A treatment device is attached to a sealed container to provide clean replacement atmosphere to maintain the purity and cleanliness of the uncontaminated liquid remaining in the container. The device includes a valving system arranged to control flow of atmosphere into and out of the container, and includes a bubbler filled with treatment liquid, such as a disinfectant or purifying agent. Filtered air is bubbled through the treatment liquid prior to feeding the replacement atmosphere into the sealed container. In one embodiment, a floating valve assists in preventing undesired suction of the treatment liquid into the container. In another embodiment, the treatment device is attached to exhaust atmosphere to keep an ambient area clean as new liquid is added to the container and harmful atmosphere is exhausted. Methods related to the above are also defined and claimed.

The present invention relates to an atmosphere treatment device that can be used to treat, clean, and sterilize replacement atmosphere entering or exiting a container as liquid is drawn off or added to the container. In particular, the present atmosphere treatment device is very useful in public water systems where water is stored in a container and replacement air entering the container as water is dispensed may cause contamination of the water remaining in the container. However, the present invention is not believed to be limited to just this single area, as will be apparent from the following discussion.
Many different water systems using rigid containers are used by the public for drinking water, such as municipal water towers, five-gallon bottled water delivered at regular intervals, and bulk water delivered into rigid storage containers stored at on-site locations. The water in these containers are at risk for contamination by air-borne contaminants because untreated ambient air replaces the liquid as the liquid is removed from the respective containers. The air-borne contaminants can include dirt, dust, mold, algae, germs, bacteria, chemicals, and other organic and inorganic matter that are potentially harmful and/or that detract from the taste and healthiness of drinking water.
Even state-approved systems and filtered water delivery systems have this problem. For example, state-approved bulk drinking water is delivered by tank trucks, then pumped into smaller vented tanks at the customer""s site where it is used as an alternative source of drinking water. Several Californian companies in the water-delivery business use 5-micron filters to reduce dust and dirt in their systems. However, they still have a problem with algae, because algae particles find their way past or through the filtering system. There are several ways that this can occur. Algae spores can potentially be carried by air moisture as air flows through the filters, such that the filters are not effective at filtering out the algae. Where a filter is used as a breather, any contact from over-filling or expansion of liquid in the container tanks can potentially be sucked back into the drinking water, where it contaminates the contents of the tanks. Some tanks have a cover that is removed for filling, which compromises a quality of the water in the tank by permitting a direct open access for ambient air and airborne contaminants to enter into the tank. Even though the open access is temporary, it only takes a single particle, spore, seed, or germ to initiate a growing active contamination problem.
Advancements in pollution-detecting equipment and scientific knowledge have uncovered many health issues with chemicals and bacteria in the water we drink and the air we breathe. This has created a huge industry that deals with treated and filtered water and air, with filters being provided for removing suspended particles and chemicals and for treating bacteria and algae. Often, ozone, chlorine, ultra-violet light, and distillation are used to address the bacteria problems in drinking water. However, these treatments are potentially a safety hazard in concentrated forms, are expensive and difficult to reliably dispense in accurate and safe ranges, and are difficult to uniformly and widely disperse into drinking water. Further, they can cause undesirable side effects in certain percentages of the human population, and/or can cause poor taste, odors, and other problems.
It is believed that the ability to treat water and keep it in sealed sanitary containers is a preferred method for protecting water quality. However, because of cost, convenience, and/or the lack of an effective alternative method, many liquid products are stored in rigid tanks. Rigid containers that dispense liquid by use of gravity or pumps rely on the flow of untreated ambient replacement air to prevent vacuum from developing that would stop and/or slow restrict outflow of liquid. For example, municipalities often use large water towers to store drinking water. Attached to a top of the towers is usually a 10-inch or 12 inch vent pipe in the shape of an upside down U-section. One end of the U-section is connected to the interior of the tower and the other end is open to ambient air with a 1 inch or xc2xd inch screen mesh over the end. Replacement air unfortunately carries unnecessary airborne pollutants inside the tower where they are absorbed into the water or where they float on top of the water. By removing as many pollutants as possible from the replacement air, the need for chlorine and anti-algae and anti-bacteria agents can be substantially reduced. However, to date, known systems have not been as effective as desired for reasons discussed above and below.
It is noted that, in the State of Michigan, municipal water suppliers are required to maintain a residual of 0.2 ppl chlorine disinfectant in potable water. Chlorine seems to be the disinfectant of choice, but it has some problems that cannot or should not be ignored. For example, organic debris found in surface water when treated with chlorine creates carcinogens. Further, any additional unnecessary pollutants that enter the water require additional chlorine to maintain the residual level of 0.2 ppl. Still further, to maintain a 0.2 ppl residual for the end user, the chlorine added to the water is excessive at the point of treatment, since the chlorine dissipates over distance.
In another example, the carbonated beverage industry uses ambient air tanks for storing liquid sugar. It is difficult to control mold and bacteria in these tanks.
In another example, the milk industry uses ambient air tanks on all milk house holding tanks, all milk delivery trucks and on some of the milk processing tanks. It is difficult to control airborne bacteria in these tanks, and difficult to meet USDA standards for purity and cleanliness.
The medical field has serious problems with several strains of antibiotic-resistant staff infection, such as may occur in medical treatment centers and in hospitals. Staff bacteria are an airborne bacterium that comes from the nose and throat of carriers and spreads easily. Storage containers in the medical field that use ambient replacement air would benefit greatly from a reliable, low-cost safeguard against airborne contamination.
It is also noted that certain medicines and chemicals react with plastic and need to be stored in rigid non-plastic containers. By using a valve assembly connected to the tank port on an open-air rigid container, the non-plastic container would be hermetically sealed. However, the valve assembly must relieve pressure in the container to prevent high pressures and/or vacuums from developing in the container that cause problems with liquid flow into and out of the container. The existing filters and disinfectants do not adequately nor satisfactorily solve this high/low pressure problem.
Therefore, there is a real need for hermetically sealing vented storage containers to allow for removing liquid therein, while protecting remaining uncontaminated liquid from contaminated replacement ambient atmospheric air. Further, an apparatus is desired that is cost-effective, efficient, relatively simple in its operation and construction, and that utilizes known materials and technology and low cost materials to accomplish significant improvements in the quality of water and other liquids.
In one aspect of the present invention, an apparatus is provided for treating replacement atmosphere for hermetically sealed containers adapted to hold and dispense uncontaminated liquids sensitive to contamination. The apparatus includes a valving system having a container port adapted for connection to a sealed container, and having an intake port with an intake check valve configured to permit replacement atmosphere to be drawn to the container port for passing into the sealed container but to prevent backflow through the intake port. A bubbler includes a reservoir partially filled with a treatment liquid, the treatment liquid being chosen to treat replacement atmosphere drawn through the treatment liquid into the sealed container. The bubbler also includes an intake tube opening into the reservoir at a location below the normal level of the treatment liquid. A float valve is operably connected between the reservoir and the intake check valve to prevent the treatment liquid from flowing from the reservoir to the intake check valve but to permit flow of replacement atmosphere from the reservoir through the intake check valve to the container port.
In another aspect of the present invention, an apparatus is provided for treating replacement atmosphere for a sealed container, where the apparatus includes a valving system and a bubbler. The valving system includes a container port adapted for connection to the sealed container, and is configured to permit venting of existing atmosphere from the sealed container if the existing atmosphere of the sealed container experiences an unacceptable positive relative pressure, but is configured to permit replacement atmosphere to be drawn into the sealed container when the existing atmosphere of the sealed container experiences an unacceptable negative relative pressure. The bubbler is operably connected to the valving system and includes a reservoir partially filled with a treatment liquid chosen to treat the replacement atmosphere. The bubbler has a top portion located above the treatment liquid and a bottom below a normal level of the treatment liquid. The bubbler includes a particle filter adapted to receive replacement atmosphere from a source of the replacement atmosphere and a tube leading from the particle filter into the bottom of the reservoir for bubbling the replacement atmosphere up through the treatment liquid for treating the replacement atmosphere prior to introduction into the sealed container.
In another aspect of the present invention, an apparatus is provided for holding uncontaminated liquid in bulk and for dispensing the liquid in a public forum, such as in municipal water systems, businesses, restaurants, factories, food service organizations, hospitals and medical treatment facilities, dairy farms, and other high-demand environments where continued purity and healthiness of the liquid is important for maintaining public health. The apparatus includes a hermetically sealed container for holding liquid in bulk, the sealed container having a closeable outlet for dispensing the liquid incrementally, and further including an intake port for supplying replacement atmosphere as the liquid within the sealed container is drawn off. An atmosphere replacement system is connected to the intake port. The atmosphere replacement system includes a bubbler at least partially filled with treatment liquid and an atmosphere intake system operably connected to the bubbler for passing replacement atmosphere through the treatment liquid prior to feeding the replacement atmosphere into the sealed container.
In another aspect of the present invention, a storage system for receiving, storing and dispensing sanitary uncontaminated liquid includes a receiving valve for the transfer of new uncontaminated liquid into the storage system, and a storage tank communicating with the receiving valve for receiving and storing the uncontaminated liquid. The storage tank includes an existing atmosphere that, with the uncontaminated liquid in the storage tank, fills a volume of the storage tank. A valve assembly communicates with the storage tank, and includes a first check valve having a first valve seat and first valve which only allows treated replacement atmosphere to enter the storage tank, and a second check valve having a valve closure in communication with the first check valve. The second check valve only allows existing atmosphere to flow out of the storage tank. An atmosphere treatment device includes a bubbler chamber for receiving and treating replacement atmosphere to be communicated to the storage tank, with the bubbler chamber being operably connected to the valving system.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, a method comprises steps of providing a hermetically sealed container holding an uncontaminated liquid sufficient in volume for incremental dispensing as part of a bulk distribution system. The method further includes dispensing the uncontaminated liquid incrementally from the sealed container to a public group of users, where continued purity and healthiness of the uncontaminated liquid remaining in the sealed container is important for maintaining public health. The method still further includes, when dispensing the uncontaminated liquid, simultaneously filling the sealed container with replacement atmosphere, including passing the replacement atmosphere through a bubbler at least partially filled with a treatment liquid, whereby the replacement atmosphere is treated by the treatment liquid prior to feeding the replacement atmosphere into the sealed container.
In still another aspect of the present invention, an apparatus is provided for holding a contaminated liquid in bulk, where pretreatment of atmosphere being expelled is desired as the apparatus is being filled with new amounts of the contaminated liquid, where such pretreatment is desired in order to maintain public health. The apparatus includes a hermetically sealed container for holding contaminated liquid in bulk, and an atmosphere treatment system. The sealed container has a closeable outlet for dispensing the liquid, and includes an exhaust port for emitting atmosphere from the sealed container as new contaminated liquid is added to the sealed container. The atmosphere treatment system is connected to the intake port, and includes a bubbler at least partially filled with a treatment liquid. The exhaust port is operably connected to the bubbler for passing the atmosphere through the treatment liquid prior to releasing the atmosphere to an ambient area.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a purifying system for replacement atmosphere being added to replace liquid removed from a container in order to better maintain and keep pure the uncontaminated liquid remaining in the container.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive, mechanically non-complex air purifying system with valving for controlled airflow.
It is an object of the present invention to improve the quality of replacement atmosphere being added to tanks, but to do so with a device that is able to handle the frequent expansion and contraction that occurs, both due to filling and dispensing of liquid in the tank, and also due to thermal heating and cooling that naturally occurs from ambient and environmental temperature changes.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a system adaptable to a wide variety of different external environments outside the container and internal environments within the container.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a system adaptable to a wide variety of different uncontaminated liquids and related needs, such as sterility, taste, odor, color, chemical-related needs, biological-related needs, human-preference requirements, and the like.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a system where a wide variety of different treatment liquids can be used, including ones designed to control algae, mold, mildew, chemical-related and pollution-related items, insect and debris-related items, and the like.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a system that, with minimal maintenance and inspection, is highly and reliably effective over a long period of time.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a system that is readily and easily repairable in the field and when in service, without compromising the container to which it is attached.
These and other aspects, objects, and features of the present invention will be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art upon studying the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.

