A seal for a shut-off device moved in a rectilinear manner, which is switched from a closed to an open position and vice versa so as to shut off material flows. The seal is formed of metallic components which define a pressure chamber to which external pressure can be applied to achieve seal tightness. Employing only metallic components makes it possible to use the seal in a wide temperature range and under conditions of exceptional wear caused by either frequent actuation or the composition of the flowing medium. The sealing system includes a shut-off device (1) against which a movable seat (5) forms a seal. The seat is connected to the tubular casing (2) in a pressure tight manner, and the casing in turn is connected to a flange (3). The assembly is connected to a housing (8) by a flange (6) and is sealed by seal (7). Membranes (9, 10) and support plate (14) form a pressure chamber (11) to which pressure P.sub.s is applied through connecting nipple (13) and bores (12). Pressure P.sub.b acts in pressurized space (69), and pressure P.sub.g in pressurized space (70). The pressure duct inside casing (2) between connecting nipple (13) and bores (12) is formed by plate (15) which is connected to the casing in a pressure tight manner. Membrane (9) has a wear-resistant coating where it contacts the shut-off member (1). Support plate (14) constitutes a radial guide for membranes (9, 10) to prevent plastic deformation due to frictional forces during actuation, and it axially limits displacement during changes in direction of the pressure when the shut-off device is closed. When no pressure P.sub.s is applied to membrane (9), it rests flat against the annular surface of support plate (14), so the surface pressure against shut-off member (1) is reduced and the membrane is not at risk of permanent deformation as the shut-off member is actuated.

The invention relates to a seal for a shut-off member for translatory movement which is moved from a closed position to an open position or in the opposite direction, in order to shut off flows of a substance.
The seal comprises metal components which define a pressure chamber to which external pressure can be applied in order to prevent leakage. The exclusive use of metal components permits use for wide temperature ranges and extraordinarily wearing conditions caused by frequency of operation of the valve or the composition of the working medium.
For the operation of such a seal it is important that the leakage resistance of the fitting be achieved between the casing and the shut-off member by means of two sealing seats disposed in the casing. When there is pressure difference in a particular direction, a fixed sealing seat on the side facing away from the pressure difference is necessary. The side facing the pressure difference must be given an axially movable seal seat that is able to equalize even deformations of the casing by internal pressure and/or external stress. Mechanical point stresses from positions outside of the casing necessitate a rigidity of the movable seat ring directly proportional to the distance between these points of application of force, the seat ring being no longer able to compensate for deformations of the shut-off member and casing. Thus, the overall system is not assured against leakage in every state of operation. To achieve the basic requirement of allowing no components of the medium to get into the housing whether the fitting is in the closed or open position, a pressure can be applied within the casing by means of a blocking medium. The result is that, in the event of leakage, only components of the blocking medium can enter the working medium and the shut-off for manual work downstream is secure.
Basically, sealing systems are known which utilize expandable sealing elements in order to produce sufficient surface pressure on the shut-off member. Tubular sealing elements of resilient synthetic resin materials are usable only to a limited extent on account of temperature limits and poor resistance to wear. Particularly in the case of advanced wear, such sealing elements tend to stick in the gap they are sealing. Therefore either the expandability of the sealing element or the possibility of operating the valve is lost.
Known metal sealing systems for providing axial flexibility have the disadvantage that hybrid solutions are involved, of a combination of metal surrounding the pressure chamber that is to be expanded externally and the transmission of the force thereby produced to resilient sealing elements made of elastomers. The disadvantages described above are again encountered. The pressure chambers are defined, for reasons of elastic deformability, by a plurality of parallel membranes whose seal against one another cannot be tested either during manufacture or in operation. The multilayer character of the elastic membrane is necessary because it must have the ability to deform even at the maximum working temperature. As for the function of sealing the pressure chamber, the failure of a single membrane leads to a general failure. It is extremely difficult to use forming processes to manufacture a pack of membranes to accommodate the elastic sealing ring, especially to make them of approximately equal radial thickness. The retention of the elastic sealing ring in the membrane pack is inadequate, so that wear of the elastic sealing ring differs according to its circumferential position in relation to the direction of the translatory movement of the shut-off member.


Described is an air and surface purifying device having a purifying cell structured for maximizing the realized photocatalytic reaction at a photocatalytic surface without using an additional ultraviolet bulb. The purifying cell positions at least three photocatalytic surfaces about a single ultraviolet bulb such that the photocatalytic surfaces substantially encompass the ultraviolet bulb and are saturated by ultraviolet light radiating from the ultraviolet bulb. Because the photocatalytic surfaces are saturated, the potential photocatalytic reaction at the photocatalytic surfaces is fully realized. Stated differently, the realized photocatalytic reaction is maximized. Because the purifying cell maximizes the realized photocatalytic reaction, the purifying cell maximizes the purifying capacity of the photocatalytic surface and, thus, the purifying cell itself.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to a method and device for purifying ambient air and surfaces. More particularly, this invention pertains to a method and device for removing organic contaminants from ambient air and surfaces utilizing a photocatalytic reaction.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a conventional air purifying apparatus that is a part of the prior art. The conventional purifying apparatus includes an ultraviolet bulb 01, a first matrix 02, and a second matrix 03. Each of the first matrix 02 and the second matrix 03 includes a width wcpa and a photocatalytic surface 04 facing the ultraviolet bulb 01. When the ultraviolet bulb 01 radiates ultraviolet light, a photocatalytic reaction occurs at the photocatalytic surface 04 of the first matrix 02 and the second matrix 03. Air subjected to the photocatalytic reaction is oxidized and thus purified.
A conventional purifying apparatus is limited in that the potential photocatalytic reaction at the first matrix 02 and the second matrix 03 is not fully realized. More specifically, the positional relationship between the ultraviolet bulb 01 and each of the matrices is such that the distance dcpa between the ultraviolet bulb 01 and the outermost portions 05 of the photocatalytic surface 04 of each of the first matrix 02 and the second matrix 03 is large to the extent that ultraviolet light exposure at the outermost portions 05 of the photocatalytic surfaces 04 is not sufficient to saturate the photocatalytic surfaces 04. When the photocatalytic surface 04 is not saturated, the realized photocatalytic reaction is not maximized. Consequently, only the centermost portions 06 of the photocatalytic surfaces 04 are exposed to ultraviolet light sufficient to maximize the realized photocatalytic reaction. As a result, using a conventional purifying apparatus to generate a particular photocatalytic reaction requires more photocatalytic surface 04 than necessary. Stated differently, a portion of the photocatalytic surface 04 of a conventional purifying apparatus, and consequently potential photocatalytic reaction, is wasted.
Another conventional purifying apparatus addresses the above-discussed limitation by employing additional ultraviolet bulbs 01 along the width wcpa of the first matrix 02 and the second matrix 03 such that the outermost portions 05 of the photocatalytic surfaces 04 are exposed to sufficient ultraviolet light for maximum photocatalytic reaction. However, adding additional ultraviolet bulbs 01 increases the part count per apparatus, power consumption, and heat generation. Consequently, a device that maximizes the realized photocatalytic reaction at a given photocatalytic surface without increasing the radiated ultraviolet light is desired.

Method and device for purifying ambient air and surfaces


A method of painting a photographic image on any surface, including a vertical surface or uneven surface. The method described is comprised of transferring the photographic image to a screen having a particular minimum mesh and then securing the screen to the surface onto which the photographic image is to be painted. The screen being flexible is secured to the surface in intimate contact and following substantially the contour of the surface to be painted. Paint is then sprayed through the photographic image on the screen in a series of applications of very thin layers with the paint allowed to dry between each application. The paint is mixed to such a consistency that it will rapidly dry almost as it is applied. When the painting is finally completed, the screen is removed by carefully peeling it from the surface, leaving the photographic image painted on the surface.

This invention relates to transferring of images, and more particularly relates to a method of transferring a photographic image by painting.
No method now known has been available for transferring a photographic image to a vertical or somewhat uneven surface or to the underside of a horizontal surface, such as a ceiling. The silk screening process is usually used for transferring such images, but is limited to horizontal application on substantially flat surfaces. In the silk screening process, a silk screen is formed having a design impressed on a special cloth screen and the screen stretched across a rigid frame. The non-printing areas are blocked out and ink, which is usually paint rather than ink, is carried in the same frame. The ink is carried across the screen with a squeegie, which squeezes the ink through the screen through a platte surface beneath. Printing is usually done in flat, opaque colors, one color at a time. The fact that the screen is stretched across the rigid frame and the ink is squeegied through the open areas of the screen, prevents application to uneven or curved surfaces, or even the use on vertical surfaces, the underside of horizontal surfaces, or to soft surfaces such as cake frosting.
Further, it is impossible to spray paint in any useful quantity through screens of mesh size suitable for standard silk screening. Likewise conventional silk screening would fail with a mesh size sufficiently coarse to allow painting as the ink would run through like a sieve, smearing the image.


