                                    ×                                      (                                          ⅇ                                              q                                                                          (                                                                                V                              f                                                        /                            kT                                                    )                                                                                for                                                                                V              f                                ⪢                      kT            /            q                                              (        1        )                                          V          f                =                              V            T                    ×                      ln                                      (                              I                /                                  I                  S                                            )                                                          (        2        )            where k is Boltzmann constant (1.38×10−23 J/K), IS is a constant describing the transfer characteristic of the transistor in the forward-active region, q is the electronic charge (1.6×10−19 C), and the thermal voltage VT is defined by VT=kT/q. Two inputs for the operational amplifier 110 are connected to nodes 150 and 151. The operational amplifier 110 is designed to keep the voltages at the nodes 150 and 151 the same. Defining Vf1 and Vf2 respectively as the diode voltages of the bipolar transistors 114, 115 that are connected as diodes, the difference between Vf1 and Vf2 isdVf=Vf1−Vf2=VT ln(N Rb/Rc)  (3)where N is the geometric ratio of bipolar transistor 115 to 114. N is normally equal to 4. The bandgap output voltage VBG then becomes
                                                        VBG              =                                                Vf                                                                                1                                +                                                      (                                          Rb                      /                      Rc                                        )                                                      dVf                                                                                =                                                Vf                                                                                1                                +                                                      (                                          Rb                      /                      Rc                                        )                                                                          V                    T                                                                          ln                                                              (                                              N                                                                                Rb                          /                          Rc                                                                    )                                                                                (        4        )            Vf1 has a negative temperature coefficient of −2 mV/° C., whereas VT has a positive temperature coefficient of 0.086 mV/° C. VBG is determined by the resistance ratio, being little influenced by the absolute value of the resistance. By varying N, Rb, Rc, the bandgap voltage VBG can be tuned to be around the bandgap energy of the semiconductor substrate. For a silicon-based integrated circuit, VBG can thus be controlled to be about 1.25V. Further, the temperature dependence of VBG can be negligibly small. In addition, VBG does not depend on supply voltage as long as the power supply is not lower than VBG.
A drawback associated with the bandgap voltage reference circuit 100 is that the bandgap voltage reference circuit 100 cannot properly start up a circuit during a power down. During power up from power down state, the gate bias of PMOS transistor 108 is undefined and may be biased at VDD due to the coupling effect from VDD through its gate to source capacitance. Also, as the gate bias of PMOS transistor 108 is undefined, the start-up time is not controllable, which can lead to an unpredictable start-up operation.
FIG. 2 shows another conventional bandgap voltage reference circuit 200 having a start-up circuit 220. The start-up circuit 220 includes a PMOS transistor 206, a self-biased inverter (with its input connected to its output) consisting of a PMOS transistor 202 and an NMOS transistor 203, and an NMOS transistor 204. The gate of the PMOS transistor 206 is connected with the gates of the PMOS transistor 202 and an NMOS transistor 203 at a node 205. Other components of the bandgap voltage reference circuit 200 are similar to bandgap voltage reference circuit 100.
During power up, the node 205 is biased at (VDD−VTP+VTN)/2, where VTP is the PMOS threshold voltage and VTN is the NMOS threshold voltage. During power-up, the PMOS transistor 206 turns on the bias PMOS transistor 108 to allow current can flow through the bias PMOS transistor 108 to kick-start the bandgap voltage reference circuit 200. The gate voltage of the bias PMOS transistor 108 gradually rises up to reach a voltage at which it shuts off the PMOS transistor 206, thus disconnecting the start-up circuit 220. Even after the PMOS transistor 206 is shut off, however, a DC current continues to flow through the PMOS transistors 201 and 202 and NMOS transistors 203 and 204. The power consumption caused by the DC current after the circuit start-up is a significant drawback in the bandgap voltage reference circuit 200, which makes it unsuitable for portable devices that require low power consumption.
Furthermore, a bandgap voltage reference circuits 100 and 200 can suffer from slow start-ups. The transistors in the bandgap voltage reference circuits 100 and 200 are typically selected to be very small to minimize DC current consumption. Smaller transistors, however, have smaller trans-conductance, and typically take long time to charge and thus have long start-up times.
There is therefore a need for a bandgap reference voltage circuit that can provide a correct starting point for the bandgap reference voltage circuit, can quickly start from a power-down state, and has no or low power consumption after the start-up.

