A positioning system for a magnetic disk storage system. A first and second lead screw connected to their respective stepper motors are mechanically connected by a lever arm that adds these motions. The first stepper motor is controlled by an open loop control circuit and the second stepper motor is controlled by a closed loop circuit that reads servo information off the magnetic disk. The head is constantly repositioned to follow track eccentricities and can accurately read very closely spaced tracks on non-rigid disks.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus and methods for storing data on disks. In particular, this invention relates to high density data storage on floppy disks.
2. Related Applications
This application is also related to the following copending U.S. Patent Applications assigned to the assignee of the present inventions: "Mechansim For Clamping And Spinning A Flexible Disk", Ser. No. 428,936, filed Sept. 30, 1982, now abandoned; "A Mechanism For Clamping and Spinning A Flexible Disk", Ser. No. 428,944, filed Sept. 30, 1982; and "Flexible Magnetic Disk Clamping An Ejector Mechanism" Ser. No. 495,801, filed May 18, 1983, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,539,614.
3. Description of the Prior Art
A present "state of art" flexible or floppy disk drive records data on a series of concentric tracks on a rotated flexible magnetic disk. A transducer or magnetic read/write head is positioned near a desired track by an open loop stepper motor which has a predetermined increment of motion equal to one track per step. Conventional floppy disks have either 48 or 96 tracks per inch of disk radius. The motor is stepped with serial step pulses on command of the disk drive control unit, which maintains a count of the track position. When the head is moved to another track, the control unit will issue to the disk drive a polarity signal for direction and appropriate numbers and serial step pulses for distance. If the head is not properly aligned to a track, the head will read signals from the adjacent track, or from the previously written track, which will appear as noise to the desired signal. If the noise-to-signal ratio is large, the desired signal will be in error. There are three important factors which cause the head to be misaligned to the tracks:
1. the flexible disk is removable and upon reinsertion an eccentric misclamping error may occur;
2. the flexible disk expands and contracts in a non-uniform manner due to humidity and temperature variations; and
3. the stepper motor and actuator have inaccuracies that misalign the head.
To overcome these problems, it becomes necessary to "follow" the tracks with the head. When the track density is small, the head can be equipped with a trim erase element which can erase a clean zone on either side of the track. As the track densities are increased, the misalignment error may approach or become larger than the track spacing. The noise-to-signal ratio then becomes very large and the desired signal cannot be read. Additionally, trim erase elements will erase a portion of the adjacent track causing a further increase in the noise-to-signal ratio.
If the trim erase elements are removed from the head as a cost effective measure, it is necessary that the head-to-track error be no greater than plus or minus 0.0005 inches to assure favorable noise to signal ratio. A position error feedback to the head carriage actuator is required if the head is to follow the track with this accuracy. The device used to perform this function is commonly called a closed loop servomechanism. A conventional closed loop servomechanism requires both a continuous, off-track error signal and a velocity feedback signal. The head-to-track position error is continuously being reduced towards zero in an analog or continuous manner with a control velocity profile. The continuous source of the error signal is derived from dedicated servo tracks and the velocity feedback requires the use of a separate velocity transducer. This method is inefficient because a large portion of the data capacity of the drive is used to provide the error signal, and the velocity transducer adds cost and increases servo control complexity.
Various types of head positioners are known. A screw stepper has one stepper motor with a screw that is threaded through a follower. The follower is mounted on a carriage for driving the head inwardly and outwardly with respect to the lead screw. Advantages of the screw stepper include accuracy, good wear life, and non-accumulating error at a reasonable cost. A disadvantage is the possible incremental nut wear that can reduce positioning accuracy. A band stepper has a motor, capsan and a band trained about the capsan for moving the head carriage linearly with respect to the stationary frame. Band steppers are economical and fast, but have poor accuracy, and a tendancy for instable and noisy operation. A micro stepper has an electric motor that achieves fine steps by adjusting the current electronically so that the rotor moves in fine steps between the pole faces. Such a motor requires complex electronics and each motor has to be calibrated individually.
Various transducer positioning systems utilizing servo data in an embedded format are known. Coarse and fine radial positioning of a transducer relative to the concentric tracks of a rotatable magnetic disk having work data and servo data interspersed in alternate sectors on the disk is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,032,984 to Kaser et al., 4,149,200 to Card, and 4,149,201 to Card. Another example of a transducer positioning system for a rotating magnetic disk having servo positioning information interspersed with data is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,208,679 to Hertrich. A positioning system which provides a series of adjacent servo tracks, the boundary between adjacent servo tracks defining a path for the servo system to follow is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,691,543 to Mueller. U.S. Pat. No. 4,204,234 to Noble discloses a track following system wherein recorded data is successively sampled by a read/write head that is caused to move back and forth by a servo system towards that path defined by the maximum amplitude data signals.

Fine positioning apparatus for floppy disk drive


Described herein is a schema extension of the Common Information Model (CIM), designed to model manageable aspects of a database server such as a Structure Query Language (SQL) server. The database schema contains a data file class that represents files associated with databases. The operating system also has a data file class, representing files that are managed by the operating system. An association is defined between the two data file classes, allowing queries to navigate between the database schema and the operating system schema.

Database management systems (DBMS) are core components of virtually every enterprise (e-business) application. The ability to effectively configure, monitor, and manage a DBMS is critical to the success of enterprise applications.
Most DBMSs are designed for compatibility with relational databases. A relational database comprises a plurality of tables. Each table has a plurality of data records (rows) and each table includes a definition of the fields (columns) that the records will contain. A relational database includes the specification of relationships between fields of different tables. A DBMS performs common management tasks such as creating databases, adding tables, replication management, data backup, etc.
The Desktop Management Task Force (DMTF) Common Information Model (CIM) is an approach to the management of systems, software, users, and networks that applies the basic structuring and conceptualization techniques of the object-oriented paradigm. More specifically, the purpose of CIM is to model various computer-related systems—both hardware and software. It is important to recognize that object-oriented modeling is different from object-oriented programming.
This type of modeling uses schemas to represent systems. A schema is an abstraction of something that exists in the real world. Generally, a schema comprises a collection of classes and associations.
A class models a set of objects that have similar properties and fulfill similar purposes. In a database management schema, for example, individual classes might define such things as files, users, tables, etc.
Classes follow a hierarchical structure. Classes can have subclasses, also referred to as specialization classes. The parent class of a subclass is referred to as a superclass or a generalization class. A class that does not have a superclass is referred to as a base class.
A typical schema might comprise a collection of different schemas, which in this case can also be referred to as subschemas. Such subschemas are often located in various different namespaces. A namespace is simply a way to logically group related data. Within a given namespace, all names are unique. Within the following disclosure, the terms "schema" and subschema are used interchangeably.
A subclass inherits properties of its superclass. All properties and methods of a superclass apply to the subclass.
It is conventional to represent a class by a rectangle containing the name of the class. FIG. 1 shows an example. A class with properties is represented by a rectangle divided into two regions as in FIG. 2, one containing the name of the class and the other a list of properties. Inheritance, or a subclass/superclass relationship, is represented by a line drawn between the subclass and the superclass, with an arrow adjacent to the superclass indicating the superclass. Lines representing inheritance are shown in FIG. 3, indicated by reference numeral 10.
Classes contain instances that are collections of values that conform to the type established by the class. Instances are identified by keys that are unique within the class. In other words, no two instances in the same class in the same namespace may have the same values for all of their key values. The term "object" may be used to refer to either an instance or a class.
An association represents a relationship between two or more objects. More specifically, an association is a mechanism for providing an explicit mapping between classes. Associations can be within a namespace or across namespaces. Associations are conventionally shown as a line between two classes, as indicated by reference number 12 in FIG. 3.
CIM schemas describe the gamut of managed elements: servers and desktops (operating systems, components, peripherals, and applications, all layers of the network (from Ethernet switches to IP and HTTP connections), and even end-users. Schema properties model the attributes that apply to objects, such as the type of printer or storage medium, RAM and CPU capacity, storage capacity, etc.
The discussion above gives a general overview of object-oriented modeling and CIM. Please refer to Winston Vumpus, John W. Sweitzer, Patrick Thompson, Andrea R. Westerinin, and Raymond C. Williams; Common Information Model, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York (2000) for further information regarding CIM. Also refer to Common Information Model (CIM) Specification, V2.0, Mar. 3, 1998, available from the Distributed Management Taskforce. DMTF has a number of other resources on its Internet web site.

Mapping database file class to operating system file class in a computer schema


A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device which has a thick insulating layer on a region for isolating semiconductor circuit elements from one another on a semiconductor substrate. This region of the substrate is selectively etched by using an insulating layer to leave the unetched part of the substrate in a mesa like shape, then, an anti-oxidation masking layer is formed on the sides of the insulating layer and the sides of the mesa shaped part and, after that, the thick insulating layer is formed by an oxidation treatment.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing semiconductor devices, and more particularly to an improved method of forming a field insulating layer which isolates circuit elements therebetween.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a process for manufacturing a semiconductor device of the prior art, a large height difference is created between the surface of the silicon dioxide layer, formed on a region for isolating semiconductor circuit elements from one another, and the surface of one of the elements. Accordingly, in order to prevent the large height difference from occurring, a so-called Planox process and a LOCOS (Local Oxidation of Silicon) process have been suggested. According to the Planox process, firstly, a region, in which a semiconductor circuit element is to be formed, of a silicon semiconductor substrate is selectively masked with a silicon nitride layer, then, an unmasked region of the substrate is oxidized to form a thick field oxide layer. After that, the mask of the layer of silicon nitride is removed and, finally, in the exposed region a semiconductor circuit element, for example, a transistor element, is formed. The LOCOS process consists of steps similar to the above-mentioned steps in the Planox process. In a semiconductor device manufactured by the Planox and LOCOS processes, a silicon dioxide layer on a region for isolating the circuit elements from one another is formed thick enough that the capacitance between the semiconductor substrate and conductive metal layers to be formed on the thick silicon dioxide layer is decreased. In particular a semiconductor device manufactured by applying the Planox process has a small height difference between the surfaces of the semiconductor substrate and silicon dioxide layer. Thus it is possible to prevent each of the conductive metal layers from breaking.
However, when selective oxidation of the silicon semiconductor substrate is carried out by heating at an elevated temperature in the above mentioned processes, the silicon nitride layer masking the region of the substrate, generates strain in the masked region of the substrate. This strain causes a lattice-defect in the silicon in the region of the substrate where the circuit element is to be formed. Moreover, during the selective oxidation of the silicon substrate, the formed silicon dioxide penetrates deeply under the silicon nitride layer, namely. Thus a so-called bird beak is formed and the region for forming the circuit element becomes narrow.

