The present invention provides a method of radio resource allocation. The method comprises associating a plurality of mobile units with a corresponding plurality of scheduling states based on at least one radio resource parameter and at least one rule, associating each mobile unit with one allocation state based on the plurality of scheduling states associated with the mobile units, and allocating radio resource to at least one mobile units based on the allocation states.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to communication systems, and, more particularly, to wireless communication systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional wireless communication systems include one or more base stations, which may also be referred to as node-Bs or Access Network (AN), for providing wireless connectivity to one or more mobile units, which may also be referred to using terms such as user equipment, subscriber equipment, and Access Terminals (AT). Exemplary mobile units include cellular telephones, personal data assistants, smart phones, text messaging devices, laptop computers, desktop computers, and the like. A base station may provide wireless connectivity concurrently to one or more mobile units, such as the mobile units in a geographical area, or cell, associated with the base station. Each base station has a limited budget of radio resources that may be used to provide a wireless connectivity. Exemplary radio resources include total transmission power, available channel codes, time slots, modulation/coding sets, and the like.
Base stations typically include a radio resource management mechanism, such as a scheduler, which is used to allocate radio resources to the mobile units. Conventional radio resource management mechanisms may implement either efficiency-driven algorithms (e.g., a maximum rate scheduler) or fairness-driven algorithms (e.g., a round-robin scheduler). The efficiency-driven algorithms attempt to achieve the highest efficiency of radio resource usage, e.g., by allocating more radio resources to the mobile units that are able to support transmissions at the highest data rates. However, efficiency driven algorithms typically sacrifice fairness because mobile units that are unable to support high data transfer rates may not be allocated radio resources. Fairness-driven algorithms attempt to allocate the radio resources fairly, e.g., by allocating resources sequentially to each mobile unit having a wireless connection with the base station. However, fairness-driven algorithms methods may sacrifice efficiency because the base station may allocate radio resources to mobile units that have comparatively poor quality connections to the base station.
Conventional schedulers use mathematical models to allocate resources to mobile units. However, each base station is typically required to provide service to many mobile units and each mobile unit may have different (and potentially time variable) intra-user quality of service (QoS) requirements and inter-user quality of service requirements. These requirements may be difficult or impossible to model using mathematical formulae. Moreover, different application scenarios that may be implemented on the base station and/or the mobile unit may have different resource allocation requirements. Accommodating these application-dependent requirements may be difficult or impossible using current methods that implement a single mathematical model in the scheduling algorithm. What is more, resource scheduling policies or schemes from operators may dynamically adjust due to fast changing market motivations. Consequently, radio resource allocation algorithms based on mathematical models may sacrifice accuracy and/or flexibility, which may degrade the effectiveness and functionality of the radio resource allocation algorithms when applied to complex systems that may have time-variant requirements.

Fuzzy logic scheduler for radio resource management


A cement board screw a high thread that begins on the tapered end, extends onto the shank and terminates at a second axial location along the shank. The high thread defines a high peripheral edge, where a leading flank and a trailing flank meet at the high peripheral edge and together define a high thread angle that is between about thirty degrees and about fifty-five degrees. A low thread begins on the tapered end, extends onto the shank and terminates substantially at a first axial location along the shank such that an axial length of the low thread is less than an axial length of the high thread. The low thread includes a leading flank and a trailing flank that meet at a low peripheral edge and together define a low thread angle that is between about fifty degrees and about seventy degrees.

A typical screw configuration includes an elongated shank that extends between a driving head of the screw and a pointed end of the screw. At least part of the shank is helically threaded. Cement board screws with a variety of configurations are known. However, improvements are continuously sought.
It would be desirable to provide a cement board screw configuration that facilitates quick and effective installation with relatively low torque requirement and a resulting high resistance to pull-out after installation.


A portable electrical luminaire (1) having a supporting body (2) having an upper support end (2a) and having a lower support end (2b), having a lamp base (3) arranged on the upper support end (2a) for accommodating a luminous means (4), having a reflector (5) surrounding the lamp base (3) for indirect space illumination purposes, having a connection line (7) which is electrically connected to the lamp base (3) and having a connection plug (8) for connection to a power supply system (UAC), and having an electronic control device (11), which is designed to automatically limit the electrical power (P(t)) drawn from the power supply system (UAC) by the luminous means (4) to a predetermined value (Pmax).

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a portable electrical luminaire having a supporting body and having a reflector surrounding a lamp base for indirect space illumination purposes. It also relates to an electronic control device for such a luminaire.
2. Summary of the Invention
Such a portable electrical luminaire is known as a standard lamp or uplighter (torchiere lamp). In particular in the case of an uplighter or torchiere lamp, the portable electrical luminaire has, for example, a shell-shaped reflector which can be closed towards the floor of a room and open towards the ceiling of the room. As a result, a luminous means surrounded by the reflector and inserted in a lamp base produces upwardly or downwardly directed light radiation and thus indirect illumination. A halogen lamp is mainly used as the luminous means.
Such an uplighter generally has a supporting body in the form of a standard. The lamp base surrounded by the reflector for accommodating the luminous means is held on the upper standard or support end. An electrical line connected to the lamp base is passed over or through the supporting body in the form of a standard to its lower support end, on which a stand is provided for achieving the required stability for the luminaire. The connection cable, which is passed out in the region of the lower support element or stand, has a connection plug at one end which can be inserted into a power supply outlet, which is for its part electrically connected to a power supply system, for the purpose of supplying power to the luminous means. The power supply system provides, for example, an AC voltage of 120 V at a system frequency of 60 Hz.
The luminaire can have, in particular in the region of the connection cable, a switch and/or a dimmer in order to switch the illumination on and off manually or to adjust the luminous intensity manually by means of the dimmer. The uplighter can also have one or more further lamps, in particular a reading lamp, which can then be switched on and off manually using a separate switch and/or by means of a dimmer or whose luminous intensity can be adjusted manually.
The invention is based on the object of making it possible with such a luminaire or uplighter to limit the power using very simple means. In addition, a potential risk of fire should be prevented in a simple manner, in particular for the case in which a halogen lamp having an impermissibly high power is used as the luminous means.
This object is achieved according to the invention by the features of claim 1. In this regard, an electronic control device is provided which is integrated in the luminaire. This control device is designed to automatically limit the electrical power drawn from the power supply system by the luminous means to a predetermined value.
In accordance with one advantageous variant of the electronic control device, it has first means for detecting an actual current or load current. This presently detected actual current and the present actual voltage, which corresponds, for example, to a supply voltage of 120 V, is used to determine the electrical power presently drawn by the luminaire. The electronic control device uses a comparison of the power value, derived from the actual current and from the actual voltage, with a, for example, voltage-compensated reference value to limit the actual current such that the electrical power drawn by the luminaire is less than or equal to a maximum power value, in particular less than or equal to 190 W. Voltage compensation is not required for a less precise power measurement.
In one preferred embodiment, the electronic control device comprises a measurement sensor, in particular a current sensor, for measuring a power parameter. Furthermore, the electronic control device comprises a comparator, which is supplied on the input side with the value or parameter detected by the measurement sensor and a reference value. The comparator is connected on the output side to a controllable switch or switch component, for example to a MOSFET (MOS field-effect transistor) as a power semiconductor, or to a relay. The lamps or luminous means of the luminaire are disconnected by means of the relay when the maximum power value is reached and switched on again when it is undershot.
However, the electronic control device preferably comprises a controllable electronic switch in the form of a power semiconductor which can be triggered, preferably a triac, a thyristor or a GTO thyristor (gate turn-off thyristor). In this case, a triac is in principle a parallel circuit comprising two thyristors for controlling the two half-waves of an AC voltage using a single component. A thyristor is understood to mean a controllable rectifier in the form of a semiconductor. A GTO thyristor, in a corresponding manner to a conventional thyristor, can be switched on with a positive voltage pulse at the control input. In contrast to a conventional thyrsitor, the GTO thyristor can, however, also be switched off by means of a negative voltage pulse. This additional disconnection option simplifies the driving electronics in the case of a GTO thyristor.
In one expedient development, the electronic control device has an electronic amplifier having an amplifier input connected to the measurement sensor and having an amplifier output connected to the first comparator input. In addition, the controllable electronic switch, i.e. the triac, thyristor or GTO thyristor, is expediently connected to a dimmer circuit for automatically adjusting the maximum electrical power supplied to the luminous means. The power is thus expediently limited by means of phase-gating or phase-chopping control. The dimmer circuit can also be operated manually in order, if necessary, to adjust the luminous intensity of the luminous means and thus the desired brightness of the luminaire.
The electronic control device can be arranged within the luminaire between the lamp base and the connection plug of the connection cable. Accordingly, the electronic control device is, if necessary, arranged in the supporting body, in the lamp base, in the connection line or in the connection plug. Within the supporting body, the electronic control device can be fitted into its stand or into the usually vertical or upright standard.
The electronic control device can also be arranged in a separate adapter. This adapter is then designed to be plugged onto the connection plug of the luminaire and to be inserted, together with said connection plug, into a conventional power supply outlet. The adapter containing the electronic control device has, for this purpose, connection pins which are suitable for the dimensions of the connection plug and correspond to the customary connection sockets of a conventional power supply outlet. The use of such an adapter having an integrated electronic control device for limiting the power of the luminaire or the uplighter is particularly suitable for retrofitting an already existing uplighter.
Exemplary embodiments of the invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to a drawing, in which:
Mutually corresponding parts are provided with the same references in all of the figures.


