A hybrid vehicle includes an engine for generating power through fuel consumption, a generator driven at least by the engine for generating power, a battery charged by the generator, a motor driven by at least the electric power from the generator or the battery to generate power, and a drive wheel that is rotated by the power of at least one of the engine and the motor. The hybrid vehicle also includes a drive controller with a control section configured to regulate the speed of the generator driven by the engine, and configured to charge the battery with the power generated by the generator. The drive controller also comprises a battery current detector that produces a signal indicative of an amount of current supplied from the generator to the battery, the control section receiving said signal. The control section is configured to cause a throttle opening of the engine to decrease while controlling the generator to keep a rotational speed of the generator above about 80% of an upper rotational speed limit. In this manner, the drive controller inhibits the current supplied from the generator to the battery from exceeding a permissible charging current value set for the battery during the charging of the battery.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a drive controller for a hybrid vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
From an environmental standpoint, it is desirable to have engine-driven vehicles emit as little environmental contaminants as possible. This interest has lead to the current development of hybrid vehicles mounted with an electric motor, in addition to an internal combustion engine, for driving the drive wheels of the vehicle.
A hybrid vehicle uses mainly an electric motor as the power source during steady running conditions to reduce noise and air pollution. A conventional hybrid vehicle also uses an engine in combination with the electric motor in order to compensate for the drawbacks inherent in an electric automobile driven by an electric motor. The additional use of the engine makes it possible to overcome the problems associated with driving the vehicle with the electric motor alone, such as the rather short distance that can be traveled on a single battery charge and the difficulty of effecting such operations as rapid start, high-load running, and high-speed running because the generated torque is small.
A hybrid vehicle can be a parallel type hybrid vehicle in which the drive wheels are alternatively driven by at least one of the engine and the motor according to the running conditions or the amount of electric energy remaining in a battery (secondary battery) that is charged by a generator. A hybrid vehicle can also be a series type hybrid automobile whose generator is driven by an engine, the generator generating electric power to operate a drive motor, which in turn drives the driving drive wheels.
Further, there also exist so-called series/parallel hybrid automobiles such as the one described in Japanese Patent Publication No. JP-U-Hei 2-7702, which combines the series type and parallel type hybrid structures.
With such a hybrid automobile (e.g., having both an engine and an electric motor as drive sources), when the output of the generator generated by the operation of the engine exceeds the power consumed by the motor, such as during low-speed, high-load running, the resultant surplus power is used to charge the battery.
However, an excessive charging current may be supplied to the battery, which may cause overheating of the battery. In this regard, the general construction of a hybrid automobile allows a sufficient space to be secured with respect to the mounting weight of the battery, which is calculated from the required drive force (discharging operation) corresponding to an operation by the user (vehicle driver). Thus, in a hybrid automobile, the permissible charging current for the battery is sufficiently large. That is, the hybrid automobile is mounted with a battery that is sufficiently large to permit supply of the charging current generated by the drive of the generator.
In recent years, it has been desired to mount the hybrid drive unit described above on two-wheeled vehicles, such as a motorcycle. In general, the space for mounting a drive unit in a two-wheeled vehicle is limited to the space between the front wheel and the rear wheel and under the seat within the vehicle body. Moreover, the width of a two-wheeled vehicle is also small as compared with that of an automobile.
For this reason, when mounting the hybrid drive unit constructed as described above to a two-wheeled vehicle, it is difficult to mount a battery of a volume sufficient to permit the supply of the charging current generated by the generator during low-speed, high-load running conditions or the like.


In a wheel bearing assembly, an outer surface of a head portion of a link bolt contacts an inner surface of an end wall portion of a constant-velocity joint outer ring. A shaft portion of a link bolt is press-fit into a penetration hole of the constant-velocity joint outer ring. An external threaded portion of the link bolt is inserted into the central hole of a hub spindle so that the external threaded portion protrudes from an outer end surface of a hub wheel. A lock nut is fastened to the external threaded portion, so that the wheel hub and the constant-velocity joint outer ring are linked, and the first spline and the second spline are meshed so as to be capable of torque transmission.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a wheel bearing assembly in which a hub spindle of a wheel hub to which a traveling wheel is attached, and a constant-velocity joint outer ring are interlinked so as to be capable of torque transmission, and to a method of manufacturing the bearing assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
In this type of wheel bearing assembly, a device having a structure disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 57-178903 (JP-A-57-178903) as related art 1, and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 62-194903 (JP-A-62-194903) as related art 2. In such a device, as shown in FIG. 9, in order to connect a wheel hub 210 and a constant-velocity joint 250 so that torque can be transmitted, two splines 218 and 262, two splines 218 and 262 that mesh with each other to transmit torque between a wheel hub 210 and a constant-velocity joint outer ring 260 are formed on an inner end surface of a hub spindle 213 of the wheel hub 210, and an outer end surface of an end wall portion 261 of the constant-velocity joint outer ring 260. Besides, in order to link the hub spindle 213 of the wheel hub 210 and the constant-velocity joint outer ring 260 with each other, an internal thread 263 corresponding to an external threaded portion 273 of a link bolt 270 is formed in the end wall portion 261 of the constant-velocity joint outer ring 260, and a central hole 214 through which a shaft portion 272 of the link bolt 270 is inserted is formed in a central portion of the hub spindle 213. Then, with the two splines 218 and 262 meshed with other, the shaft portion 272 of the link bolt 270 is inserted through the central hole 214 from a vehicle outer side of the hub spindle 213, and the external threaded portion 273 of the shaft portion 272 is fastened to the internal thread 263 of the end wall portion 261 of the outer ring 260. Thus, the hub spindle 213 of the wheel hub 210 and the constant-velocity joint outer ring 260 are linked to each other.
Incidentally, as for the wheel bearing assembly having a structure as shown in FIG. 9, the operation of inserting the shaft portion 272 of the link bolt 270 through the central hole 214 from the vehicle outer side of the hub spindle 213, with the two splines 218 and 262 being in mesh, and of aligning a distal end of the external threaded portion 273 of the shaft portion 272 with the internal thread 263 of the end wall portion 261 of the outer ring 260 is troublesome, and a great amount of labor is needed in order to fasten the link bolt 270.

Wheel bearing assembly, and manufacturing method thereof


A valve assembly comprises a flow control valve including a valve shaft, an electrical actuator comprising an actuator output shaft, and a torsion spring coupling the valve shaft and the actuator output shaft.

The present invention relates to a valve assembly. More particularly, the present invention relates to a valve assembly including a valve shaft that is coupled to an actuator output shaft with a torsion spring.
A valve assembly, such as a butterfly valve assembly or a ball valve assembly, may be used to control the flow of fluid through a passage, such as tubing or ducting. In this way, the valve assembly may also be referred to as a "flow control valve" or a "pressure control valve." Typically, a valve member disposed in a valve body controls the flow of fluid through the valve body (which may be connected to other tubing or ducting). In the case of a butterfly valve assembly, the valve member is a valve disc disposed in the valve body and has different angular positions that relate to different fluid flow rates. For example, the valve disc may rotate between a 0° position (open) and a 90° position (closed), where the angles are determined with respect to a center axis of the passage.
An electrical/electromechanical rotary actuator may be used to rotate the valve disc to a desired angular position in order to control the flow rate through the valve body. In one configuration, the actuator includes an actuator output shaft that is rigidly connected to a valve shaft, which is coupled to the valve disc. As the actuator output shaft rotates (in response to an electrical and/or pneumatic signal inputted to the actuator), the rotational movement (or torque) is translated (or transmitted) to the valve shaft, which rotates the valve disc. In order to select the angular position of the valve disc, an electrical device/stop/switch is provided to the actuator to stop the actuator output shaft from rotating. Typically, the electrical signal provided to the actuator is proportional to the position of the valve disc.
Butterfly valve designs that incorporate an internal face seal between the valve body and disc have a physical stop. The degree of surface contact force between the valve disc and valve body at the stop influences the ability of the face seal to seal. After the valve disc contacts the physical stop, the disc and valve shaft are prevented from further rotating towards the physical stop.
It has been found that when the physical stop is contacted prior to the electrical stop of the actuator (e.g., due to hardware tolerance stack-up or misassembly), the actuator output shaft is stopped from rotating, but the electrical current to the actuator is not severed. As a result, the actuator may overheat and prematurely fail. Conversely, during valve closing, if the electrical stop/switch is activated prior to the valve disc contacting the face seal stop, the ability of the valve disc to seal may be adversely affected.

Valve assembly including a torsion spring coupling a valve shaft and actuator shaft


An optical biomodule for detecting a disease specific biomarker(s), utilizing enhanced fluorescence emission (due to integration of a three-dimensional (3-D) protruded structure(s)) in a fluidic container/zero-mode waveguide, upon chemical binding of a disease specific biomarker(s) with its corresponding disease specific biomarker binder(s) is disclosed. The three-dimensional (3-D) protruded structure(s) can be coupled with a photonic crystal and/or a metamaterial and/or a metamaterial of Epsilon-Near-Zero (ENZ) of a suitable wavelength range. Furthermore, the enhanced fluorescence emission can be modulated by a synthetic Cas13 protein coupled with a CRISPR RNA (crRNA) and a quenched fluorescent reporter. Alternatively, a suitable synthetic substitute of a synthetic Cas13 protein coupled with a CRISPR RNA (crRNA) containing variable targeting sequence can also be utilized.

