The electrolytic cell has a trough-like container with a bottom, with side walls and with at least one inlet and at least one outlet for the electrolyte. Numerous plate-like electrodes are disposed in the container and are partly immersed in an electrolyte bath. The bottom of the container which is in contact with the electrolyte bath has numerous openings for the passage of electrolyte, and below the bottom there is disposed at least one distribution chamber for recirculated electrolyte. At least one of the side walls of the container is equipped with at least one recirculation chamber for recirculating electrolyte from the electrolyte bath into the distribution chamber, the upper portion of the recirculation chamber being connected with the electrolyte bath and the lower portion of the recirculation chamber communicating with the distribution chamber.

This invention relates to an electrolytic cell for the electrochemical deposition of one of the metals copper, zinc, lead, nickel or cobalt from an aqueous electrolyte containing the metal in ionogenic form, wherein the electrolytic cell has a trough-like container with a bottom, with side walls, and with at least one inlet and at least one outlet for the electrolyte, wherein numerous plate-like electrodes are disposed in the container and are partly immersed in an electrolyte bath, and wherein at least one anode and at least one cathode are connected with a direct current source.
Electrolytic cells of this type are known and described e.g. in DE-A-2640801, US-A-5720867 and DE-A-19650228. These cells include a single or only a few supply lines for the electrolyte, and attempts are made at conducting the electrolyte in the container in the desired way. From US-A-5720867, openings in the side walls are known, an electrolyte circulation being established inside a cell by means of bipolar electrodes.
It is the object underlying the invention to develop an electrolytic cell which is suited for current densities of several hundred and also more than 1000 A/M2, and which can utilize the resulting vigorous formation of gas for conducting the electrolyte.
In the above-mentioned electrolytic cell, the object is solved in accordance with the invention in that the bottom of the container which is in contact with the electrolyte bath has numerous openings for the passage of electrolyte, that below the bottom there is disposed at least one distribution chamber for recirculated electrolyte, and that at least one of the side walls of the container has at least one recirculation chamber for recirculating electrolyte from the electrolyte bath into the distribution chamber, the upper portion of the recirculation chamber being connected with the electrolyte bath and the lower portion of the recirculation chamber communicating with the distribution chamber.
In the electrolytic cell in accordance with the invention, part of the electrolyte is constantly recirculated from the electrolyte bath via the recirculation chamber and the distribution chamber through the openings in the bottom of the cell into the bath and to the electrodes. This recirculation of electrolyte ensures that all electrode areas constantly intensively get in contact with the electrolyte, even if a vigorous formation of gas is inevitable at high current densities. In the recovery of copper, e.g. gaseous oxygen develops at the anodes, which oxygen moves upwards at the anode surfaces in the form of bubbles and escapes from the electrolyte bath. In the inventive cell, the formation of gas and the related mammoth pump effect are utilized to constantly draw electrolyte from the distribution chamber through the openings in the bottom into the electrolyte bath and thus effect a circulation of the electrolyte. The mammoth pump effect of the ascending gas is strong enough, so that an external pump for moving the electrolyte can be omitted. The electrolyte flowing upwards from the bottom of the cell prevents that at the surfaces of the electrodes a boundary layer too much depleted in electrolyte is formed.
The electrodes of the electrolytic cell may be monopolar or bipolar electrodes. Monopolar electrodes may for instance be formed by a simple sheet (e.g. of titanium). Details of the formation of cells with bipolar electrodes are known e.g. from US-A-5720867 and DE-A-19650228. In the electrolytic cell, current densities in the range from 200 to 2000 A/M2 are employed, and preferably the current density is at least about 1500 A/m2.
Advantageously, at least half the electrodes have openings for the passage of electrolyte in the area which is immersed in the electrolyte bath. These openings improve the flow of electrolyte through the electrolyte bath to the recirculation chamber and thereby facilitate the circulation of electrolyte. Mostly, all electrodes are provided with such flow openings. The recirculation chamber for the electrolyte is disposed on at least one of the side walls of the container such that there is a certain distance from the point where the fresh electrolyte is supplied to the container from the outside. One possibility is to dispose the recirculation chamber at that side wall of the container which is nearest to the electrolyte outlet. It is, however, also possible to dispose recirculation chambers at those side walls of the container on which the electrodes are supported. Another possibility is to provide three side walls of the container with recirculation chambers. The recirculation chambers may also constitute single lines or passages through which the electrolyte flows downwards from the electrolyte bath below the bottom to the distribution chamber.
The numerous openings in the bottom of the container, through which the electrolyte flows upwards from the distribution chamber into the electrolyte bath, may have all kinds of shapes. The openings may for instance be round, oval or slot-shaped. Usually, it is ensured that 1 to 20% of the surface of the bottom consists of openings, the bottom surface area being calculated as a whole and without deduction of the cross-sectional areas of the openings. Mostly, the openings make at least 3% of the bottom surface area. Due to the intensive circulation of the electrolyte in the electrolytic cell it is possible to design the surfaces of the electrodes hanging in the electrolyte bath rather large. In particular, it is no longer necessary to ensure a relatively large distance between the electrodes and the bottom of the cell, so that electrolyte can uniformly flow towards all electrodes. In the inventive cell, the lower edges of the electrodes can have a distance from the bottom of only 5 to 50 mm.

Electrolytic cell for electrochemically depositing one of the following metals, copper, zinc, lead, nickel or cobalt


A filter construction having a hose attachment therefor comprising a pair of discs one of which is indented at the periphery thereof forming a holder for a snap ring for the mouth of a filter bag, and a screw-on hose attachment extending through one disc and screwed into the other disc, holding the assembly in fixed condition, together with a quick-disconnect attachment for a hose.

Filters in many relations particularly industrial and specifically in the plating industry cause difficulty in changing filters and providing a fixture by which the filter is held in position where it is useful; and it is the purpose of this invention to provide a simple fixture for a filter bag with a clip-on hose attachment.