A method for distributing label binding information, e.g., a binding between a label and a network layer route, in a label switching environment using the Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) Opaque Link State Advertisement (LSA) option protocol. The binding information is included in an application specific field following the LSA header. LS type 9 LSA packets are used to limit the flooding scope to the local network segments attached to the label switch. Address prefix information, i.e., network address and subnet mask, are transmitted and associated with a label in the application specific field of the Opaque LSA packet. The Opaque LSA packets are exchanged between a group of interconnected Opaque LSA capable label switches so that the label switches can maintain their label forwarding tables and routing tables as necessary to forward data packets according to a label swapping forwarding paradigm.

Contained herein is material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction of the patent disclosure by any person as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all rights to the copyright whatsoever.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to data communications. In particular, the present invention is related to a method for distributing a label binding between a label and a Network layer route for label switching using the Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) Opaque Link State Advertisement (LSA) option protocol.
2. Description of the Related Art
The Transport Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) suite of protocols is used in many of today""s internetnetworks (internets). A TCP/IP-based internet provides a data packet switching system for communication between nodes (e.g., end-user workstations, servers, network devices, etc.) connected to the internet. With reference to FIG. 1, Network layer devices known as routers or switches select a path and forward, i.e., route, IP datagrams between nodes connected to the internet. For example, internet 100 includes multiple separate physical networks 160-185 interconnected by switches A, B, C, D, and E at 105, 110, 115, 120, and 125, respectively. The switches route IP datagrams, for example, between nodes 190 and 195, via the multiple physical networks in the internet.
In traditional destination address based routing, a source node, e.g., node 195, transmitting an IP datagram to a destination node, e.g., node 190, specifies as a destination IP address the IP address of the destination node (10.7.1.1) in the IP datagram. The IP datagram is encapsulated in a physical frame and sent to the switch attached to the same physical network as the source node, e.g., switch B or D. The switch, in turn, extracts the IP datagram, and determines the destination IP address. The switch selects the next hop switch enroute to the destination node and again encapsulates the datagram in a physical frame for transmission to the next hop switch. This process continues until the IP datagram reaches the network to which the destination node is connected, wherein the datagram is delivered to the destination node.
Routing tables on each switch store information about what networks are reachable, either directly or via adjacent switches. When a switch receives an IP datagram, it compares the network portion of the IP destination address in the datagram, referred to herein as the address prefix, with the network reachability information stored in its routing table. If a match is found, the switch sends the datagram over the appropriate, directly attached network to the next hop switch through which the destination network is reachable, or directly to the node, if the destination network is directly attached to the switch.
In the event of topological changes to network 100, network reachability information may be maintained up to date automatically in network 100, through the use of an interior gateway protocol (IGP), such as the well known Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) Version 2 TCP/IP internet routing protocol, the specification of which is set forth in the Internet Standard Request For Comments (RFC) 1583, March, 1994. In addition to exchanging network reachability information between switches, OSPF routes IP datagrams over one of possibly multiple routes based on the destination IP address and IP Type of Service specified in the IP header of the datagrams. Further details of the well known OSPF version 2 routing protocol may be found in RFC 1583.
Growth of the Internet, as well as private internets, has placed demands not only on bandwidth requirements, but also the internet routing protocols. Traditional destination address based routing using OSPF version 2 generally allows traffic to be routed based only on destination IP address and IP type of service. New approaches to routing have been sought to improve routing functionality and control as changes in internet traffic patterns and volume emerge.
A relatively recent routing protocol has been proposed known as label switching or tag switching, which combines a label-swapping forwarding paradigm with Network layer routing to provide flexible unicast or multicast routing control for a wide range of traffic patterns and forwarding granularities. For example, label switching provides for routing based on such criteria as destination IP address, a group of destinations, or a single application flow. Essentially, a label, or tag, is associated with selected data packets and routing decisions are made by a switch based on the label associated with the packets. In label switching, a switch (known as and referred to herein as a label switch) compares labels contained in the data packets it receives from an attached network with label forwarding information maintained in the memory of the label switch to perform packet forwarding.
The label forwarding information is maintained by exchanging control information, that is, label forwarding information, among a group of interconnected label switches in an internet. When a packet containing a label is received at a label switch, the label is used by the switch as an index into a data structure, referred to herein as a forwarding table, containing the label forwarding information. The switch compares the received label with the entries in the forwarding table. Each entry contains an incoming label against which the received label is compared, and one or more outgoing labels that are swapped with the received label if a match occurs. Additionally, each entry maintains appropriate interface and link layer information necessary to properly forward the data packet out an interface of the label switch. If the label switch finds an entry in the forwarding table with the incoming label equal to the received label, then the switch swaps the receiving label with an outgoing label, updates the link layer information in the data packet, and forwards the data packet out an appropriate interface, for each of the one or more outgoing labels in the entry.
Label switching involves the binding of labels and Network layer routing information, e.g., binding a label to a route, a group of routes, or an application flow. A label switching control protocol, separate from the forwarding protocol briefly described above, generates the label bindings by allocating a label and binding the label to the routing information. The label switching protocol then distributes the label binding information between the interconnected group of label switches in the internet. The binding information may be distributed among the interconnected group of label switches utilizing an existing routing protocol or a label distribution protocol provided specifically for distribution of the label binding information.
Label switches support, among other things, destination address based routing, in which data packets are forwarded by the label switch based on the destination address in the data packet and the contents of a routing table maintained by the label switch. A label switch allocates and binds the labels to destination address prefixes in the routing table. For each route in the routing table, the label switch allocates a label and generates an entry in the label forwarding table for the allocated label. The allocation and binding of the label, as well as the distribution of the binding information, may be the responsibility of a downstream label switch, i.e., the switch at the receiving end of a network segment with respect to the direction of a transmitted data packet, or an upstream label switch. Additionally, the distribution of binding information may occur as updates or upon request of an adjacent or neighboring label switch. A label switch also receives label binding information for a next hop route from an adjacent label switch and places it in the forwarding table.
It is contemplated that such binding information is advertised using a label distribution protocol or an existing routing protocol. However, there is presently no preferred method of advertising the binding information to a group of interconnected label switches. What is needed is an efficient, transparent method of distributing such information using an existing, widely used protocol.
A method is described for distributing label binding information, e.g., a binding between a label and a network layer route, in a label switching environment using the Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) Opaque Link State Advertisement (LSA) option protocol. The binding information is included in an application specific field following the LSA header. LS type 9 LSA packets are used to limit the flooding scope to the local network segments attached to the label switch. Address prefix information, i.e., network address and subnet mask, are transmitted and associated with a label in the application specific field of the Opaque LSA packet. The Opaque LSA packets are exchanged between a group of interconnected Opaque LSA capable label switches so that the label switches can maintain their label forwarding tables and routing tables as necessary to forward data packets according to a label swapping forwarding paradigm.

Method for transmitting label switching control information using the open shortest path first opaque link state advertisement option protocol


A method for treating the liquid phase of contaminated materials that are disinfected or sterilized in a treatment chamber is provided, whereby a defined liquid collector area is provided in the treatment chamber. When the liquid in the collector area reaches a maximum level it is discharged into a collector tank and when the level of liquid in the collector area reaches a minimum level liquid is returned to the treatment chamber. When the liquid in the collector tank reaches a maximum level, liquid therefrom is returned to the treatment chamber in case the maximum level of liquid in the treatment chamber is not reached or said liquid is treated in an additional high-temperature disinfector unit to obtain purified liquid. A device that carries out the method is also provided. Using the method or device provided, contaminated solid materials with a high proportion of liquid can be disinfected or sterilized.

