A lubricating oil composition of the invention includes a lubricant base oil of which kinematic viscosity at 100 degrees C. is 1 to 5 mm2/s; and at least one component selected from an olefin copolymer (OCP) and a poly-α-olefin (PAO) of which kinematic viscosity at 100° C. is 20 to 2000 mm2/s, a kinematic viscosity of the lubricating oil composition at 100 degrees C. being 8 mm2/s or less and viscosity index thereof being 155 or more.

In recent years, there is a growing demand for saving fuel of an automobile due to a global issue of carbon dioxide emission and worldwide increase of energy demand. Under these circumstances, it is more demanded than before to improve a power transmission efficiency of a transmission, and it is also demanded to achieve a high torque capacity of the lubricating oil that is a major constituent component.
Lowering a viscosity of the lubricating oil may be an example as a means for saving fuel of the transmission. Among the transmission, an automatic transmission and a continuously variable transmission for automobiles have a torque converter, a wet clutch, a gear bearing mechanism, an oil pump and a hydraulic control system. Lowering the viscosity used in these transmissions reduces agitation- and frictional resistance, thereby improving the power transmission efficiency to improve fuel consumption of the automobiles.
However, the lubricating oil having the lowered viscosity increases the influence of contact of metals, so that a fatigue life of a machine component such as a bearing and a gear is considerably reduced to cause some malfunctions in the transmissions and the like.
Lubricating oil compositions for transmissions having a long fatigue life while keeping a low viscosity are disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 4.
Patent Document 1: JP-A-2006-117851
Patent Document 2: JP-A-2006-117852
Patent Document 3: JP-A-2006-117853
Patent Document 4: JP-A-2006-117854


A magnetron includes an anode cylinder (1), a plurality of vanes (2) attached to the inside of the cylinder, a cylindrical metallic container (15), an output-side insulating tube (16), an antenna conductor (11), and a choke body (21). A hollow cylindrical metallic container (15) forms an airtight space at one end of the anode cylinder (1) and one end of a hollow output-side insulating tube (16) is airtightly connected to the container (15). An antenna conductor (11) electrically coupled with one of the vanes (2) extends through the cylindrical metallic container (15) and the output-side insulating tube (16). One end of a choke body (21) of a length of 1/4 wavelength of a harmonic to be suppressed is electrically coupled with the cylindrical metallic container (15), and its other end. The choke body is an annular groove type (21) or of a coaxial type (31).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetron utilized for a microwave oven and the like, and more particularly to a magnetron having improved choke means for harmonic suppression.
2. Description of the Background Art
FIG. 1 is a view schematically showing the structure of a microwave oven utilizing a magnetron. Referring to FIG. 1, a microwave oven 1000 has a magnetron 100, a driving power supply 200 for driving the magnetron 100, and a waveguide 300. The microwave oven 1000 is entirely covered with a microwave oven cover 400. Microwaves produced by the magnetron 100 are guided into a space 500 in the microwave oven through the waveguide 300. Microwaves so guided heat and cook food 700 placed on a plate 600.
FIG. 2A is a partially sectional front view showing the structure of a conventional magnetron. FIG. 2B is a partial sectional view taken along line IIB--IIB in FIG. 2A. FIG. 2C is a partially sectional view taken along line IIC--IIC in FIG. 2B. Referring to FIGS. 2A-2C, a typical structure of a conventional magnetron will be described.
Referring to FIGS. 2A-2C, a cathode 3 is disposed in the center of a magnetron 100. The cathode 3 has a filament 5 (see FIG. 2C) and emits electrons. A plurality of plate-shaped vanes 2 of oxygen-free copper or the like are disposed radially to encircle the cathode 3. The vanes 2 have the base ends fixed to the inner wall of an anode cylinder 1 formed of oxygen-free copper or the like, or formed integrally with the anode cylinder 1.
Two inner strap rings 9 selected to be identical in diameter are provided at the upper and lower ends of the vanes (in FIGS. 2A and 2C). The inner strap rings 9 are disposed at a prescribed distance from the tip ends of the vanes 2 with respect to the entire length of the vanes 2. Two outer strap rings 10 selected to be identical to each other in diameter and larger in diameter than the inner strap rings 9 are provided at the upper and lower ends of the vanes 2. The inner strap rings 9 and the outer strap rings 10 are fixed to the vanes 2 to short-circuit every other vane 2. In other words, the upper inner strap ring 9 and the lower outer strap ring 10 are fixed to the same alternately disposed vanes 2, and the upper outer strap ring 10 and the lower inner strap rings 9 are fixed to the remaining vanes 2, respectively.
Two adjacent vanes 2 and the inner wall of the anode cylinder 1 surround spaces 14 (see FIG. 2B) partially opened toward the cathode 3 thereby forming cavity resonators. The oscillation frequency of the magnetron 100 is determined depending upon the resonant frequency of the cavity resonators. In the center of the anode cylinder 1, a cylindrical space is axially defined by the tip ends of the vanes 2. The cathode 3 is arranged in the space. As seen in FIG. 2B, a space 4 is formed between the cathode 3 and the vanes 2 at a prescribed distance is called an interaction space. A uniform direct-current magnetic field is applied to the interaction space in parallel with the central axis of the cathode 3. For this purpose, permanent magnets 12 (see FIG. 2A) are arranged in the vicinity of the upper and lower ends of the anode cylinder 1, respectively. A direct-current or low-frequency high voltage is applied between the cathode 3 and the vanes 2.
As seen in FIG. 2C, the cathode 3 is formed by the filament 5 fabricated helically from tungsten containing thorium and the like, a top hat 7 supporting the upper end of the filament 5 and having a flange 6 which is larger in outer diameter than the filament 5 at the top, and an end hat 8 supporting the lower end of the filament 5. The top hat 7 and the end hat 8 are formed of refractory metal such as molybdenum. The top hat 7 and the end hat 8 prevent electrons from deviating axially from the filament 5.
Alternate ones of the vanes 2 are electrically connected with each other, since the inner strap rings 9 and the outer strap rings 10 are alternately fixed to the upper and lower ends of the vanes 2 as described above. An antenna conductor 11 (see FIGS. 2A, 2F) has one end connected to one of the vanes 2.
In the above mentioned structure, high frequency fields formed in the cavity resonators concentrate on the tip ends of the respective vanes 2 and leak in part into the interaction space 4. The adjacent vanes 2 have potentials reverse to each other at high frequency, since the inner and outer strap rings 9 and 10 couple alternate ones of the vanes 2. An electron group emitted from the cathode 3 spins about the cathode 3 in the interaction space 4 causing interaction between the electron group and the high frequency electric fields, and microwaves are produced as a result. The assembly is completed by an output side insulating tube 16, an exhaust pipe or tubulation 17 and an antenna cap 18.
The microwaves are guided outwardly through the antenna conductor 11 connected to one of the vanes 2. The energy of the electron group is partially consumed as heat, since the conversion efficiency into microwave power is not 100%. Therefore, fins 13 (see FIG. 2A) are provided for heat radiation along the outer circumference of the anode cylinder 1. FIG. 2B shows only the internal structure of the anode cylinder 1, and fins 13 etc. are not shown in the figure.
International standards are established by ITU (International Telecommunication Union) for a magnetron as mentioned above, and a basic frequency of 2,450 MHz is allocated to food heating apparatuses, medical instruments, some industrial instruments and the like. A magnetron used for the above mentioned apparatus and instruments ideally oscillates only microwaves at a fundamental frequency of 2,450 MHz (.+-.50 MHz), but in practice also generates various higher harmonics.
Among the microwave frequencies actually oscillated from a magnetron include various higher harmonics such as the second harmonic, the third harmonic and the like, and components other than the above range are also included in basic waves. When such a harmonic is propagated into the cavity of a microwave oven for example, the shorter the wavelength of the harmonic becomes, the harder will be the shielding thereof, resulting in the more outward leakage. Even a very weak leaky-wave of this kind can cause radio interference. Among such higher harmonics, the fifth harmonic having a frequency of 12.25 GHz (.+-.0.25 GHz) overlaps the working frequency range of satellite broadcasting which has been tested since around 1981 and recently put into practice. Though radiowave frequency allocation for SHF satellite broadcasting varies from nation to nation, the frequency band is set to be in a range of 11.7 to 12.5 GHz.
A technique has been conventionally known, which suppresses the radiation of radio waves having undesirable bandwidths by providing a 1/4 wavelength choke at the output of a magnetron itself. Such techniques are disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 54-6862 (1979), Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 61-288347 (1986), U.S. Pat. No. 4,833,367, etc. A magnetron provided with a choke has a structure as schematically shown in FIG. 3 which is a partially sectional view showing the upper end of an antenna conductor in the magnetron shown in FIG. 2A.
Referring to FIG. 3, a metallic container 15 and an output-side insulating tube 16 surround an antenna conductor 11 and define an airtight space inside the conductor. An exhaust pipe 17 and an antenna cap 18 are secured onto the output-side insulating tube. A choke body 19 is provided to surround the antenna conductor 11 in the metallic container 15. The length d of the groove of the annular groove-type choke body 19 is set to be approximately 1/4 wavelength of a harmonic, whose unwanted bandwidth emission is to be suppressed. Unwanted bandwidth emission corresponding to a prescribed harmonic can be thus suppressed by the choke body 19. Also by changing the length d of the groove appropriately, an arbitrary higher harmonic can be suppressed.
Although the conventional technique of suppressing unwanted bandwidth emission, as shown in FIG. 3, is effective in suppressing a harmonic of a relatively long wavelength such as the second harmonic and the third harmonic etc., sufficient effect cannot be obtained in suppressing a harmonic of a short wavelength such as the fifth harmonic of a microwave oven magnetron, which approximately coincides with the frequency band of 12 GHz for SHF satellite broadcasting. This is because the length l of the output-side insulating tube 16 shown in FIG. 3 should be about 10 mm in general due to the high-frequency insulating characteristic, and it is assumed that the inner space of the output-side insulating tube 16 is merely a space through which a harmonic of a short wavelength is radiated outwardly.
Furthermore, another problem related to the conventional technique is that, as shown in FIG. 4, a convex portion 152 can be formed by brazing material having flowed out in a brazed part 151 between the metallic container 15 and the output-side insulating tube 16. Electric field concentration due to a large microwave voltage can be caused between the convex portion 152 and the antenna conductor 11. The electric field concentration permits discharging between the convex portion 152 and the antenna conductor 11 thereby causing cracks in the output-side insulating tube 16 or gas to be released by locally heating the output-side insulating tube 16.
For solving the above mentioned problem, a structure is suggested in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 58-910 (1983), in which an end to be brazed to the output-side insulating tube of a metallic container protrudes inwardly further than the inner diameter of the output-side insulating tube and is bent toward the output-side. However, the structure only eases the above mentioned electric field concentration and fails to suppress a harmonic having a short wavelength such as the fifth harmonic.