Low-power start-up circuit for bandgap reference voltage generator


The present invention provides a covert radar system in which radar signals emitted are capable to search receiver thermal noise and, therefore, are substantially undetectable in the normal radar operating range.

Covertness of radar has persisted as a major problem in defense applications of radiation based sensors. The problem is sometimes known as "the beacon in the sky syndrome." Ordinary airborne radar emits signals from its antenna, and the RF energy travels forward and spreads out in density until the target is intercepted. The target reflects a small amount of the transmitted power back towards the radar. The return energy is compared with that which had been transmitted for target parameters including, among others, distance and rate of change of position, i.e. target speed. Systems such as these are some times referred to as target or range trackers, and the like.
On the other hand, an enemy may employ a search receiver for monitoring the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the radar system. For the radar to work properly, the radar wastes a great amount of energy which is used to an advantage by an enemy search receiver. This is, then, the "beacon in the sky syndrome."
It is well known in the art that to reduce the effectiveness of the search receivers, covert radars should use the widest possible signal spectrum for their transmissions. Additionally, systems may use sequential frequency hopping to spread the energy even further over the electromagnetic radiation spectrum. It is an object of the invention to provide a circuit which provides a wide frequency spectrum signal for radar transmission.
Wide frequency spectrum radar has long been recognized and desired for use in radar systems. However, a wide spectrum high energy system generates a very high energy narrow pulse in the time domain. Unfortunately, radar systems of the prior art are unable to transmit or receive such a high energy narrow pulse. It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a wide frequency spectrum radar signal in such a manner which obviates the need for very high energy narrow pulse transmitter and receiver systems.
It is another object of the invention to provide a covert radar system in which radar signals emitted are comparable to receiver thermal noise and therefore are substantially undetectable in the normal radar operating range.