The invention relates to a method for treating the liquid phase of contaminated materials, especially infected materials, which are fed in a treatment chamber to a high-temperature disinfecting apparatus, heated and disinfected or sterilized, and removed to a discharge, a defined collecting area for liquid being provided at the input end of the transport system in the treatment chamber.
The invention furthermore relates to an apparatus for treating contaminated materials, especially infected materials, in which the latter are delivered through an input unit to a transport system running in a treatment chamber, and heated and disinfected or sterilized, and are removed to a discharge, a defined area for collecting liquid being provided at the input end of the transport system in the treatment chamber.
In DE 197 17 839 a high-temperature disinfecting or sterilization apparatus has been described, which is suited especially for wastes specific to hospitals and in which the wastes are fed through in inlet hopper and a shredder to two screw conveyor sections arranged in tandem. The first screw conveyor is designed as a heating conveyor; it is inclined upward at an angle in its transport direction, thereby assuring that contaminated liquid which is introduced through the loading hopper will be able to collect only in the area below the loading hopper in a low-level screw conveyor section.
As long as a certain ratio of admixture of moist and dry wastes is kept within an average range, the liquid level in the lower part of the heated screw conveyor remains below the permitted maximum mark. If, however, large amounts of waste with a very high liquid content are introduced into the treatment apparatus, it can happen that the liquid level may rise above the permitted maximum mark in this area. This is because wastes in a purely liquid phase cannot, for obvious reasons, be conveyed by screw conveyors.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,759,491 a method for treating infected materials is disclosed, in which the material to be treated is fed through a collecting area to a transport system which extends through the treatment chamber. There the heating as well as sterilization of disinfection takes place. The treated sludge is removed at the discharge end. Liquid can be pumped from a collecting tank into the collecting area or taken from the latter and pumped into the collecting tank.
EP-A-0 672 426 shows an apparatus for the treatment of infected wastes. Disinfection liquid is fed to the initially shredded wastes in a liquefaction station. This liquid is processed through a dewatering station adjoining a granulating and disinfecting station. The return of the disinfection liquid is thereby achieved.
Finally, DE 41 38 939 shows an apparatus and a method for the sterilization and disinfection of contaminated hospital waste. The granulated waste is thereafter fed to a disinfection screw conveyor and dried. Then follows a treatment with saturated steam and another drying.
The invention, therefore, is addressed to the problem of making available a method whereby even large amounts of purely liquid wastes produced in a short time can be safely treated independently of the treatment section actually designed for solid waste material in a high-temperature disinfecting apparatus. The invention is furthermore addressed to the problem in the treatment of contaminated materials, especially infected materials, which have a liquid phase and a solid phase, of providing an apparatus which will enable even large amounts of rapidly produced, purely liquid wastes to be safely disinfected or sterilized.
The problem is solved with regard to the method by a treatment of a kind in which
when liquid which has collected in the defined collection area of the treatment chamber reaches a given maximum liquid level it is conveyed to a collecting tank,
when the liquid level in the treatment reaches a given minimum level, liquid from the collecting tank is returned to the treatment chamber
when the liquid level in the collecting tank reaches a given maximum, liquid is fed back from the collecting tank to the treatment chamber if the maximum liquid level has not been reached in the treatment chamber, and/or is treated in an additional high-temperature disinfecting unit for liquids only.
By discharging liquid from the defined collecting area of the treatment chamber to a collecting tank, it is brought about that the given maximum liquid level in the treatment chamber is not exceeded, and thus contaminated liquid cannot spread undesirably within the treatment chamber and endanger the treatment process. Since liquid is returned from the collecting tank to the treatment chamber in case liquid is needed in the latter, it is brought about on the other hand that sufficient moisture is always available in the treatment chamber for producing the necessary vapor pressure. To prevent a given maximum liquid level in the collecting tank from being exceeded, liquid from this tank is selectively either returned to the treatment chamber as long as the maximum liquid level has not been reached therein, or it is treated in an additional high-temperature disinfection unit for liquid only.
Thus, even when contaminated materials having a high liquid content are to be treated, reliable disinfection or sterilization of the solid content of the material is always assured, since contaminated liquid cannot propagate uncontrolled in the treatment chamber. Since the liquid content of the material is fed to an additional high-temperature disinfection unit or sterilization unit, the treated liquid waste can be delivered directly into a sewer line, for example.
Preferably, provision is made in the method so that liquid from the collecting tank is returned to the treatment chamber only when the liquid level in the treatment chamber has reached a preset minimum level. This means that, if the liquid level in the collecting tank has reached the preset maximum level, as a rule liquid from the collecting tank is treated in the additional high-temperature disinfection or sterilization unit for liquids only.
The high-temperature disinfecting unit can be comprised substantially of a heat exchanger in which the liquid to be treated is heated at least to a certain temperature and this temperature is maintained for as long as is necessary for disinfection or for a sterilization.
The disinfection or sterilization by means of the heat exchanger can take place continuously if a permanent excess pressure is produced in the heat exchanger such that the stream of treated liquid leaving the heat exchanger is reduced by a throttling means such that when delivered by a pump a pressure builds up in the heat exchanger.
If a heat exchanger is provided as an additional high-temperature disinfecting unit and liquid is returned from the collecting tank into the treatment chamber only when the liquid level in the treatment chamber falls to a given minimumxe2x80x94that is, when a maximum is reached liquid from the collecting tank is otherwise transported away through the heat exchangerxe2x80x94provision is made preferably such that the collecting tank will be emptied through the heat exchanger only down to a predetermined average liquid level. In this way it is assured that sufficient fluid will always remain in the collecting tank to enable the liquid level in the treatment chamber to be raised when the minimum level is reached, without the addition of fresh water.
Also, it can be arranged according to the invention that the liquid can be disinfected or sterilized in the collecting tank, that is, the additional high-temperature disinfecting unit is the collecting tank itself, and that in this case more untreated liquid can be collected in a buffer tank which is disposed between the treatment chamber and the collecting tank. In this case the heat exchanger connected at the end can be omitted.
It can be arranged that the defined collecting area for liquid in the treatment chamber is created by tilting the treatment chamber upward in the direction of feed. In this case liquid introduced into the treatment chamber collects in a lower area of the treatment chamber that is established by the inclination. Also, the transport system is based on one or more screw conveyors.
The task of the invention is achieved with regard to the apparatus by an apparatus of this type which additionally has the feature that the collecting area of the treatment chamber is connected by at least one liquid line to a liquid collecting tank such that liquid can be carried out of the collecting area of the treatment chamber into the collecting tank and from the collecting tank back to the treatment chamber.
In this way, it is achieved that the liquid level in the collecting area of the treatment chamber can be varied very flexibly. Thus, when a maximum level has been reached, liquid can be carried out of the treatment chamber into the liquid collecting tank in order to reduce the amount of liquid in the treatment chamber. On the other hand, if the liquid level reaches a minimum level in the treatment chamber, liquid also can be returned from the collecting tank to the treatment chamber in order to assure that there is sufficient liquid in the latter to produce the necessary vapor pressure.
Preferably, it is arranged for the liquid collecting tank to be connected by a line to carry liquid to a high-temperature disinfecting or sterilizing unit provided in addition to the treatment chamber. Thus, it is accomplished that liquid can be carried out of the liquid collecting tank to empty it at any time, and this liquid can be disinfected or sterilized in the treatment chamber independently of the actual treatment process. The liquid that is treated can be discharged directly into a sewer line.
This additional high-temperature disinfection or sterilization unit can be based on a heat exchanger.
Alternatively, the liquid collecting tank itself can be designed as the additional high-temperature disinfection unit or sterilization unit. In this embodiment of the apparatus, a buffer tank can be provided between the treatment chamber and the liquid collecting tank for additional untreated liquid coming from the treatment unit. Liquid can be returned as needed from this buffer tank to the treatment chamber.
Both the liquid collecting tank and the buffer tank can be vented or can operate on the principle of an air chamber. While in the first case a pump is needed to carry liquid from the collecting tank, in the case of a liquid collecting tank operating on the air chamber principle, an elevated pressure can be built up by feeding liquid into it, so as to drive the liquid out of it when an outlet on the liquid collecting tank is opened. Also, in the case of a liquid collecting tank operating on the air chamber principle, a possibility can be provided for pumping air into the tank in order to facilitate a complete emptying of the liquid collecting tank. The same applies correspondingly to the buffer tank.
Preferably, the treatment chamber is oriented upwardly so as to produce the defined collecting area for liquid in the treatment chamber. Also, it is preferable for the transport system to have one or more screw conveyors which extend into the treatment chamber.

Method for treating the liquid phase of contaminated materials


Apparatuses and methods for implementing scanning trajectories for ROI tomography are disclosed herein. An example method includes determining a first focus object distance based on a circumradius of a sample, the sample including a region of interest, determining a second focus object distance based on a radius of a smallest cylinder that contains the region of interest, determining a plurality of viewing angles from a plurality of possible viewing angles in response to the first focus object distance, where each viewing angle of the plurality of viewing angles has an associated focus object distance measured from the region of interest, and where the associated focus object distance of each of the plurality of viewing angles is less than the first focus object distance and greater than the second focus object distance, and scanning the region of interest using at least the plurality of viewing angles.