Magnetron having coaxial choke means extending into the output side insulating tube space


The present invention relates to an integrated digital bus simulator system for automatically testing electronic packages embarked on an aircraft including a computer. This bus simulator is able to reconfigured under the control of the computer of the system by reconfigurating its hardware and software so as to simulate the digital buses used on the aircraft. The system includes a bus simulation module which is reconfigurable in accordance with the bus to be simulated and with the wired logic downloaded into this module so as to adapt the architecture of the hardware to the purpose of the bus to be simulated.

An aircraft contains various systems carrying out specific functions: weather radar, processing of flight parameters, electric generation, etc. These systems are composed of one or several electronic packages interconnected by communication links known as "Buses" and which in the aeronautical field are described by standards lodged at ARINC (Aeronautical Standardization office). Thus, for example, the standard ARINC 708 describes the weather radar system and the standard 717 describes the flight parameters acquisition system. Other buses comply with more general usage standards (for example, RS 232, 422 and 485 are standards published by the Electronic Industries Association), certain systems internally comprising buses particular to a package manufacturer.
A digital bus is thus a device for transmitting information between two systems. The information to be transmitted is digitized and may be represented by a series of 0's and 1's.
The digital buses mainly differ from one another via the following two characteristics:
the physical level which concerns the nature of the signals used and the way of coding binary information: for example, a condition 1 is represented by a voltage of 5 volts and a condition 0 by a voltage of 0 volts;
the protocol level which concerns additional information added to the initial message: these enable the recipient system to receive the initial information with the level of the desired security, for example the adding of a parity bit calculated from the transmitted binary information.
An automatic testing system intended to maintain electronic packages embarked on an aircraft is able to determine if a given package is operational and if the digital buses still observe their original specifications.
The following functions are required to verify the proper functioning of a bus:
generation of information on the bus in accordance with the protocol;
generation of information containing an error (non-observance of the protocol or tolerances concerning the signals) so as to check the proper functioning of the security of the system under test;
recording of information derived from the system being tested, said information being recovered by the computer of the automatic test system and analysed by the test program;
recording of protocol errors derived from the tested system;
generation of synchronization signals so as to carry out measurements relating to an event on the bus.
In order to maintain a fleet, an airline company needs to have this automatic test system. A system of this type shall be able to recreate around the package to be tested an environment identical to the one existing on the aircraft.
In order to test the packages embarked on an aircraft and connected by digital buses complying with different standards, the automatic test systems of the prior art are constituted by integrating a large number of simulation instruments, each being dedicated to a bus standard.
However, these systems have a large number of drawbacks and in particular:
the multiplication of the number of simulation instruments is expressed by an increase of the cost of the test system (each instrument has its own production cost);
the reliability and availability rate of the system deteriorates if the number of instruments increases;
a test system confronted during its functional life with the appearance on the market of new packages having buses not covered by the initial instruments shall of necessity integrate an additional instrument;
the size of the test system is encumbered by the amount of instruments.
The invention concerns a digital bus simulator integrated in an automatic test system able to carry out with a single instrument the simulation of various types of the digital buses of an aircraft.

Digital bus simulator integrated in a system for automatically testing electronic packages embarked on an aircraft

Aerospatial Societe Nationale Industrielle


Novel compounds which selectively inhibit adenosine kinase and methods of preparing adenosine kinase inhibitors are provided. Also provided are methods of treating various inflammatory conditions, including arthritis and SIRS, which may be ameliorated by increased local concentrations of adenosine using adenosine kinase inhibitors.

Adenosine has been reported to have cardioprotective (Olafsson et al., Circulation, 1987, 76:1135-1145) and neuroprotective properties (Dragunow and Faull, Trends in Pharmacol. Sci., 1988, 9:193; Marangos, Medical Hypothesis, 1990, 32:45). It is reportedly released from cells in response to alterations in the supply of or demand for oxygen (Schrader, Circulation, 1990, 81:389-391), is said to be a potent vasodilator, and is believed to be involved in the metabolic regulation of blood flow (Berne, Circ. Res., 1980, 47:808-813). However, adenosine has a short half life (<1 sec) in human blood (Moser, et al., Am. J. Physiol., 1989, 256:C799-C806), and therefore high doses of adenosine would need to be administered continuously to achieve effective levels. Adenosine has been reported to exhibit negative inotropic, chronotropic and dromotropic effects (Belardinelli et al., Prog. in Cardiovasc. Diseases, 1989, 32:73-97) and to cause coronary steal by preferentially dilating vessels in nonischemic regions. Consequently, high doses of adenosine are toxic and this toxicity severely limits its therapeutic potential. However, it is believed that by increasing adenosine concentration locally, i.e. at the target site within the target tissue, the beneficial effects of adenosine can be provided without the toxic systemic effects. Adenosine has been reported to be an endogenous modulator of inflammation by virtue of its effects on stimulated granulocyte function (Cronstein etal., J. Clin. Invest., 1986, 78:760-770) and on macrophage, lymphocyte and platelet function. Adenosine receptor agonists have been reported to be beneficial in an experimental model of inflammation (Schrier, et al., J. Immunol., 1990, 145:1874-1879). Adenosine and a related analog have been reported to inhibit in vitro production of the cytokine, tumor necrosis factor alpha (Parmely et al., FASEB Journal, 1991, 5:A 1602).
Adenosine kinase is a cytosolic enzyme which catalyzes the phosphorylation of adenosine to AMP. Inhibition of adenosine kinase can potentially reduce the ability of the cell to utilize adenosine, leading to increased adenosine outside of the cell where it is pharmacologically active. However, the regulation of adenosine concentration is complex and involves other adenosine-metabolizing enzymes each with different kinetic properties and mechanisms of regulation. Adenosine can also be deaminated to inosine by adenosine deaminase (ADA) and condensed with L-homocysteine to S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) by SAH hydrolase. The role of each of these enzymes in modulating adenosine concentration is dependent on the prevailing physiological conditions, is tissue specific and is not well understood.
A number of nucleosides including purine, pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine and pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine analogs have been evaluated for inhibition of adenosine kinase but were reported to have K.sub.i 's of greater than 800 nM (Caldwell and Henderson, Cancer Chemother. Rep., 1971, 2:237-246; Miller et al., J. Biol. Chem., 1979, 254:2346-2352). A few compounds have been reported as potent inhibitors of adenosine kinase with Ki's of less than 100 nM. These are the purine nucleosides, 5'-amino-5'-deoxyadenosine (Miller et al., J. Biol. Chem., 1979, 254:2346-2352) and 1,12-bis(adenosin-N6-yl)dodecane (Prescott et al., Nucleosides & Nucleotides, 1989, 8:297), and the pyrrolopyrimidine nucleosides, 5-iodotubercidin (Henderson et al., Cancer Chemotherapy Rep. Part 2, 1972, 3:71-85; Bontemps et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 1983, 80:2829-2833; Davies et al., Biochem. Pharmacol., 1986, 35:3021-3029)and 5'-deoxy-5-iodotubercidin (Davies et al., Biochem. Pharmacol., 1984, 33:347-355; Davies et al., Biochem. Pharmacol., 1986, 35:3021-3029).
Some of these compounds have been used to evaluate whether adenosine kinase inhibition might lead to increased extracellular adenosine concentrations. In rat cardiomyocytes, inhibition of adenosine deaminase by 2'-deoxycoformycin was reported to have no effect on adenosine release from the cells. In contrast, inhibition of ADA together with adenosine kinase by 5'-amino-5'-deoxyadenosine resulted in a 6-fold increase in adenosine release (Zoref-Shani et al., J. Mol. Cell. Cardiol., 1988, 20:23-33). The effects of the adenosine kinase inhibitor alone were not reported. Similar results were reported in isolated guinea pig hearts; in these studies addition of 5'-amino-5'-deoxyadenosine to the perfusion medium, in the presence of EHNA to inhibit deamination, was reported to result in a 15-fold increase of adenosine release (Schrader, in Regulatory Function of Adenosine; (Berne et al.) eds. pp. 133-156, 1983). These effects were not apparent in the absence of ADA inhibition and other studies using isolated rat hearts perfused with 5-iodotubercidin alone, have reported no increase in perfusate adenosine concentration under normoxic conditions (Newby et al., Biochem. J., 1983, 214:317-323) or under hypoxic, anoxic or ischemic conditions (Achtenberg et al., Blochem, J., 1986, 235:13-17). In other studies, adenosine release has been measured in neuroblastoma cells in culture and compared with that of a variant deficient in adenosine kinase (AK-). The AK- cells used in this study were said to release adenosine at an accelerated rate; the concentration of adenosine in the growth medium was reported to be elevated compared to the normal cells (Green, J. Supramol. Structure, 1980, 13:175-182). In rat and guinea pig brain slices, adenosine uptake was reportedly inhibited by the adenosine kinase inhibitors, 5-iodotubercidin and 5'-deoxy-5-iodotubercidin (Davis et al., Biochem. Pharmacol., 1984, 33:347-355). However, inhibition of uptake and intracellular trapping via phosphorylation does not necessarily result in increased extracellular adenosine, since the adenosine could enter other metabolic pathways or the percentage of adenosine being phosphorylated could be insignificant compared to the total adenosine removed.
The effects of adenosine and certain inhibitors of adenosine catabolism, including 5-iodotubericidin were evaluated in an experimental model in which dog hearts were subjected to ischemia and reperfusion; 5-iodotubericidin was reported to have inconsistent effects (Wu, et al., Cytobios, 1987, 50:7-12).
Although the adenosine kinase inhibitors, 5'-amino-5'-deoxyadenosine and 5-iodotubercidin have been widely used in experimental models, the susceptibility of 5'-amino-5'-deoxyadenosine to deamination, and hence its potentially short half life, and the cytotoxicity of 5-iodotubercidin make their clinical utility limited and may limit interpretations based on these compounds. The pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines, 5-iodotubercidin and 5'-deoxy-5-iodotubercidin have been reported to cause pronounced general flaccidity and much-reduced spontaneous locomotor activity in mice, interpreted to be skeletal muscle relaxation; to cause hypothermia in mice; and to decrease blood pressure and heart rate in anesthetized rats (Daves et al., Biochem. Pharmacol., 1984, 33:347-355; Daves et al., Blochem. Pharmacol., 1986, 35:3021-3029; U.S. Pat. No. 4,455,420). The skeletal muscle effects of these compounds have been poorly documented, while the other effects were considered significant toxicities. It is believed that studies using these compounds were curtailed due to these toxicities and also because of their limited availability.