Spread signal spectrum communication circuits and system


An image forming apparatus according to the invention includes an image forming apparatus main body and at least one option apparatus that is mounted on the main body when functions are extended. The main body includes a main power supply unit that converts a commercial power supply into a predetermined voltage, a first load that is driven by the main power supply unit, a first auxiliary power supply that is charged by the commercial power supply, and a fixing device including a main heater heated by the power of the commercial power supply and an auxiliary heater heated by the power of the first auxiliary power supply. The at least one option apparatus includes a second load driven by the power of the main power supply unit and a second auxiliary power supply that is charged by the commercial power supply when the at least one option apparatus is mounted, while heating the auxiliary heater in conjunction with the first auxiliary power supply.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and a control method thereof, and, more particularly to an image forming apparatus employing an electrophotographic system and a control method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine employing an electrophotographic system, a process for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on a photoconductive drum using a toner or the like, transferring a toner image developed onto a recording sheet, and then heating and pressing the toner image with a fixing device to fix the toner image on the recording sheet is adopted.
As a structure of the fixing device, a form of using a heating roller having a heater built therein is often used. The toner image on the recording sheet is fixed by directly applying heat of the heating roller to the recording sheet or indirectly applying the heat to the recording sheet via a fixing belt or the like.
In order to secure satisfactory fixing performance, it is important to maintain the temperature of the heating roller within a predetermined range.
However, the temperature of the heating roller is low during starting of the image forming apparatus and immediately after the image forming apparatus is returned from a standby mode. Thus, in order to heat the heating roller using the heater to set the temperature of the heating roller within the predetermined temperature range, warm-up for a predetermined time is necessary. In order to reduce this warm-up time, there is a form of using an auxiliary heater in addition to a normal heater (hereinafter referred to as main heater).
In an image forming apparatus of this form, usually, a commercial power supply is used as a power supply for the main heater and a chargeable auxiliary power supply is mainly used as a power supply for the auxiliary heater. As the auxiliary power supply, for example, a structure that uses an electric double layer capacitor is often adopted.
When a voltage of the auxiliary power supply falls, it is necessary to charge the auxiliary power supply with the commercial power supply. However, if the driving of the main heater and the charging of the auxiliary power supply are simultaneously performed, it is likely that power consumption of the commercial power supply increases and exceeds a standard value of maximum power that can be supplied from one wall outlet (e.g., in the case of a general wall outlet in Japan, 1500 W (100 V, 15 A)).
Thus, for example, in JP-A 2004-200149, there is disclosed a technique concerning an inter-apparatus power cooperative system in which plural apparatuses (image forming apparatuses) having auxiliary power supplies are capable of exchanging electric power of the auxiliary power supplies with one another.
With this disclosed technique, even when an auxiliary power supply voltage of one apparatus (an apparatus A) falls and an auxiliary heater of the apparatus A cannot be used, since electric power of an auxiliary power supply of another apparatus (an apparatus B) is supplied to the auxiliary heater of the apparatus A, it is possible to simultaneously use a main heater and the auxiliary heater in the apparatus A. Consequently, it is possible to reduce a warm-up time.
However, in the inter-machine power cooperative system disclosed by JP-A 2004-200149, it is necessary to provide main power supplies and auxiliary power supplies with a charging function in the respective apparatuses. Thus, cost of the respective apparatuses increases.
Although a warm-up time is reduced for an apparatus that receives supply of electric power of an auxiliary power supply from another apparatus, for an apparatus that supplies the electric power of the auxiliary power supply, a warm-up time increases to the contrary compared with that in the case in which the electric power of the auxiliary power supply is not supplied to the power receiving apparatus.
In JP-A 2004-200149, there is also disclosed a form in which apparatuses exchange commercial power supplies via a dedicated power cable. In this form, as in the technique described above, for an apparatus that supplies electric power of a commercial power supply, since electric power that can be supplied to a heater of the apparatus itself falls compared with the case in which the electric power of the commercial power supply is not supplied to a power receiving apparatus, a warm-up time increases. In order to prevent such a situation, an auxiliary power supply for supplementing electric power of the commercial power supply supplied to the power receiving apparatus needs to be built in the apparatus that supplies the electric power. Then, cost increases because of cost of the auxiliary power supply.

Image forming apparatus which reduces the warm-up time of a fixing device, and control method thereof


A drill device includes a drill tip and a drill body having a rear portion. The drill tip includes at least a first clearance surface and the drill body includes at least a first land having a margin. An edge is disposed between the first clearance surface and the margin. A textured area having a plurality of recesses extends along at least a portion of the margin, in the direction of the rear portion of the drill body, from a position of 200 μm from the edge, from a position on the least first clearance surface, or from a position therebetween.

In drill devices, such as drills made in one piece, or drill tip inserts, for machining of metallic work pieces, it has been observed that the margin of the drill device is subjected to substantial amount of wear during the drilling operation. To increase the wear resistance, attempts have been made to provide the margin of the drill devices with textured areas. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 9,144,845 B1 an area of the margin which is distal from the drill tip is provided with a texturing of discrete micro-recesses. However, while the test results of U.S. Pat. No. 9,144,845B1 appear promising there is still a need for improving the wear resistance of drill devices for machining metallic materials.
Thus, it is an object of the present disclosure to provide a drill device which solves or at least mitigate on problem of the prior-art. In particular, it is an object of the present disclosure to provide a wear resistant drill device. Yet a further object of the present disclosure is to provide a drill device having a margin with a textured area having an effective wear resistant pattern. A further object of the present disclosure is to provide a method for manufacturing a wear resistant drill device.