The mechanical variable cam timing device has a camshaft connector, a sprocket, a sprocket ring and a connector ring, all of which have teeth with slanted side walls that mate to form a circumferential ring. The sprocket ring and the connector ring move axially so as to shift the spacing between the teeth and provide for a phase shift.

Typically, variable cam timing (VCT) devices are hydraulic in nature and use pressurized engine oil to change the phase between the camshaft and the crankshaft using a phaser having a rotor and a stator where the stator has pressure chambers and the rotor has vanes in the pressure chambers. Oil is pumped into the chambers to rotate the rotor vanes and cause a shift in phase.
Such hydraulic devices require an accurate control of the oil leakages. Such a requirement can be difficult and the difficulty is enhanced due to the engine conditions and operating temperatures.
Devices for mechanically controlling the phase shift are known, see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,012,774 and 5,638,782.


Systems, methods and apparatuses for handling trick mode operation using multiple video streams are provided. A media server presents a first video stream having a first level of a video characteristic for display. The media server, in response to receiving a first command, presents a second video stream having a second level of the video characteristic for display while stopping presenting the first video stream for display based on a determination determined using the first level of the video characteristic and the second level of the video characteristic. The first video stream and the second video stream are directed to the same video content.

In digital video systems including digital video recorders, trick mode operations refer to functions, for example fast forward, pause, and rewind, that generally mimic the visual feedback given during fast forward, pause, and rewind operations provided by analog systems such as videocassette recorders.
The details of various implementations of the methods and systems are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below.

Trick mode operation with multiple video streams

Avago Technologies International Sales Pte. Limited


In a plastic optical product, an optical multilayer film having a seven layer structure is formed on a surface of a plastic substrate directly or with an interlayer interposed therebetween. In the seven layer structure of the optical multilayer film, a layer on the plastic substrate side is a low refractive index layer, and the low refractive index layers and high refractive index layers are alternately disposed. At least the high refractive index layer at the center of the seven layer structure contains substoichiometric titanium oxide. In a plastic lens for spectacles belonging to such a plastic optical product, the plastic substrate is a plastic lens substrate for spectacles, the interlayer is a hard coat film, and the optical multilayer film is an anti-reflective film.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plastic optical product and a plastic lens for spectacles that have an optical multilayer film but which are excellent in heat resistance.
2. Description of Related Art
In order to impart anti-reflection properties and the like to plastic lenses, an anti-reflective film including a metal oxide film is formed on a plastic substrate or on a hard coat film of the substrate. Here, the metal oxide film has a smaller coefficient of thermal expansion than those of the plastic substrate and the hard coat film. On this account, when a large amount of heat is applied to a plastic lens, the metal oxide film cannot follow the deformation of the plastic substrate or the hard coat film due to their comparatively large thermal expansion and this may generate cracks on the anti-reflective film.
In order to improve such characteristics against heat and to impart heat resistance, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application, Publication No. 2009-128820 (JP2009-128820A), it is known that a composite layer including at least two metal oxide layers that contain the same metallic element but have different oxygen contents from each other is included in an anti-reflective film.
However, in the invention disclosed in JP2009-128820A, in order to impart heat resistance while maintaining the anti-reflection properties, the composite layer is disposed away from a substrate side (hard coating side) (via a common anti-reflective multilayer film structure). As a result, the common anti-reflective multilayer film structure cannot follow the deformation due to thermal expansion and the heat resistance is not much improved. In addition, especially in the case of lens for spectacles and the like, a round lens is not used as it is and is usually edged to have a certain outer shape such as an ellipsoidal shape, and then the edged lenses are inserted in a frame to be used. However, the lens in JP2009-128820A cannot be considered to have significantly improved heat resistance after inserted in a frame.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a plastic optical product and a plastic lens for spectacles that have an optical multilayer film but which are excellent in heat resistance.

Plastic optical product and plastic lens for spectacles


A method and an apparatus for manipulating an input signal (e.g., an audio equivalent signal) having a specific length to form an output signal having a different length. A chain of successive overlapping time windows is positioned with respect to the input signal; segment signals are derived from the input signal and the segment signals; and the output signal is synthesized by chained superposition of a sequence of the segment signals. Each of the windows (except for the first window in the chain) is positioned by incrementing a position of the window from a corresponding position of a preceding window in the chain by a time interval. That time interval is substantially equal to a principal period of periodicity of a portion of the input signal with respect to which the window will be positioned. The sequence of segment signals is derived from the segment signals by performing at least one of repeating and suppressing one or more of the segment signals.

The invention relates to a method for manipulating an audio equivalent signal, comprising positioning a chain of mutually overlapping time windows with respect to the audio equivalent signal on the basis of periodicity measurements of the audio equivalent signal so that a positional displacement between adjacent windows substantially corresponds to a principal period of said periodicity; and synthesizing an audio output signal by chained superposition of segment signals derived from the audio equivalent signal through weighting with the windows (i.e., an associated window function for each). Such a method has been described in earlier non pre-published European Application 91202044.3 (to which U.S. Pat. No. 5,479,564 corresponds), co-authored by the present inventors and assigned to the same assignee, which reference is incorporated herein by reference, inasfar as not actually included. Reference should also be made of a still earlier, pre-published reference, i.e., European Patent Application EP-A-363 233. The object of those references was to change the prosody for synthesized speech, the pitch of the output signal, and the duration of stretches of speech. In combination with the junior reference (i.e., European Application 91202044.3), the method should be performed automatically, be robust against noise, and retain a high audio quality for the output signal. The inventors of the present invention have realized that the manipulation of the duration can be used in various situations where there are external constraints to the total length of a self-contained unit of speech, which constraints may specify both the maximum and the minimum duration of such unit.

Method and apparatus for manipulating an input signal to form an output signal having a different length


In a conveyance equipment having a conveyance path which serves to convey paper or the like, and an introduction path which merges with the conveyance path, for guiding to the conveyance path the paper or the like to be introduced into the conveyance system, the paper or the like is conveyed in a state in which it is erected within the conveyance path while being sandwiched in between conveyance members; a conveyance equipment for paper or the like is so constructed that means for separating and excluding foreign matter is formed at a bottom of the conveyance path. Also, a paper money collection system in a game island is constructed using the conveyance equipment.

In a game Parlor for "pachinko" and/or slot machine games, or the like, a plurality of game machines are aligned in two rows back to back, thereby forming a game island. Usually, in the game island, game medium vending machines for dispensing a game medium such as pachinko balls or gaming medals or coins are interposedly installed between the respectively adjacent game machines. A polisher for cleaning the game medium is mounted at the end of the game island. As a method of cleaning by the polisher, there has been known one wherein the game medium is polished up with an abrasive obtained by granulating a plastic material.
After having been polished up with the abrasive, the game medium is carried into the game island again so as to be reused in the game machines. In this regard, oily dust sometimes adheres to the game medium even after the polishing. Also, the game medium is sometimes carried to its passage in the game island while bearing the abrasive on account of electrostatic charges etc. stored in this game medium.
A conveyance equipment for conveying bank notes is arranged as a constituent of the island under such a game medium passage. In the conveyance equipment, a U-groove is formed in the base, and the bank note is conveyed along the U-groove into a paper money receiving box mounted at the end of the game island.
Since, however, the game medium passage includes diverging points etc. for replenishing the individual game machines and game medium vending machines with the game medium, the granular abrasive which adheres to the game medium is expelled out of the diverging points etc. to occasionally intrude into the conveyance path of the bank notes. Therefore, the conveyance equipment in the prior art might get clogged by the bank notes and has had the problem that, each time clogging ascribable to the bank notes occurs, a clerk in the game parlor must remove the abrasive, so labor is expended on the maintenance of the conveyance equipment.
An object of the present invention is to provide a conveyance equipment for paper or the like which can exclude an abrasive having intruded into a conveyance path for bank notes and can be prevented from getting clogged by the bank notes.
Besides, in a game island to which the present invention is applied, bank notes used in the game island are idetified while being collected.
Heretofore, in such a collection system, there has been known a structure wherein bank note identification machines are disposed in a state in which they are orthogonal to bank note conveyance belts, and wherein bank notes are conveyed into game fee receiving boxes by both the conveyance belts which are respectively extended unidirectionally along both the rows of game machines.
With such a structure, however, a conveyance equipment for the bank notes collides against the conduit or chute of a ball resupply device because it is attached to the part of a curtain board. In order to avoid the collision, the mounting position of the conduit or chute is shifted upwards. This measure, however, is unfavorable in design for the reason that the height of the island increases to inflict a sense of oppression on game players.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a paper money collection system in which, in order to eliminate the drawback as stated above, a conveyance equipment for bank notes is mounted outside a conduit or chute so as not to interfere with the conduit or chute, and in which identification machines are attached aslant or laterally so as to prevent an island from widening to the extent of mounting the conveyance equipment outside.
A further object is to provide a paper money collection system which is so constructed that an exchange machine for changing a large denomination note is installed on one end of an island, and that bank notes carried by conveyors are introduced into the large denomination note changing machine so as to be recycled for changing the money.