The primary objective of this breeding was to produce a strong, vigorous rose shrub with bushy upright growth that bears a rose of soft, glowing apricot pink, each bloom packed with numerous delicately ruffled petals and held on a red-tinged stem where blooms begin as shallow cups, opening to full rosettes which reveal petals of a richer hue which gradually pale over time. The blooms have a strong fruity fragrance.


A method is disclosed of controlling a switched mode converter comprising a switch and for providing power to device having a load, comprising: in response to the load exceeding a first threshold, operating in a first mode, being a CCM; in response to the load exceeding a second threshold and not exceeding the first threshold, operating in second mode, being a BCM without valley skipping wherein the switching frequency increases with decreasing load; in response to the load exceeding a third threshold and not exceeding the second threshold, operating in a third mode, being a BCM with valley skipping, wherein the switching frequency depends on the load and the number of valleys skipped and is between a fixed upper and a lower switching frequency limit; and in response to the load not exceeding the third threshold, operating in a fourth mode, being a BCM with valley skipping, wherein the switching frequency depends on at least the load, and is between an upper and a lower switching frequency limit wherein the upper switching frequency limit decreases with decreasing load. A switched mode converter controlled by such a method is also disclosed.

Depending on the target application, it is known to control a switched mode converter such as a flyback converter using different control modes, each of which has different advantages and disadvantages:
In continuous conduction mode (CCM), the magnetising current of the magnetic component, such as the transformer of a flyback converter, increases from a non-zero and positive minimum level to a maximum level during a primary stroke, then it decreases back to the minimum level during the secondary stroke. CCM provides the lowest RMS (root mean square) losses both on the primary and secondary sides. However the switching losses are high, particularly the capacitive loss associated with switching on at a voltage of Vin+N*Vout in case of a flyback converter. Also "soft switching" or zero current switching (ZCS) is not available, and there are further losses due to the reverse recovery of the output diode. In low load conditions the efficiency falls off rapidly, since the capacitive switch-on losses remain constant.
In boundary conduction mode (BCM) the magnetising current of the magnetic component such as a transformer increases from effectively zero to a maximum level during a primary stroke, then it decreases back to zero during the secondary stroke. The secondary stroke ends when the current returns to zero, and any subsequent primary stroke immediately follows. Thus current does fall to zero, but there is no gap in the conduction: the conduction mode is thus at the 'boundary' between being continuous and discontinuous. In practice, in BCM, the voltage across the switch usually drops at the end of the secondary stroke, since a ringing or resonance is set up when the current stops; the switching is usually effected at the bottom of the first valley in the voltage across the switch. However, in a variant of BCM known as BCM with valley skipping, the switch-on may be delayed by one or more cycles of this ringing—that is to say, one or more valleys are 'skipped', before the primary stroke is restarted at a further 'valley switching' moment.
BCM mode (with or without valley skipping) has the advantages of low switching losses, (no reverse recovery losses and low capacitive turn-on losses due to valley switching in particular), and a low value of the primary inductance of the magnetic component, enabling a relatively low number of turns, with consequentially reduced series resistance; however the switching frequency varies with input voltage and with load, and due to the principle of BCM operation the switching frequency increases significantly with decreasing loads, giving high switching losses at very high frequencies corresponding to very low loads.
Discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) benefits from lower inductance values. Switching frequency is typically fixed. However, at low load idle time is relatively large resulting in considerably higher peak current and high RMS losses, relative to BCM operation; also, valley switching is not available so that the switching losses are higher than under BCM.
Controllers are known which combine BCM and DCM. Here, at full power true BCM is operated with valley switching; if the load is decreased the switching frequency increases until an upper limit is reached known as a frequency clamp. Thereafter, that is to say at still lower loads, either DCM is applied, or BCM is continued but with valley skipping. This combination of modes suffers from a disadvantage at high load conditions with low input voltage, since then the peak current becomes very high (the switching frequency is reduced, and because, e.g. in the case of a flyback the amount of energy transferred per switching cycle is ½LI2f (where L corresponds to the magnetizing inductance, I is the maximum magnetizing current, and f is the switching frequency), the current goes up with lowering frequency). The transformer must be designed for this maximum load at minimum input voltage: the transformer is then suboptimal for intermediate and low loads. In order to accommodate with the inductance value, a high number of turns with at the same time a large air gap has to be used to prevent saturation. Also the RMS current through the switch becomes very large.
Controllers are also known which combined CCM and DCM. The switching frequency is typically fixed. This requires a complex control strategy since CCM has a two pole open loop response, and may have a right half plane zero, while DCM has a simple single pole response.
A datasheet for a power switch, FSQ510, from Fairchild, discloses a control method including a CCM at a high load, and a combination of BCM and BCM with valley switching at intermediate and low loads. However, this solution is not ideal since it requires a very high switching frequency at a relatively low partial load; moreover, it would be nontrivial to fix this disadvantage, since the control strategy uses of the lower frequency limit for the change from CCM to either BCM or DCM, and the lower frequency limit is directly tied to the upper frequency limit, which is itself fixed.
It would be desirable to provide a method of controlling a converter such as a fly-back converter which benefits from at least one of a flexibility of control mode, a relatively simple control strategy, and relatively low losses for a relatively wide voltage and or load range.

Switched mode converter and methods of controlling switched mode converters


A magnetic tape cartridge includes a reel around which a magnetic tape is wound, a cartridge case rotatably accommodating the reel, a reel lock for locking rotation of the reel relative to the cartridge case, a resilient member urging the reel lock toward the reel, a release pad for disengaging the reel lock by displacing the reel lock against an urging force of the resilient member, so as to allow rotation of the reel, and a pivot provided on the reel lock at a position facing with and slidably contacting a contact surface of the release pad in a manner allowing rotation of the release pad. The pivot and the contact surface are both made of resin, and the contact surface is made of a resin having a higher hardness than the pivot.

An apparatus consistent with the present invention relates to a magnetic tape cartridge, and more particularly to a magnetic tape cartridge which can prevent wear of the contact portion provided on the release pad to be rotated.
As a magnetic tape cartridge utilized for an external memory medium for backup of data of a computer and the like, there is a conventionally known magnetic tape cartridge that satisfies a so-called LTO (Linear Tape Open) standard. Such a magnetic tape cartridge rotatably accommodates a reel, onto which is wound a magnetic tape, in a cartridge case. In order to prevent an undesired rotation of the reel at a time when the magnetic tape cartridge is not in use, the rotation of the reel is locked by a reel lock that is usually urged toward the reel by means of a compression coil spring. The reel is unlocked during the use of the magnetic tape cartridge. The contact surface of the release pad urges a pivot provided at a center of the reel lock in an upward direction against the resilient force of the compression coil spring to disengage the lock state of the reel. During the use of the magnetic tape cartridge, the contact surface of the release pad and the pivot of the reel lock always contact each other while allowing the relative rotation thereof. The term "during the use of the magnetic tape cartridge" indicates a state where the reel drive mechanism of the drive device rotates the reel.
When the reel rotes, the urging force F is locally focused on the contacting point between the pivot of the reel lock and the contact surface of the release pad. Therefore, the contact surface suffers from partial wear by an extensive and long term use of the magnetic tape cartridge. Once partial wear occurs at the contact surface, the contact between the reel lock and the release pad becomes unstable which makes the reel lock tilt. This generates vibrations to be transmitted to the whole cartridge case, so that a strange noise occurs. This kind of problem becomes more and more serious with increasing demands for reading out the data or searching the program at high speed and also with increased speed of the rotation of the reel.
Therefore, in order to prevent wear of the contact surface, Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No.2002-197833 (paragraph 0016, and FIG. 5) discloses to attach a metal plate on the release pad to form the contact surface.
However, this conventional magnetic tape cartridge requires another assembling process to attach a metal plate on the contact surface of the release pad, leading to increased manufacturing cost.


A wireless speaker and digital camera device comprises a speaker, a lens, and image sensor, a processor, a wireless transceiver, a digital memory device, a battery and a shutter button to cause the at least one processor to capture a still image or video from the image sensor and store a captured image or video in the digital memory device. The processor and the wireless transceiver being configured to pair with a portable, hand-held computer. The device also having a play button to cause the processor and the transceiver to wirelessly receive music data from the portable, hand-held computer and play the music data through the speaker. The device can have a microphone and the processor can be capable of suspending operation of the speaker during operation of the microphone.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a wireless speaker and digital camera.
2. Related Art
Wireless speakers have been developed that receive and play streaming music data from a cellular phone. Such wireless speakers are often shaped and sized as cans or bricks, and can have batteries for stand-alone operation.
Digital cameras are common and can capture still and moving pictures (or video). Such cameras typically store image data on a removable storage medium, such as a flash memory card, that can be removed and inserted into a computer to download the image data.

ZAGG Intellectual Property Holding Co., Inc.


