The present invention is a device for determination of the presence of an installation space behind a ceiling covering for a retrofit recessed lighting fixture by way of a small probe hole. Specifically, the invention device comprises an longitudinal rotation handle with a top end and a bottom end defining a handle axis. Extending from the top end along the handle axis lies a first section of a narrow probe rod. The height of the first section exceeds the height of a retrofit recessed lighting fixture to be installed by at least the thickness of a ceiling covering through which it will be installed. At the end of the first section extends a second section perpendicular to the first section, where the second section comprises an insertion end which is pointed so that it can be pressed through the ceiling covering material to probe the space behind it.

The current housing market is dramatically depressed, in that many owners find themselves paying for a home which is worth much less than they paid for it. Such owners search frantically for improvements which have a relatively low purchase, installation and operating cost, whereafter installation they provide a multiplier in improving property value over such cumulative costs. The field of such net value-increase improvements is small. In such a small field, the pressure to reduce purchase, installation or operating costs is intense as home (and even investment and commercial property) owners search for a lowest overall cost for the greatest property value increase.
Among the small field of home improvements which have been found to dramatically affect a purchaser's favorable impression of a home or commercial property is recessed lighting. A properly designed system of recessed lighting can leave undesirable or difficult to decorate areas of a room in relatively low light while focusing a virtually unnoticeable light source on features which a purchaser is likely to desire. Purchase cost of recessed lighting fixtures has plummeted in recent years as high quality, inexpensive import fixtures have become available. However, installation costs have remained relatively high. Part of the installation cost is for professional skill in designing and choosing equipment for a recessed lighting system, which is necessarily time intensive and interactive between the lighting designer and the owner. Making efficient use of this design activity is essential to the owner. A critical aspect of that design process is regularly overlooked. This failure often causes re-design and/or unfavorable actual installation results.
The source of that failure is a necessary part of installation of retrofit recessed lighting. It is well known that original installation and retrofit installation recessed lighting fixtures are so different in design that they are instantly recognizable by those skilled in the art of their installation. Original installation recessed lighting fixtures are intended to be secured between and to parallel ceiling joists or their equivalent ceiling supports for wood planks, wood panels, drywall, sound panels, or other ceiling coverings which hide an underside of a roof or next-story floor from the occupants of a room. The fortunate installers of original installation fixtures can accomplish this installation before the ceiling coverings are put in place.
As such, original installation recessed lighting fixtures are provided with four parallel, extendable arms which extend horizontal to a downward directed "can" or cylindrical body of a housing of a recessed lighting fixture. The arms are extended until their ends abut two parallel ceiling joists, whereafter they are fixed by screws or nails to those support beams. It is left to the installers of the ceiling coverings to provide a circular opening in precisely the correct location so that the downward directed "can" opening is accessible through the ceiling covering. The opening provided in the ceiling covering for recessed lighting has a relatively small tolerance as to diameter and location relative to the "can" opening. A ring-shaped "trim" element provides decorative flashing about a short cylinder which is removably attached to a lower end of the housing in order to cover a space between the edge of the opening in the ceiling covering the lower edge of the "can" that extends near to it. The opening in the ceiling covering must be small enough and located close enough to the lower end of the "can" that the flashing of the "trim" piece can extend substantially farther than the periphery of the opening in the ceiling covering.
In a retrofit circumstance, recessed lighting must be installed entirely through the relatively small opening made in the ceiling covering or panel, which must be identical with the opening that would have been made at an original installation for the same product. Making the opening larger is generally not an economic option. A recessed lighting design typically requires installation of several recessed lighting fixtures in a single room to accomplish the desired lighting effect. First, ceiling covering materials may be of a type that cannot be practically repaired if the opening is made too large, i.e., in the case of wood plank or wood paneling. Second, the cost of repairing a ceiling covering to precisely the texture and coloring of adjacent materials is always difficult or, for some owners, impossible according to their desires. Thus, the retrofit recessed lighting fixture housing and electrical connection structures must be capable of being inserted into an opening of precise circular diameter in a location specific to the lighting effect to be accomplished. Very little variance in the location of the opening is permitted because the lighting effect of a fixture installed offset from a specified position could be visually disturbing and require later major demolition and repair to fix the problem.
While the need for specificity of the location of the openings for recessed lighting fixtures in a unified retrofit design are well known, the locations are generally made without determination of location of studs, joists, pipes, conduit, wires, fiber optic strands, cross-supports, insulation, departures from standard construction, and other structures hidden by the ceiling coverings. If these structures cannot be removed or economically manipulated through a standard retrofit opening to accommodate the installation, the location of the opening must be moved, often to the detriment of the lighting design.
It is well known in the prior art to make a hole one half to one inch in diameter in ceiling coverings to allow visual inspection of a space above the ceiling covering to determine whether there is sufficient space for a retrofit installation. A hole of this size cannot be made at the design stage, in that it cannot be repaired so that it is unnoticeable to the owner. The locations of the retrofit lighting fixtures must have been pre-determined for that reason. An installer must be as certain as possible using sonic or magnetic stud finders as to the location of studs immediately adjacent to the ceiling covering that the recessed lighting fixture. This determination does not provide information about other unseen structures that will prevent installation at a specific site. A device for making retrofit openings is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,292,210.
The prior art has described devices for finding the distance from a small probe hole to studs within a space behind drywall. The small probe holes are those which would be capable of being repaired to a substantially unnoticeable state after a probe of the hidden space behind the drywall is made. Such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,992,488, 3,274,692, and 4,322,088. These devices suffer from a number of difficulties in actual use. The device of the '488 patent cannot be used with any precision to determine a distance from the probe hole to a stud, in that it cannot be maintained in a precise normal relationship to the exterior drywall surface. Such precision is required for retrofit openings for recessed lighting.
The device of the '392 patent provides for providing assurance that the normal angle is maintained but is limited to finding a stud distance at a single elevation from a rear side of a drywall. Further, it is difficult to maintain in a fully engaged position against an outside surface of the drywall. The device of the '088 patent also suffers from these deficiencies.
There is a need for a device which is capable of determining obstruction of any structure which will interfere with a retrofit installation of a recessed lighting fixture, i.e., in a space hidden behind a ceiling covering which may be intersected with studs, joists, pipes, conduit, wires, fiber optic strands, cross-supports, insulation, departures from standard construction, and other structures hidden by the ceiling coverings.

Retrofit recessed lighting installation tool


A low-power pulse generator is provided for use in ultra-wideband (UWB) systems. In one embodiment, the UWB pulse generator includes four pulse generators, such as digital triangular pulse generators, that generate Gaussian-like pulses of alternating polarity at different time offsets. The resulting four Gaussian-like pulses are combined to generate a UWB pulse that approximates the fifth derivative of a Gaussian pulse. In other embodiments, different-order derivatives of a Gaussian pulse may be approximated by combining different numbers of Gaussian-like pulses. The UWB pulse generator is preferably implemented with CMOS circuitry to limit power consumption.

This invention relates to ultra-wide bandwidth circuits and systems and in particular to a low power CMOS pulse generator device for use in ultra-side bandwidth circuits and systems.
In ultra-wideband (hereinafter referred to as "UWB") applications, such as communication systems, radar applications, and radio frequency identification tagging, ultra-short pulses are used for transmitting an information signal. UWB applications are emerging as a useful way to provide high speed, low power communications with resistance to multi-path interference. Advantages of UWB systems over conventional radio frequency (hereinafter referred to as "RF") systems in appropriate applications include low power consumption and simple architecture, as described by Win and Scholtz in IEEE Commun. Lett. Vol 2, No. 2, pp 10-12 (1998), and incorporated herein by reference. UWB signals generally consist of a train of extremely narrow pulses, often on the order of 0.2-2.0 nanoseconds. Because the pulse width is short compared to the pulse period, UWB signals occupy a broad communication band at low power levels.
Federal Communications Commission (hereinafter referred to as "FCC") regulations for UWB technology require that transmitted UWB pulses should observe strict limitations in terms of a pulse bandwidth and amplitude. The emissions of radio frequency devices generally are regulated by Part 15 of Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations ("C.F.R."). Subpart F, in particular, entitled "Ultra-Wideband Operation," and found at 47 C.F.R. §§15.501-15.525, recites regulations that specifically restrict the emissions of UWB devices. Among those regulations, the FCC sets forth frequency masks for UWB devices in particular applications, namely "ground penetrating radars and wall imaging systems" (§15.509); "through-wall imaging systems" (§15.510); "surveillance systems" (§15.511); "medical imaging systems" (§15.513); "vehicular radar systems" (§15.515); "indoor UWB systems" (§15.517); and "hand held UWB systems" (§15.519). These frequency masks are incorporated herein by reference. Further limitations and measurement requirements are set forth in §15.519, "Technical requirements applicable to all UWB devices," also incorporated herein by reference.
Given the tight regulations of UWB devices, designing a simple and low power UWB pulse generator that can meet FCC limits is challenging. The first or second derivative of a Gaussian pulse is generally used for a UWB pulse, because it is easily expressed by a mathematical form. Several methods have been proposed to generate these signals using integrated circuits, and are described by Stoica et al., in Proc. 2004 IEEE Conf. on Ultra Wideband Systems and Tech, pp 258-262 (2004), by Bagga et al., in Proc. 2004 IEEE Conf. on Ultra Wideband Systems and Tech, pp 130-134 (2004), by Gerrits et al., in IEE Electron. Lett., Vol. 38, No. 25, pp 1737-1738 (2002), and by Kim et al., in Proc. 2003 IEEE Conf. on Ultra Wideband Systems and Tech, pp 258-262 (2003), all of these articles being incorporated herein by reference. A disadvantage of these pulse generators is that the output signals generated must further be filtered in order to satisfy FCC regulations. Furthermore, many of these previous approaches consume constant powers for biasing.
Considering the various FCC-imposed frequency masks, the fifth derivative of the Gaussian pulse is in some ways more effective as single UWB pulse than the first or second derivative of the Gaussian, as described by Sheng et al., in Conf. Rec. 2003 IEEE Int. Conf. Communications, pp. 738-743 (2004), incorporated herein by reference. The spectrum of this pulse is close to maximally occupied under the FCC limitation floor, and this pulse can be transmitted without any extra filtering. However, although the fifth-derivative of a Gaussian pulse can be implemented with complicated digital signal processing circuits, such circuits typically consume too much power, which can make these circuits unsuitable for low power applications such as radio frequency identification tagging, as described by Carr et al., in IEEE Commun. Lett., Vol 7, No. 5, pp 219-221 (2003) and incorporated herein by reference, and other applications where power consumption is a concern.
It is generally desirable to design pulse generators with a simple and power efficient architecture, preferably without the need to use additional filtering to meet FCC specifications. It would be advantageous, therefore, to remedy the foregoing and other deficiencies inherent in the prior art.