Conveyance equipment for paper or the like, and paper money collection system in game island employing the same


A medical device diagnostic apparatus and a control method thereof are provided. The medical device diagnostic apparatus includes a communicator connected to a controlled medical device, the communicator being configured to transmit and receive data to and from the controlled medical device, and a controller configured to select a component from components of the controlled medical device based on the received data, calculate a difference value between input and output data of the selected component and input and output data corresponding to the selected component in reference data, determine whether the difference value is greater than a value, determine that the selected component operates abnormally in response to the controller determining that difference value is greater than the value, and select another component from the components in response to the controller determining that the difference value is less than or equal to the value.

1. Field
Apparatuses and methods consistent with exemplary embodiments relate to a medical device diagnostic apparatus for determining a malfunctioning component among components of a medical device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A medical device is an apparatus for diagnosing, preventing, controlling, treating, or reducing a patient's diseases or disabilities using instruments, tools, substances, materials, etc. Examples of the medical device include an ultrasonic imaging apparatus, an X-ray imaging apparatus, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus, a computed tomography (CT) apparatus, and a microfluidics device.
If a component of a medical device malfunctions, the corresponding component may be replaced with a new one to normally operate the medical device. However, because there are difficulties in finding such a malfunctioning component, and most of components of a medical device are expensive, it takes much time and high cost to replace a component determined to malfunction with a new one.

Medical device diagnostic apparatus and control method thereof


A method is described for producing gas from fluid-containing formations, including the steps of generating elastic vibrations by a generator and stimulating a fluid-containing formation by the elastic vibrations, extracting gas from a gas trap through a well, the generating step involving the step of increasing frequency of elastic vibrations within a frequency range from 0.1 Hz to 350.0 Hz, followed by the step of reducing the frequency within the same frequency range.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods for producing gas and hydrocarbons from fluid containing beds.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is common knowledge that gas is produced from gas; condensed gas; condensed oil-and-gas- and gas-hydrated deposits. In addition to already formed gas deposits, significant gas resources are contained in aquifers, in soluted, dispersed or isolated in the lenses forms. Significant gas volumes in said forms are also contained in formerly developed deposits wherein gas production has been terminated due to water entering the wells.
The gas phase in the form of traps (lenses) can exist both in formations with an essential bed pressure and in depleted formations.
There are known a number of methods of producing gas from fluid-containing beds, providing pumping out the bed fluid. Thus, there is known a method of gas production, providing transportation of gas along with the bed fluid to the surface with subsequent gas separation (Reference Book on Gas Production, Moscow, Nedra, 1974, pp. 511-512).
There is known another method of increasing a recovery of natural gas from an aquifer, providing drilling of one or more wells in the region of an aquifer, reducing the pressure in the bed by pumping out a part of the bed fluid and extracting the released gas (U.S. Pat. No. 4,040,487). This design allows one to avoid gas separation on the earth surface.
There is also known a method of increasing a natural gas recovery from an aquifer having a trap, which differs from the previous one in that the wells are drilled around the trap to a point below the lower boundary thereof. Utilization in this method of a trap as an intermediate reservoir for gas accumulation, makes it possible to compensate a non-uniform removal of the gas from the bed (U.S. Pat. No. 4,116,276).
There is further known a utilization in the fluid hydrocarbon production of a stimulating and intensifying influence on the bed by means of elastic pressure waves generated by appropriate sources in a medium contacting the bed and/or directly in the bed.
In the known methods are utilized the low-amplitude elastic vibrations generated in a seismic frequency range from 0.1 to 500 Hz (U.S. Pat. No. 4,417,621) and pumping gas (CO.sub.2) to the bed. Also, there is used a pulse influence by electric discharge devices arranged in a well (U.S. Pat. No. 4,169,503; U.S. Pat. No. 5,004,050).
Moreover, the utilization of seismic vibrations stimulates gas flow through the bed.
There is known a method of producing gas from fluid containing beds having at least one gas trap, providing influencing the bed by means of elastic vibrations generated directly in the bed and/or in a medium contacting the bed by an oscillation source, and removal of the gas from the trap (PCT/RU 92/00025).
Said technical solution, combining influence on the fluid containing bed by means of elastic vibrations and accumulation of gas released at degassing a trap, gives a possibility to use on an industrial scale the flooded formations with low bed pressure and also provides extracting gas from gas containing aquifers.

Method of producing gas from fluid containing beds

Aktsionernoe Obschestvo Zakrytogo Tipa "Biotekhinvest"


A component is described which may comprise a structure formed from a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum and an aluminum alloy. The component may further comprise a sacrificial layer in electrical contact with at least a portion of a surface of the structure. The sacrificial layer may protect the surface from localized corrosion and may comprise an alloy that is more anodic than the material forming the structure. The alloy may be selected from the group consisting of an aluminum alloy and a zinc alloy.

Aluminum and aluminum alloys are desirable materials for component fabrication in many industries, such as aircraft and automotive industries, because they are strong, relatively inexpensive, lightweight, and generally resistant to corrosion. The corrosion resistance of aluminum and aluminum alloys results from self-renewing passive oxide films that develop on their surfaces and advantageously create a barrier against corrosion. While effective, the passive oxide films may break down locally causing small areas of the aluminum alloy to become exposed for localized corrosion in the form of pitting corrosion, intergranular attack, crevice corrosion, and stress cracking corrosion. Such localized corrosion may occur, for example, when the exposed areas of the aluminum or aluminum alloy come into contact with corrosive agents in the environment such as water, air, and chlorides. The susceptibility of aluminum and aluminum alloys to localized corrosion may limit the use of these materials, for example, in fan blades and compressor airfoils in gas turbine engines of aircraft, which frequently operate near coastal environments containing high levels of corrosive chlorides from wind-blown seawater mist. As such, fan blades in gas turbine engines are frequently made from heavier and more expensive metals such as titanium.
The development of strategies designed to protect aluminum and aluminum alloy based structures from localized corrosion may be advantageous for promoting the use of these materials in a variety of industries. One strategy may be to apply paint coatings, such as chromated epoxy based primers, to the surfaces of aluminum alloy fan blades and compressor airfoils to form a barrier that shields the surfaces from coming into direct contact with corrosive agents in the environment. However, if introduced into gas turbine fan blades and compressor airfoils, such coatings may be short lived as they may be subject to erosion and/or damage upon impact with foreign objects such as birds, ice, and sand during fan operation.
One known approach for protecting steel structures from corrosion involves introducing a sacrificial anode in electrical contact (such as metal to metal contact) with a portion of a surface of the steel structure. This strategy has been described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,870,615 and has been successfully applied for the protection of steel hulls of ships, offshore oil rigs, as well as pipelines which would otherwise be exposed to the corrosive effects of seawater or groundwater. The sacrificial anodes may protect such steel structures from corrosion by a cathodic protection mechanism in which the sacrificial anode is preferentially corroded over the steel structure upon exposure to corrosive conditions in the environment. In this regard, the sacrificial anode may be formed from a metal such as zinc, magnesium, or aluminum, which have lower electrochemical potentials that the iron material forming the steel, in order to provide a driving force for the sacrificial anode to preferentially corrode. In the presence of water and electrolyte, the sacrificial anode and steel structure create a galvanic cell, with oxidation (corrosion) occurring at the sacrificial anode and the released electrons being shuttled to the steel structure. Once the sacrificial anode has been substantially consumed by corrosion, a new sacrificial anode layer may be applied to the surface of the steel structure to further extend protection.
The development of similar cathodic protection strategies for aluminum and aluminum alloy based structures are still wanting, however. Clearly, a system is needed to protect aluminum and aluminum alloy structures from localized corrosion in order to reduce or minimize the risks of structural failure.