A remote control system includes at least one hand control (2) and one or more control units (4). Each control units transmits a signal with a unique frequency. The hand control receives this signal from the control unit, which appears the strongest to the hand control receiver, as well as transmits a signal with a frequency which is a whole multiple of the received signal. The advantage of the system is that an arbitrary hand control automatically adapts itself to the control unit from which the signal is strongest and subsequently communicates with the control unit. The system may be constructed such that one-way or two-way communication may take place. In one embodiment, the system is exclusively composed of standard components, the spreading on the components being used for forming the unique signal. The system lends itself for all forms of furniture equipped with motor driven adjustment facilities.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a remote control system, in particular for adjustable articles of furniture and office, hospital and nursing home equipment, such as beds, chairs, tables, patient lifters, etc. The invention also relates to an adjustable article of furniture and to a power driven actuator.
2. The Prior Art
The description of the invention will be based on hospital beds, as these illustrate the problems underlying the invention quite well.
A hospital bed has an electrical appliance with a linear actuator for adjusting the backrest part of a hinged support section as well as an actuator for adjusting its legrest part. In addition, the support section as a whole may be raised and lowered, as well as be caused to assume a tilted position (Trendelenburg""s or anti-Trendelenburg""s position). Adjustment of the support section as a whole is performed by two actuators. Beds of this type are described e.g. in U.S. Pats. No. 5,161,274 and 5,205,004, both to J. Nesbit Evans and Co. Ltd.
The actuators are connected to a control box, which also contains a power supply. The actuators and the control box are positioned below the bottom of the bed. The control box is operated by a hand control connected to it by wire. The hand control must be capable of being operated by the patient himself and also by the hospital staff, such as patient care staff, nurses, orderlies, doctors, and cleaning staff.
The wire for the hand control constitutes a problem per se, and this is not lessened by the fact that it must be relatively long even though a helically twisted wire is used. Lying in bed, the patient must be able to reach and operate the hand control, while the staff must be able to operate it, standing at the foot end of the bed. Further, the wire must not be in the way when the patient goes to bed or is taken to bed by the staff, nor of course when the patient gets out of bed. This may take place from both the one and the other side of the bed. Of course, a hand control might be arranged at each end of the bed, but this is much too expensive. After each use, the bed must be washed, and here the helically twisted wire constitutes a problem since it is difficult to clean. Another drawback of the wire is that, because of its length and the movement of it from one end to the other, it will frequently get squeezed between the movable parts of the bed and thereby be damaged or even be cut completely.
To avoid the wire for the hand control, a wireless hand control might be considered, but this presents other problems. One of the problems is actually the storage of the hand control. It must be readily accessible for both patient and staff. In an emergency it is no good that the patient has packed the hand control away in a side table, if, e.g., the bed is to be placed in Trendelenburg""s position immediately. At a hospital with several hundreds of beds it is altogether no good having a corresponding number of loose hand controls. Connecting these to the beds by a wire is no solution to the problems.
A hand control based on an infrared transmitter moreover involves a problem of mounting the receiver at a place accessible to all parties. Lying in bed, the patient will naturally direct the hand control toward the foot end, while the staff will direct it toward the head end, which is psychologically unfortunate for the patient.
The other common wireless option is a hand control based on radio communication. A problem of using such a solution where several beds are frequently placed in the same room, like at a hospital, is that the activation of a hand control must only cause a reaction from precisely the desired bed. Therefore, it is necessary to use hand controls which are dedicated to communicating precisely with a given bed, and this emphasizes the problem of keeping track of the individual hand controls. Now there must not only be one for each bed, but a quite specific hand control. One way of performing the dedication of the hand control is to mount a code recognition circuit in the individual receiver. This, however, involves the use of rather complicated electronics, and therefore adds to the costs, and radio communication per se is more expensive than infrared communication. Further, it gives rise to considerations that the allocated frequency ranges are crowded, involving risks of interference, and that radio communication per se presents a latent risk of operational disturbances of the often highly sensitive electronic equipment which is used at hospitals.
Considering the problems, it is thus not evident to change from a wired hand control to a wireless one, particularly not when the solution previously used is the absolutely cheapest one seen in relation to a wireless control.
The object of the invention is to provide a wireless remote control system in which a dedicated remote control for operating each individual unit is avoided, while ensuring that only one selected unit can be operated at a time.
Accordingly, the invention provides a remote control system which is characterized by
utilizing at least one hand control and one or more control units,
the hand control and the control units comprising transmit and receive antennas,
the control units including a transmitter for transmitting a signal with a frequency which is unique to the individual control unit,
the remote control including a receiver for reception of this signal from the control unit from which the signal is strongest relative to the hand control, as well as a transmitter for transmitting a signal with a frequency which is a whole multiple of the received signal and, via a phase locking circuit, is in phase with the received signal, and means for coding the transmitted signal with instructions,
the control units including a receiver for receiving the signal from the hand control, as well as means for determining whether the received signal is in phase with the signal formed by the circuit of the control unit, and means for decoding and executing the instructions on the received signal.
With this embodiment of a remote control system, an arbitrary hand control in the system can adapt itself to the control unit from which the signal is strongest, and subsequently communicate with the control unit. Thus, there is no need for hand controls which are dedicated to the individual control unit, as an arbitrary control unit may be used in connection with all the control units. If it is desired to communicate with a specific control unit, then it is just necessary to assume a position where it is known with certainty that the signal from there is the strongest.
Taking hospital conditions as an example again, it is now possible to equip the patients with an arbitrary hand control for the control of the bed which they might be given, just as the staff may be equipped with a single remote control which can operate all the beds. In terms of organizing, there are substantially no limits to the administration of the hand controls, and, e.g., a remote control might conceivably be placed in a holder on each bed or the associated side table and one in a holder on the wall or the door to the ward for use by the staff.
The inventive concept provides several options of realizing the invention adapted to specific fields of use, and the invention may also be used where infrared communication has traditionally been used previously. The remote control may thus be us ed in connection with TV, video players, hi-fi systems, etc., it being ensured of course that the signal of the remote control does not interfere with the radio/television signal.
The remote control system may be constructed such that the control units constantly transmit signals, but where this is not desired for some reason, the system may be arranged so that the transmitters of the control units are normally turned off and are turned on only upon activation of a remote control, understood in the way that it is only the closest one or ones within a given radius from the remote control that are turned on.
In case of, e.g., beds, this also applies to sickbeds, beds in dwellings and at hotels, the range of the transmitter need not be very great in reality, since the user is normally in bed or quite close to it, and it may even be an advantage to construct the remote control system such that the range is quite short. The same problems actually apply to practically all types of adjustable articles of furniture, including office furniture. In these cases, the structure may be made simple, just as the consumption of energy will be low. The extent and shape of the field may moreover be determined by the antenna means used, and a loop of wire is thus particularly useful in connection with furniture. The field is here within the boundary of the loop and perpendicular to it, while radiation outside the boundary of the loop has a modest range.
In some situations one-way communication is sufficient, viz. the remote control can communicate with the control unit, but in other situations it is desirable with a duplex where the control unit can send information back to the remote control. In such an embodiment, the control unit is provided with means for coding the transmitted signal with instructions, while the hand control has means for decoding and executing the instructions on the received signal.
Rather than manufacturing the control units intentionally with a unique signal, which is complicated in terms of production, advantage is taken of the fact that electronic components may be manufactured with given values of tolerance. It is realized in this connection that with quite ordinary standard components a unique signal is obtained because of the spreading on their value. The components have a value +/xe2x88x92 a tolerance and this is this spreading in the value, which is exploited to obtain the unique signals. Using components with the same value will result in a signal with a unique frequency due to the deviations in the values within the tolerance given. Although, hereby, only the order of magnitude of the frequency of the signal is known and not the exact value, this is in fact quite immaterial since automatic phase locking to the signal takes place. The use of standard components has evident advantages in terms of production, just as standard components per se give a lower cost price. This means that a remote control system according to the invention will be able to compete with a solution with a cabled control.
In an embodiment of the invention, coding of the transmitted signals with instructions may take place by phase-shifting selected phases 180 degrees, so that a shifted phase, e.g., represents a digital 0 and a non-shifted phase represents a digital 1, and a decoder, upon reception of the signal, can detect whether the individual phases are phase-shifted relatively to what is expected.
In order to be able to determine quite uniquely whether the signal has been phase-shifted or not, the control unit is arranged such that its transmitter sweeps in narrow ranges.
The invention also relates to an adjustable article of furniture, preferably a bed, a chair and a table equipped with at least an electric motor for performing adjustments of the article of furniture, the article being equipped with a remote control system as stated above. It should be stressed that the term article of furniture is used in its widest sense and also covers hospital, nursing home, hospice, clinic, institution, office and hotel furniture.
In a particular embodiment of the article of furniture, the antenna means, preferably in the form of a wire loop, are integrated in it. This may be in a chassis frame or in a tabletop.
The invention moreover relates to a power driven actuator and a power driven lifting column equipped with a remote control system as stated above. Power driven actuator or lifting column should also be taken to mean a system consisting of several power driven actuators or lifting columns having a common control.
Besides the invention relates to an article of furniture, preferably a bed, a chair or a table having at least one adjustable element, such as a backrest of a bed or chair or a tabletop of a table, a drive unit, such as an actuator or lifting column with an electric motor to execute the adjustments of said adjustable element, a control box with an electrical or electronic control for operating said drive unit, a hand control comprising a cabinet with keys for communication with said control box, wherein said furniture is having an antenna means, said control box furnished with or being connected to a radio receiver and said receiver being connected to the antenna means, and said hand control being furnished with a radio transmitter and antenna means for communicating with said radio receiver for operating said adjustable element of said article of furniture.


Methods for altering one or more parameters of a measurement system are provided. One method includes analyzing a sample using the system to generate values from classification channels of the system for a population of particles in the sample. The method also includes identifying a region in a classification space in which the values for the populations are located. In addition, the method includes determining an optimized classification region for the population using one or more properties of the region. The optimized classification region contains a predetermined percentage of the values for the population. The optimized classification region is used for classification of particles in additional samples.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to methods for altering one or more parameters of a measurement system. Certain embodiments relate to methods and systems for optimizing one or more parameters of a measurement system for classifying particles of a population.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following descriptions and examples are not admitted to be prior art by virtue of their inclusion within this section.
Generally, flow cytometers provide measurements of fluorescence intensity of laser excited polystyrene beads as they pass linearly through a flow chamber. In some systems, there are four measurements that are performed: the level of light scattered by a bead at 90 degrees to the excitation source, two measurements of fluorescence used to determine the bead "identity" or "classification," and a third fluorescence measurement typically used to detect and/or quantify a surface chemical reaction of interest. Each of the three fluorescent measurements is made at a different wavelength. These and any other fluorescent measurements are performed by different "channels" of the system (e.g., reporter channels, classification channels), which include a detector and possibly other components (e.g., optical components, electronic components, etc.) coupled to the detector.
In one example, the fluorescence measurement of the chemical reaction is quantified by optically projecting an image of the bead as it passes through the illumination zone of the excitation laser on the photosensitive area of a photomultiplier tube (PMT). The output of the PMT is a current pulse, which is then conditioned by analog electronics and digitized by an analog to digital (A/D) converter. The resultant digital values obtained from the A/D converter may be further conditioned in the digital domain by a digital signal processing (DSP) algorithm. The end product per bead is a single integer value, which is generally proportional to the chemical reaction on the surface of the bead.
Each flow cytometer based system such as the Luminex 100 system, which is manufactured by Luminex Corp., Austin, Tex., displays results of particle measurements (e.g., the 100-region LabMAP) in a slightly different way than a "typical" flow cytometer instrument. These differences in the displays are a result of the accumulated tolerance for many of the components of the system such as the diode laser, the photodiodes, the optical filters, and the electronics used to process the data. In particular, particles are classified by comparing values generated during analysis of the particles to regions located in a classification space (e.g., the Map). Particles having values that are located within a region in the classification space are assigned the classification corresponding to this region. Therefore, in order to account for the accumulated tolerance of the system described above, the size of the regions in the classification space that are used to classify different populations are made larger than necessary to contain the values of the different populations.
One result of using these larger than necessary classification regions is inconsistent classification of particle populations between one system and another. For instance, one system might be able to classify 95% of a particle population as belonging to a particular region, and 0.5% of that population would typically be misclassified in another region, whereas a different system might correctly classify 98% of this particle population and misclassify a smaller percentage of the population. Therefore, using a larger than necessary classification region results in poor system-to-system matching. System-to-system matching, however, may be desirable, for example, when multiple measurement systems are used in a single facility or organization to perform assays on biological samples. In this manner, results obtained using one measurement system may be directly compared to results obtained using a different measurement system.
Obviously, one way to reduce the size of the classification regions is to reduce the accumulated tolerance of the system. One way to reduce the accumulated tolerance of the system is to manufacture the system using components that have extremely narrow tolerances. However, using such components places a significant burden on manufacturing personnel in sourcing these components. In addition, rigorous assembly efforts can be used to try to compensate for tight tolerances. However, like the extremely narrow tolerance components, using rigorous assembly efforts increases the complexity and difficulty of manufacturing. Therefore, currently available methods for reducing the size of the classification regions increase system manufacturing time, decrease manufacturing throughput, and increase overall system cost.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to reduce the size of the classification regions such that the system can classify particles with greater system accuracy and greater system-to-system uniformity without complicating the manufacturing process, increasing the manufacturing time, decreasing manufacturing throughput, and increasing overall system cost.