Digital low-power CMOS pulse generator for ultra-wideband systems


An H3+ ion is used as an ion beam to achieve improvement in focusing capability influencing observed resolution and machining width, improvement in the beam stability, and a reduction in damage to the sample surface during the beam irradiation, in the process of observation and machining of the sample surface by the ion beam. The H3+ ion can be obtained by use of a probe current within a voltage range 21 around a second peak 23 occurring when an extracted voltage is applied to a needle-shaped emitter tip with an apex terminated by three atoms or less, in an atmosphere of hydrogen gas.

An electron beam is focused through an electromagnetic lens to irradiate and scan a sample, and then detecting the secondary electron charged particles released from the sample enables the observation of sample surface structure. This is called a scanning electron microscope. Likewise, an ion beam is focused through an electromagnetic lens to irradiate and scan a sample, and then detecting the secondary charged particles released from the sample can also enable the observation of sample surface structure. This is called a Scanning Ion Microscope (hereinafter abbreviated to "SIM").
And, one type of ion sources used in SIM is a Gas Field Ionization Source (hereinafter abbreviated to "GFIS"). GFIS has previously a metal emitter tip with an apex curvature radius of the order of 100 nm or less, and high voltage is applied to the emitter tip so that an electric filed is concentrated on the tip. Then, gas is introduced around the apex (an ionized gas) so that the gas molecules are ionized in the electric filed to be extracted as an ion beam.
In SIM using GFIS (hereinafter abbreviated to "GFIS-SIM"), an apparatus using a helium ion beam or neon beam is mainstream. This is because, as compared with liquid-metal ion sources and ion sources using plasma phenomenon, the ion beam released from GFIS has a narrower energy width and the size of the light source is small, so that the ion beam can be finely focused.
Patent Literature 1 discloses an example of the gas field ionization sources, in which an emitter electrode included in the gas field ionization source has at least a base made of single crystal metal and has a tip formed in a pyramid shape or a cone shape, and also an extraction voltage is configured to be 10 kV or more for the ionization of helium gas.

Field ionization source, ion beam apparatus, and beam irradiation method


A motor portion wherein a driveshaft protrudes from the front end of a motor case; a gear mechanism portion is provided on the front side of the motor portion; and a connecting member, between the motor portion and the gear mechanism portion, for connecting these coaxially, wherein: the angle of rotation or rotational speed, or the like, of the driveshaft can be detected through a detecting portion.

Geared motors, which use gear mechanisms to reduce the rotational driving force of motors, are used in electrical mechanisms in a variety of equipment and devices. In some geared motors, the rotational force of the driveshaft of the motor is relayed by a coaxially positioned planetary gear mechanism, to be outputted from an output shaft on the front end side thereof.
In such a geared motor, in some cases when obtaining information regarding the rotation, such as the rotational speed or angle of rotation of a rotating part, the detection accuracy can be improved by detecting a rotating part on the motor side rather than detecting a rotating part on the gear mechanism side.
Given this, in the prior art described in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication 2012-191769, the driveshaft of the motor extends through the planetary gear mechanism to extend further forward, and a pulse plate is provided on the extending part, and detection is performed on this pulse plate using a photointerrupter.
In addition, as other technical means one may can consider extending the driveshaft of the motor to the end of the motor that is opposite that of the prior art described above, providing a pulse plate on the extending part, to perform detection on the pulse plate using a photointerrupter.
However, in the structure set forth above, it is necessary to insert the motor driveshaft into the planetary gear mechanism, and to extend the motor driveshaft to the front or to the rear. Moreover, it is necessary to provide an interconnection structure for the photointerrupter further to the front side than the planetary gear mechanism or further to the back side than the end of the motor. The result is that this tends to cause the structure to be more complex, and to increase the total length dimension.

Geared motor and robot comprising said geared motor


A portable ladder stand for supporting a hunter or naturalist above the ground includes a ladder portion, an upper assembly portion and a seat portion. The ladder portion includes a plurality of components including an intermediate ladder segment, ladder extension segment and lower ladder segment. The ladder segments are include vertical rails and horizontal rungs extending between the rails, and the segments are nestingly connected together. The vertical rails include male peg connectors and female socket connectors that are configured in such a way as to limit the number of ladder extension segments that can be included in the ladder portion of the ladder stand.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hunting elevation devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to portable ladder stands, for use by outdoor enthusiasts in climbing to an elevated position. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to a ladder stand extension for raising the height of a ladder stand, to a height-adjustable ladder stand including the extension, and to a kit for and method of assembling an extended-height ladder stand from components.
2. Description of the Background Art
There are many known climbing and elevated support devices for elevating the position of a hunter or naturalist in the field. The known support devices vary greatly in terms of their function and ability. For example, some of the known devices include:
tree stands, which encompass two general varieties, climbing and non-climbing, both of which suspend the hunter or naturalist at a desired height, and secure solely to a tree;
ladder stands, which elevate the hunter or naturalist to a maximum height relative to the length of the ladder, and which require the assistance of a tree for support and securement; and
tripods, which do not require the assistance of a tree for support, yet which elevate the hunter or naturalist relative to the ground.
While any device within the above three general categories will elevate the location of a hunter or naturalist on many types of terrain, each will perform better than the others given certain field conditions. By way of example, a hunter or naturalist would opt for a tree stand when the forest or vegetation canopy is high; thereby enabling the hunter or naturalist to position himself at or near the top of the canopy, for optimum concealment.
Alternatively, when ground cover or brush is high, a hunter or naturalist may opt for a ladder stand to position himself slightly above the ground cover for maximum concealment and optimal visibility. As another option, a hunter of naturalist may choose a self-supporting tripod when the terrain does not include trees of suitable girth for securing a tree stand or ladder stand.
As a result, there exists a demand for each of the three general categories of elevated stands. Like all of the general categories, within the category of ladder stands there exist many variations on the general concept, which include an array of methods for attachment to the tree, seating and platform configurations, portability/collapsibility, etc.
Some known devices that depict ladder stands with various seating and platform configurations are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,782,918, 4,905,792, 5,009,283, 5,279,390, 5,368,127, 5,465,933, 5,518,083, 5,791,436, and 5,839,538.
Brunner et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,782,918, entitled, "Portable Collapsible Tree Stand," discloses a foldably collapsible tree stand, which does not include a ladder. Part of the structure disclosed in the Brunner reference includes a seat which is pivotally attached to a seat mounting extension, for pivotal movement between extended and retracted positions thereof.
Prejean, U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,283, entitled, "Hunting Stand System," discloses a foldably collapsible hunting stand, which may include a ladder. The hunting stand of Prejean includes a movable seat which is pivotally mounted on a central post.
Blennert, U.S. Pat. No. 5,518,083, entitled, "Swing Arm Tree Stand," discloses a portable tree stand including a base for attaching to a tree, and a platform pivotally connected to the base by a swing arm. The base is held to a tree by chains or the like. A pair of lugs, secured to the base, pivotally support the swing arm therebetween. A seat is fastened to the distal end of the swing arm.
Pestrue et al, U.S. Pat. No. 7,021,423, entitled "Ladder Stand With Adjustable Implement Rest And Pivotally Movable Flip-up Seat", discloses a portable ladder stand including a pivotally attached seat to permit the hunter or naturalist to change from a seated position to a standing position, or vice versa, as needed. The stand of Pestrue et al. further includes a plurality of adjustable accessory rests.
While the aforementioned inventions provide a variety of climbing devices to assist the hunter or naturalist who wishes to stand or sit in an elevated position, a need still exists in the art for a ladder stand which allows for a limited height adjustment to accommodate different hunting situations, but which structurally limits the maximum achievable height attainable for safety reasons.