Enhanced protection for aluminum fan blade via sacrificial layer


A method of manufacturing a spherical bearing having an outer member with an opening therethrough and a concave inner surface on the inner surface of the outer member, an inner member with a convex outer surface complementary to and in precise spherical bearing conformity with the concave inner surface comprising the steps of preforming the inner and outer members to their substantially, final dimensions, forcing the inner member within the opening of the outer member, the inner member acting as a die to enlarge one end of the opening thereby cold working an annular portion of the outer member which surrounds the opening.

This invention relates generally to a novel method for manufacturing spherical bearings.
More particularly the present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a spherical bearing having an outer member with an opening therethrough and a concave inner surface on the inner surface of the outer member, an inner member with a convex outer surface complementary to and in precise spherical bearing conformity with the concave inner surface comprising the steps of preforming the inner and outer members to their substantially, final dimensions, forcing the inner member within the opening of the outer member, the inner member acting as a die to enlarge one end of the opening thereby cold working an annular portion of the outer member which surrounds the opening.
Spherical bearings or ball and socket type ball bearings are in a broad sense an extremely old art. One only has to look back to the first forms of animal life in which bones and joints were present. Typically, the specifications for spherical bearing assemblies are most exacting as to shape, dimension and overall strength. Spherical bearings present unique problems of achieving uniform bearing contact between the convex outer surface of the ball and the concave inner surface of the outer race member of the socket. This requirement of uniform bearing contact, therefore requires a high order and type of dimensional control over the various elements comprising the spherical bearing assembly as well as the method and apparatus by which the bearing assembly is manufactured.
Spherical bearing assemblies continue to gain wider and wider acceptance in industry and accordingly there are continual efforts to improve upon the quality of the spherical bearing product while at the same time to simplify the method of manufacturing these spherical bearings. Typically, the method of manufacturing these types of bearings have included numerous, complicated and costly steps regarding sophisticated, expensive and difficult to maintain apparatus.

Method of manufacturing a spherical bearing


A device and method for carrying, loading and cocking a firearm 40, such as a pistol or similar. A first element 10; 110 is attached to the firearm. A second element 20 is slidably disposed and displaceable within and away from the first element. A spring element 30; 130 is generally disposed in relation to the first and second elements such that the second element is fixed within said first element until a predetermined force is applied to either element. The invented device and method allows a firearm such as a pistol to be drawn, loaded and cocked in one continous movement, using only one hand.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of firearms. More specifically, the invention relates to a device and method for carrying, loading and cocking a firearm such as a pistol.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hand held firearms such as pistols and revolvers are normally contained in and carried by a holster. The holster may be fastened to a belt or strap arrangement on the user""s body (waist, chest, ankle, etc.) or it may be attached to e.g. an interior part of a car. In order for the user to fire the weapon, he or she must first remove the firearm from its holster, load and cock the weapon before pulling the trigger.
3. Problem to be Solved by the Invention
Hand held firearms are often carried by individuals such as law enforcement officers, who need to rely on having the weapon readily and quickly available for use in an emergency situation. The elapsed time between the user making a decision to actually use the weapon and when the weapon is ready to be fired, is highly critical: A revolver may be cocked by pulling back the hammer while the revolver is still in its holster. It may thus be ready to be fired when it is drawn from its holster. This is, however, not the case with a weapon such as a pistol.
A weapon such as a pistol is normally loaded and cocked by pulling back the slide assembly far enough to compress hew recoil spring assembly and to allow a cartridge to be pushed into the barrel from the magazine. This operation requires two hands. generally one for holding the pistol and the other for pulling back the slide assembly. Furthermore, this loading and cocking operation cannot easily be performed while the pistol is in its holster. The operation introduces an unnecessary andxe2x80x94in some casesxe2x80x94crucial time element.
It is therefore a long felt need for a device that allows a simpler and safer, andxe2x80x94above allxe2x80x94quicker way of loading and cocking of a firearm such as a pistol.
4. Means for Solving the Problem
The present invention solves that need, in that it provides an arrangement whereby a firearm such as a pistol is loaded and cocked when it is removed from its carrying device. The device in accordance with the invention comprises in its most elementary embodiment two elements, where one is sliadably disposable within the other and where the two elements are held together by a fixture such as a spring element.
These and other objects and features of the invention are provided by a device for carrying, loading and cocking a firearm, comprising a first element generally attached to said firearm; a second element slidably disposed and displaceable within and away from said first element; and a spring element generally disposed in relation to said first and second elements such that said second element is fixedly retainable within said first element; wherein said spring element is designed to retain said second element within said first element until a predetermined force is applied to either one of said elements.

Device and method for carrying, loading and cocking a firearm


A bearing pressure system includes a bearing assembly having a first component movable against a second component and at least one accumulator in fluid communication with an interface between the first and second components, the at least one accumulator holding a pressurized fluid. A method includes providing a bearing pressure system having a fluid communicable between an accumulator and an interface between components movable relative to each other, providing an amount of pressurized fluid from the accumulator to the interface when the pressure of the fluid at the interface falls below a pressure range being maintained, and transferring an amount of the fluid from the interface to the accumulator when the pressure of the fluid at the interface rises above the pressure range being maintained.

Bearing assemblies having at least two parts moving against each other are often supplied with a lubricant for aiding the movement of the parts against each other. The lubricant may be self-contained between the moving parts, for example, by sealing lubricant between the moving parts using at least one sealing element. In some bearing assemblies, lubricant may be constantly or intermittently supplied from a lubricant source to an interface between the moving parts.
Some bearing assemblies include moving parts provided with interfacing reduced-friction surfaces. Reduced-friction surfaces may include diamond, diamond-like carbon, disulfides, and/or carbides, for example. Further, reduced-friction surfaces may be applied as a coating (applying a layer of the reduced-friction material over an outer surface of an already formed part) or may be formed as an outer surface of a part, for example, by polishing or by forming the outer surface of the part with a reduced-friction material during manufacturing or making of the part.
An example of a bearing assembly is a bearing package provided in a rotating control device (RCD) for use during downhole drilling operations. An RCD (also referred to as a rotating control head, RCH) includes a bearing and sealing assembly that enables rotation of a drill string and longitudinal motion of a drill string as a wellbore is drilled, while maintaining a fluid-tight seal between the drill string and the wellbore so that drilling fluid discharged from the wellbore may be discharged in a controlled manner. By controlling discharge of the fluid from the wellbore, a selected fluid pressure may be maintained in the annular space between the drill string and the exterior of the wellbore.
RCDs may be provided along a casing or riser assembly, through which the drill string may be inserted and rotated during the drilling operations. A bearing package may be provided within the RCD to allow rotation of the drill string through one or more sealing or packing elements in the RCD, where the bearing package and sealing element(s) together seal-off drilling fluids from moving through the RCD. An RCD bearing package may include an inner rotatable part commonly referred to as a drive ring or a quill and an outer stationary part, which may be referred to as the outer housing or bearing housing. The interfacing surfaces between the drive ring and the bearing housing may include one or more reduced-friction surfaces. Further, RCD bearing packages may include lubricant provided between the interfacing surfaces of the drive ring and bearing housing to aid in rotation of the drive ring within the bearing housing.

Pressure system for bearing assembly and method of use


A device for rotating a valve for producing rotations of a gas charging valve in an internal combustion engine during its opening and closing movements. The device has a basic body having a plurality of pockets oriented in a peripheral direction for receiving rolling bodies. There is also a valve shaft disposed in the basic body. In addition, there is also a plurality of rolling bodies and a plurality of tangential springs for holding the plurality of rolling bodies adjacent to the plurality of pockets on the basic body. Finally, there is a cover serving as a valve spring support and force transmitter or energy reservoir for each of the valve rotations, wherein the basic body and the cover consist of reshaped metal components. This design allows for a simple construction process resulting in lower manufacture costs.