A method for chemical shift imaging is disclosed. A first radio frequency pulse at the resonance frequency of hydrogen and second radio frequency pulse at the resonance frequency of atoms to be examined are applied. Spatial resolution is obtained by phase encoding gradients. The repetition time is shorter than the spin-lattice relaxation time. The first radio frequency pulse at the resonance frequency of hydrogen causes a Nuclear Overhauser Effect enhancement of the resonance line of the atoms to be examined.

The present invention is directed to methods for chemical shift imaging of a subject in a nuclear magnetic resonance imager, wherein the subject is positioned in both a static magnetic field and a varying gradient field and subjected to a sequence of RF pulses for exciting nuclear magnetic resonance in the subject.
Nuclear magnetic resonance devices are known in the art. In such devices, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra are obtained from a subject which is positioned in a static magnetic field together with a varying gradient field, and which is subjected to a sequence of RF pulses. The use of the chemical shift imaging (CSI) technique in NMR imaging is also known, and has been described by A. A. Maudsley et al, Journal of Magnetic Resonance 51, 147 (1983) and by T. R. Brown et al, Proceedings of the National Academic Society, USA, 79, 3523 (1982).
The CSI technique provides both spectral and spatial resolution, and in vivo phosphorus spectroscopy is of specific interest for diagnostic purposes. However, due to the low intrinsic sensitivity of phosphorus spectroscopy the acquisition of localized phosphorus spectra using the CSI technique requires relatively long data acquisition times.
It has been shown (see P. Bachert-Baumann et al in Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, 15, pp. 165-172 (1990)) that the phosphorus signal intensity can be increased by saturation of the proton water spins surrounding a phosphorus atom in non-localized phosphorus spectroscopy. As described there, an MR system was equipped with two RF channels -- one for the resonance frequency of phosphorus, the other one for the resonance frequency of protons. The so-called WALTZ-8-supercycle as described by A. J Shaka et al in Journal of Magnetic Resonance 52, 335 (1983) was used for broad band decoupling of phosphorus and protons. The proton spins were irradiated during the acquisition period of the phosphorus MR signal or during a presaturation phase prior to the phosphorus excitation pulse. Signals enhancements were detected in sequences using decoupling as compared to sequences without decoupling. Signal intensity changes of resonance lines in double resonance experiments were attributed to the Nuclear Overhauser Effect. The magnetization of the proton affects the relaxation mechanism of the phosphorus spin system by bipolar interaction. The enhancement factor depends on the degree to which phosphorus spin relaxation is dominated by bipolar interaction with surrounding protons. The theoretical upper limit of enhancement is 124%.
Broad band proton decoupling in phosphorus NMR spectroscopy using the phase encoding method for spatial resolution has been carried out by P. Luyten et al in NMR in Biomedicine, Vol. 1, No. 5, 1989, pp. 177 -183. In the experiments therein described, proton decoupling was achieved by a standard WALTZ-4-sequence. The decoupling sequence was only applied during acquisition of the phosphorus NMR spectrum and was gated off during the recycle delay period. A repetition time of three seconds was used. An improvement in signal-to-noise ratio and spectral resolution was observed in the proton-decoupled phosphorus spectrum.


A method and a device are for evaluating sensor signals from a seat mat in a vehicle seat, the signals functioning to characterize the sensors in the seat mat as active and inactive. In this manner, a linear evaluation method is performed to make possible a weight classification of passengers situated on the vehicle seat. For this purpose, a seat profile is generated using the active and inactive sensors.

The present invention relates to a method and to a device for evaluating sensor signals from a seat mat in a vehicle seat.
K. Brillen, L. Federspiel, P. Schockmehl, B. Serban, and W. Sherrill, xe2x80x9cOccupant Classification System for Smart Restraint Systems,xe2x80x9d SAE paper 1999, pp. 33-38, describes pressure sensors, which are used in a seat mat for a vehicle seat and are arranged in a matrix. In response to increased resistance, the pressure sensors have reduced electrical resistance. In this context, the pressure sensors can be divided into active and inactive matrix elements. From these matrix elements, a seat profile can be generated, so as to determine features for classifying the passengers.
In contrast, the method and the device according to the present invention for evaluating sensor signals from a seat mat in a vehicle seat have the advantage that the sensors are divided in binary fashion into active and inactive sensors. This arrangement has the advantage that the sensor signals are easier to process, the processing hardware may be more easily configured, because only binary information has to be processed from the sensors in the seat mat and not absolute values, and a nonlinear relationship between the pressure exerted and the measured resistance value of the sensor is insignificant. Another advantage is that the calibration of the seat mat is highly simplified because only a threshold value has to be determined. The pressure-sensitive sensors in the seat mat may be configured more simply because the absolute resistance values no longer have meaning. In addition, the device according to the present invention may be robust with respect to dispersions in the production process, because the threshold may be set using software. In addition, the device according to the present invention is less susceptible to disturbance with regard to production and operating conditions.
Advantageous improvements of the method and the device according to the present invention are possible for evaluating sensor signals from a seat mat in a vehicle seat.
The threshold value which distinguishes between active and inactive sensors may be set as a function of the installation of the seat mat in the vehicle seat. Therefore, it is possible to take into account the individual installation conditions and varying seat designs. This leads to increased precision in the measured sensor activity.
On the base of the active and inactive sensors, a seat profile may be generated which makes possible a weight classification of the person sitting on the vehicle seat. In this context, it is specifically possible to establish whether it is a person or an object and whether the person is large, small, heavy, or light.
The processor of the device according to the present invention may be connected to a restraint system and in the process specifically to a control unit of the restraint system, in order to transmit the weight classification to the control unit. Thus, it is possible to trigger an air bag in an improved manner as a function of the person. If an object, for example, a box, is detected on the vehicle seat, then the air bag is not triggered for this vehicle seat.

Method and a device for evaluating sensor signals from a seat mat in a vehicle seat


A molding device for the manufacture of hollow plastic articles comprising of a two part separable mold, a pre-cast station, a blow station, means for moving the mold halves between the closed and open positions, and means for moving the mold between the preform station and blow station. The mold is supported for movement between the open and closed position by a single supporting spar and locking means are employed for locking the mold parts in the closed position.

The invention relates to a device for the manufacture of hollow articles out of plastics, especially thermoplastics, e.g., by the blow molding process, consisting of several hollow-mold parts, which take up a preform for the blowing process, whereby at least one hollow-mold part is movably disposed on a spar guide, and whereby locking devices are provided at the hollow-mold parts.
For the manufacture of hollow articles out of thermoplastic synthetics through the blowing up of the preform in the blowing device there are known mold locking systems that have in each corner of the mold clamping plates, that is a total of four locking spars, in order to obtain a uniform distribution of force over the locking frame. Such a four-spar locking system ensures, to be sure, an optimal closure of the hollow-mold parts while the blowing process is carried out, but greatly impedes the charging of the blowing devices with preforms and the ejection of the finished molded articles.
From the West German patent publication DT-OS 24 28 914 is also already known a device for the manufacture of hollow articles of thermoplastic synthetics, whereby the movable mold carriers for the hollow mold are carried by two spars disposed underneath the hollow mold. The spars are thereby exclusively disposed at the lower portion of the locking frame. This arrangement is said to render it possible that the space between the mold carriers in which is disposed the split cavity mold, remains far-reachingly freely accessible when the hollow mold is open, so that larger molded articles are claimed to be freely removable after the opening of the hollow mold without impediment by spars before the hollow mold is moved away.
In practice this is, however, not the case because the second spar causes especially in the case of elongated preforms, a considerable restriction of the feeding possibilities of the preform. Furthermore, an additional locking mechanism is required.
The invention has the task to indicate a principle of design for the initially mentioned devices with which are created optimal spatial conditions for the charging of the blowing devices with preforms. This task is solved in accordance with the invention in that, that the spar guide consists of only one spar with guide part.


An improved housing structure for a networking device is provided to make the assembly of the housing more efficiently. The improved housing structure includes a metal base having a plurality of L-shaped slots formed on the edges between the bottom plane and the sidewalls of the metal base. Close to each of the L-shaped slots, a beveled region is formed on the side edge of the sidewall. A fitting plastic cover has a plurality of guard tenons integrally formed on at least two inner sidewalls thereof and corresponding to the positions of the L-shaped slots. Each pair of the L-shaped slots and the guard tenons together forms a mortise and tenon mounting structure. Accordingly, the housing of the networking device can be conveniently assembled without screws and nuts.