Method of manufacturing semiconductor devices


An electric vacuum cleaner has a main body incorporating an electric blower, a nozzle unit having a nozzle, and a first and a second connection pipe fitted between the main body and the nozzle unit so as to serve as part of the passage for a dust suction air flow generated by driving the electric blower. The first and second connection pipes are rotatable, and support the main body in a standing position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric vacuum cleaner having a dust suction duct that is connected to a nozzle unit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional electric vacuum cleaner of a so-called upright type is typically composed of a nozzle unit having a nozzle, a main body supported so as to be bendable back and forth with respect to the nozzle unit and incorporating a dust collection bag, and a handle portion by which a user holds the main body so that he can move the electric vacuum cleaner around. Advantageously, when not in use, such an upright-type electric vacuum cleaner can be stored away with its main body in an upright position.
However, to permit such an electric vacuum cleaner to be stored away in an upright position, its heavy main body needs to be supported on its nozzle unit facing the floor surface so that the electric vacuum cleaner does not turn over. Thus, the nozzle unit needs to be made accordingly large, and consequently requires a considerably large storage space.
In addition, since the main body is directly pivoted on the large nozzle unit, electric vacuum cleaners of this type are unfit for the cleaning of narrow spaces such as gaps between pieces of furniture. Some models come with relatively small nozzle units, but they instead require dedicated stands or the like on which they need to be put when stored away. This seriously limits the choice of where to store away such electric vacuum cleaners.
An object of the present invention is to provide an electric vacuum cleaner that can be stored away with its main body in an upright position, and thus with less space, and that is built in a way advantageous to the downsizing of its nozzle unit.
To achieve the above object, according to the present invention, in an electric vacuum cleaner provided with an electric blower, a nozzle unit having a nozzle, and a dust suction duct fitted between the electric blower and the nozzle unit so as to serve as a passage for a dust suction air flow generated by driving the electric blower, the dust suction duct is bendable at some point along itself and can stand in an upright position by itself. This makes the downsizing of the nozzle unit possible, and in addition permits the electric vacuum cleaner to be stored away almost anywhere and with minimum space when not in use.
The dust suction duct may be composed of a first dust suction duct of which one end is joined to the nozzle unit and a second dust suction duct that is rotatably joined to the other end of the first dust suction duct. This permits the second dust suction duct to be rotated so as to be held in an upright position.
One end of the first dust suction duct may be rotatably joined to the nozzle unit. This makes it possible to rotate the first dust suction duct separately from the rotation of the second dust suction duct.
An electric vacuum cleaner according to the present invention may be further provided with a locking mechanism that, when the first and second dust suction ducts come into a substantially straight state, locks the first and second dust suction ducts to keep them in the substantially straight state. In this arrangement, when the second dust suction duct is rotated so that the first and second dust suction ducts come into a substantially straight state, they are locked in that state. This enhances cleaning efficiency.
The nozzle unit may be removable integrally with the first and second dust suction ducts. This makes it possible to perform cleaning with an auxiliary nozzle, instead of the nozzle unit, fitted to the tip of the dust suction duct.
An electric vacuum cleaner according to the present invention may be further provided with a cyclone-type dust collector portion fitted at some point along the dust suction duct so as to separate the dust sucked in through-the nozzle unit by whirling around the dust suction air flow generated by driving the electric blower.
In this arrangement, the dust suction air flow generated by driving the electric blower turns into a whirling air flow inside the cyclone-type dust collector portion, and the centrifugal force exerted by this whirling air flow separates dust. The dust thus separated is accumulated inside the cyclone-type dust collector portion.
The second dust suction duct may be rotatable up to more than 90 degrees from the position in which the first and second dust suction ducts are in a substantially straight state. In this arrangement, the second dust suction duct, when held in an upright position, inclines toward the nozzle unit and thereby prevents the electric vacuum cleaner from turning over.
An electric vacuum cleaner according to the present invention may be further provided with means for stopping the driving of the electric blower when, at the joint between the first and second dust suction ducts, the second dust suction duct is rotated to a predetermined rotation angle. In this arrangement, when the dust suction duct is obstructed at the joint, even if a power switch for starting the driving of the electric blower is turned on, the electric bower does not start being driven.
A shock absorbing member may be fitted in a portion of the first dust suction duct at which it makes contact with the floor surface. The shock absorbing member absorbs the shock that occurs when the first dust suction duct collides with the floor surface as it is rotated so that the main body is held in an upright position. This prevents the first dust suction duct from being scratched or broken.
A caster may be fitted on the first dust suction duct so as to permit the nozzle unit to be moved around on the floor surface. This permits the nozzle unit to be moved around with the first dust suction duct kept in contact with the floor surface even on a thick-piled carpet, and thus makes cleaning easy.


An anti-glare head-up display system for vehicles includes a projection imaging unit and a curved mirror. The projection imaging unit is in an upper region of a cabin of the vehicle. The curved mirror is on a top surface of an instrument panel of the vehicle. The curved mirror includes a doped glass, a high-reflection coating and a dark coating. The doped glass and the dark coating absorb visible light. The high-reflection coating is on a surface of the doped glass facing the projection imaging unit and has a high-reflection effect at wavelengths corresponding to light sources used by the projection imaging unit. The dark coating is on another surface of the doped glass opposite with the projection imaging unit. Light rays emitted by the projection imaging unit are projected onto the curved mirror, and light rays reflected from the curved mirror are projected onto the windshield to form a virtual image in front of the windshield. Light rays of ambient light projected onto the curved mirror which do not belong to the wavelengths corresponding to the light sources pass through the high-reflection coating and are absorbed by the doped glass and the dark coating.

A conventional head-up display system for vehicles includes a projection imaging unit and a curved mirror. The projection imaging unit is disposed in an upper region of a cabin of the vehicle. The curved mirror is disposed on a top surface of an instrument panel of the vehicle. Light rays emitted by the projection imaging unit are projected onto the curved mirror. Light rays reflected from the curved mirror are projected onto a windshield of the vehicle above the instrument panel to form a virtual image in front of the windshield. The virtual image is formed within a line of sight of a driver. While the driver pays attention to traffic, the driver can acquire information of driving from the virtual image at the same time. However, ambient light (e.g., sun light) may be projected on the curved mirror and then be reflected to the windshield, which causes glare to the driver.

Vehicle display system absorbing ambient light


Imidazo-benzoxazines of Formula (I) and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. ##STR1## where Q is selected from (A) through (H) ##STR2## or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof wherein the R groups are as defined herein. The imidazo-benzoxazines, Formula (I), of the present invention are useful as anxiolytics and sedatives.

The compounds of the present invention are therapeutically active 4-oxo and 4H-imidazo(5,1-c)(1,4)benzoxazines (I) which are useful in the treatment of central nervous system disorders. These novel compounds are also useful in the preparation of pharmaceutical compositions which can be used, for example, in the treatment of convulsions, as anxiolytics, hypnotics, sedatives, muscle relaxants, antidepressants, for the treatment of panic attacks and treatment of cognitative disorders. It is well known that there are specific sites in the central nervous system of vertebrates that exhibit a high specific affinity for binding 1,4- and 1,5-benzodiazepines. Compounds that have a strong affinity for these receptors are continually being sought in order to therapeutically modify behavior and reduce any undesirable side-effects. The subject compounds are benzoxazines structured compounds with enhanced binding characteristics.

4-oxo- and 4H-imidazo(5,1-c)(1,4)benzoxazines useful as benzodiazepine receptor-binding agents


The present invention provides for a composition of high temperature resistant powder coating which comprises at least two silicone resins having different glass transition temperatures and/or different melt viscosities, a bi-functional resin, a mica-containing filler and optional additives. When applied to a substrate, the composition is capable of curing to form a high temperature resistant coating on the substrate surface. The present invention also provides for use of the composition of the present invention to coat a substrate, as well as substrates coated with the composition of the present invention.