The present invention relates to a device for rotating a valve that forcibly produces rotations of a gas changing valve in an internal combustion engine. This valve rotation is in the course of the gas changing valve""s opening and closing movements. The valve comprises a basic body surrounding the valve shaft, that is connected with the shaft in a force-transmitting manner. This basic body has a plurality of pockets oriented in a circumferential or peripheral direction for receiving roller bodies initially tensioned by tangential springs. In addition, this design also contains a cover which acts as a valve spring support. There is also a cup spring clamped between the basic body and the cover that serves as a force transmitter or energy reservoir for the valve rotations.
The components xe2x80x9cbasic bodyxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9ccoverxe2x80x9d of the device are produced in one or more stages by a cold flow pressing method. This method requires complicated dies whose useful life is determined by the material used and the required reshaping forces. The cold flow pressing process has to be performed in many steps with intermediate annealing. After this process, cutting steps are still required to produce a plurality of defined functional surfaces. This result means that there are high production costs for the device components. Thus, the aim of this invention is to reduce the manufacturing costs without causing any negative effects on the rigidity, function and duration of the useful life of the device.
The invention relates to a device for rotating a valve that has a basic body that embraces the valve shaft. The basic body has a plurality of pockets oriented in a circumferential or peripheral direction, With this invention, the basic body and cover of the device can be produced by a simpler production method and at a more favorable cost. In this case, the basic body and the cover of a device are made of re-formed sheet metal parts.
The basic body and the cover, which are made of a steel sheet, limit the re-shaping process to the important functional surfaces such as the cone, the cup spring support, and the ball raceway. The functional surfaces that are of secondary importance, are replaced by smaller individual surfaces, which are uniformly distributed over the circumference and slightly bent. Thus, it is possible to reduce the required cutting procedures to very few operations for adjusting defined measurements of the finished product.
The number of necessary requirements and the cost with respect to the tool for producing the pressed metal sheet components can thereby be substantially reduced. The recesses of the roller body pockets are slightly pressed only proportionally. Thus, this design results in a considerable cost savings.
The pockets can be formed in different ways, either similar to the shape commonly used at the present time, or by lining up a plurality of different bevels. The gaps between the pockets, which are conditioned by the process, are closed by simple construction elements which maintain the tangential springs within the pockets in their positions at the same time. These construction elements, which can be pins or stops, can also be connected in the form of a ring and combined to form one single component.
This design ensures a substantially enhanced exchange of lubricant by the openings between the ball pockets.
The stiffenings required for the stability of the pocket rim of the basic body versus the cone are shaped into the sheet metal body. The basic body has additional stability provided by grooves or steps extending all around.
The material consumption and thus also the moving components are substantially reduced in this manner. The material used should be suitable for the hardening process and at the same time well-suited also for the re-forming process,
The cover is produced in the form of a simple pressed component as well. The steps extending all around are not complete in this connection, but produced only as individual bent tongues or steps uniformly distributed over the circumference.
The device for rotating a valve can be closed after its individual components have been assembled by bending individual tongues against the basic body.
Starting with a flat disk, the basic body is produced by molding the cone and pressing all pockets into its flange-like rim. As the pockets are being pressed in, their ends are separated from the beginning of the next pocket, so that a gap is produced. The gaps may be narrower than the bridges used before, which means that either the pitch circle and thus the construction space can be selected smaller with the same load, or the size of the rolling bodies, such as balls can be selected larger.
Simple construction elements can be used as stop means for the tangential springs in the pockets. These construction elements prevent the springs from slipping. This result can be realized by mounting a separate sheet metal ring with stop tongues reaching into the pockets.
After the balls, the tangential springs, and their holding components have been mounted, the cover is positioned after the cup spring has been put into place, and then fixed by only bending over individual segments along the circumference.


Recovering oil from a subterranean formation is disclosed, comprising processing a source water to produce a processed water stream and a reject water stream; injecting a first fluid into an injection well toward a first downhole exhaust, wherein the first fluid comprises the processed water stream; and injecting a second fluid into the injection well toward a second downhole exhaust, wherein the second fluid comprises the reject water stream or a produced water stream, wherein the first fluid is separated from the second fluid within the injection well; and producing oil via a production well.

In the recovery of oil from a subterranean formation, primary recovery methods utilizing the natural formation pressure to produce the oil typically allow recovery of only a portion of the oil contained within the formation. Additional oil and hydrocarbon compounds from the formation may be produced by improved oil recovery (e.g. water injection) or enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods.
Typically, water used in improved oil recovery and/or enhanced oil recovery production operations must be processed. Processing the source water generally includes filtering the water to remove solid particles and removing dissolved solids. Nanofiltration, Ultrafiltration, and/or Reverse Osmosis membranes can be used in this filtration process. The membrane filtration process usually generates a filtered water stream containing a reduced amount of dissolved solids, and often generates a rejection stream with a more concentrated amount of dissolved solids than the pre-filtered water.
The resulting rejection stream must be directed somewhere. In the case of oil production operations in the ocean, the rejection stream can usually be safely outlet back into the ocean. However, there are some seawater environments in which the rejection stream cannot be sent back to the source water environment, either for environmental, regulatory, or some other reason. In addition, injection operations occurring on land or where a natural sink for the rejection stream is not present, the rejection stream must typically be directed to a reject water storage, be further processed, and/or be hauled offsite from the production operation. It is desirable to find a way to use or dispose of the rejection water produced by water processing more efficiently.
While embodiments of this disclosure have been depicted and described and are defined by reference to exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, such references do not imply a limitation on the disclosure, and no such limitation is to be inferred. The subject matter disclosed is capable of considerable modification, alteration, and equivalents in form and function, as will occur to those skilled in the pertinent art and having the benefit of this disclosure. The depicted and described embodiments of this disclosure are examples only, and not exhaustive of the scope of the disclosure.


The present invention includes a system and method for fine tuning the control of a manufacturing process. A material adjusting device is in communication with a PID controller and PID control loop, and is used to alter a flow of material used in the manufacturing process, so as to maintain a target physical property of the material at a setpoint. A measurement device captures measurements of the flow relevant to the physical property of interest. A change is introduced to the material adjusting device while the PID controller and PID control loop are disabled, and appropriate measurements of the flow are continually captured; a process that may be repeated several times. Once sufficient physical property measurement data has been captured, the data is loaded into an optimization program that outputs optimized controlled parameters that may be used by the PID controller and control loop to better control the physical property of the material.

The present invention relates generally to control tuning in a manufacturing process. Specifically, the invention relates to the optimization of a process control device when measuring and controlling the physical properties of articles moving through a manufacturing process.
Industrially manufactured products, such as, for example, tobacco cigarettes, extruded plastics, or steel billets, vary widely in physical makeup. The speed of movement of these materials as they are being processed may also vary widely. Some processes may move a work piece at a very slow rate of speed, while others move a work piece at speeds upwards of 40 mph.
However, in each of these manufacturing processes an ongoing need exists to measure and control the physical properties of the articles being made. Several devices have been designed and utilized to provide consistency in the physical properties of a line of manufactured articles. These devices may monitor such properties as length, weight, texture, and so forth. The results of this monitoring may be used to adjust parameters of the production process.
Differences between a target measurement for a given physical property of a manufactured article and its actual measurement can lead to excessive scrap, wasted machine time or lost orders, as the end product may be rejected by a demanding customer. Known systems have failed to provide for adequate control over the properties of such manufactured articles, due at least in part to their attempts to monitor and adjust the manufacturing process based on the short term standard deviation of a measured property, for example, the weight deviation from a target weight. Therefore, a need exists for a system and method of ensuring that the finished properties of a manufactured article come as close as possible to corresponding target values.
The present invention satisfies this need. The system and method of the present invention examines long term standard deviation that occurs during the manufacturing process and makes adjustments accordingly. For example, in one particular embodiment of the present invention, a system and method for measuring and controlling the weight of a flow of material is contemplated. More generally, however, the present invention provides a system and method for "fine tuning" a manufacturing process to more accurately produce a given article.
According to the system and method of the present invention, measurements of a particular physical property of a flow of material are captured at synchronized intervals over the length of the flow, and proportional and integral calculations are thereafter performed on these measurements. A measurement device is preferably used to capture the desired measurements of the physical property of the material at proper intervals. A material adjusting device, in communication with a controller and control loop, is preferably used to alter one or more process parameters so as to sufficiently maintain the particular physical property of the material at a target setpoint. Based on the results of the proportional and integral calculations, the flow of material may be acted upon to compensate for the duration of any deviation in the measurements from a target set point, and further deviations may be anticipated such that the total amount of deviation is reduced.
The system and method of the present invention preferably employs a proportional, integral, derivative (PID) algorithm and control loop to make the calculations and adjustments necessary to fine tune the action of a particular material adjusting device. In certain embodiments of the present invention, preferably only the proportional and integral portions of the PID algorithm are utilized, although the derivative portion may also be used if desired.
Essentially, the proportional portion of the control loop measures the error or deviation between a setpoint physical property value and a measured physical property value of the flow of material. Under proportional control, an attempt is made to adjust the output of a material adjusting device so that any error between the setpoint physical property value and a measured physical property value is removed. This is accomplished by the amount of change that will occur in the output of the material adjusting device as a result of a change to a corresponding input thereof. With error and gain known, the bias of the PID controller may then be adjusted (or the controller "reset") in order to move the output of the material adjusting device as necessary to cause the physical property of interest to reach the setpoint value. The integral portion of the PID control loop is then used to continually and more accurately adjust the bias of the controller. Without the integral portion of the control loop, bias adjustments to the controller would have to be accomplished manually. To more accurately tune the device, the integral portion of the PID control loop may effect an automatic bias adjustment (automatic reset) whenever an error between the setpoint value and measured value are detected.
To accomplish fine tuning, small adjustments (bumps) are periodically and manually made to the input of the material adjusting device. In response to the input change, the output of the material adjusting device will cause movement thereof for a specified amount of time. Individual physical property measurements are taken, preferably from a time before each bump to the input is initiated, through a time after the output has fully responded to the change in the input. Physical property measurements are collected for each of the bumps, and the collected data is fed into an optimization program. Based on the collected data it receives, the optimization software can then generate tuned control parameters for use by the PID control loop. Therefore, by utilizing the tuned control parameters, the system and method of the present invention allows the mean value of the physical property to be more quickly and more accurately adjusted and controlled than is possible with known systems and methods.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method for effecting control tuning of a manufacturing process