A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved housing structure for a networking device, and more particularly to improvements in a networking hub/switch housing having a mortise and tenon mounting structure.
B. Description of the Related Arts
Conventional networking device housings are made of metal. The metal housing has the advantages of durability, and solidity. However, the metal housing is higher in manufacturing cost and inconvenient to assemble. The assembly of the metal housing usually requires conventional screws and nuts.
To reduce the manufacturing cost and improve the outlook of a networking device, a housing with a metal base and a fitting plastic cover is mostly adopted by networking device manufacturers. The plastic cover is cheaper in cost and easily adaptable to a variety of designs by molding. Since the metal base and the plastic cover are made of different materials with different properties, they cannot be locked together using conventional technology of screws and nuts. It is desirable to provide a housing structure, which can prevent the scratches formed on the surface of the metal base and the breakage of the plastic cover while assembling the housing.
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved housing structure of a networking device for the convenience of assembly.
In accordance with the present invention, an improved housing structure for a networking device is provided to make the assembly of the housing more efficiently. The improved housing structure includes a metal base having a plurality of L-shaped slots formed on the edges between the bottom plane and the side planes. Close to each of the L-shaped slots, a beveled region is formed on the side edge of the metal base. A fitting plastic cover has a plurality of guard tenons integrally formed on at least two inner sidewalls thereof and corresponding to the positions of the L-shaped slots. Each pair of the L-shaped slots and the guard tenons together forms a mortise and tenon mounting structure. Accordingly, the housing of the networking device can be conveniently assembled without screws and nuts.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

Housing structure for a networking device


A stripping and cleaning composition for the removal of residue from metal and dielectric surfaces in the manufacture of semi-conductors and microcircuits. The composition is an aqueous system including organic polar solvents including corrosive inhibitor component from a select group of aromatic carboxylic acids used in effective inhibiting amounts. A method in accordance with this invention for the removal of residues from metal and dielectric surfaces comprises the steps of contacting the metal or dielectric surface with the above inhibited compositions for a time sufficient to remove the residues.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to stripping and cleaning compositions for the removal of residue from metal or dielectric surfaces in the manufacture of semi-conductors and microcircuits. More particularly, the invention provides a novel inhibition system which prevents corrosion of the metal and redeposition of residue on the substrate.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally in the manufacture of semi-conductors and microcircuits after the etching step, the residual etchants and photoresists must be removed without corroding or dulling the surface of the metallic circuitry or chemically altering the substrate.
Resist stripping and cleaning agents comprising mixtures of aromatic solvents and basic amines are known. While these resist stripping agents are effective in removing the photoresist residues, they also tend to corrode the metal or metal alloy conductor such as copper, aluminized silicon dioxide and/or titanium. It has been proposed in some stripping compositions to employ hydrogen fluoride to reduce the rate of metal corrosion However, hydrogen fluoride attacks titanium metal, requires careful handling by personnel and creates disposal problems. Moreover, commercially available photoresist stripping compositions have required unduly long residence times or repeated applications in order to remove certain coatings. In addition, various coatings have resisted removal from certain substrates with the available stripping compositions.
As the processing size is becoming finer in sub-micron devices, i.e., more transistors/cm2, the etching conditions and the necessity to remove post etch residues become more critical. The photoresist becomes more susceptible to damage and more difficult to remove under the more stringent conditions. Thus, stripping/cleaner formulations must be improved including providing more efficient corrosion inhibitors. Known metal corrosion inhibitor additives (i.e. phenol derivatives such as catechol, pyrogallol, gallic acid, resorcenol, and beta-naphthol) glucose and azoles such as, benzotriazole etc., in semiconductor stripper-cleaners in semi-aqueous solvent blends, do not maintain an acceptable level of corrosion inhibition in the presence of high levels of water. With conventional inhibitors exceeding about 25 weight percent water results in unacceptable corrosion rates for aluminum, aluminum alloys and copper. Semiconductor device performance and yield are strongly dependent on maintaining the designed line width. Unacceptable line width loss results in yield loss. Higher levels of water improve the removal rate of etch inorganic residue, however, this had to be balanced against line width loss.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,496,491, 5,556,482 and 5,707,947 to Ward, et al., which are herein incorporated by reference, disclose organic stripping compositions for photoresists comprising organic polar solvents and basic amines which include inhibitors which form coordination complexes with the metal. The corrosion inhibitors disclosed are phenol derivatives are weak acids which deprotonate in solutions with a pH about 9 forming mono- and di-anions which can chelate with metal cations, forming stable five, six and seven membered rings.
Benzoic acid and substituted benzoic acids have been studied as interfacial corrosion inhibitors for copper in perchloric acid (HClO4), R. K. Dinoppa and S. M. Mayanna, Journal Of Applied Electrochemistry, 11 (1981) p. 111-116 but never tested in the field of stripper/cleaner compositions for the removal of photoresists from semiconductors and microcircuitry elements.
There exists a need to provide a photoresist stripping/cleaning composition which provides improved corrosive prevention to metals and metal alloys, as well as, efficient and substantially complete removal of a wide variety of organic polymeric photoresist and inorganic materials while being chemically inert to the substrate.
In accordance with the present invention there is provided aqueous acidic and basic stripping and cleaning compositions useful in the semiconductor or microcircuitry industry for removing photoresists and other residues having improved corrosion inhibition, are useful in acidic. stripping and cleaning compositions, are free of oxidants.
The inhibitors which are employed in the stripping and cleaning compositions of this invention are a unique group of aromatic carboxylic acids and their derivatives selected from ammonium benzoate, benzoic acid, phthalic acid, phthalic anhydride, isophthalic acid and mixtures thereof in an effective corrosion inhibiting amount.
Advantageously, the photoresist stripping and cleaning compositions which comprise water basic amines include alkanol-amines, hydroxylamines and mixtures thereof. The compositions of he invention are particularly useful for removing inorganic residues on metal or dielectric substrates.
It is an object of this invention to provide improved stripping and cleaning compositions which effectively and efficiently remove residues from subsrates without redeposition.
It is another object of this invention to provide an improved stripping and cleaning compositions which is not corrosive to either metals, metal alloys or dielectric substrates.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a stripping and cleaning composition which inhibits redeposition of metal ions.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a corrosion inhibitor which effectively can be used in basic or acidic stripping and cleaning compositions.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a corrosion inhibitor for stripping and cleaning compositions which maintain an improved level of corrosion inhibition in the presence of high levels of water.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide corrosion inhibitors for semi-aqueous photoresist stripping and cleaning compositions which are less expensive and are effective at low concentrations and low temperatures.
Yet a still object of the present invention is to provide an aqueous stripping and cleaning composition for aluminum and copper foils which have a high cleaning efficiency in aqueous formulations with reduced toxicity.

Photoresist stripper/cleaner compositions containing aromatic acid inhibitors


The locking system includes a blocking and electronic releasing device by means of different codes for each one of the keys, it also being possible to modify the memory of the control circuit by means of an operating key to refuse access to a lost key, also allowing access to other new copies of the key. This electronic blocking is done by means of an independent pin of the locking pistons of the mechanical part of the cylinder, the latter being inside as well as outside the same. The key (4) communicates to the cylinder (1) its code by means of an electric contact (9) through which the energy required for its operation will be supplied to it. The transmission of data of the key to the cylinder is done by the electric contact itself (9). A rotary-type electric motor (10) acts on a blocking pin (6) by means of an eccentric (11) and connecting rod (12.) The control circuit of the cylinder (1) has a memory in which the codes of the keys (4) that have access to the lock appear. The control circuit will launch its reading process of the code of the key to allow or refuse retraction of the blocking pin (6.)

Presently a large variety of keys and mechanical type locking cylinders, wherein the key has on its surfaces and/or edges, the recesses or embossments that allow rotating movement of the rotor of the cylinder, upon none of the pistons preventing it as all of them are flush with the rotation surface, are known. This enables the lock to be operated.
Electronic devices that allow the lock to be opened by means of magnetic keys and remote control are also known.
In these systems alluded to if one loses a key, or else the remote control and its type and combination, respectively, are not known, normal opening of the lock becomes impossible and it will only be opened if the same is partially or totally destroyed.
In order to prevent a lost key from operating the cylinder, the same must be changed.
In the case of combined action locks, the transmission of the code or communication between the key and the lock, is done by means of an energy receiving coil, in other words, by means of electromagnetic induction. For this purpose the key includes in its electronic code circuit a ROM memory and a coil to capture the energy coming from the communication coil of the locking cylinder and to send the code to the control circuit, also done by magnetic induction.


A method for making an integrated circuit characterized by: determining a range of bonding pad pitches which varies between a minimum bonding pad pitch and a maximum bonding pad pitch; setting a driver pitch to the minimum bonding pad pitch; forming a base set including a plurality of drivers having the determined driver pitch; forming customization layers over the base set, where the customization layers include a plurality of bonding pads having a pad pitch greater than the minimum bonding pad pitch but less than or equal to the maximum bonding pad pitch; and coupling some, but not all, of the drivers to the pads. As a result, a single base set can be used to make integrated circuits having a range of bonding pad pitches. The method and structure of the present invention are very well adapted for use in gate array integrated circuits.

