A sensor has a sensing region that responds to a surface property by producing an output signal. The sensor has a spatially distributed shape or sensitivity so that the output decreases away from a central part of the sensor, and thus the outputs of plural sensors combined have finite spatial transform as well as high roll off in spatial frequency. Preferably the output decreases to zero at edges of the sensor, and conditions of continuity or vanishing may be imposed on first or higher order derivatives. An edge sensor suitable for mounting at the edge of the structure has its weight function obtained by processes of reflecting and inverting the weight function at an edge. A sensor system employs plural such sensors and edge sensors to produce bounded spatial transfer functions for characterizing the structure. Embodiments of piezeoelectric, resistive, capacitive and thermal sensors are described.

This invention relates to the field of intelligent structures, i.e., structures which have sensing, processing and actuator mechanisms built in to change in response to evolving dynamic conditions or states of the structure.
An ideal intelligent structure would incorporate sets of highly distributed actuators, sensors and processors. Much work to date has centered on the development of technology for distributed actuators. However, less work has been performed on distributed sensors, and only a few pioneering efforts have dealt with distributed processors. All three of these components should be present in a system in order to implement a closed-loop shape control scheme of any complexity. The need for additional work on sensors specifically useful for intelligent structures has motivated the present invention.
The use of piezoelectric materials in intelligent structures has been studied by de Luis and by Anderson. De Luis et al. developed analytical models of piezoelectric actuators for intelligent structures, and verified these models experimentally. Analytic models were developed for static and dynamic actuation of segments of piezoelectric material either embedded in a structure or bonded to its surface. These models allow the response of the structure to actuation of the piezoelectrics to be predicted, and therefore help in efficient or optimal actuator placement. De Luis showed that although the stiffness of the structure is not strongly affected by the addition of embedded piezoelectric components, the ultimate strength of the structure is reduced. Anderson et al. also develop models for induced-strain actuation of beam-like structures. Two analytical models and one finite element based model were presented to model extension, bending and shearing deformations. In addition to this work on piezoelectric materials, electrostrictive and magnetostrictive materials as well as shape memory alloys have been investigated.
Some work has been done by Warkentin et al. on integrating electronic components in intelligent structures, who demonstrated that embedding processing and other electronic components in addition to sensors and actuators within an intelligent structure simplifies physical implementation. They described a technique for embedding silicon chips within the plies of a graphite/epoxy composite laminated structure.
Control schemes suitable for implementation on structures containing distributed actuators, sensors and processors have been developed by de Luis and by How. De Luis et al. developed optimal controllers for intelligent structures by assuming that the sensors and actuators are so numerous that they may be considered spatially continuous. This allowed use of a functional analysis approach to derive control algorithms to which an experimental implementation of a prototype of an intelligent structure and optimal controllers were derived and implemented. How et al., on the other hand, presented a new control architecture specially suited to intelligent structures with many distributed sensors and actuators. This architecture is a hierarchic one with many controllers operating at a local level, and a single global one operating to control overall motions of the flexible structure.
In the area of sensors, work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has been done on a variety of modal, convolving and wave sensors. Collins et al. have developed piezoelectric film sensors for the control of a two-link planar flexible robotic manipulator system. The spatial shape of the sensors is selected such that their output is proportional to a mode of the structure. These sensors make it possible to directly measure particular dynamic states of a flexible structure. Otherwise, such states would have to be determined using an estimator and some inherently inaccurate analytical model of the structure. Miller et al. investigated sensors which output a single temporal signal by convolving measurements of structural variables distributed over a finite length of a structure. The shape of the sensor determines how this convolution procedure takes place. This shape can be optimized to ensure that the sensor is specially suited for use in the control of flexible structures, because it can be designed such that the sensor output rolls off without exhibiting phase lag relative to a point sensor at its center. This would allow gain stabilization without the accompanying reduction of available gain margin.
Lee et al. have also worked on modal sensors as well as actuators. Lee and Moon developed a theory for sensing and actuation in piezoelectric laminates, in order to develop modal sensors and actuators. Such sensors, designed for one-dimensional operation have been modeled analytically and compared to experimental implementations. If such sensors were manufactured accurately, actuator or observer spillover would not exist and the modal coordinates of a structure could theoretically be measured or actuated directly. Lee, Chiang and O'Sullivan constructed modal sensors and actuators to critically damp a cantilever plate using PVF2 piezoelectric film. Using plate theory extended to include piezoelectric actuators and sensors. The sensor geometry was designed such that the sensor signal is proportional to the derivative in time of the modal coordinate of the structure. This allows a simple derivative feedback controller to be implemented. They showed that critical damping can be achieved using this controller.
A principal advantage of such shape sensors is that, relative to a point sensor at their center, they allow a rolloff in amplitude of measurement output without a change in phase. The rolloff of such sensors is not limited by Bode's Gain-Phase Theorem, because the sensors doe not make causal measurements. Bode's integral defines a relationship between the magnitude and phase of a dynamic system. The integral holds only for causal dynamics and requires that any magnitude rolloff must be accompanied by some phase lag. Point sensors are limited by Bode's theorem because they are causal and only measure present information. However, any sensor measuring strain over a finite length has access to incoming waves (future information) and outgoing waves (past information) at the same instant. Thus it has information which is noncausal with respect to its midpoint: it can sense future events. This enables it to exhibit magnitude rolloff with no associated phase lag. In the abstract, this property offers great potential for control systems based on shape sensors.
One of the shortcomings of work done to date on modal sensors is the fact that, to work well, the sensors must be able to sense deformations from all or large parts of the structure. This means that the sensor must cover a large fraction of the structure. It becomes problematic to implement several modal sensors on the same structure. Another problem is that modal sensors are typically implemented in hardware. This means that the output properties of the sensors as a function of frequency are constant. Therefore, should the shape or mass of the structure change, the mode shapes will change, and the modal sensors will not operate correctly. A third problem with the sensors currently being investigated is that it is problematic to extrapolate their design to more complex structures, such as truss structures or two-dimensional plate-like structures.
Accordingly it is desirable to develop techniques for the design of discrete distributed sensor systems that accurately estimate the quasistatic and dynamic states of an intelligent structure in a manner suitable for closed-loop control or identification.

Discrete distributed sensors and system for spatial sensing


The invention provides heterobifunctional cross-linking reagents and methods of using the cross-linking reagents. The cross-linking reagents of the invention combine a nucleophilic hydrazide residue with an electrophilic maleimide residue allowing coupling of aldehydes to free thiols. In the methods of the invention, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected cells can be detected using conjugates that include CD4 molecules conjugated to detectable markers via the disclosed cross-linking reagents.