Recovery of ethanol from a crude ethanol product obtained from the hydrogenation of acetic acid using an extractive distillation column. The column yields a first residue that comprises ethanol, ethyl acetate, acetic acid, and water. The first residue is separated in a second column to yield a second distillate comprising ethanol and ethyl acetate. The second distillate is then separated in a third column to yield a third distillate comprising ethyl acetate and a third residue comprising ethanol.

Ethanol for industrial use is conventionally produced from organic feed stocks, such as petroleum oil, natural gas, or coal, from feed stock intermediates, such as syngas, or from starchy materials or cellulosic materials, such as corn or sugar cane. Conventional methods for producing ethanol from organic feed stocks, as well as from cellulosic materials, include the acid-catalyzed hydration of ethylene, methanol homologation, direct alcohol synthesis, and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. Instability in organic feed stock prices contributes to fluctuations in the cost of conventionally produced ethanol, making the need for alternative sources of ethanol production all the greater when feed stock prices rise. Starchy materials, as well as cellulosic material, are converted to ethanol by fermentation. However, fermentation is typically used for consumer production of ethanol, which is suitable for fuels or human consumption. In addition, fermentation of starchy or cellulosic materials competes with food sources and places restraints on the amount of ethanol that can be produced for industrial use.
Ethanol production via the reduction of alkanoic acids and/or other carbonyl group-containing compounds has been widely studied, and a variety of combinations of catalysts, supports, and operating conditions have been mentioned in the literature. During the reduction of alkanoic acid, e.g., acetic acid, other compounds are formed with ethanol or are formed in side reactions. These impurities limit the production and recovery of ethanol from such reaction mixtures. For example, during hydrogenation, esters are produced that together with ethanol and/or water form azeotropes, which are difficult to separate. In addition when conversion is incomplete, unreacted acid remains in the crude ethanol product, which must be removed to recover ethanol.
EP2060553 describes a process for converting hydrocarbons to ethanol involving converting the hydrocarbons to ethanoic acid and hydrogenating the ethanoic acid to ethanol. The stream from the hydrogenation reactor is separated to obtain an ethanol stream and a stream of acetic acid and ethyl acetate, which is recycled to the hydrogenation reactor.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,842,844 describes a process for improving selectivity and catalyst activity and operating life for the conversion of hydrocarbons to ethanol and optionally acetic acid in the presence of a particulate catalyst, said conversion proceeding via a syngas generation intermediate step.
Others have proposed various extractive agents for separating mixtures of ethanol, ethyl acetate and water. U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,123 describes a process for separating ethanol from water using extractive agents. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,379,028 and 4,569,726 describe processes for recovering ethyl acetate from an ethyl acetate/ethanol/water mixture using extractive agents. U.S. Pat. No. 6,375,807 describes a method of separating ethanol and ethyl acetate using extractive agents.
The need remains for improved processes for recovering ethanol from a crude product obtained by reducing alkanoic acids, such as acetic acid, and/or other carbonyl group-containing compounds.

Extractive distillation of crude alcohol product


Adhesiveness between a wiring layer and a resin layer is improved by forming a nitrided resin layer by nitriding a surface of a substrate by plasma, and furthermore, thinly forming a copper nitride film prior to forming a copper film.

In general, wiring boards are widely used as printed wiring boards that are mounted with electronic components and so on to form electronic devices. With the miniaturization of the electronic devices and so on, the printed wiring boards are also required to have higher accuracy and higher density. Normally, in the wiring board, copper is used as a wiring material and is formed into a predetermined pattern by electrolytic plating. As a method of forming a feeding layer in this copper wiring electrolytic plating formation, electroless copper plating is carried out after using a wet process as a pretreatment. Thereafter, the electrolytic copper plating is carried out using the electroless plating layer as a seed layer (feeding layer). The electroless plating has a problem that, as compared with the electrolytic plating, it is difficult to suppress variation in plating quality, a large amount of a chemical solution is required, and the number of required steps is large. In view of this, a method of forming copper of a seed layer by a sputtering process has been studied as a process that replaces the electroless plating.
However, there has been a problem that the copper formed by the sputtering process is poor in adhesion to an electrically insulating layer of a printed board, i.e. a thermosetting resin, and thus cannot be put to practical use.
In order to solve this problem, it has been proposed to form CuN as an adhesion layer under a copper seed layer which is formed by sputtering (Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2).

Wiring board and method of manufacturing the same

National University Corporation Tohoku University


The present invention provides a system and method of increasing the sampling rate for MR data acquisition. By implementing ensemble sampling techniques, the present invention provides higher data sampling rates that are useful for several MR data acquisition applications including Echo Planar Imaging, Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, and Sensitivity Encoding Imaging (SENSE) techniques. By multiplying an MR signal by a series of pure sinusoids having the same frequency but shifted by an incremental phase, the MR signal may be separated into a number of channels which can be sampled at lower rates by analog-to-digital converters. The output from the converters may then be reconstructed using one of a number of interpolation techniques to create a single digital channel with increased bandwidth. The single channel with increased bandwidth may then be used to acquire MR data with an improved sampling rate.