It is obviously desirable for coatings that are to be applied to ovens, boilers, heat exchangers, automotive parts, cooking elements, cooking utensils and the like to exhibit high temperature resistance. Most organic coatings are unsuitable for such applications as they tend to be rapidly consumed when exposed to air at temperatures greater than 550° C. This consequence lead to the development of coatings and paints that incorporated polysiloxane resins, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,905,104 (Eklund et al.). In the examples a mixture of siloxane resins is mentioned, viz. a mixture of Dow Corning 1-0543 and Dow Corning Z-6018. These resins have the following properties:                Dow Corning 1-0543 (now DC 220) Tg=49° C., viscosity at 140° C. of 9.8 poise;        Dow Corning Z-6018 Tg=48° C., viscosity at 140° C. of 14.1 poise.
Despite showing improved temperature resistance, coatings containing polysiloxane resins were still found to exhibit deleterious effects at the high temperatures. When polysiloxane powder coated materials are exposed to temperatures greater than 550° C., the coatings suffered loss of their constituent organic components through oxidation; the polysiloxane resin consequently shrinks rapidly which builds up stresses within the coatings. Such stresses are relieved by cracking causing the coating to peel or flake from the material.
WO2004/076572 (Dupont de Nemours and Company) purports to resolve this problem by including within the polysiloxane resin at least one matrix material, preferably low melting inorganic glass, that softens and exhibit some flow in the temperature range in which the polysiloxane resin undergoes shrinkage and embrittlement.
European Patent No. 0950695 B1 (Morton) proposes an alternative solution in which the powder coating composition consists of a single silicone resin combined with titania and a filler of mica platelets and/or calcium metasilicate particles. The single silicone resin is characterized by having siloxane functionality (Si—O—H) and only minor amounts of organic moieties. It is preferred in this citation that the single polysiloxane has a degree of substitution of less than 1.5 and an —OH content of between 2.0 and 7.5 wt. % based on the weight of said polysiloxane. The limitation of the —OH content reduces the evolution of water when the polysiloxane self-cures at temperatures between 150° and 260° C. and thus reduces the formation of defects, such as pinholes, in the coating that are caused by said water escaping. However, it is noted this powder coating composition may only be applied to substrates at a dry film thickness in the range from 1.8 to 2.2 mils (45 to 55 μm).
WO 2009/003937 (Akzo Nobel Coatings International B.V.) discloses a powder coating composition which comprises a resin component and a filler, wherein the resin component comprises a first silicone resin and a second silicone resin having glass transition temperatures (Tg) that are different by at least 5° C. and/or having melt viscosities, as measured at 140° C., that are different by at least 5, preferably 10 poise. With respect to the filler component of the composition, it is preferred that the filler is a heat resistant material with one dimension at least four times larger than the other, said filler being present in an amount between 5 and 95 wt. % based on the weight of the resin component. It was found that these compositions are not able to withstand prolonged exposure to high temperatures (˜550° C.) when applied to substrates with a high surface roughness, i.e. substrates that have a surface that is profiled or uneven.
When powder coatings are applied to automotive bodies in order to protect and finish the engineered product, the substrates tend to be relatively thin and to have smooth surfaces. However, in the application of coatings to materials that are required to show high temperature resistance, it is more common for the substrate surfaces to be profiled or uneven: to provide adequate corrosion protection and an (aesthetic) finish to blast cleaned steel, for example, the substrate must be coated at a sufficient dry film thickness to compensate for surface unevenness. Blasting substrates with angular grit, rounded shot, abrasive loaded sponges or high pressure water jets can typically yield profiled surfaces that can exhibit "valley to peak" distances of between 10 and 80 μm (wherein said profiles may be defined by ISO 8503).
For such uneven substrates, there is found to be a practical upper limit to the dry film thickness (DFT) of the powder coating, beyond which the coating will crack and peel from the substrate. Obviously, the lower that limit, the lower the capacity of a given powder coating to compensate for enhanced blast profiles of a substrate surface.
There consequently exists a need in the art to provide a powder coating composition that shows high temperature resistance but which also may be applied to profiled substrate surfaces to provide temperature resistance and preferably corrosion resistance to said surfaces.

Composition of high temperature resistent powder coating, a preparation method therefore, and use thereof


A sandwich type amorphous silicon photosensor suitable for use as an image sensor of a facsimile machine or the like is provided. The photosensor includes a pair of first and second electrodes and an amorphous silicon multi-layer structure sandwiched between the first and second electrodes. The first electrode includes an oxide and has a transparency of 80% or more in a visible light region. The multi-layer structure includes a first amorphous silicon layer which is in contact with the first electrode. The first amorphous silicon layer contains at least oxygen and has an optical bandgap in a region of 2.0 eV or more, a resistivity in a range of 10.sup.12 -10.sup.14 ohms-cm, a photoconductive characteristic and a refractive index in a range of 1.8-3.4

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a photosensor for converting light information into an electrical signal, and, in particular, to an amorphous silicon photosensor having a multi-layer, sandwich type structure in which two or more amorphous silicon layers are sandwiched between a pair of electrodes. More specifically, the present invention relates to a photosensor suitable for use as an image sensor in the likes of a facsimile machine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Photosensors are well known in the art and they may be classified into those of the CdS-CdSe family and those of the Se-Te-As family. However, in the case of the CdS-CdSe family, the light response speed is relatively slow; whereas, in the case of photosensors of the Se-Te-As family, these photosensors exhibit the drawback of crystallization at low temperature. And, it is still difficult to obtain an excellent photosensor high in density and fast in operation. In addition, there still remains pollution problems. In order to cope with this situation, there has been developed an amorphous silicon photosensor free of pollution problems, high in light absorption coefficient as well as in dark resistivity, excellent in photoconductivity, and easy in providing a large surface area as well as forming a thin film.
In accordance with a typical prior art amorphous silicon photosensor, a set of electrodes is formed on one surface of a substrate and an amorphous silicon layer is formed as extending between the electrodes. This type of prior art amorphous silicon photosensor is called a coplanar type amorphous silicon photosensor and a relatively large number of sample products have been experimentally manufactured because of its ease in manufacture. However, due to its structural constraints, the light response speed is relatively slow and there is difficulty in application to high-speed facsimilies. This is because, in the coplanar type amorphous silicon photosensor, the distance between a set of electrodes is required to be relatively large, i.e., in the order of 10 microns, so that it takes time for carriers, such as electrons, to move between the set of electrodes across the gap therebetween. In addition, since the set of electrodes is formed on the same plane, there is a limit in density as well.
In order to cope with this situation, there has also been developed a sandwich type amorphous silicon photosensor in which an amorphous silicon layer is sandwiched between a transparent electrode and another electrode. It is expected that this sandwich type amorphous silicon photosensor will provide a desired high-density and high-speed photosensor. However, in this sandwich type photosensor, since charge is injected from electrodes while a bias voltage is being applied between the electrodes, the dark current tends to be larger, so that there is a drawback of incapability of obtaining a large light and dark ratio (S/N ratio), which is a ratio between current with light and current without light. Amorphous silicon has a relatively large light absorption coefficient and thus it may be made in the form of a thin film (typically, ranging between 5,000 angstroms and 1 micron), which can contribute to provide a high-speed operation. However, when made in the form of a thin film, there is a possibility of shorting between the electrodes through pin holes in the thin film, thereby preventing another difficulty in providing high yields of photosensors which are uniform in characteristics.
In order to reduce the dark current of a sandwich type photosensor, there has also been proposed a MIS type amorphous silicon photosensor having a blocking structure for blocking the injection of charge from the electrodes by additionally providing a thin insulating film between amorphous silicon and the electrodes. An insulating film of silicon oxide, silicon nitride or metal nitride has been proposed for this purpose. For example, according to teachings of the Japanse Patent Laid-open Pub. No. 57-106179, it is proposed to subject the surface of amorphous silicon to anodic plasma oxidation to form a thin insulating film or to cause glow discharge in silane gas containing oxygen to form a silicon oxide film on the amorphous silicon. According to the teachings of this patent application, the preferred thickness of the resulting insulating film is in the order of 20-40 angstroms, and, thus, it is rather difficult to form such a film across the entire surface of high-density photoelectric elements uniformly in composition as well as in thickness. Because, if the thickness of a thin film is less than 100 angstroms, the resulting thin film tends to be patchy so that there is a difficulty in obtaining a uniform characteristic.
On the other hand, Japanese Patent Laid-open Pub. No. 56-26478 teaches the use of silicon nitride (light-transmitting, current-passing, insulating or semi-insulating), which is lower in resistivity than silicon oxide, as the above-described insulating thin film. In the case of silicon oxide, since it has a relatively large energy bandgap, it tends to resist the passage of current therethrough even if it is made in the form of a thin film, so that it is difficult for carriers to move across the thin film of silicon oxide during light irradiation. As a result, there is a drawback of difficulty in obtaining a high light and dark ratio (S/N ratio) in the case where use is made of silicon oxide. Under the circumstances, this patent application proposes to use silicon nitride, which has a smaller energy bandgap as compared with silicon oxide and which is lower in resistivity than silicon oxide. However, even according to the teachings of this patent application, the preferred thickness of a resulting silicon nitride thin film is in the order of 50-100 angstroms, so that there still remains difficulty in obtaining a photosensor uniform in characteristic.
In the case of fabricating a high-density photosensor, typically, individual electrodes are formed and then an insulating film is formed. In this case, the individual electrodes are formed by etching with a photolithographic technique prior to formation of the insulating film. However, since it is difficult to form a thin insulating film on the shoulder portion along a side edge defined by such etching, it is even more difficult to fabricate a photosensor having a uniform characteristic.
Furthermore, the Japanese Patent Laid-open Pub. No. 56-14268 discloses a photoconductive semiconductor device which includes a multi-layer structure of amorphous silicon, in which at least one layer of amorphous silicon includes oxygen and impurities for controlling charge density. However, if oxygen is present and the optical bandgap (Eg-opt) is widened, a photoconductive characteristic is shown; however, if the optical bandgap is further widened, no photoconductive characteristic is shown. In order to use a highly resistive thin film so as to block introduction of charge, it is necessary to used amorphous silicon having an optical bandgap of 2.0 eV; in this case, however, difficulty is presented for the carrier which has been generated upon irradiation of light to pass, so that a photosensor having a large light and dark ratio (S/N ratio) cannot be obtained. That is, under the current status, there has not been obtained amorphous silicon having a high resistance (i.e., large optical bandgap) and photoconductivity particularly suitable for use in a sandwich type amorphous silicon photosensor.