The invention is from the field of heterobifunctional cross-linking reagents. More particularly, the invention concerns cross-linking reagents which combine a nucleophilic hydrazide residue with an electrophilic maleimide residue, thereby allowing coupling of aldehydes to free thiols.
Bifunctional cross-linking reagents have been extensively used for a variety of purposes including preparation of affinity matrices, modification and stabilization of diverse structures, identification of ligand and receptor binding sites, and structural studies. Homobifunctional reagents which carry two identical functional groups proved to be highly efficient in inducing cross-linking between identical and different macromolecules or subunits of a macromolecule, and linking of polypeptide ligands to their specific binding sites.
Heterobifunctional reagents contain two different functional groups. By taking advantage of the differential reactivities of the two different functional groups, cross-linking can be controlled both selectively and sequentially. The bifunctional cross-linking reagents can be divided according to the specificity of their functional groups, e.g. amino, sulfhydryl, guanidino, indole, carboxyl specific groups. Of these, reagents directed to free amino groups have become especially popular because of their commercial availability, ease of synthesis and the mild reaction conditions under which they can be applied. A majority of heterobifunctional cross-linking reagents contains a primary amine-reactive group and a thiol-reactive group [For review, see Ji, T. H. xe2x80x9cBifunctional Reagentsxe2x80x9d in: Meth. Enzymol. 91, 580-609 (1983).]
The development of monoclonal antibody technology has created a new demand for bifunctional reagents that are useful in the synthesis of conjugates between antibodies and other proteins or non-proteinaceous molecules, such as detectable markers, toxins, toxin fragments and cytotoxic drugs. However, primary amino groups are randomly distributed on proteins, and therefore, the derivatization with amino-reactive cross-linking agents may impair the protein function, e.g., the antigen binding function of antibodies [Rodwell, J. D., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 83, 2632-2636 (1986)]. In contrast, covalent modification of antibodies via their carbohydrate portion offers significant advantages. Chemical or enzymatic oxidation of oligosaccharides to aldehydes yields unique functional groups, capable of selective reaction, for example, with amines, hydrazines, hydrazides and semicarbazides, Since the carbohydrate moieties of antibodies are located distal to the antigen binding sites, it has been proposed that they can be modified without significant impairment of the antigen binding function.
Zara, J. J. et al. [Anal. Biochem. 194, 156-162 (1991)] describe the synthesis of a heterobifunctional cross-linking reagent, S-(2-thiopyridyl)-L-cysteine hydrazide (TPCH), which contains a hydrazide moiety for coupling to aldehyde groups generated in the carbohydrate residues of antibodies and a pyridyl disulfide moiety for coupling to molecules with a free sulfhydryl (thiol) group. They have demonstrated that derivatization of a human monoclonal IgM antibody against human colon carcinoma cells with 16 TPCH cross-linker molecules did not impair its antigen binding ability.
Heindel, N. D. et al., Bioconjugate Chem. 2, 427-430 (1991) describe a maleimide-hydrazide heterobifunctional cross-linking reagent for coupling of thiol groups to formyl groups. Applying this reagent to the coupling of a monoclonal antibody which recognized a nonshed membrane receptor on colon carcinoma, or its Fabxe2x80x2 fragment, to polyaldehyde dextran to which an antineoplastic agent had been attached, they found that high binding avidities for the unshed antigen were retained.
Chemical conjugates of recombinant soluble CD4 (sCD4) with toxins, or with antibodies that activate cytotoxic T cells, are also known in the art.
CD4 is a transmembrane glycoprotein, found on the surface of human T lymphocytes, that acts as the primary receptor for HIV-1 [Dalgleish, A. G., et al., Nature 312, 763-766 (1984); Klatzmann, D., et al., Nature 312, 767-768 (1984)]. The extracellular portion of CD4 contains four immunoglobulin-like domains (V1-V4), the first of which (V1) is necessary and sufficient for high-affinity binding to gp120, the envelope glycoprotein of HIV-1 [Maddon, P. J., et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 84, 9155-9159 (1987); Richardson, N. E., et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 85, 6102-6106 (1988); Landau, N., et al., Nature 334, 159-162 (1988)].
Recombinant, soluble forms of CD4 (sCD4), containing only the extracellular portion of the molecule, have been produced [Smith, D. H., et al., Science 238, 1704-1707 (1987); Fisher, R. A., Bertonis, et al., Nature 331, 76-78 (1988); Hussey, R. E., et al., Nature 331, 78-81 (1988); Deen, K. et al., Nature 331, 82-84 (1988); Traunecker, A., et al., Nature 331, 84-86 (1988); Berger, E., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 85, 2357-2361 (1988)]. sCD4 retains high-affinity binding to gp120 and can block the binding of HIV-1 to cell surface CD4 in vitro, thereby inhibiting infection of target cells [reviewed in Capon, D. and Ward, R., Curr. Opin. Immunol. 2, 433-438 (1990)].
Several modifications of sCD4 have been made, by either gene fusion or chemical conjugation approaches, to expand its antiviral capabilities. One example is a class of chimeric molecules known as CD4 immunoadhesins, in which genes encoding sCD4 and immunoglobulin heavy-chain are combined, thus creating homodimeric antibody-like molecules with properties of both CD4 and human immunoglobulin [Capon, D. et al., Nature 337, 525-531 (1989); Zettlmeissl, G., et al., DNA Cell Biol. 9, 347-353 (1990); Traunecker, A. et al., Nature 339, 68-70 (1989)]. Other notable examples of modified sCD4 are CD4 peptide-protein conjugates [Ghetie, V., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88, 5690-5693 (1991)], CD4 electroinserted into erythrocyte membranes [Zeira, M., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88, 4409-4413 (1991)], and sCD4-toxin hybrids, in which sCD4 is attached to a toxin either by gene fusion [Chaudhary, V. K., Nature 335, 369-372 (1988); Winkler, G., AIDS Res. Hum. Retroviruses 7, 393-401 (1991)], or by chemical crosslinking [Till, M. A., Science 242, 1166-1168 (1988)].
Because cells infected actively with HIV express gp120 on their surface, sCD4 can be used to direct toxins to, and thus selectively kill, HIV-infected cells. Similarly, bispecific hybrids of sCD4 and anti-CD3 antibody can be constructed which mediate selective killing of HIV-infected cells by cytotoxic T cells [Berg, J., et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88, 4723-4727 (1991); Idziorek, T., and Klatzmann, D., AIDS Res. Hum. Retroviruses 7, 529-536 (1991)].
These examples represent some of the possible modifications of sCD4 which may improve its efficacy against HIV in vivo.
An object of the present invention is to provide improved carbohydrate-directed heterobifunctional cross-linking reagents.
It is another object, to provide chemical conjugates comprising an aldehyde moiety connected to a thiol group via a heterobifunctional cross-linking reagent.
It is a further object, to provide a method for coupling glycoproteins via their carbohydrate moieties to compounds which either contain thiols, or to which thiol groups can be added.
It is yet another object to derivatize members of the immunoglobulin gene superfamily, and in particular antibodies or CD4 molecules in their carbohydrate portion, and to chemically link them to compounds having thiol functional groups or to which thiol groups can be added.
These and further objects of the invention will be apparent for those skilled in the art.
In one aspect, the invention concerns a heterobifunctional compound of formula (I)
wherein X is a hydrocarbon spacer of 6 to about 25 carbon atoms, or a salt thereof.
The X spacer may be an aliphatic moiety which may optionally comprise an alicyclic, aromatic or heterocyclic moiety, the cyclic components being preferably located near the maleimido functionality of the molecule. The spacer may, alternatively or in addition comprise the residue of any functional groups required for adding the hydrazide or maleimido functionality to the molecule. A preferred compound within the scope of the invention is 4-(4-N-maleimidophenyl)butyric acid hydrazide (MPBH) and its homologues having 2-8 carbon atoms in the aliphatic chain connecting the carbonyl and phenyl groups of the spacer.
In another aspect, the invention concerns a conjugate comprising an aldehyde moiety connected to a thiol group via a heterobifunctional compound as hereinabove described.
In a further aspect, the invention relates to CD4 molecules derivatized by such heterobifunctional compounds.
In a still further aspect, the invention concerns CD4 molecules conjugated, via their carbohydrate portion, to a molecule having a free thiol group or a group convertible to a free thiol group.
In yet another aspect, the invention concerns a method for detecting immunodeficiency virus infected cells, which express the HIV coat glycoprotein, to which CDA binds with high affinity, comprising (a) contacting the cells to be tested with a conjugate comprising a CD4 molecule chemically linked to a detectable marker via a heterobifunctional compound of claim 1, the formula (1) (wherein X is as hereinabove described) and (b) detecting the signal of the marker. Subsequent to their detection, the HIV infected cells, may be isolated or targeted with toxins, cytotoxic agents, etc.


An image reading apparatus capable of continually conveying a plurality of originals in a stable manner while cleaning a contact glass of an image sensor and reducing streaks occurring in read images. An image sensor reads an original image via a contact member which the conveyed original may contact. A cleaning member, being provided on a turning member which is able to rotate or swing and disposed at a position opposing the image sensor, cleans the contact member's surface which the original may contact. The turning member is turned by a driving unit. A controlling unit controls the driving unit to turn the turning member so that cleaning of the contact member is performed by the cleaning member after the original has passed an image reading position of the image sensor and before a subsequent original reaches the image reading position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus such as a scanner which reads an image on an original conveyed using a conveying mechanism such as a roller, and a control method of the image reading apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
An example of a conventional image reading apparatus is shown in FIG. 30.
The image reading apparatus shown in FIG. 30 includes a lower unit 301 and an upper unit 302 supported so as to be vertically turnable via a hinge 313 with respect to the lower unit 301. A turning movement of the upper unit 302 causes an original conveying section to open and/or close. An opened state and/or a closed state of the original conveying section is detected by an opening-closing detection sensor 337. A convey path is formed when the original conveying section assumes a closed state to enable conveying of an original.
The image reading apparatus starts an image reading operation based on a control signal from a manual operation section, not shown, or from the outside of the image reading apparatus. First, an original mounting table 307 is elevated until an uppermost original 308 of a stack of originals placed on the original mounting table 307 abuts a pickup roller 306. After the original mounting table 307 is sufficiently elevated, the original 308 is fed to the convey path by the pickup roller 306 and a feeding roller 304 that is a feed unit.
When two or more originals 308 are picked up by the pickup roller 306 at the same time, the originals are separated by a retard roller 311 and fed to the convey path one by one. Images on each of originals 308 sent to the convey path to be separated and fed are read by an image sensor 312 on the convey path, and image data is transferred to an image processing section, not shown. The front end and the rear end of an original 308 conveyed along the convey path are detected by a registration sensor 314. Conveying timing and the like are controlled by signals from the registration sensor 314.
A platen roller 310 is disposed at a position opposing the image sensor 312 across the convey path of the original 308. The platen roller 310 is used as a background member that causes the background color of an image of the original 308 read by the image sensor 312 to be changeable. A predetermined clearance gap is provided between the platen roller 310 and the image sensor 312.
More specifically, the platen roller 310 is arranged so that, for example, an approximately half of the outer peripheral surface thereof is a black portion and the remaining approximately half of the outer peripheral surface thereof is a white portion. By controlling the rotational movement of the platen roller 310, the black portion or the white portion can be disposed at a position opposing the image sensor 312 to switch the background color of the original.
In this case, by switching the background color of the original to black, the contour and the like of the original is enhanced. As a result, the outline of the read original can be easily recognized to enable image data consistent with the outline to be created in an easier manner. With a double-sided printed original having largish light transmittance, the background color is preferably switched to black since the printing and the like on a reverse side is enhanced by white background due to the largish light transmittance of the original. Conversely, in the case of an original having print of rather light color and the like and with no printing on a reverse side thereof, it is possible to enhance the printing and the like by switching the background color to white.
The platen roller 310 is driven by a platen roller driving motor 315 such as a stepping motor or the like, and rotates when switching background colors of an original and when cleaning a reading surface of the image sensor 312. When reading an original, the platen roller 310 is controlled so as to stop by a constant holding torque applied by the driving motor 315.
The original 308 having passed the image sensor 312 is conveyed downstream by the conveying roller 303 and subsequently discharged to a discharge tray 309 by a discharge roller 305. The above-described series of original conveying operations is subjected to timing control so as to ensure predetermined original intervals and is continually performed until all of the originals 308 placed on the original mounting table 307 are conveyed. After all of the originals 308 placed on the original mounting table 307 are conveyed, the original mounting table 307 is lowered and returned to its home position. An image reading apparatus that performs the switching of original background colors using a white reference plate and a black board for shading correction instead of a platen roller has been also proposed (refer to Japanese Patent No. 2761736).
A cleaning member 316 that cleans a reading surface of the image sensor 312 is disposed on the platen roller 310. When the platen roller 310 is rotated, the cleaning member 316 passes while contacting the reading surface of the image sensor 312 to clean the reading surface (for example, refer to Japanese Patent No. 3645737).
When consecutively reading originals, cleaning of the reading surface of the image sensor 312 by the cleaning member 316 and a rotational movement of the platen roller 310 to realize a set background color are performed at predetermined timing.
However, with the image reading apparatus described in Japanese Patent No. 3645737, an elastic member protruding from an outer periphery of the platen roller extends in a longitudinal direction of the image sensor which is the main scanning direction in image reading. Therefore, when the platen roller continues to rotate during the conveying of an original, there are cases where the front end of the original catches on the elastic member.
In addition, there may be cases where the elastic member is inadvertently captured in a read image or where variations in density or defocusing occurs due to rippling caused when the elastic member presses a part of the original against a contact glass of the image sensor.
Under such circumstances, conventionally, the contact glass surface of the image sensor is cleaned by, for instance, rotating the platen roller only once immediately after power-on operation or prior to starting image reading of a plurality of originals, or after completion of image reading of a plurality of originals.
However, if contaminants such as paper dust adhere to the contact glass during continuous conveying of a plurality of originals, streaks will occur on the read image read by the image sensor. In addition, if the contaminants remain adhered, streaks will continue to occur even in read images read after the aforementioned original.
With the conventional image reading apparatus described above, when a large number of originals are conveyed, stains adhering to the cleaning member 316 during cleaning of the reading surface of the image sensor 312 becomes deposition. However, after cleaning the reading surface of the image sensor 312, the cleaning member 316 is retreated from the convey path to location inside the apparatus. Therefore, cleaning of deposition of stains adhering on the cleaning member 316 requires disassembling the mechanism around the platen roller 310 and cleaning the cleaning member 316 after removing the platen roller 310 from the apparatus main body, raising a problem in that cleanup work of the cleaning member 316 requires a significant amount of effort.
Furthermore, with the conventional image reading apparatus described above, in the case where a skew of the original 308 occurs, a corner of the original 308 is delayed by the skew, whereby cleaning performed at predetermined timing may cause damages to the original 308 or jamming.
On the other hand, it is conceivable that, the platen roller 310 is rotated to perform cleaning of the reading surface of the image sensor 312 using the cleaning member 316 only when the original has been discharged and conveying of subsequent original has not begun.
However, with such an arrangement the number of read sheets per unit time will be reduced.