A magnetic head having a magnetoresistive head having a spin valve structure in which a composite magnetic layer of a rotatable magnetizing direction layer and oxide or the like is used for a lower shielding layer and/or an upper shielding layer and a magnetic disk apparatus using such a head are disclosed. According to the invention, a magnetic head having a head of a magnetoresistance effect type generating a high output with low noises and a magnetic disk apparatus having a large quantity with high recording density can be realized.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic disk apparatus for magnetically storing and reproducing information, and more particularly, to a magnetic head having a magnetoresistive head for reproducing information by using giant magnetoresistance effect and a magnetic disk apparatus using such a magnetic head.
2. Related Background Art
There are known two types of magnetic heads for magnetically reproducing information by using magnetoresistive (MR) effect. One is a so-called AMR head, which is a type using anisotropic magnetoresistive (AMR) effect in which a micro magnetoresistive change is caused by an angle between the direction of magnetization of a single magnetic film and the direction of a current, and the other is a GMR head, a type using giant magnetoresistive (GMR) effect obtained by a change in an angle between the magnetizing directions of at least two magnetic layers. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,755,897 discloses a spin valve structured head for reading signals by fixing the magnetizing direction of one of two magnetic layers (fixed magnetizing direction layer) and by freely turning the other magnetizing direction (rotatable magnetizing direction layer). The spin valve structure can be applied with little change in the structure and manufacturing process of the magnetoresistive head developed as the AMR type. Although the spin valve structured head has an advantage that sensitivity is increased two to four times greater than that of the AMR head, there is a problem such that application of a magnetic field in a magnetizing process is different from that in the AMR head.
A sensor part according to the spin valve structure has a hard bias structure such that a rotatable magnetizing direction layer, for example, NiFe alloy, is formed on a proper underlayer. A non-magnetic interlayer, a magnetoresistive change auxiliary layer, a fixed magnetizing direction layer, and an antiferromagnetic layer are sequentially formed. Further, a magnetic domain control layer for limiting an MR sensor layer only within the sensor part and an electrode are formed. With respect to a bias relation of the spin valve structure, it is necessary to change the magnetizing direction of the rotatable magnetizing direction layer so as to be perpendicular to the height direction of the MR sensor by means of a magnetic field obtained by synthesizing a current bias field Hi, a magnetostatic coupling field Hbt from the end of the fixed magnetizing direction layer, an interlayer coupling field He, and a bias field Hb1 from the magnetic domain control layer by applying a sensing current. Consequently, the magnetizing direction of the rotatable magnetizing direction layer has to be in parallel to the height direction of the MR sensor. A recording magnetic field invades the height direction of the MR sensor and vertically turns the magnetizing direction of the rotatable magnetizing direction layer. In this instance, a signal in which the resistance is minimum when an angle .theta. with the fixed magnetizing direction layer is 0 and the resistance is maximum when the angle .theta. is 180.degree. C. is obtained. Consequently, the magnetizing direction of the rotatable magnetizing direction layer has to be directed to the track width direction.
When the surface roughness of the interface is increased, the interlayer coupling is enhanced and aerial distribution is increased. It is necessary to set the thickness of each spin valve structured magnetic layer to be equal to or less than 10 nm and the surface roughness to be 1 nm or less. However, a lower shielding layer as a base on which the sensor part is formed has the thickness of 1 to 2 .mu.m. When crystalline alloys such as NiFe and FeAlSi are applied to the lower shielding layer, the crystal grain size on the surface of the shielding layer is 0.5 to 1 .mu.m. When grain orientations are different, growth rates become different. A wave of 5 to 10 nm in the surface roughness Rrms, which is equal to or larger than each film thickness, is caused. Therefore, in order to use those alloys, it is necessary to set the surface roughness of the magnetic under layer to 1 nm or less by flattening the shielding layer by the etch back or by polishing the lower gap film with sacrifice of the accuracy of the film thickness. On the other hand, when an amorphous film wherein the surface roughness becomes 1 nm or less is used as the lower shielding layer, there are no problems caused by the roughness. In the AMR head, there is no inconvenience when the amorphous layer is used as the lower shielding layer.
However, if the amorphous shielding layer is applied to the GMR head, when heat treatment for magnetization of the fixed magnetizing direction layer is performed there can occur instances wherein the magnetic domain structure deteriorates according to the temperature of the heat treatment, and the time and the direction of the applied field, so that the waveform fluctuates. The waveform fluctuation is characterized in that asymmetry is lost after operating the write head and returns to its former state after recording operations of a few times to hundreds of times. This might constitute the reason that the magnetic domains appear in the shielding layer which are located at a distance of 0.1 to 0.2 .mu.m from the sensor part and are coupled magnetostatically to the magnetization of the magnetic domain control layer and lose the controllability of the magnetic domain, or the magnetostatic coupling of the shielding layer and the magnetoresistive film is changed, thereby changing bias. The following reason is considered as a cause of the appearance of the magnetic domains in the shielding layer. A fabricating step of the magnetoresistive head consists of a wafer step and a post step. The wafer step comprises: a step (step 1) of forming a lower shielding layer on an insulating layer applied on a substrate; a step (step 2) of forming a lower gap layer; a step (step 3) of forming a spin valve structured layer, an electrode, and a magnetic domain control layer; a step (step 4) of forming an upper gap layer, and after that, forming an upper shielding layer; a step (step 5) of forming a write head gap layer, an inductive coil, an interlayer insulating film, and an upper magnetic core; and a step (step 6) of forming a protective layer, a terminal, and the like. In the post step, a process for the air bearing surface, and cutting, adhering using a gimbal, and the like are performed.
In the post step, the heat treatment by applying the magnetic field cannot be given since a slider chip is not easy to handle, it is feared that a slider is deformed, and the like. In the wafer step, the steps in which the heat treatment can be given are limited according to the magnetization temperature of the fixed magnetizing direction layer. Specifically, when NiMn that is required to be subjected to the heat treatment at 250.degree. C. or higher is used for fixing the magnetization of the magnetizing direction layer, since the heat resisting temperature of the write head interlayer insulating film is 230.degree. C., the heat treatment has to be given by the end of the step 4. In this case, there is a problem that the magnetization of the shielding layer oriented in the height direction of the MR sensor is not returned by the following heat treatment in the track width direction. On the other hand, since NiO has to be cooled from 200.degree. C. in the magnetic field, it has to be done in the step 6. In this case, the final heat treatment in the height direction of the MR sensor is given to the lower shielding layer and the magnetization is disturbed.

Magnetic head and magnetic disk apparatus provided therewith


Disclosure is made of a method for electronic polar attenuation of torque profile for positive displacement pumps by a processor where the attenuated torque profile is compared with the shaft displacement angle of the pump input shaft. The processor then signals a motor to power a pump with the result of pumping at a constant pressure at the full range of the designed system flow volume. In addition to the attenuated torque profile, the processor can also account for the response time of the pump drive, the motor inductive reactance, system inertia, application characteristics of the pump, and regenerative energy during deceleration of the pump.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of electronically attenuating a polar grid based on the torque profile of a positive displacement pump in order produce a constant pump pressure regardless of pump radial crankshaft/camshaft/crankarm location and the velocity of the fluid being pumped. In the method, an electronic processor compares the shaft displacement angle of the pump input shaft to a reference polar grid of torque profile and varies the electrical power applied to the pump motor. The processor can also take into account the response time of the pump drive, the motor inductive reactance, system inertia, application characteristics of the pump, and regenerative energy during deceleration of the pump.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art, it is well known that in situations where higher pressures of fluid movement are desired, a positive displacement pump is commonly used. A positive displacement pump is usually a variation of a reciprocating piston and a cylinder, of which the flow is controlled by some sort of valving. Reciprocal machinery, however can be less attractive in use than rotary machinery because the output of a reciprocal machine is cyclic, where the cylinder alternatively pumps or fills, therefore there are breaks in output. This disadvantage can be overcome to a certain extent by: using multiple cylinders; bypassing the pump output through flow accumulators, attenuators, dampers; or waste gating the excess pressure thereby removing the high pressure output of the flow.
In addition to uneven pressure and flow output, reciprocating pumps have the disadvantage of uneven power input proportional to their output. This causes excessive wear and tear on the apparatus, and is inefficient because the pump drive must be sized for the high torque required when the position of the pump connecting rod is at an angular displacement versus crankarm dimension during the compression stroke that would result in the highest required input shaft torque.
Moreover, if the demand of the application varies, complicated bypass, recirculation, or waste gate systems must be used to keep the system from xe2x80x9cdead-headingxe2x80x9d. That is, if flow output is blocked when the pump is in operation, the pump will either breakdown by the increased pressure or stall. If stalling occurs, a conventional induction electric motor will burn out as it assimilates a locked rotor condition with full rated voltage and amperage applied. Typically systems with fixed displacement pumps use a relief valve to control the maximum system pressure when under load. Therefore, the pump delivers full flow at full pressure regardless of the application thus wasting a large amount of power.
In this regard, certain prior art that attempts to correct the problems associated with torque output of a pump motor should be noted.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,721, an eccentric transmission transmits a torque demand from a reciprocating pump, which varies with time, to the drive motor such that the torque demand on the drive motor is substantially constant. The result is the leveling of torque variation required to drive a positive displacement pump at the transmission input shaft with the effect of constant pump output pressure. This is accomplished by means of eccentric pitch circle socket sets with gear belts or eccentric pitch circle matched gear sets.
The use of an eccentric gear or sprocket set, has a significant effect on the overall torque requirement and the magnitude of the discharge pulsation of the pump but because most pumps are of a multi-cylinder or are vane or gear types, the pump input shaft torque requirement would not be perfectly counter-acted (leveled) by using the reduction pattern developed by eccentrically matched transmission components.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,693, a position sensor outputs a signal by sensing the position of a piston in a linear compressor. A controller receives the position signal and sends a control signal to control directional motion output from a linear motor.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,738, eighteen or nineteen torque leads are measured during main shaft in order to maintain constant shaft velocity. revolution and are translated to a required motor torque for particular angles of the main shaft.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,971,522 uses a cyclic lead transducer input and tachometer signal input to a controller to signal varied cyclic motor input controls to provide the required motor torque output. A flywheel is coupled to the motor in order to maintain shaft velocity. However, the speed of the motor is widely varied and the torque is varied to a smaller extent. U.S. Pat. No. 5,141,402 discloses an electrical current and frequency applied to the motor which are varied according to fluid pressure and flow signals from the pump. U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,737 discloses a motor output which is varied by a current regulator according to a predetermined cyclic pressure output requirement. The motor speed is set to be proportional to the volume consumed and inversely proportional to the pressure.
It is seen from the foregoing that there is a need for electronic attenuation of torque profile in a pump. When torque profile is compared with input shaft displacement and other factors such as system inertia, and response time of the pump drive etc., a pump can produce constant pressure at the full range of the designed system volume.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method for electronic attenuation of pump torque variation requirements in order to produce a matched motor torque output that will result in constant output pressure from a pump.
It is therefore a still further object of the present invention to provide control factors which vary the power and torque output of a pump motor based on calculated torque variation requirements.
It is therefore a still further object of the present invention to increase the energy efficiency of a pump by providing a force balanced relationship between the motor output and application hydraulic requirement.
It is therefore a still further object of the present invention to decrease the wear and tear on the pump by providing a substantially constant force output from the motor of the pump and reduce the amount of cycles of the pump to the application requirement.
It is therefore a further object of the present invention to provide a method for electronic attenuation of pump torque variation supplying information for design of a transmission system that can achieve a constant force output from the motor to the pump.
To attain the objects described, there is provided a method for obtaining a polar map for process control within the electronic drive of a targeted pump. This polar map is calculated by a processor or externally calculated then input into a processor. Once the torque profile of the pump is obtained and translated into a polar map, the processor can compare the shaft displacement angle of the pump input shaft to the reference polar map. The processor can also take into account selected factors such as the response time of the pump drive, the motor inductive reactance, system inertia, application characteristics of the pump, and regenerative energy during deceleration of the pump. Using selected factors and the comparison results the processor then signals the motor controller to vary the amperage, voltage, and frequency applied to the motor in order to regulate the torque output of the pump motor. With an accurately regulated motor power output, the pump output pressure will remain constant regardless of pump crank arm location or the velocity of fluid flow.