The present invention relates generally to data acquisition and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus of increasing the sampling rate used for data MR acquisition using ensemble sampling techniques.
When a substance such as human tissue is subjected to a uniform magnetic field (polarizing field B0), the individual magnetic moments of the spins in the tissue attempt to align with this polarizing field, but precess about it in random order at their characteristic Larmor frequency. If the substance, or tissue, is subjected to a magnetic field (excitation field B1) which is in the x-y plane and which is near the Larmor frequency, the net aligned moment, orxe2x80x9clongitudinal magnetizationxe2x80x9d, Mz, may be rotated, orxe2x80x9ctippedxe2x80x9d, into the x-y plane to produce a net transverse magnetic moment Mt. A signal is emitted by the excited spins after the excitation signal B1 is terminated and this signal may be received and processed to form an image.
When utilizing these signals to produce images, magnetic field gradients (Gx Gy and Gz) are employed. Typically, the region to be imaged is scanned by a sequence of measurement cycles in which these gradients vary according to the particular localization method being used. The resulting set of received NMR signals are digitized and processed to reconstruct the image using one of many well known reconstruction techniques.
Generally, the MR signal resulting from the net transverse magnetic moment is demodulated to generate a band-limited MR signal. During sampling of the band-limited MR signal by a data acquisition system, a gradient coil assembly produces a readout gradient. The data acquisition system then generates an MR data set which is ultimately used to reconstruct an image using one of many well known reconstruction techniques.
A number of factors influence sampling rate which can be classified into four distinct categories: (1) analog front end; (2) input signal characteristics; (3) hardware; and (4) analog-to-digital parameters. Factors associated with the analog front end include the sensitivities of the demodulator and the anti-aliasing filter as well as the sample-hold circuitry. Input signal characteristics include the frequency of the input signal, its amplitude and bandwidth, and the noise of the signal. Hardware implemented with the system also may affect the sampling rate, i.e., number of bits, the maximum sampling rate, and the sensitivity of the analog-to-digital converter. Special characteristics of the A/D converter may also affect the sampling rate. The clock frequency, linearity, and operating temperature of the A/D converter can each affect the sampling rate of a signal.
Several techniques have been developed to increase the sampling rate used for MR data acquisition. One known technique uses xe2x80x9cquadrature samplingxe2x80x9d to receivexe2x80x9cinputxe2x80x9d signals from which images may be created. Quadrature sampling involves separating an input signal into two channels by multiplying the original input signal by cos(xcfx89) to form an in-phase (I-channel) and by sin(xcfx89) to form the quadrature-phase (Q-channel). In accordance with this technique, a local oscillator produces an in-phase signal and a quadrature signal. The phase of the end-phase signal is then shifted by 90xc2x0. The shifted end-phase signal and the quadrature signal are then mixed and further processed to generate an output signal having a desired sampling rate and a desired bandwidth that may be used by an MRI system control. Sampling the I and Q channels in parallel effectively doubles the effective sampling rate of the original input signal. This technique and other known techniques, however, fail to adequately increase the sampling rate and bandwidth that are needed for several MR data acquisition applications.
It would therefore be desirable to have a system and method capable of creating a single digital channel with increased bandwidth and subsequent improved sampling rate for MR data acquisition.
The present invention provides a system and method of increasing the sampling rate for MR data acquisition overcoming the aforementioned drawbacks. By implementing ensemble sampling techniques, the present invention provides higher data sampling rates that are useful for several MR data acquisition applications including Echo Planar Imaging, Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, and Sensitivity Encoding Imaging (SENSE) techniques. By multiplying an MR signal by a series of pure sinusoids having the same frequency but shifted by an incremental phase, the MR signal may be separated into a number of channels which can be sampled at lower rates by analog-to-digital converters. The output from the converters may then be reconstructed using one of a number of interpolation techniques to create a single digital channel with increased bandwidth. The single channel with increased bandwidth may then be used to acquire MR data with an improved sampling rate.
Therefore, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a method of increasing the sampling rate used for MR data acquisition is provided and includes acquiring MR data and combining the MR data with an ensemble function. The method further includes separating the MR data and ensemble function into a number of channels and sampling and converting data from the number of channels to digitize the data. The method also includes reconstructing the digitized data to create a single channel of data with increased bandwidth.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, a computer readable storage medium is provided having stored thereon a computer program representing a set of instructions that when executed by a computer causes a transceiver to detect an MR data signal and demodulate the MR data signal to generate a band-limited analog MR data signal. The computer is further programmed to combine the band-limited analog MR data signal with a number of ensemble functions and input the signal resulting therefrom into a number of analog-to-digital converters. The computer program then causes the computer to detect analog-to-digital converter output and generate a single digital channel with increased bandwidth from the output.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, an MRI apparatus to acquire MR data with increased sampling is disclosed. The apparatus includes an MRI system having a number of gradient coils positioned about a bore of a magnet to impress a polarizing magnetic field and an RF transceiver system and an RF modulator controlled by a pulse control module to transmit RF signals to an RF coil assembly to acquire MR images. The MRI apparatus also includes a computer programmed to input an MR data signal to a demodulator configured to demodulate the MR data signal into a band-limited MR signal. The computer is further programmed to generate a set of ensemble signal channels by combining the band-limited MR signal by a plurality of ensemble functions and convert the ensemble signal channels to a number of discrete ensemble digital channels. The number of discrete ensemble digital channels is then formed into a single discrete digital channel having an increased bandwidth.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of increasing the sampling rate used for MR data acquisition is provided and includes generating a polarizing magnetic field across a field of view. An RF signal is then applied to produce transverse magnetization in a region of interest of the magnetic field. The method further includes detecting an MR signal resulting from the transverse magnetization and demodulating the signal to generate a band-limited MR signal. The band-limited MR signal is then multiplied by a plurality of ensemble functions. Thereafter, the multiplied band-limited MR signal is then separated into a number of channels whereupon each channel is sampled to generate a single digital channel with increased bandwidth thereby providing an increased sampling rate for data acquisition.
In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for producing an MR data set from an MR signal is provided and comprises a magnet for producing a polarizing magnetic field and an RF coil for producing transverse magnetization in a region of interest of the polarizing field. The apparatus further includes a receiver configured to receive an MR signal resulting from the transverse magnetization as well as a demodulator configured to demodulate the signal to generate a band-limited MR signal. A gradient coil assembly is provided for producing a readout gradient during sampling of the received MR signal as well as a data acquisition system for sampling the band-limited MR signal and generating an MR data set having a sampling rate more than twice that of the band-limited MR signal. The apparatus further includes a pulse generation system configured to control the synchronized operation of the RF coil, gradient coil assembly, and the data acquisition system. A processing system is also provided for reconstructing an image from the data set.

Method and apparatus of MR data acquisition using ensemble sampling

GE Medical Systems Global Technology Co. LLC


Ultrafast battery devices having enhanced reliability and power density are provided. Such batteries can include a cathode including a first silicon substrate having a cathode structured surface, an anode including a second silicon substrate having an anode structured surface positioned adjacent to the cathode such that the cathode structured surface faces the anode structured surface, and an electrolyte disposed between the cathode and the anode. The anode structured surface can be coated with an anodic active material and the cathode structured surface can be coated with a cathodic active material.

Energy storage devices, including batteries and capacitors, are often used in various electronic devices. Batteries, for example, have a wide range of uses, particularly those capable of recharging. One type of rechargeable battery includes Li ion batteries that are used in mobile electronics due to the high energy density and efficiency of these devices. However, Li ion batteries are not suitable for energy storage systems where high power or fast charging/discharging capabilities are desirable. In addition, Li ion batteries have other disadvantages such as high cost, low cycling life, and various safety issues affecting the potential future of this type of battery for electrical vehicles, grid scale storage, and other related applications.

Ultrafast reliable silicon enabled battery and associated methods


The purpose of the present invention is to more efficiently cool exhaust heat, of an apparatus or the like that emits heat, by preventing a situation where a gas-phase medium is cooled and turns into a liquid-phase medium and thereby transfer of the gas-phase medium is hindered. For this purpose, a cooling system includes a heat receiving means for receiving a gas heated by heat emitted by an electronic apparatus and changing a liquid-phase heat medium into a gas-phase heat medium. a heat radiation means for cooling the gas-phase heat medium so as to be changed into the liquid-phase heat medium. a first transfer means for transferring the gas-phase heat medium from the heat receiving means to the heat radiation means. and a second transfer means for transferring the liquid-phase heat medium from the heat radiation means to the heat receiving means. wherein at least part of the first transfer means is heated by the heat emitted by the electronic apparatus.

As a method for cooling an apparatus generating heat such as a server or the like, a method described in patent literature 1 is known. This method is based on a principle in which in heat receiving means, a phase of heat medium is changed from a liquid phase to a gas phase (hereinafter, the heat medium whose phase is a liquid phase is referred to as a "liquid phase medium" and the heat medium whose phase is a gas phase is referred to as a "gas phase medium"), the apparatus is cooled by using vaporization heat, the gasified heat medium is changed into the liquid phase heat medium at the outside of the apparatus or the like, and whereby, heat is discharged.
Further, in patent literature 2, a loop-type heat pipe including a heater for heating a vapor pipe is disclosed.
Further, in relation to the present invention, in patent literature 3, there is disclosed a cooling system for cooling an electronic apparatus which includes an evaporator for evaporating refrigerant by using the heat generated by the electronic apparatus, a blower for feeding the air heated the heat generated by the electronic apparatus into the evaporator, and a condenser, disposed at a position higher than that of the evaporator, for cooling and condensing the refrigerant to be supplied to the evaporator.