Amorphous silicon photosensor with oxygen doped layer

Ricoh Research Institute of General Electronics


A safety reel for storing, paying out and rewinding tube is provided. As tubing is paid out of the reel a coil spring is wound tight to provide the energy to recoil the tubing when desired. In this way tubing may be reeled up to a desired length and is thereby not underfoot, causing potential tripping hazards and tube crushing situations. The safety reel of the present invention allows the quick and easy replacement of tubing. The reel and case are provided with easy alignment devices such that the internal reel hose guide inlet and the external case payout opening may be quickly and easily aligned together so that tubing may be quickly and easily replaced. In this manner the user is encouraged to replace the tubing at recommended intervals so that germs, bacteria and the like are minimized and the user""s health is better protected. In a preferred embodiment the removal and replacement of tubing is facilitated by providing a manipulatable knob with precise indicia to assist in aligning the reel and casing for quick removal and replacement.

The present invention concerns a novel gas supply reel that allows persons using therapeutic gas to easily coil in or pay out an amount of tubing to allow the person to be in any part of a room without having extra tubing underfoot. More specifically, the present invention concerns a therapeutic gas reel that includes a quick alignment mechanism and a method of tube replacement, which allows the easy removal of used or otherwise contaminated tubing and complete replacement with fresh tubing.
The use of oxygen or other therapeutic and anesthetic gases in hospitals, clinics, at home, and in other medical situations often requires an individual""s connection to a fixed source of the gas. Typically, the source of the gas and the location of the patient, for therapy, surgery, rest or other procedure, changes depending on the time of day, procedure or location of equipment. As a result, patients can rarely be provided with a length of tubing that will exactly accommodate the patient""s needs at all times. Typically, the patient is given a large amount of tubing such that the patient may travel or be moved to all corners of a therapy room without running out of tubing.
In hospitals, oxygen and other therapeutic gases are typically provided through built in sources found as wall outlets. At clinics, doctor""s offices, and homes, therapeutic gases are typically provided in heavy compressed gas canisters that, while more portable, are often quite heavy (and not conducive for movement, particularly by infirm individuals, and because of the potential explosive nature of gases under pressure). As such, gas sources are usually fixed in place in a therapy room and lengths of tubing are provided between the source and the user. This has often resulted in long lengths of such tubing being laid such that it is underfoot both for the person using the therapeutic gas line and for those visiting or providing therapy. Such tubing can become a safety hazard to the user of the tubing and to those visiting or working near and around the user. The tubing can get trampled by feet or equipment, causing kinking, crushing or tearing of the tubing and providing a risk of severing the user from the supply of gas, or allowing the introduction of bacteria, germs or other contaminants into the gas line. Further, tubing underfoot can cause a tripping or entanglement hazard to the user and others in the vicinity.
To alleviate this problem some users of therapeutic gases will collect and wind, or reel, the excess tubing and lay it aside. This, however, provides the added complication of forming an entanglement and potentially also forming a kink in the tubing, requiring the user to untangle the tubing when movement is desired, or to find the kink when it is discovered that therapeutic gas has been limited or cut-off by a kink in the tubing. Reels, resembling garden hose reel devices, onto which a length of tubing may be placed and payed-out or reeled-in as needed, have begun to appear. These devices have generally been undesirable in that they do not allow for the easy and/or rapid removal and replacement of tubing. In such units, replacement of tubing, typically, can be so difficult as to discourage the user from regularly replacing the tubing. As a result, users, who can only stand a short time off of their supply of gas, and the elderly, or persons having physical handicaps may not change the gas supply tubing often enough to insure a healthy and sanitary carrier for oxygen or other gases. Further, some of these reels include built in, non-interchangeable, connection parts which may, after some use, cause the collection of germs, bacteria or other contaminants to be transferred from the reel to the tubing and the patient in due course.
We have invented a new and novel therapeutic gas tube reel that provides a means to supply gas to a user while keeping a significant length of reserve tubing stored until needed in a convenient container. The tubing is reeled into the device such that the flow of gas is continuous through the stored tubing and to the patient. The device of our invention allows the quick and easy alignment of an inner reel and an outer casing such that the tubing may be quickly and easily exchanged as needed. Further the device provides a swivel hub which allows the rotation of the device without kinking the tubing within. Further, the swivel device is changeable, being typically connected only to the supply of therapeutic gas, through a tube, and to the tubing in the invention. The tubing and swivel device is otherwise unconnected to the reel or case. The present invention further comprises means to retract the tubing, which has been paid out, back into the reel when a smaller length of tubing is desired.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to have a device that would allow for the storage of a length of clean and sanitary gas tubing, and allows the easy pay out and collection of the gas tubing. It is a further object of the present invention to have a reel device that is spring loaded to assist in the reeling of tubing which has been payed out. It is a further object of the present invention to have a reel device in which sterile elements are only contacted by parts which can also be easily removed and sterilized or replaced. It is a further object of the present invention to have an easy and rapid means of removing and replacing the entire length of gas tubing, such that removal and replacement can be done often to avoid the problems of bacteria, germs and other contaminants.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.
In accordance with the present invention, a safety reel for therapeutic gas tubing, comprising: a case defining a tube opening and a reel alignment means is provided. A reel for storing tubing is also provided, the reel comprising a case alignment means, a barrel having a tube inlet defined therethrough and a hub and a tube passageway defined between the opening and the hub. In one embodiment of the device a spring, attached to the reel and the case, is provided such that the payout of tubing causes the spring to coil so that the tubing may be recoiled into the case and onto the reel when desired. In a further embodiment, the spring retraction governed by a ratchet such that recoil tension on the tubing can be controlled as desired. The safety reel further comprises an air swivel for connecting the air tubing to a source of therapeutic gas such that the tubing is not twisted when it is wound up onto the reel.
In one embodiment the alignment means, of the real and case, are automatically controlled such that the movement of a knob towards an alignment indicator causes the alignment of the reel and case to facilitate the complete replacement of the tubing.
In a preferred embodiment, the reel and case are made of a strong and durable plastic material, allowing for a lightweight and low cost device having considerable structural strength and integrity.
In a further embodiment, the length of tubing, within the reel, is connected solely to a replaceable device that is itself connected solely to the gas supply source. In a preferred embodiment the connection is by means of a swivel device that allows connection of tubing to a supply line while allowing the tubing to be coiled and paid out without entanglement of the line. The swivel device is designed to be disposable such that it may be removed and disposed of, and a new swivel device attached when fresh tubing is installed.
In a further embodiment, the safety real includes a swivel bracket for mounting the assembly to wall or oxygen source such that the reel and housing tracks the user as they move about.
Further, a method of installing and easily replacing tubing is provided in the present invention. The method includes the steps of providing a storage case that comprises a tube inlet, for inserting and paying-out tubing, and a reel alignment indicator. The method, further, includes the steps of providing a length of tubing, of the type used with therapeutic gases, and providing a tube reel on which to hold the tubing. The provided reel comprises a case alignment means and a barrel portion defining a tube opening. The reel further defines a hub and a tube passage, between the tube opening on the barrel and the hub. The hub defines an exterior opening of the tube passage and is the situs for bringing therapeutic gases into the case.
The method further includes aligning the case tube inlet and the barrel tube opening by manipulating the reel and aligning the reel alignment opening with the case alignment opening respectively on the case. Further, the method includes, inserting the tubing into the aligned case tube inlet and the reel tube opening, manipulating the length of tubing through the tube passage and to the hub for connection to tubing swivel and then to an external source of therapeutic gas.
In a preferred embodiment, the method is improved by providing a reel alignment indicator, on the case, that shows when the reel is aligned for replacement of the tubing. In the method of the present embodiment, the case tube inlet and the barrel tube opening may be aligned with each other by manipulating the reel and aligning the reel alignment indicator.
In replacing therapeutic gas tubing presently within a safety reel of the present invention, the inventive method includes the steps of paying out substantially all tubing within the case, aligning the case tube inlet and the barrel tube opening by manipulating the reel and aligning the reel aligning opening and the case aligning opening, respectively on the case and reel and pulling the tubing from the device. The user then provides a new length of tubing, which is installed according to the method described above. In a preferred embodiment, the tubing swivel is replaced when the tubing is replaced.
A more detailed explanation of the invention is provided in the following description and claims and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Therapeutic gas tube safety reel having easy tube replacement means and method of replacement


