The controller is a logical network which, when interfaced with a mechanical system or an electromechanical system, will cause the output variable of the system to closely follow any command signal received. It comprises shift registers, memory banks, accumulators, arithmetic units and preferably no software. Universal Controller keeps the error between the output of the model and the output of the control system small, regardless of the transfer function of the controlled system by adjusting a number of gains in its internal feedback loop in accordance with that error. It therefore can be applied to an arbitrary electromechanical system without prior knowledge of its transfer function.

The present invention relates generally to a Universal Controller, for control of unknown systems via deconvolution; or more particularly to a logical network, which when interfaced with a mechanical system or an electromechanical system, will cause the output variable of the system to closely follow the output of a model system driven by the same command signal that the Universal Controller receives.
Model reference control algorithms are synthesized on the basis that the plant may be described by a transfer function with unknown coefficients. A basic assumption under which the stability of these algorithms is proven is that the order of the plant transfer function be known.
The uncertainty in the coefficients or parameter values of a transfer function of a given order may be referred to as structured uncertainty. Most practical systems have high frequency plant dynamics which cannot be described by transfer functions of a given order for any values of the parameters. These high frequency dynamics are called unmodeled or unstructured dynamics. Unmodeled dynamics affect the performance of model reference adaptive control systems in a peculiar way. Recent studies (C. E. Rohrs et al, "Robustness of Continuous-Time Adaptive Control Algorithms in the Presence of Unmodeled Dynamics" IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control Vol AC-30, pp 881-889, Sept. 1985) show that in the presence of unmodeled dynamics, a model reference adaptive control system becomes unstable if the reference input contains a high frequency sinusoid. Instability also occurs of there is a sinusoidal output disturbance at any frequency including d.c. The latter poses a serious problem because sinusoidal disturbances are common and the problem cannot be alleviated by adding a low-pass filter at the output (Rohrs et al ibid.). A remedy for this problem is to add low frequency excitation of sufficient magnitude at the input (Rohrs et al ibid. and K. J. Astrom, "A Commentary on the C. E. Rohrs et al Paper . . . " IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, Vol AC-30, pp 889, Sept. 1985). A recent study (J. Krause et al. " Robustness Studies in Adaptive Control", Proceedings 22nd, IEEE Conference Decision Control, San Antonio, Tex., Dec. 14-16, 1983, pp 977-981) also deals with the frequency range and the amount of excitation required to stabilize the adaptive control system in the presence of unmodeled dynamics and output disturbances.
Many practical systems (for example, flight control systems) exist where persistent excitation in the input signal is undesirable. Thus, the problem with unmodeled dynamics reduces the appeal or even precludes the application of adaptive control to such systems.
R. E. Kalman ("Design of a Self-Optimizing Control System" Transactions of ASME, Vol 80, pp 468-478, Feb. 1958) mentioned the idea of modeling a plant in terms of an impulse response sequence in the design of a self-optimizing control system. However, Kalman did not succeed in developing an adaptive controller based on on-line identification of impulse-response sequence of an unknown system. In the work of Kalman, the idea of impulse-response sequence was abandoned, and his control algorithm computes the coefficients of the rational transfer function of the unknown plant via a modified least square filtering procedure, which requires lengthy and involved calculations. Kalman's machine requires a considerable amount of programmed computation. Furthermore, in Kalman's design, the order of the plant must be known. Each machine is built for plants that are lower than certain order. The computation grows exponentially with the order of the plant. Because of the computation time involved, the usefulness of the Kalman machine is limited to low order plants and low-sampling frequency digitalization.
Control designs based on approximate impulse-response models have been developed. See R. K. Mehra et al. "Basic Research in Digital Stochastic model Algorithmic Control" Technical Report AFWAL-TR-80-3125; and W. E. Larimore & S. Mahmood, "Basic Research on Adaptive model Algorithmic Control", Technical Report AFWAL-TR-85-3113 (available from NTIS as AD-A168 016), both from Flight Dynamics Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Model Algorithmic Control (MAC), described in the Larimore & Mahmood Report, assumes that the unit-impulse response sequence of the controlled system (the plant) be known. The control variable is then computed from the desired output and the unit-impulse response sequence. The Adaptive MAC requires that the unknown plant be operated open-loop and off-line initially for seven seconds to enable its unit-response be identified. The impulse-response model is then used in the digital controller and the control loop is closed. A (random) dither signal and a measurement noise of sufficient magnitude and variance are deliberately introduced and superimposed on the actual input and output to enable the repeated identification of the plant's impulse response model every seven seconds. Thus, the Adaptive MAC cannot help being contaminated by an artificially introduced dither signal at the input and measurement noise at the output and at the feedback.
Jones et al in U.S. Pat. No. 4,663,704 show a universal process control device which combines both control and data acquisition functions. Rake et al in U.S. Pat. No. 4,639,853 teach an adaptive controller of a continuous time process which includes prediction and parameter estimation. In column 1 the Rake et al patent speaks of establishing a process model by known parameter estimation methods. Courtiol in U.S. Pat. No. 4,795,799 discloses a process control arrangement employing the deviation between the output vectors of a reference model and of the process employed. The process in this patent follows the reference model without it being necessary to know the relationship between the input variables and the output variables. Mitsuoka in U.S. Pat. No. 4,437,045 discusses a servo control system in which a reference model 2 is in parallel with a final control element 1. Adaptive control is obtained based upon the difference between the outputs of the final control element and the reference model. Pfersch in U.S. Pat. No. 3,361,394 controls an aircraft in response to gain adjusted error signals. Sumano et al in U.S. Pat. No. 4,577,270 et al control a plant with a model constructed using a Kalman filter.