Methods for treating adenosine kinase related conditions


A MOSFET device is provided. An N-type epitaxial layer is disposed on an N-type substrate. An insulating trench is disposed in the epitaxial layer. A P-type well region is disposed in the epitaxial layer at one side of the insulating trench. An N-type heavily doped region is disposed in the well region. A gate structure is disposed on the epitaxial layer and partially overlaps with the heavily doped region. At least two P-type first doped regions are disposed in the epitaxial layer below the well region. At least one P-type second doped region is disposed in the epitaxial layer and located between the first doped regions. Besides, the first and second doped regions are separated from each other. The first doped regions extend along a first direction, and the second doped region extends along a second direction different from the first direction.

Among the types of semiconductor devices, MOSFET devices have become one of the most important and widely used devices in the integrated circuits because of their low power consumption and suitability for high-density integration.
One common MOSFET device is a double-diffused MOSFET (DMOSFET). The two commonly seen double-diffused MOSFETs are lateral double-diffused MOSFET (LDMOSFET) and vertical double-diffused MOSFET (VDMOSFET).
However, for the conventional double-diffused MOSFET, the ability of increasing breakdown voltage is limited, regardless of whether a LDMOSFET device or a VDMOSFET device is applied.

Industrial Technology Research Institute


A method for recovering a metal, capable of suppressing variations in complex recovery yields among samples is described, wherein the method comprises: forming a complex between a metal in a sample and a chelating agent for metal in a mixture containing the sample and the chelating agent; and filtering the mixture in the presence of an inorganic salt to recover the complex, thereby recovering the metal in the sample.

It is known that metals such as mercury, cadmium, and lead are accumulated in human bodies, which results in adverse effects on health. Therefore, it is important to analyze metals in biological samples such as urine and the like and samples of food and beverages such as water and the like.
In the analysis of metals, generally, foreign substances are removed from a sample as a pretreatment to remove a metal(s), and the separated metal(s) is analyzed. As the pretreatment, a solvent extraction is widely used. The solvent extraction is a method in which a metal in a sample is extracted into an organic medium by utilizing the polarity of a chelating agent to be bound to the metal according to the difference between the distribution coefficient of the metal in an aqueous medium and in the organic medium. The metal can be further concentrated by evaporating the organic medium from the extracted fraction. As a specific example of the solvent extraction, a dithizone method using, as the chelating agent, 1,5-diphenyl-3-thiocarbazone (hereinafter, also referred to as "dithizone") that is insoluble in an aqueous medium under acidic conditions is described in JIS, for example (see Non Patent Literature 1 and Patent Literature 1). In the dithizone method, dithizone and a liquid sample are first mixed under acidic conditions to form a complex between the dithizone and a metal in the liquid sample in the mixture. Subsequently, an organic medium such as carbon tetrachloride or chloroform is added to the mixture. Accordingly, the complex is extracted in the organic medium because the distribution coefficient of the complex in the aqueous medium is different from that of the complex in the organic medium. By recovering this extracted fraction in the organic medium, the metal can be recovered from the liquid sample as a complex. The metal can be further concentrated by further evaporating the organic medium from the extracted fraction.

Method for recovery metal and metal recovery reagent


This invention relates to an overhead transparency storage and presentation pocket. The pocket has two sheets of material that are welded together along two mutually adjacent edges. Alternatively, the pocket is a folded sheet of material welded along one edge. Attached to the upper or lower sheet is at least one colored and light-permeable or light-dampening flap, which is intended to color the light gap which otherwise normally occurs when presenting an overhead transparency of known standard size with the aid of an overhead projector.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a storage pocket for storing and displaying large diapositives, overhead transparencies or overhead pictures, preferably for storing overhead transparencies whose widths are smaller than the width of the light aperture of a standard overhead projector, wherein the pocket is constructed from a transparent supportive film and a transparent cover film, or from a folded single plastic sheet.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Large diapositives or overhead transparencies are often produced in A4-sizes, i.e. in a rectangular shape which deviates from the square light aperture possessed by standard overhead projectors. Consequently, when the transparency is placed centrally on the light aperture of the overhead projector, a light gap is formed on both sides of the overhead picture, these gaps being shown as two highly illuminated surfaces on both sides of the overhead picture shown on the screen. One method of eliminating these illuminating light gaps has been to use a commercially available plastic pocket provided with outwardly foldable flaps which are intended to cover the light gaps that are formed.
It is often desired by persons who use overhead pictures in conjunction with a presentation or lecture to obtain a neat and attractive framing of the message to be put across, although no suitable solution has hitherto been proposed.

Storage and projection pocket for overhead transparencies


An input device for a vehicle includes a determiner to calculate a correspondence position corresponding to the position of an input operation in a display unit, and to determine a content of the input operation; and a controller to control displaying an object depending on a determination result of the determiner, and to overlappingly display a selection image to select an object at the correspondence position. When the selection image is overlappingly displayed with an object whose selection items are consecutively replaced and displayed by the input operation, if the position is moved without a preceding press or long press operation, the selection item to be displayed is changed by a predetermined count in the moved direction of the position; or if the position is moved after a preceding press or long press operation, the selection item is consecutively changed proportionally to the moved amount of the position.

Conventionally, there has been an input device that is provided with a touchpad on which the user performs an operation by a finger, to input a setting value for operating a predetermined device, where an input operation can be performed by a contact of the finger at a single spot or at multiple spots on the surface of the touchpad, and includes an adjuster unit to adjust the setting value or a change width for changing the setting value by a single finger operation, depending on increase or decrease in the contacting area on the surface while the finger operation is being performed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Input device for vehicle and method of controlling input device for vehicle


An automation network for monitoring the security of a transfer of data packets includes a first processing device configured to transfer a data packet from an installation component and to the installation component, and a second data processing device which is bidirectionally connected to the first data processing device. The second data processing device generates at least one response packet, when detecting a transmission of the data packet from the first data processing device, and sends the at least one response packet back to the first data processing device. The first data processing device includes a response filter which is configured to execute a check and subsequent rejection/acceptance of the at least one response packet.