Image reading apparatus and control method thereof


It has been found that in the preparation of devices having repetitive layers, such as distributed Bragg reflectors, the dopant introduced during processing redistributes itself in a deleterious manner. In particular, this dopant through various effects segregates and diffuses from one layer into the interface region of the second layer. As a result, properties such as electrical resistance of the structure become unacceptably high. By utilizing various expedients such as carbon doping this segregation and its associated deleterious effects are avoided.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices having repetitive layers and, in particular, to devices containing doped repetitive layers.
2. Art Background
A variety of devices are fabricated with repetitive material layers. For example, surface emitting laser diodes (SELDs) are formed from an active diode region and from adjacent multi-layered distributed Bragg reflectors. Each Bragg reflector is typically composed of a series of between 20 to 30 alternating compositional layers. The assemblage of layers constituting one reflector on one side of the active diode is doped n-type to contact the diode n-type region and the opposing second reflector is doped p-type to contact the p-type region. The materials comprising the alternating layers are chosen to have substantially different refractive indices to yield high reflectivity, and are doped to yield desired optical and electrical properties. For example, in the case of a SELD the voltage to drive the laser is conveyed through contacts to the outermost reflector region and emitted light traverses the reflector. Therefore, the doping concentration must be sufficiently high to yield a relatively high electrical conductivity, but not so high as to cause the assembly to absorb sufficient light significantly to reduce reflectivity.
Typically, for SELD devices to yield adequate optical and electrical properties, the first 1 to 5 layers (inner layers) adjacent the active region have relatively low doping (10.sup.17 cm.sup.-3 to 10.sup.18 cm.sup.-3 majority carrier concentration) and the remaining area (outer layers) is intended to be fabricated with relatively high dopant concentrations, i.e., above 10.sup.18 cm.sup.-3. The lower doping concentrations in the center of the diode (inner layers) insure that, in the region where approximately 80% of the light is confined, the free carriers do not cause absorption of more than 1% of the emitted light. Similarly, the intended dopant concentration in the remaining layers is employed in an attempt to maintain a total series resistance in the distributed Bragg reflector of less than 10.OMEGA..
Despite these intentions, in actuality the p-type mirror in a SELD device typically has a series resistance of 100.OMEGA. or higher. This series resistance significantly constrains the voltage which must be applied to operate the device. That is, for voltages greater than 2 volts (for gallium arsenide/aluminum gallium arsenide lasers), sufficient heat is evolved to unacceptably limit device lifetime. This upper limit on voltage in turn undesirably limits the amount of useful light emitted by the laser. Attempts have been made to reduce the resistance of the reflectors by using a graded rather than an abrupt transition between adjacent semiconductor layers of the reflectors [see for example, Tai et al, Appl. Phys. Lett. 56, 2496 (1990)]. Despite these efforts, SELD still have unacceptable parasitic resistance, i.e., resistance greater than 100 ohms and total diode voltage, i.e., voltage greater than 2.0 V.
Thus, the commercial application of SELD devices has been substantially reduced. In particular, SELD devices are considered of particular interest for communication purposes because of their small size and relative fabrication ease (no cleaving necessary). However, the limited output intensity obtainable from such devices as a result of high series resistance, requires a relatively short distance between optical signal regenerators (repeaters) with an associated significant increase in cost. Optical transmission systems using SELDs are therefore presently not commercially desirable. Thus, such devices despite their promise are not presently used in communication systems.


To control a speed at a time of entering a curved road a vehicle to autonomously travel within a travelling lane even in a case where there is an error in an estimated longitudinal position of the vehicle.

A vehicle control apparatus that performs a control of a vehicle is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-178332. The vehicle control apparatus disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-178332 estimates a position of the vehicle based on detected lane lines, and causes the vehicle to autonomously travel based on the estimated position.

Abstract: A curve travel speed calculation unit 15b calculates a curve travel speed for a vehicle to autonomously travelling in a travelling lane based on a curve radius and an estimated error in longitudinal position. A speed planning unit 15c and a travel control unit 17 decelerate the vehicle M such that the speed of the vehicle M becomes the curve travel speed at the time of entering the curved road in front of the vehicle M in a case where the speed of the vehicle M is equal to or higher than the curve travel speed and the curve travel speed is equal to or higher than the reference speed.


An apparatus for fixing a male and female couplings which are fitted with each other. A fixing device includes a first and second fixing member of a substantially semicircular cylindrical shape. A hinge device is provided for rotating the first and second fixing members between an opened condition and a closed condition. At the closed condition, the first and second fixing members cooperate to form a recess of a shape corresponding to that of the fitted part of the couplings thereby axially holding the couplings. A releasable lock is constructed by a catch member on the first fixing members and a latch member on the second fixing member. The releasable lock allows the fixing members to be easily engaged and disengaged, thereby increasing productivity during the pipe fitting operation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coupling for tubes for carrying a fluid.
The present invention can be, for example, used as a coupling for tubes for a refrigerant in a refrigerating circuit.
2. Description of Related Art
A connection, for tubes for passage of a fluid, by means of a nut union is known as a prior art. The cost for producing this type of the coupling is low. However, the adjustment of tightening the nut, which is time consuming, is essential during assembly. From the total view point, the cost of this type is high. Furthermore, during the use of the nut union, a tool, such as a torque wrench, is necessary in order to tighten the nut. As a result, a space is necessary around the coupling to allow the tool to be used.
In view of the above, an improvement in the coupling, which can eliminate the tool for tightening and can reduce the working time, was proposed in, for example, Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 60-59478, wherein a circular spring for holding the outside of the female coupling was proposed.
However, in the construction in Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 60-59478, a special tool is required to separate the male and female couplings. In other words, an operator who comes to a site without having the special tool cannot dismantle the coupling.


One example provides a circuit structure comprising a liquid metal conductive path enclosed in an encapsulant, a polymer circuit support comprising a polymer having a functional species available for a condensation reaction, and a cross-linking agent covalently bonding the encapsulant to the polymer circuit support via the functional species.

Flexible electrical interconnects may be used to connect electronic components located in portions of a device that are moveable relative to one another. In such a device, a flexible interconnect may be subject to a large number of flexing cycles over a lifetime of the device, and thus may be susceptible to damage.