Ladder stand with optional extension member, kit for constructing height-adjustable ladder stand, and method of using same


An electrophoretic display device includes a substrate and unit cells. Each of the unit cells has one display electrode, two collection electrodes and two types of charged particles differnt from each other in charged polarity and coloration, and has a driving means capable of forming a state in which each of the two types of charged particles have been collected respectively at each of the collection electrodes, a state in which one of the two types of charged particles have been disposed on the display electrode and the other type of charged particles have been collected at one of the collection electrodes, a state in which one of the two types of charged particles have been collected at one of the collection electrodes and the other type of charged particles have been disposed on the display electrode, and a state intermediate between these states. A color display device is provided which promises bright and sharp-color display and has a display quality level close to that of hard-copy representation mediums.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a color display system in electrophoretic display devices.
2. Related Background Art
In recent years, with advancement of information machinery, the quantity of data of various information is becoming larger and larger, and the information is also outputted in various forms. The outputting of information is commonly roughly grouped into "display representation" making use of a cathode-ray tube, a liquid-crystal display panel or the like and "hard-copy representation" on paper by means of a printer or the like.
In the display representation, there is an increasing need for display devices of low power consumption and small thickness. In particular, liquid-crystal display devices have energetically been developed and commercialized as display devices adapted for such need. In liquid-crystal display devices available at present, however, characters or letters displayed on a screen may be viewed with difficulty depending on the angles at which the screen is viewed or under the influence of reflected light, and the load on the eyes which is caused by flickering, low luminance and so forth of a light source has not been properly solved. Also, in the display representation making use of a cathode-ray tube, although it provides sufficient contrast and luminance compared with the liquid-crystal display, it may cause flickering, and can not be said to have a sufficient display quality level compared with the hard-copy representation discussed below. In addition, its display units are so large and heavy as to have a very low portability.
Meanwhile, the hard-copy representation has been considered to become unnecessary as information is made electronic, but in fact hard copies are still taken in vast quantities. As reasons therefor, the following can be given. In the case of display representation of information in addition to the above problem concerning the display quality level, the display has a resolution of 120 dpi at maximum, which is fairly lower than that of prints on paper (usually 300 dpi or higher). Hence, the display representation may greatly task the eyes compared with the hard-copy representation. As a result, even though the information can be viewed on a display, it is first outputted on a hard copy. In addition, the information represented on hard copies can be arranged in a large number of sheets without any limitation of the display area as in the display representation, can be rearranged without any complicated machine operation, or can be checked in order. These are also large reasons why the hard-copy representation is used in combination even though the display representation is feasible. Furthermore, the hard-copy representation does not require any energy for retaining its representation, and has a superior portability so that the information can be checked anytime and anywhere as long as the information is not so extremely much.
Thus, as long as any motion-picture display or frequent rewriting is not required, the hard-copy representation has various advantages different from the display representation, but has such a disadvantage that paper is consumed in a large quantity. Accordingly, in recent years, development is energetically put forward on a rewritable recording medium (a recording medium on which highly visible images can repeatedly be recorded and erased in many cycles and which does not require any energy for retaining its representation). The third way of representation which has succeeded the features the hard copies have and in which images are rewritable is herein refered to as "paper-like display".
Requirements for the paper-like display are such that images are rewritable, that energy for retaining the display is not required or is sufficiently low (memory performance), that the display has a good portability, that the display has a good quality level, and so forth. At present, as a representation method which can be regarded as the paper-like display, for example, a reversible display medium is available using an organic low-molecular and high-molecular resin matrix system which is recorded and erased with a thermal printer head (e.g., Japanese Patent Applications Laid-Open No. S55-154198 and No. S57-82086). This system is partly utilized as a display area of a prepaid card, but has problems such that the contrast is not so high and the writing and erasing can only be repeated as small as 150 to 500 times.
As a way of display which is expected to be utilized as another paper-like display, an electrophoretic display device invented by Harold D. Lees et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 3,612,758) is known. Besides, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H9-185087 discloses an electrophoretic display device.
This display device is constituted of a dispersion medium having an insulating liquid in which colored charged particles stand dispersed, and a pair of electrodes which are set face to face holding this dispersion medium between them. It is a device in which, upon application of a voltage to the dispersion medium via the electrodes, the colored charged particles are attracted by Coulomb force to the electrode side having a polarity reverse to that of electric charges the particles themselves have, by utilizing electrophoretic properties of the colored charged particles. Its display is performed utilizing differences between the color of the colored charged particles and the color of an insulating liquid having been dyed. That is, the color of the colored charged particles is perceived when the colored charged particles are kept attracted to the surface of a first electrode near to the observer side and having light transmission properties. On the contrary, when the colored charged particles are kept attracted to the surface of a second electrode distant from the observer side, the color of the insulating liquid having been dyed is perceived, which has been so dyed as to have optical characteristics different from those of the colored charged particles.
However, in such an electrophoretic display device (hereinafter often refered to as "vertical-movement type electrophoretic display device"), a coloring material such as a dye or ions must be mixed in the insulating liquid, and the presence of such a coloring material tends to act as an unstable factor in electrophoretic movement because it brings about the delivering and receiving of additional electric charges, resulting in a lowering of performance, lifetime and stability as a display device in some cases.
In order to solve such a problem, an electrophoretic display device in which a pair of electrodes consisting of a first display electrode and a second display electrode are disposed on the same substrate and the charged particles are moved horizontally as viewed from the observer side, has been proposed as disclosed in Japanese Patent Applications Laid-Open No. S49-5598 and No. H10-005727. It is a device in which, utilizing electrophoretic properties of colored charged particles, display is performed by making the colored charged particles move horizontally to the substrate surface between the surface of the first display electrode and the surface of the second display electrode in a transparent insulating liquid by applying a voltage.
In such a horizontal-movement type electrophoretic display device, the insulating liquid is transparent in many cases. As viewed from the observer side, the first display electrode and the second display electrode are differently colored, and either of their colors has been made to have the same color as the colored charged particles. For example, where the color of the first display electrode is black, the color of the second display electrode is white and the color of the colored charged particles is black, the second display electrode comes uncovered to see white when the colored charged particles stand distributed over the first display electrode, and see black as the color of the colored charged particles when the colored charged particles stand distributed over the second display electrode.
Now, the most fundamental system for materializing color display in the above electrophoretic display devices is a system in which three unit cells respectively having the three primary colors consisting of RGB or YMC are disposed in parallel on the same plane to make up each pixel and the color display is performed by the principle of additive color mixing. In either system of the vertical-movement type and the horizontal-movement type, each unit cell has one type of colored charged particles, two drive electrodes and a colored migration liquid, where two colors, the color of the colored charged particles and the color of the colored migration liquid, or the color of the colored charged particles and the color of a color filter, can be shown by the movement of the particles.
For example, in Japanese Patent Applications Laid-Open No. 2000-035589, three unit cells having different colored liquids with the three primary colors are disposed in parallel to form each pixel. Unit cells formed of microcapsules in which a colored liquid and white particles have been enclosed are ejected from nozzles so that microcapsules having different colored liquids (migration liquids) with the three primary colors, yellow (Y), cyan (C) and magenta (M) are regularly arranged. Each microcapsule changes alternately in two colors, the white which is the color of the particles and the color of the migration liquid, by the vertical movement of the white particles.
Also in the case of the horizontal-movement type, three unit cells showing different colors for color display are arranged to make up each pixel. Each unit cell is filled with a transparent insulating liquid and black particles. On the display electrode surfaces of the unit cells, different color filters with the three primary colors, red (R), green (G) and blue (B), are respectively disposed in order from the left cell. Each unit cell changes alternately in two colors, the black which is the color of the particles and the color of each color filter, by the horizontal movement of the black particles.
In any of the above systems, when color display is performed, each pixel is formed by the three unit cells disposed adjoiningly and having colors corresponding to the three primary colors, and the desired display color is formed by the principle of additive color mixing.
However, in the additive color mixing of the three primary colors, it is theoretically impossible to achieve brightness and color sharpness (inclusive of sufficient black display) simultaneously, and it is very difficult to materialize a reflection type display device having the display quality level the printed mediums can have. In the case of the additive color mixing by the use of white particles plus the three primary colors Y, C and M, a satisfactory level can be achieved in respect of the brightness, but colors of pastel shades lacking in color sharpness are shown because the white light component is always superimposed on the background of reflected light, and also any sufficient black is not obtainable. A sufficient black is obtainable if black particles are used, but such a measure is insufficient in respect of the brightness and the color sharpness. On the other hand, in the case of the additive color mixing by the use of black particles plus the three primary colors R, G and B, the intensity ratio of reflected light to incident light is 1/9 or less in the monochrome display and ⅓or less in the white display, where any sufficient brightness is not achieved. The brightness is improved if white particles are used, but any sharp color representation is not obtainable and also any sufficient black is not obtainable.
In WO 99/53373, in order to improve brightness and sharpness of colors in the additive color mixing, a structure is disclosed in which unit cell microcapsules change in three colors. Three unit cells showing different colors for color display are arranged to make up each pixel. In this structure, which is called "dual particle curtain mode", the microcapsules are filled with an migration liquid in which two types of colored charged particles having different charge polarities and colors have been dispersed. By applying voltage to three drive electrodes disposed in the unit cells, the two types of colored charged particles are moved independently, where each unit cell can be changed alternately in three colors, the three colors of the two types of colored charged particles and the color of the migration liquid, or the three colors of the two types of colored charged particles and the color of each color filter disposed on the back of the microcapsules. A typical cell structure disclosed in this WO 99/53373 is shown in FIGS. 17 to 18D. A display electrode is disposed on the side of a front substrate, and two collection electrodes to which different voltages can be applied are disposed on the side of a back substrate. Its insulating liquid is transparent, and a color filter is disposed on the back of each unit cell. For example, in the case of a combination of white charged particles with the electrophretic particles and a color filter standing in a complementary color relation to the charged particles, the sharpness and brightness of colors can be improved in respect of monochrome display (FIG. 18B) and complementary-color display (FIG. 18C).
In the structure shown in FIGS. 17 to 18D, however, the collection electrodes are both formed on the back substrate side, and hence, the open-area ratio, which is of the area in which the color filter disposed on the back of each unit cell functions effectively (the display area shown in FIG. 17), is remarkably reduced inevitably. As a result, there is a problem in that the sharpness and brightness of colors that are originally to be aimed at are insufficient.
Use of not the color filter but the colored insulating liquid enables avoidance of the above problem to a certain extent. In such a case, however, there is a problem in that a coloring dye added to the insulating liquid tends to cause deterioration in extensive operation due to electrode reaction and contrast deterioration due to the dyeing of charged particles.
There also is a problem in that since the number of electrodes become larger by one from the conventional two electrodes to the three electrodes, this consequently makes it necessary to narrow wiring pitches at a display medium panel portion or causes a rise in drive IC costs.