A cam for axially shifting the pulley faces of a variable width, torque sensing V-belt pulley in a variable speed, belt-type transmission system. The cam includes a plurality of cam lobes that extend in an axial direction at a predetermined radial distance from the pulley axis. Each cam lobe is triangular and is symmetrical about a cam lobe axis that is parallel with the pulley axis, and each cam lobe includes two cam surfaces that engage with respective cam followers to change the pulley face spacing as the load on the belt changes. The cam surfaces are convex and are in the form of circular arcs. The transmission system incorporating the cam structure is particularly suitable for vehicular use, and it provides improved performance by reducing engine overspeed upon initial acceleration and provides a smoother backshift when climbing hills.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a driven pulley structure forming part of a continuously-variable, V-belt-type power transmission. More particularly, the present invention relates to a variable width driven pulley structure, wherein the driven pulley includes an improved cam surface profile in which the separation between the pulley-engaging drive faces is controlled by a cam arrangement including a convex cam surface that provides improved performance for a vehicle in which a belt-type transmission utilizing the improved cam surface profile is installed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Continuously variable, V-belt-type power transmissions utilizing variable width drive and driven pulleys are well known. Such power transmissions are utilized on a wide variety of vehicles, including automobiles, utility vehicles, and golf carts, among others. The transmissions provide a stepless transfer of power from an electric motor or a gasoline engine to a driven output shaft that is operatively connected with one or more drive wheels of the vehicle. Additionally, such transmissions provide an advantage when applied to vehicles in that they respond automatically to changing load requirements by sensing the need for changes in input torque to the driving wheels. For example, when a vehicle is proceeding uphill and additional torque is required to maintain speed, the necessary increase in transmission output torque operates to increase the pull of the drive belt on the driven pulley, causing the faces of the driven pulley to move toward each other, to thereby increase the effective drive radius of the driven pulley and to decrease the effective drive radius of the driving pulley, as a result of which the torque at the transmission output shaft is increased.
Several patents disclose the provision of a cam and cam follower arrangement to govern the rate of movement of the pulley faces toward and away from each other in response to the torque demands placed upon the pulley structure. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,722,308, which issued on Mar. 27, 1973, to Herbert Steuer, there is disclosed a variable spacing pulley in which a generally circular cam element is provided that has a concave cam surface that curves gradually in the axial direction of the pulley.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,173,155, which issued on Nov. 6, 1979, to Paul G. Togami, et al., shows a torque sensing drive in which a two lobe, circular cam member is provided, wherein the cam surfaces between the cam lobes are defined by concave, generally parabolic curves.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,826,467, which issued on May 2, 1989, to Terry L. Reese, et al., and which is assigned to the assignee of the present application, a variable spacing pulley structure is disclosed in which a circular cam surface having three cam lobes is disclosed. The cam surfaces are defined by triangular cam lobes in the form of helical surfaces that have a constant angular pitch, which when viewed in two-dimensional, developed form are straight lines. That cam surface configuration has been found to be generally acceptable and has been used in commercially available golf cars, utility vehicles, and the like. However, at times the engine that powers such vehicles will tend to overspeed on initial acceleration, and the shift into a higher torque mode during hill climbing is less abrupt than is desired.
Other patents that disclose such pulleys having flat, rectilinear cam surfaces include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,403,976; 4,523,917; 4,585,429; and 4,592,737.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved cam profile to provide smoother operation and to avoid engine overspeed upon initial acceleration.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved cam profile to provide improved hill-climbing performance in a vehicle incorporating such a transmission arrangement.


A fixing device comprising a fixing belt, a rotating member to be in engagement with an outer circumferential surface of the fixing belt, to form a fixing nip between the fixing belt and the rotating member, and sliding members on both ends of the fixing belt.

An image forming apparatus forms an image on a printing medium and includes a printer, a copier, a facsimile machine, a multi-function device combining functions of the aforementioned devices, and the like.
An image forming apparatus using electrophotography emits light onto a photosensitive body charged with a predetermined electric potential and then forms an electrostatic latent image on a surface of the photosensitive body, to thereby form a visible image by supplying toner onto the electrostatic latent image. The visible image formed on the photosensitive body may be directly transferred to a printing medium or transferred to the printing medium via an intermediate transfer body, and the visible image transferred to the printing medium may be fixed onto the printing medium while being passed through a fixing device.
In general, a belt-type fixing device is equipped with a heat source, a heating member made of a belt, and a pressing member contacting tightly to the heating member to form a fixing nip. When the printing medium to which a toner image is transferred is fed between the heating member and the pressing member, the toner image is fixed onto the printing medium by heat radiating from the heating member and pressure applying to the fixing nip.

Fixing device and image forming device having same

HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.


A method for communication via a ring network that includes a plurality of nodes. The method includes receiving at a first node in the ring network a data packet transmitted over a virtual private LAN service (VPLS), the data packet including an identification of the VPLS. The first node reads the identification from the data packet. Responsively to reading the identification, the first node forwards the data packet to at least one second node in the ring network that is associated with the VPLS.

Local Area Networks (LANs) connect computing systems together at the Layer 2 level. The term "Layer 2" refers to the second layer in the protocol stack defined by the well-known Open Systems Interface (OSI) model, also known as the logical link, data link, or Media Access Control (MAC) layer. Each computing system connects to a LAN through a (MAC) device. Multiple LANs can be connected together using MAC bridges, as set forth in the "IEEE Standard for Information Technology, Telecommunications and Information Exchange between Systems, Local and Metropolitan Area Networks, Common Specifications, Part 3: Media Access Control (MAC) Bridges," published as ANSI/IEEE Standard 802.1D (1998), which is incorporated herein by reference. (The 802.1D standard, as well as other IEEE standards cited herein, is available in the standards section of the IEEE Web site.) MAC bridges that implement the 802.1D standard allow MAC devices attached to physically separated LANs to appear to each other as if they were attached to a single LAN. The bridge includes two or more MAC devices that interconnect the bridge ports to respective LANs.
MAC bridges maintain a database to map destination MAC addresses of the packets they receive to bridge ports. The bridge builds the database by means of a learning process, in which it associates the source MAC address of each incoming packet with the port on which the packet was received. When the bridge receives an incoming packet whose destination address is not located in the database, it broadcasts the packet through all its available ports, except the one through which the packet arrived. Other MAC bridges that do not recognize the destination address will further broadcast the packet. Through the broadcast mechanism, the packet will eventually traverse all interconnected bridges at least once, and will ultimately reach its destination. A similar broadcast operation is performed independently for each packet having a destination MAC address of a broadcast or multicast group, although the multicast scope may be reduced if the bridge is aware (by use of special protocols) of the physical locations of the target addresses in each multicast group. The operation of broadcast or multicast of a packet is referred to as a flooding process (irrespective of the reason for the operation).
Recently, various means have been proposed and developed for transporting Layer-2 packets, such as Ethernet frames, over high-speed, high-performance Layer-3 packet networks. Methods for this purpose are described, for example, by Martini et al., in "Encapsulation Methods for Transport of Ethernet Frames Over IP/MPLS Networks" (IETF draft-ietf-pwe3-ethernet-encap-07.txt, May, 2004), which is incorporated herein by reference. This draft defines mechanisms for encapsulating Ethernet traffic for transportation over Internet Protocol (IP) networks using Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) or other tunneling methods, such as Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE), as are known in the art. This draft, as well as other Internet drafts cited herein, is available from the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) at www.ietf.org/internet-drafts.
According to the model proposed by Martini et al., native Ethernet LANs are connected to the IP network by provider edge (PE) devices, which are linked one to another by tunnels through the IP network. The sending (ingress) PE device receives Ethernet frames from a customer edge (CE) device on the source LAN. It encapsulates the frames in packets with the label stack required for transmitting the packets through the appropriate tunnel to the receiving (egress) PE device. The label structure includes a "Pseudo Wire" label (or PW label), which is used by the egress PE device to de-encapsulate the frame and send it to the proper user port. As a result of this encapsulation and associated processing functions, the IP network emulates Ethernet trunking and switching behavior and can thus be treated as an Ethernet PW. In other words, from the point of view of native Ethernet LANs that are connected to tunnels through the IP network, each PW is a virtual Ethernet point-to-point connection, emulating a physical connection between two Ethernet ports. Martini's encapsulation method may also be used in conjunction with virtual LANs (VLANs), as defined in IEEE standard 802.1Q. In this case, the egress PE device processes and forwards the packet based on the VLAN tag.
Taking this functionality a step further, a number of authors have described methods for creating a virtual private LAN service (VPLS), which links different LANs together over an IP network. Such methods are described, for example, by Kompella et al., in "Virtual Private LAN Service" (IETF draft-ietf-12vpn-vpls-bgp-02.txt, May, 2004) and by Lasserre et al., in "Virtual Private LAN Services over MPLS" (IETF draft-ietf-12vpn-vpls-ldp-03.txt, April, 2004), which are incorporated herein by reference.
A VPLS (also known as a transparent LAN service—TLS) provides bridge-like functionality between multiple sites over a large network. Users connect to the VPLS via regular Ethernet interfaces. PWs between the nodes to which the users are connected form the VPLS entity itself. Every node in a VPLS acts as a virtual bridge. A virtual bridge node has "virtual ports," which are the endpoints of PWs that are part of the VPLS. The interfaces to which the users are actually connected are physical ports at the network edges. Both virtual and real interfaces are treated identically from the point of view of frame forwarding and address learning. A single provider node can participate in multiple VPLS instances, each belonging to a different user. From the perspective of the end-user, the VPLS network is transparent. The user is provided with the illusion that the provider network is a single LAN domain. User nodes on different physical LANs can thus be joined together through VPLS connections to define a virtual private network (VPN), which appears to the users to be a single Ethernet LAN.
"Hierarchical VPLS" is an extension to the VPLS model, which is also described by Lasserre et al. in the above-mentioned draft. To avoid loops in the VPN, Lasserre et al. require that each PE be directly connected to every other PE in the same VPN by a single PW, thus defining a full mesh topology. All PEs support a "split horizon" scheme, meaning that a PE must not forward traffic from one PW to another, although it may (and should) forward traffic from one physical port to another and between physical ports and the PWs. In hierarchical VPLS, some or all of the physical interfaces on one side of the split horizon can be replaced by point-to-point PWs, which act as logical extensions of physical ports of remote nodes. In this case, there are both full mesh PWs and point-to-point PWs (and possibly even physical ports) associated with the same VPN. Nodes with only point-to-point PWs are considered to be on the "access side" of the network, and are referred to as "edge nodes." Nodes with full mesh PWs are considered to be in the "core side" of the network, and are referred to as "core nodes."
Bi-directional network ring topologies are gaining in popularity, particularly in Internet Protocol (IP) networks. Such networks provide efficient bandwidth utilization by enabling data to be transferred between any pair of nodes in either direction around the ring, while maintaining fast protection against faults. The two opposing traffic directions are commonly referred to as an inner ringlet and an outer ringlet, or ringlet 0 and ringlet 1. It will be understood, however, that in the context of the present patent application and in the claims, the terms "inner" and "outer," as well as other terms such as "east" and "west" or "right" and "left," are used arbitrarily to distinguish between the two opposing directions of packet flow in a ring network. These terms are chosen solely for convenience of explanation, and do not necessarily bear any relation to the physical characteristics of the network.
The leading bi-directional protocol for high-speed packet rings is the Resilient Packet Ring (RPR) protocol, which has recently been approved as IEEE standard 802.17, "Part 17: Resilient Packet Ring (RPR) Access Method & Physical Layer Specifications," which is incorporated herein by reference. Using the RPR protocol, each node (commonly referred to as a "station") in a ring network has a RPR MAC address and can communicate directly with all other nodes through either ringlet. Each packet sent over either of the ringlets carries a header indicating its RPR MAC destination address. The receiving node recognizes its address in the header and strips the packet from the ring. All other nodes pass the packet onward transparently around the ring. Multicast and broadcast packets may also be delivered over the rings in a similar fashion, using a suitable multicast or broadcast address.
The RPR standard (Annex E) also defines a mechanism for bridging between 802.1D and 802.1Q LANs via the ring network. Bridging of this sort is carried out by bridge nodes on the ring, which connect the ring to other LANs. When a bridge node receives a packet from another LAN, it adds a RPR header with an appropriate RPR MAC destination address and forwards the packet across the ring. If the particular RPR MAC address for the packet is unknown, the bridge node uses a broadcast MAC address to flood the packet to all the nodes on the ring.
Busi et al. describe methods for making transparent LAN connections over a RPR network in U.S. Patent Application Publications US 2003/0074469 A1 and US 2004/0022268 A1, whose disclosures are incorporated herein by reference. The first of these publications describes a method for setting up a transparent LAN-to-LAN functionality between multi-customer source locations through a RPR network. To transport Ethernet frames across the RPR network, an auxiliary header and RPR header are added to the Ethernet frame. The auxiliary header comprises information about the channel designed to transport the frame. The second publication describes a method for making an end-to-end connection between RPR and MPLS networks, wherein the RPR network is linked to the MPLS network through a TLS layer.