Atmosphere treatment device for sealed containers


An annular expandable seal assembly is disclosed for being packed between inner and outer cylindrical walls. The seal assembly has an annular expandable elastomeric seal element, an annular non-elastomeric anti-extrusion element, and an arcual non-elastomeric anti-extrusion bridge element. The seal element has opposing inner and outer axial surfaces and opposing first and second radial surfaces. The anti-extrusion element is coaxially positioned at the first radial surface and has a toroidal gap. The bridge element is positioned between the seal element and the anti-extrusion element in alignment with the toroidal gap. The seal assembly is set by being expanded so that the inner and outer surfaces respectively sealingly contact the inner wall and the outer wall, the toroidal gap expands, and the anti-extrusion element and the bridge element contact the outer wall. When pressure is applied to the set seal assembly adjacent the second radial surface, the anti-extrusion element and the bridge element together function as a backup to prevent seal element extrusion at the outer wall.

The present invention relates generally to an expandable seal assembly for releasably sealing an annulus between the exterior of a cylindrical object and a bore of a surrounding casing or wall, and more particularly, to an expandable seal assembly having a seal element and an anti-extrusion backup in contact with the surrounding casing to prevent seal element blowout at the casing or wall.
As is explained in U.S. Pat. No. 5,311,938, hereby incorporated by reference, in the course of treating and preparing subterranean wells for production, a well packer is run into the well on a work string or a production tubing. As should be understood, the packer supports production tubing and other completion equipment such as a screen adjacent to a producing formation, and also seals the annulus between the outside of the production tubing and the inside of a well casing or wall to block movement of fluids through the annulus past the packer location. The packer carries an annular seal assembly which includes a seal element that is radially expanded or "set" into sealing engagement against the bore of the well casing in response to an axial compression force either hydraulically or mechanically exerted by the packer.
A seal assembly that has been set and sealed against the well casing bore must maintain sealing engagement even at high temperatures and high pressures on the order of 325 degrees Fahrenheit and 10,000 PSI, respectively. Such conditions are typical in deep wells, and may also be experienced from mechanical and/or hydraulic pressures applied externally or internally from the formation and/or manipulation of the tubing string and service tools. Moreover, the seal assembly should be able to withstand variations of externally applied pressures at levels up to as much as 10,000 psi in both directions, and still be retrievable after exposure for long periods, for example, from ten to fifteen years or more.
It is known in the prior art to use a retrievable seal assembly that includes a seal element and metal backup rings or shoes that engage the casing wall to prevent seal element extrusion and/or blowout at the casing wall. However, and as should be understood, such engaging metal backup shoes create a drag during the setting and releasing of the seal assembly, and such drag requires the exertion of considerable additional force during such setting and releasing. Moreover, if the seal assembly is improperly set or if the metal backup rings become disengaged from the seal assembly during setting, a leakage passage may develop across the seal assembly and the seal element in the seal assembly may experience extrusion and/or blowout at the casing wall. Overall, such a prior art seal assembly and all other prior art seal assemblies have been found to work poorly.
A need exists, then, for a retrievable seal assembly having an anti-extrusion backup that does not create a drag during the setting and releasing of the seal assembly, that prevents seal element extrusion and/or blowout at the casing wall and the resultant leakage, that maintains a reliable seal between the tubing string and the well casing, and that performs satisfactorily overall.

Expandable seal assembly with anti-extrusion backup


In a method for the re-orientation of printed products which are conveyed in an overlapping stream on a product support, the products are rotated relative to the supplied overlapping stream in an acting means in order to allow lateral cutting at two sides.