A circular saw clutch assembly includes an elongated rod that is coupled to a table saw assembly. A peripheral flange is integrally attached to the rod. The flange has a plurality of ball bearings mounted therein. A first washer abuts the flange and includes a plurality of depressions therein positioned for removably receiving the ball bearings. The rod is extended through a saw blade. A first fastener secures the saw blade against the first washer. A second washer is abutted against the flange. A biasing assembly is positioned on the rod and biases the second washer against the flange so that the second washer biases each of the ball bearings into one of the depressions. The rod rotates freely of the first washer and the saw blade when an item being cut by the saw blade arrests rotation of the saw blade.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to circular saw coupling devices and more particularly pertains to a new circular saw coupling device for preventing the kicking back of an item being cut by allowing a saw blade to stop rotating once a blade catches the item.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of circular saw coupling devices is known in the prior art. In particular, those such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,295,910 describe a device that holds a saw blade on a circular saw and which prevents kicking back of the saw blade when it binds during the cutting of an object. Another such device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,205,572.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the need remains for a device that is more retrofittable to existing circular saw assemblies than is found in the prior art. In particular, the primary shaft that holds the saw blade to the circular saw assembly should be generally conventional so that it may be readily retrofitted to saw assemblies. Additionally, the device should be adjustable so that a user of the device may selectively determine how easily the saw blade is released from the shaft when it binds to an object being cut. This will allow the user to determine the sensitivity of the device with respect to the thickness and harness of the object being cut.


An improved testing apparatus for an electric motor in which the motor windings are energized in a manner to produce low frequency oscillatory rotation of the motor armature. Under such conditions, motor loading is provided by the rotary inertia of the armature itself, eliminating the need for a separate loading device such as a dynamometer. As with conventional testing practice, the test controller records motor current, voltage and phase shift information to evaluate the electrical characteristics of the motor under test. The test apparatus is readily adapted to test different sizes and types of motors.

It is common practice in the manufacture of electric motors to individually test newly manufactured motors under load to verify proper motor performance and to identify any of a number of potential defects which may have occurred in the manufacturing process. In conventional practice, the armature of a motor under test is connected to a dynamometer, and the motor windings are energized at a typical operating point. The motor voltage, current, power factor, and the like are typically measured and compared to limit values to generate a pass/fail indication for the motor.
With the above-described test procedure, the dynamometers must be carefully calibrated and aligned in order to prevent unwarranted motor fail indications. This, of course, can be very costly and time consuming.

Motor testing apparatus utilizing inertial loading


A joint comprising a pillow ball having a spherical portion, a bearing for rotatably supporting the spherical portion, and a housing for housing the bearing. The housing has therein a housing bore having a first step for contacting one end of the bearing, a large bore contiguous to the housing bore via a second step, and an attaching bore contiguous to the large bore for receiving a dustproof covering. The depth of the first step is substantially equal to the axial length of the bearing. The joint further comprises an annular plug inserted into the large bore. The annular plug has a taper tapering off toward the side opposite to the housing bore, and the annular plug is pressed and secured onto the second step by caulking or deforming the inside of the housing to fit the taper. The annular plug and the bearing are thus prevented from coming out of the large bore and the housing bore, respectively. The composing members of the joint are simple in their structure and can be easily manufactured and assembled. After the joint is inserted into a mounting hole in a link mechanism, the caulked periphery of the housing is protected from the outside, thus enhancing the corrosion resistance of the joint.

This invention relates to a joint for rotatably connecting a vehicle suspension arm or other link mechanism.
Conventionally, in a joint a snap ring is attached to a groove formed in a mounting hole of a housing so as to prevent a bearing from coming out of the mounting hole in the housing. However, the gap interposed between the snap ring and the groove causes backlashes while the gap in the snap ring impairs the rigidity of the joint. Furthermore, the groove must be so narrow for holding the snap ring that the groove is difficult to form in the mounting hole of the housing, thus increasing the manufacturing costs.
To solve this problem Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. S64-6512 proposes a joint comprising a plug engaged in a groove. The plug comprises an annular portion and a cylindrical portion. The end of the annular portion contacts the end of a bearing, and the cylindrical portion extends diametrically outward from the outer peripheral edge of the annular portion and stands along the axis of the housing. This prior art proposes another joint, in which the plug is first engaged in a stepped bore and the end of the cylindrical portion of the plug is then caulked, thus preventing the bearing from inadvertently disengaging from the mounting hole in the housing.
In this prior art the inner periphery of the housing still requires the groove for receiving the plug, and the problem is that such groove is difficult to form and manufacture. In another joint of the prior art, after the plug is engaged in the stepped bore, the end of the cylindrical portion is caulked, so that the bearing is securely held in the housing. If a galvanizing process or other surface treatment precedes the caulking process, the galvanized plate on the caulked portion would peel off, thus deteriorating the corrosion resistance of the joint. Therefore, the caulking process needs to precede the surface treatment. If the caulked portion of the plug is pressured to fit the joint onto the link mechanism, the caulked portion may not be able to resist the pressure directed thereto because of its thinness, thus decreasing the strength of the joint. The joint must be carefully assembled into the link mechanism so that the caulked portion of the plug can resist the pressure required for such assembling.

Pillow ball joint and method of making the joint

TRW Steering & Industrial Products (Japan) Co., Ltd.


A method of boring a tunnel through a stratum utilizing a shield tunneling apparatus, the process comprising the injection into the stratum at the cutting face of an aqueous material comprising (a) from 0.005-0.05% by weight of a polyethylene oxide of weight-average molecular weight from 2,000,000 to 8,000,000 (b) from 0.05-0.5% by weight of a sulphate-containing anionic surfactant. The method is effective even in difficult soils.

This invention relates to tunnel boring and to compositions for use therein.
Shield tunnel boring machines are increasingly used in the boring of tunnels, because they offer many advantages such as the ability to bore in a wide variety of strata. A shield boring machine comprises a circular rotatable cutting head mounted on a cylindrical shield of similar diameter such that its axis of rotation coincides with the longitudinal axis of the shield. Within the shield there are contained means for feeding materials to the cutting head and means for conveying away the soil. Such machines perform well when the strata through which a tunnel is being bored is relatively hard and firm, but they do not perform so well in soft and crumbly strata which can make soil removal very difficult. One way of seeking to overcome this problem is to apply a consolidation agent to the soil via the cutting head. This stabilises the soil, allowing boring to be more easily effected and the soil to be more easily removed.
Known stabilising agents have included bentonite slurrys and polymer suspensions. These can lead to problems in certain soils, largely because they increase the soil water content appreciably. Some soils (such as clays) can become sticky and difficult to remove and clog up the cutting head, resulting in a substantial loss in efficiency. In a more recent development, polymer foams have been suggested. These have the advantage that considerably less fluid is placed in the soil per given volume. A typical foam formulation will comprise a foaming agent and a foam stabilising agent, the latter generally a surfactant. Thus, in operation, the foam is injected from ports in the cutting head into the face being bored.
It has now been found that a particular foaming material gives especially efficaceous results. The invention therefore provides a method of boring a tunnel through a stratum by means of a shield tunnelling apparatus, the process comprising the injection into the stratum at the cutting face of an aqueous material comprising
(a) from 0.005-0.05% by weight of a polyethylene oxide of weight-average molecular weight from 2,000,000 to 8,000,000; and
(b) from 0.05-0.5% by weight of a sulphate-containing anionic surfactant.
The invention additionally provides a foaming material, comprising
(a) from 0.005-0.05% by weight of a polyethylene oxide of weight-average molecular weight from 2,000,000 to 8,000,000; and
(b) from 0.05-0.5% by weight of a sulphate-containing anionic surfactant.
The invention additionally provides the use of a foaming material as hereinabove defined in the conveying of soil from the cutting face of a shield tunnelling apparatus.
Polyethylene oxides (PEO) are well-known items of commerce and a suitable material may be selected from the wide range available. Typical examples are the xe2x80x9cPolyoxxe2x80x9d (trade mark) materials of Union Carbide. The anionic surfactant may be selected from any such sulphate-containing surfactant known to the art. A particularly preferred type is polyoxyalkylene alkyl ether sulphate, where the polyalkyleneoxide chain has an average chain length of 2-3 alkylene oxide units. Typical commercial materials include the xe2x80x9cAlscopexe2x80x9d (trade mark) series of Toho Chemical Industry Co.
Preferably the quantities of PEO and surfactant present are from 0.02 to 0.04% and from 0.15 to 0.4% by weight, respectively. Most preferably, the PEO quantity is from 0.030-0.04%.
The rest of the aqueous material is generally water, but other art-recognised ingredients (such as biocides and complexing agents) can be added in art-recognised quantities. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the aqueous material additionally comprises urea, to the extent of from 0.03-0.8%, preferably 0.06-0.25% by weight. The invention therefore also provides a tunnelling foaming additive consisting essentially of polyethylene oxide, sulphate-containing anionic surfactant and urea and water.
Another especially useful ingredient is a foam improver. Foam improvers are materials which are well known in the art for their ability to stabilise foams. They are typically amines with long fatty acid chains derived from natural fats and oils, for example coconut oil.
The aqueous material may be prepared and stored in advance as a single material, but it is preferred to provide it as two components which are mixed prior to use. In this case, one component comprises PEO and surfactant, and the other is a dilute aqueous solution of PEO, typically at a weight concentration of from 0.007-0.015%, preferably from 0.0150-0.06%. Both of course contain sufficient water to ensure that they are sufficiently fluid, and sufficient of the essential ingredients to give on mixing proportions of the size listed hereinabovexe2x80x94appropriate mixtures with respect to molecular weights and proportions are readily determined. The water content of the aqueous material should be such that it has a viscosity as measured by the Bohlin System 3 apparatus, using spindle 1 of from 600-1200 mPa.s., and in the case of the two component embodiment, the water contents of the individual components should be such as to achieve this. The two-component embodiment is exceptionally storage-stable.
In operation, the aqueous material is supplied to the machine, where it is diluted to typically a 3% solution of total aqueous material in water and foamed by conventional means and injected into the tunnel face via ports in the cutting head. In addition, foam can also be injected from ports in the shield to strengthen the tunnel walls.