The present invention relates to an automation network for monitoring the security of transfer of data packets, and to a method for monitoring the security of the transfer of data packets.
The following discussion of related art is provided to assist the reader in understanding the advantages of the invention, and is not to be construed as an admission that this related art is prior art to this invention.
From the point of view of data processing, industrial automation networks consist of a data network and of data processing devices, which are connected to one another in order to perform a data communication through the data network. For instance, in order to enable an operation of an industrial plant which is automated by the automation network from a remote station, automation networks can be linked by a gateway to a public network, e.g. Internet, for instance. Various advantages in the realization of modern automation networks result in the increased use of IT technologies such as Ethernet and the Internet Protocol (IP). This nevertheless results in an increase in the security risks, for instance due to unauthorized attacks from the outside into the respective automation network.
The term "automation networks" is to be understood hereinafter as automation systems, control installations, production installations, manufacturing installations or suchlike. The automation devices of the automation installation can be embodied to perform a computing task. For this purpose the automation devices may include a computing facility, for instance a processor (CPU). Furthermore, the automation devices may include input/output facilities, which can detect process parameters and can output corresponding actuating signals.
The paper "Ganzheitliches anlagenweites Security Management—Werkzeuge für die automatisierte Unterstützung" [Global installation-wide security management—tools for automated assistance] by Anna Palmin, Stefan Runde and Pierre Kobes, published in March 2012, pages 34-40, describes measures for improving the security in industrial automation networks. One of the important measures within the scope of a global security management system is the acquisition and evaluation of messages which various components of the automation network generate during events and which possibly permit an attack to be identified. A superordinate unit collects and evaluates the messages in order to identify from the notified single events or a composition of a number of events whether an attack is actually taking place and, if necessary, reports this to a location so that suitable measures can be introduced as a response to the identified attack. This functionality is referred to as Security Event Management (SEM). A further functionality relates to the generation of reports, in order to prove the adherence to guidelines. This is referred to as Security Information Management (SIM). If one unit joins the two cited functionalities, it is referred to as Security Information and Event Management (SIEM). A computing unit with a software tool which serves in an automation network to realize a SIEM is preselected in the afore-cited paper as a security station. The security station is arranged structurally in a process control system (PCS). An operator station and the security station can run jointly on one personal computer (PC) or on two separate PCs. The security station can likewise be realized on a maintenance station which is already available. It serves to integrate the security management into the process control system and to allow it to run in parallel to the installation automation. The existing views such as e.g. operation view and maintenance view are thus extended by an additionally integrated security view onto the installation. Moreover, the message and archiving system present in the automation network can be used to process the messages generated for security-relevant events. Alternatively to an integrated software tool, the security station can be realized as a tool which is independent of specific products and has clearly defined interfaces. It is thus flexible in the context of PCS and SCADA systems (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition). The software tool of the security station serves to monitor the security in the automation network, namely on the basis of acquiring and evaluating messages, which a control unit, frequently referred to as operator station, a programmable logic controller, a so-called controller, network components, e.g. routers, switches or gateways, or field devices, e.g. actuators or measuring transducers for pressure, temperature or flow rate generate. These devices are generalized here as data processing device or in brief as event sources and generate corresponding messages on account of their corresponding preconfiguration with security-relevant events. Examples of security-relevant events are a detected failed logon attempt on a PC, which is recorded in the Windows Event Log, or a detected unauthorized access to an IP address, which is rejected by a Firewall and is if necessary written into a log file. A normalization of the reported events is performed in so-called connectors of the SIEM system. The normalization is generally realized as the mapping of individual components or parameters on the data structure of the SIEM.
A SIEM system is generally configured in the engineering phase, i.e. in the project planning and the commissioning of an automation technology installation. The configuration comprises inter alia the linking of data processing nodes, which come into consideration as sources for messages of security-relevant events, to a SIEM system using the corresponding connectors. Attempts are made to ensure that the SIEM system does not communicate with any sources of event messages which are unknown to it, since this could negatively affect the reliability of the security monitoring. It must likewise be ensured that with security-relevant events, corresponding messages must actually be generated by the relevant data processing device. The primary objective of a SIEM system used in an automation installation consists in promptly identifying and evaluating reports of attempted attacks or deviations from the normal state. The SIEM system should enable attempted attacks and abnormalities to be responded to promptly and adequately, as well as the long-term storage of security-relevant information and the generation of reports.
It would therefore be desirable and advantageous to specify an automation network and a method which improves the quality and/or reliability of the identification of indications of attempted attacks or deviations from the normal state in an automation network.

Automation network and method for monitoring the security of the transfer of data packets


An illumination control system comprises a rotation detecting section, an abnormality determination section, and a filter removing section. The rotation detecting section detects the rotational driving of a filter which is located on a path of illumination light emitted from a light source, which irradiates color light rays having different wavelengths to an object, and which is driven by a rotational driver. The abnormality determination section determines whether status of filter rotation is normal or abnormal based on the detected rotation of the filter by the rotation detecting section. The filter removing section removes the filter from the path of the illumination light when the abnormality determination section determines that the status of filter rotation is abnormal.

In the past, electronic endoscope systems including a solid-state imaging device, for example, a charge-coupled device or a CMOS imaging device (generically referred to as a CCD) have been widely employed in the fields of medicine and industries alike. Among the electronic endoscope systems, the electronic endoscope system employed in the field of medicine is requested to have an insertion member thereof, which is inserted into a body cavity, made thinner. Moreover, the electronic endoscope system is requested to have the CCD made small-sized and designed to provide a larger number of pixels because of the necessity of producing a video signal that offers a high resolution.
Electronic endoscopes adopting the CCD fall into two types in terms of a method of producing a color video signal. One type of electronic endoscope uses a color filter to split light reflected from an object into three color light rays of red (R), green (G), and blue (B). CCDs produce image signals from the resultant red, green, and blue light rays at the same time. The other type of electronic endoscope adopts a so-called field-sequential technique that emits color illumination light rays of red, green, and blue to an object, and uses a single CCD to produce video signals from the color illumination light rays.
In order to make an insertion member included in an endoscope system thinner, the field-sequential technique is preferred. Besides, a video signal capable of providing a high resolution can be produced.
An electronic endoscope system adopting the field-sequential technique has been disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2882609. The endoscope system disclosed in the Japanese Patent No. 2882609 will be described in conjunction with FIG. 5. An electronic endoscope system 51 comprises an endoscope 52, a light source device 53, a control device 54, and a TV monitor 55.
The endoscope 52 has an elongated insertion member 56 that is formed with a flexible member and inserted into a body cavity, and an operating member 57 proximal to the insertion member 56. A distal section 61 and a bending section 62 are successively joined to form the distal portion of the insertion member 56. The operating member 57 includes an operation knob 60 used to bend the bending section 62 of the insertion member 56. Moreover, the operating member 57 has a forceps port that communicates with a forceps insertion guide channel lying through the insertion member 56, and a knob used to supply water or air to a water/air supply nozzle, which is located in the distal section 61, over a water/air supply channel. Besides, one end of a universal cord 58 that connects the light source device 53 and the control device 54 is coupled to the operating member 57.
The light source device 53 includes a light source that emanates white light, such as, a xenon lamp, a lighting/driving mechanism that controls the lighting or driving of the light source, and a color filter that converts white light emitted from the light source into color light rays of red, green, and blue. Illumination light emanating from the light source device 53 is propagated over a light guide lying through the universal cord 58 and endoscope 52 alike, and irradiated to an object 63 from the distal section 61 of the insertion member 56.
The control device 54 has the ability to control the driving of a CCD incorporated in the distal section 61 of the insertion member 56. The control device 54 also has the ability to capture video signals, which the CCD produces from the red, green, and blue illumination light rays emitted from the light source device 53, and the ability to produce a predetermined television video signal from the red, green, and blue video signals.
On the TV monitor 55, a reproduced image based on the television video signal produced by the control device 54 is displayed.
The configuration of the light source device 53 will be described in conjunction with FIG. 6. White light emitted from the light source. 74 such as a xenon lamp is passed through a RGB rotary filter 73 that has color transmission filters 73R, 73G, and 73B for red, green, and blue arranged on the perimeter thereof. The white light falls on the proximal end surface of the light guide 19 via a condenser lens 75.
The RGB rotary filter 73 is driven to rotate at a predetermined rps by means of a motor 72. Light rays successively passed through the color transmission filters 73R, 73G, and 73B for red, green, and blue fall on the light guide 19.
The successive light rays of red, green, and blue falling on the light guide 19 are propagated over the universal cord 58, operating member 57, and insertion member 56, and then irradiated to the object 63 from the distal section 61.
A motor drive circuit 71 controls the rotational driving of the motor 72. The motor 72 has a frequency generator (FG) 72A. Pulses FG are produced with a rotation of the motor 72. This is attributable to electromotive force generated with a rotation of a magnet incorporated in the motor 72. For example, twenty-five pulses FG are produced with one rotation of the motor 72. The rotational frequency of the motor 72 will be discussed using the unit of fsc. The pulse frequency at which the frequency oscillator 72A produces pulses is 25 fsc. The pulse frequency of the frequency oscillator 72A is reported to a speed control circuit 77. Pulses produced at a pulse frequency of 4 fsc by a 4 fsc oscillator 78 are transferred at a one-sixth of the input frequency by a ⅙ frequency divider 44, that is, at a pulse frequency of ⅔ fsc. The pulse frequency of ⅔ fsc serves as a reference frequency that is compared with the pulse frequency of the frequency oscillator 72A. When the pulse frequency deviates from the reference frequency of ⅔ fsc, a rotating speed error voltage is produced.
On the other hand, the RGB rotary filter 73 has three silk-like reflectors 41r, 41g, and 41b arranged equidistantly concentrically. The reflectors give indices indicating open periods during which the color transmission filters 73R, 73G, and 73B for red, green, and blue are used. Sensors 42a and 42b are opposed to the reflectors 41r, 41g, and 41b. A pulse generated when the sensors 42a and 42b detects the reflector 41r, 41g, or 41b has the wave thereof reshaped by a pulse reshaping circuit 43. The resultant pulse is transferred to a phase comparing circuit 84.
The phase comparing circuit 84 receives pulses that have been produced at the pulse frequency of 4 fsc by the 4 fsc oscillator 78 and transferred at a quarter of the input frequency by a ¼ frequency divider 79. Furthermore, the phase comparing circuit 84 receives a vertical synchronizing (sync) signal (VD) from the control device 54.
To be more specific, a period during which the color transmission filters 73R, 73G, and 73B included in the rotary filter 73 transmit light corresponds to an exposure period during which the CCD is exposed. A period during which light is intercepted by the portion of the rotary filter 73 surrounding the color transmission filters 73R, 73G, and 73B corresponds to a period during which charge accumulated in the CCD is read into the control device 54 and a video signal is produced. In order to match the timing of the video signal with the timing of rotating the rotary filter 73, the phase of pulses produced when the sensors 42a and 42b detect the reflectors 41r, 41g, and 41b, the phase of the vertical sync signal VD contained in the video signal sent from the control device 54, and the phase of pulses transferred at the reference frequency fsc from the ¼ frequency divider 79 are compared with one another. Consequently, a phase error voltage is produced.
The speed error voltage produced by the speed control circuit 77 and the phase error voltage produced by the phase comparing circuit 84 are added up by an adder 85. Based on the resultant voltage, the motor drive circuit 71 controls the rotational driving of the motor 72.
Moreover, a type of endoscope other than the field-sequential type may be adopted as the endoscope 52. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 9-197294 has disclosed an endoscope in which the rotary filter 73 and motor 72 are removed from the path along which light emanating from the light source 74 is propagated to the light guide 19 via the condenser lens 75. In order to remove the rotary filter 73 and motor 72 from the light path, they are disposed as shown in FIG. 7. Namely, the rotary filter 73 and motor 72 are fixed to an L-shaped mounting bracket 91. Two rails 94, 94 are fixed to the bottom of a flange 92 that is a horizontally bent lower portion of the mounting bracket 91 while being parallel to each other. A sliding member 93 is attached to the bottom of the flange 92 so that it will enclose the rails 94 from the sides of the rails 94, 94. In other words, the sliding member 93 of the bracket 91 is attached so that it can freely slide in directions of arrows in FIG. 7 along the rails 94, 94.
A rack 95 is fixed to the side of the mounting bracket 91 on which the motor 72 is mounted. A worm gear 96 that is rotated by a motor 97 is meshed with the rack 95. By driving the motor 97 to rotate it forwards or reversely, the mounting bracket 91 slides in the directions of arrows in FIG. 7 by means of the worm gear 96 and rack 95.
Furthermore, switch pressers 99a and 99b are located at both ends of the flange 92 of the mounting bracket 91. Micro-switches 100a and 100b are opposed to the switch pressers 99a and 99b. The micro-switches 100a and 100b are located at a position at which the rotary filter 73 fixed to the mounting bracket 91 lies when moved to the path of light emanating from the light source 74 and a position at which the rotary filter 73 lies when removed from the path of light emanating from the light source 74.
Owing to the foregoing structure, depending on an object imaging technique implemented in the endoscope 52, the rotary filter 73 can be readily removed from the path of light emanating from the light source 74.
In the aforesaid conventional field-sequential type electronic endoscope system, the rotary filter 73 is disposed on the light path linking the light source 74 included in the light source device 53, the condenser lens 75, and the proximal end of the light guide 19 incorporated in the universal cord 58 coupled to the light source device 53. With the rotation of the motor 72, white light emitted from the light source 74 is passed through the red, green, and blue transmission filters 73R, 73G, and 73B included in the rotary filer 73. The resultant light is irradiated to the object 63 from the distal section 61 of the endoscope 52 over the light guide 19. The CCD incorporated in the distal section 61 of the insertion member 56 is exposed to reflected light rays of the red, green, and blue light rays which are reflected from the object illuminated with the red, green, and blue irradiation light rays. Consequently, red, green, and blue video signals are produced.
While the electronic endoscope system 51 is used to diagnose a body cavity, the rotational driving of the rotary filter 73 may be stopped for some reasons. When the rotary filter 73 is stopped rotating, for example, the red transmission filter 73R lies on the light path, an object picture signal produced by the CCD contains a red picture signal alone. When the rotary filter 73 is stopped rotating, for example, the non-transmission area of the rotary filter 73 between the red transmission filter 73R and green transmission filter 73G which does not transmit illumination light may lie on the light path. In this case, when the rotary filter is stopped during a period during which light is passed through the red transmission filter 73R and a red video signal is read, illumination light emanating from the light source 74 is intercepted by the non-transmission area of the rotary filter 73. The illumination light emanating from the light source 74 does not fall on the light guide 19. Consequently, no illumination light is irradiated to the object 63 from the distal section 61. Eventually, the CCD produces only a video signal representing a pitch-dark image. This cripples succeeding endoscopic diagnosis. Moreover, it is hard to pull the endoscope 52 out of a tortuous body cavity.
In this case, an operator drives the motor 97, which causes the mounting bracket 91, to which the rotary filter 73 and motor 72 are fixed, to slide, so as to rotate it. The operator then removes the rotary filter 73 from the path of light emanating from the light source 74. White light emanating from the light source 74 is irradiated to the object 63 from the distal section 61 of the insertion member 56 by way of the condenser lens 75 and light guide 19. The CCD produces a video signal while being exposed to the white light. With the help of an image displayed according to the video signal, the insertion member 56 of the endoscope 52 is pulled out of the body cavity.
However, the operator has to suspend endoscopic diagnosis because the illumination light is extinguished suddenly in the course of the endoscopic diagnosis or a picture is displayed in a specific color alone. The operator has to restart diagnosis using another electronic endoscope system 51. This poses a problem in that the operator and a person receiving the endoscopic diagnosis alike have to incur a heavy load.
The present invention attempts to break through the foregoing situation. An object of the present invention is to provide an illumination control system and an illumination control method for endoscope systems according to which in case the rotary filter is stopped for some reasons or the rotation of the rotary filter becomes abnormal anyhow, the rotary filter is immediately removed from the path of light emanating from the light source. Nevertheless, supply of illumination light that is white light is continued so that the endoscope can be continuously used. Thus, the load to be imposed on an operator and a person receiving endoscopic examination can be alleviated.