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for the re-orientation of products, in particular of printed products, which are conveyed on a product support in a product stream, in particular an overlapping stream.
Such apparatuses are generally known and serve to have an effect on a supplied flow of printed products such that the individual printed products have a different orientation relative to the conveyer means after passing through the acting means than prior to entering the acting means. For the event that the printed products are to be cut at two or three sides, an overlapping stream first passes through a cutting station at which the printed products are cut, for example, at two parallel opposite sides. To subsequently allow a cut at one of the remaining sides or at the two remaining sides, it is necessary to change the orientation of the printed products within the overlapping stream, i.e. the products must be rotated within the overlapping stream.
It is the object of the invention to provide a method and an apparatus for the re-orientation of printed products with which a fast rotation of the printed products can take place at high conveying speeds without the proper orientation of the product stream being impaired.
This object is solved in particular by a method for the re-orientation of printed products which are conveyed in a product stream on a product support, with the products being moved at one point in time exclusively by translation relative to the supplied product stream in an acting means and being rotated at another point in time around an axis perpendicular to the conveying plane of the product support. In accordance with the invention, an exclusively translatory movement is carried out an one point in time for the re-orientation of the products supplied in the product stream, i.e. each single product is displaced in a straight line. The product is rotated on the product support at another point in time.
The invention can be used both with single products supplied in a product stream and with products supplied in an overlapping stream.
It is possible with the method in accordance with the invention to change the original impulse of an incoming overlapping stream orientated in the conveying direction by moving the product to be turned exclusively by translation relative to the supplied overlapping stream. The rotation of the product can be controlled better in this way.
Advantageous embodiments of the invention are described in the description, the drawings and the dependent claims.
In accordance with an advantageous embodiment, the one point in time is temporally before the other point in time, i.e. the products are first moved exclusively by translation relative to the supplied product stream and subsequently turned around an axis perpendicular to the conveying plane of the product support. It can be advantageous here if a translatory movement of the individual products is also made during the rotation. In this variant, the individual products of the product stream are thus supplied in the conveying direction, first moved exclusively by translation relative to the supplied product stream in the acting means and subsequently further by translation conveyed and rotationally moved.
In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment, the conveying direction of the product stream is changed in the acting means. This means that a rotation of the individual products through an angle of less than 90xc2x0 is required for a re-orientation of the products within the product stream by 90xc2x0. If, for example, the conveying means of an overlapping stream is changed by 45xc2x0 in the acting means, then the individual printed products must also only be turned through an angle of 45xc2x0 inside the acting means, which contributes to the stabilization of the outgoing overlapping stream.
The rotation of the individual products inside the overlapping stream can preferably be carried out by moving the products against an obstacle which is preferably curved, but which is in particular not curved in a circular manner. It is possible, for example, to provide a stop extending in a curved profile as the obstacle, which the products impact after the exclusively translatory movement, whereby the rotational movement to re-orientate the products is initiated.
In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment, while the translatory movement is carried out in the same direction with respect to the conveying direction of the incoming product stream, it is not done transversely, i.e. at a right angle to this conveying direction, but obliquely thereto. This means that the individual products are obliquely drawn out from the overlapping stream, which is preferably done by the gripping of each individual printed product. For example, an individual printed product can be gripped at a corner with the aid of a pair of rolls and drawn out a little from the overlapping stream, whereby a translatory velocity component is applied to this product which can preferably be in the direction of the outgoing overlapping stream.
In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment, the product stream is guided via a stationary portion of the product support in the acting means. This has the big advantage that the products are no longer driven in the conveying direction during re-orientation, but that the re-orientation can take place at the stationary portion of the product support.
The object initially mentioned can further be satisfied by an apparatus for the re-orientation of products conveyed in a product stream comprising a product support and an acting means in which the individual products are rotated around an axis parallel to the product support, with the product support comprising an incoming conveyor belt, an outgoing conveyor belt and a stationary support section therebetween. As was already explained above, the advantage results in this way that the re-orientation of the individual products within the product stream can take place free of that movement which is applied by the incoming and/or outgoing conveyor belt. The products can be uncoupled from the incoming product stream at the stationary support section, be moved by translation and rotationally and thereby be re-orientated, and subsequently be transported onto the outgoing conveyor belt. It is advantageous here if the support section has a smooth surface, for example metallic, surface in order to reduce the friction between the product section and the support section.
In accordance with an advantageous embodiment, the acting means comprises an obstacle which is arranged in a stationary manner and which is formed in a curved, and preferably flexible, manner. The individual products can be rotated in a particularly gentle manner by a stop with such a curved profile, with a flexible design of the stop making the adjustment and matching to different shapes or different products easier.
In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment, the obstacle comprises a longitudinal extent and two end regions, with the one end region of the obstacle or the stop being orientated at a right angle to the conveying direction of the incoming conveyor belt and the other end region being orientated parallel to the conveying direction of the outgoing conveyor belt. A stop is provided in this way which the products impact at right anglesxe2x80x94at a small portionxe2x80x94but which stabilizes the subsequent rotational movement of the products and which aligns the outgoing, re-orientated overlapping stream correctly in a straight line. It is of advantage here if the relative position between the other end region and the conveying direction of the outgoing conveyor belt is adjustable, since a matching to the shape can be carried out in a simple manner in this way.
The acting means preferably comprises a driven roll which is arranged above the stationary support section. The exclusively translatory movement is thereby transmitted to the product in the region of the stationary support section such that the re-orientation can take place with low friction and without distributing external forces.
In accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, the acting means comprises pressure members which cooperate with the driven roll in order to allow a drawing out of a product from the product stream with the aid of the driven roll. In this embodiment, two printed products lying on top of one another in a displaced manner are pressed by the pressure members so that the bottommost product can be drawn out from the overlapping stream with the aid of the driven roll or the driven roll pair.

Method and an apparatus for the re-orientation of printed products


A method and arrangement for calibrating stereo cameras. A first image from a first camera is received, and a second image is received from a second camera, the first image and the second image comprise an overlap. One or more candidate points of the first image and of the second image are determined in the overlap. The candidate points of the first image are matched with the candidate points of the second image and pairs of corresponding candidate points are determined. A homography of the first camera is calculated based on the pairs of corresponding candidate points and a homography of the second camera is calculated based on the pairs of corresponding candidate points. The first camera and the second camera are calibrated by adjusting an intrinsic parameter or an extrinsic parameter of each respective camera, based on the calculated homography of each respective camera.

With emergence of digital camera technology, cameras have been popular to utilise for a plurality of purposes. Today cameras are used widely not only for photography but also for new purposes. Surveillance of public areas or private property has become popular to utilise cameras for. Digital camera technology is also applied for monitoring, navigation, etc. Computer vision is a technical field where a stereo camera arrangement is utilised for imaging a scene.
In stereo camera arrangements two cameras are used to produce a 3D (Three dimensional) image or model of an environment or scene. In a stereo camera arrangement two cameras are rectified towards a scene from two different directions and there is a distance between the cameras. By rectifying the cameras with a plurality of angles between them, information of a distance to an object could be determined. To simulate the human vision, a suitable distance between the cameras is between 5 and 10 cm which correspond to the distance between the left and the right eye of a person.
The cameras of a stereo camera arrangement will be calibrated to operate properly. Intrinsic parameters of the cameras will be adjusted when calibrating the cameras, where typical intrinsic parameters to adjust are direction, focus, etc.
Traditionally, intrinsic parameters of cameras for stereo purposes have been set when manufacturing stereo camera arrangements. Alternatively, the intrinsic parameters may be manually set in conjunction with installation of the cameras, and manual adjustments thereof will be performed when needed.
However, due to the fact that the amount of stereo camera arrangements increases, there are a large number of cameras to adjust intrinsic parameters for. In addition, new applications have been developed and stereo camera arrangements have been popular to use also in environments where the physical conditions require regular adjustments of intrinsic parameters. For instance, stereo camera arrangements in vehicles will typically be affected by shaking and may need to be adjusted during transport to operate properly.
With reference to the FIGS. 1a-b, which are schematic illustration views, a stereo camera arrangement will now be described in accordance with one example. In FIG. 1a the stereo camera arrangement is illustrated in a perspective view, and in FIG. 1b, the same stereo camera arrangement is illustrated from above.
The stereo camera arrangement 100 comprises a first camera 102 and a second camera 104. Both the first camera 102 and the second camera 104 are respectively connected to a control unit 106 (not shown in FIG. 1b). The cameras 102, 104 are arranged to capture respective images of a scene 108. The control unit 106 is arranged to calibrate the cameras 102, 104.
Today, some methods are applied for calibration of stereo cameras. These known methods are quite complex and require a substantial amount of calculation capacity or additional references. For instance, Nedevschi et al. (On-Line Calibration Method for Stereovision Systems Used in Vehicle Applications) present a method where markers on a road are captured by two cameras. Hansen et al. (Online Continuous Stereo Extrinsic Parameter Estimation) present a method where a baseline is determined.
Thus, there is a problem to devise a cost-effective and flexible method for appropriate calibration of cameras in stereo camera arrangements.