This invention relates generally to integrated circuits, and more particularly to the design and layout of gate array integrated circuits.
Gate arrays comprise hundreds or thousands of gates which can be selectively coupled together to perform user-specified tasks. The gates are formed in matrixes in a semiconductor substrate as part of a "base set". An end-user can customize a gate array by adding metal connect layers over the base set to couple the gates into complex, logical circuits.
In FIGS. 1 and 2, a typical, prior art gate array 10 includes a gate region 12, driver regions 14, and bonding pad regions 16. As best seen in FIG. 2, the gate array 10 is formed over a semiconductor substrate 18 (usually silicon). A number or base set layers 20 in conjunction with active devices formed in the substrate 18, provide a large matrix of logical gates within the gate region 12. These gates typically include AND gates, OR gates, and inverters, as well as more complex logical functions. The construction and operation of the base set 21 (comprising the layers 20 and the substrate 18) is well known to those skilled in the art.
The base sets of gate arrays are manufactured in mass production quantities and are stored until desired by an end-user. The base sets are relatively low cost devices because they are produced in these large volumes. When end-users have a requirement for a customized logic circuit, customization layers 22 can be added over the base set 21 to cause the gate array 10 to perform the required logical functions. These customization layers typically include an oxide layer 24, a metal layer 26, an oxide layer 28, and a metal layer 30. As best seen in FIG. 1, the metal layer 26 comprises a number of parallel conductors 32, and the metal layer 30 includes a number of parallel conductors 34. By selectively coupling the conductors 32 and 34 to the base set 21 by conductive vias (not shown) through the oxide layers 24 and 28, the gates of the base set can be coupled together to perform the user-defined logical functions. Methods for designing and producing the customization layers 22 are well known to those skilled in the art.
The base set 21 includes a plurality of drivers 36 in the driver regions 14. It should be noted that the driver 36 in FIG. 2 is highly representational an actual driver would include active devices in the substrate 18 and interconnects in the layers 20. The drivers 36 am responsive to output signals developed within the gate array 10 and are operative to provide sufficient current to drive components external to the gate array 10. Each driver 36 of the base set 21 is coupled to a bonding pad 38 within bonding pad regions 16 by a via 40. These bonding pad are then coupled to leads of an integrated circuit package by any one of a number of well-known techniques such as wire bonding, tape automated bonding (TAB), flip-chip bonding, etc.
A particular base set can be used to produce logical circuits of varying complexity. Typically, the more complex the logical circuit, the more inputs and outputs are desired and, therefore, more bonding pads 38 are required. The number of bonding pads is increased by decreasing the "pitch" of the bonding pads, i.e. the center-to-center distance between adjacent bonding pads. However, the bonding pad pitch may be limited by the size of the gate array and by the bonding technique used. For example, a typical wire bond pitch may be 4.5 mils (thousandths of an inch), while a typical TAB bond pitch may be 4.0 mil.
Prior art drivers 36 are associated, one each, with the bonding pads 38. Therefore, the pitch of prior art drivers (i.e. the center-to-center distance between adjacent drivers 36) defines the pitch of the bonding pads 38. For example, if it is desirable to have bonding pad pitches at 4.8 mils and 4.5 mils for wire bonding and at 4.3 mils and 4.0 mils for TAB bonding, four different base sets 21 would be required, even if the gate array 10 were otherwise identical. Besides having to inventory four different base sets, the cost of each base set would be increased because fewer of each base set would be made.
The prior art has not, therefore, addressed the problem of providing a gate array base set which can accommodate a variable bonding pad pitch.

Integrated circuit with variable pad pitch


A console box includes a box body with an opening, a pair of lids hinged to the box body to open and close the opening, and a lock mechanism configured to lock the lids in closed positions for closing the opening. The lock mechanism includes a first operation member configured to unlock the pair of lids separately from each other, and a second operation member configured to unlock the pair lids simultaneously with each other.

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a console box, and more particularly, to a console box including a box body having an opening, two lids each hinged to the box body so that the opening can be opened and closed by the lids, and a lock mechanism that can lock the lids in a closed position with respect to the box body.
Automobiles are often provided with holders for storing and/or holding cans, bottles or other items. For example, a console box is often mounted on the floor of the automobile at a position between the driver's seat and the front passenger seat. The console box typically includes a box body with an opening and one or more lids hinged to the box body to close the opening. The user can store items in a storage space of the box body through the opening.


A medicament containing human growth hormone (hGH), which can prevent or decrease the immunosuppression and the onset of infectious diseases such as pneumonia in a hypothermia treatment that has been recognized to show remarkable effects on the lifesaving and/or the improvement of recovery of a patient with serious cerebral injury, and thereby contributing to the expansion of the range of application and the improvement of lifesaving effect of hypothermia treatment.

The hypothermia treatment is a therapeutic method carried out to prevent an irreversible cranial nerve injury in the cases of accident or angiopathy, which is characterized in that a subject in anesthetized condition is cooled with a blanket having circulating cold water so that the temperature of the spinal cord and central nervous system is kept slightly low (cerebral temperature=ca., 33.degree. C.) for a certain period of time. Clinical application of the treatment was started from about 1994, after the effectiveness was confirmed in the field of animal experimental pharmacology around the latter half of 1980's. Since then, remarkable successes have been reported in cases of severe head injury and subarachnoid hemorrhage (Hayashi, N et al.: J. Cereb. Blood Frow Metab. 15 (Suppl.1): S724, 1995, Maekawa, T et al.: Minerva-Anesthesiol. 60(10): 537-540, 1994).
The hypothermia treatment herein referred to is entirely different from a primitive one that had been employed in the field of thoracic surgery, in which the brain temperature was simply lowered to below 30.degree. C. By contrast, the hypothermia treatment herein described came to afford satisfactory results only after the detailed procedures for controlling the cerebral temperature, blood pressure, respiration, intracranial pressure or the like; preventing stress diseases or infectious diseases; and matters to be regarded while rewarming were established (Hayashi, N., Hirayama, A: Medical Postgraduates 31:59-71,1993).
In the hypothermia treatment, one must pay the greatest attention to a peculiar damage of immune protection system of a living body when the cerebral temperature lowered, and the immunosuppression due to tissue injury or the like while the temperature is kept low and at the time of rewarming (Hayashi, N., "Cerebral Hypothermia" Sogo-Igaku, & Co., May 29, 1995 pp.53). The suppression of immune function could result in the onset of infectious diseases such as pneumonia.
There are certain measures currently taken to maintain the immune function during the hypothermia treatment, for example, the administration of L-glutamine (Glumine.TM. Kyowa Hakko Kogyou Co., Ltd.) which serves as an energy source for T- or B-cells (DeBiasse MA and Milmore DW: New Horizons 2(2): 122-130, 1994); the administration of y-globulin or opsonin; or the induction of in vivo synthesis of glutamic acid through the electric stimulation of skeletal muscle (Souba WW et al., J. Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition 9(5): 608-617, 1985), but they are not perfectly effective. Accordingly, there are still some cases involved in refractory pneumonia in the absence of sufficient preventive methods.
The extent of damages of tissue functions at the time of lowering/elevating the cerebral temperature, which possibly causes immunosuppression, is suggested to vary depending on the blood hemoglobin level or renal excretion function of patients. Accordingly, the hypothermia treatment is hardly applied to some patients showing suppression of these functions, for example, a patient of renal disease or of old age, because of the above-mentioned risks.
There have not been known any medicines capable of preventing damages of immune protection system specific to hypothermia treatment, or enhancing the damaged immune function effectively. The hypothermia treatment failed to show satisfactory lifesaving effects because of infectious diseases related to immunosuppression and could not be applied widely, notwithstanding that it is expected to show remarkable effect in the lifesaving and/or the amelioration of recovery of patients with serious cerebral injury.
On the other hand, human growth hormone (hereinafter, referred to as hGH) has not only been used in the treatment of pituitary dwarfism, but also known to be effective in the healing promotion of fracture and burn wound and also in the treatment of patients in nutrient malabsorption condition (Nikkei Bio Almanac 94/95). Further, there has been reported that hGH has an immune function potentiation effect or protection effect on tissue injury caused by free radical in vivo (U.S. Pat. No. 5,317,012, Japanese Patent Publication (Kohyo) 6-503320). However, it has never been known or even suggested that hGH has an ability to prevent or reduce the damages of immune protection system of a living body especially the immunosuppression due to peculiar tissue damages in a hypothermic treatment, in particular, when rewarming.
One of purposes of the present invention is to provide a pharmaceutical composition capable of preventing the suppression of immune function, and inhibiting or relieving an infectious disease in connection with a hypothermia treatment, whereby ensuring the safety of the treatment and allowing said treatment to exhibit the excellent preventive effect on the cerebral perfusion disturbance of a patient with serious cerebral injury to the full.

Sumitomo Pharmaceuticals Company, Limited


Piles of freshly printed sheets of multiple bank-notes are cut into bundle strips and then these bundle strips are cut into individual bundles of bank-notes; a band station is located between the cutting unit cutting the piles of sheets into bundle strips and the cutting unit cutting these bundle strips into bundles of bank-notes and comprises as many banding device operating in synchronism and located in one row as there are individual bank-notes per strip, so that the bundles of each strip are banded before this strip is cut into bundles.