Illumination control system and illumination control method for endoscope systems


A foldable food tray with an integrally formed condiment pocket coextensive with one wall of the tray and defined by a movable partition panel pivotal between a first closed position for foldable collapsing of the pocket with the tray, and a second open position engaged between opposed tray walls to define the pocket and preclude an inward folding of the pocket and tray.

One popular manner of serving foodstuffs, particularly in a xe2x80x9cfast foodxe2x80x9d environment, involves the use of open top trays which can easily accommodate french fries, onion rings, chicken nuggets, popcorn shrimp, and like finger foods.
It is often desirable to accompany such foodstuffs with an appropriate condiment which may either be dispensed directly onto the foodstuff within the tray, particularly if consumed immediately, or more likely provided in a separate small container or cup which may be placed within the tray with the foodstuff, if there is sufficient room, or, more likely, carried separately. It has also been proposed to provide food trays which are actually incorporated into the main tray, note for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,126,261, issued Nov. 21, 1978.
The provision of such food trays with incorporated condiment pockets, while a particularly desirable feature, does give rise to problems. More specifically, fast food containers, to be both practical and economically feasible must be both inexpensive as they are throwaway items and must be extremely easy to manipulate both by the vendor and by the customer.
As a practical matter, the tray, for both shipping and storage purposes, must present a compact package. Pursuant thereto, two basic forms of tray have been used, formed trays which are formed at the time of manufacture into a fully erected position for stacking within compact stacks of duplicate trays. Alternatively, and sometimes preferred, the trays leave the manufacturing process as a flat folded item allowing for a flat overlying packing of multiple folded trays. Both the preformed tray and the folded tray have particular advantages.
The present invention comprises a foldable tray, that is a tray which at the end of the manufacturing procedure is a flat folded item, which, notwithstanding the folded nature thereof, incorporates an integral condiment compartment or pocket internally within the main compartment of the tray. A significant aspect of the condiment pocket as proposed by the present invention is the additional utilization of the pocket, or more particularly the partition panel which defines the pocket to rigidify the collapsible walls of the tray in the erected position thereof at the time of use. Thus, the erected tray has a stability which closely approaches that of a preformed tray, while incorporating all of the advantages of a flat folded manufactured item.
The folded tray of the invention is what is referred to in carton manufacturing as a straight line glued folding carton. This differs from a formed tray which requires the use of a forming tool that is only adapted for use with a single size product. As the design of the tray of the invention does not need a forming tool in its production, size changes can be easily made in accord with customer desires. Further, it is noted that most packaging companies utilize xe2x80x9cstraight line gluersxe2x80x9d as opposed to xe2x80x9cformersxe2x80x9d. As such, the carton or tray as proposed herein is considered particularly practical.
The tray, folded from a unitary sheet of paperboard or the like, includes a rectangular bottom or bottom panel with opposed side walls and opposed end walls projecting upwardly from the bottom to form an open top container. The walls are end joined by appropriate glue flaps. The opposed side walls include end sections defined by fold lines extending diagonally upward from the corners of the bottom, forming the end sections and a rather wider central section therebetween. In folding the tray, the side walls, and more particularly the central sections thereof, fold inward over the bottom with the side wall end sections first folding outward relative to the corresponding central sections and then inward over the collapsing central sections.
The condiment pocket of the invention includes a partition or partition panel which is coextensive with one of the end walls and foldably joined to the bottom along the base edge of the end wall. A triangular end panel is foldably joined to each end of the partition panel with these ends panels overlying the adjacent end sections of the two side walls. Each of these end panels in turn includes a glue flap foldably joined thereto and adhesively bonded to the corresponding end sections inward of the end section defining fold line. The partition panel, so mounted, will be movable between a collapsed position lying against the end wall and an open position remote from the end wall. In the collapsed position of the partition panel each end panel and corresponding glue flap are coplanar for a collapsible folding of the end panel and glue flap with the corresponding side wall end section inward of the partition panel and end wall. The folding of the carton is completed with the partition panel and end walls folding downward over the side walls to a fully collapsed position.
In the open position of the tray and condiment pocket, the partition panel is flipped inward relative to the end wall with the end panels at the opposite ends of the partition panel inverting to overlie the glue flaps. In this position, the partition panel exerts a stabilizing outward force on the opposed side walls whereby an inward collapsing of the side walls is precluded, and an upwardly opening condiment pocket is defined. With inward movement of the side walls precluded by the transverse partition panel in its open position, a substantial degree of rigidity is introduced into the open tray, notwithstanding the forming of the tray from a flat folded manufactured configuration.
The tray, including the pocket-defining partition, is formed from a single blank with that portion of the blank forming the partition severing from the remainder of the blank only at such time as the tray is completely formed, and preferably as the tray and pocket are opened at the point of use.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the details of the invention are more fully hereinafter set forth.