Method and arrangement for calibration of cameras


In the exemplary embodiments of the invention disclosed, thermal neutron decay characteristics of an earth formation, e.g. the thermal neutron decay time constant .tau. and the macroscopic capture cross section .SIGMA., are measured by detecting indications of the thermal neutron concentration in the formation during a selected set of two different measurement intervals between neutron bursts and forming a ratio of such measurements, as accumulated for an appropriate length of time, from which the measured value of the decay characteristic is derived. The particular set of measurement intervals used is selected from among a number of possible sets as a function of a previously measured value of the decay characteristic. Each measurement interval set is used over only a specific range of decay characteristic values for which it has been determined, in accordance with a previously established relationship between the decay characteristic value and the ratio of the thermal neutron concentration measurements for the set, to afford enhanced statistical accuracy in the measured value of the decay characteristic. The measured value of the decay characteristic is then determined from the actual measured value of the ratio for the selected measurement interval set and the previously established relationship for that set. Each measurement interval preferably consists of a plurality of contiguous, discrete time gates whose durations and times of occurrence are adjustable in common by a finite number, e.g. four, of discrete scale factor values F. Each F value corresponds to a specific range of decay characteristic values, with the F value used for any given measurement being selected on the basis of a previously measured value of the decay characteristic. Regions of overlap are provided between the decay characteristic value ranges for adjacent F values so that F need not be changed merely as a result of statistical variations in the decay characteristic.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the measurement of the rate of decay, or capture, of thermal neutrons in earth formations and, more particularly, to new and improved methods and apparatus for measuring thermal neutron decay time constants and related capture cross sections of earth formations traversed by a well bore. It also relates to improved methods and apparatus for compensating for the influence of background radiation on primary measurements of interest.
2. The Prior Art
Heretofore, pulsed-neutron capture logs have provided measurements of thermal neutron capture characteristics of earth formations, e.g. the thermal neutron decay time constant (.tau.) and its correlative the macroscopic capture cross section (.SIGMA.), which have proven useful in differentiating between oil or gas-bearing formations and water-bearing formations. Such logs are especially useful in recognizing the presence of hydrocarbons in cased formations, and to detect changes in water saturation during the production life of a well.
Thermal neutron characteristic measurements are typically made by irradiating a formation with bursts of fast (e.g. 14 Mev) neutrons and following the decay of the thermal neutron concentration in the formation by counting the gamma rays emitted by formation nuclei upon the capture of thermal neutrons during discrete time intervals, or gates, following each neutron burst. In one prior tool disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,379,882 to A. H. Youmans, the capture gamma rays are measured during two gates which are fixed both in time of occurrence after the burst and in duration. Although affording useful information in formations of average decay times, the Youmans fixed-gate system tends to yield unreliable measurements where the decay time of the formation is either very long or very short. Moreover, the gamma ray count rate measurement during the second fixed-gate is sometimes subject to excessive statistical variation, particularly in short decay time formations. In an important advance over the fixed-gate system, W. B. Nelligan in U.S. Pat. No. 3,566,116 (now U.S. Pat. No. Re. 28,477) patented a sliding-gate system in which three measurement gates are utilized and in which the time-after-burst occurrence and duration of all of the gates are automatically varied, in a feed-back loop operation, according to the currently measured value of the decay time constant. The first two gates are timed to detect capture gamma rays from the formation and the third gate is timed to detect background gamma rays. This system operates properly to position the gates for optimum background-corrected measurements over a wide range of decay times .tau. and cross sections .SIGMA., thereby avoiding the deficiencies in respect of unreliability and statistical variation encountered in the fixed-gate system in cases of extreme decay rates. For still better results, Nelligan further provides that the duration and repetition rate of the neutron bursts could also be varied as a function of the currently measured decay time value. This affords the added advantage of maximizing the duty cycle of the neutron generator in a manner consistent with accurate measurement of the decay time value of the formation being logged. Later embodiments of the Nelligan sliding-gate concept are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,662,179, granted May 9, 1972 to Frentrop et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 3,890,501 granted June 17, 1975 to C. W. Johnstone. Thermal neutron decay time logging, in accordance with the Nelligan sliding-gate technique as described in the aforementioned patents, is provided commercially by Schlumberger Well Services, and has become a widely accepted and important cased-hole service.
It is desirable, however, to improve still further this service. Specifically, it is desirable to provide still greater statistical precision in the measurements of .tau., .SIGMA. and background by improvement in the manner of detection of the rate of decay of the thermal neutron concentration. Also, the infinitely variable, feed-back loop type of operation previously used with the Nelligan sliding-gate system is sometimes subject to "jitter" when low counting rates are encountered. That is to say, variations in the settings of the measurement gates and the neutron bursts sometimes result from statistical variations in the gamma ray count rates rather than as the result of any change in the decay time of the formation under investigation. Again, where the decay time drops sharply, such as at bed boundaries, the feed-back loop of the sliding-gate tool sometimes, though infrequently, fails to change the timing of the gates fast enough to keep up with the fall off in the gamma ray count rate. This could result in the tool measuring insufficient count rates for the feed-back loop to work properly, which situation could in turn leave the gates and bursts "latched" at positions later after the burst than would be optimum for the new decay time. Although this situation can be readily overridden manually and the gates quickly restored to the proper positions, it is desirable to avoid such inadvertent "latching" of the .tau. computation circuits. It additionally is desirable to provide for the measurement of all decay time values over the full .tau. range normally encountered, e.g. from <50 .mu.sec to >600 .mu.sec, without any discontinuities.

Methods and apparatus for measuring thermal neutron decay characteristics of earth formations


The invention relates to a connection module 10 for a wiper device 1 of an outer surface 20 of a window 2 of a motor vehicle intended to be arranged between a windscreen wiper 30 and a driving arm 60, the connection module 10 comprising a hydraulic connector 12 and an electrical connector 14, one of the hydraulic 12 and electrical 14 connectors, called first connector, comprising at least one longitudinal electrical or hydraulic routing channel 120, the other of the hydraulic 12 and electrical 14 connectors, called second connector, comprising two longitudinal electrical or hydraulic routing channels 120, the connection module 10 being characterized in that the first connector is at least partially arranged laterally between the two longitudinal routing channels of the second connector.

A connection module is a module arranged at a junction between a driving arm and a windscreen wiper belonging to a wiper device.
A connection module makes it possible to provide a hydraulic coupling and an electrical coupling between the driving arm and the windscreen wiper. To this end, the connection module can comprise an electrical connector and a hydraulic connector. The electrical and hydraulic connectors comprise routing channels. The electrical connector generally comprises two routing channels for electrical current, which are cables or electrical wires. Depending on the nature of the wiper device, the hydraulic connector comprises one or two routing channels, which are for example pipes.
According to a known design of such a connection module, as for example illustrated in the document EP2460700 B1, the hydraulic connector and the electrical connector are arranged one on top of the other in an interior space of the connection module such that the hydraulic channels extend substantially above the electrical channels or vice versa.
This type of connection module, with this arrangement, presents the drawback of extending significantly heightwise, the height being measured substantially along a normal to the outer surface of the windscreen passing through the connection module when the wiper device is assembled on the motor vehicle. One notable consequence of this arrangement is an obstruction of the visibility of a driver of the motor vehicle. Another consequence is the reduction of the aerodynamic efficiency of the windscreen wiper by degradation of the lift and of the drag due to the height of the connection module.
There is a need to reduce the bulk created by the hydraulic and electrical connectors, particularly in order to improve the visibility of the drivers.

Connection module for a wiper device of a motor vehicle


An improved riser reactor containing a plurality of substantially vertically oriented venturis connected in series whereby the venturis have a maximum diameter, D.sub.1, and a minimum diameter, D.sub.2 ; and, apparatus for connecting the venturis end to end in which the cross-sectional area of the venturis at D.sub.1 is A.sub.1 and the cross sectional area at D.sub.2 is A.sub.2 and the ratio of A.sub.1 /A.sub.2 is between about 1.1 and about 113, preferably between about 2 and about 100, most preferably between about 5 and about 50. The present invention also includes a process for catalytic cracking of a liquid hydrocarbon feed by use of the riser reactor of this invention.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a riser reactor and a process for catalytic cracking of a hydrocarbonaceous feed, and more particularly a process for cracking a hydrocarbonaceous feed to gasoline range hydrocarbons.
2. Description of the Related Art
Fluidized catalytic conversion processes, such as fluidized catalytic cracking for the processing of petroleum fractions are well known. In a fluidized catalytic cracking process, a hydrocarbon oil feedstock is contacted with a catalyst in a reaction zone under conditions such that the hydrocarbon feedstock is converted into desired products accompanied by the deposition of coke on the surface of the catalyst particles. Such systems may comprise a transport or riser type reaction zone through which the feed hydrocarbon and a solid particulate catalyst suspended in feed hydrocarbon are passed concurrently. The reaction products and catalyst are discharged from the riser reaction zone into a separation zone in which hydrocarbons and normally gaseous by-products of the cracking reaction are separated from the catalyst.
In a riser reactor, as the mixture of catalyst and hydrocarbon feed passes upwardly through the reaction zone, the catalyst becomes partially deactivated due to the deposition of coke thereon and is referred to as "spent" catalyst as contrasted with regenerated or "fresh" catalyst. The spent catalyst from the reaction zone may be regenerated by reaction with oxygen or air.
In an ideal riser reactor the oil and catalyst move in concurrent upflow at relatively high velocities (50-100 ft/sec). At these velocities both the oil and catalyst move in plug flow without any slip. The fresh catalyst is contacted with the fresh feed and the spent catalyst is contacted with the products. As a result of this and the short residence time of the catalyst in the reactor, the extent of the secondary cracking reactions, which destroy gasoline range components to form coke and gas, is minimized. This is a very important characteristic of riser reactors. There is a characteristic rapid decline of catalyst activity in riser reactors due to the coke deposition on the catalyst. As a result of this, the bulk of the conversion occurs at the very bottom of the riser and oil/catalyst contacting at the inlet is very important.
In designing a pilot plant size riser reactor for use in testing new catalysts it is important to match commercial riser reactor performance. To do this it is necessary to design the reactor such that: (1) the catalyst and oil are contacted in a concurrent upflow or down flow fashion so that the feed contacts fresh catalyst and the products contact spent catalyst; (2) the reactor is operated at steady state with oil and catalyst fed and withdrawn continuously so that activity and coke profiles can be maintained along the length of the reactor; and (3) the catalyst feed rate is relatively low in order to minimize the amounts of oil and catalyst needed for each evaluation and to speed up generation of data.
A design that meets these requirements is a small upflow or down flow riser. However, such a reactor is very difficult to build and operate because it is extremely difficult to continuously feed a small flow of catalyst and to measure it in a reproducible manner. Additionally, it is difficult to maintain a constant catalyst to oil ratio in a riser with very small flows. Also, if the diameter of the reactor is too small it will be extremely difficult to circulate catalyst without encountering plugging problems and severe wall effects and to obtain effective catalyst and oil contacting at the inlet.
A number of different designs for riser reactors or fluidized bed reactors have been proposed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,295,967 (filed May 23, 1980) discloses an apparatus comprised of multiple fluidized beds provided with one or more trays having a number of inverted frustum-shaped depressions with an opening located therein. U.S. Pat. No. 4,725,408 (filed Feb. 16, 1988) discloses an apparatus for catalytic cracking of a selected portion of a hydrocarbon feedstock compri sing a riser reactor and a catalyst regenerator, a regenerated catalyst cooler, and an absorber. German Democratic Republic Patent No. 145-888 discloses a main fluidized reaction bed supplied with solids entrained by gas rising vertically From a secondary fluidized bed or other reaction system. The flowing medium containing the powdered solids passes through a diffuser grid separating the two beds and having apertures with a lower converging section and upper diverging section, separated by a diffuser throat.
It has now been discovered that a particular riser reactor design produces improved results in catalytic cracking.