Computed Tomography (CT) uses x-rays to investigate samples, and includes obtaining data of internal structure. CT-based systems conventionally move, e.g., rotate, the sample and x-ray source and detector relative to one another to obtain images at available viewing angles around a sample. The scan data may then be algorithmically manipulated to obtain reconstructions of various slices of the sample. The resolution of the images may be affected by the distances between the various components, such as the source, sample and detector. For example, in cone-beam CT system, a large distance between the source and sample reduces the quality of the obtained image.
Additionally, a region of interest (ROI) within the sample may require higher resolution data than can be obtained by a typical scan trajectory, e.g., the relative distance between the ROI and the source may affect the x-ray flux due to lower cone angles intersecting the ROI. While potentially acceptable scan resolution of an ROI may be obtainable, higher quality images of an ROI is desirable.
Like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Scanning trajectories for region-of-interest tomograph


A reel or spool package has opposing sidewalls or flanges formed of the specified or appropriate substrate and connected by a core formed of a flowable material which sets or cures to harden, such as a two part expandable polyurethane foam. The foam is applied into a partition, which may be a paper ring, by an injection and metering device. The chemistry of the flowable material may be altered to change density, rigidity and flexibility as required by package stresses. The polyurethane foam is an effective adhesive medium, thereby forming the core and connecting the sidewalls to form the package.

Reel packages and spool packages are used for the packaging of products which are produced in a continuous and connected manner and are packaged in large number or high count continuous lengths for long run use, including automated use. These products are typically packaged in a "ribbon wound" (layer on layer) or convolute manner on a central core of a size closely matching the width of the manufactured product, so that the user of the product may unwind the product in an orderly, controlled manner for use or installation in other products. Products which are packaged on reels and spools are made of a wide variety of raw materials including metals, plastics, textiles and other products. The stiffness of some continuous products is such that the package must have a core with a large circumference (12 to 20″) to prevent undesired curling or bending of the manufactured product. Additionally, packages for these products have sidewalls or flanges which act as retainers to keep the product from slipping off and becoming twisted, bent, damaged or difficult or impossible to use. The sidewalls for larger reels used for relatively rigid products range in size from 20″ to 48″, and are made of corrugated board, solid fibreboard, Masonite, plastic and plywood. While there are technical differences between spools and reels as these terms are used in the art, the term "reel" is used herein to indicate reels and spools used for packaging.
The cores of prior art reels are made of a number of substrates such as pre-formed and pre-cut styrofoam discs, or pressed wood, or plywood discs. Another embodiment employs rings of paper tubing cut from pre-made large diameter spiral or convolute paper tubes of a size or width which very nearly matches the width of the product being packaged. The sidewalls or flanges are then attached or fastened in a manner which protects the product from external damage, confines the product to minimal sidewise movement, and keeps the product wound in a single width convolute package, thereby allowing for orderly unwinding of the product by the user.
The methods employed in the prior art for joining sidewalls or flanges to cores are varied. Since some of the cores are discs with solid sides (such as styrofoam or pressed wood), adhesives are applied to these sides and the sidewalls of paper and corrugated board are brought into contact and unitized by the curing of the adhesive.
Other packages are of such large diameter that factors such as weight and cost make solid cores impractical. In such cases, cores are formed of paper rings of appropriate diameter and face width (matching the product to be wound) which are centered on sidewalls with holes punched to accept flat head threaded bolts of a length appropriate to the width of the product (with allowance for the thickness of the sidewall substrates). The bolt holes are positioned in close proximity to the rings, so that when they are tightened, they eliminate, or minimize, rotation of the ring. The second sidewall is positioned, and bolts are pressed through both sidewalls, and capped head or "T" nuts are attached to the bolts and tightened, creating a circular package or reel customized to the products width and load area. The load area is the area from the ring or core to the outside diameter of the flange or sidewall is the load area.
The sidewalls or flanges often have punches or apertures for different functions positioned on its face such as:                1. A center or arbor hole for mounting on an axis or rod for smooth "take up" or "let off" of the continuous product.        2. A drive hole to accept a pin which will, when a rotational force is applied, turn the package and thereby wind or "take up" the product as it is produced. (This arbor and drive hole configuration has become largely standardized and has a fixed central location)        3. Small apertures for inspection, product access and handling, which have no meaningful structural significance.

Packaging spool and process for producing same


A pulp screening assembly where each support ring is weldlessly bonded to a perforate screen section by a bonding material that preferably is a brazing material. There is a joint between each ring and a screen section in which brazing material is disposed. The joint includes at least one set of mating faying surfaces that are offset relative to a longitudinal axis of the screening assembly. In a preferred embodiment, there is a tolerance between mated faying surfaces of no greater than 0.008 inches to ensure a good weldless bond is achieved. In another preferred embodiment, the tolerance is no greater than 0.004 inches. A weldless screen basket is produced having end rings, a plurality of slotted screen sections, and an intermediate ring having slots with back grooves within four millimeters of a ring at each end increasing screening open area.