Pump and motor assembly with constant pressure output


The present invention discloses an information backup method in the field of computer technologies. A log file is monitored at an electronic device that comprises a local memory. A first part of the log file is determined to be associated with a first subset of operations that comprise a first action of uninstalling a specific application. In accordance with the determination, user information that is associated with the specific application is stored in the local memory, and the user information may comprise a user database, a configuration file and a private file generated and updated when a user uses the specific application. A second part of the log file is further determined to be associated with a second subset of operations that comprise a second action of reinstalling the specific application. The user information is extracted from the local memory for use in the second action of reinstalling the specific application.

Mobile devices, in place of many conventional electronic devices, are widely applied in our daily life, offering unprecedented user experiences due to their readily accessible and extremely accommodating characteristics. For instance, laptop computers are able to implement most functions of desktop computers, while allowing users to work anywhere. Tablets and smart phones constantly update users with useful information (e.g., emails, messages, weather, and stock price), serve their entertainment needs, and support various educational and social activities. In particular, smart phones have become indispensable to many people's working and personal life during the past few years.
Although these mobile devices are mainly developmental products of hardware technologies, the unprecedented user experiences are largely enabled by tremendous amount of software applications developed on various mobile platforms. As of January 2013, 900,000 applications are available for downloading in the Apple App Store by iPhone or iPad users. Mobile device users may regularly install, uninstall, recover and update software applications as they need due to easy access to miscellaneous applications.
During operation, each application generates unique user information, including application configuration/settings and personal data that is stored within the mobile device. Data management of the user information could impose a challenge on the mobile device during both courses of operating and uninstalling the corresponding application. In particular, if the user information is mistakenly deleted upon uninstallation, it may not be recoverable when the application is reinstalled, and the loss of the user information may seriously comprise the user experience of the recovered application in the future. Shared by other electronic devices, this information management problem is more pronounced in mobile devices, because these devices normally involve more frequent operations on software applications.
As a solution, a backup plug-in is integrated in another application to receive from the application a message that indicates an uninstalling action. This other application passively waits for the message and subsequently initializes to back up the user information associated with the uninstalled application. However, the uninstalled application oftentimes does not realize a need to send the message for actively inducing the backup process, and therefore, fails to send the necessary message. Not receiving this message, the other application is blind to the ongoing uninstallation process, and thus, fails to back up the user information of the uninstalled application. Therefore, a need exists to improve data management of software applications particularly during the course of application uninstallation and recovery.

TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED


For a trigger safety device 100 for firearms comprising a trigger 110 which is adapted for rotary reciprocation about a fulcrum 111 and whose free end is protected by a trigger guard 120, accidental firing is prevented in that a safety slide 130 is mounted on the trigger guard 120 for reciprocal displacement between a first end position 122 and a second end position 123 such that said trigger 110 is freely pivotal in a first end position 122 of the safety slide 130 and is blocked in a second end position 123 of the safety slide 130 respectively.

The invention relates to a trigger safety device for firearms comprising a trigger capable of reciprocal pivotal motion about a fulcrum, and a trigger guard which protects the free end of the trigger.
Devices of the aforementioned type are available in a variety of embodiments in the prior art and they are employed to prevent a shot from being fired when a firearm is dropped accidentally, for example. The known devices suffer from the drawback that they are not suitable for retrofitting.
It is thus an object of the invention to provide a trigger safety device that ensures that a firearm will not fire a shot by accident. Advantageously, the device may be retrofitted to a firearm.
For a device as described above, this object is achieved in that a safety slide is mounted for reciprocation between first and second end positions on the trigger guard, such that the trigger can be freely pivoted in a first end position of the safety slide while it is blocked in the second end position of the safety slide.
Preferred embodiments of the invention are the subject matter of the secondary claims and may be combined or separately implemented, as appropriate.
With the device of the invention, the combination of features comprising mounting a safety slide for reciprocal displacement between a first and a second position (e.g., end positions) and adapting the trigger such that it can pivot freely in a first end position of the safety slide but will be blocked in a second end position thereof is achieved. Blockage of the trigger may be caused by a specially designed, standardized, and refittable safety element, i.e., said safety slide, with only small interventions being necessary in the region of the trigger of the weapon for the purpose of installing such locking devices.
According to a first preferred embodiment of the device of the invention, the trigger guard has a linear configuration in the region in which the safety slide is displaceable.
In another preferred embodiment of the device of the invention provision is made for locking means to be mounted on the trigger guard for interaction with corresponding locking elements on the safety slide for locking the same in its first or second end position respectively. For example, such locking elements may be in the form of indentations on the trigger guard. Preferably, there are provided two opposing indentations located on opposite sides of the trigger guard for each of the two end positions of the safety slide.
According to another preferred embodiment of the device of the invention, provision is made for a locking element on the safety slide to be embodied as a resilient spring. The safety slide is preferably provided with two latch springs, each of which is assigned to a front and rear indentation on the trigger guard to define the front and rear end positions of the safety slide respectively. Additionally, the first and second end positions of the safety slide are defined by stop edges on the trigger guard.
According to another preferred embodiment, provision is made for the safety slide to have a top surface to which two side elements are attached, there being provided, on the inside of each side element, a guide rail to guide the movement of the safety slide along the trigger guard. The side elements are preferably of a resilient nature in order to allow the safety slide to be snapped onto the trigger guard manually and to permit manual removal of the safety slide from the trigger guard.
Generally speaking, the safety slide preferably features a profiled surface so that the trigger can move freely in the first position of the safety slide and is blocked by the safety slide in the second end position thereof.
To this end, the safety slide preferably has a curved surface profile that is designed to permit free pivotal movement of the trigger when the safety slide is in its first end position. Additionally, the surface profile of the safety slide preferably has a wedge-shaped surface portion which is constructed in such a manner that pivotal movement of the trigger is blocked when the safety slide is in its second end position.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the wedge-shaped portion of the surface of the safety slide is disposed between the curved surface profile and the locking elements.


A locking knife and sheath combination having a knife of unitary construction. A flexible engagement tab is provided on the handle of the knife for engaging with a tab receiving opening provided in a front portion of the sheath. Upon engagement of the tab with such opening, the knife is securely retained in the sheath. Removal of the knife from the sheath is accomplished by depression of the tab through the tab opening of the sheath. Sheath clamping means are also provided on the opposite side of the sheath and include a clamping arm which pivots with respect to the rearward surface of the sheath through means of rotation of a thumb wheel adjustment member. Rotation of the adjustment member allows for the clamping arm to selectively clamp the sheath to an article.