Venturi riser reactor and process for catalytic cracking


A re-entrant circulating stream mill vents a part of the circulating stream adjacent the annular peripheral wall of the mill directly to the junction in each of a plurality of sets of pressure nozzles and cooperating acceleration tubes which are used to form the circulating stream. Each pressure nozzle provides a high velocity gaseous jet stream that entrains material as it enters the acceleration tube where the material is accelerated to its maximum velocity before it is discharged into the vortex chamber of the mill and impacts upon the circulating stream adjacent the annular peripheral wall of the vortex chamber. The apparatus also takes advantage of the comminution of the material which takes place in the acceleration tube.

The present invention relates to a comminuting apparatus and method, and more particularly to comminution in a mill of the re-entrant circulating stream type commonly referred to as a "Micronizer". The Micronizer is the oldest and most widely used of the re-entrant circulating stream grinding mills, and is described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 2,032,827 issued Mar. 3, 1936. The basic mill includes a vortex chamber comprising an annular peripheral wall closed by two opposed lateral walls. In its preferred form, the vortex chamber is formed so that the axial length of the peripheral wall is only a small fraction of the diameter of the chamber. The peripheral wall is surrounded by a manifold through which high pressure gas is supplied to a plurality of spaced gaseous fluid nozzles angled so that the gaseous jet streams issuing from them create and propel the fluid circulating in the vortex with both a forward and a radial component of movement relative to the axis of the chamber. The material to be comminuted is usually fed into the chamber by a gaseous nozzle and venturi apparatus at a location near the periphery of the chamber. The action of the mill creates a self-classifying effect so that the finished product can be removed through an outlet located at or near the central axis of the mill.
As pointed out in U.S. Pat. No. 2,032,827 and similarly in U.S. Pat. No. 4,018,388, the gaseous jet stream issuing from the nozzles performs two functions. First, it creates a high velocity circulating stream of gaseous fluid and material within the vortex chamber. This circulating stream functions to classify the material by carrying the lighter fractions of material to the central outlet while the heavier particles circulate adjacent to the peripheral wall due to centrifugal force. The second function of the gaseous jet stream issuing from the nozzles is to impart a transverse or radial component of movement to the particles of material thereby causing them to collide with the circulating particles with sufficient force to comminute the material. Accordingly, the relationship between the circulating stream of material and gas and the gaseous jet stream issuing from the nozzles has a significant effect upon the operation of re-entrant circulating stream type comminuting apparatus. U.S. Pat. No. 4,018,388 describes how the introduction of feed material has a loading effect upon the whirling vortex and hence directly effects the comminuting process in a Micronizer type mill. See also copending patent application Ser. No. 904,665 filed May 10, 1978 for comminuting and classifying apparatus of the re-entrant circulating stream jet type, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,189,102. Also, the velocity of particles diverted by the gaseous jet stream significantly affects the comminuting process since momentum is proportional to the square of the velocity. Therefore, the design of the nozzles is important to the operation of the mill.
Heretofore, it has been the commercial practice in re-entrant circulating stream type mills to position the nozzles in the peripheral wall of the vortex chamber so that the gaseous jet stream issuing from them entrains the material circulating adjacent the inner surface of the wall and projects it through the circulating stream of gaseous fluid and material. It is known that the material load in the circulating stream must have some radial depth or else material accelerated by the gaseous jet stream will have little opportunity for impact at its maximum velocity. Thus, the radial depth of the circulating material must be greater than the distance it takes the gaseous jet stream to accelerate the material to its maximum velocity. In any event, maximum velocity will occur after the jet stream has passed through the coarsest material adjacent the inner periphery of the mill. This explains the often observed and published fact that reducing the feed rate (while maintaining other factors constant) increases the fineness until the circulating load becomes of such slight radial extent that further reduction of the feed rate no longer increases fineness.
Most Micronizer type mills use nozzles of uniform cross-sectional area, frequently called abrupt type nozzles. It has been explained in various technical papers that under most operating conditions such nozzles are advantageous over converging-diverging nozzles. The advantage of a nozzle having a bore of uniform cross-sectional area (hereinafter referred to as a tubular nozzle) is that the final expansion of the gaseous jet stream occurs beyond the nozzle causes a suction at its exit end thereby increasing the entraining ability of the gaseous jet stream issuing from the nozzle. Notwithstanding this, the maximum velocity of entrained material does not occur at the exit of the nozzle because of the time it takes to accelerate the material. Yet it is at or closely adjacent to the wall where a large percentage of the larger particles of material are circulating.
Converging-diverging nozzles would appear to be a useful alternative to tubular nozzles because of their ability to generate extremely high velocity gaseous streams. There may be no more concentrated release of energy, except in explosives, than can be obtained from the discharge of a gas at the exit of a nozzle, and converging-diverging nozzles can produce supersonic velocities. The problem with such nozzles in Micronizers is that it is difficult to entrain material into the gaseous streams because expansion takes place in the nozzle. For that reason, tubular nozzles have almost uniformly been used in Micronizers even though they cannot generate gaseous velocities equal to those produced by converging-diverging nozzles.
In order to take advantage of the high velocities generated by converging-diverging nozzles, there have been attempts to configure the peripheral wall, mostly in the form of a "V" or trapezoid, to try to force circulating material into the gaseous jet stream issuing from the converging-diverging nozzles. However, it has been found that any improvement in comminuting is not due to the shape of the peripheral wall as much as to axially restricting the circulating load and hence radially extending it. Because the gaseous stream issuing from a convergent-divergent nozzle becomes turbulent a short distance from its exit, it finally self-loads with material in a manner similar to the way a tubular nozzle aspirates the material. However, no benefit is obtained from the high, even supersonic velocity of the gaseous material issuing from a converging-diverging nozzle.
Another approach is to operate a Micronizer using steam at extremely high pressures and temperatures. So that the Micronizer uses the same quantity of steam, the nozzles are drilled with much smaller diameter bores. Tests were made on 12, 15 and 20-inch diameter Micronizers at pressures up to 1400 lbs. p.s.i. gauge and 900.degree. F. The results were inferior to what is normally obtained in the same size mills at 175 to 200 lbs. p.s.i. gauge and 700.degree. F. The reason is that the gaseous jet stream issuing from the nozzle is so dense and small in diameter that it literally punches through the circulating stream without entraining material. Still further, there is no room for material to enter the gaseous stream as it exits from the nozzle.
From the foregoing, it should be apparent that the problem is to provide a nozzle structure which will accelerate the vented material to the highest possible velocity and still effectively cause the accelerated material to collide with the circulating material.

Method and apparatus for comminuting material in a re-entrant circulating stream mill


Methods and apparatus for extracting structured data from weblogs are disclosed. In some examples, the methods and apparatus include retrieving a feed referenced on a webpage of the weblog and, in response to determining that the feed does not contain a first portion of a weblog post, creating, via a processor, a representation of the weblog post based on a second portion of the weblog post included in the feed, searching, via the processor, the weblog for the second portion of the weblog post, when the second portion of the weblog post is found in the weblog, identifying, via the processor, a node associated with the second portion in the webpage, and modifying, via the processor, the representation based on information from within the node to reconstruct the weblog post.