A system for certifying provenance of an alcoholic beverage includes a radio-frequency identification tag and a server. The radio-frequency identification tag, associated with a bottle containing an alcoholic beverage, periodically measures a plurality of values of an environmental condition of the bottle. The radio-frequency identification tag stores the plurality of measured values. The server receives the plurality of measured values for analysis. The server provides, via a user interface, a description of a provenance of the alcoholic beverage, the description generated responsive to an analysis of the plurality of measured values.

Each year, 38 billion bottles of wine are produced in the world. The most critical component of certifiable value to the consumer, provenance (typically defined as authenticity, traceability and knowledge of storage temperatures), is anecdotal at best, and unverifiable. When a winemaker ships wine to a consumer, there are various intermediaries between the wine maker and the end consumer, including master distributors, negociants, importers, wholesalers, wine retailers and restaurants. Many of these entities are customers of the previous entity in this distribution channel and in between them all are various forms of shippers and movers. Untracked temperature fluctuations during transport can harm the quality of this asset, yet no standard methods for temperature monitoring exist through this process. Wine producers care profoundly about the quality of their wines—it is the mainstay of the value of their brand. Yet they have had no way to consistently monitor the care given to their products in transit.
Furthermore, as fine wine increases in value, the sophistication of counterfeiting efforts grows, more and more counterfeit bottles are appearing, and many of these counterfeits go undiscovered. As it becomes more difficult, especially for the average wine consumer, to discern authentic from counterfeit, the need for winemakers to protect their brand, by enabling consumers to feel sure that they have an authentic bottle, mounts.
Additionally, counterfeit bottles are disruptive to the secondary markets such as fine wine auctions. Increasing amounts of testing are required for participation in fine wine auctions, especially by the more well known houses, such as Sotheby's. Many auctions planned over long periods of time have had to be cancelled or modified due to the unexpected discovery of counterfeit bottles in a collector's cellar. The ensuing legal battles from these discoveries result in negative publicity for all involved and may reduce the number of participants in fine wine auctions.
Counterfeiting is a serious issue among spirits as well as wines. The spirits market consists of the sale of brandy, gin & genever, liqueurs, rum, specialty spirits, tequila & mezcal, vodka and whisky. The global spirits market generated total revenues of $179.7 billion in 2005. Exports of all European spirits such as whisky and vodka to China reached 200m in 2007, from just 8m in 1999. In November of 2007, a quarter of all spirits brands claiming to be of European origin now sold in China are counterfeit, according to Jamie Fortescue, director general of the European Spirits Organisation. Fortesque stresses that the problem of fake brands is not unique to China—or for that matter Asia—by adding that there were also growing concerns regarding counterfeiting of alcohol in many Eastern European nations among others.
Manufacturing similar-looking counterfeit bottles, labels and capsules is also a common practice. In this case, a high-volume manufacturing operation produces a counterfeit alcoholic beverage and fills the counterfeit bottles, complete with counterfeit labels and capsules, with the counterfeit beverage. It may be difficult to distinguish a counterfeit bottle and its contents from an authentic bottle and its contents without opening the bottle and analysing the contents.
Refilling authentic spirits bottles with counterfeit beverages is a frequently used method in the counterfeiting of spirits. Conventional methods to validate content have to this point required chemical testing and typically require opening the bottle. Counterfeit spirits often include considerable health issues as substances such as methanol are known to be used in the production of the counterfeit beverages. Methanol can create health issues such as severe abdominal pain, drowsiness, dizziness, blurred vision leading to blindness, and coma with breathing difficulties. The symptoms of methanol poisoning can be delayed for several hours further obfuscating cause and effect conclusions.
Spirits can have considerably higher alcohol content than wine; some even in the 30% range. As such "freezing" temperatures are less of an issue with spirits than with wines, but temperature-controlled containers for shipping are still required for most spirits especially in warmer climates and seasons to avoid issues with heat. Spirits, like wines, can be "cooked" at higher temperatures.

Methods and systems for certifying provenance of alcoholic beverages


A conductor lifter adapted to be mounted to a tower for temporarily supporting an energized conductor comprises a support arm having a base end and an opposite cantilevered end and a crank arm pivotally mounted on the cantilevered end, the crank arm having lower and upper crank arms. A first actuator is coupled to the support arm, and an elongate member is mounted to, so as to extend between, the upper crank arm and a first driver of the first actuator so as to rotate the crank arm about the pivotal coupling when the first actuator is actuated. A lower end of the lower crank arm is selectively elevatable by a second actuator relative to the upper crank arm so as to elevate a conductor when held by a conductor retainer on an insulator mounted to the lower crank arm. A method for using the conductor lifter is also provided.

As recognized by Pigott et al in U.S. Pat. No. 6,434,810, which issued Aug. 20, 2002 for a Method for High Voltage Power Line Repair, high voltage power lines have been constructed to extend from spaced towers high above terrain which is practically inaccessible to land vehicles. As such, a number of methods and devices have been developed to facilitate the repair of high voltage power lines by helicopter, where such power lines are suspended from each support tower by elongate insulators. Pigott et al describe that such helicopter-facilitated repairs have been extremely difficult and time consuming to perform, in that the tension on the power line must be broken so that the line can be lifted out of its support shoe to facilitate the line repair. In an attempt to alleviate this problem, linemen have tried to winch the line upward from the crossbar at the top of the tower.
Consequently, Pigott et al teach temporarily attaching a template to the yoke plate, which supports a plurality of power lines, so as to receive and position winch lines on opposite sides of the yoke plate directly above a power line. The winch lines are described as extending from the template to a hand winch, and from the hand winch to attachments with the power line on opposite sides of the yoke plate. The winch lines are described as extending downwardly to connections with the power line spaced outwardly on opposite sides of the yoke plate, and that the winch lines are used to draw the power line upwardly towards the template so as to raise the power line out of contact with the yoke plate.
Thus Pigott et al addresses generally the problem to which the present disclosure is addressed; namely, that, because maintenance and refurbishment of critical transmission and distribution lines often requires the lines to remain energized and operational during the maintenance procedures, this requires the conductors to remain live while being temporarily relocated and remain thus insulated from ground and other conductors so as to provide a safe working zone when the energized conductor has been temporarily relocated, allowing safe replacement of hardware, insulators in the working zone or the placement of new conductors. Pigott et al also address the problem that it is often impractical to move cranes or other ground-based support vehicles adjacent to the tower or other energized conductor supporting structures to facilitate the support and relocation of the energized conductor to allow maintenance and refurbishment. Examples of ground-based support vehicles and attachments to ground-based support vehicles, such as cranes, are found for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,538,207 which issued Jul. 23, 1996, to Devine et al for a Boom Mountable Robotic Arm; U.S. Pat. No. 6,837,671, which issued Jan. 4, 2005 to Devine et al for an Apparatus for Precisely Manipulating Elongate Objects Adjacent to and Such as Energized Overhead High Voltage Transmission Lines; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,535,132 which issued May 19, 2009 to Devine et al for a Live Conductor Stringing and Splicing Method and Apparatus.
In the prior art, applicant is also aware of U.S. Pat. No. 1,235,999, which issued Aug. 7, 1917 to Neeley for a Repair Device for High Voltage Electric Transmission Lines. Neeley describes a device adapted to be utilized by workmen for replacing broken or damaged insulators which carry overhead electric conductors, and for effecting an immediate attachment of the line wires to the insulators, even where the wires are live or charged with current. By way of background, Neeley states that overhead lines for conducting electricity generally embody a support consisting of a pull and one or more cross arms, insulators applied to the cross arm at opposite sides of the pole, and live wires attached through the medium of the insulators to the support, and that an important feature in the repairing or upkeep of such lines resides in the renewal or replacement of insulators, which may become damaged or broken. To provide for this, Neeley discloses a repair device for high voltage electric transmission lines which includes a saddle adapted to be adjustably positioned on a cross arm, a pin removably seated in the lower portion of the saddle for retaining the saddle on the cross arm, a loop pivotally connected to the pin to one side of the saddle, a lever carried by the loop, an insulator carried by one end of the lever, and a wire engaging member on the insulator.