Connecting a flexible circuit to other structures


A method of transporting a lithium secondary battery includes transporting the battery including an electrode body obtained by winding or laminating a positive electrode and a negative electrode via a separator, and a non-aqueous electrolyte solution in a state where: E/Cp+T3 less than t . . . (1) where E (J/g) is energy quantity per unit weight of said battery; Cp (J/xc2x0 C.xc2x7g) is the specific heat of said battery; T3 (xc2x0 C.) is a normal transportation temperature of said battery; and t (xc2x0 C.) is the lowest temperature at which said battery falls into an unsafe state.

This invention relates to a lithium secondary battery and a transportation method thereof excellent in safety and suppression of the highest temperature increase of the battery so as to avoid accidents like explosion, fire, and the like even in the case where the battery temperature is increased following abrupt battery energy discharge due to internal short circuit and external short circuit or in the case where the battery temperature is increased due to an unexpected situation during transportation.
Recently, a lithium secondary battery has widely been employed as a power source battery for portable electronic appliances such as a mobile phone, a VTR, a note type computer, and the like. Moreover, the lithium secondary battery has about 4V voltage for a single battery, which is higher than the output voltage of a conventional secondary battery such as a lead-acid battery, and also high energy density, so that the lithium secondary battery attracts attention to the application possibility as a power source, other than for portable electronic appliances, for driving a motor of an electric vehicle (EV) or a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), which is positively suggested to be commonly used as a low pollution vehicle being backed by a matter of recent environmental pollution. Further, application to a power source for electric installation such as a headlight and a powered window of a vehicle is taken into consideration.
In a lithium secondary battery, generally, a lithium-transition metal compounded oxide is used for a positive active electrode material, a carbon material for a negative active electrode material, and a non-aqueous electrolyte solution containing an organic solvent and a lithium ion electrolyte dissolved in the solvent for an electrolyte solution. Electrode bodies which perform the battery reaction may have various shapes such as a sandwich type, a wound type, a laminated type, and the like and with any structure, a negative electrode and a positive electrode are separated from each other with a separator.
Regarding a battery for EV or HEV, since high power is required to drive a motor, a relatively high capacity is necessary for a single battery. It is therefore preferable to use wound or laminated type electrode bodies for such applications and to produce these electrode bodies, electrodes (meaning a negative electrode and a positive electrode) to be employed are produced separately by forming a positive active electrode material layer on the surface of a current collector substrate generally made of a metal.
In this situation, if internal short circuit, external short circuit or overcharge occurs in a lithium secondary battery comprising wound or laminated electrode bodies, the temperature of the battery is increased owing to Joule equivalent heat generated attributed to the inner resistance of the electrode bodies. The temperature increase is naturally intense in the case of abrupt large current flow in an electrode body and it possibly results in an accident of explosion of a battery and may further result in a disaster.
The causes of temperature increase of a battery are understood to include inner causes and outer causes. For example, the inner cause supposedly includes the case that a metal waste, which is highly electrically conductive, is mixed in during the assembly and penetrates a separator if there is damage in the separator and in any case, the electrode plates are short circuited between them to cause high electric current flow. The Joule equivalent heat generated at that time heats and evaporates the non-electrolyte solution to increase the pressure within the cell, resulting in possible occurrence of a fire or an explosion of the battery.
On the other hand, as an external cause, a case that a nail or the like, which is highly electrically conductive, penetrates the inside of a battery may be a possible cause, and also in that case, the same phenomenon as that of the inner short circuit occurs. Further a case that short circuit occurs between a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal is a probable cause and in this case, the degree of the heat generation differs based on the extent of the load (resistance) at the time of external short circuit. Other than that, the external cause includes a case that overcharging occurs owing to a problem with a charging apparatus, or a case that the battery is put near a heat radiating apparatus such as an engine and heated.
The inventors of the present invention have studied the various types of causes of the temperature increase of a battery and published the results of temperature alteration of the battery of a nailing test, an external short circuiting test, an overcharging test, and an external heating test for a lithium secondary battery having 25 Ah capacity in The Journal of Power Sources, 81-82 (1999) pp. 887-890. Among the tests, the inventors observed that the highest temperature increase was caused in the nailing test, that is, in the case of internal short circuit occurrence and a temperature increase as high as to about 400xc2x0 C. was observed.
Such a lithium secondary battery with a high capacity is equipped with a pressure relief valve to release the inner pressure of the battery when the battery""s inner pressure is increased to a prescribed pressure to prevent an explosion attributed to the temperature increase of the battery. However, in the case where the increase of the battery""s inner pressure is too sharp for the pressure relief to follow or where the pressure relief valve malfunctions, the explosion of the battery can not be avoided. Further, since the more fully the battery is charged, the more the energy to be discharged is increased, the temperature increase attributed to short circuit is considerable. Consequently, if the temperature of a battery is increased by some cause or other during the transportation of an assembled battery in a highly charged state, e.g. a fully charged state, from an assembling plant in one country to another place in the same country or to another country, the possibility of occurrence of an accident or hazard is increased.
The inventors of the present invention paid attention to the notion that though there are many causes of temperature increase of a battery, they are almost all attributed ultimately to the heating of the battery itself by the energy accumulated in the battery and that the temperature of the battery is most increased at the time of occurrence of an inner short circuit. In other words, the inventors have supposed that the temperature increase of the battery can be suppressed to a prescribed temperature or lower by satisfying prescribed relations between the energy quantity potentially accumulated in the battery and the specific heat (or the thermal capacity) of the battery itself, and have achieved the present invention.
The present invention provides a lithium secondary battery comprising an electrode body obtained by winding or laminating a positive electrode and a negative electrode via a separator, and a non-aqueous electrolyte solution, wherein the battery satisfies the following Equation (1):
E0/Cp+T1=T2 less than txe2x80x83xe2x80x83(1)
where E0 (J/g) is energy quantity per unit weight at the time of full charging of the battery; Cp (J/xc2x0 C.xc2x7g) is the specific heat of the battery; T1 (xc2x0 C.) is a normal use temperature of the battery; T2 (xc2x0 C.) is the highest elevated temperature of the battery; and t (xc2x0 C.) is the lowest temperature at which the battery falls into an unstable state.
The present invention also provides a method of transporting a battery comprising an electrode body obtained by winding or laminating a positive electrode and a negative electrode via a separator, and a non-aqueous electrolyte solution, wherein the battery is transported in a state in which the following Equation (2) is satisfied:
E/Cp+T3=T2 less than txe2x80x83xe2x80x83(2)
wherein
E (J/g) is accumulated energy quantity per unit weight of the battery; Cp (J/xc2x0 C.xc2x7g) is the specific heat of the battery;
T3 (xc2x0 C.) is a normal transportation temperature of the battery;
T2 (xc2x0 C.) is the highest elevated temperature of the battery;
and t (xc2x0 C.) is the lowest temperature at which the battery falls into an unstable state.
In this case, the highest elevated temperature T2 is preferably the boiling temperature of the non-aqueous electrolyte solution or lower. Also the highest elevated temperature T2 may be the boiling temperature of a component having the lowest boiling temperature among the main components of the non-aqueous electrolyte solution or lower. Further, the highest elevated temperature T2 is also preferably the melting temperature of a component having the highest melting point among the main components of the separator or lower.
The present invention is suitable to a lithium secondary battery with a battery capacity of 2 Ah or higher at the time of full charge and to transportation of such a lithium secondary battery. Further, a lithium secondary battery and its transportation method of the present invention are suitable to be employed for an electric power source for an electric vehicle or a hybrid electric vehicle.

Lithium secondary battery and transportation method thereof


A paper corner protector cutter includes a base. The base is provided with a frame. The frame is pivotally connected with an operation rod. The operation rod is able to link a blade holder. The blade holder is provided with two blades. Two stop plates are disposed at two sides of the frame, enabling the blade holder to be located between the stop plates. Two stop plates are provided between the stop plates corresponding to the blade holder. The paper corner protector cutter can be assembled and positioned with ease by using a plate-type structure. The required time to assemble or disassemble the paper corner protector cutter can be decreased greatly to enhance the economic benefits.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a packing material cutting machine, and more particularly to a paper corner protector cutter.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional paper corner protector cutter comprises a base. The base is provided with two circular rods. A blade holder is provided between the two circular rods for insertion of a blade. The blade holder is pivotally connected with an operation rod, such that the operation rod can bring the blade holder to slide between the circular rods and the blade is used for cutting.
For the blade holder to slide smoothly between the circular rods, the paper corner protector cutter needs a strict requirement for accuracy. When the paper corner protector cutter is assembled or the blade is replaced, it is necessary to adjust the position again and again for the blade holder to slide smoothly between the circular rods. Therefore, it consumes much time and for assembly of the paper corner protector cutter and replacement of the blade to increase the cost. Accordingly, the inventor of the present invention has devoted himself based on his many years of practical experiences to solve these problems.


Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for detection of foreign substances in a depth sensing system. In one embodiment, a depth sensing device includes a light source to emit light, an image sensor and a processor. The image sensor receives through an optical component the light reflected by environment of the depth sensing device. The image sensor further generates a depth map including a plurality of pixel values corresponding to distances between the depth sensing device and the environment. The processor detects a blurred portion of the depth map due to a presence of a foreign substance on the optical component. The processor may further cause outputting a user alert of the presence of the foreign substance on the optical component.