The present invention relates generally to pulp screens for use in screening or filtering stock used in making paper and other fiber related products, and more particularly to slotted screen baskets for use in a pulp screening apparatus.
Perforate screens are often used to filter liquid. For example, screens are used to filter particulates entrained in water, such as debris in wastewater or fiber in a stock slurry. For example, screens are used to remove debris from a stock slurry including other fiber that is undesirable for use in making fiber products. Screens are also used to remove debris from a slurry containing aggregates and/or powder. Screens can be used for other filtering or screening application.
Screens are also used to classify matter in a liquid. For example, screens are used to filter out matter having a certain size and greater (or smaller) from a flow of liquid. Similarly, screens filter out particles of a certain size or size range while permitting other particles having a certain size or size range to remain in the liquid. Classifying applications include classifying fiber in a slurry for papermaking applications, classifying powder in a slurry, classifying aggregates in a slurry, and classifying other materials entrained in a flowing liquid.
Each screen is of perforate construction having a plurality of pairs of perforations or holes that each permit liquid and matter to pass through. The size and shape of each hole is selected for the particular filtering or classifying application and determines what matter is removed from the liquid and what matter is retained.
One type of screen is generally cylindrical and has a plurality of generally cylindrical perforate metal sidewalls that are disposed generally along a common central axis and which both are affixed to metal support rings. For example, where the screen has two such cylindrical sidewalls, there is a single intermediate support ring between the two sidewalls and an end ring at each end. The rings are connected by spaced apart rods that are tightened to keep the rings and cylindrical sidewalls captive in compression.
Each metal sidewall is made of a rectangular panel that is first machined to form screening holes therein, rolled into a cylinder, and then welded to retain its cylindrical shape. In the pulp industry, each sidewall is referred to as a screen section and the screening holes are shaped like slots.
Before assembly, the rings and the sidewalls must be machined to form suitable weld joints. In assembling the screen, the sidewalls and rings are received in an expensive and complicated welding fixture. Prior to welding, each of the rings are heated to shrink fit them around each screen sidewall. During welding, expensive welding equipment is used to weld each support ring to at least one of the metal sidewalls. The intermediate support ring is welded to both sidewalls.
After welding, post-weld grinding and finishing must be performed to clean each weld, remove weld splatter, and remove weld discoloration. In an attempt to relieve thermal stresses introduced by all the welding that is performed, the assembled and welded screen is heat treated.
Welding is expensive, time consuming, costly and produces a screen with limitations. The fixtures and equipment used to weld are expensive, complicated and time consuming to set up, and require a great deal of labor. A screen produced by welding, even by laser or electron beam welding, has stresses present, even after stress relieving, that can limit the useful life of the screen. As the cycles that a screen is inevitably subjected to during operation accumulate, premature failure can occur because the screen has not been adequately stress relieved. Even if adequately stress relieved, cracks can still form in a weld or in the heat affected zone of a weld. Screen performance can also be adversely affected by welding-induced thermal distortion that is not eliminated by stress relieving.
Welding also can reduce the total area available for screening. For example, where the screen is held together by conventional welds, the welds that join each support ring to a sidewall limit the space available for screening holes or slots by at least three or four millimeters adjacent each ring about the entire periphery of the screen.
Thus, the need exists for a screen which lacks at least some of these disadvantages.
Pursuant to one aspect of the invention, a screening assembly is provided for a screening apparatus that includes at least one perforate sidewall that is joined by a bonding material to a support ring. In one embodiment, the perforate sidewall is a slotted screen section and is joined by bonding material, preferably brazing material, to the support ring. The resultant screening assembly preferably is of monolithic or unitary construction that is strong, tough, and resilient.
The screen section is of metallic construction. In one preferred embodiment, the screen section is made of a stainless steel that preferably is of austenitic construction. The screen section preferably is shaped into a cylinder or hoop and has a plurality of pairs of spaced apart and elongate slots that each includes a slit that extends completely through the cross section of the screen section. In one preferred slot construction, the slot is formed by a contour cut on one side and a back groove on the other side that is aligned with the contour cut producing intersects of the slot to produce the slit. In another preferred slot construction, the back groove has a material relief that removes residual material between the contour cut and back groove at each end of the slit to thereby extend the length of the slit. Such a screen section is well suited for screening pulp fiber in a stock slurry.
In one preferred screening assembly, the screening assembly is a screen basket that is comprised of at least one perforate screen section that carries a pair of spaced apart support rings. Each support ring bounds a periphery of the screen section that preferably is the outer periphery. In another preferred screen basket, the basket is of modular construction and includes at least two screen sections, a pair of end support rings, and at least one intermediate support ring. An intermediate support ring preferably is disposed in between each pair of adjacent screen sections.
There is a joint between each support ring and the screen section where the ring and screen section weldlessly bond. Where the screen basket has end support rings, there can be as little as a single joint between each end ring and the screen section to which it is bonded. Where the screen basket has one or more intermediate support rings, there are at least two joints per intermediate support ring. For example, there is at least one joint formed between the intermediate support ring and each screen section to which it is bonded.
Each joint preferably is defined by at least one faying surface in the ring and at least one faying surface in the screen section forming a set of faying surfaces that preferably abut or are adjacent. The bonding material bonds the faying surfaces to weldlessly attach the ring to the screen section. Preferably, there is at least one set of faying surfaces that are parallel to a longitudinal central axis of the screen basket. To provide sufficient space between each set of faying surfaces to accommodate bonding material, there is a gap or tolerance between each set of faying surfaces. In one preferred embodiment, the gap or tolerance is no greater than 0.008 inches. In one preferred embodiment, each joint can have two sets of spaced apart faying surfaces that are each substantially parallel to the longitudinal central axis of the screen basket. One preferred joint configuration is a tongue and groove joint where there is a tongue formed in either a screen section or the ring and a groove formed in the other component.
Where the bonding material is a brazing material, the brazing material is a brazing alloy that preferably in paste form. One preferred brazing alloy is a nickel base brazing alloy that includes one or more of the following constituents: Chromium, Boron, Silicon, and Iron. A preferred brazing alloy includes all of these constituents and Carbon and Cobalt and can be made in conformance with AMS 4777, AMS 4777F or American Welding Society (AWS) Braze filler metal specification Bni-2. The brazing alloy can also include one or more of the following constituents: Aluminum, Phosphorous, Sulfur, Titanium, and Zirconium.
Pursuant to another aspect of the invention, a method of making a screen basket comprises weldlessly bonding support rings to a screen section. In preparation to bond each ring to a screen section, at least the screening holes or slots are covered, such as by a masking material. A layer of bonding material is disposed in each joint between each ring and screen section.
In one preferred implementation of the method, the bonding material is brazing alloy that is placed in each joint, preferably along the entire length of the joint. The brazing alloy is heated to a temperature above which it becomes flowable or a liquid. Preferably, the brazing alloy is heated to a temperature above its liquidus temperature to braze each ring to a screen section.
To help facilitate wetting of each faying surface of each joint with molten brazing alloy, a vacuum can be applied. In one preferred implementation of the method, the vacuum is at least 4xc3x9710xe2x88x924 torr or better. In another preferred implementation of the method, the vacuum is at least 1xc3x9710xe2x88x924 torr.
To help prevent carbide formation, the assembled and brazed screen basket is quenched. Quenching, preferably nitrogen quenching, is performed to lower the temperature to a temperature below the solidus temperature of the brazing alloy. In one preferred implementation, the temperature of the brazed screen basket is lowered after brazing to a temperature of about 150xc2x0 F. (66xc2x0 C.) in less than about twenty minutes.
In one preferred implementation of the method, during brazing, at least the screen section is heated to a temperature at or above which stress relieving and/or annealing occurs. The temperature is held at or above the annealing and/or stress relieving temperature at least until annealing occurs. Oxidation on the outside of the screen basket is removed during annealing.
In another preferred implementation of the method, at least the screen section is heated after annealing and/or stress relieving to a temperature at or above which boron diffusion occurs. The temperature is held at or above the boron diffusion temperature at least until boron diffusion occurs.
An oven that preferably is a vacuum furnace preferably is used in brazing. The vacuum preferably is applied during annealing and boron diffusion. During brazing, the screen section and brazing alloy is heated to a temperature of at least 1650xc2x0 F. (899xc2x0 C.). Where the screen section is made of an austenitic stainless steel, at least the screen section is heated for at least ten minutes to a temperature of at least 1850xc2x0 F. (1010xc2x0 C.) and preferably no greater than 1925xc2x0 F. (1052xc2x0 C.) to anneal the screen section. Where boron diffusion is performed, at least the screen section is heated for at least one hour and as much as two hours to a temperature of at least 1700xc2x0 F. (927xc2x0 C.) and preferably no greater than 1900xc2x0 F. (1038xc2x0 C.). Quenching is performed at the end to reduce the temperature to about 150xc2x0 F. (66xc2x0 C.) in about twenty minutes or less.
After brazing is completed, any masking material is removed. In one preferred implementation of the method, the masking material is removed by sandblasting, which also deburrs slots machined into each screen section. After sandblasting, the screen basket can be electropolished to smooth sharp edges. After electropolishing, the screen basket can be chrome plate.
Objects, features, and advantages of the present invention include one or more of the following: a screening assembly and method of making the same that requires no fixturing to keep components in precise alignment during bonding; eliminates the need for any post-weld heat grinding and finishing; eliminates the need to shrink fit support rings; maintains dimensional stability and eliminates virtually all dimensional distortion associated with welding; produces a finished screening assembly that is bright and shiny without discoloration and which accepts chrome plating well; requires no further machining after bonding is complete; enables filter slots to extend to each adjacent support ring thereby increasing filtering area; increases screening assembly strength; eliminates screen section waviness found in welded screening assemblies; makes rotor clearance more uniformly parallel in the axial direction along the entire axial length of the rotor which increases screening assembly performance; produces a screening assembly that is fully solution annealed, which improves corrosion resistance; stress relieves all weld joints in all screen sections and rolled support rings; enhances the quality of each such preexisting weld joint; makes the hardness of each such preexisting weld joint more uniform throughout the cross section of the joint; improves the corrosion resistance of each preexisting weld joint; increases the surface area available for screening; produces a bonded screening assembly that is of simple, durable, tough, monolithic construction that lasts longer and which improves screen assembly performance; and a method that is simple, less labor intensive, cheaper, and which produces a screening assembly of higher quality construction that is dimensionally truer and which lasts longer at a higher level of performance.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and accompanying drawings, while indicating at least one preferred embodiment of the present invention, are given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention without departing from the spirit thereof, and the invention includes all such modifications.


A method of adjusting oscillation frequency of a timepiece regulating assembly with no index assembly, to a predetermined oscillation frequency, including: randomly taking a particular balance spring assembly from a production of toleranced products; measuring return torque of the balance spring assembly; randomly taking a balance from a production of toleranced products; calculating theoretical inertia of the particular balance required to achieve the predetermined oscillation frequency, according to the measured return torque of the balance spring; measuring real inertia of the particular balance; and by direct action on the particular balance, correcting the inertia of the particular balance to the calculated theoretical inertia value to obtain the predetermined oscillation frequency for the regulating assembly formed by the particular balance, and by the particular balance spring assembly.

Despite the extreme accuracy of machining operations and their high level of reproducibility, adjustments almost always have to be carried out, either during assembly operations, or, more frequently, during fine-tuning or finalising operations, in particular to set the unbalance and adjust inertia in the case of moving parts, and to set the frequency in the case of an oscillator.
It is particularly at the assembly stage that it is necessary to fine tune the pairing of certain components which, taken independently, are within machining or manufacturing tolerances, but which cannot be assembled purely and simply because of operating constraints peculiar to the sub-assembly or completed assembly.
This is particularly true of timepiece regulating members and more particularly of sprung balance assemblies. It seems, in fact that adjustments of unbalance and inertia settings, both static and dynamic, are already very difficult at the individual component stage, and that these fine tuning operations become extremely complex when the components are assembled to each other. In particular, dynamic adjustments are difficult to implement.
Various techniques are known for adjusting a sprung balance sub-assembly, two of which are most commonly used.
The "omega metric" system consists in:                grading the balance springs;        grading the balances;        pairing a balance chosen from a particular grade with a balance spring also selected from a particular grade, where said grades are compatible with each other.
This method requires a large stock of components and grades which are relatively broad.
Alternatively, the "Spiromatic system" is known:                generally a balance spring is assembled on a balance;        the balance spring is cut to the right length, to obtain a torque suited to the inertia of the balance.
It is not possible with this method to guarantee the precise end position of the spring, resulting in a loss of chronometric performance.
These conventional techniques are either expensive, or mediocre as regards the accuracy of the results obtained.