Method and apparatus for providing temporary support and a means for relocating energized electrical conductors


The invention relates to the development of a carrier material providing high surface area for biofilm formation in wastewater treatment plants and a carrier material surface modification method for accelerating and enriching biofilm formation.

Wastewater cannot be discharged to receiving environments like rivers, lakes or seas without being treated due to its high content of organic matter, nutrients and micropollutants. Most of the domestic and industrial wastewater is mainly treated with biological treatment processes using microorganisms. The biological treatment process to be used depends on the wastewater characteristics, the quality of the water to be discharged and the environmental conditions. Treatment efficiency is affected by the number and residence time of the microorganisms retained in the reactor. With the increase in the number of active microorganisms, the treatment efficiency increases and the reactor volume decreases. A major part of the current biological treatment systems comprises conventional active sludge systems where microorganisms grow in suspension. In these systems, microorganisms move freely in flocs, and the pollutants in water are broken down by the microorganisms in aerobic or anaerobic environments. At the next step, microorganisms are separated from the water phase and so, the biological treatment phase is completed. In these systems, in order to keep the biomass concentration at a certain level, the microorganisms separated at sedimentation phase are sent back to the biological reactor to a large extent. As a result, surface areas of sedimentation tanks get large, and a significant hydraulic capacity is used for the return activated sludge. Another treatment method using microorganisms is, biofilm systems where microorganisms proliferate by attaching to a surface inside the reactor, which provides advantage in the separation of water phase and biomass and allows the retention of the biomass in the reactor to a large extent. Biofilm is a complex community of bacterial cells attaching to each other and to a surface. Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) produced by microorganisms play an active role in attachment. EPSs in a biofilm serve as a kind of protective barrier against external effects for microorganisms in the biofilm and this allows the bacterial community, living in the biofilm, to be more resistant to toxic pollutants. Microbial extracellular polymeric substances are composed of molecules with high molecular weight such as polysaccharides, DNA, proteins, lipids and humic acids (Flemming & Wingender, 2010). EPSs secreted by microorganisms play a role in attachment to surface, which is the first step of biofilm formation, and subsequently in colony formation, and also affect the structure and stability of the microbial community. EPS formation and composition are affected by many factors such as wastewater characteristics (carbon/nitrogen ratio, pH, ionic strength, toxic substance concentration, etc.) and reactor operating conditions (sludge age and hydraulic retention time, dissolved oxygen concentration and shearing forces).
Conventional biofilm systems include trickling filters in which stone and large block materials are used as surfaces on a fixed bed. Even though these systems have various advantages specific to biofilm systems, due to some disadvantages like clogging over time due to particles and/or biofilm formation in wastewater, dead space formation, efficiency loss and limited application capacity, they have not been commonly used. However, in the last two decades, along with the development of plastic carrier elements, moving bed biofilm treatment systems, combining the advantages of suspension and biofilm systems, have started to become widespread. Moving bed biofilm reactors are basically composed of a diffuser system to meet the oxygen need in the biological reactor and to make a mixture, a mechanical mixer for use in case of treatment under anoxic conditions and/or anaerobic conditions, carrier elements and a sieve to keep carrier elements in the reactor. In moving bed biofilm treatment systems, the carrier element used as surface for biofilm development is suspended and in motion in the reactor. So, problems such as clogging, dead spaces and decrease of treatment efficiency encountered in conventional biofilm systems such as trickling filters are eliminated. Moving bed biofilm systems allow the coexistence of biofilms and microorganisms growing in suspension, and the amount of biomass retained in the reactor can be increased. Thus, both the reactor volume and the dimensions of the sedimentation tanks can be smaller. Compared to conventional activated sludge systems, biofilm systems have the advantages of high tolerance to shock loads and load fluctuations, high adaptability to low temperatures, strength against toxic pollutants and application of high loads in smaller volumes. However, due to the facts that biofilm attachment to carrier element surface and colony formation take a long time, that the first biofilm formation can be fragile, and therefore, it can come apart as a whole negatively affect the start-up period of biofilm systems, and it may take too long for the system to stabilize and reach steady state conditions. Especially, some studies indicate that the start-up period in which biofilm attachment and colony formation take place at low temperatures, can take up to half a year (Hu, He, Yu, Liu, & Zhang, 2017).
In wastewater treatment plants, carrier elements can be employed both as fixed beds in anaerobic treatment systems and as the basic elements of treatment technologies with moving bed biofilm systems such as MBBR (mixed bed biofilm reactor) and IFAS (integrated fixed-film activated sludge); and they can be used to increase the capacities of existing biological wastewater treatment plants. In moving bed systems, to create a high surface area, generally 40-60% of the biological reactor volume is filled with carrier element (Huang et al., 2017; Mannina et al., 2017; Young et al., 2017) and a period of time is waited for biofilm formation after adding inoculum sludge. There are studies in the literature about the effect of the amount of carrier element and its ratio in total volume, on treatment performance and material transfer. These studies report that the carrier element ratio in the reactor has a positive effect on performance and oxygen transfer, up to an optimum value, and that however as the optimum ratio is exceeded, the mixing conditions in the reactor deteriorate and consequently the oxygen transfer and treatment efficiency are negatively affected (Barwal & Chaudhary, 2015; Jing, Feng, & Li, 2009; Gu, Sun, Wu, Li, & Qiu, 2014). Accordingly, the use of carrier elements with high effective specific surface area can both reduce the total amount of carrier element and contribute to the improvement of mixing conditions.
There are many carrier elements developed for use in wastewater treatment and moving bed systems. Some of them are cylindrical carriers (U.S. Pat. No. 5,543,039A), cylindrical carriers with spiral blades (US005783069A), circular carriers with very low carrier height and diameter ratio or honeycomb-form carriers (U.S. Pat. No. 7,189,323 B2), wave-form carriers (US 2016/0376175 A1), carriers made of filament yarns (WO 2017/144928 A1), fiber ball carriers (CN203715362U) and foam coated rubber parts (EP-A-0 142 123). The patent application numbered US 2012/0037551 A1 refers to carriers in cubic form made of textile, and the biofilm growth chambers at the center of these carriers are open only in two directions.
Unlike the cubic-form carrier in the patent numbered US 2012/0037551 A1, the cubic configuration in this invention has interlocking three-way open and three-channel biofilm growth chambers in the center, to support substrate and oxygen transfer.
While some carriers are made up of yarn and fiber, most of the carrier materials used in treatment plants are generally made up of plastic materials like PVC and polyethylene which are economical and whose specific gravities are close to water.
It is known that, due to friction of materials to each other, biofilm attachment on outer surfaces of the carrier element remains limited, and the outer surface cannot be used efficiently. On the contrary, an outer surface designed to be protective against impacts, chambers inside the carrier element and their surfaces provide convenient surfaces for biofilm attachment. The form of the outer surface of the carrier element is also important for the movement of the carrier in water. For instance, the existence of protrusions (fins) and/or recesses, along with the move of air bubbles and water, may help the carrier element make rotational (turning) movements in water, which might make it easier to transfer oxygen, substrate and nutrients into the biofilm. While clogging cases can be reduced owing to the open pores in the carrier element, the interaction of the biofilm attached to surfaces with oxygen and contaminants in the wastewater can be improved. Although the cylindrical-type carrier elements are efficient in terms of treatment performance, the effective specific surface area (m2/m3) of the existing carriers is limited. By increasing the effective specific surface area of these carriers, the wastewater loading rate can be increased, the amount of carrier element to be used can be reduced, and the mixing conditions can be improved. However, as in the patent document EP0750591, the carrier elements with greatly increased surface areas generally have small dimensions and small gaps in the material and frequently experience clogging problems and dead spaces in biofilm formation. It is possible to experience clogging problem especially in wastewaters containing particles of fiber and cellulose. Another important matter related to the carrier element is the ratio of the effective specific surface area to the total specific surface area. A small ratio means that a significant part of the area is inefficient. Therefore, attention must be paid both to the effective specific surface area and to its ratio in the total specific surface area.
Biofilm amount attached to carrier surface and biofilm stability vary depending on surface properties, wastewater characteristics and reactor operation conditions (Piculell, Maria, 2016). Generally, biofilm is fragile during its first attachment to a surface, and consequently, peeling-type biofilm ruptures (as a whole) can be experienced and the reactor efficiency can be affected negatively (Hu et al., 2017). The attachment stage, which is the first stage of biofilm formation, has a decisive effect on the adhesion and structure of biofilm in later stages (Busscher & Van Der Mei, 1995).
There are limited number of studies on the effect of carrier element geometry on removal efficiency. In one of these studies, it is reported that the material length and biofilm thickness of a carrier element are effective on inhibition exposure, and a biofilm on short carriers is more exposed to inhibition (Garcia, 2015).
Generally, microorganisms have a negative surface charge, so they tend to attach more easily to positively charged surfaces. In a recent study, it is shown that modification of the surface of the carrier element (high density polyethylene, HDPE) with positively charged polymers (polyquaternium-10, PQAS-10, and cationic polyacrylamides, CPAM) shortens the biofilm attachment time and provides biofilm enrichment (Mao et al., 2017). Besides, surface properties such as surface roughness, hydrophobicity of the surface and surface energy are also among the factors affecting microbial attachment. Microorganisms tend to adhere preferably to hydrophobic surfaces (Rosenberg and Kjelleberg 1986; Donlan, 2002; Thomas et al., 2004; Harmsen et al., 2010). Accordingly, surface modification can be an attractive option to control biofilm formation. By accelerating biofilm attachment, the long acclimation time, which makes it difficult to start biofilm systems especially in cold regions, can be shortened (Hu et al., 2017). Also, with the stability of the attached biofilm, peeling-type ruptures can be prevented, the treatment efficiency can be stabilized and even, the amount of carrier element needed can be reduced. Currently, there is no method employed to accelerate biofilm formation and/or to increase biofilm stability on the surface of the carrier element used in wastewater treatment plants. Considering the capacities of wastewater treatment plants, the economical and easy application of the method to be developed is highly important owing to the possibilities in transferring the invention to industry and practice.