Weblogging or "blogging" has emerged in the past few years as a new grassroots publishing medium. Like electronic mail and the web itself, weblogging has taken off and by some estimates the number of weblogs is doubling every 6 months. As of June 2006, BlogPulse estimates place the number of active weblogs at nearly 10 million blogs, of which about 36% have had at least one post in the past 3 months. BlogPulse finds approximately 60,000 new weblogs each day. Statistics published by other blog search engines such as Technorati and Pub Sub are similar. However, these estimates may well be excluding large numbers of non-English language weblogs.
A weblog is commonly defined as a web page with a set of dated entries, in reverse chronological order, maintained by its writer via a weblog publishing software tool. We can define each entry as a set of one or more time-stamped posts; an author may typically post several times a day. This is a matter a style, as some authors post at most once a day in an all-inclusive entry. Others prefer to micro-post, making each published item a separate post in the day's entry.
Due to the popularity of weblogs, there is a need for a method of searching individual posts within weblogs. The present invention addresses this need.


An automatic surgical clip applier includes a handle assembly having an actuating member for causing a first member to move sequentially in a distal direction and a proximal direction, and for causing a second member to move sequentially in a proximal direction and a distal direction; and a clip applier assembly adapted for releasably securing to the handle assembly and having a jaw closing member and a clip feeding member, the jaw closing member being engageable with the first member and the clip feeding member being engageable with the second member.

The invention relates to an automatic surgical clip applier and, more particularly, to a clip applier having modular assemblies.
Surgical clips are utilized in various surgical procedures in a well known manner so as to ligate tissues, blood vessels and the like.
Surgical devices are known for applying such clips such as hemostatic forceps and the like which can be individually loaded with clips, or which are adapted to contain a supply of clips which are fed, one at a time, to jaws of the device. An example of such a device is as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,296,751.
Such surgical devices are advantageous in that they allow a surgeon to rapidly apply clips during a procedure without the need for manually loading each clip into the device. However, such devices are typically complex, expensive and in some cases inconvenient or cumbersome for the surgeon to use.
The need remains for a surgical device, specifically an automatic surgical clip applier, which is simple and reliable in use, and which is less expensive to manufacture.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an automatic surgical clip applier wherein the function is smooth and convenient to the user.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear hereinbelow.
In accordance with the present invention, the foregoing objects and advantages have been readily attained.
According to the invention, an automatic surgical clip applier is provided which comprises a handle assembly having an actuating member for causing a first member to move sequentially in a distal direction and a proximal direction, and for causing a second member to move sequentially in a proximal direction and a distal direction; and a clip applier assembly adapted for releasably securing to said handle assembly and having a jaw closing member and a clip feeding member, said jaw closing member being engageable with said first member and said clip feeding member being engageable with said second member.
In still further accordance with the present invention, an automatic surgical clip applier is provided which includes a clip applier assembly having jaws for applying said clips and a storage structure for storing a plurality of said clips in a row with said legs extending distally toward said jaws, said storage structure defining a staging position proximally located relative to said jaws, and a waiting position proximally located relative to said staging position; and a clip feeding member slidably mounted relative to said storage structure and having a distal clip engaging member and a proximal clip engaging member, said clip feeding member being slidable from a proximal position to a distal position, wherein sliding of said clip feeding member from said proximal position to said distal position engages said distal clip engaging member with a distally leading clip at said staging position and engages said proximal clip engaging member with a distally second clip at said waiting position, and thereby moves said distally leading clip to said jaws and said distally second clip to said staging position.
The present invention advantageously provides a clip applier having modular assemblies, which allows the handle assembly portion to be reused as much as desired with clip applier cartridges adapted to connect with the assembly. A further advantage of the present invention is that such clip applier cartridges or modules are adapted such that cartridges containing different numbers of clips, and/or cartridges containing clips of different sizes, are all usable with the same handle assembly.


Finely-divided iron ores and concentrates which contain non-ferrous metals are roasted and chlorinated in order to vaporize the non-ferrous metals as metal chloride compounds, whereby the finely-divided raw material is oxidized at an elevated temperature to produce an oxide melt, with which a chlorinating reagent and air are mixed in order to vaporize non-ferrous metal chlorides from the iron oxide melt.

The present invention relates to a process for the roasting of finely-divided iron ores and concentrates containing non-ferrous metals such as zinc, lead, copper, gold and silver, especially pyrite and pyrrhotite concentrates and ores, preferably in a flash-smelting furnace, and for their chlorination in a separate stage in order to vaporize the non-ferrous metals as metal chloride compounds.
Several sulfidic non-ferrous metal ores frequently contain not only the metal mineral ores concerned but also iron sulfides, pyrite or pyrrhotite, which can be recovered separately in a more or less pure form by concentration techniques. The currently known methods for processing these iron sulfides are based on the classical dead roasting and the production of SO.sub.2 gas, or their thermal decomposition and the production of elemental sulfur. If the sulfidic concentrates are sufficiently pure, the obtained roasting residue is suitable for iron production. This proportion of iron ore is usually an important one in respect of the economy of the processes. If these iron sulfides are not obtained in a form sufficiently free from non-ferrous minerals, as is often the case, the obtained calcine is not as such suitable for use as iron ore but must be treated further for the removal of the metals, often valuable in themselves. Various chlorination methods have been studied and developed for this purpose.
Methods used on an industrial scale include only the so-called Kowa Seiko process, in which calcium chloride is mixed with the calcine and the mixture is pelletized and heated in a revolving tubular furnace by countercurrent heating to a temperature of approximately 1250.degree. C., whereby the non-ferrous metals sublimate as chlorides and are then recovered from the gases. The hematite pellets thus purified are a suitable raw material for an iron-smelting plant. This process is applicable only to a calcine which has been roasted to a state very low in sulfur, and the metal contents to be vaporized must not be very high (2.5% in total). Another disadvantage is the high heat requirement of the chlorination and sintering.
Other processes, at a pilot plant stage, include the Montedison, LDK and Outokumpu processes.
Montedison is a 3-stage process, in which the heating and final oxidation of the calcine are carried out in the first stage, the hematite is reduced to magnetite in the second stage, and the third stage comprises chlorination with an air-bearing chlorine gas at a temperature of approximately 950.degree. C., by oxidizing magnetite yielding the necessary heat. The reactors are fluidized-bed reactors and operate in a series. The gases from the chlorination are directed to a wash for the recovery of the chlorides. The finely-divided product obtained is pelletized and sintered separately. Oil must be used for the pre-heating, the reduction and the sintering of the pellets.
The LDK and Outokumpu processes are based on the chlorination of calcine with gaseous chlorine in a shaft furnace. The former utilizes pre-pelletized calcine and the latter finely-divided hot calcine directly. Both processes involve a problem in keeping the heating and cooling zones distinctly separate and on an industrial scale an even distribution of chlorine in the shaft furnace.
All these processes are characterized in that the roasting is performed at a temperature below the melting point of the product and that the chlorination is carried out in solid state with solid CaCl.sub.2 or chlorine gas, and that these must be used in considerable excess over the theoretical requirement. The calcine is either pelletized or sintered before the chlorination, as in the Kowa Seiko process, or after the chlorination and before being fed into the smelting plant, as in the Montedison process. External fuel must be used for this drying, heating and sintering. Only part of the heat of reaction contained in the concentrate is used in the process itself; it is used for maintaining the roasting temperature, and often heat is also stored in the vapor during the roasting and recovered.
Not only chlorination but also sulfatizing is used in processing certain types of iron sulfide concentrates. However, for example lead and noble metals cannot be recovered in the sulfatizing process, but they remain in the roasting residue. The calcium and barium present in the concentrate also sulfatize easily and, being insoluble, they bind sulfur in the calcine and thereby the grade of the iron ore is lowered.
The object of the present invention is to eliminate the above disadvantages and to provide a process for the treatment of finely-divided ores and concentrates to produce iron oxide suitable for iron production and non-ferrous chlorides from which valuable metals can be recovered by methods known per se, the process also being advantageous in terms of heat economy and environmental protection.

Process for the roasting and chlorination of finely-divided iron ores and concentrates containing non-ferrous metals


Embodiments of methods and apparatuses may provide the capability to extend the tuning range of a VCO in a way that does not degrade VCO circuit performance. For example, the parasitic capacitance of semiconductor devices in the VCO circuit may be utilized to extend the tuning range of a VCO without significant degradation of VCO circuit performance. For example, in an embodiment, a method voltage-control of an oscillator may comprise receiving a first signal for control of a frequency of an output signal from the oscillator, deriving a second signal from the first signal, controlling the frequency of the output signal from the oscillator using the first signal, and extending a frequency range of the oscillator using the second signal.