The present disclosure provides a system and method for image processing, the method includes: detecting and acquiring actual motion information that a user applies on the virtual reality system or the augmented reality system; dynamically generating an image imposed with an intervention instruction based on the actual motion information and the intervention instruction when receiving the intervention instruction; displaying the image imposed with an intervention instruction, so as to affect and intervene the user's behavior. Through this method, the present disclosure may affect and intervene user's behavior.

Augmented Reality (AR) is a technique which computes in real time a camera's position and direction and provides corresponding images. This technique is aimed to combine the virtual world with the actual world. It has been used more and more widely with the improvement of the computing capacity of electronic devices. Virtual Reality (VR) is a computer simulation system capable of creating and experiencing the virtual world, which uses a computer to generate a simulative environment. VR is a multi-source information fusion and interactive system which combines the three-dimension vision with a physical behavior, so that a user may immerse himself in the environment.
In most cases, when the augmented reality device and the virtual reality device are placed on the user's head, the user may not see the environment behind or the environment outside the device. When the user is in movement, for example, the user takes a standing and walking posture, and if there is an obstacle around, e.g., a building wall, safety problems may occur. Besides, sometimes in a scene where the user interacts with others or the contents in the virtual reality/augmented reality system, the user may need to achieve a certain action or to intervene in the user's actions, for instance to implicitly make the user turn around or to walk along an arc, so as to reach the goal of the application or the game. These effects cannot be achieved by current technologies.


In order to facilitate the baiting of fishing lines of the kind having hooks spaced apart along them, such as are used in "long line" fishing, there is provided a method of baiting according to which the line is drawn through an elongated tubular member into which bait is fed. A blocking device in the form of a brush-assembly having flexible brush-bristles is provided in association with the outlet of the tubular member, so as to retain a mass of bait in the tubular member, while allowing bait which has been impaled by the hooks as the line passes through the tubular member, to pass freely out of the outlet. Apparatus for carrying out this method is also disclosed.

This invention relates to an apparatus for use in handling and baiting long fishing lines of the kind which are used with sea-going fishing vessels, for catching white-fish such as cod, ling, ray, turbot, plaice and haddock by the method known as "long line" fishing.
Such fishing lines have hooks spaced apart along the main line and attached to the main line by short trailing lengths of line called "snoods". The individual hooks have to have pieces of bait attached thereto, the bait-material used when fishing for white-fish usually being cut-up pieces of mackerel or herring.
In the past baiting of the hooks of such fishing lines has been carried out manually, either aboard the vessel, or even ashore. In the latter case, spare sets of fishing lines have to be provided so that spare lines can be baited by shore personnel while the vessel is at sea, so that a supply of baited lines will be available when the vessel returns to port after each fishing voyage. In that event an excessive number of fishing lines has to be provided, while in either case (i.e. using manual baiting either aboard the vessel or ashore) the manpower requirement is excessive.
Devices have been proposed for baiting such fishing lines mechanically but the devices proposed have not been found satisfactory in use. In some cases, it has been found that a line emerging from such a device has bait engaged with only relatively few of the hooks on the line; that is to say, the "success rate" of baiting is poor. In other cases it has been found that even when a substantial number of the hooks emerging from the device do have bait engaged therewith, such bait is not firmly engaged with the hooks and tends to fall off the hooks, or else that the construction of the device is such that there is a tendency for the bait to be knocked off the hooks, for example because the line has to pass through a narrow aperture as it emerges from the device.
It is therefore an object of the present invention, to provide an improved method and apparatus for baiting fishing lines.
A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus which will enable a line to be baited in a continuous operation, as it is paid out from the fishing vessel.
During fishing operations using a fishing line of the above-mentioned kind, as the line is hauled inboard, the fish may be removed from the hooks, the hooks may then be cleaned and the line with the snoods and hooks carried thereby may then be fed to a magazine, in which the line is stored until required for a further fishing operation. It is a still further object of the invention, to provide an improved form of line-magazine.


A heavy-duty, load bearing, partially sun-screening, water-resistant, SUV soft-top for perpendicular suspension between the roll bars on the rooftop frame over the front passenger compartment of a convertible SUV comprising, a rectangular panel with longitudinal flat-hemmed sleeve edges and a pair of longitudinal webbings for fastening around the roll bars by means of fasteners. When human weight is applied on the soft-top panel, it flexes down and both the longitudinal webbings rise up to provide armrests stabilizers for the user. The webbings are tightened with tension buckles. The Jammock soft-top is installed on the roof top of a convertible SUV after removal of the existing hard, or soft-top.

Conventional soft-tops for SUV's possess several desirable features for the SUV enthusiast. They are generally made of a water proof non-flappable material to provide protection from the elements and sunlight and a quiet ride. However, conventional soft-tops have a variety of undesirable features that have limited their widespread use by convertible SUV enthusiasts. Load bearing ability, ease of installation, and stability are key drawbacks of the conventional SUV soft-tops.
The compromise needed to make a non-flapping element-protecting soft-top for an SUV has always been that the non-load bearing soft-top's frame must maintain a delicate balance of tension on the material, thereby making it unsuitable for bearing significant loads. Normal SUV soft-tops, in their quest for a quiet ride and protection from the elements, must compromise with hard to install/uninstall frames or multiple straps that require time and tools for the install/uninstall process. This renders all current soft-tops unsuitable for bearing significant loads. Further, these conventional soft-tops are tensioned such that they do not flex enough to be comfortable when a load is applied as for instance when a person is sitting, or lying on top of the soft-top. Anyone who has used his SUV soft-top as a load bearing one has regretted it due to the resulting catastrophic damage to the soft top, the increased noise from violating the delicate tension required for such a soft-top, and the added risk of injury to the person who reclines on the soft-top. In addition to the potential danger associated with setting significant loads on top of a conventional SUV soft-top, is the problem of stability.
There is a need in the convertible SUV industry for a load bearing, heavy-duty, easy to install and uninstall, SUV soft-top that is of stable construction for reclining, and one which can be suspended on the roof top of an unmodified convertible SUV using the roll bars on the roof top frame of the SUV. The primary objective of this invention is to meet this need. The load bearing soft-top's ease of installation renders this invention one of the quickest and easiest to install, and uninstall, on the market.


For cleaning semiconductor wafers in a cleaning vessel by supplying a cleaning fluid through a supply line thereto, a mixer is provided. Deionized water is supplied to the mixer through a deionized water supply line, and a cleaning gas is supplied thereto from a gas reservoir to produce the cleaning fluid. After treating the semiconductor wafers with the cleaning fluid, the deionized water is supplied to the cleaning vessel to rinse them.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an arrangement, both for cleaning semiconductor wafers, and more particularly to a method and an arrangement for removing unwanted metal impurities and particles from the surfaces of semiconductor wafers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Pattern defects resulting from unwanted metal impurities or particles adhered to semiconductor wafers are the most prominent of the defectives of VLSI (Very-Large-Scale Integrated) circuits. Since particles adhere to the wafers during the steps of the manufacturing process, such as sputtering, ion-implantation, and plasma CVD, the wafers must be alternately treated by combining different kinds of cleaning fluids and deionized water in accordance with the kind of the particles caused in respective steps. Further, it has been performed to remove a natural oxide film from the wafer surface or to activate the wafer surface.
FIG. 5 shows a conventional cleaning arrangement. In the figure, 1 is a fluid reservoir for placing a process fluid containing desired chemicals, 2 is a pump for pumping the process fluid from the fluid reservoir 1, 3 is a filter, 4 is a measuring/mixing tank for measuring the pumped process fluid and deionized water supplies through a deionized water supply line 5 and mixing them to prepare a cleaning fluid, 6 is a cleaning vessel for treating semiconductor wafers, and 8 is a supply line for supplying deionized water for rinse, respectively.
In the cleaning method performed by the cleaning arrangement shown in FIG. 5, the fluid reservoir 1 filled with the process fluid is connected to the process fluid supply line which is located remote from the cleaning arrangement. Next, the process fluid is supplied by the pump 2 to the measuring/mixing tank 4 through the filter 3 until a level sensor (not shown) connected to the tank 4 indicates that the surface of the process fluid in the tank 4 reaches a predetermined level. Similarly, the deionized water is supplied to the measuring/mixing tank 4 through deionized water supply line 5 until the surface of the fluid in the tank 4 reaches a predetermined level. In the tank 4, the process fluid and the deionized water are mixed to prepare a cleaning fluid. One of the cleaning fluids is supplied to the cleaning vessel 6 in turn, thereby treating the semiconductor wafers therewith. Thereafter, the semiconductor wafers 7 are rinsed with the deionized water supplied from the line 8.
However, the conventional cleaning arrangement and the conventional cleaning method have the following problems:
(a) Since the process fluid is carried after the reservoir is filled therewith, unwanted metal impurities and particles are dissolved in the process fluid from the reservoir. Therefore, a high purity process fluid can not be obtained. PA1 (b) Since the process fluid is an aqueous solution of chemicals, it is necessary to frequently exchange process fluid reservoirs with one another. Therefore, the impurity contamination may occur from the external atmosphere, depending upon the frequencies of exchanging the reservoirs. Further, much care is necessary to maintain the safety of working. PA1 (c) Since it is necessary to locate the reservoirs at the position remote from the cleaning arrangement, the length of piping may inevitably become long and be complicated. Therefore, when the process fluid is handled and the reservoirs are frequently exchanged, the chance of leakage of the process fluid and the chance of intrusion of unwanted contaminants may be increased in the piping. Consequently, it may be difficult to prepare a high purity process fluid. PA1 (d) Due to the facts (a) to (c), it is not easy to change the composition of the process fluid. Although the process fluid is measured by the level sensor, it is difficult to accurately control the composition of the process fluid due to the length of piping. PA1 (a') When the ammonia gas is used as the cleaning gas, ammonia water, which acts as a cleaning agent, cannot be uniformly dissolved in the deionized water in the cleaning vessel 6. In other words, it is difficult to obtain a cleaning fluid having a predetermined concentration of the process fluid. Further, it is impossible to control the concentration of the process fluid in the cleaning fluid correctly. PA1 (b') Semiconductor wafers cannot be continuously treated with cleaning fluids each containing a different process fluid. PA1 (c') Even if the process fluid remained in the previous step is removed, it difficult to maintain the deionized water clean in the cleaning vessel. PA1 (d') An agitator or a bubbler needs to be used to dissolve ammonia water (i.e., cleaning agent) uniformly in the deionized water. It may be undesirable, however, that rotational members such as the agitator be located within the cleaning vessel. PA1 placing a plurality of semiconductor wafers in a cleaning vessel; PA1 supplying deionized water to the mixer through a deionized water supply line, while supplying a cleaning gas to thereto from a gas reservoir, thereby providing a cleaning fluid; and PA1 supplying the cleaning fluid to the cleaning vessel through a supply line.
There has been proposed a cleaning technique such that after supplying deionized water and a cleaning gas to a cleaning vessel to provide a cleaning fluid, semiconductor wafers are cleaned with the cleaning fluid.
FIG. 6 shows such a method which is disclosed in Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application No. 2-164035. In FIG. 6, 1 is a reservoir 1 for deionized water, 2 is a heater, 3 is an ozone generator, 4 is a pump, 5 is a filter, 6 is a cleaning vessel, 7 is a gas supply unit 7, and 8 is a filter.
Semiconductor wafers are cleaned by the method in the following manner.
The ozone introduced into the reservoir 1 is partly dissolved in the deionized water contained in the reservoir 1 to produce ozone-containing deionized water. The ozone-containing deionized water is supplied to the cleaning vessel 6 through the filter 5. Meanwhile, ammonia gas, hydrogen chloride gas, or nitrogen dioxide gas is supplied to the cleaning vessel 6 through the filter 8 from the gas supply unit 7. Using such a cleaning fluid, semiconductor wafers are cleaned, thereby preventing unwanted particles from adhering to the surfaces of the wafers, and preventing unwanted impurities from contaminating the surfaces of the wafers.
The cleaning method, however, has the following problems:

Arrangement for cleaning semiconductor wafers using mixer


An everter and threadthrough system useful for attaching a graft vessel to a anastomosis device which can be used to attach a graft vessel to a target vessel without the use of conventional sutures. The threadthrough system engages an end of the graft vessel and pulls the graft vessel through a deployment tool until a portion of the graft vessel extends beyond a distal end of the anastomosis device mounted on the deployment tool. The everter includes a spreading mechanism which expands the end of the graft vessel and folds the expanded end over the anastomosis device. In the case where the anastomosis device includes barbs, the everter can effect penetration of the graft vessel by the barbs. Once the graft vessel is everted over the anastomosis device, the deployment tool can be used to attach the graft vessel to a target vessel.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an everter and threadthrough device for attaching a graft vessel to an anastomosis device which can be used for forming a sutureless connection between a bypass graft and a blood vessel.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Vascular anastomosis is a procedure by which two blood vessels within a patient are surgically joined together. Vascular anastomosis is performed during treatment of a variety of conditions including coronary artery disease, diseases of the great and peripheral vessels, organ transplantation, and trauma In coronary artery disease (CAD) an occlusion or stenosis in a coronary artery interferes with blood flow to the heart muscle. Treatment of CAD involves the grafting of a vessel in the form of a prosthesis or harvested artery or vein to reroute blood flow around the occlusion and restore adequate blood flow to the heart muscle. This treatment is known as coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).
In the conventional CABG, a large incision is made in the chest and the sternum is sawed in half to allow access to the heart. In addition, a heart lung machine is used to circulate the patients blood so that the heart can be stopped and the anastomosis can be performed. During this procedure, the aorta is clamped which can lead to trauma of the aortic tissue and/or dislodge plaque emboli, both of which increase the likelihood of neurological complications. In order to minimize the trauma to the patient induced by conventional CABG, less invasive techniques have been developed in which the surgery is performed through small incisions in the patients chest with the aid of visualizing scopes. Less invasive CABG can be performed on a beating or stopped heart and thus may avoid the need for cardiopulmonary bypass.
In both conventional and less invasive CABG procedures, the surgeon has to suture one end of the graft vessel to the coronary artery and the other end of the graft vessel to a blood supplying vein or artery. The suturing process is a time consuming and difficult procedure requiring a high level of surgical skill. In order to perform the suturing of the graft to the coronary artery and the blood supplying artery the surgeon must have relatively unobstructed access to the anastomosis site within the patient. In the less invasive surgical approaches, some of the major coronary arteries including the ascending aorta cannot be easily reached by the surgeon because of their location. This makes suturing either difficult or impossible for some coronary artery sites. In addition, some target vessels, such as heavily calcified coronary vessels, vessels having very small diameter, and previously bypassed vessels may make the suturing process difficult or impossible.
An additional problem with CABG is the formation of thrombi and atherosclerotic lesions at and around the grafted artery, which can result in the reoccurrence of ischemia. The thrombi and atherosclerotic lesions may be caused by the configuration of the sutured anastomosis site. For example, an abrupt edge at the anastomosis site may cause more stenosis than a more gradual transition.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a sutureless vascular anastomosis device which easily connects a graft to a target vessel. It would also be desirable to provide a sutureless anastomosis device which is formed of one piece and is secured to the target vessel in a single step.

Everter and threadthrough system for attaching graft vessel to anastomosis device


Various embodiments provide a trifold letter card comprising a first riser portion, a second riser portion, a base portion, and an engaging portion. The engaging portion comprises at least three segments and at least two slits. Such structures allow the first riser portion to be inserted through the at least two slits and secured relative to the engaging portion.

There are many instances in which individuals wish to display letter cards on a flat surface. However, conventional letter cards are of a single card construction having a front side and a rear side. It is difficult for the cards to be conveniently sat on a flat surface. Therefore, a need exists in the art for a letter card that can be easily set up for display on a flat surface, while at the same time being portable like conventional cards if needed.


An adaptive tuning method comprises the steps of: obtaining a statistical result; determining whether an adaptive tuning procedure is to be performed in accordance with the statistical result; obtaining reference information of the first wireless module; and performing the adaptive tuning procedure in accordance with the reference information.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication system, and more particularly, to an adaptive tuning method and apparatus for a combo wireless system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Wireless technology is widely used nowadays. A user can send or is receive data from a portable device, such as a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA) or a notebook computer, to another portable device or a stationary device via wireless communication. Different standards are established to govern these communications. IEEE 802.11 and Bluetooth (BT) are the most common standards used in portable devices. The IEEE 802.11 standard defines the transmission in a wireless local area network (WLAN), while Bluetooth is usually used for point-to-point transmission within a short distance. A new standard, Bluetooth 3.0 (BT 3.0), is also proposed for a combination device that integrates WLAN and Bluetooth transmission functions into a single device. The combination device is capable of transceiving signals through both WLAN and Bluetooth channels. However, in a wireless communication system comprising a combination transceiver, a WLAN transceiver and a Bluetooth transceiver, the transmission may be affected by interference. That is, if the WLAN transceiver and the Bluetooth transceiver are active at the same time, interference between the two signals will occur and thus degrade the transmission quality.
Therefore, an adaptive tuning method for a combination wireless communication system to prevent collisions between WLAN signals and Bluetooth signals is needed by the market.

Adaptive tuning method and apparatus for a combo wireless system


A non-contact apparatus and method for mapping the wave profile of capillary waves on a fluid surface to determine viscosity of the fluid. Two conducting blades coupled to a sine wave generator are positioned spaced laterally above and near the surface of the fluid to generate a standing capillary wave on the fluid surface between the blades. A laterally moveable fiber optic probe is coupled to a laser to transmit laser light toward the fluid surface and to receive reflected light from the fluid surface. Part of the laser light reflects from the end of the probe and creates an interference pattern with the light reflected from the fluid surface. The light reflected from the end of the probe and from the fluid surface are combined to form an interference signal which is analyzed to obtain the amplitude of the wave directly under the probe. By moving the probe laterally, nodes on the standing wave may be detected to find the wavelength of the capillary wave. One blade may be decoupled from the sine wave generator and the fiber optic probe moved laterally to determine the wave amplitude of a traveling wave as a function of distance which is then used to determine viscosity.

Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
The present invention pertains to non-contact measurement of fluid viscosity by use of a miniature laser interferometer.
The invention is a new process for measuring the viscosity of fluids without making any physical contact with the fluid. Viscosity is a manifestation of fluid friction. The standard method for measuring viscosity was invented by the French physician Jean Louis Poiseuille (1799-1869) who devised the first flow viscometer. In the past two centuries many other eminent scientists, including James Clerk Maxwell, have tried their hands at inventing alternative viscometers. In principle all the current methods (Couette, falling-sphere, oscillating disk, and cone-and-plate viscometers) exploit the resistance experienced by an object in contact with and in relative motion to the fluid. While Stokes (1819-1903), father of modern fluid dynamics, recognized that the attenuation of surface waves could be exploited to measure viscosity without the use of a foreign object, no reliable method has been available to date.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,303,030 to Abraham et al. describes use of an optical interferometer for determination of surface tension of a fluid by reflecting a light beam off the surface of a fluid on which capillary waves have been induced. An optical fiber and a capillary wave inducing blade are held in a parallel fixed relation above the fluid surface. The capillary wavelength is determined by measuring the phase difference of the reflected signal at two points on the surface. The wavelength is then used to obtain the surface tension.
The determination of viscosity from the damping of capillary waves has been of great interest as it affords the possibility of a non-contact method for measuring viscosity. The instant invention provides a non-contact method and apparatus for precision measurement of the amplitude, wavelength, and attenuation of capillary waves on fluids. Surface waves on fluids, with wavelengths in the millimeter range, are known as capillary waves. In this wave regime surface tension and viscosity govern the propagation and attenuation of the surface waves while gravity plays a minor role. Therefore, data on dispersion and attenuation of capillary waves may be used to determine the surface tension and viscosity of fluids. Of particular interest has been the determination of viscosity from the damping of surface waves.
To obtain the wave profile of capillary waves the invention employs a fiber-optic detection system that functions as a miniature laser interferometer. The heart of the system consists of a single mode optical fiber, one end of which is positioned a short distance above the fluid surface. Laser light traveling through the optical fiber is partially reflected from the cleaved tip of the fiber and again from the fluid surface. The two reflected beams travel back through the same fiber forming an interference pattern. As the water level changes due to wave motion, the interference signal portrays an accurate record, in real time, of the variation of the gap between the end of the fiber optic cable and the fluid surface.
The invention obtains the wave profile with a resolution of about ten nanometersxe2x80x94some fifty times better than the resolution of a typical optical microscope. The invention has been used to obtain the dispersion and attenuation of capillary waves on pure water as a test case. Furthermore, the attenuation data has been used to obtain the viscosity of pure water as a function of temperature. Results using the invention are consistent with accepted values obtained by traditional flow viscometry thus demonstrating the great utility of this non-contact method for measuring viscosity.
The capillary waves are generated electronically by placing a metallic blade a few tenths of a millimeter above the water surface. A sinusoidal voltage of several hundred volts at a known frequency is applied between the blade and the water. Since water molecules are polar, the alternating electric field under the blade generates two capillary wave trains that recede from the blade on the two sides. Typically the amplitude of these waves is of the order of one micrometer.
To obtain the dispersion data, a standing wave is established on the fluid surface. A standing wave is generated when two blades, separated by a few centimeters, are used to generate waves of the same phase, amplitude, and frequency. Since each blade sends a wave train toward the other, a standing capillary wave is established on the water surface between the two blades. If the distance between the two blades is chosen to be a half odd-integer wavelength, the two wave trains interfere destructively on the outer sides of the blades. This judicious choice of the blades"" separation produces a region of standing waves between the blades while the surface outside the blades remains calm. Measurement of the distance between nodes of the standing waves yields the wavelength of the capillary wave.
In the instant invention, the fiber optic probe is attached to a micro-positioner, which in turn is equipped with a digital micrometer. This enables measurement of the wavelength of the standing capillary waves routinely to within a micrometer. A precise dispersion relation is obtained by a measurement of the wavelength at various frequencies.
To obtain the attenuation data, a traveling wave is established on the fluid surface by using one blade. One fiber probe, held stationery on one side of the blade, provides the reference amplitude. The second fiber probe measures the amplitude of the wave as a function of distance away from the blade. The normalized amplitude attenuation data yields the viscosity of the fluid.
It is an object of the invention to provide a non-contact method and apparatus to precisely measure viscosity of a fluid.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a miniature laser interferometer system which may be used without mechanical contact with the fluid to determine the wave profile of capillary waves upon the surface of the fluid.
It is a further object of the invention to map the wave profile of a traveling capillary wave generated on a fluid surface.
It is yet another object of the invention to create a standing wave on a fluid surface which may be mapped by use of a laser interferometer.
It is still a further object of the invention to provide apparatus for non-contact measurement of the wave-length of a standing wave of varying frequencies generated on the surface of a fluid.
It is a further object of the invention to provide apparatus and a method to measure viscosity of a fluid without risk of contamination of the fluid under examination.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from examination of the description and claims which follow.

Apparatus and method for measurement of fluid viscosity

University of Northern Iowa Research Foundation


A single sheet of metal such as galvanized steel is formed to provide an improved corner cap for the juncture of three walls. The improved cap has three legs having three arcuate regions extending from an apex into orthogonal or transverse planes. Each arcuate region has two lateral flanges. The prongs are formed by cutting and bending a piece of the flange so that the prong and the flange form a right angle. The corner piece is constructed to cover an outside corner for use on the outer portion of three adjoining walls. The apex region at the center of the three legs defines a raised portion against which corner beads will fit to provide an easy alignment mechanism for the corner beads, as well as a smooth surface.

Interior walls are typically constructed out of sheets of drywall. Metal corner pieces have long been used in the art of constructing interior walls to protect the junctures formed by two drywall sheets. Metal corner caps are used to secure, stabilize and protect the juncture of three adjacent surfaces such as for a built-in mantel, low partition walls, or stairways where there are outside corners. Metal corner beads are used to secure, stabilize and protect the juncture of two walls forming a ninety degree corner (or other angles as well). Typically these pieces consist of pieces of metal that are folded to form flanges. The flanges typically contain nail holes through which the corner beads are secured to the two walls. A typical corner cap consists of three sets of flanges extending laterally in three orthogonal planes. Each set of flanges forms a right angle so that it can fit the juncture of two walls.
In current practice, the corner pieces are fitted onto the corner and nailed to adjacent sheets of drywall which form the walls. After the corner pieces are secured they are usually covered with tape and plaster to provide a smooth undetectable finish. The pieces protect the exposed edges of the drywall sheets which typically consist of bare plaster. The corner pieces also provide stability to corner junctures which are most often vulnerable to pressure that can occur when the corner is inadvertently hit by a person or an object.
Corner pieces are popular in the building industry because they provide an inexpensive means to achieve professional finishing for wall construction. Metal corner pieces are typically formed from single sheets of metal such as galvanized steel which are die punched and then bent into the necessary shape. The pieces can therefore be mass produced at a relatively low cost.
A major disadvantage of current metal corner pieces however is that the installer must hold the piece in place while he or she secures it to the adjacent walls. This presents a difficulty because the installer must also hold the nail that is being used to secure the corner piece. The installer must therefore hold the corner piece and the nail with one hand while he or she uses the other hand to hold a hammer. This overload of function may lead to a misaligned installation of the corner piece or damage to the adjacent walls from an errant hit of the hammer.


A hay roll transporter is adapted to pick up very large hay rolls in the field, carry them to another location, and off load them for storage or further transport. The transporter is in the general configuration of a truck, and may be driven on public roads and also as an agricultural vehicle in the field. The transporter is capable of carrying multiple large hay rolls, which rolls may each exceed one thousand pounds. The rolls are loaded in two rows side by side on the truck bed, with rolls being added alternatingly to each row for lateral balance of the truck. A front ramp with movable forks thereon is used to pick up each roll and load it on the front of the truck, whereupon the roll is transferred to a bed rack which carries and deposits the roll on the bed of the transporter truck. The front rack is laterally translatable from one side to the other of the front of the truck in order to pick up and deposit the hay rolls in two side by side rows, and the truck cab is likewise laterally movable in order to provide a clear area for the loading of each roll from the front of the truck. The transporter may be operated, and the hay rolls picked up, carried, and delivered, by a single driver or operator. The front ramp and forks are capable of stacking the hay rolls to form at least two vertical rows when off loading.

As automated farm or agricultural equipment has developed over the years, the size and mass of the end products has generally been increased to the point that automated or mechanized means is required for handling the product for transport from field to other storage area. Initially, hay was shocked into bundles which were manually loaded on a wagon for transport from the field. Later, automatic baling machines were developed which pick up the hay from the mown hayrow, bale it, and deposit the bales on a wagon or bed for transport. Such bales have a size and weight which is at the practical limit for manual manipulation by a single strong individual, as the mechanized or automated equipment generally precludes any need for such manual handling of the bales.
Still later, machines have been developed which are moved along the mown hayrow and roll the cut hay into relatively large diameter hay rolls, often six to eight feet in diameter and weighing on the order of a ton or more, depending to a great extent on the moisture content as well as other factors. Obviously, such large and massive hay rolls cannot be manually moved or handled; mechanized equipment is required.
Various forms of automated mechanized equipment have been developed for the handling of standard rectangular hay bales, providing for picking them up from the field, transporting them to a barn or other storage area, and depositing them for storage or further transport as desired. However, very little specialized equipment has been developed for handling the larger round hay rolls, other than various tine and other attachments for conventional tractors, for picking up such hayrolls singly and transferring them to yet another conventional vehicle for movement. The rolls require yet another specially equipped conventional tractor or the like for offloading when the rolls are delivered to their storage or transfer site.
Accordingly, the need arises for a specialized transporter which is adapted to pick up such hay rolls in the field, distribute them evenly over the bed of the vehicle, and transport them to the storage or other transfer site as desired. The vehicle and all its functions must be capable of being operated by a single individual and of travel over public roads as a conventional truck, as well as in the field, and should also provide for offloading the hay rolls at the offloading site and stacking them for compact storage or carriage by another vehicle, in stacks up to two rolls high in order to save horizontal space.