Method of adjusting the oscillation frequency of a timepiece sub-assembly


An electrical power sharing circuit applied in a computer system includes first and second sense units and first and second control units. The first and second sense units are electrically connected to a central processing unit (CPU) and a graphical processing unit (GPU) of the computer system and thus generate first and second sense values, respectively. The first control unit is electrically connected to the first and second sense units, the CPU and the GPU and receives the first and second sense values. The second control unit is electrically connected to the first and second sense units and the first control unit, receives the first and second sense values and provides a reference value to the first control unit. The first control unit controls performances of the CPU and the GPU according to the reference value.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to an electrical power sharing circuit, and more particularly to an electrical power sharing circuit capable of dynamically adjusting the energy allocated between a central processing unit (CPU) and a graphical processing unit (GPU) of a computer system according to an operation mode of the computer system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the modern notebook computer, a shared heat dissipating module (shared cooling module) is usually designed to cool a central processing unit (CPU) and a graphic processing unit (GPU), which have the maximum power consumption value and generate the maximum thermal energy in the notebook computer, in order to reduce the size of the notebook computer and save the available space. In addition, the heat dissipating ability of the conventional heat dissipating module has to be greater than or equal to a sum of the thermal design power (TDP) of the CPU and the TDP of the GPU so that the thermal energy of the CPU and the GPU can be dissipated effectively.
Because the heat dissipating ability is in directly proportional to the size of the heat dissipating module, the size of the adopted heat dissipating module has to be increased in order to enhance the heat dissipating ability of the computer system. For example, the heat dissipating module having a fan has the enhanced heat dissipating ability when the size of the fan is increased. However, the size of the heat dissipating module also has to be correspondingly increased. That is, when the CPU and the GPU having the higher performances, the higher power consumption value and the higher thermal energy are used, a larger heat dissipating module has to be adopted in order to provide the sufficient heat dissipating ability. Thus, the area of the main board occupied by the conventional heat dissipating module becomes larger, and the other area of the main board, on which other elements can be disposed, is thus reduced so that the miniaturized notebook computer cannot be easily implemented.
In addition, the CPU and the GPU having the better performances also have the increased electrical power consumption values.

Electrical power sharing circuit has control unit for controlling performance of CPU and GPU based on a reference value


A carriage frame includes first and second side members supporting a floating fork pin, where the floating fork pin is movably mounted in respective fork pin slots in the first and second side members and is adapted to receive load carrying forks. The first and second side members each includes a locking aperture positioned spaced from the fork pin slots. A pair of lock plates are secured to ends of the floating fork pin, respectively, where each of the lock plates includes a lock pin slot and a lock pin hole positioned in substantial alignment with the locking apertures in the first and second side members. A pair of fork pin locks extend through the locking apertures of the first and second side members and are selectively extended through one of the lock pin slot and the lock pin hole. With the fork pin locks extending through the lock pin slots, the floating fork pin is movable in the fork pin slot, and with the fork pin locks extending through the lock pin holes, the floating fork pin is prevented from moving in the fork pin slot.

The invention relates to a carriage frame for an industrial vehicle including load carrying forks suitable for supporting a work platform and, more particularly, the invention relates to a carriage frame and fork pin lock assembly for locking a floating fork pin on a carriage supporting a work platform.
Industrial vehicles such as telescopic material handlers (telehandlers) are known for lifting and carrying loads using load carrying forks. A load of goods may be supported on a pallet, which includes a supporting floor that is spaced from a bottom wall so that load carrying forks can be inserted between the bottom wall and the supporting panel to lift the pallet and the goods thereon. Telehandlers include a boom arm that enables the telehandlers to manipulate the load. It has been known to expand the functionality of a telehandler into use as a personnel work platform by using the load carrying forks to support a work platform.
In a typical construction, the load carrying forks are secured to a floating fork pin movably mounted in a carriage. The carriage or carriage frame includes side members that support the floating fork pin and respective fork pin slots. The fork pin is configured to float to compensate for uneven terrain while placing loads. When the construction is used to support a work platform, however, as occupants move from one end of the platform to the other, the platform may be subject to undesirable tipping.

Carriage frame and fork pin lock assembly


According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a rotor for a centrifuge which includes an annular portion having a plurality of storing portions each holding a sample vessel that contains a sample to be separated, the annular portion being provided with an end face portion at which holes of the storing portions are opened so as to be aligned in a circumferential direction thereof. Concave portions are disposed each between a corresponding pair of the adjacent holes on the end face portion.

A centrifuge is configured in a manner that a sample to be separated is inserted into a rotor via a vessel such as a tube or a bottle and then the rotor is rotated at a high speed thereby to separate and refine the sample. The rotors differ in the usage thereof depending on the rotation speed and include various types of rotors such as an angle rotor in which a tube hole is fixed and a swing rotor in which a bucket loaded with a tube swings from a vertical state to a horizontal state in accordance with the rotation of the rotor.
In high-speed small-amount centrifuges for separating a small amount of sample quickly, mainly the angle rotors are often employed. It is disclosed by, for example, JP-A-8-103689 that a conventional angle rotor for a centrifuge is mainly formed by cutting an aluminum block or molding plastics and is configured in a manner that a plurality of tube holes for holding the tube are disposed with the interval of a constant angle with respect to a rotation shaft. The opening end face of the tube hole is formed concentrically with the rotation shaft at its conical surface.
Some of the angle rotors are each provided with a rotor cover so as not to expose rough surfaces formed when inserting the tube into the rotor to the atmosphere in order to suppress the rotation loss due to wind to the minimum. Some kinds of rotors fabricated in recent years are arranged to allow use in a state of being attached with the rotor cover or in a state of not being attached with the rotor cover. In such a rotor, when the number of tubes containing a sample are large, the rotor cover is required to be removed and attached each time the tube having been separated is replaced by the tube before the separation. Thus, actually, an operator often uses the rotor without attaching the rotor cover.
In the case of the angle rotor disclosed in JP-A-8-103689, a resonant sound or sonorant, a so-called whistling, sound may be generated at the tube hole in which the tube is not inserted. It is disclosed by, for example, JP-A-10-34019 that a through hole communicates the space within the tube hole with the outside of the rotor is provided in order to avoid such a phenomenon.

Centrifuge having a rotor to suppress the generation of sonorants


The capacity and coverage of a packet-based conversational service in a mobile communications system is increased by efficiently provisioning resources for packets that have different length headers transported over the radio interface during the period over which the service is provided. A radio bearer or connection is established between a mobile radio and a radio network to support a packet-based conversational service. The radio bearer or connection is normally configured with radio resources to deliver a particular quality of service assuming that the packet headers will be highly compressed. The length of packets to be transmitted via the radio bearer is checked. Those packets which are longer because of less header compression are detected. Processing is performed to minimize or reduce that impact on system capacity or coverage when the detected packets are transmitted over the radio bearer or connection.