The present invention relates to techniques for extending the tuning range of a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) using parasitic capacitance of semiconductor devices in the VCO circuit.
Modern phase-locked loops (PLLs) used for communications need to cover wide frequency ranges while maintaining phase noise performance. Enlarging the tuning range using conventional techniques typically causes deterioration of the circuit quality factor, leading to a deterioration in the phase noise performance. Likewise, some conventional techniques, such as banded design and adding switchable varactors, may degrade the maximum operational frequency and still produce some degradation in phase noise.
Accordingly, a need arises for techniques for extending the tuning range of a VCO that does not degrade VCO circuit performance.

VCO tuning range extension using parasitic diode capacitance control

International Business Machines Corporation


A razor blade cartridge is detachably attached to a holder. A socket portion is provided to the holder. A coupler projection, which detachably attaches to the socket portion through the insertion/ejection opening of the socket portion, is provided to the blade cartridge. A guide portion, which extends towards the opposite side from the skin contacting surface of the blade cartridge and is supported by the socket portion of the holder, is provided to the coupler projection of the blade cartridge. The end of the guide portion is provided with a manipulation portion, which is manipulated at the manipulation opening of the socket portion to release the guide portion from the socket portion and the manipulation of which removes the blade cartridge from the insertion/ejection opening of the socket portion. Thus, the blade cartridge can be easily removed by a gentle application of pressure on the manipulation portion.

The present invention relates to a razor with a detachable blade cartridge that allows a blade cartridge to be detachably coupled to a holder.
Patent Document 1 discloses a razor with a detachable blade cartridge that has a holder having a head portion. The head portion has a coupler hole with an insertion/ejection opening. The blade base of the blade cartridge has a coupler projection, which allows the blade cartridge to be detachably coupled to the coupler hole through the insertion/ejection opening. The coupler projection of the blade cartridge has a guide portion, which allows the coupler projection to be held by the coupler hole. The coupler projection of the blade cartridge has a manipulation portion, which is manipulated to ejecting the blade cartridge from the attachment opening of the coupler hole, thereby canceling the holding of the coupler projection to the coupler hole by the guide portion of the coupler projection.


A self-braking pulley is disclosed for controlling a rate of extraction of a tether wound upon the pulley. The pulley includes a spool for receiving a tether, the spool being arranged to rotate about an axle of the pulley as the tether is removed therefrom. The pulley further includes a braking assembly for applying a braking force to the spool and a drive assembly which is engagable with the spool via an engagement member. The engagement member is arranged to rotationally couple the spool with the drive assembly for driving the braking assembly, in dependence of a rate of rotation of the spool about the axle.

It is well known for individuals working or operating at height to use a tether to secure themselves to a suitable support to arrest their fall should they unexpectedly fall or otherwise need to escape from their position. The tether is typically secured to the individuals harness and as such, while the tether may arrest their fall, there can be a significant jolt upon the individual as the tether becomes taught. Moreover, once the individual has come to a rest and is held suspended from the tether it is necessary to lower the individual to avoid any trauma from prolonged suspension, particularly if the individual is unconscious and held in an inverted orientation.


A device for inverting tubular fabrics having a base with a back and a front and a plurality of turning arms, each arm having a centerline, a distal end and a proximal end. The proximal ends of each turning arm are fixedly attached to the base so that the distal ends are substantially axially aligned along the centerline of the distal ends and the distal ends of each turning arm are opposing in direction. One embodiment of the device for inverting tubular fabrics further contemplates turning ends having a first and a second end with the first end of the turning end attached to the distal end of the turning arm and the second end of the turning end having a cylinder face of either convex or concave shape. Means for securing the device to another object are further provided, including but not limited to, magnetic elements secured to the back of the device and/or holes formed through the base of the device capable of receiving bolts for securing the device to other objects.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for inverting tubular fabrics. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus for inverting fabrics that have at least a portion thereof in a tubular shape.
2. Background Art
Many articles of clothing are manufactured with a portion thereof being generally tubular. These include arms and legs of shirts, pants and other garments, pantyhose, stockings and other articles where a portion thereof is substantially tubular. It is often necessary to turn these articles inside out because they become inverted either from initial manufacture or subsequent to manufacture through use and washing.
Articles of clothing manufactured out of tubular fabrics are often sewn along one side or one end. The finished product will therefore have a seam with raw edges exposed. After manufacture the article must then be inverted so the seam is hidden within the tubular portion of the garment. Subsequent to manufacture, tubular elements of garments are often turned inside out when they are removed or during washing. These conditions necessitate turning the garment inside out or inverting the tubular elements to its correct position. When a large number of articles must be turned inside out or inverted, it becomes very tedious to perform this operation by hand. Additionally, inverting tubular elements by hand is time consuming.
Over the years, devices have been developed to help invert tubular fabrics. Many of the devices are targeted specifically to a manufacturing environment with little thought to the home consumer. These devices are often very complicated with moving parts; increasing the complexity of operation and the chance of injury to the user.
Additionally, many devices also require the operator to remove his or her hands from the article being turned to operate the machine. Furthermore the complexity of these devices increases costs of manufacture and reduces reliability. The complexity and cost of these devices makes them generally unsuitable for the average consumer.
Furthermore, a company desiring to use the historical inverting devices must bear the greater complexity, chance of injury and lengthy time in using such devices. Thus, the costs of any process where such device can be used would be increased, as would the cost resulting from lost days at work from injured workers.


Photo reticles (110) are formed comprising a first and second printable features (130), (140) which are connected by a channel assist feature (150). The size of the channel assist feature is such that the channel assist feature will not substantially print on photoresist that is exposed using the reticle. Third printable features (120) can be placed a distance WD from the channel assist feature (150). The channel assist feature will assist in the formation of the third printable feature (120).

As CMOS technology continues to scale further into the sub-micron region, forming the necessary very small feature sizes on integrated circuits is becoming increasingly difficult. Optical photolithography is currently the most widely used method for patterning these very small features during the manufacture of integrated circuits. In optical photolithography a photosensitive material known as photoresist is formed and patterned over the surface of the wafer on which the integrated circuit is being formed. In the patterning process, the pattern is transferred to the photoresist by exposing the photoresist to light through a mask called a reticle. The pattern to be transferred to the photoresist is formed on the reticle and is either transparent or opaque depending on whether positive or negative photoresist is being used. In exposing the photoresist a photolithographic tool positions the reticle above the surface of the wafer and focuses light through the reticle and unto the surface of the wafer using a complex series of lens. This type of arrangement is known as a projection optical system. In optical projection systems the pattern of the reticle is much larger than the actual pattern that is formed on the surface of the wafer and the image is reduced by the lens that make up the projection optical system. In a optical projection system the pattern is transferred to a small portion of the wafer during each exposure and either the wafer, the reticle, or both the wafer and the reticle are moved following each exposure until the pattern is transferred to the entire wafer.
A number factors combine to determine the minimum feature size that can be formed using optical photolithographic techniques. These factors include the wavelength of the light used to transfer the pattern, the numerical aperture, the resist process, etc. However, the ultimate resolution is limited by diffraction effects caused when the light passes through the pattern on the reticle. For a given wavelength of light the diffraction effects are a very important limitation in obtaining very small feature sizes. Among the various diffraction effects the most important limitation to the feature size obtainable is the optical proximity effect. The individual patterns and shapes that make up the reticle do not pattern unto the photoresist independently but interact with neighboring shapes and patterns due to the diffraction effects. A key result of the optical proximity effect is that the exact size of the shapes and patterns formed on the photoresist depend on their proximity to other shapes and patterns.
A reticle typically has a complete range of line and space sizes from the densest possible packing allowed by the lithography technology and integrated circuit design rules to very sparse packing. In the sparse packing case the pattern features are typically designated as isolated. In general a pattern feature more than 5–10 times its own size from adjacent features can be considered isolated. In the case of densely packed lines the optical proximity effect will tend to limit the minimum feature size obtainable. To correct for the optical proximity effect a number of techniques such as mask biasing, the addition of serifs, and the use of assistant pattern features have used. Shown in FIG. 1 is a region of a reticle 10 containing isolated patterns 20 with the addition serifs 30 and assist pattern features 40. The serifs 30 are added to the corners of the patterns 20 to minimize the rounding and end pull-back that would otherwise occur. The assistant pattern features 40 are placed near the isolated patterns 20 to attempt to create a dense environment around the isolated lines. The assist pattern features 40 are small enough to be below the resolution of the particular optics used. As more complex integrated circuits become necessary however different shapes such as ovals are often required. Currently there is no known method of forming these shaped structures with the necessary small feature size. In addition the assist pattern features currently in use may introduce unnecessary distortion in the patterned images. There is therefore a need for a new structure that will correct for the optical proximity effect while allowing the formation of shaped structures without introducing unnecessary distortion. The instant invention addresses this need.