A policy based software component system (24) for modifying software component behavior includes an interceptor (34) for intercepting an interface event being transmitted from a software application (14) comprising software components (20, 22). A rules database (32, 40) stores software component modifying rules, and an adaptor (35) modifies the interface event based on the software component modifying rules stored in the rules database (32, 40). A policy engine (36) attempts to match the interface event with the software component modifying rules stored in the rules database (32, 40), and subsequently coordinates the modification of the interface event by the adaptor (35) when the policy engine (36) matches the interface event with at least one of the software component modifying rules stored in the rules database (32, 40).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to software component design and development, and specifically to a software component framework that enables programmatic influence of software component behavior.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional approaches to component based software development dictate that a software application is created through development, integration, and installation of one or more underlying software components. Each software component, once installed, provides the other software components with the ability to access its functional capability through a well-specified interface, known as an Application Platform Interface (API). The software component receives requests, known as function calls, through this API, and in response provides access to its internal software component operations. The software component responds to function calls according to the programmatic functional behavior associated with the specific function call or calls defined within and supported by its API.
However, such conventional approaches do not provide much programmatic flexibility regarding use of the software components once the components are installed into the application system, as the components typically provide only a single service access API for reuse by other software applications and also conform only to applicable platform or middleware interfaces for compatible runtime operation. Therefore, once the software components are installed or integrated into the system runtime platform, the behavior of the component API cannot be modified or constrained in any manner.
Therefore, what is needed is a system and method that is capable of enabling modification of software component behavior at a component's API even after installation of the component.

Programmatic universal policy based software component system for software component framework


A rotor, stator assembly, and a field coil are sandwiched between two field plates. A gear train is sandwiched between one of the field plates and another plate while the timing mechanism is carried in a cup shaped housing that is closed by the third plate. A pivotal terminal block is carried by one of the field plates and includes electrical terminals. Bussing bars extend from the electrical terminals through a terminal block carried by the third plate to engage slots in a wall of the cup shaped housing. A shroud substantially encloses the motor assembly and the gear train.

This is a substitute application of U.S. Ser. No. 921,444 filed July 3, 1978, now abandoned.
Generally speaking, the present invention pertains to a combination of a motor, a gear train connected to an output of the motor and a timing mechanism connected to an output of the gear train to be given thereby wherein there is provided a packaging improvement for the combination characterized by: first and second field plates; a field coil, and a rotor and stator assembly disposed between the field plates to provide a first sandwich structure; means connecting the field plates together; a cover substantially surrounding the first sandwich structure, the cover including a first terminal block at an end thereof, and first electrical terminals carried by the terminal block; a third plate disposed from the first sandwich structure is spaced parallel relation therefrom and means holding the third plate in the spaced parallel relation; posts carried by and between the third plate and the plate of the first sandwich structure, the gear train carried by the posts to provide a second sandwich structure; a second terminal block carried by the third plate substantially in line with the first terminal block, and bussing means connected to the first electrical terminals and extending through the second terminal block and including second electrical terminals; a cup shaped housing carrying the timing mechanism and having an open end, the cup shaped housing secured to the third plate at a surface opposite the second sandwich structure and at the open end to close the same, and slot means in a wall of the cup shaped housing receiving the second electrical terminals.
The present invention relates to a timing mechanism and a gear-motor drive means therefor wherein a motor and a gear train is packaged with the timing mechanism to provide a neat compact sandwich structure.
Timing mechanisms are widely used in appliances such as dishwashers, washers, dryers, and refrigerators to control their sequential operation. In refrigerators, the timing mechanism provides the defrost cycle for the refrigerator. Such a mechanism must be able to set into a small well confined space. Therefore in such an application it is necessary that the combination of the timer with its motor drive be packaged in a small neat compact manner.

Sandwich structure for a combination motor and gear train with a timing mechanism


A new and distinct Echeveria cultivar named ‘Fireglow’ is disclosed, characterized by multi colored rosettes with a warm, coppery tonality. Undulate, cupped foliage aspect, and distinctive metallic appearance. Excellent accent plant due to warm foliage tones. Echeveria is a popular genus, typically produced as container plants for the patio or as landscape plants, as a variety of ornamental purposes.

The new cultivar, Echeveria 'Fireglow', is the product of a planned breeding program. The new variety originated from a cross pollination of the proprietary, unpatented, seed parent, Echeveria 'WA06RA' with the pollen parent an unpatented, proprietary variety of Echeveria referred to as 'New Pink 05'. The cross pollination was made during May 2011 in Vista, Calif., at a commercial greenhouse. The new cultivar 'Fireglow' was selected by the inventor, Renee O' Connell, in August 2012, in Vista, Calif. at a commercial greenhouse.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar 'Fireglow' was first performed in Vista, Calif., at a commercial greenhouse, by terminal vegetative cuttings in September 2012. Echeveria 'Fireglow' has since produced at least 9 generations and has shown that the unique features of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type.


The present invention relates to a method for determining sensitivity to a simultaneous inhibitor against poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) and Tankyrase. According to the present invention, a colorectal treatment effect can be maximized by sorting patients having sensitivity to the simultaneous inhibitor against PARP and Tankyrase.

Biomarkers are defined as 'indicators that can objectively measure and evaluate the response of drugs to normal biological processes, disease progression, and treatment methods'. Recently, with the development of gene analysis technology, research on the relationship between a specific gene mutation and a specific disease has increased, so that a biomarker can be re-defined as a molecular and biological indicator that covers the differences in gene and genetic mutation, the differences in expressions of RNA, protein, and metabolites.
In addition, the Companion Diagnostic Device (CDx), by which the susceptibility of biomarkers can be determined, has been developed to classify patients so that the treatment effect of medicines can be maximized or side effects of medicines for more effective treatment can be minimized.
The large intestine is a long tube-like digestive tract of about 150 cm connected from the end of the small intestine to the anus. It is divided into cecum, colon, rectum and anal canal. Malignant tumors arising in the colon and rectum are colon cancer. The majority of colon cancers are adenocarcinoma (i.e., adenocarcinoma), which is a cancer of the glandular cells in the mucous membranes. In addition, the protopathy such as lymphomas, malignant carcinoid tumors, leiomyosarcoma, etc. may occur.
Numerous theses and patent documents are referenced and cited throughout this specification. The disclosures of the cited theses and patent documents are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety to better illustrate the state of the art to which the present disclosure pertains and the content of the present invention.

Method for determining sensitivity to simultaneous inhibitor against PARP and Tankyrase


A relational data access facility allows relation-type queries to access data stored in non-relational data files by converting relational queries into a set of common commands which are sent to data drivers to obtain the data specified by those queries. The facility uses metadata which describes the organization of the data in the non-relational files, and examines the expressions in the relational queries to formulate an access plan for the data. The plan is formulated to reduce cost and promote efficiency.

The present invention relates generally to the field of accessing non-relational data files, and more specifically to the accessing of such non-relational data files using relational-type queries.
Relational databases have gained a great deal of popularity as a means of representing data because relational databases allow easy and flexible access to the data they contain. Relational databases are perceived by users as being organized into tables. As such, they permit the retrieval of information in many different ways.
Relational database management systems have been developed to support relational databases. Relational query languages are used to control relational database management systems and to provide users with mechanisms for modifying or accessing data in the databases. Relational query languages usually provide for data manipulation operations such as retrieval, modification, deletion, and insertion into a database. One common relational query language is called the SQL or structured query language.
In addition to relational databases, several different types of non-relational data files are currently in use, many of which were developed before the advent of relational databases. Non-relational data files are considered to be just a series of records without structure, although they may include an index. Data is retrieved from a non-relational data file by specifying the record or by using the index. Non-relational data files generally do not allow flexible data access by means of tables.
Because of the power and flexibility of relational databases and the query languages that have been designed to support those databases, there is a general desire on the part of many users to transport the data that is currently in a non-relational data file into a relational database. Physical transportion of the data is very costly, however, and can sometimes be very difficult for large or complex data files. In addition, there is always the possibility of error.
Another approach has been to translate relational-type queries such as SQL commands, into a series of commands understandable by the different non-relational data files. This technique, which has been referred to as a "gateway," requires a separate interface for each different database. Although gateways have been used, they suffer from certain disadvantages. One is that a new gateway must be created for each different non-relational data file. In addition, the time and energy of skilled programmers is required to build gateways, which can add a great deal of cost to any system.
It would therefore be desirable to create a system which provided an access to non-relational data files via relational queries which also allowed additional databases and additional sources of the queries to be added without a great deal of reprogramming.
Another desirable feature would be to provide such access using a mechanism which optimizes the data accesses to the non relational data files to reduce the cost of such access and to promote efficiency.
It would also be desirable to construct such a system which took advantage of capabilities built into drivers for non-relational data files.

Methods and apparatus for accesssing non-relational data files using relational queries