Carrier element for wastewater treatment and carrier element modification method

TURKIYE BILIMSEL VE TEKNOLOJIK ARASTIRMA KURUMU (TUBITAK)


A transcoding method and apparatus having an input former, a requantizer, a buffer, a prediction processor, and a composite switch. The transcoder has multiple feedback paths routed through the composite switch that are selected depending upon system requirements. The input former can further include an inverse quantizer, a summer, and a selector. The selector connects different signal paths in the transcoder depending upon the coding mode of the input bitstream. The buffer can include a frame buffer, a QP buffer, and a comparator for generating a control signal. Further features of the transcoding method and apparatus include a frequency weighted thresholder and a computation resource manager.

This invention relates to transcoders, and particularly to digital video transcoders for real time conversion between a first and a second coding scheme.
Due to the fast advances in digital technology and VLSI (very large scale integration) technology and the acceptance of international standards, digital video now finds applications in many areas. For example, multimedia, videoconferencing and videotelephony applications all utilize digital video. In each of these applications, occasions exist where data representing moving picture television or sound must be transmitted over long distances via a transmission link. Transmitting the data in digital form, however, requires high bandwidth communication channels and is expensive. To overcome these disadvantages, various techniques have been designed to compress the digitized video data and to reduce the bit rate required to transmit the coded video signals.
Video compression techniques reduce the amount of data being transmitted by allowing for an acceptable degree of degradation in picture quality. Possible correlations that can be exploited to compress the digital data include the spatial correlations among neighboring pixels in an image and the temporal correlation between successive images. For instance, transform techniques reduce the amount of information needed to code a particular frame by removing the statistical redundancy among neighboring samples using prediction methods. One known form of data compression employs predictive coders where an original sample is predicted based upon past samples and a prediction error (the difference between the original and the predicted samples). Predictive coders can be used for speech, image, or video compression.
The state-of-the-art for video compression is the hybrid coding method where predictive encoding is used in reducing temporal redundancy and transform coding is used in eliminating spatial correlation. The ITU-T, H.261 and H.263 recommendations employ this hybrid coding technique to achieve data compression. The H.261 and H.263 guidelines suggest utilizing motion-compensated prediction for temporal prediction, and discrete cosine transforms (DCT) for spatial domain processing. The coded data stream can be reconstituted into a series of video signals by a compatible decoder which decompresses the coded data stream.
FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a hybrid video encoder 10. According to the ITU-T recommendations, the video input and output consists of individual frames coded in either Common Intermediate Format (hereinafter "CIF") or Quarter Common Intermediate Format (hereinafter "QCIF"). Each frame of the video signal has one luminance component (Y) and two chrominance components (Cb and Cr). Typically, the chrominance components have only half of the resolution of the their luminance counterpart. For example, for a CIF video, the Y component has 288 lines of 352 pixels while the Cb and Cr only have 144 lines of 176 pixels.
To encode a video frame, the frame is first segmented into non-overlapping square blocks. Each of the non-overlapping square blocks is called a macroblock (hereinafter "MB"), and the size of the macroblocks is N.times.N for luminance components and is (N/2).times.(N/2) for chrominance components, where N is a predetermined integer. A typical value for N is 16.
The encoder of FIG. 1 shows that each MB can be coded either in the intra mode or in the inter mode. In the so-called intra mode, the input MB is directly fed to the transformer by a switch S1. Intra mode coding is selected to aid in combating transmission error propagation resulting from predictive systems or when there is no similar part in the previous video frame for prediction. Inter mode coding is normally selected to provide for data compression using predictive coding.
When the encoder codes the input video in the inter mode, the encoder searches for a N.times.N block of data in the previously decoded frame that minimizes a predetermined error function. This N.times.N block of data, called the prediction macroblock, is retrieved from a frame buffer by a motion compensator. The encoder then forms a prediction error macroblock by finding the difference between the input MB and the prediction MB at a summer. A transformer then transforms the prediction error macroblock output by the summer. The output of the transformer is then quantized by a quantizer. Typically, an entropy coder completes the encoding of the video data, and an output buffer smoothes out the variation in bit generation to achieve the desired bitrate for the output channel. An inverse quantizer is also coupled with the output of the quantizer. The inverse quantizer and an inverse transformer return the signal to its original format. This allows the outputs of the inverse transformer and the motion compensator to be summed and stored in a frame buffer for coding of the next frame.
Further aspects of inter mode coding provide for skipped Macroblocks. Skipped, or non-coded, Macroblocks are formed when the prediction error is so small that after quantization, all the coefficients are quantized to zeroes and the motion vectors associated with the MB are zero. In H.261 format, the skipped MBs can be coded by differentially coding the macroblock address (MBA). For example, if an MBA of 3 is received for the current non-skipped MB is received, then it suggests that the previous 2 MB are skipped. In H.263, 1 bit is used to signal if the current MB is coded or not. If it is 1, then the current MB is skipped. If it's 0, then the current MB is non-skipped (or coded).
FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram schematic of a decoder 20 known in the art. It may be viewed as a subset of the corresponding encoder shown in FIG. 1. An input buffer of the decoder buffers the incoming binary bit stream, and an entropy decoder decodes the coding mode, motion vectors and transform coefficients in the incoming bit stream. An inverse quantizer then inverse quantizes the transform coefficients, and an inverse transformer transforms the quantized coefficients. With the aid and direction of the decoded mode information and motion vector, a prediction loop generates an output video signal from the output of the inverse transformer. The prediction loop includes a summer that adds the output of the inverse transformer and the motion compensator to generate the output video signal, a frame buffer for storing and retrieving the output video signal, and a motion compensator for adjusting the signal from the frame buffer according to the motion vector.
When an encoder-decoder pair are attached to the ends of the same communication channel, such as a network, the encode and decode system accurately transmits the digital data over the communication channel. However, in real applications, there are many situations where the two terminals are attached to different communication channels. Communication channels may have different operating rates or characteristics that complicate the encoding and decoding of the digital data. For example, FIG. 3 illustrate a communication system having a first video terminal connected to network 1 and operating at rate 1, and a second video terminal connected to network 2 and operating at rate 2. A bridge device, having a transcoder, must be used to allow terminal 1 to talk to terminal 2. The bridge device performs both network protocol conversion and video transcoding. Such a bridge device is commonly referred to as a multipoint control unit (MCU) if more than two terminals are involved in a conference.
Transcoders convert the incoming rate of the bit stream into a rate acceptable to the decoding or output end of the bit stream. Transcoders can be used to change the rate of a digital video bit stream in a network, or to convert one video compression format to another. Additionally, transcoders can convert a constant bit rate stream into a variable bit rate stream to save bandwidth through statistical multiplexing. Another important application of transcoding involves multipoint videoconferencing where transcoders mix video signals together for continuous presence teleconferencing.
FIG. 4 illustrates a transcoder formed by cascading a video decoder with a video encoder. The decoder decodes the input bit stream into pixel data, and the encoder encodes the intermediate video into the output bit stream with the desired algorithm and bitrate. This transcoder introduces processing delay and requires significant implementation complexity.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a more efficient video transcoder as disclosed in: (1.) Eyuboglu, U.S. Pat. No. 5,537,440; (2.) M. Yong, Q.-F. Zhu, and V. Eyuboglu, "VBR transport of CBR encoded video over ATM networks," Sixth Int. Workshop on Packet Video, Sept. 1994; and (3.) D. G. Morrison, M. E. Nilsson and M. Ghanbari, "Reduction of the bit-rate of compressed video while in its coded form," Sixth Int. Workshop on Packet Video, Sept. 1994. As shown in FIG. 5, a modified version S.sub.i of the quantinization error vector is subtracted from a received quantized vector Y.sub.i to form a difference vector E.sub.i '. The difference vector E.sub.i ' is requantized to obtain the transcoded vector Y.sub.i '. A quantinization error vector calculator then computes the inverse transformed quantinization error vector d.sub.i equal to A.sub.i.sup.-1 D.sub.i '!, where D.sub.i '=Y.sub.i '-E.sub.i ' is the quantinization error vector and A.sub.i .sup.-1 is an inverse transformation. A modifying circuitry determines the modified quantinization error vector S.sub.i based on the past vectors d.sub.i '. The modifying circuitry can include a transformer, a motion compensator, and a frame buffer. The frame buffer stores past values of the vectors d.sub.i '.
The approach illustrated in FIG. 5, however, does not fully account for the processing of skipped macroblocks. This transcoder can allow noise introduced during the transcoding of past frames to remain in the image signal of a skipped macroblock. This effect creates low quality image signals that represent the background in a video signal. Additionally, the transcoder shown in FIG. 5 fails to provide for a feedback path that does not require motion compensation.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide for a more efficient and cost effective transcoder.
A particular object of the invention is to effectively provide for the processing of skipped macroblocks.
Another object of the invention is to provide a transcoder having a plurality of feedback paths.
These and other objects of the invention are evident in the following description.