An apparatus of this type for converting freshly printed sheets of security papers as bank-notes is known, in which the pile of sheets formed at the outlet of the numbering machine is cut stepwise automatically into individual bundles of finished single security papers or bills having the correct format, and each individual bundle is then surrounded by a band.
For this purpose, the piles of sheets, which generally each contain one hundred sheets in the correct sequence of numbers, are supplied manually or automatically to the feed device of a cutting station by means of a conveying device receiving the pile of sheets at the outlet of the numbering machine. In a first longitudinal cutting unit, the edges of the sheets are cut on one side of each pile of sheets arranged in the feed direction, the direction of travel of which pile is then changed by 90.degree., so that the side of the pile located opposite the cut edge now becomes the new front side. A second cutting unit firstly cuts the edges on this front side of the pile of sheets and then divides this pile of sheets into bundle strips by subsequent cuts. A third longitudinal cutting unit then cuts the edge on a short side of each bundle strip located in the conveying direction, which bundle strip then changes its conveying direction by 90.degree. such that the short side located opposite the edge cut last now becomes the front side. Finally, a fourth transverse cutting unit firstly cuts this front side of each bundle strip and then divides the bundle strip by subsequent cuts into individual bundles of bank-notes. These bundles of bank-notes then pass one behind the other at a distance apart to a banding station, in which they are surrounded individually one after the other by a band.
The finished bound bundles of bank-notes are then made into packs of bank-notes, which generally comprise ten bundles each with one hundred bank notes, i.e. one thousand bank notes in all.
If, when producing the packs of bundles, the sequence of numbers of the bank-notes is to be preserved, then corresponding sorting of the bundles of bank-notes is necessary before they are packed in packs, because as a rule, the sequence of numbers within one bundle is not a continuation of the sequence of numbers in the preceding bundle. Numbering machines for sheets of multiple bank-notes generally operate such that identical bank-note positions on successive sheets are numbered in succession, whereas the bank-note positions on one and the same sheet can be distinguished by the serial number or the higher places of the numbers. Therefore, if twenty eight bank-note positions are provided on one sheet of bank-notes for example, that is to say seven rows each with four printed bank-notes, then for the subsequent packing of ten bundles of bank-notes, the first, the twenty ninth, the fifty seventh etc. then the second, the thirtieth, the fifty eighth etc. must be combined in order to obtain packs each with one thousand consecutively numbered bank-notes, which belong to a specific series of one thousand notes. An automatic apparatus is already known for this sorting operation, before packing the bundles of bank-notes.
Furthermore, it is customary for an inspector to check the freshly printed sheets of bank-notes for printing errors, before they are cut up and to provide each faulty printed bank-note with a mark for the purpose of subsequent elimination. The afore-mentioned known apparatus for converting sheets of bank-notes is arranged so that the bound individual bundles pass a detector system, which responds to the afore-mentioned marks and that furthermore, a removal device controlled by the fault signal of this detector system is provided, which removes the bundles of bank-notes containing at least one incorrectly printed note, from the conveying arrangement. A detector system of this type may operate inductively for example and in this case it is desirable to choose a marking material which varies the inductive properties of the bank-note accordingly. The empty space formed in the conveying sequence by the elimination of a bundle of bank-notes can be filled by a satisfactory bundle of bank-notes before the formation of the packs of bundles to be packed. This bundle of bank-notes which is inserted may be a replacement bundle with satisfactory bank-notes. However, the bundle of bank-notes eliminated may travel through a bank-note-exchange station, in which each individual faulty bank-note is replaced by a satisfactory numbered replacement bank-note. Subsequently, this re-formed bundle of bank-notes can be re-inserted at the correct point in the conveying sequence, before the banding or packing station for the packs of bundles.
Now according to experience, the capacity of such an apparatus for converting freshly printed sheets of bank-notes, operating largely automatically, is limited substantially by the maximum possible operating speed of the banding station for the individual bundles of bank-notes. At least two seconds are necessary for wrapping the band around the bundle of bank-notes and for reliable sticking of the latter, which period of time cannot be reduced in practice. This means that with the afore-described known apparatus, at best, approximately thirty bundles per minute, or, since a bundle generally contains one hundred bank-notes, approximately 180,000 bank-notes per hour can be handled.
However, modern printing and numbering machines for bank-notes recently have an output of 8,000 to 10,000 sheets per hour. If each sheet contains fifty individual notes, then these machines facilitate the production of 400,000 to 500,000 bank-notes per hour, which corresponds to approximately sixty six to eighty three bundles of bank-notes per minute, presupposing that each bundle contains one hundred bank notes. Since the known apparatus is only able to handle thirty bundles per minute at the maximum, only half the full capacity of modern rotary printing machines can therefore be used in conjunction with the known apparatus for converting the sheets of bank-notes.

Process and apparatus for converting piles of freshly printed sheets of bank-notes into bundles of bank-notes


The scanning drum of a facsimile receiver carries a longitudinally extending stripe such that portions of the stripe at opposite extremities of a document carried by the drum are exposed. The width of the stripe at the exposed portion adjacent the leading edge of the document is sensed by an optical sensing head and stored in memory prior to transmitting dark/light variations in the document. The scanning of the document continues until the optical scanning head is juxtaposed to the exposed portion of the drum adjacent the trailing edge of the document. At this time, the width of the stripe is again detected and compared with the width in memory so as to verify that the scanning of the document is complete. The facsimile transmission is then terminated.

This invention relates to facsimile transmitters and receivers of the type utilized to transmit and receive information-bearing signals representing the dark/light variations on a document located at the transmitter and converting the information-bearing signals to marks or images on a copy medium located at the receiver so as to form a copy which is a reasonable facsimile of the original document.
Most facsimile transmitters will accommodate documents of various sizes, e.g., various lengths. In facsimile transmitters employing a scanning drum, one edge of the document is typically clamped on the drum, and the drum is rotated while a scanning head moves parallel to the drum in a generally longitudinal direction parallel with the axis of the drum. In such an arrangement, the overall length of the document may vary. However, unless the transmission is somehow interrupted, the transmission will continue until the scanning head has traversed a full length of the drum despite the fact that the document may occupy less than half of the length of the drum. This of course extends the transmission time unnecessarily while the scanning head is scanning the surface of the drum.
It is, of course, possible to terminate the facsimile transmission by merely having the operator stop the transmission once the full length of the document has been scanned. However, operator control cannot, of course, be relied upon in an unattended mode of operation. Moreover, timely operator termination requires that the operator be vigilant during the transmission. Furthermore, termination is subject to operator error which may produce an untimely or early termination of the facsimile transmission resulting in less than all of the information on a document be transmitted. On the other hand, operator termination may be somewhat delayed thereby adding some unnecessary amount of time to the length of the facsimile transmission.
Heretofore, it has been suggested that the duration of a facsimile transmission can be controlled by marking along the margin of a document to be transmitted with a continuous line. The facsimile transmitter then continues to scan the document as long as the line is detected. When the line is no longer detected, the facsimile transmission is terminated. This technique for shortening facsimile transmissions so as to correspond with the length of the document is undesirable in a number of respects. First, the technique requires operator intervention and is therefore subject to operator error. Second, it requires that the document be defaced. Third, the facsimile transmitter must be capable of responding to the line to continue transmission even though the characteristics of that line will vary widely as a function of operator, marking member and the presence of another line on the document. Of course, if the transmitter fails to recognize the line when operating in this particular mode, the transmission may be terminated in an untimely manner.

Apparatus for limiting facsimile transmission durations


When a blade load is reduced from a value greater than or equal to a first set load value to a value less than the first set load value, a blade control device is configured to set a virtual designed surface to be closer to a blade than a designed surface is, and is configured to allow the blade to pivot above the virtual designed surface.

Working machines have been widely used so far, which are equipped with a blade as a work implement in use for digging and leveling the ground, transporting earth and sand, and so forth. Further, a method has been proposed for automatically regulating the height of the blade in such a working machine so that a blade load acting on the blade can fall in a target range (see Japan Laid-open Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-H07-54374).