Depth sensing technology can be used to determine a person's location in relation to nearby objects or to generate an image of a person's immediate environment in three dimensions (3D). One application in which depth sensing technology may be used is in head-mounted display (HMD) devices and other types of near-eye display (NED) devices. Depth sensing technology can employ a time-of-flight (ToF) depth camera. With ToF based depth sensing technology, a light source emits light onto nearby objects, and a ToF camera captures the light after it reflects off surfaces of the objects. The time taken for the light to travel from the light source and to reflect back from an object to the ToF camera is converted, based on the known speed of light, into a depth measurement (i.e., the distance to the object). Such a measurement can be processed with other similar measurements to create a map of physical surfaces in the user's environment (called a depth image or depth map) and, if desired, to render a 3D image of the user's environment.
A ToF camera typically includes various optical components through which the received light travels. The optical components can include, for example, a camera lens and a protective visor. Through normal use of the camera, a foreign substance such as dust, debris, or a fingerprint smudge may adhere to a surface of one or more of those optical components. Any foreign substance on the optical components can decrease accuracy of the depth measurements by the ToF camera, by causing scattering of the light and therefore distortion of the depth map.

Foreign substance detection in a depth sensing system


In one embodiment, a dynamic graph having a plurality of nodes is modeled with a Binary Decision Diagram (BDD). Each pair of nodes in the dynamic graph is modeled using a characteristic function, g({right arrow over (t)};{right arrow over (a)};{right arrow over (b)}), where: {right arrow over (t)} denotes a time; {right arrow over (a)} denotes a first node identifier; {right arrow over (b)} denotes a second node identifier; and g evaluates to 1 (or TRUE) if and only if an edge exists and connects nodes {right arrow over (a)} and {right arrow over (b)} at time {right arrow over (t)}. The BDD is a combination of all the characteristic functions corresponding to all unique pairs of nodes in the dynamic graph.

A Binary Decision Diagram (BDD) is a data structure that may be used to represent a Boolean function. A Reduced Ordered Binary Decision Diagram (ROBDD) is an optimized BDD that has no redundant nodes and isomorphic sub-graphs and that the variables appear in the same order along each path from root to a terminal node. It is possible to store BDDs in memory efficiently, such as in a compressed form, so that a large amount of data may be stored using a relatively small amount of memory or storage space. In addition, information may be extracted from BDDs quickly, such as with a relatively few number of binary operations.

Modeling dynamic graphs with binary decision diagrams


A venetian blind storage assembly for use in storing a venetian blind in a collapsible tent trailer is provided. The assembly includes a venetian blind mounted within a flexible pouch. The assembly is mounted to an interior of the collapsible tent trailer above a window formed in a collapsible side wall of the trailer. The pouch includes a bottom opening extending along the entire length of the venetian blind to allow slats of the venetian blind to be lowered and used as desired while the trailer is expanded. Prior to collapsing the trailer, the slats of the venetian blind are retracted and enclosed within the pouch. The opening of the pouch is shut tightly to completely isolate the venetian blind from the interior of the trailer. Thus, when the trailer is subsequently collapsed into a compact configuration, both the venetian blind and the interior of the trailer are protected from damage.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to collapsible tent trailers and, in particular, to a venetian blind storage assembly for use in a collapsible tent trailer.
2. Description of Related Art
The collapsible tent trailer is a popular trailer for use in camping or other outdoor activities. The collapsible tent trailer provides the roominess of a full size camper trailer, yet is much lighter in weight and is collapsible into a compact size for towing.
A conventional collapsible tent trailer includes a base portion having a raiseable and lowerable roof. A set of flexible collapsible walls connect the base to the roof, and a mechanism is provided for raising and lowering the roof. When raised, the flexible, collapsible walls are expanded and become relatively taut to form a set of walls for the camper. When collapsed, the flexible walls collapse into relatively compact bundles which remain between the base and the roof of the trailer. The roof may be securely fastened to the base, thus yielding a compact and generally aerodynamic trailer. The base is provided with a set of wheels and a hitch such that the collapsible tent trailer may be towed behind a truck or other vehicle.
The collapsible walls are formed of a durable, flexible material such as canvas or sturdy plastic. However, portions of the collapsible walls are formed of a generally transparent material to form windows. Typically, the window portion comprises a mesh screen which is sufficiently transparent to form a window, and also allows for ventilation of the interior of the collapsible tent trailer. Although the window portions provide ample light to the interior of the camper trailer, the window portions are not easily blocked for privacy or for blocking incoming light. Hence, it is desirable in a collapsible tent trailer to provide a set of drapes or blinds for covering the window portions to allow the windows to be blocked to ensure privacy or to darken the interior of the trailer.
Heretofore, no adequate blinds have been provided with collapsible tent trailers. Since the collapsible tent trailer is designed for collapsing to a compact trailer, conventional draperies may be crushed and wrinkled. Further, conventional draperies provide a problematic method of privacy. To provide adequate privacy, the conventional draperies must be completely or substantially closed, in which case there is inadequate light and ventilation. If the drapery is left sufficiently open to allow adequate light and ventilation, then inadequate privacy is maintained. A venetian blind, however, provides an adequate degree of privacy. The slats of the venetian blind may be tilted to a desired angle to ensure privacy, yet allow adequate light and ventilation.
A conventional venetian blind assembly provides an attractive alternative to the conventional draperies for the further reason that venetian blinds may be retracted into a compact configuration when not in use. Hence, venetian blinds, when used in a collapsible tent trailer, may be retracted into a compact configuration prior to collapsing the trailer. However, it has been found that a conventional venetian blind assembly is easily damaged when the trailer is collapsed. Further, the slats of the venetian blind assembly may damage the interior of the collapsible tent trailer when the trailer is collapsed. In particular, sharp edges of the slats may puncture the flexible, collapsible walls of the trailer.
Heretofore, no adequate venetian blind assembly has been provided for use within a collapsible tent trailer.


In a structural element, in particular a facade element with an outside plate sandwich, in which solar cells are arranged between an outer plate and an inner plate, and with another internal plate, which is provided at a distance from the plate sandwich by means of a spacing frame defining the interior, the solar cells are embedded in a layer of casting resin; furthermore, the inner plate recedes in its dimensions in the region of at least one edge at least partially with respect to the corresponding edge of the outer plate and forms thus a recess that also reaches over the layer of casting resin and through which the necessary electrical lines are guided, whereby the recess in the direction of the interior of the structural element is covered by the spacing frame. As an alternative, the outer plate can recede with respect to the inner plate.

Such a structural element is known from the EP-A 0 382 060 and is used to line walls and roofs and also for windows and parapets. Especially for the observer located in the building, such structural elements are, however, often not pleasing aesthetically, since the solar cells that are used are virtually opaque.
Furthermore, it is desirable that the structural or facade elements provide a high acoustical and thermal insulation. In addition, known structural elements provide a vacuum in the space between the outside plate sandwich and the internal plate or also introduce an inert gas for absorbing the thermal radiation. To prevent the radiation of heat into the interior of the building, a low E coating is applied as a heat insulating layer on the inner surface of the inner plate. These measures bring about heat transfer values as low as 1.3 W/m.sup.2 K, moreover as a function of the dimensions of the structural element, especially the distance between the inner plate of the sandwich and the other internal plate.
The object of the invention is to provide a structural element that is aesthetically appealing from the outside and inside, has a high acoustical and thermal insulation, and can be manufactured simply and economically.
According to the invention, the solar cells are embedded in a layer of casting resin; furthermore, the inner plate recedes in its dimensions in the region of at least one edge at least partially with respect to the corresponding edge of the outer plate and forms thus a recess that also reaches over the layer of casting resin and through which the necessary electrical lines for the solar cells are guided, whereby the recess in the direction of the interior of the structural element is covered by the spacing frame and the interior seal.
As an alternative, the outer plate recedes in its dimensions in the region of at least one edge at least partially with respect to the corresponding edge.
Embedding the solar cells in a layer of casting resin produces a sandwich that is not only economical to manufacture but also is characterized by the fact that the solar cells are held absolutely stable in position. The stepped design of the plates of the plate sandwich makes it possible to lead the electrical lines in a simple and reliable manner out of the structural element. Since the step is covered by the spacers that are necessary in any event, the overall aesthetic effect of the structural element is not impaired. An especially suitable casting resin is a well-known highly transparent sound proof casting resin based on acrylate. Since good sound proofing properties also coincide usually with good heat insulating properties, with these measures alone a very good insulated structural element is obtained.
It is advantageous to supplement the internal plate with a second plate having an intermediate layer of sound proof casting resin, forming an inside plate sandwich. In this manner, not only the insulating properties that were good in any event are improved. If a light scattering sound proof casting resin is used, this causes a frosted glass effect, thus preventing the view from the interior of the building of the back side of the solar cells in the exterior sandwich. The same effect is obtained, if when using the internal plate alone this internal plate is made of frosted glass or if in the case of the inside plate sandwich at least one of the plates is frosted.
Solar cells, whose maximum absorption preferably for sunlight lies in a spectral range that differs from that of the solar cells of the outside plate sandwich, can also be embedded into the intermediate layer. Logically the solar cells of the inside plate sandwich are offset relative to those of the outside plate sandwich. It is also recommended that the electrical lines for this second solar cell arrangement be led in the same or similar manner out of the plate sandwich as already explained for the outside plate sandwich. In such an embodiment the plate of the inside plate sandwich that is arranged in the direction of the building interior will be frosted.
The outer plate of the external plate sandwich is made preferably of at least in part chemically or thermally prestressed glass, where a flint glass that is poor in iron has proven to be especially suitable. An outer plate made of plastic is also conceivable, where the security against fracture is increased. Together with the highly transparent layer of casting resin, high transparency is ensured, so that no only the solar cells of the outside plate sandwich but also optionally those of the inside plate sandwich can contribute optimally to the harnessing of energy.
The thermal insulation is further improved if the space between the outside sandwich and the internal plate is filled with a gas of low thermal conductivity, for example with dried air, with sulfur hexafluoride or with a mixture of these media.
For the configuration of the solar cells the possibilities are virtually unlimited. With respect to an optimal harnessing of energy it is advantageous to configure the solar cells of the outside plate sandwich in such a manner that the plate surface is substantially covered. In so doing, the outer regions of the plate sandwich are excluded in which the casting resin located there exclusively fixes in position the outer plate and the inner plate.
As solar cells, polycrystalline or amorphous solar cells can be used, where in each plate sandwich one type of solar cell or a combination of both types of solar cells is embedded. The solar cells are arranged advantageously on the casting resin side on the surface of the plates, a feature that is suitable especially for amorphous thin layer solar cells.
If amorphous thin layer solar cells, which exhibit an extensive transparency for light in the visible range, are provided at least in the outside plate sandwich, the aesthetic impression of the facade element is further improved, but losses in the obtainable energy must be accepted. On the whole, the structural element according to the invention has the advantage of especially high transparency, if a specially designed light scattering layer is provided.
If only the outside plate sandwich is provided, the irradiation of the infrared portion of the solar spectrum can be prevented by applying a solar insulating coating on the inner plate relative to the space between the outside sandwich and the internal plate.
In each of the described embodiments a thermal protective coating can also be applied on the internal plate.
To cover the solar cells in the direction of the building interior, a surface imprinting can be applied to the surface of the plates.
Suitable material for the inner plate and optionally the plates of the inside plate sandwich is normal prestressed glass. Within the inventive idea, structural elements of the invention can also be used in framed format--optionally from a production point of view.
In the following the invention shall be described by means of examples with the aid of the accompanying drawings.