Device and method for digital video transcoding


A belt retractor having ELR and ALR modes of operation is disclosed. The retractor comprises a sensor pawl movable between a released and a locked position with one or more teeth of a ratchet wheel rotatable with a spool of the retractor; the sensor pawl forming part of both ELR and ALR locking mechanisms. A spring biased first lever is rotatable to a first position and when in the first position urges the sensor pawl toward engagement with the ratchet wheel. The lever is movable to a second position, which permits the sensor pawl to move away from the ratchet wheel teeth thereby preventing the retractor from entering into its ALR mode of operation. The lever, when in its second position, biases the sensor pawl into engagement with a cooperating inertial mass that is part of a vehicle sensitive locking mechanism of the seat belt retractor. This bias force operative on the sensor pawl is effective to limit the motion of the inertial mass to lessen or eliminate vibrational movement of the inertial mass relative to the sensor pawl and movement relative to a support basket or support structure that holds the inertial mass thereby lessening acoustic and vibrational noise created by the movement and rattling of the sensor pawl and/or inertial mass.

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/609,745, filed on Sep. 14, 2004. The disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates generally to safety restraint systems for motor vehicles. More specifically, the present invention is directed to an improved seat belt retractor having both ELR and ALR functionality.
As known in the art, ELR means an emergency locking retractor, which typically includes one or more inertial locking mechanisms, as more particularly illustrated in European Patent application EP0228729A1, which is incorporated herein by reference. The typical ELR seat belt retractor includes both a vehicle sensitive locking mechanism and a web sensitive locking mechanism. Often the vehicle sensitive locking mechanism and the web sensitive locking mechanism share common parts, which results in a more cost-effective seat belt retractor.
Quite often, the vehicle sensitive locking mechanism includes a first housing member that is rotationally mounted relative to a side of the retractor frame as well as to the retractor spool. This first housing member is called, in some literature, a lock cup. This first housing member supports a movable inertial mass configured as a ball or standing man. Sudden acceleration or acceleration in excess of a first limit value or severe rotation beyond a limit of the vehicle value causes movement of this inertial mass, which initiates lockup of the retractor. The first housing member typically includes a rotationally supported pawl, also referred to as a sensor pawl since it cooperates with the inertial mass. Movement of the inertial mass causes movement of the sensor pawl from a deactivated position to an activated position.
In the activated position the inertial pawl engages one or more teeth of a ratchet wheel; the ratchet wheel is loosely supported for rotation about the rotational axis of the spool and rotationally movable with the retractor spool. The engagement of the sensor pawl with the ratchet wheel links the ratchet wheel to the spool, which causes the lock cup member to rotate with the rotating spool. The rotation of the lock cup in concert with the rotation of the spool causes a lock pawl to move into engagement with the one or more teeth of another ratchet wheel (also referred to as a lock wheel). The lock wheel and the ratchet wheel that cooperates with the sensor pawl can be the same part. Engagement of the lock pawl with the teeth of the lock wheel leads to the initial lockup of a typical seat belt retractor.
When the seat belt tongue is removed from a cooperating seat belt buckle, the extended seat belt (also called seat belt webbing or webbing) will be retracted onto the spool in response to a bias force typically provided by a rewind spring of known construction. The rewind spring will rewind all of the available seat belt webbing onto the spool, so that the seat: belt retractor is ready for its next use cycle. This condition is typically called the stowed condition, as the seat belt webbing is now stowed or rewound onto spool. In this mode of operation it is anticipated and often required that the ELR locking mechanisms are in a deactivated condition so that the seat belt webbing is free to be extended (protracted) or retracted without intervention of the ELR locking mechanisms, that is the vehicle sensitive or web sensitive locking mechanisms. Occasionally, as reported in literature, as the seat belt webbing is moved to the stowed position, the vehicle sensitive locking mechanism inadvertently will assume an undesirable locked condition, which prevents the seat belt from being easily extended from the retractor. Fortunately this condition is usually temporary. This is an undesirable condition, which is avoided in the present invention by biasing the sensor pawl, when the seat belt is in a stowed condition, away from the ratchet wheel, preventing such an inadvertent lock condition of the retractor. Also, if the retractor is mounted in a movable seat back, this feature will prevent the retractor from locking up as the seat back is moved.
As mentioned, it is also commonplace for an emergency locking seat belt retractor to include ALR functionality. When in the ALR mode of operation, the vehicle sensitive and web sensitive locking functions are bypassed. As known by those skilled in the art, ALR functionality of the seat belt retractor is typically activated as the seat belt webbing is secured about a child seat. As also known by those skilled in the art, the acronym ALR stands for automatically locking retractor. In most situations, to activate the ALR mode of operation, most if not all of the seat belt webbing is manually pulled out or protracted from the spool prior to the seat belt being placed about a child seat. Then the seat belt is released to envelop the child seat. As the last section of seat belt webbing is protracted from the spool, the prior art retractor enters its automatic locking mode (ALR) mode of operation.
ALR mechanisms often include one or more gear devices, which rotate with the retractor spool and which provide an effective measurement of the length of webbing that has been removed from the spool. As the webbing is pulled from the spool, the ALR mechanism typically presents a mechanical feature, which causes the retractor to enter into its automatic locking mode of operation. For example, the one such ALR mechanism as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,371, which is incorporated herein by reference, selectively biases an ALR pawl into engagement with a ratchet wheel on extension of the last section of the seat belt. Biasing the ALR pawl into the ratchet wheel initiates retractor lockup as provided by the vehicle sensitive locking mechanism. The seat belt retractor will remain in its ALR mode of operation as the length of protracted webbing is rewound on the spool and will return the retractor to its ELR mode of operation upon full retraction of the belt.
The ALR mechanism in the above-referenced patent includes a spring-loaded lever that is physically maintained out of engagement with the ALR pawl. More specifically, the spring-loaded member is biased onto an edge of a cam disk that rotates with the spool. After a predetermined number of spool rotations corresponding to the removal of virtually all of the webbing from the spool, the cam disk is rotated into a position to present a notch to the spring-loaded lever. Thereafter the spring-loaded lever falls into the notch, engages a surface of the ALR lever and moves the ALR pawl into engagement with one of the teeth of the ratchet wheel to initiate lock-up of the retractor.
In the present invention a single lever, in cooperation with other components, is used to control the locking mode (ELR/ALR) of the seat belt retractor. When the seat belt is fully stowed on the retractor spool, the lever is moved to a position that biases a sensor pawl upon a vehicle inertia mass to effectively block out the ELR mode of operation. Upon protraction of a small yet determinable amount of webbing, the retractor enters into an ELR mode of operation. During its normal mode of use, such as with some of the seat belt webbing protracted about the occupant, the retractor will remain in the ELR mode of operation, however, the ALR mode of operation is not accessible until after all of the seat belt has been pulled from the retractor.
This extension of the seat belt occurs when the seat belt is being placed, for example, about a child seat. In the ELR mode of operation the lever is displaced from the sensor pawl, and the sensor pawl and the vehicle inertia mass are permitted to move in response to vehicle dynamic conditions. In the ALR mode of operation the lever biases the sensor pawl into a cooperating ratchet wheel. The change into the automatic locking mode (ALR) is effective not upon the protraction of the last section of seat belt webbing but upon the initial angular rotation of the spool, in the direction of retraction from the fully protracted condition. Entering into the ALR mode of operation at the beginning of seat belt retraction causes less strain on the sensor pawl than when initiating the ALR mode on the full extension of the webbing.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved seat belt retractor.
Accordingly the invention comprises: a seat belt retractor having ELR and ALR modes of operation. The retractor comprises a sensor pawl movable between a release and a locked position with one or more teeth of a ratchet wheel rotatable with a spool of the retractor; the sensor pawl forms part of both ELR and ALR locking mechanisms. A spring biased first lever is movable between various positions in which the sensor pawl is enabled or disabled to effect ELR block-out, ELR operation and ALR operation. The lever is rotatable to a first position and when in the first position urges the sensor pawl toward engagement with the ratchet wheel, permitting ALR operation. The lever is movable to a second position, which urges the sensor pawl away from the ratchet wheel teeth thereby preventing the retractor from entering into its ELR mode of operation. The lever, when in its second position, biases the sensor pawl into engagement with a cooperating inertial mass that is part of a vehicle sensitive locking mechanism of the seat belt retractor. This bias force (operative on the sensor pawl) is effective to limit the motion of the inertial mass to lessen or eliminate vibrational movement of the inertial mass relative to the sensor pawl (as well as movement of the sensor pawl) and movement relative to a support basket or support structure that,holds the inertial mass, thereby lessening acoustic and vibrational noise created by the movement and rattling of the sensor pawl and/or inertial mass. When the lever is in a mid-position the sensor pawl and vehicle mass are free to move and the retractor is in its ELR mode of operation.
Many other objects and purposes of the invention will be clear from the following detailed description of the drawings.

Retractor with ALR mode of operation with vehicle sensor block-out