Virtual private LAN service over ring networks


A stretch releasing pressure sensitive adhesive tape includes a silicone pressure sensitive adhesive composition that exhibits a 180xc2x0 peel strength on a glass substrate at 98% relative humidity of at least about 5.47 N/dm and a non-tacky tab. A stretch releasing pressure sensitive adhesive tape includes a pressure sensitive adhesive composition having a modulus at 1 radian/second and xe2x88x9217xc2x0 C. of no greater than about 1xc3x97107 Pa and a non-tacky tab.

The invention relates to stretch releasing adhesive tape.
Stretch releasing adhesive tapes are often used to bond to a substrate and then release from the substrate upon stretching. Stretch releasing adhesive tapes are useful in a variety of applications including, e.g., assembling, joining, attaching and mounting applications. The stretch releasing tape can be removed from the substrate by stretching the tape at an angle to the surface of the substrate to which it is bonded.
Many stretch releasing adhesive tapes, once bonded to a substrate, e.g., wallboard, are cleanly removable from the substrate such that there is no visible residue remaining on the substrate and no visible damage to the substrate.
Commercially available stretch releasing adhesive tapes include products sold under the trade designation COMMAND by Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, St. Paul, Minn., and the product sold under the trade designation POWER-STRIPS by Beiersdorf A G, Hamburg, Germany. These products are available as discrete strips in which one end of the strip includes a non-adhesive pull tab to facilitate stretching of the strip during removal.
Stretch releasing adhesive tapes are used in a variety of applications and are applied to a variety of substrates including painted wallboard and finished wood. Available stretch releasing adhesive tapes, however, have difficulty maintaining adhesion to substrates such as ceramic and glass in high humidity environments such as showers, bathrooms and kitchens.
In one aspect, the invention features a stretch releasing adhesive tape construction that includes a silicone pressure sensitive adhesive composition that exhibits a 180xc2x0 peel strength on a glass substrate at 98% relative humidity of at least about 5.47 N/dm, and a non-tacky tab. In one embodiment, the pressure sensitive adhesive composition includes a silicone polymer selected from the group consisting of silicone polyurea block copolymers, polydiorganosiloxane polymers, and mixtures thereof.
In some embodiments, the pressure sensitive adhesive composition includes a) a silicone polyurea block copolymer comprising the reaction product of i) a polydiorganosiloxane diamine having a molecular weight of at least 5,000 g/mole, and ii) a polyisocyanate, and b) from about 30% by weight to about 70% by weight MQ resin. In other embodiments, the silicone polyurea block copolymer includes the reaction product of a polydiorganosiloxane diamine having a molecular weight of at least 5,000 g/mole, a polyamine, and a polyisocyanate. In one embodiment, the polyamine has a molecular weight no greater than 300 g/mole. In other embodiments, the polydiorganosiloxane diamine has a molecular weight of from about 10,000 g/mole to about 65,000 g/mole. The polydiorganosiloxane diamine can also have a molecular weight of from about 25,000 g/mole to about 50,000 g/mole.
In another embodiment, the silicone polyurea block copolymer includes the reaction product of a polydiorganosiloxane diamine having a molecular weight of from about 10,000 g/mole to about 65,000 g/mole, no greater than 3 moles polyamine (more preferably from about 0.25 moles to 2 moles polyamine), and a polyisocyanate.
In other embodiments, the pressure sensitive adhesive composition includes from about 40% by weight to about 60% by weight MQ resin. In some embodiments, the pressure sensitive adhesive composition includes from about 45% by weight to about 55% by weight MQ resin.
In some embodiments, the pressure sensitive adhesive composition exhibits a 180xc2x0 peel strength on a glass substrate at 98% relative humidity of at least about 21.9 N/dm. In another embodiment, the pressure sensitive adhesive composition exhibits a 180xc2x0 peel strength on a glass substrate at 98% relative humidity of at least about 32.8 N/dm.
In some embodiments, the pressure sensitive adhesive composition has a modulus at xe2x88x9217xc2x0 C. of no greater than about 1xc3x97107 Pa. In other embodiments, the pressure sensitive adhesive composition has a modulus at 1 radian/second and xe2x88x9217xc2x0 C. of no greater than about 5xc3x97106 Pa. In another embodiment, the pressure sensitive adhesive composition has a modulus at 1 radian/second and xe2x88x9217xc2x0 C. of no greater than about 2xc3x97106 Pa.
In another embodiment, the tape includes a pressure sensitive adhesive foam.
In other embodiments, the tape further includes a backing and the pressure sensitive adhesive composition is disposed on the backing. In one embodiment, the backing is selected from the group consisting of elastic backings, highly extensible backings, and substantially inelastic backings, and combinations thereof. In another embodiment, the backing includes a film selected from the group consisting of single layer, multi-layer, woven, non-woven and porous films, and combinations thereof. In other embodiments, the backing includes a layer of polymeric film and a layer of polymeric foam. In another embodiment, the backing includes a layer of foam, a first film disposed on a first surface of the foam and a second film disposed on a second surface of the foam.
In some embodiments, the backing includes a treated surface, the pressure sensitive adhesive composition is disposed on the treated surface of the backing and exhibits greater adhesion to the treated backing relative to an untreated backing.
In another embodiment, the tape further includes a primer composition disposed between the pressure sensitive adhesive composition and the backing.
In other embodiments, a pressure sensitive adhesive composition is disposed on a first major surface of the backing and a second major surface of the backing opposite the first major surface.
In one embodiment, when a first substrate is bonded to a second substrate through the stretch releasing pressure sensitive adhesive tape, the stretch releasing pressure sensitive adhesive tape is capable of completely separating from one of the first substrate or the second substrate prior to completely separating from the other of the first substrate or the second substrate.
In another aspect, the invention features a stretch releasing pressure sensitive adhesive tape construction that includes a pressure sensitive adhesive composition having a modulus at xe2x88x9217xc2x0 C. of no greater than about 1xc3x97107 Pa, and a non-tacky tab. In some embodiments, the pressure sensitive adhesive composition has a modulus at 1 radian/second and xe2x88x9217xc2x0 C. of no greater than about 5xc3x97106 Pa. In other embodiments, the pressure sensitive adhesive composition has a modulus at 1 radian/second and xe2x88x9217xc2x0 C. of no greater than about 2xc3x97106 Pa. In one embodiment, the pressure sensitive adhesive composition includes a silicone polymer.
In some aspects, the invention features an assembly that includes a device for holding an article and an above-described stretch releasing pressure sensitive adhesive tape disposed on a surface of the device. In one embodiment, the device is capable of holding an article selected from the group consisting of razor, bottle, bar of soap and combinations thereof.
In other aspects, the invention features a method of removably bonding an above-described assembly to a substrate. The method includes contacting the substrate with the stretch releasing pressure sensitive adhesive tape such that the device is bonded to the substrate through the stretch releasing pressure sensitive adhesive tape and the non-tacky tab is available for grasping by a user. In one embodiment, the method further includes pulling the tab such that the pressure sensitive adhesive tape stretches and releases from at least one of the device and the substrate. In some embodiments, the method includes removably bonding the assembly to a substrate selected from the group consisting of glass, ceramic, porcelain and combinations thereof. In other embodiments, the substrate is disposed in a high humidity environment. In another embodiment, the substrate is in a location selected from the group consisting of a shower, a steam room, a bathtub, and a refrigerator. In one embodiment, the substrate is in a location selected from the group consisting of a refrigerator and a portable cooler.
In still other aspects, the invention features a multi-layer pressure-sensitive adhesive tape that includes a) a backing that includes a foam substrate, b) a first silicone pressure-sensitive adhesive composition disposed on a first surface of the backing, the first pressure-sensitive adhesive composition exhibiting a 180xc2x0 peel strength to a glass substrate at 98% relative humidity of at least about 5.47 N/dm, and c) a second pressure-sensitive adhesive composition disposed on a second surface of the backing. In one embodiment, the backing of the multi-layer pressure-sensitive adhesive tape further includes a first polymeric film bonded to a first surface of the foam substrate and a second polymeric film bonded to a second surface of the foam substrate opposite the first surface.
In another aspect, the invention features a kit that includes a device for holding an article and a stretch releasing pressure sensitive adhesive tape capable of forming a bond to a surface of the device and to a substrate, the tape including a silicone pressure sensitive adhesive composition that exhibits a 180xc2x0 peel adhesion to a glass substrate at 98% relative humidity of at least about 5.47 N/dm. In some embodiments, the stretch releasing adhesive tape further includes a non-tacky tab. In other embodiments, the pressure sensitive adhesive composition includes a silicone polymer selected from the group consisting of silicone polyurea block copolymers, polydiorganosiloxane polymers, and mixtures thereof. In one embodiment, when the device is bonded to a substrate through the stretch releasing pressure sensitive adhesive tape, the stretch releasing pressure sensitive adhesive tape is capable of completely separating from one of the device or the substrate prior to completely separating from the other of the device or the substrate.
In some aspects, the invention features a kit that includes a device for holding an article and a stretch releasing pressure sensitive adhesive tape capable of forming a bond to a surface of the device and to a substrate, the tape including a pressure sensitive adhesive composition having a modulus at 1 radian/second and xe2x88x9217xc2x0 C. of no greater than about 1xc3x97107 Pa.
The invention features a stretch releasing adhesive tape that can maintain a bond to silacious substrates including, e.g., glass, ceramic, porcelain and glass-like substrates, in high humidity and wet environments, e.g., bathroom, shower, kitchen and pool areas. The stretch releasing adhesive tape can also be formulated to form and maintain a bond to a substrate at relatively low temperatures, and is well suited to applications in low temperature environments including, e.g., outdoor mounting in cooler weather and mounting in refrigerators.
The stretch releasing pressure sensitive adhesive tape also exhibits good UV resistance and is suitable for use in applications where there is possible UV exposure including, e.g., windows, outdoor applications and automobiles.
In some embodiments, the stretch releasing adhesive tape removes cleanly from a variety of substrates including, e.g., glass, ceramic, and painted wallboard, without damage to the substrate. The stretch releasing pressure sensitive adhesive tape exhibits good adhesion to a broad range of surfaces and substrates, is conformable to rough surfaces, and can be formulated to exhibit high load shear properties and rapid adhesion build. The stretch releasing pressure sensitive adhesive tape can also be constructed to completely separate from a first substrate to which it is bonded prior to completely separating from a second substrate to which it is bonded.
Other features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments thereof, and from the claims.