Blade control device, working machine and blade control method


Separable sections including a base section, a firebox section, and a chimney section form a free standing fireplace intended for use outdoors. In the assembled operational state the top chimney section fits over an opening through the top of the firebox section which fits, at the bottom, onto the top of the base section. In order to facilitate both transport and storage the sections may be configured so that the overall height and volume is much less than the overall height and volume of the fireplace in an operational state. The inverted chimney section may be largely disposed within the firebox section depending from the top of the same through an opening through the top of the firebox section and the base section then fitted on top of both depending downward exterior to the firebox section. At least one lateral opening to the inside of the firebox is provided for access to the interior and facilitation of viewing of a wood burning fire inside. Such a lateral opening may also be the only draft intake during use. Sheet steel is recommended for construction throughout. A cover, either a fire screen or a door, for each lateral opening is suggested as are locking caster wheels at the bottom of the base section. A grill may be added to facilitate cooking in which case a charcoal grate and provision for ventilation from underneath is also recommended.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of the present invention relates generally to fireplaces, firepots, or fireboxes, more particularly to sectional fireplaces, firepots, or fireboxes, and most specifically to sectional fireplaces, firepots, or fireboxes adapted for stowage.
2. General Background
Fireplaces today are considered generally to provide aesthetic pleasure as opposed to the utilitarian purposes of a furnace or stove. Historically, of course, fireplaces provided the only means of heating and cooking within a given household. Consequently a hearth or fireplace came to convey basic feelings of comfort and security. `Keep the home fires burning` is a phrase and a song which is considered to indicate the profound depth of the human emotions associated with an operating fireplace wherein an elemental bond between people is recognized in the fire. Many definitions of man as opposed to animal have been suggested and other than addressing the matter theologically it is considered that the mastery of fire is about as good a distinction between man and beast as any other.
In short a fireplace, as opposed to a furnace or stove, is considered to provide something which is difficult to define but which is fundamental to the human race which has an aesthetic value in and of itself quite apart from the warmth and cooked food which formerly depended upon the wood burning fire. In the United States fireplaces are common to homes which possess central heating. Homes which rely upon a fireplace for the sole source of heating are considered comparatively rare in the United States currently. It is not uncommon to use a fireplace as an auxiliary source of heat but it is generally recognized as being more expensive than the primary source if not actually less than worthless with regard to heating a home because of the draft created, particularly if the damper is left open overnight because everyone retired prior to the fire burning out.
It is further considered that if wood is to be burned as a genuine means of providing heat in a home a cast iron stove does a much better job than a typical fireplace. Several aspects are concerned. A typical fireplace is brick or stone, disposed within a wall of a house, and has a brick or stone chimney extending upward as a part of that exterior wall of the house. Cast iron has superior specific heat retention and heat radiance to stone or brick and the stove is wholly within the house except for the portion of the chimney exterior to the same. A cast iron stove is hence considered to be generally recognized as a viable means of heating a structure largely comprised of a single large room such as a cabin and fireplaces are generally valued aesthetically.
A `free standing fireplace`, typically constructed of sheet steel and possessing at least one large window for viewing the burning fire, is considered as a sort of hybrid between a conventional built in fireplace and a cast iron stove. In contrast to the cast iron stove one may view the burning fire. In contrast to the built in fireplace the free standing fireplace provides good radiation of the heat produced. The sheet steel chimney is essentially the same as that typically utilized with a cast iron stove and being largely interior to the house and made of steel provide far more effective radiation of the heat carried through the same than is the case with a stone or brick chimney built into an exterior support wall of a static structure, i.e. building.
Fireplaces outdoors are also known, though mainly fires outdoors are established when and where desired with use of readily available materials such as rocks but what may be considered a fireplace outdoors is also well known in a form typically intended for use as grills and having concrete block construction. Many types of barbecue type grills are also known but none of these are intended for the burning of wood and hence none provide the aesthetic qualities discussed above with regard to a wood burning fireplace. Wood fires outside are also valued for the warmth obtainable therefrom and for enabling the cooking of food. However, there are a few drawbacks associated with the use of a wood fire built outside upon the ground regarding all three purposes.
Cooking upon an open wood fire is considered to be far more difficult than cooking on a grill. The warmth obtainable from such a fire is also often less than fully satisfactory. In truly cold weather an open fire generally has a very narrow range in which genuine comfort can be found. If one is facing the fire, moreover, one's back does not benefit in the obtainment of warmth from the fire and vice versa. And, thirdly, open wood fires built upon the ground have an unpleasant tendency to spread and are generally dangerous if not illegal if built in places other than those specifically designated for a camp fire. The building of an open wood fire upon the ground is hence generally restricted to established camp fire sites and it is considered that many people would enjoy the ability to view a wood burning fire outdoors in locations lacking safe or legal sites for camp fires.
In particular, it is considered that many people would like to enjoy a wood burning fire upon a deck of a house but a deck is typically made of wood and burns quite readily. Construction of a fireplace in brick or stone is simply not feasible upon a deck and while the use of grills of various sorts upon a wood deck is considered to be widely practiced a grill is for cooking and is neither intended to burn wood nor permit viewing of a fire therein.
Discussion of the Prior Art
Following is a chronological listing of references considered pertinent to the present invention which are each briefly discussed further below in the same order.
U.S. Pat. No. Inventor Date Title 21,938 Buchanan 2 Nov. 1858 Stove 90,537 Helm 25 May 1869 Heating Stove 110,274 Old 20 Dec. 1870 Heating Stove 313,441 Nativel 3 March 1885 Fire Place And Chimney 363,210 Cooper 17 May 1887 Portable Fire Place and Flue 1,342,329 Freeman 1 June 1920 Chimney 3,339,540 Kreider 5 Sept 1967 Portable Pre-Cast Fireplace 3,499,432 Hannebaum 10 March 1970 Heating Unit 4,112,913 Shimek et al. 12 Sept 1978 Free Standing Heating Unit 4,461,272 Larsson et al. 24 July 1984 Kachelofen
Buchanan discloses a sectional stove with a chimney top that is elevationally adjustable by means of a screw engaging an upright and with a base having legs which is all round in cross section taken normal the vertical axis. A third section comprised of an open grate or fire chamber is nested within the base and the chimney is bell shaped at bottom tapered into a truncated cone.
Helm discloses a bottle shaped `Heating Stove` constructed of relatively thin and uniform cross section cast steel which sits on a base with legs and has sliding doors for a plurality of radial openings which rest upon a ledge effected by an inset of the exterior sidewall. The upper part of the shell is necked and flares outward terminating in a horizontal top roof through which a vent is made. An open concave grate hangs from the bottom of the shell which is supported by legs in the legged base. The grate may be inverted to extend upward into the shell if desired.
Old discloses a heating stove which is mainly equipped with an internal mechanism using lugs riding inclines to provide vertical agitation in addition to rotational with rotation of a handle in a horizontal plane in order to more efficiently combust coal. The basic shell construction is in three sections: (a) an ash box which serves as a base and extends cylindrically upward upon which rests; (b) an egg shaped shell in which the fire box is located with a circular rim at top upon which rests; (c) an upper conical part which terminates in a circular opening.
Nativel discloses a sectional fire place and chimney possessing three main portions: the generally cylindrical fire place made of a plurality of stacked sections; the cylindrical chimney H also made of a plurality of stacked sections of reduced diameter; and a medial "top plate G" which possesses concave sides and a generally conical shape which is one piece and provides for the substantial diameter reduction between fireplace and chimney.
Cooper discloses a `Portable Fire Place and Flue` which is comprised of several different sections including a rectangular firebox comprised of a double wall, the outside being wood or other suitable material, the inside being sheet steel, the space in between meant to be filled with dirt or other suitable material and the entire device further meant to be disposed upon a foundation of stone or brick.
Freeman discloses a `Chimney` which:
"has reference to a novel construction of portable fire places for use in camps or like situations and the principal object of the invention is to provide a device of this nature made up of a plurality of easily assembled parts constituting a fire place and a chimney."
The rectangular flat bottom base has grooves into which tongues of base blocks are fit. Similarly, the "upper part" of the fire place is fit on top the base blocks and the chimney fit on top of this.
Kreider discloses a `Portable Pre-Cast Fireplace` which has a relatively shallow dish shaped base and a rounded, generally conical, cast concrete shell with a top bore into which a cylindrical chimney is disposed. Hannebaum discloses a free standing fireplace with a generally round shape with a cylindrical base opening out to a medial section enclosed by a plurality of contiguous glass panes vertically disposed in a polygon which is topped by a conical section terminating in a cylindrical chimney.
Shimek et al. disclose a free standing fireplace very similar to that disclosed by Hannebaum but with a central draft intake as opposed to a radial intake. Larsson et al. disclose a concentric upward, downward, upward vertical path for the draft of a stove which "has three coaxially nested tubular columns" (Abstract).
In summary it is considered that a number of sectional stoves and furnaces are known including the use of a straight sectioned chimney, a tapered portion medial to the firebox and the chimney, at least one lateral aperture to the firebox and a base section with or without legs, none of these disclose an arrangement of sections which substantially reduces the height and volume required of the unit in comparison with the height and volume of the unit in an operational state.
Statement of Need
The above discussed prior art is characterized by construction utilizing separable components or sections. While this construction does facilitate transportation in that the entire structure need not be moved as an integral and excessively heavy and cumbersome unit, no provision is found for the reduction of space required of the sections in aggregate. While construction in sections hence is known which essentially facilitates transport once to a given site, repeated transportation and storage during the intervals between use, which is considered to be characteristic of a genuinely portable fire box, would both clearly benefit from the capability of reducing the space required of the device. It is further considered that in the case of desiring a wood burning fire upon a deck, i.e. a wooden platform structure typically adjacent the exterior of a residence, movement of a fire place about the deck and storage of a fireplace in a compact and neat manner are also desirable. It is hence considered that a need therefore exists for a firebox made of separable sections which may be configured to occupy less space than required of the device when in operation.