This invention relates generally to a locking knife and sheath combination which is readily attachable to a garment, belt, boot, or the like.
The typical knife includes a metal blade with a handle made from plastic, wood, metal, laminate, or the like, being fixed to the blade in some manner. The handle portion can be molded directly onto a shank, or tang, portion extending from the blade or can be attached to such tang portion by rivets, screws, or some other suitable fasteners. In the manufacturing context, the attachment of a handle to the knife usually requires additional manufacturing steps, which accordingly increases the complexity of manufacture and labor costs in general.
All-metal knifes, where the blade and handle are both provided on a unitary piece of metal, have been produced. Because of the relative ease of manufacture, they can be produced quite economically, in that no separate handle assembly is required. Also, since the separate handle, which could break, become loose, or fall off, is not required, such all-metal knives tend to have advantage in toughness and durability over conventional knives where the knife and handle are not formed integrally from one piece of metal.
However, such one-piece knives have, in the past, had several significant disadvantages. From a subjective standpoint, one-piece all-metal knives are sometimes viewed as being of less quality and value as compared to conventional knives. Perhaps the most significant disadvantage was that the metal handle did not provide a comfortable grip for using the knife. An especially economical method of producing one-piece knives involves stamping or forming them from sheet or bar metal stock. In so doing, however, the handle portion of the knife is of the same general thickness as is the blade portion. This can result in the knife handle being of a relatively thin profile, which, without more, can be uncomfortable to use. The knives offer no cushioning for the handle portion since the handle is rigid and integral with the blade. On the other hand, the relatively thin thickness of the handle provides for a low-profile knife with a reduced bulk, as compared to a conventional knife having an enlarged handle fixed to the blade.
Another feature of conventional knives is that the handle is designed for ambidextrous use, i.e., the knife must be usable by either left or right-handed individuals. Also, depending on the respective orientation between the knife handle and the blade, the knife must sometimes be oriented in a particular manner in order to fit in a sheath, depending on the handle design.
To store a knife, sheathes have been designed which will allow the knife to be quickly removed from the sheath when needed. Other sheaths have been designed which provide a strap, elastic loop, or the like, for engaging the handle to retain the knife within the sheath. Still further, knives have been designed which secure the handle of the knife to the blade-receiving portion of the sheath through a mechanical means. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,391,574, issued to Housinger on Sep. 30, 1943, discloses a knife handle having a spring arm riveted to the knife blade. The spring arm includes a locking pin which is received in a notch formed in the sheath.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,404,747, issued to Collins, the inventor of the present invention, on Sep. 20, 1983, discloses a knife having a spring-biased button that is receivable in an opening provided in the sheath. The button is depressed when the knife is inserted into the sheath, and remains depressed until reaching the opening, where it then pops into engagement with the opening to lock the knife in the sheath. U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,192, also issued to Collins, on Aug. 15, 1989, discloses a knife having button portions receivable in a hole defined in the sheath. A leaf spring biases one of the button portions into the hole, depending on how the knife is inserted into the sheath. One embodiment of the patent discloses the use of a button and a coil spring, for allowing the knife to be inserted in a locking position into the sheath in only one way. U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,554, again issued to Collins, on Oct. 23, 1990, discloses a knife being retained in a sheath by a bolt and spring, which are slidably contained within a channel within the sheath.
Another knife and sheath design is provided on a knife sold by Dacor (Hi-Tech Hunting Style Knife 7216-00) which includes a button mounted on the sheath for engaging the knife.
In certain situations, it is necessary to have a knife safely secured within a sheath, while at the same time having the knife quickly removable for use. This could be a need for active persons such as rescue workers, backpackers, climbers, and hunters, etc. This is also a particular need of underwater divers. Divers often require the use of their knives in dark, sometime disorienting, environments. Having a simple yet reliable means for quickly releasing the knife from the sheath can be extremely important.
Sheaths are typically provided with a loop portion or open portion for receipt of a belt worn about the waist of the user, or for receipt of a retaining strap. Such an arrangement typically requires for the user to either remove his or her belt in order to place the sheath on the belt, or requires that the strap have a free end available to be inserted through the strap opening.
Sheath-type devices have been disclosed which may be clipped onto an object. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 125,921, issued to Will, et al. on Apr. 23, 1872, discloses a scabbard having a clasp bar and flat spring which pivot about a plate. The clasp bar is moved through action of a screw contacting the plate, the clasp bar being interposed between the back side of the sheath and the head of the screw. U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,131,669, issued to Bremer, on Mar. 16, 1915, and 4,759,483, issued to Willoughby, on Jul. 26, 1988, disclose other types of sheath attachment means.
While prior sheath attachment configurations are available, they present limitations which often interfere with a low-profile, easy-to-use device.


A coupler removably connectable to a decorating bag. The coupler includes an inner coupler configured to be inserted into the decorating bag, an outer coupler configured to removably secure to the inner coupler with the decorating bag disposed between the inner coupler and the outer coupler and a retainer configured to receive a decorating tip and removably secure to the outer coupler in order to lock the decorating tip into position.

The present application relates to systems and methods for decorating food products. Specifically, the present application relates to a coupler for a decorating bag.
Baked good decorators often utilize featherweight or disposable bags in the decorating process. The decorator fills the bag with a desired filling or icing and squeezes the filling or icing out of a decorating tip located at the end of the decorating bag. In some cases, the decorator selects a decorating tip, places the decorating tip into the decorating bag, cuts the end of the decorating bag open and fills the decorating bag with the desired filling or icing. In other cases, the decorator may make a parchment triangle, drop in a decorating tip and fill the parchment triangle with the desired filling or icing. In either case, it is a difficult and often messy process to change decorating tips. Thus, the decorator may attach a coupler to the end of the decorating bag to enable the decorator to change decorating tips without changing the decorating bag or making a mess with the filling or icing.
A problem with the current couplers is that the decorating bag must be cut in exactly the correct location for a coupler to be used. In addition, the current couplers have very fine threading, making it difficult to thread the coupler onto the decorating bag without cross threading a retainer that holds the decorating tip. The current couplers do not work well with very large or very small decorating tips. Furthermore, the coupler parts are small and difficult to grip with greasy hands. Moreover, decorating tips are not easy to swap out during use without a lot of mess. Also, it is a messy process to remove the current couplers from the bag after the decorating process is complete. Current couplers also require the use of special decorating tips, limiting their versatility for most users.
A need exists for improved technology, including technology that may address the above described disadvantage.


Apparatus that is self-contained with video equipment, such as a video camera or video record/playback device, and which generates video signal adjustment data for use by video signal processing circuits that are included in such video equipment. An input video signal is coupled to luminance and/or chroma digital signal processing circuits which are supplied with luminance or chroma adjustment control data, respectively, for subjecting the input video signal to predetermined luminance or chroma adjustment operations, thereby producing adjusted digital luminance and chroma signals, respectively. At least one of the adjusted digital luminance and chroma signals is sampled at preselected times; and the sampled digital signals are used by an adjustment control data generator for generating the luminance and/or chroma adjustment control data that are supplied to the luminance and/or chroma digital signal processing circuits.

This invention relates to apparatus for processing a video signal, such as may be produced by a video camera or recorded/reproduced by a video tape recorder, and, more particularly, to such apparatus that controls various types of processing operations so as to impart optimum parameters and characteristics to the processed video signal.
Video signal processing of video signals generated or used by video equipment, such as a video camera or a video tape recorder, is well known. Typical types of such signal processing include gamma correction, contour correction, AGC control, black level adjustment, white balance adjustment, hue adjustment, color temperature adjustment, and the like.
Heretofore, when such video equipment, for example, a video camera, is preset for proper corrections and adjustments, the various correction and adjustment control parameters (e.g. a gamma correction control signal, an AGC control signal, a black level adjustment signal, etc.) are set before the video equipment is shipped for distribution, use or sale. The adjustment control parameters are determined as functions of different characteristics of the video signal produced by the video apparatus (e.g. the video signal produced by a video camera) and are established by an ancillary, add-on device that must be connected to the video equipment. Although the adjustment control parameters are determined externally of the-video equipment, such parameters are supplied to the video processing circuits included in the video equipment whereat such parameters are used to effect proper gamma correction, contour correction, AGC control, and the like.
An example of how such ancillary parameter-calculating apparatus is used with video equipment, such as a video camera, is illustrated in FIG. 5. For convenience, the video camera is assumed to include a CCD image sensor 90 as the image pickup unit, but it is known that other conventional image pickup devices may be used. The image signal produced by pickup unit 90 is supplied to and processed by a video signal processor 91, which executes gamma correction, contour correction, white balance adjustment, hue adjustment, and various other video control and adjustment operations. As a result, the video signal processor produces a luminance signal Y and a chroma signal C, both properly corrected and adjusted.
The operating levels or parameters for gamma correction, contour correction, white balance adjustment, hue adjustment, etc. of video signal processor 91 are derived from control data stored in a programmable read only memory 92, such as an EEPROM, or other non-volatile memory. Such stored control data are read out from the memory by a system controller 93, converted to analog form by a digital-to-analog (D/A) converter 94 and supplied to the individual processing circuits included in video signal processor 91. Thus, depending upon the values of the control data stored in EEPROM 92, the corresponding corrections and adjustments in the video signal produced by pickup unit 90 are made by video signal processor 91.
To generate the proper control data to be stored in EEPROM 92, the luminance and chrominance signals Y and C produced by the video camera are analyzed. Such analysis is made by an external adjustment apparatus 100 which, as shown in FIG. 5, is electrically connected to the video camera. The adjustment apparatus includes a microprocessor 103 that is suitably programmed to calculate the individual control and adjustment parameters to obtain optimum gamma correction, contour correction, white balance adjustment, hue adjustment, etc. This is achieved by digitizing the luminance and chrominance signals produced by the video camera and detecting the digitized video signals by a wave detector 102. In this regard, an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter 101 is selectively coupled by way of a switch to receive either the luminance signal Y or the chroma signal C and to digitize the luminance and chroma signals supplied thereto. Wave detector 102 is coupled to A/D converter 101 and detects level information and phase information of the digitized luminance signal Y and the digitized chroma signal C. It is this detected level and phase information that is supplied to microprocessor 103 and used thereby to calculate the different control parameters needed to effect optimum gamma correction, contour correction, white balance adjustment, hue adjustment, etc. For example, if the detected level and phase information differ from predetermined reference levels, the microprocessor calculates those control parameters which, when supplied to video signal processor 91, result in corrections and adjustments to the video signal such that the level and phase information that is detected by wave detector 102 is substantially equal to such predetermined reference levels. It is seen that the calculated control parameters are supplied from microprocessor 103 of adjustment apparatus 100 to D/A converter 94 included in the video camera, whereat such control parameters are converted to analog form and used by video signal processor 91 for gamma correction, contour correction, etc. The closed loop formed of the video signal processor, A/D converter 101, wave detector 102, microprocessor 103 and D/A converter 94 operates such that optimum control parameters are generated by the microprocessor; and these control parameters are written into memory 92 by system controller 93. Thereafter, adjustment apparatus 100 may be disconnected from the video camera; but the control parameters stored in memory 92 nevertheless control video signal processor 91 to carry out optimum control and adjustment operations on the video signal derived from pickup unit 90.
It is apparent that the prior art arrangement shown in FIG. 5 does not permit's resetting or readjustment of the control parameters stored in memory 92 once adjustment apparatus 100 is disconnected from the video camera. Thus, modifications or resetting of such control parameters, which may be needed over a period of time, are not easily attainable without reconnecting adjustment apparatus 100. Such adjustment apparatus often is quite expensive and is constructed as a rather large piece of equipment, thus making it expensive and inconvenient to sell such adjustment apparatus along with the video camera with which it may be used. Alternatively, if the adjustment apparatus normally is furnished only to skilled technicians, it may be difficult, bothersome and expensive for the user of the video camera to seek the assistance of such technicians for occasional resetting of the control parameters. Thus, the quality of the video signal produced by the video camera may deteriorate because adjustments to the control parameters used by the video signal processor are not made.
The foregoing difficulties are equally applicable to other video equipment, such as video tape recorders, that include video signal processors which are supplied with control parameters that may require adjustment from time to time.