Photo reticles using channel assist features


A method for the oxidation and sintering of pellets includes the introduction of a first medium into a compartment through an inlet connected to the compartment and the heating of the medium in the inlet through the use of a combustion arrangement. The use of the combustion arrangement includes the ignition of the fuel, the combustion of the fuel, and the transfer of combustion heat to the first medium that is present at the combustion arrangement. In a region in the inlet outside the direct passage of the first medium, the ignition of the fuel, the combustion of the fuel and the transfer of combustion heat to the first medium take place. By the introduction of a second medium into the region in the direct vicinity of the combustion arrangement, the combustion of the fuel and the transfer of combustion heat also to the second medium take place.

Iron ore concentrate, finely divided iron ore in powder form, from which undesired components of the ore have been removed, is mixed with water in a preparation plant in order subsequently to be processed in a pelletising plant.
The ore concentrate is dewatered in the pelletising plant and mixed with various additives and binding agents, and rolled to pellets. The pellets are dried in a drying arrangement and heated in a compartment such that the pellets are oxidised and sintered, caused to melt together, one by one, to form final pellets, which maintain their shape during further transport. A cooling of the pellets subsequently takes pace in a cooling arrangement. The pellets are now ready and can be transported onwards to the locations at which the ore is to be further refined.
The use of an arrangement comprising an inlet connected to the compartment for introduction of a medium through the inlet and into the compartment is previously known. A combustion arrangement for heating the medium is arranged in the inlet. The combustion arrangement comprises fuel that, when the arrangement is in use, is ignited and combusted. Combustion heat is developed during the combustion of the fuel, which heat is transferred to the medium that is present at the combustion arrangement in the inlet and that passes through the inlet on its way to the compartment.
The heating of the pellets in a compartment is a very critical step in the processing of the pellets and requires a relatively high temperature in order to obtain a good result, in order for the pellets to be durable. There is a desire to secure, or even to increase, the heat of the medium in order to improve the sintering.
The heating, the sintering, the oxidation, of the pellets results in conversion of magnetite to haematite, having NOx as a waste product. NOx becomes present in the medium, which has, after the sintering, completed its task and is to be replaced by new, hot medium. NOx is harmful to the environment and it is therefore desirable that the sintering give rise to as little NOx as possible.
The introduction of cold air that is heated in order to be used as the hot medium gives a good reduction in NOx level, but brings with it the result that the energy consumption becomes high.

Method, arrangement and pelletising plant


A copper pillar may be provided on a chip and a first tin-containing layer may be provided over the copper pillar. A second tin-containing layer may be provided on a substrate. The first tin-containing layer may be joined with the second tin-containing layer during a packaging process.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to a method of assembling chips, and more particular, to a method of assembling chips with an enhanced packaging yield.
2. Related Art of the Invention
In the modern information explosive society, electronic products are everywhere in our daily lives. Accompanied with the continuously developed electronic technology, more complex and more humanized products are updated every single moment. The exterior design of the electronic products is also driven by the trend for being light, thin, short and small. For example, in the field of semiconductor package, many high-density semiconductor package techniques have been developed, such as the system in a package, the flip chip (F/C) structure, and the ball grid array (BGA).
Normally, the pattern of the systemized package structure includes multiple chips packaged in an encapsulating material. Such package structure has the advantages of short interconnection between chips and greatly reduced volume for wiring layout. However, there is some difficulty in the fabrication process thereof. For example, when two flip chips are connected to each other, misalignment problem frequently occurs as shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, which illustrate the flip chip connecting process.
In FIG. 1, first and second flip chips 110, 130 are provided. The first flip chip 110 has a first chip 112 and a first bump 122. The first chip has several first terminals 114 exposed at the surface of the first chip 112. Each of the first bumps 122 is positioned on the corresponding first terminal 114. The first bumps 122 are in ball patterns. The second flip chip 130 includes a second chip 132 and multiple second bumps 143. The second flip chip 130 further has multiple second terminals 134 exposed at the surface of the second chip 132. Each of the second bumps 142 is located on the corresponding second terminal 134. The second bumps 142 have ball shape.
The first chip and the second chip are then connected to each other. The first bumps 122 are dipped with flux 150 as shown in FIG. 2. The first flip chip 110 is then turned up side down, such that each first bump 122 is aligned and pressed on one corresponding second bump 142. Meanwhile, the joint between the first bump 122 and the second bump 142 is covered with the flux 150 as shown in FIG. 3. As both the first and second bumps 122 and 142 are in ball shape, a sliding motion between the first and second bumps 122 and 142 is inevitable when the first bumps 122 are pressed on the second bumps 142. Therefore, a displacement or shift between the first and second bumps 122 and 142 is caused.
A reflow process is then performed allowing each first bump 122 and the corresponding second bump 142 melted to form a common connecting block 160, while the flux 150 flows to an external surface of the connecting block 160 to cover the connecting block 160 as shown in FIG. 4. In case that a serious sliding motion occurs for pressing the first bumps 122 on the second bumps 142, the neighboring blocks 160 may contact each other during the reflow process. A short circuit is thus caused to reduce the package yield.
After the reflow process, a solution (not shown) is applied to remove the residual flux 150 on the blocks 160 to form the structure as shown in FIG. 5.
In the above bump-connecting process, the height of the connecting blocks 160 is limited, such that the distance between the first and second chip 112 and 132 is too small. In the following glue dispensing or encapsulating process, the encapsulating material (not shown) can hardly flowing between the first and second chips 112 and 132, such that void is formed therebetween, and the reliability of the package is degraded.

Method of joining chips utilizing copper pillar


A dispensing cap for a dispensing system may be adapted for dispensing a roll of longitudinally extending material arranged in a center-pull configuration. The dispensing cap may include a dispensing orifice. A first rim having an inner edge may define a wide end of the dispensing orifice. A second rim having an outer edge may define a narrow end of the dispensing orifice. One or more sidewalls may extend between the inner edge of the first rim and the outer edge of the second rim and define the dispensing orifice between the wide end and the narrow end. The dispensing cap may further include a dispensing slot that defines an opening through the second rim.

Longitudinally extending materials such as textiles and cord-like materials may be organized into rolls that are coiled to provide a center-pull configuration that allows the materials to be paid out from the center of the roll. In some instances, this may allow orderly removal of the material without rotation or movement of the roll that may complicate the dispensing process.


A grommet is fit externally to a wire harness to be wired in a vehicle and mounted in a through hole of a vehicle-body panel. The grommet has a small-diameter cylindrical portion molded of elastomer and through which the wire harness is tightly inserted. A radial projection in the form of bellows projects radially out from an outer peripheral position of an intermediate longitudinal part of the small-diameter portion. An outer peripheral portion is connected to the outer peripheral end of the radial projection. The outer peripheral portion has a conical tubular shape and is connected at an intermediate longitudinal position to the radial projection. An annular vehicle-body locking recess is provided on the outer peripheral surface of a large-diameter side of the outer peripheral portion. A small-diameter side is thicker than the radial projection portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a grommet for wire harness and is specifically made of rubber or elastomer to be externally fitted to a wire harness to be wired in an automotive vehicle and mounted in a through hole of a vehicle-body panel from being detached from the through hole particularly by increasing a retention force in the through hole.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a large number of grommets for wire harness of this type have been proposed. In many cases, these grommets are designed to improve waterproof performance of a wire harness inserted through the grommet, reduce an insertion force at the time of mounting the grommet into a through hole of a vehicle-body panel and make the wire harness easily bendable in the case of bending and wiring the wire harness from a position drawn out from the grommet mounted in the through hole of the vehicle-body panel.
For example, to reduce an insertion force of a grommet into a through hole and make a wire harness easily bendable, there has been proposed a grommet 100 shown in FIGS. 6(A) and 6(B) in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H11-63313. This grommet 100 is formed such that a small-diameter cylindrical portion 101 through which a wire harness 110 is tightly inserted and a large-diameter cylindrical portion 103 including an annular recess 104 to be fitted to a through hole 109 of a vehicle-body panel 108 are connected via a radially extending wall portion 102, and an elastic portion 105 projecting toward the large-diameter cylindrical portion 103 in parallel to an axial direction of the grommet 100 is provided at a position where the wall portion 102 is connected to the small-diameter cylindrical portion 101. Reinforcing ribs 107 are provided in a recess 106 of the elastic portion 105 at the small-diameter cylindrical portion 101 side.
The grommet 100 can increase its restoring force after the deformation of the elastic portion 105 by the reinforcing ribs 107. However, the reinforcing ribs 107 make the wire harness 110 hard to bend when the wire harness 110 drawn out from the grommet 100 mounted in the through hole needs to be steeply bent and wired, and reduce deformability of the grommet 100 at the time of mounting the grommet into the through hole, thereby causing problems such as a reduction in an effect of reducing an insertion force into the through hole.