Drill device and method of manufacturing the same


A veneer lathe comprising a knife (2) for peeling a log (1), which is secured rotatably to a knife stock, and a roller bar (3) disposed to press a circumferential surface of the log (1) at an upstream side, in relative to said knife (2), of a rotational direction of the log (1). The roller bar (3) has a diameter of not more than 30 mm, and is provided on the circumferential surface thereof with a large number of projections (5) whose height is not higher than the circumferential surface of the roller bar (3). The roller bar (3) is sustained in a sliding bearing (9) and adapted to receive a rotational force from a driving source. The roller bar (3) functions not only as a pressure bar but also as a power transmitting media to rotate the log (1), thereby preventing the generation of lathe check of veneer to be produced.

This invention relates to a veneer lathe (peeling machine) provided with a roller bar for peeling a monolithic veneer (hereinafter referred simply to as a veneer) from a log.
There is known a veneer lathe provided with a roller bar, which is designed to peel (or cut off) a veneer from a log by making use of a knife as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,670,790 (Porter et al. issued on Jun. 20, 1972) wherein the roller bar is arranged parallel with the cutting edge of the knife for cutting a log and is held rotatably in a recessed portion of a holder. More specifically, the recessed portion of the holder is circular in cross-section having a diameter substantially corresponding to the outer diameter of the roller bar, and the roller bar is rotatably sustained (i.e. it is driven following the rotation of the log) in the recessed portion.
There is also known another type of veneer lathe provided with a nose bar-roll having a relatively large diameter as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,602,663 (Browning, Jr. et al. issued on Jul. 29, 1986) wherein the nose bar-roll is arranged parallel with the cutting edge of the knife for cutting a log and is held rotatably in a recessed portion of a holder. More specifically, the recessed portion of the holder is circular in cross-section having a diameter substantially corresponding to the outer diameter of the roller bar, and the nose bar-roll is rotatably sustained (i.e. it is designed to be driven by driving means) in the recessed portion.
In the case of the former veneer lathe (Porter et al), since the roller bar may be relatively small in diameter, the roller bar for pressing a log can be positioned immediately before the log is cut by the knife, so that the roller bar can be sufficiently functioned as a pressure bar, thus making it possible to obtain a veneer which is relatively smooth in surface and relatively free from so-called lathe check. However, since the force for rotating the log cannot be transmitted from the roller bar, a chuck is employed to press the axial portion of the log so as to transmit any required force from the chuck to the log for cutting the log. Therefore, once the axial portion of the log becomes fragile, the log is broken due to the power transmitting force of the chuck, thereby making it impossible to further continue the peeling work of the veneer lathe.
On the other hand, in the case of the latter veneer lathe (Browning Jr. et al), the driving power required for cutting can be supplied from the nose bar-roll, so that even a log which becomes fragile at the axial portion thereof can be allowed to be peeled. However, since the diameter of the nose bar-roll is relatively large in diameter (at least 15 times as large as the thickness of veneer to be cut by the lathe), if the nose bar-roll is positioned immediately before the knife thereby to sufficiently press a log in order to prevent the lathe check, an excessive force is acted on the log as a whole, so that the log is often caused to bend whereby making it impossible to obtain a veneer of uniform thickness. Therefore, the veneer lathe of this type cannot be positioned immediately before the knife so that a log cannot be sufficiently pressed at the position immediately before the knife. As a result, the nose bar-roll cannot be sufficiently functioned as a pressure bar. Because of this, it is difficult with the veneer lathe of this type to prevent the generation of so-called "fore-splitting", i.e. a splitting that is to be generated immediately before the cutting edge of knife at the occasion of peeling a log. Additionally, the surface of veneer to be obtained would be markedly roughened and at the same time, a big lathe check tends to be generated in the veneer.