Apparatus for processing a video signal to generate video signal adjustment data that is self-contained with the video equipment


A new container attachment for attaching to a hood of a vehicle for holding a wipe cloth therein. The inventive device includes a mounting bracket, a container, and a lid. The mounting bracket having first and second spaced apart panels and a connecting portion connecting the panels of the mounting bracket together. The first panel of the mounting bracket is adapted for attachment to a structure. The container has base and a perimeter side wall. The perimeter side wall of the container has a front, and a back. The perimeter side wall of the container defines an interior space. The perimeter side wall of the container has a terminal edge which defines an opening into the interior space of the container. The lid has first and second surfaces, a front, and a back. The back of the lid is pivotally coupled to the back of the perimeter side wall of the container. The lid has a slot therethrough which extends between the front and back of the lid. The second panel of the mounting bracket is inserted into the slot of the lid.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to accessories for vehicles and more particularly pertains to a new container attachment for attaching to a hood of a vehicle for holding a wipe cloth therein.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of accessories for vehicles is known in the prior art. More specifically, accessories for vehicles heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art accessories for vehicles include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,231,728; 4,164,054; 2,453,452; EPO Patent No. EP 0 575 677 A1 (Inventor: Morand); EPO Pat. No. EP 0 555 577 A1 (Inventor: Morand); U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,311,338; and 5,075,918.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new container attachment. The inventive device includes a mounting bracket, a container, and a lid. The mounting bracket having first and second spaced apart panels and a connecting portion connecting the panels of the mounting bracket together. The first panel of the mounting bracket is adapted for attachment to a structure. The container has base and a perimeter side wall. The perimeter side wall of the container has a front, and a back. The perimeter side wall of the container defines an interior space. The perimeter side wall of the container has a terminal edge which defines an opening into the interior space of the container. The lid has first and second surfaces, a front, and a back. The back of the lid is pivotally coupled to the back of the perimeter side wall of the container. The lid has a slot therethrough which extends between the front and back of the lid. The second panel of the mounting bracket is inserted into the slot of the lid.
In these respects, the container attachment according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of attaching to a hood of a vehicle for holding a wipe cloth therein.


A wafer topography measurement system can be paired with a scanning electron microscope. A topography threshold can be applied to wafer topography data about the wafer, which was obtained with the wafer topography measurement system. A metrology sampling plan can be generated for the wafer. This metrology sampling plan can include locations in the wafer topography data above the topography threshold. The scanning electron microscope can scan the wafer using the metrology sampling plan and identify defects.

Evolution of the semiconductor manufacturing industry is placing ever greater demands on yield management and, in particular, on metrology and inspection systems. Critical dimensions are shrinking while wafer size is increasing. Economics is driving the industry to decrease the time for achieving high-yield, high-value production. Thus, minimizing the total time from detecting a yield problem to fixing it determines the return-on-investment for the semiconductor manufacturer.
Fabricating semiconductor devices, such as logic and memory devices, typically includes processing a semiconductor wafer using a large number of fabrication processes to form various features and multiple levels of the semiconductor devices. For example, lithography is a semiconductor fabrication process that involves transferring a pattern from a reticle to a photoresist arranged on a semiconductor wafer. Additional examples of semiconductor fabrication processes include, but are not limited to, chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP), etch, deposition, and ion implantation. Multiple semiconductor devices may be fabricated in an arrangement on a single semiconductor wafer and then separated into individual semiconductor devices.
Non-uniformity in wafer geometry is a major causes of defect of interest (DOI) formation. A change in topography or stress often leads to defocus or overlay changes in lithography scanners, which can lead to pattern failures. Pattern Wafer Geometry (PWG) tools can measure wafer topography or geometry, but tend to have a poor spatial resolution and lack any method for confirming device failure due to measured geometry features. Furthermore, measuring wafer topography for optically transparent layers can be problematic using PWG tools.
PWG tools suffer from additional deficiencies. First, due to low spatial resolution, PWG tools cannot correlate to defect maps because in a pixel of, for example, 2 mm by 2 mm there can be multiple factors creating defects. These factors can include topography, design, optical proximity correction (OPC), or other mechanisms.
Second, areas with high topography variation with less spatial spread can easily be missed in PWG tools. With a PWG pixel size of 2 mm, PWG data and critical dimension (CD) scanning electron microscope (SEM) data will not match. This mismatch can be because low spatial resolution of PWG tools can fail to catch micro level defects from the wafer map.
Third, there is no method to confirm actual pattern failures at high topographical variation sites found by the PWG tools.
Fourth, due to the lack of vertical information about topography using PWG tools, especially in small spatial regions, topography changes can be missed. This can lead to critical damage of patterns on the wafer.
Fifth, PWG tools can have difficulty giving accurate topography measurement in wafers that have large step height variations.
Therefore, improved metrology techniques are needed.

Guided scanning electron microscopy metrology based on wafer topography


A trialing and preparation system for preparing a disc space between two adjacent vertebrae is provided. The system includes a guide shaft, a trialing cage or spacer, a scraper and a driving shaft. The guide shaft supports the trialing spacer within the disc space and may include an angular adjustment for such access. The scraper sleeves over the guide shaft into an abutting relationship with the adjacent vertebrae. The driving shaft is coupled to the scraper by a pivoting and reciprocation mechanism that allows angular adjustment of the scraper. Also, reciprocation of the driving shaft reciprocates the scraper through a limited sweep of motion to remove osteophytes from the vertebrae.

Laterally inserted fixation assemblies for intervertebral discs typically use multiple screws to ensure fixation. Prior to implant insertion, the height of the implant is selected based on insertion of a range of trial implants. Accurate trialing can be inhibited by the presence of osteophytes that build up around the peripheral edges of the vertebral end plates. Osteophyte removal, for example, can be done with a chisel. But, this is a time consuming procedure and it is difficult to control the amount of bone removed.
A need exists, therefore, for improvements in preparation of the disc space for fixation and, in particular, removal of osteophytes.


A color filter array suitable for a display panel is provided. The color filter array includes a first pixel, a second pixel, a third pixel and a forth pixel. The first pixel is consisted of a green filter, a blue filter and a transparent filter. The second pixel is consisted of a red filter, a blue filter and a transparent filter. The third pixel is consisted of a red filter, a green filter and a transparent filter. The fourth pixel is consisted of a red filter, a blue filter and a green filter. The architecture of the color filter array is able to increase the image brightness of the display panel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a color filter array, and more particularly, to a color filter array suitable for a display panel and a method for display panel including the same.
2. Description of Related Art
The color filters of a traditional display panel include RGB (red, green and blue) color filters only. The three color filters are arranged in a strip mode, a delta mode or a mosaic mode. FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of the color filters of a conventional LCD panel. The color filters herein are arranged in the delta mode.
The color filter array 100 has multiple red filters R, multiple green filters G and multiple blue filters B, which are arranged along an even line E and an odd line O. One red filter R, one green filter G and one blue filter B form a pixel (as shown by a portion enclosed by bold line segments in FIG. 1). However, the display panel employing color filters is poor in light efficiency, because the red filter R blocks the green light and the blue light, the green filter G blocks the red light and the blue light, and the blue filter B blocks the red light and the green light. In other words, two thirds of light is filtered out, which results in poor light efficiency.