Stretch releasing pressure sensitive adhesive tape and articles


A releasably mountable cleanout cover for releasable mounting onto a plumbing cleanout cap, having a protruding cap member, exposed within an aperture in a wall includes an aperture covering member having an exterior surface and an interior surface for covering the aperture in the wait, a hollow mounting tube rigidly mounted to and generally centered on, the interior surface and extending longitudinally and generally perpendicularly outwardly from the interior surface, a longitudinally spaced apart array of opposed inwardly extending resilient flanges spaced longitudinally apart within the hollow mounting tube for resilient deformation about opposed surfaces on the protruding cap member when the protruding cap member is snugly journalled in the hollow mounting tube so as to be snugly retained between the opposed inwardly extending resilient flanges.

Currently, in the construction of buildings, it is required by national and local plumbing codes that there be an easily accessible plumbing cover which, upon removal, allow a tradesman, such as a plumber, access to the interior of the plumbing in the building. The access covers are typically of black plastic, are functionally shaped to allow removal of the access cover, otherwise known as a "cleanout" and, thus, are not aesthetically appealing when viewed in the interior of the home. Quite often the cleanout will be accessible through a hole cut in the drywall on an interior wall of the building.
Consequently, there is a need, and it is an object of the present invention to provide, a simple aesthetically appealing cover which may be simply installed over an access cover to disguise its appearance, and which may be painted to match the colour of the wall and, yet, is adapted for quick and easy removal from the cleanout in the event that a tradesman needs to gain access to the cleanout.
Applicant is aware of U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,770 which issued to Coleman on Jul. 14, 1992 for an "Armadillo Tamper Resistant Bolt and Head Protector". The Coleman device concentrates on the specific provision of a tamper proof cover for cap screws. The Coleman design would not work is the application to which the present invention in directed as the intention of the Coleman device is to permanently mount a cover over a cap screw by means of gripping rings which penetrate the edges of the head or nut creating a permanent union of the cover and head or nut. In particular, a compression ring applies an upward force when the Coleman cover has been installed to force the gripping rings to penetrate the head or nut of a cap screw. Thus, it may be seen that the Coleman device is not a releasably mountable cover such as in the present invention and, in fact, the Coleman device teaches away from such a device.


The present invention is directed to compounds useful in the treatment of diseases associated with prenylation of proteins and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, to pharmaceutical compositions comprising same, and to methods for inhibiting protein prenylation in an organism using the same.