A focus control apparatus includes a controller configured to provide a focus control that holds an object distance on which an image capturing optical system is focused that includes a magnification varying lens and a focus lens, and a calculator configured to calculate a defocus amount by using information on lens sensitivity that represents a relationship between a unit moving amount of the magnification varying lens and a moving amount of an image plane in the image capturing optical system, and information on error amounts of stop positions of the magnification varying lens and that of the focus lens. The controller moves the focus lens in a moving range limited based on the defocus amount.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a focus control apparatus that controls an autofocus (AF) in an image capturing apparatus.
Description of the Related Art
One image capturing apparatus performs an AF control that controls a position of a focus lens in an image capturing apparatus focused on an object. Another image capturing apparatus includes a memory for storing electronic cam data that represents a position of a focus lens focused on each of a plurality of object distances for each zoom position in an image capturing optical system that can provide a zoom (magnification variation). This image capturing apparatus can continuously focus on an object at the same distance or fix a focus position even when the zoom position is changed, through zoom tracking that controls the focus lens position by utilizing the electronic cam data in zooming.
Even when the focus position is fixed, if the orientation of the image capturing apparatus changes or the image capturing apparatus vibrates, the focus lens position changes and the blur (defocus) occurs due to the mechanical backlash. The blur also occurs due to the thermal expansions and contractions of the image capturing apparatus or the image capturing apparatus.
In order to correct these blurs, it is necessary to correct the position of the focus lens according to an amount of the blur. However, the blur amounts caused by the mechanical backlash and the thermal change depend on the individual image capturing optical system and the individual image capturing apparatus, and the blur may not be well corrected even when the focus lens position is corrected with a uniform correction amount.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. ("JP") 2014-106324 discloses an image capturing apparatus that previously measures and stores a blur amount caused by an orientation difference between the starting time and the AF time in the image capturing apparatus, and controls a focus lens position so as to correct the blur amount according to the orientation detected in the actual AF. In addition, JP 2012-128314 discloses an image capturing apparatus that provides an AF control that corrects a blur caused by a thermal change detected by the temperature detector.
However, the image capturing apparatus disclosed in JP 2014-106324 needs a detector configured to detect the orientation of the image capturing apparatus. On the other hand, in the image capturing apparatus disclosed in JP 2012-128314, an object different from the original object may be focused (or the object replacement occurs) due to the AF control configured to correct the blur caused by the thermal change.

Focus control apparatus, image capturing apparatus, and focus control method


This invention discloses a fiber treatment agent characterized in that it comprises:. (A) 100 parts by weight of an organopolysiloxane with no less than 2 hydroxyl groups and/or alkoxyl groups bonded to Si atoms per molecule, PA0 (B) 0.5-50 parts by weight of silica and/or a polysilsesquioxane, PA0 (C) 0.1-20 parts by weight of an organoalkoxysilane containing amide groups and carboxyl groups, and/or its partial hydrolysis condensate, PA0 (D) 0.1-20 parts by weight of an organoalkoxysilane containing amino groups or epoxy groups and/or its partial hydrolysis condensate, and PA0 (E) 0.01-10 parts by weight of a curing catalyst, and characterized in that it is also a cationic or non-ionic emulsion.

Fibers (keratinous fibers) such as wool possess a scaly surface structure. Owing to this structure, the fibers tend to tangle and mat together when they are washed, and they shrink. Conventionally, the following methods which make use of silicone treatment agents have been proposed to overcome this disadvantage.
Japanese patent Kokoku (Japanese Examined Published Patent) 48-33435 proposes a method employing a composition comprising an organic solvent solution of a straight chain polysiloxane with terminal hydroxyl groups and a viscosity of no less than 50 cSt, and a catalyst.
Japanese Patent Kokoku 48-38036 proposes a method employing a chlorinated solvent solution of a high molecular weight polysiloxane and a catalyst.
Japanese Patent Kokoku 53-28468 proposes a method employing a composition of a diorganopolysiloxane with amino groups and alkoxyl groups.
Japanese Patent Kokoku 58-4114 proposes a method employing a composition of an organopolysiloxane with mercapto groups and amino groups.
The effect of these anti-shrink agents was however invariably inadequate when the fibers were washed, and in particular, anti-shrink properties were not retained if they were washed repeatedly. Further, the feel of treated fiber products tended to be lost, and no anti-shrink softener which could withstand washing had therefore been perfected.
The inventors discovered an anti-shrink softener which was durable with regard to washing, and arrived at the present invention.


Elastic devices (3) abruptly actuate a contact carrier (9) in the upward direction when a push-member (1) reaches a tensioning position (E) from a position of rest (R). In the event of any blockage preventing such abrupt movement a lever (24) constrainedly produces the movement when the push-member (1) continues its movement as far as a constrained actuation position (A). The push-member carries colored zones (101, 102). The contact carrier carries a colored zone (104). From the relative position of these zones viewed through a window in the casing (100), the user can adjust the positioning of the limit switch with respect to a movable member intended to actuate it so that the two phases of the actuation take place at the required points. The user can also check whether the contact carrier moves in response to the elastic devices or in response to the lever.

FR-A- 2 596 197 and corresponding EP-A-0240399 disclose a switch mounted in a casing, in which a driven assembly carrying contacts is abruptly moved in one direction by the expansion of resilient means previously tensioned by the movement of a driving assembly (control push member) which moves parallel to said direction. Transmission means driven by the driving assembly produce a constrained movement of the driven assembly during an additional travel of the driving assembly when the resilient means have not been effective in moving the driven assembly at the end of the initial travel of the driving assembly.
Switches of this kind are usable in installations in which operational reliability or staff safety is dependent upon the breaking of an electric circuit. The resilient means, by their abrupt expansion, break the circuit under optimal conditions (absence of any arcs forming between the contacts). On the other hand, the said resilient means may prove inoperative to break the circuit in the event of a breakage of the resilient means, any jamming, or welding of the contacts if they have been in the closed state for a long time. In that case the transmission means constrain the driven assembly to perform its movement when the driving assembly performs its additional travel.
On installation of such switches it is often necessary to adjust the relative position of the limit switch and the movable member required to act on the driving assembly. The movable member is, for example, a cam fixed to a machine or apparatus component, such cam being required to actuate the limit switch when the component reaches a certain position.
It is fairly complex to position the movable member in such manner that, on the one hand, it can produce normal actuation of the limit switch so that the movable member stops in a reference position and, on the other hand, so that it can give the driving assembly a calibrated additional travel intended for constrained actuation of the driven assembly of the switch, such travel being effected only if the movable member has not stopped in its reference position.
Heretofore, the latter adjustment was carried out by trial and error, for example, by listening to the clicking noise produced on abrupt expansion of the resilient means, and by giving the movable member a slight additional displacement. In other cases, a shim is placed between the movable member and the driving assembly in the maximum driven-in position, the shim thickness being selected on the basis that normal actuation of the switch will take place in the required reference position.
Although a limit switch is already known which has an abrupt operation and positive safety control with display of the position of the driven assembly, it does not allow a check to be made to ensure that the adjustment made enables the driving assembly to perform the additional travel required for constrained actuation in the event of breakdown of the resilient actuating means.

Electric end of range contact with condition indication


A variable stator vane arrangement includes a casing, a plurality of stator vanes, at least one control ring, a plurality of connecting rods and a crankshaft. The stator vanes are circumferentially spaced apart in the casing and the plurality of stator vanes are rotatably mounted in the casing. Each control ring is rotatably mounted on the casing and each stator vane is connected to an associated control ring. The crankshaft, rotatably mounted on the casing, is drivingly connected to each control ring and has an axis and a plurality of clevizes. Each connecting rod connects one of the clevizes on the crankshaft to a respective one of the control rings. At least one clevis is adjustably secured to the crankshaft by an adjusting mechanism and the adjusting mechanism is used to select the radial and/or angular position of at least one clevis relative to the axis of the crankshaft.

A variable stator vane arrangement is used to set the variable stator vanes in a compressor, or a turbine, into their desired angular position.
One known type of variable stator vane arrangement uses a crankshaft to drive a number of stages of variable stator vanes. Each stage of variable stator vanes comprises a plurality of stator vanes connected to an associated control ring by respective operating levers. The crankshaft is connected to each control ring, or unison ring, by a connecting rod. Each connecting rod is mounted onto the crankshaft by a clevis. Each clevis is provided on an associated crank arm on the crankshaft. The crankshaft is rotated around its rotational axis by a force applied by a variable stator vane actuator. The radial and angular position of the clevis on the crankshaft determines the operating schedule for that particular stage of variable stator vanes.
Conventionally all of the clevises on the crankshaft are provided in a fixed position on the crankshaft and thus the operating schedule for all the stages of variable stator vanes is fixed, e.g. each crank arm is provided at a fixed circumferential position on the crankshaft and has a fixed length. The use of fixed operating schedules for all of the stages of variable stator vanes is acceptable, and conventional, on production gas turbine engines and other turbomachines.
However, during the development programme of a gas turbine engine, or a turbomachine, it may be necessary to adjust the radial and angular positions of the clevises on the crankshaft for one or more of the stages of variable stator vanes in order to determine, or to provide, an optimum operating schedule for each of the stages of variable stator vanes. This may necessitate the manufacture of different crankshafts with clevises at different radial and angular positions and this may delay the gas turbine engine development program, increases the cost of the development programme and may compromise the results of the development programme.
Therefore the present disclosure seeks to provide a novel variable stator vane arrangement which reduces or overcomes the above mentioned problem.


A heliostatic mirror is rotatably mounted in an enclosure which gives the mirror full protection when rotated to a stowed position but yet provides flexibility in aiming the mirror at the sun.

The present invention is directed to a heliostat with a protective enclosure.
Thus far no one has provided a method of protecting the surfaces of the mirrors in heliostats for solar power plants; not even using window shades or any shutter mechanisms to protect them. Flexible cloth was attempted at Albuquerque, New Mexico and within a short interval of time the wind blowing on the cloth combined with the very very fine dust which was on the underside of the cloth to completely ruin the mirrors by sandblasting them with the action of the wind on the cloth.