Color filter array and method for display thereof


Embodiments provide a unidirectional multi-path kiln with two or more chambers and generally parallel flow paths extending through the kiln, on opposite sides, from charge entry portals at a first end of the kiln to charge exit portals at a second end of the kiln. Moist heated air flowing from the second heated chamber is received in the first chamber and circulated around the lumber charges with one or more fans. The lumber charges proceed in the same direction on the flow paths through the heated second chamber, which may be an existing kiln. Charge exit portals at the distal end of the kiln and/or intermediate charge portals between the second chamber and a third chamber may be provided with insulating members configured to reduce airflow from the second chamber through the charge exit portals.

Green lumber is typically stacked, grouped in batches, and dried batch-wise in a kiln. The batches of lumber ("charges") are placed within an insulated chamber in the kiln, and the chamber is closed. Conditions within the chamber (e.g., air temperature, air flow direction/speed, and humidity) are set according to predetermined parameters, which may vary according to various factors such as lumber type, lumber thickness, and the starting moisture content of the lumber. The lumber is dried within the chamber for a predetermined length of time or to a predetermined moisture content. The moisture released by the lumber into the surrounding air is vented to the external surroundings. The insulated chamber is then opened to remove the dried lumber and to insert the next batch of green lumber. This exchange allows heated air and moisture to escape, requiring a readjustment of the temperature and other conditions within the chamber between successive batches of lumber.


The present invention concerns a corrosion-resistant terminal (10) before being crimped to an aluminum wire (40) in which a core (41) is covered with a coating (42) and the corrosion-resistant terminal (10) includes a wire barrel (31) to be crimped to the core (41) exposed by removing the coating (42), an insulation barrel (32) to be crimped to the coating (42), and an anticorrosive (50) applied in advance to a surface of the insulation barrel (32) to be held in contact with the coating (40). According to such a configuration, since the anticorrosive (50) is applied in advance to the surface of the insulation barrel (32) to be held in contact with the coating (42) of the aluminum wire (40), the anticorrosive 50 can be filled between the insulation barrel (32) and the coating (42) of the aluminum wire (40) when crimping is performed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a corrosion-resistant terminal, a wire with corrosion-resistant terminal and a method for producing a wire with corrosion-resistant terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, aluminum wires have been used for the purpose of weight reduction and the like also in the fields of automotive wiring harnesses and the like. In electrically conductively connecting an aluminum wire to a terminal, electrolytic corrosion in which metals are dissolved in the form of ions in moisture and the corrosion of base metals proceeds by an electrochemical reaction is known to occur if a core of the aluminum wire and the terminal are formed of different types of metals, particularly if moisture is present on a contact part of the both. Here, since the terminal is formed by press-working a copper base material, the electrolytic corrosion of the aluminum wire becomes problematic between copper and aluminum if the aluminum wire is used as a wire as described above.
Accordingly, in a terminal described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-192530, electrolytic corrosion is prevented by providing sealing between the inside and outside of an insulation barrel by an anticorrosion treatment using a resin mold or the like. Thus, a groove into which the anticorrosive is introduced is formed on a surface of the insulation barrel to be held in contact with a coating of an aluminum wire and the anticorrosive is filled into the groove by dripping the anticorrosive after crimping.
However, the coating of the aluminum wire may bite into the groove depending on a crimping condition of the insulation barrel and the anticorrosive may not be able to be introduced into the groove. As a result, a clearance is formed between the insulation barrel and the coating of the aluminum wire to permit the penetration of water, wherefore electrolytic corrosion may occur.
The present invention was completed based on the above situation and aims to prevent electrolytic corrosion by reliably providing an anticorrosive between an insulation barrel and a coated wire.

Corrosion-resistant terminal, wire with corrosion-resistant terminal and method for producing wire with corrosion-resistant terminal


A foldable structure which can be used as the basis for a wide variety of articles, such as furniture, office equipment, freight containers and portable buildings, is foldable between a generally flat form and an erected, three-dimensional form. A first pair of opposed frame units (10,11) are connected by at least one further frame unit (12), which is hingedly attached to one (11) of the pair of frame units and is hingedly and slidably attached to the other (10) of the pair of frame units, for example by means of swivel cleats (13). Further components are connected to one or both of the pair of frame units (10,11) so that such further components can be disposed in a folded-flat position adjacent to said pair of frame units (10,11) when the latter are in their collapsed state and can be disposed in a second, ready-for-use position in planes at an angle to the planes containing the frame units to which they are attached.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to foldable structures, which can be used as the basis for a wide range of domestic furniture items, office equipment, workshop and industrial units, freight containers and portable buildings, by way of example. An important principle in the construction and operation of the foldable structures of the invention is the ability to change a framework or foldable structure from a generally flat and essentially two-dimensional form into an erect three-dimensional form.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The present invention results from further development in the uses of swivel cleats as the connections between the relatively hingeable components of collapsible frameworks, such as are disclosed in GB-2055290B and GB-2179698B. These prior disclosures relate to collapsible structures which incorporate such frameworks and to swivel cleats used in their construction.
It has now been discovered that foldable structures of improved versatility and utility can be made on the basis of collapsible frameworks of the kind mentioned above, which have additional components of the frameworks and with any panel units attached to or incorporated in them. As will be made apparent below, the foldable structures of the present invention can include frame units, e.g. rectangular arrangements of bars or rods, panels attached to frames or panels per se, and carrying means for attachment to other frame units or other panels.
The foldable structures of the invention can be embodied in a wide variety of articles and systems, where there is a need for the structures to be stored, transported and delivered in a flat condition and then to be erected, in a very short time and very easily, into a three-dimensional configuration, to enable the articles or systems to be used.


An embodiment of the invention may include a method, computer program product and system for secure authentication within a communication protocol session. The embodiment may include retrieving, by a client computer of the TLS session, a challenge string associated with the TLS session. The embodiment may include generating, by the client computer, a first digest based on the challenge string and authentication information of a user of the client computer. The embodiment may include sending, by the client computer, the first digest to a server of the TLS session. The retrieving, generating and sending, by the client computer, are carried out after the TLS session has been established between the client computer and the server.

The present application relates to network security, and more specifically, to methods, systems and computer program products for secure authentication within a communication protocol session, for example, a TLS (Transport Layer Security) session.
With the increasing reliance on technology, it is becoming more and more important to secure online data and information as many network security threats today are spread through the Internet. Therefore, several technologies have been developed in order to secure transmission of data between servers and clients over a computer network.

International Business Machines Corporation


Compositions and methods for reducing the level of nornicotine and N′-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) in Nicotiana plants and plant parts thereof are provided. The compositions comprise isolated polynucleotides and polypeptides for cytochrome P450s that are involved in the metabolic conversion of nicotine to nornicotine in these plants. Expression cassettes, vectors, plants, and plant parts thereof comprising inhibitory sequences that target expression or function of the disclosed cytochrome P450 polypeptides are also provided. Methods for the use of these novel sequences to inhibit expression or function of cytochrome P450 polypeptides involved in this metabolic conversion are also provided. The methods find use in the production of tobacco products that have reduced levels of nornicotine and its carcinogenic metabolite, NNN, and thus reduced carcinogenic potential for individuals consuming these tobacco products or exposed to secondary smoke derived from these products.