Structural element, in particular facade element


In one aspect, a method for mitigating an effect of an interfering radio signal at a multiple antenna receiver includes forming an estimate of a relationship of the interfering signal among signals received from the multiple antennas. In general, the interfering signal does not share the same communication technology as a desired signal. The signals received from the multiple antennas filtered and combined according to the estimate of the relationship of the interfering channels to reduce an effect of the interfering signal. Desired data present in the desired signal represented in the filtered and combined signals is decoded and the estimate of the relationship of the interfering signals is updated according to the decoding of the desired signal.

Cross-technology interference is emerging as a major problem for 802.11 networks. Independent studies show that high-power interferers like baby monitors and cordless phones can cause 802.11n networks to experience a complete loss of connectivity, and that such interferers are responsible for more than half of the problems reported in customer networks. Today's high-power non-WiFi sources in the ISM band include surveillance cameras, baby monitors, microwave ovens, digital and analog cordless phones, and outdoor microwave links. Some of these technologies transmit in a frequency band as wide as 802.11, and all of them emit power that is comparable or higher than 802.11 devices. Further, the number and diversity of such interferers is likely to increase over time due to the proliferation of new technologies in the ISM band.
Empirical studies of cross-technology interference show the following:                High-power cross-technology interference can completely throttle 802.11n. Furthermore, loss of connectivity can occur even when the interferer is in a non-line-of-sight position and separated by 90 feet.        While 802.11 and low-power interferers (e.g., Bluetooth) have managed a form of coexistence where both devices stay operational, coexistence with high-power devices (e.g., cordless phones, baby monitors, microwave, etc.) is lacking. Furthermore, the typical outcome of the interaction between 802.11n and a high-power interferer is that 802.11n either suffers a complete loss of connectivity or a significant throughput reduction. Even if carrier sense is deactivated, 802.11n continues to lose connectivity for many of the interferer's locations.        Frequency isolation is increasingly difficult. Multiple of the studied interferers occupy relatively wideband channels of 16-25 MHz (e.g., camera and microwave). Moreover, these devices can occupy any band in the 802.11 spectrum. For example, both the cordless phone and the baby monitor have multiple channels that together cover almost the whole frequency range of 802.11.        Finally, the characteristics of an interferer may change in time and frequency. The interferer may have ON-OFF periods, may move from one frequency to another, or change the width of the channel it occupies, like a microwave. This emphasizes the need for an agile solution that can quickly adapt to changes in the interference signal.
Wireless interference has been the topic of much recent research. Work in this area falls under two broad categories:
A first category addresses interference across technologies. One can identify three main approaches within this category. The first approach attempts to eliminate interference by isolating the signals in time, frequency or space. The most common isolation approach is to employ frequency-based isolation, such as OFDM subcarrier suppression [16, 11, 14], variable channel width [4], or other fine grained frequency fragmentation techniques [19, 12, 10]. Directional antennas may also be used to provide spatial isolation and reduce interference. However, directional antennas are difficult to use in indoor scenarios where the signal tends to bounce off walls and furniture and scatter around [18].
The second approach uses mitigation schemes to modify transmissions to be more resilient to interference (e.g. by using coding or by lowering the bit rates). Mitigation proposals like PPR [8] and MIXIT [9], though designed and evaluated for the same technology, can work across technologies. These schemes however assume interference is fairly transient and limited to some bytes in each packet.
Finally, some proposals identify the type of interference (e.g., is the interference from ZigBee or Bluetooth?) and inform the user so they may switch off the interfering device [2]. Others leverage the specific characteristic of a particular technology to design a suitable coexistence strategy [5].
A second category addresses interference from the same technology. Recent work in this category include interference cancellation [13], ZigZag [6] and analog network coding [15] which address the problem of interference from other 802.11 nodes. Prior work on MIMO systems enables multiple transmitters to transmit concurrently without interference. This includes schemes like SAM [17], Interference Alignment and Cancellation [7], and beamforming systems [3].
Finally prior work on interference management in cellular networks uses multiple antennas to mitigate interference from nodes operating in adjacent cells [18, 1].

Cross technology interference cancellation


A device and a method are provided for blood treatment in a single-needle operating mode. The blood treatment device has an extracorporeal blood circuit comprising a blood supply line leading to the inlet of a blood treatment unit and a blood return line leading away from the outlet of the blood treatment unit. A blood collecting container is provided in the blood return line, and is connected to an air reservoir by a flow line. The flow connection comprises two line branches, one branch being used to transfer gas from the air reservoir into the blood collecting container and the other branch being used to transfer gas from the blood collecting container into the air reservoir. The connection branch for transferring gas from the air store into the blood collecting container can contain a compressor.

Blood treatment apparatuses with a blood treatment unit through which a patient's blood flows are generally known. These include, for example, the known hemodialysis, hemofiltration or hemodiafiltration apparatuses. The known blood treatment apparatuses can be operated in the single-needle or double-needle operation.
With the double-needle technique, the blood is drawn off from the patient's blood vessel via a first needle, conveyed into the blood treatment unit of the blood treatment apparatus and returned into the patient's blood vessel via a second needle. For the removal and return of the blood, use is made of exchangeable hose systems with a blood supply line and blood return line, to which the two needles are connected. The hose systems, which are to be thrown away, are also referred to as disposables.
With the single-needle technique, the removal and return of the blood takes place via a single needle. The blood removed from the patient is stored in a reservoir during an arterial phase, in order then to be returned in a venous phase from the storage unit into the patient's blood system through the same needle.
A blood treatment apparatus for the single-needle operation is known from EP-A-0 472 480 B 1. In an embodiment of the known blood treatment apparatus, two blood expansion chambers are provided for temporary storage of blood, which are disposed upstream and downstream of the blood treatment unit. The blood treatment apparatus has a control device, which keeps the pressure in the expansion chambers essentially constant. Level sensors are provided in order to detect the level of the liquid in the expansion chambers.
The DE 10 2005 001 779 A1 reference describes a set for a disposable for the operation of a blood treatment apparatus in the single-needle or double-needle operation. Apart from the blood supply line and blood return line for the connection to the blood treatment unit, the disposable comprises an expansion unit which can be coupled to the air separation unit in order to increase the volume for the single-needle operation. During the single-needle operation, blood is conveyed through the blood supply line into the blood treatment unit and out of the blood treatment unit into the air separation and expansion unit in the arterial phase, the blood supply to the patient being interrupted. A predetermined pressure is built up in the air separation and expansion unit, which is monitored by means of a pressure measuring unit. By means of a compressed air unit, a predetermined pressure can be established in the expansion and air separation unit by actuating an air pump which is incorporated between a tank and the expansion unit. Moreover, it is proposed to calculate the blood volume in the expansion and air separation unit with the aid of the measured values from three pressure sensors and the known system volumes. Furthermore, it is proposed to use the air pump to regulate the pressure in the venous phase, so that the delivery rate of the blood can be adapted in the optimum fashion.
An object of the present invention is to provide a device for blood treatment for the single-needle operation, wherein the blood volume in the blood reservoir can be ascertained without level sensors and the behavior in the case of malfunction can be improved. Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to provide a blood treatment method in the single-needle operation, wherein the blood volume in the blood reservoir can be ascertained without level sensors and the behavior in the case of malfunction can be improved.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Device and method for blood treatment with single needle operation


A method of lifting storage tanks by using pressurized bags and support members. Lifting the tank allows for visual inspection under the tank for corrosion to prevent leakage of environmentally hazardous chemicals stored in the tank. The lifting bags are placed under the tank, inflated, and support timbers placed under the raised tank. The bags are then deflated allowing the tank to rest on the support timbers. The deflated bags are raised by placing support timbers under the bags. The bags are again pressurized further raising the tank. The steps are repeated until the tank is lifted to the desired height. Ground suction is broken by raising one side of the tank with the lifting bags, placing supports as far as possible under the tank rim and depressurizing the bags to rock the other side of the tank off the ground. A fulcrum method is also applied to use the partial weight of the tank as a leverage force to alternately raise opposite sides of the tank.