Fixed IP networks were originally designed to carry "best effort" traffic where the network makes a "best attempt" to deliver a user packet, but does not guarantee that a user packet will arrive at the destination. IP networks need to support various types of applications. Some of these applications have Quality of Service (QoS) requirements other than "best effort" service. Examples of such applications include various real time applications (IP telephony/voice, video conferencing), streaming services (audio or video), or high quality data services (browsing with bounded download delays).
Although fixed, wireline IP networks are well-established, new and different challenges face IP communications in mobile, wireless communication networks. Consider for example an IP telephony session between a mobile User-A and a User-B, where User-A accesses an IP backbone through a local, radio access, mobile communications network. Examples include a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) or a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) network.
Quality of service for an IP telephony session can be characterized in terms of bandwidth, packet loss, delay, and jitter. As far as the users are concerned, the perceived quality of service will likely depend on the service provided by the radio access network e.g., a UMTS or GSM/GPRS network. The radio interface is the most challenging interface in the communication in terms of providing a certain capacity and coverage at a particular quality of service. Radio bandwidth is limited, and therefore, the capacity of the system to deliver services to a certain number of users is necessarily limited. And it typically is not an option to achieve a particular quality of service for one or a few users simply by allocating more radio bandwidth. Coverage in a radio mobile radio system is the maximum distance over which a radio base station can reliably communicate with a mobile radio. That coverage is limited by maximum signal transmission levels, fading, path loss, interference, and other impediments to radio transmission.
Third generation mobile communications systems, like a Universal Mobile Telephone communications System (UMTS), provide mobile radios with the ability to conduct multimedia sessions where a communication session between users may include different types of media. A very important medium to support in multimedia sessions is voice.
So there is a need to provide resource-efficient, packet-based conversational (e.g., voice) multimedia services that can be delivered at a quality of service and cost comparable to a traditional circuit-based voice service. Even though the idea of a conversational IP multimedia system (IMS) service is desirable, a practical implementation of a conversational IMS service requires overcoming several technical hurdles before the idea becomes a commercial reality. Conversational IMS services should deliver high speech quality both in terms of fidelity and low delay. Connection set up and service interaction times should be reasonably fast. Packet-based speech must meet very strict delay requirements. For example, a new speech packet in a UMTS may need to be delivered every 20 milliseconds. The radio spectrum must be used efficiently. Services must cover a wide geographic area and be able to service roaming mobile users. Although wire-line access networks permit over-provisioning, wireless networks cannot afford that luxury because of limited radio bandwidth and the need to support user mobility.
One obstacle to efficient communication from a capacity and coverage point of view is the size of the speech packet header relative to the speech packet payload, i.e., the speech content. As shown in FIG. 1, speech packets typically have a long header and a relatively short speech payload. Speech samples are typically sent very frequently, e.g., every 20 ms, so the payload is small. But the header information is not reduced just because the payload is small. An example speech packet header suitable for use in a UMTS contains several packet handling protocol headers—IP header information, User Data Protocol (UDP) header information, and Real Time Protocol (RTP) header information. Each protocol contributes to a longer speech packet header.
Even though the speech packet payload is small, the real time delay requirements for packet-based speech service, (e.g., one speech packet every 20 ms), means there is no time to consolidate multiple payloads into one packet. Such consolidation might be possible for a voice streaming application having less stringent, real time delay requirements. Transmitting a large amount of header information for a relatively small amount of speech content results in low throughput. Too much of the radio bandwidth is needed to transmit "overhead" header information. Using that limited bandwidth to transmit the overhead header information decreases the capacity of the mobile communications system to transmit payload information over the radio interface. Because the mobile terminals have a finite transmit power, using power to transmit overhead information means that less power is available to transmit payload information. Lower power per bit means the physical distance over which a radio communication can take place is reduced, i.e., reduced coverage. Accordingly, the amount of header overhead must be reduced to increase capacity and/or coverage.
Header compression may be used to reduce the amount of header information that must be transmitted with each speech packet over the radio interface. Many header compression techniques generally work by sending only new or changed header information sometimes called "delta" information. The delta information is much less than the normal header information, so much less radio bandwidth is needed to transmit the delta (compressed) header as compared to the full (uncompressed) header.
But there are times when more information must be sent. One such time is when a speech connection is being established. At that point, the full (uncompressed) header must be sent in order to establish the foundation for sending just the delta (compressed) header. Even the amount of delta information varies during the communication. Normally, the delta information is small. But on occasion, it may temporarily increase in size during the communication. If the radio resources for a speech connection are established based on the full header, those resources will later be wasted when the header is sent in compressed form, e.g., just the delta is sent. Alternatively, the radio resources may be established based on the compressed header. But then there is no provision for handling the additional data presented by an uncompressed header or a partially compressed header.
The present invention increases the capacity and coverage of a packet-based conversational service in a mobile communications system by efficiently provisioning resources for speech packets that have dynamic or different length headers during the lifetime of a connection over which the service is provided. A radio bearer, which can be viewed as a logical connection, is established over the radio interface between a mobile radio and a radio network to support a packet-based conversational service. The radio bearer is configured with radio resources to deliver a particular quality of service assuming that the headers will be compressed. The length of or amount information in each packet to be transmitted via the radio connection is detected. Those packets which are longer or have more information because there is no header compression or lesser header compression are detected. Processing is performed to minimize or reduce the impact on system capacity or coverage when transmitted over the radio bearer.
In one example embodiment, reduced impact is achieved by segmenting and buffering longer packets so that the data rate is kept constant or below a maximum rate over the radio interface. The segments are transmitted at the same rate as compressed packets. A buffer management scheme is advantageously employed to manage the segments and packets in the buffer. If too many packets accumulate, old packets are discarded. Bandwidth requirements are maintained, and the administrative cost associated with buffering and buffer management is relatively low.
In another example embodiment, reduced impact is achieved by reconfiguring the radio bearer or connection used to transmit the increased or decreased amount of header data for the different length packets at substantially the same data rate. In this way, strict delay requirements are met, and no packets are discarded. The cost associated with this example embodiment includes increasing the radio bearer bandwidth for longer packets, temporarily diminishing the capacity of the system. There is also an administrative cost and delay associated with reconfiguring the radio bearer connection.
Both example embodiments save system capacity as compared to the situation where radio resources are allocated to transmit full, uncompressed packet headers. The first example embodiment also maintains system coverage but at the cost of some discarded packets buffered for too long. The second example embodiment does not preserve system coverage as well as the first example embodiment, and therefore, may be less preferred.
In both example embodiments, the information can be sent in a transparent mode or in a non-transparent mode. In the transparent mode, there are no explicit information that informs the receiving entity where a speech packet starts or stops. Instead, this packet start/stop information is provided implicitly by fitting the packets exactly into one of plural known formats used by the transporting radio bearer. The transparent mode has a higher capacity than the non-transparent mode, but requires a limited number of known sizes of packet information. The non-transparent mode, on the other hand, lacks this requirement but suffers from somewhat lower capacity.
In another aspect of the invention, a packet protocol may further be employed between the mobile radio and the radio network that does not require transmission of a checksum on the whole packet, thereby providing unequal error protection. Unequal error protection has been used for circuit-switched voice services to improve spectrum efficiency and similar advantages could also be achieved for a packet switched conversational service. Such unequal error protection may be implemented in Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) communications using a modified version of User Datagram Protocol (UDP) commonly called UDP lite.

Processing different size packet headers for a packet-based conversational service in a mobile communications system


The present disclosure relates to catalytic static mixers comprising catalytic material. The static mixers can be configured for use with continuous flow chemical reactors, for example tubular continuous flow chemical reactors for heterogeneous catalysis reactions. This disclosure also relates to processes for preparing static mixers. This disclosure also relates to continuous flow chemical reactors comprising the static mixers, systems comprising the continuous flow chemical reactors, processes for synthesising products using the continuous flow reactors, and methods for screening catalytic materials using the static mixers.

Continuous flow chemical reactors generally comprise a tubular reaction chamber with reactant fluids being continuously fed into the reaction chamber to undergo a chemical reaction to continuously form products which flow out from the reaction chamber. The reaction chambers are typically submerged in a heating/coolant fluid, for example in a shell-and-tube heat exchanger configuration, to facilitate the transfer of heat to/away from the reaction.
Continuous flow reactors used in catalytic reactions typically employ packed bed reaction chambers in which the reaction chamber is packed with solid catalyst particles that provide catalytic surfaces on which the chemical reaction can occur. Static mixers are used for pre-mixing of fluid streams prior to contact with the packed bed reaction chambers and downstream of these chambers to transfer heat between the central and the outer regions of the reactor tubes. The static mixers comprise solid structures that interrupt the fluid flow to promote mixing of the reactants prior to reaction in the packed bed reaction chambers and for promoting desirable patterns of heat transfer downstream of these chambers. Static mixers are also used independent of packed beds since some reactants do not require a catalyst to activate their reaction.
Towards improving process productivity through increased reaction yields, there is a clear need for developing enhanced static mixers and/or reaction chambers for continuous flow chemical reactors that are readily removable and easily replaced, allow further re-design enhancement and are capable of providing more efficient mixing, heat transfer and catalytic reaction of reactant chemical and/or electrochemical reactants.

Static mixers for continuous flow catalytic reactors

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation


A percussive, fluid-activated jackhammer includes a low pressure lubrication system having a liquid lubrication reservoir chamber formed in a bore of the jackhammer, the lubrication chamber being subject to low percussive fluid pressure in a front piston chamber but not to high percussive fluid pressure in a drive or return chamber of the device. An inlet passageway is provided for adding lubricant to the lubricant chamber. An outlet passageway is provided, with a metering device therein, for flow of lubricant into the bore of the device during reciprocation of a piston in the bore.

This invention relates generally to a fluid activated percussive impact tool having a piston reciprocal in a housing of such tool, and more particularly to a lubrication system for a jackhammer in which the piston is longitudinally reciprocal and the drill steel is rotated as well as impacted by the piston.
Typical lubrication systems on handheld jackhammers and paving breakers incorporate an oil reserve chamber and some type of metering device. The reserve chamber is generally connected to the high pressure air supply. High pressure air enters the chamber until the chamber reaches the pressure of the supply. Once the supply pressure is relieved, any oil that may be in the chamber will meter back into the high pressure supply line. Once the high pressure chamber is re-pressurized, any oil in the line is then carried into the tool to help lubricate the running components. The metering device to prevent large quantities of oil from escaping the oil reserve can be a complex metering device or a simple sintered, porous filter element. Even with the oil being metered, the oil volume entering the tool is often more that the tool requires for proper operation.
The foregoing illustrates limitations known to exist in present jackhammers. Thus, it is apparent that it would be advantageous to provide an alternative directed to overcoming one or more of the limitations set forth above. Accordingly, a suitable alternative is provided including features more fully disclosed hereinafter.