A predominant alkaloid found in commercial tobacco varieties is nicotine, typically accounting for 90%-95% of the total alkaloid pool. The remaining alkaloid fraction is primarily three additional pyridine alkaloids: nornicotine, anabasine and anatabine. Nornicotine is generated directly from nicotine by nicotine N-demethylase. Nornicotine usually represents less than 5% of the total pyridine alkaloid pool. However, tobacco plants that initially produce very low amounts of nornicotine can give rise to progeny that metabolically "convert" a large percentage of leaf nicotine to nornicotine. This process is termed "conversion." In tobacco plants that have genetically converted (i.e., "converters"), the great majority of nornicotine production occurs during senescence and curing of a mature leaf (Wernsman & Matzinger (1968) Tob. Sci. 12:226-228). Burley tobaccos are particularly prone to genetic conversion, with rates as high as 20% per generation observed in some cultivars.
During curing and processing of the tobacco leaf, a portion of the nornicotine is metabolized to NNN, a tobacco-specific nitrosamine (TSNA) alleged to be carcinogenic in laboratory animals (Hecht & Hoffmann (1990) Cancer Surveys 8:273-294; and Hoffmann et al. (1994) J. Toxicol. Environ. Health 41:1-52; Hecht (1998) Chem. Res. Toxicol. 11:559-603). In flue-cured tobaccos, TSNAs predominantly form through a reaction of alkaloids with minute amounts of nitrogen oxides present in combustion gases in a direct-fired heating systems used in traditional curing barns (Peele & Gentry (1999) "Formation of tobacco-specific nitrosamines in flue-cured tobacco," CORESTA Meeting, Agro-Phyto Groups, Suzhou, China). The combustion gases, however, can be eliminated when curing barns are retrofitted with heat-exchangers, which eliminate the mixing of combustion gases with curing air, thereby reducing TSNAs in tobaccos cured in this manner (Boyette & Hamm (2001) Rec. Adv. Tob. Sci. 27:17-22.). In contrast, in air-cured Burley tobaccos, TSNA formation primarily proceeds through a reaction of tobacco alkaloids with nitrite, a process catalyzed by leaf-borne microbes (Bush et al. (2001) Rec. Adv. Tob. Sci. 27:23-46). Thus far, attempts to reduce TSNAs through modification of curing conditions while maintaining acceptable quality standards have not been successful for air-cured tobaccos.
In Burley tobacco plants, a positive correlation exists between the nornicotine content of a leaf and an amount of NNN that accumulates in the cured leaf (Bush et al. (2001) Rec. Adv. Tob. Sci, 27:23-46; and Shi et al. (2000) Tob. Chem. Res. Conf. 54:Abstract 27). However, keeping nornicotine levels at a minimum is difficult in Burley tobacco plants because of conversion. Plant breeders and seed producers are traditionally responsible for minimizing the number of Burley tobacco plants that accumulate high levels of nornicotine. Though the percentage of converters that are ultimately grown in fields are reduced through roguing converters during propagation of seed stocks. Unfortunately, this process is costly, time-consuming and imperfect.
Once a plant converts, the high nornicotine trait is inherited as a single dominant gene (Griffith et al. (1955) Science 121:343-344; Burke & Jeffrey (1958) Tob. Sci. 2:139-141; and Man et al. (1964) Crop Sci. 4:349-353). The nature of this gene, however, is currently unknown. In the simplest of scenarios, the conversion locus may represent a nonfunctional nicotine N-demethylase gene that regains its function in converters, possibly through the mobilization of a mutation-inducting transposable element. Alternatively, the converter locus may encode a protein that initiates a cascade of events that ultimately enables converters to metabolize nicotine to nornicotine, meaning that multiple genes may be involved.
Regardless of whether there are one or many genes associated with conversion, the gene(s) encoding polypeptides having nicotine demethylase activity play a pivotal role in this process. Although the inability to purify active nicotine N-demethylase from crude extracts has impeded the isolation and identification of this enzyme, there is some evidence that a member of the cytochrome P450 superfamily of monooxygenases may be involved (Hao & Yeoman (1996) Phytochem. 41:477-482; Hao & Yeoman (1996) Phytochem. 42:325-329; Chelvarajan et al. (1993) J. Agric, Food Chem. 41:858-862; and Hao & Yeoman (1998) J. Plant Physiol. 152:420-426). Unfortunately, these studies are not conclusive, as classic P450 inhibitors, such as carbon monoxide and tetcylasis, fail to lower enzyme activity at rates comparable to other reported P450-mediated reactions (Chelvarajan et al. (1993) J. Agric. Food Chem. 41:858-862). Furthermore, cytochrome P450s are ubiquitous, transmembrane proteins that participate in metabolizing a wide range of compounds (reviewed by Schuler (1996) Crit. Rev. Plant Sci. 15:235-284; and Schuler & Werck-Reichhart (2003) Annu. Rev. Plant Biol. 54:629-667). Examples of biochemical reactions mediated by cytochrome P450s include hydroxylations, demethylations and epoxidations. In plants, cytochrome P450 gene families are very large. For example, total genome sequence examination revealed 272 predicted cytochrome P450 genes in Arabidopsis and at least 455 unique cytochrome P450 genes in rice (see, e.g., Nelson et al. (2004) Plant Physiol. 135(2):756-772). Even though cytochrome P450s have been implicated in the conversion of nicotine to nornicotine, identification of key participating members of this protein family remains a challenge.
Aside from serving as a precursor for NNN, recent studies suggest that the nornicotine found in tobacco products has undesirable health consequences. For example, Dickerson & Janda demonstrated that nornicotine causes aberrant protein glycosylation within a cell (Dickerson & Janda (2002) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 99:15084-15088). Likewise, concentrations of nornicotine-modified proteins were much higher in plasma of smokers compared to nonsmokers. Furthermore, nornicotine can covalently modify commonly prescribed steroid drugs such as prednisone, which can alter both the efficacy and toxicity of these drugs.
In view of the difficulties associated with conversion, as well as the undesirable health effects of nornicotine accumulation, improved methods for reducing the nornicotine content in tobacco varieties, particularly Burley tobacco plants, are therefore desirable. Such methods would not only help ameliorate the potential negative health consequences of the nornicotine per se as described above, but also help to reduce NNN levels.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Alteration of tobacco alkaloid content through modification of specific cytochrome P450 genes

University of Kentucky Research Foundation


An apparatus for the mounting/dismounting of tires on wheels. A bead breaker module with elongated pressure clamps pivotally moved by an actuator such that the elongated pressure clamps extend from the perimeter of a tire to a position proximal the tire side and bead; the actuator urges the elongated pressure clamps together to disengage the bead from the rim. A tire mount/dismount module having a base plate affixed to a wheel; a receiver and drive assembly rotatably affixed to the base plate with a receiver receiving a bead rolling tool which is inserted between a tire bead and wheel rim and which, when the receiver and drive assembly is rotated, disengages the bead from the rim or, when installing a tire, engages the bead relative to the rim. A bead rolling or tire iron tool has ellipitical cross-sections proximal its ends and extensions, bearing surfaces at its bottom, a rectangular cross-section intermediate its ends and a slot intermediate its ends.

Truck tire failure poses time, labor and transit delay. Historical practices required transport of replacement tires and tire changing equipment imposing the labor on the driver of changing the failed tire. More recently trucking companies have provided for communication means allowing a driver to notify a central facility to send assistance. The changing of a truck tire while on the road, by one with experience, requires approximately 20-40 minutes. Tire sales and service companies, having automated equipment, experience truck tire changing at the rate of approximately three per hour. A medium sized tire service company may change forty to fifty truck tires per day requiring sufficient staff for such labor. U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,611 to Schmidt discloses a tire changing machine; U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,358 to Ling discloses a tire bead loosening tool and universal rim adapter; U.S. Pat. No. 5,876,526 Hamade et al discloses an automotive flat tire repair system improvement; U.S. Pat. No. 4,804,030 to Mandelko discloses a tire bead separator; U.S. Pat. No. 4,263,958 to Corless discloses a tire mounting, bead seating and inflation apparatus and method of use; U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,052 to Kliskey discloses a tire mount/dismount bar; U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,392 to Unrau discloses a tire bead breaker; U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,257 to Reeves discloses a tire breaker apparatus for all-terrain vehicle tires; U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,918 to Unrau discloses a tire changer; U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,699 to Giles et al discloses a tire bead breaking device; U.S. Pat. No. 4,415,014 to Turpin discloses a bead breaking tool; U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,731 to Ringo discloses a tire casing spreader; U.S. Pat. No. 5,649,582 discloses a bead breaking apparatus; U.S. Pat. No. 3,867,975 to Johnson discloses a tire changing tool; U.S. Pat. No. 4,787,433 to Thomas discloses a bead breaking device for tractor tires. The present invention is an improvement over this applicant's prior U.S. Pat. No. 6,536,501.
The foregoing patents and printed publications are provided herewith in an Information Disclosure Statement in accordance with 37 CFR 1.97.

Tire bead rolling tool or tire iron and method of use


Instrument for obtaining a reference line to realize, in correspondence of this line, working points, said working points being preferably situated in correspondence of a working surface. The instrument includes: a laser ray emitting device (1), a supporting body (13), connecting means which attach it to a fixed reference surface. These connecting means include a hinge element (2) which enables to orientate the supporting body (13) and direct the laser ray and to keep it fixed in the desired direction in such a way that with the line defined by the laser ray it is possible to find the working points.

The present invention regards an instrument for obtaining a reference line to realize, relative to this line, working points, said working points being preferably situated on a working surface.
Presently, different instruments exist which use the rotation of a laser ray to project a laser ray on a surface. The single illuminous point on the surface is the measuring point.
In EP-A-0 617 258 a portable goniometer of the two pivoting arms type is disclosed. The two arms of this known goniometer are hingedly connected to each other. The first arm has to be freely positioned on a reference surface and the second arm can be oriented in view of the first arm in one plane and between an angle of 0xc2x0 and 360xc2x0. The second arm is provided with a laser ray emitting means permitting the projection of a laser ray in a parallel direction relative to the axis of the second arm. The laser ray reaches points which are not within easy reach for the user. Furthermore, also the angle defined between the laser ray and the reference surface can be measured by this known goniometer.
The instrument hereinafter illustrated is based on a different concept which does not use a ray of light projected on a wall in order to define a single illuminated point of measurement but uses the laser ray to obtain an entire reference line for a plurality of working points.
In the present case the laser ray instrument is fixed, preferably as close as possible to the wall, with a particular fixing system which enables a regulation in order to obtain a real ray of light as a reference line. By the presently shown preferred embodiment of the instrument, it is also possible to cut down sensibly on prices which derive from complicated pivoting systems of the prior art and as it is mounted directly on the reference surface also the tripod support costs are eliminated.
A system is provided which enables to resolve problems which all installers encounter when they have to mount in an aligned way any type of apparatus or structure.
The dependent claims disclose particular and advantageous embodiments of the present invention.
To explain the use of the present system, it is described the practical use of the instrument which hereinafter will be referred to as xe2x80x9claser linexe2x80x9d.