The present invention relates to a method for lifting large storage tanks off the ground by using pressurized bags.
Large storage tanks holding environmentally hazardous products require inspection and maintenance to prevent the products from leaking and contaminating the surrounding soil and ground water supplies. Contamination and pollution of soil and water in the area of the tank can cause the owner enormous cleanup expense. Also, the tank can settle into the ground causing water to form pools around the tank increasing the possibility of corrosion.
Inspection and maintenance of the tank requires temporarily draining the tank. It is important that maintenance be done quickly to minimize the loss of valuable storage space. Inspection of the tank floor from inside the tank is highly inaccurate and cannot detect a faulty foundation or corrosion under the tank.
The preferred prior art method to prevent or correct leakage from the tank is to lift the tank so as to inspect and repair the tank floor from underneath the tank. After the tank is lifted, the bottom of the tank floor can be inspected, sand blasted, repainted, and cathodic protection installed. While the tank is lifted, foundation problems can be rectified and the general condition of the foundation can be upgraded. The foundation can be raised to compensate for any settling that has occurred over time. Improvements such as an impervious layer, leakage detectors, and drainage systems can be installed on the tank foundation while the tank is lifted.
Prior methods for tank lifting have required "hot" work, such as welding and torch cutting on the tank to provide attachment points to the tank for the use of hydraulic lifts. This hot work requires degassing the tank to prevent explosions. In a crowded tank farm, the danger of explosion is always present or difficult to control. Moreover, if the tank to be lifted is very large, holes must be cut in the floor of the tank so that the hydraulic lifts can be placed under the center of the tank floor. Thus, there is a need for providing a procedure of lifting storage tanks without encountering the considerable disadvantages of the prior art methods.


A liquid ejection head includes a plurality of structures arrayed in a predetermined direction, each structure including a nozzle to eject liquid, a pressure chamber in communication with the nozzle, and an ejection drive unit to increase pressure of the liquid in the pressure chamber. The ejection drive unit of each structure includes a diaphragm to form a wall of the pressure chamber, and an electromechanical transducer element including an electromechanical transducer film, the diaphragm being convex toward the pressure chamber. When an amount of curvature of the diaphragm for the pressure chamber of each structure is defined by a radius of curvature, an inclination difference of the radius of curvature with respect to the predetermined direction is equal to or less than 2500 μm.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid ejection head, a liquid ejection unit, and a liquid ejection device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A liquid ejection head for use in an image recording apparatus or image forming apparatus, such as a printer, a facsimile machine, or a copier, is known, which includes a nozzle to eject ink droplets, a pressure chamber in communication with the nozzle, and an electromechanical transducer element, such as a piezoelectric element, to pressurize the ink in the pressure chamber. Further, two types of liquid ejection heads are put in practical use, one type using an actuator of longitudinal vibration mode, and the other type using an actuator of flexural vibration mode.
For example, there is known a liquid ejection head of the type using the actuator of flexural vibration mode, which includes a layer of a piezoelectric material uniformly formed on an overall surface of a diaphragm by using a film deposition technique. In this liquid ejection head, an electromechanical transducer element is fabricated by forming the piezoelectric material layer into a shape corresponding to a shape of a pressure chamber by using a lithographic process, so that one electromechanical transducer element is provided independently for one pressure chamber. In this liquid ejection head, the diaphragm is bent in a convex form which projects toward the pressure chamber side, and the diaphragm has an amount of deflection. For example, see Japanese Patent No. 3555682 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2014-151511.
In the above-described liquid ejection head according to the related art, the amount of deflection of the diaphragm on which a single electromechanical transducer element is mounted is taken into consideration. However, a distribution of the amounts of deflection of the diaphragm on which plural electromechanical transducer elements are mounted is not taken into consideration. Hence, in a case of a liquid ejection head in which plural electromechanical transducer elements are arrayed, it is difficult to obtain stable ink ejection characteristics.

Liquid ejection head, liquid ejection unit, and liquid ejection device


The present invention generally relates to a wet wipe or sheet that is suitable for contacting the skin and removing mucus from the skin. More specifically, the present invention relates to a wet wipe having an aqueous saline component suitable for dissolving and removing mucus in combination with the fabric matrix of the wet wipe. Typically, the fabric matrix of the wet wipe has a capacity of about 125 grams of solution per square meter, and it is impregnated with the aqueous saline solution to a level at or below approximately 80% of the absorbent capacity of the matrix.

Personal hygiene products such as wet wipes can have many applications. They may be used to clean up small children and infants for example, wiping a baby's bottom when changing a diaper. Wipes may be used for cleaning hands, or as a bath tissue. Wipes may also be used by a caregiver to clean an individual for whom they are providing care. Finally, wet wipes may be used in and for a number of other applications where the wetness or moisture of the wipe or towel gives some benefit.
People of all ages use personal hygiene cloths and papers to clean various areas of the body. A dry tissue is typically used to clean a wet area. For example, dry tissues are used to wipe the nose. However, it may be difficult to fully remove mucus, especially dried-on mucus, using a dry tissue. Even using a tissue having added moisturizer, a dry tissue quickly becomes irritating to the skin, particularly for infants and children. In a typical application of prior art saline treatments, a parent or other caregiver applies saline liquid to a child's nose, waits some length of time for the saline to work on the mucus, and then attempts to wipe the child's face with a dry Kleenex™ or cloth, or have the child blow his or her nose into the Kleenex™ or cloth.
It is often difficult to use nasal sprays or other mucus treatment products in this way with children, or to repeatedly wipe the child's face clean, without irritating the child's skin, particularly since children may not hold still during cleaning. Traditional methods of using saline to address mucus problems, as noted above, are therefore problematic in that it is generally uncomfortable, especially for children, to drop or spray saline into the nasal cavity.
It is therefore desirable to more easily remove mucus from children's noses, hands, and faces in a manner that is gentle and quick.
Personal hygiene wipes and associated products are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,576,728, 4,772,501, 5,215,759, 5,353,485, 5,599,335, 5,669,894, 6,017,833, 6,361,784, 6,412,656, 6,579,391, 7,059,493, and 7,101,612, and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0000064, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Saline nose wipe and methods of manufacture and use


Disclosed herein is a motor driven wiper device particularly for use with side-view mirrors on vehicles. A vertically or horizontally disposed wiper blade is mounted on a support arm and sweeps the surface of a side-view mirror in order to prevent the accumulation of debris or moisture which can interfere with rear view vision. The wiper blade support arm is normal to and slidably disposed on two transversely mounted rods, so that the wiper support arm sweeps back and forth along the length of the transverse rods. Two linkage arms located on the back face of the mirror connect the wiper support arm to the drive motor. The drive motor, and thereby the wiper blade, can be actuated from inside the cab of the vehicle.

The present invention relates to improvements in a wiper blade device for side-view mirrors. Any long vehicle travelling the highways, such as commercial trucks and automobiles towing trailers, requires a large side-view mirror in order to safely maneuver the vehicle while changing lanes and backing up. These large side-view mirrors are often provided on both sides of the vehicle's cabs and are essentially for safe operation of the vehicle. Adverse weather conditions can cause rain, snow, ice or road grime to accumulate on the surface of the side-view mirror and thereby inhibit essential rear view vision. Accordingly, keeping the surface of the side view mirror free of debris reduces the undesirable safety conditions resulting from obscuring of the driver's rear and side vision.
The installation of a motor driven wiper blade on the side-view mirror can prevent the accumulation of substances that interfere with vision. Accordingly, the following references would appear to be germane to the patentability of the present invention:
______________________________________ 3,685,087 Pittman 3,940,822 Emerick et al 3,855,661 Prince 3,968,537 Wagenhofer 3,866,258 DeGraw ______________________________________
All of the references teach the use of wipers for use on side-view mirrors. None, however, utilizes the exact linkage mechanism of the present invention. The unique linkage system used in the present invention allows it to be adapted to most side-view mirrors in common usage. By adjusting the linkage, the distance and sweep of the wiper blade can be changed in the present invention.


The invention provides coated substrates comprising a substrate; and a coating on at least one surface of the substrate comprising vermiculite, polymer capable of forming a film, dispersion agent for the vermiculite in the polymer, said dispersion agent bearing a negative charge, and cross-linking agent. The invention also provides articles coated with such coatings and methods for making the coated substrates and articles.