Low pressure system lubrication for a jackhammer


An apparatus comprises a structure having a leading edge, a skin covering the structure, a tip, and a channel. The tip is located at the leading edge, wherein the tip has a number of openings. The channel extends through the structure to the tip, wherein the channel is in communication with the number of openings in the tip.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to aircraft and, in particular, to manufacturing aircraft. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for an anti-icing system.
2. Background
In designing an aircraft, a number of different designs may be considered. These designs include aerodynamic design, propulsion design, and structural design. Aerodynamic design may define the external geometry and general aerodynamic configuration of the aircraft. Propulsion design may involve selecting and/or designing an engine for the aircraft. Structural design may involve designing structures to implement the aerodynamic and propulsion design.
In designing aircraft, it is often desirable to have as little weight as possible for components used in the structure of an aircraft that meet structural design requirements. For example, aircraft are being designed and manufactured with greater and greater percentages of composite materials. Composite materials are used in an aircraft to decrease the weight of the aircraft. Another design feature that is used in aircraft involves using honeycomb structures. A honeycomb structure may be used in various aircraft parts such as, for example, the wings of an aircraft. The decreased weight improves performance features such as, for example, payload capacities and fuel efficiencies.
Although honeycomb structures are extremely lightweight for manufacturing aircraft structures, some challenges may be present for integrating anti-icing systems with these types of structures. For example, with the preferred and/or desired orientation of the honeycomb for maximum structural efficiency, systems are unable to conduct heat through these structures to the leading edge of an airfoil to melt and/or prevent ice formation.
Some currently used solutions involve bonding an expanding boot to the exterior leading edge of the airfoil. This expanding boot may break off ice when inflated. Another solution may involve delivering antifreeze through the pores of the skin of the airfoil.
Although these types of solutions may remove and/or prevent icing, a number of issues are present with these solutions. For example, boots are heavy and require an air source to deliver pressurized air to the boot. These boots may also be easily damaged, resulting in increased maintenance and cost. Antifreeze systems that deliver antifreeze through the skin of the wing increases weight. Further, this type of solution also requires continuous maintenance and may require maintenance operations to remove antifreeze from the skin of the wing after flight. Further, antifreeze also may provide environmental concerns for antifreeze that may drip off of a wing.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a method and apparatus to remove and/or prevent ice from forming on a wing that overcomes the issues described above.

Anti-icing apparatus for honeycomb structures


An object of the present invention is to achieve a method capable of increasing transfection efficiency of polyethyleneimine (PEI) and reducing toxicity thereof, to provide a PEI with high transfection efficiency, and to provide a method of introducing nucleic acids into cells comprising using the PEI. There are provided a method of introducing nucleic acids into cells comprising mixing acidified PEI with nucleic acids under acidic conditions and applying the resulting mixture to cells, a reagent for introducing nucleic acids into cells comprising an acidified PEI solution, and a reagent kit including the solution.

The delivery of nucleic acids into cells is indispensable for basic research in molecular and cell biology as well as medical applications such as gene therapy. For example, a transfection method utilizing viral vectors and a non-viral transfection method are known as a method for introducing genes into cells.
A transfection method utilizing viral vectors gives high level of gene delivery. Viral vectors are efficient carriers for gene delivery, but their use is limited by the induction of immune responses and virus-associated pathogenicity.
A non-viral transfection method does not have such problems that are found in a transfection method utilizing viral vectors and thus has the potential to produce pharmaceuticals from nucleic acids (Non-Patent Document 1). According to the non-viral transfection method, the products should be capable of being produced in large quantities with high reproducibility and acceptable cost, and stable to storage.
There are many known non-viral transfection methods including the major methods that use cationic lipids and/or cationic polymers. A series of non-viral transfection reagents containing cationic lipids or cationic polymers as main ingredients are now commercially available and provided for use. However, the transfection methods using such reagents have a problem in that the nucleic acids incorporated into cells through endocytosis are largely degraded in lysosomes resulting in low transfection efficiency. In addition, many of the commercially available transfection reagents are quite expensive at the present time, and their high costs are obstacles to experimentation with a large number and/or large scales of transfection.
The cationic polymer polyethylenimine (hereinafter, abbreviated as PEI) is an inexpensive, non-viral and non-liposomal reagent for transfection and is known to be one of the most cost-effective vehicles. PEI has a high cationic charge density potential and efficiently condenses DNA (compaction) to form stable complexes termed polyplexes that are incorporated into cells through endocytosis. Thus, an efficient transfection is achieves by using PEI (Non-Patent Document 2). In addition, PEI has a high pH-buffering capacity, leading to protection of incorporated DNA from lysosomal degradation and its efficient release from lysosomes into the cytoplasm. PEI is therefore useful for a transfection reagent, and is used to transfect mammalian cells with DNA in vitro and in vivo (Non-Patent Documents 2-4).
However, a transfection method using PEI has some problems such as unignorable degrees of toxicity and considerable deterioration in transfection efficiency due to low stability of PEI.
In order to improve transfection efficiency, extensive studies have been performed on the size, structure and chemical modification of PEI (Non-Patent Documents 4-11), and addition of supplements to a PEI/DNA polyplex or compacted DNA was also examined (Non-Patent Documents 12-13).

Reagent kit having acidified polvethvlendimine for introducting nucleic acids into cells

National University Corporation Chiba University


Parallel spaced grooves are cut within the surface of an existing reinforced concrete member in the direction of bending and at locations where existing tensile reinforcing is inadequate. Elongated reinforcing elements, such as composite rods with continuous carbon fibers, are positioned within the grooves, after a curable bonding material, such as an epoxy resin, is inserted into each groove so that the bonding material surrounds the reinforcing element. The material is formed flush with the surface and allowed to cure to bond each reinforcing element to the concrete defining the corresponding groove. The grooves and reinforcing elements extend within the top surface of a concrete slab across a beam or support for the slab, extend within the bottom surface of the slab at least fifty percent of the distance between adjacent supports for the slab, or within a vertical surface of a concrete or masonry wall or column.

In existing reinforced concrete elements such as concrete slabs, beams, columns and walls, it is sometimes desirable to strengthen the element for one or more reasons. For example, the applied loading requirements may exceed the original design values for the element, or the load carrying capacity of the element may have been reduced due to deterioration, or the element may require increased stiffness for less deflection. The element may also require lower working stresses to reduce fatigue, or may require upgrading to withstand higher seismic and/or blast loading.
One form of strengthening existing reinforced concrete elements is by laminating or bonding a mat or strip of composite material with carbon or glass fibers to the surface of the concrete element where bending occurs. However, it is undesirable for the composite mat or strip to be exposed to the weather and/or to traffic such as on the top surface of a concrete bridge slab. For example, if water seeps between the composite mat or strip and the concrete surface, it is possible for the mat or strip to delaminate from the concrete surface if the water freezes. It is also necessary to prepare the concrete surface in order to obtain a good bond of the reinforcing mat or strip to the concrete surface.

Method of strengthening an existing reinforced concrete member


Described herein is a system for “lazy” manifestation of XML documents. In lazy manifestation, only portions of an XML document that contain data of interest (e.g., a particular element or attribute requested by an application) are manifested. The term “manifesting a portion of an XML document” refers to creating an in-memory representation of the portion and incorporating it into existing in-memory representation of an XML document, if any. These portions are referred to herein as a loadable unit. A loadable unit is a set of one or more nodes in an XML document, where when there is need to manifest a node in the set, other nodes in the loadable unit are manifested too. Loadable units may, but not necessarily, correlate to content structures that store the nodes. A loadable unit may be the nodes whose content is contained in a row.

The number of businesses exchanging information electronically is proliferating. Businesses that exchange information have recognized the need for a common standard for representing data. Extensible Markup Language ("XML") is rapidly becoming the common standard for representing data.
XML describes and provides structure to a body of data, such as a file or data packet, referred to herein as an XML document. XML standards provide for tags that delimit sections of an XML document referred to as XML elements or elements.
An element may contain various types of data, including element attributes and other elements. An element that is contained by another element is referred to as a descendant of that element. By defining an element that contains attributes and descendant elements, the XML document defines parent-child hierarchical relationships between the element, its descendant elements, and its attributes.
The term node is used to refer to individual elements and element attributes in an XML document. Thus, an XML document defines a hierarchy of nodes having parent-child relationships. Such a hierarchy is referred to herein as a node tree or a node hierarchy.
The term attribute is used herein to refer to a discrete part or element of a structure, such as a data structure or an object that belongs to an object type according to the object-oriented methodology. An attribute may be a complex construct containing one or more other attributes, referred to herein as a member of the attribute. XML standards provide for element attributes in the form of name-value pairs. While the meaning of the term attribute, as used herein, encompasses element attributes, the term is not so limited.
Industry standards define structures for representing XML documents. One such standard is the Document Object Model (DOM), promulgated by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
In order for a computer to operate on an XML document, an in-memory representation of the XML document is generated. In general, an XML document is loaded from a storage device (e.g., a disk that stores files that contain XML entities) to generate in-memory data structures used to represent an XML document. The in-memory data structures are manipulated by computer processes executing software and programs. The process of loading an XML document into memory and generating an in memory representation of the XML document is referred to as manifestation or manifesting an XML document. Typically, applications access and manipulate the in-memory data structures created by manifestation through an API.
Under conventional approaches for manifestation, when an XML document is manifested, the entire XML document is manifested. XML documents can be very large, and thus require a significant amount of memory when manifesting them. Some XML documents are so large that memory needed to manifest them far surpasses the memory capacity of many computers.
Based on the foregoing, it is desirable to provide a mechanism that reduces that amount of memory needed to manifest an XML document.

Loadable units for lazy manifestation of XML documents