The mammalian Ras proteins are a family of guanosine triphosphate (GTP) binding and hydrolyzing proteins that regulate cell growth and differentiation. Their overproduction or mutation can lead to uncontrolled cell growth, and has been implicated as a cause or aggravating factor in a variety of diseases including cancer, restenosis, psoriasis, endometriosis, atherosclerosis, viral or yeast infection, and corneal neovascularization.
Ras proteins share characteristic C-terminal sequences termed the CAAX motif, wherein C is Cys, A is an amino acid, usually an aliphatic amino acid, and X is an aliphatic amino acid or other type of amino acid. The biological activity of the proteins is dependent upon the post-translational modification of these sequences by isoprenoid lipids. For proteins having a C-terminal CAAX sequence, this modification, which is called prenylation, occurs in at least three steps: the addition of either a 15 carbon (farnesyl) or 20 carbon (geranylgeranyl) isoprenoid to the Cys residue, the proteolytic cleavage of the last three amino acids from the C-terminus, and the methylation of the new C-terminal carboxylate. Zhang and Casey, Ann. Rev. Biochem. 1996, 65, 241-269. The prenylation of some proteins may include a fourth step; the palmitoylation of one or two Cys residues N-terminal to the farnesylated Cys.
Ras-like proteins terminating with XXCC or XCXC motifs can also be prenylated and are modified by geranylgeranylation on the Cys residues. These proteins do not require an endoproteolytic processing step. While some mammalian cell proteins terminating in XCXC are carboxymethylated, it is not clear whether carboxymethylation follows prenylation of proteins terminating with XXCC motifs. Clarke, Ann. Rev. Biochem., 1992, 61, 355-386. For all Ras-like proteins, however, addition of the isoprenoid is the first step of prenylation, and is required for the subsequent steps. Cox and Der, Critical Rev. Oncogenesis, 1992, 3, 365-400; and Ashby et al., Curr. Opinion Lipidology, 1998, 9, 99-102.
Three enzymes have been found to catalyze protein prenylation: farnesyl-protein transferase (FPTase), geranylgeranyl-protein transferase type I (GGPTase-I), and geranylgeranyl-protein transferase type-II (GGPTase-II, also called Rab GGPTase). These enzymes are present in both yeast and mammalian cells. Schafer and Rine, Annu. Rev. Genet., 1992, 30, 209-237. U.S. Pat. No. 5,578,477 discloses a method of purifying FPTase using recombinant technology and yeast host cells. Such techniques are useful in the elucidation of the enzyme structures.
FPTase and GGPTase-I are α/β heterodimeric enzymes that share a common α subunit; the β subunits are distinct but share approximately 30% amino acid identity. Brown and Goldstein, Nature, 1993, 366, 14-15; Zhang et al., J. Biol. Chem., 1994, 269, 3175-3180. GGPTase II has different α and β subunits, and complexes with a third component (REP, Rab Escort Protein) that presents the protein substrate to the α/β catalytic subunits. GGPTase proteins, and the nucleic acid sequence encoding them, are disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,789,558 and WO 95/20651. U.S. Pat. No. 5,141,851 discloses the structure of a FPTase protein.
Each of these enzymes selectively uses farnesyl diphosphate or geranylgeranyl diphosphate as the isoprenoid donor, and selectively recognizes the protein substrate. FPTase farnesylates CAAX-containing proteins that end with Ser, Met, Cys, Gln or Ala. GGPTase-I geranylgeranylates CAAX-containing proteins that end with Leu or Phe. For FPTase and GGPTase-I, CAAX tetrapeptides comprise the minimum region required for interaction of the protein substrate with the enzyme. GGPTase-II modifies XXCC and XCXC proteins, but its interaction with protein substrates is more complex, requiring protein sequences in addition to the C-terminal amino acids for recognition. Enzymological characterization of FPTase, GGPTase-I and GGPTase-II has demonstrated that it is possible to selectively inhibit only one of these enzymes. Moores et al., J. Biol. Chem., 1991, 266, 17438.
GGPTase-I transfers a geranylgeranyl group from the prenyl donor geranylgeranyl diphosphate to the cysteine residue of substrate CAAX protein. Clarke, Annu. Rev. Biochem., 1992, 61, 355-386; Newman and Magee, Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 1993, 1155, 79-96. Known targets of GGPTase-I include the gamma subunits of brain heterotrimeric G proteins and Ras-related small GTP-binding proteins such as RhoA, RhoB, RhoC, CDC42Hs, Rac1, Rac2, Rap1A and Rap1B. The proteins RhoA, RhoB, RhoC, Rac1, Rac2 and CDC42Hs have roles in the regulation of cell shape. Ridley and Hall, Cell, 1992, 70, 389-399; Ridley et al., Cell, 1992, 70, 401-410; Bokoch and Der, FASEB J., 1993, 7, 750-759. Rac and Rap proteins play roles in neutrophil activation.
It has been found that the ability of Ras proteins to affect cell shape is dependant upon Rho and Rac protein function. See, e.g., Mackey and Hall, J. Biol. Chem., 1998, 273, 20688-20695. It thus follows that because Rho and Rac proteins require geranylgeranylation for function, an inhibitor of GGPTase-I would block the functions of these proteins, and may be useful as, for example, an anticancer agent. This notion is supported by recently reported research.
For example, GGPTase-I inhibitors can arrest human tumor cells that lack p53 in G0/G1, and induce the accumulation of p21WAP. This suggests that these inhibitors could be used to restore growth arrest in cells lacking functional p53. Vogt et al., J. Biol. Chem., 1997, 272, 27224-27229. Noteworthy in this regard are reports indicating that K-Ras, the form of Ras gene most associated with human cancers, can be modified by GGPTase-I in cells where FPTase is inhibited. Whyte et al., J. Biol. Chem., 1997, 272, 14459-14464. Since geranylgeranylated Ras has been reported to be as efficient as the farnesylated form in cell transformation studies, K-Ras cancers could be treated with GGPTase-I inhibitors. Lerner et al., J. Biol. Chem., 1995, 270, 26770-26773.
In addition to cancer, there are other pathological conditions for which GGPTase inhibitors may be used as intervention agents. These include, for example, the intimal hyperplasia associated with restenosis and atherosclerosis. Pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells seem particularly sensitive to inhibition of GGPTase-I, and treatment of such cells with a GGPTase inhibitor resulted in a superinduction of their inducible nitric-oxide synthase (NOS-2) by interleukin-1β. Finder et al., J. Biol. Chem., 1997, 272, 13484-13488.
GGPTase inhibitors may also be used as anti-fungal agents. In S. cerevisiae and Candida albicans, and apparently most other fungi, cell wall biosynthesis is controlled by a Rho-type protein that is modified by the fungal GGPTase-I. Qadota et al., Science, 1996, 272, 279-281. Selective inhibition of the fungal enzyme would diminish cell wall integrity, and thus be lethal to fungal cells.
Numerous other prenylation inhibitors have been studied. Some examples of these are disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,420,245; 5,574,025; 5,523,430; 5,602,098; 5,631,401; 5,705,686; 5,238,922; 5,470,832; and 6,191,147; and by European Application Nos. 856,315 and 537,008. The effectiveness and specificity of these inhibitors vary widely, as do their chemical structures, and many of them are difficult to synthesize and purify.
Therefore, there is a need for new, more effective prenyl-protein transferase inhibitors.

Prenylation inhibitors and methods of their synthesis and use


A method includes receiving, at a server computing device, a request to stream media content to a user device. The request is associated with data identifying a personal quality profile. The method includes retrieving, via the server computing device, the personal quality profile associated with the data. The personal quality profile indicates media quality preferences. The method includes determining, via a processor of the server computing device, a version of the media content to send to the user device based on the media quality preferences of the personal quality profile and based on a delivery bit rate. The method also includes sending the version from the server computing device to the user device in response to the request.

Media content delivered to a user device may be tailored to the user device (e.g., a high definition television, a standard definition television, a tablet computer, a computer monitor, a mobile communication device, etc.). For example, a spatial resolution and display ratio of particular media content provided to a first device associated with a person (e.g., a high definition television coupled to a set-top box device) may be different than a spatial resolution and display ratio of the particular media content when provided to a second device associated with the person (e.g., a mobile communication device). A viewer may be able to choose a particular spatial resolution of media content, but the viewer may not be able to choose other aspects of the media content that influence quality of the media content as perceived by the viewer.

Delivery of media content to a user device at a particular quality based on a personal quality profile


In accordance to an aspect a connection to attach a first downhole tool to a second downhole tool includes an externally threaded member positioned about the first downhole tool and an internally threaded member disposed with the second downhole tool to threadedly mate with the externally threaded member, wherein threadedly connecting the externally threaded member with the internally threaded member interconnects the first downhole tool and the second downhole tool with a defined tensile force and a compressive force at an interface between a hard shoulder of the first downhole tool and a hard shoulder of the second downhole tool.

This section provides background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the disclosure. It should be understood that the statements in this section of this document are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Sections or subsections of downhole tools, for example drilling and measurement tools, are often interconnected by bolts. For example, interconnection of a power generation section, electronics, modulator devices, and actuators. The bolts ensure a high tension force between the sections for example 40 kN.
Bolted connections can be troublesome, in particular in the small section of drilling and measurement tools. These connections are similar to a flange configuration as the center portion of the tool is utilized for the electrical and hydraulic connections. The bolts are located at the periphery of the tubular tool. The bolts have to be protected from the fluid flow with fin shaped sections that can be expensive to machine and generally require welding. The bolts have to be extremely robust and are often constructed of non-standard exotic alloys such as MP35N.

Downhole tool connection assembly and method


A band-gap voltage reference (39) has a regulator portion (70) providing a substantially constant current of predetermined magnitude Ic and a band-gap reference portion (72) receiving Ic. The reference portion (72) has a first branch including a first transistor (52) of a first type serially coupled to a second transistor (55) of a second type, a second branch including a third transistor (53) of the first type serially coupled to a fourth transistor (56) of the second type, the first and second branches forming a current mirror (73) carrying a total current of about Ic/2, and a third branch (57) in parallel with the first and second branches and carrying a current of substantially Ic-Ic/2. Base current (65) in the first two branches is compensated by base current (64) of the third branch.

Voltage reference circuits are widely used in the electronics art, particularly integrated voltage reference circuits fabricated in semiconductor microchips. A well known technique for obtaining a voltage reference is to utilize the inherent band-gap energy of the semiconductor in or on which an integrated circuit (IC) micro-chip is fabricated. In the case of silicon based IC's, the band gap energy is about 1.1 electron-volts.
FIG. 1 shows typical prior art band-gap voltage reference circuit 9 comprising resistors 10, 16, 28, 29 and 31, capacitor 30, NPN transistors 12, 13, 24, 25, 26, and 32 and PNP transistors 14, 15, 17, 18, 22, 23, and 27, connected as shown. Terminal 33 is coupled to the supply voltage (Vsup), terminal 34 to the reference voltage (Vg), e.g., ground, and terminal 35 provides the reference voltage (Vref) output.
Transistors 22 and 23 form a PNP current mirror. Influence of their base currents is compensated by resistor 16. The influence of the base current of transistor 27 is compensated by the base current of transistor 15. In order to achieve good compensation, resistor 16 must have a relatively precise value. Unfortunately, it is difficult in the manufacture of IC's to maintain a precise resistor value during manufacturing. That is, the statistical variations in the manufacturing process cause the value of resistor 16 in different microchips made in the same production line to vary. This adversely affects the yield and performance of the finished products, e.g., regulators and other circuits which employ reference circuits of the type illustrated in FIG. 1. A further complication is that the value of resistor 16 is usually temperature dependent. This causes; the reference voltage being supplied at output terminal 35 of circuit 9 to vary as the chip temperature varies. This is undesirable. For these and other reasons, there continues to be a need for improved voltage reference circuits and apparatus in which sensitivity to process and temperature variations is reduced.

Electrical apparatus and method for providing a reference signal


A system of estimating fatigue in a lifting member, the system including: a first sensor configured to measure a first load related to a ram, the ram being connected to the lifting member; and a calculating device configured to: determine an actuator load based on the first load; determine a first force based on the actuator load; estimate a unit of fatigue life based on the first force; and estimate a fraction of total fatigue life consumed for a portion of the lifting member based on the unit of fatigue life and a fatigue life adjustment value.

Reference to background art herein is not to be construed as an admission that such art constitutes common general knowledge in Australia or elsewhere.
Currently, strain gauges are used to measure strain at points in an excavator arm. The measurements from strain gauges in turn allow the stress and expected fatigue life at points in the excavator arm to be calculated.
Strain gauges are usually attached to the excavator arm by an adhesive. However, as excavator environments are quite harsh, strain gauges and their associated cables often fail or are dislodged from the excavator. This may present a safety issue as the stress experienced by the excavator arm is not measured and/or recorded. This also results in the fatigue life of the points in the excavator arm being overestimated.
In addition, as strain gauges may, for example, be retrofitted to the excavator arm, the specific mounting orientation required for strain gauges to accurately function, contributes to the inconvenience of using strain gauges to measure strain within the excavator arm.

System and method of estimating fatigue in a lifting member