Barrier coatings are widely used in packaging materials to prevent the passage of a permeant molecule or composition, especially to prevent contact between the contents of a package and the permeant. Improving barrier properties is an important goal for manufacturers of films sold for containment of products such as foods, cosmetics, agricultural chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. Injurious permeant chemicals of interest include oxygen, carbon dioxide, water vapor, aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons, manufacturing residues, off odors, off flavors, smoke, pesticides, toxic materials, and environmental contaminants and pollutants. Use of typical plastic materials is desirable because they are inexpensive. Plastics, however, are oxygen-permeable to such a degree that the amount of oxygen permeated is much higher than a metal or glass material as used in canning or bottling, or foil used with paper for packaging soup mixes and dry snacks, all of which have an oxygen permeability of substantially zero.
Barrier coatings can also serve to (a) keep a gas inside a package—e.g., a gas used in modified atmosphere packaging, or helium kept inside balloons; (b) keep moisture inside a package so that the contents do not dehydrate; or (c) keep a perfume inside a package, where perfumes can be expensive components. In all these cases, the barrier is maintaining the packaged contents.
Barrier properties arise from both the structure and the composition of the material. The order of the structure, i.e., the crystallinity or the amorphous nature of the material, the existence of layers or coatings can affect barrier properties. The barrier property of many materials can be increased by using liquid crystal or self-ordering molecular technology, by axially orienting materials such as an ethylene vinyl alcohol film, or by biaxially orienting nylon films and by using other useful structures. Internal polymeric structure can be crystallized or ordered in a way to increase the resistance to permeation of a permeant. A material may be selected for a plastic or paper packaging coating that prevents absorption of a permeant onto the barrier surface, and a material may be selected to prevent the transport of the permeant through the barrier. Generally, permeation is concentration and temperature dependent. Permeability is also a function of pressure, where a gradient exists between atmospheric pressure and the structure surrounded by a coated film, etc., e.g., balloons (positive pressure) and vacuum packaging (negative pressure).
Permeation through a polymeric coating is believed to be a multi-step event. First, collision of the permeant molecule, such as oxygen, with the polymer is followed by sorption into the polymer. The permeant migrates through the polymer matrix along a random path, and finally the permeant desorbs from the polymer. The process reaches equilibrium (chemical concentration and pressure) on both sides of the coating. Permeability of a typical molecule through a packaging film is a function of diffusion rate and solubility of the molecule. The diffusion rate measures how rapidly transport of the molecule occurs through the film, and it relates to the ease with which a permeant molecule moves within a polymer. Solubility relates to the concentration or total amount of permeant that may be present in the film. Diffusion and solubility are important measurements of barrier coating performance. Transfer of vapors through packaging films may occur by capillary flow or activated diffusion. Capillary flow involves small molecules permeating through pinholes or microscopic channels of porous media, which is generally an undesirable feature of a barrier coating. Activated diffusion entails solubilization of a permeant into an effectively non-porous medium, diffusion through the film under a concentration gradient, and release from a transverse surface at a lower concentration. Several factors determine the ability of a permeant molecule to permeate through a barrier coating, including size, shape, and chemical nature of the permeant, physical and chemical properties of the polymer, and interactions between the permeant and the polymer.
Various transparent plastic materials having unsatisfactory gas barrier properties are known. Films consisting of a thermoplastic resin, oriented films of polypropylene, polyester, polyamide or the like typically have excellent mechanical properties, heat resistance, transparency and the like and are widely used as packaging materials. However, when these films are used for packaging foods or other goods, they are unsatisfactory for high barrier requirements to oxygen and other gases. Typical barrier materials are a single layer of polymer, a bilayer co-extruded or laminated polymer film, a coated monolayer, or a bilayer or multilayer film having one or more coatings on a surface or both surfaces. The most widely used barrier polymers for food packaging are ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymers ("EVOH"), ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers ("EVA"), and polyvinylidene chloride terpolymers ("PVDC"), which offer some resistance to permeation of gases, flavors, aromas, and solvents. PVDC also offers some resistance to moisture. EVOH copolymer resins are available in a wide variety of grades having varying ethylene concentrations. As the EVOH content is increased relative to the polyethylene content, the barrier properties to gases, flavors, and solvents increase. EVOH resins are commonly used in coextrusions or laminations with polyolefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene as structural and/or sealant layers, and with nylon, polyethylene terephthalate ("PET"), poly(lactic acid) ("PLA"), or polyhydroxyalkanoate ("PHA") as structural layers. PVDC emulsions are applied as micron-thick rotogravure coatings to various base film structures such as PET, nylon, polypropylene, poly(lactic acid) ("PLA"), or polyhydroxyalkanoate ("PHA"). Other barrier technologies include metallization with thin coatings of aluminum to various base film structures using vacuum deposition. Moderate barrier polymer materials such as monolayer polyethylene terephthalate, polymethyl pentene, and polyvinyl chloride ("PVC") films are commercially available.
Still other barrier films have been achieved with very thin plasma vapor depositions of oxides of silicon or aluminum (several nanometers thick) on base films and molded polymer structures.
Another barrier technology involves the use of oxygen absorbers or scavengers that are used in polymeric coatings or in bulk polymer materials. Metallic reducing agents such as ferrous compounds and powdered oxide or metallic platinum can be incorporated into barrier systems, which scavenge oxygen by converting it into a stable oxide within the film. Non-metallic oxygen scavengers have also been developed and are intended to alleviate problems associated with metal or metallic tastes or odors. Such systems include compounds including ascorbic acid and various salts and organometallic compounds that have a natural affinity for oxygen. Such molecules absorb oxygen molecules into the interior polymer chemical structure removing oxygen from the internal or enclosed space of packaging materials. Such materials are expensive and, in some cases, the presence of hazardous antioxidants chemicals limits their application.
Another method for imparting gas barrier properties includes dispersing an inorganic material in a resin. Micron-thin polymeric coatings incorporate nano-scale particulate dispersions of clays, such as montmorillonite, hectorite, sodium terasililic mica, sodium taeniolite, and vermiculite into various water-solubilized or emulsified polymers. For example, montmorillonite, hectorite, sodium terasililic mica, or sodium taeniolite may be blended into polyvinyl alcohol. Similarly, polyvinyl alcohol/poly(acrylic acid) blends with these clays are known. In order to prevent clay or vermiculite particles from aggregating or precipitating from solution while mixed with such polymers, it must be extensively pre-treated with, for example, acetic acid or glycine. Still, it is difficult to maintain vermiculite particles in suspension.
Finally, attempts to create barrier by direct addition of various clay particles in extruded and blown thermoplastic films and molded articles are common, but have only modest improvements in barrier impermeability versus orders of magnitude improvement using the aforementioned clay-containing coatings.

Barrier coatings for films and structures


A warp sensing apparatus for measuring the displacement or warp in disk-shaped objects such as drum lids and the like. A drum lid or other disk-shaped object is centered on the apparatus and clamped at the axis of rotation of the disk-shaped object. After the disk-shaped object is clamped, a contact probe of a transducer is positioned on the surface of the disk-shaped object to measure bidirectional displacement of the contact probe perpendicular to the surface of the disk-shaped object caused by undulations in the surface of the disk-shaped object. A manual rotating wheel permits the disk-shaped object to be rotated. A meter readout on the transducer displays the magnitude and direction of the contact probe displacement caused by undulations in the disk-shaped object as the disk-shaped object is rotated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to warp sensing apparatus, and more particularly, to apparatus for determining the warp in disk-shaped articles such as drum lids and the like.
2. Description of the Art
Disk-shaped components are used in connection with production processes in many manufacturing applications. Such components may be subject to warping, which typically renders the components unacceptable for use. In the event warped components are used in a manufacturing process, quality problems result in the future use of the product being produced.
One of the applications where a warped component causes substantial quality problems is the production of storage drums, such as laminated fiber board drums. Prior to this time, drum manufacturers have had no easy way to determine whether the lids used in production were warped. Warped lids prevent the drum from sealing properly and can cause leakage or contamination of the material stored in the drum.
One of the most common means used to test for warped lids is by visual inspection and manual measurement. When the drums are being assembled and a worker believes that a lid is warped, the worker simply places the lid on a table or floor and measures the deviation from the horizontal plane by holding a ruler or other measuring instrument perpendicular to the table or floor. In many cases, the worker assembling the drums may not notice that the lids are slightly warped. In addition, an accurate measurement of the deviation or warp of the lid may not be possible because the shape of the lid makes it difficult to hold the lid and take a measurement at the same time.
Electro-mechanical transducers have been used for a number of years to convert basic mechanical dimensions, such as displacement, pressure, vibration, etc. into electrical signals. Transducers are used on a wide variety of equipment applications. None of the applications has provided a simple and cost effective means for determining whether a disk-shaped component is warped. Most manufacturers using disk-shaped components would find it desirable to have an inexpensive and efficient means for determining if the component is warped.


Short lengths of uniform length are cut from a mass of non-oriented fibers by combing and periodical cutting.

It is known in the prior art to cut short lengths of fibers from a tangled, non-oriented, mass using a device known in the art as a granulator. It is also known in the prior art to cut regimented lengths of fiber into short lengths using a cutter roll (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 2,719,336). Finally, it is known to use carding rolls in order to orient fibers.