Control of unknown systems via deconvolution

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force


A mechanism for dispensing a measuring tape into the wraps of a length of cloth that is being wound onto a mandrel has a carriage that is mounted for reciprocal movement along a guide extending transversely to the length of the cloth. The carriage has means for rotatably mounting two rolls of tape so that when one is exhausted the other quickly may be utilized and the first replaced while the second is being dispensed. The mechanism has a drive wheel which is driven by engagement with the cloth being wound, or a part of the cloth winding machine, for positively reciprocating the carriage so that the only tension of the measuring tape is that required to unwind the roll.

Bohnengel U.S. Pat. No. 2,425,724 discloses a device for feeding a measuring tape between the wraps of a length of fabric being wound upon a mandrel to form a bolt. Such a measuring tape usually in accurately marked in yards and serves two functions. First, by feeding the tape into the fabric as it is wound upon itself a very accurate measurement of the length of the fabric on the bolt is provided by the tape. Secondly, when some of the fabric is removed from the bolt the measuring tape provides an indication of the number of yards still remaining in the bolt and thus gives a quick inventory indication. Such measuring or indicating tapes usually are fabricated from paper in order that they shall be light weight and not pile up and usually are wound into both industrial bolts, which may average 100 yards or so in length, and into retail bolts of lesser lengths.
The Bohnengel patent discloses a device comprising a carriage which is moveable in one direction transversely to the length of the fabric being wound upon itself in order to dispense the tape in a helical path which actually constitutes the hypotenuse of a right triangle, the base of which is defined by the distance of movement of the carriage and the other side of which is the length of the fabric indicated by the length of tape dispensed from the carriage during its movement.
The carriage of the mentioned Bohnengel patent mounts a roll of measuring tape and includes a wheel over which the tape is led on route to the nip between the wraps of the fabric. The tension applied to the tape by its being interwound with the fabric rotates the wheel. The wheel is engaged with a stationary threaded shaft so that as the wheel rotates the carriage is moved along the threaded shaft and the tape is traversed by the carriage so that it winds into the bolt of fabric in the helix in order to eliminate the pile up which would result if the tape were fed from a stationary carriage. When the carriage has been moved to the end of the threaded shaft it is necessary to stop the machine, to disengage the wheel from the threaded shaft and to move the carriage back to the starting point.
A major draw back in this structure resides in the fact that tension applied to the tape itself is utilized to rotate the wheel relative to the threaded shaft in order to achieve transverse movement of the carriage and the tape supply roll. Therefore, because tapes utilized for this purpose are made of thin paper, this tension often snaps the tape. It then is necessary to unwrap the partially wound bolt of cloth in order to remove the length of measuring tape already wound in. The carriage then must be moved back to the starting position on the threaded shaft and a new roll of measuring tape mounted. The winding of the bolt then is recommended from the beginning.
In addition, in the apparatus of this U.S. Pat. No. 2,425,724, it is necessary to stop the apparatus in order to replace an exhausted reel of measuring tape with a new supply.
It is, therefore, the principal object of the instant invention to provide a mechanism for dispensing a measuring tape into the wraps of a length of cloth being wound upon a mandrel which can mount two rolls of measuring tape so that as one is exhausted, the second quickly may be utilized and the exhausted tape replaced by a new roll of tape while the second roll is being dispensed.
It is another object of the instant invention to provide a mechanism for dispensing a measuring tape into the wraps of a bolt of cloth wherein the force for traversing or reciprocating the roll(s) of measuring tape back and forth across the width of fabric being wound is provided by a drive wheel directly engaged either with the fabric or with a part of the fabric winding machine so that the only tension on the measuring tape itself is that required merely to unwind it.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide for automatic reciprocation back and forth of the tape roll mounting carriage thus eliminating the necessity for stopping the machine to return the carriage at the end of each traverse across the fabric.


An assembly is provided for moving a carriage, the assembly comprising a carriage beam arranged for supporting the carriage, which is moveably arranged along the carriage beam, a cable carrier for supporting a cable, the cable carrier being attached to the carriage and comprising a plurality of carrier segments distributed along a length of the cable carrier, and a flexible support element arranged along the carriage beam for supporting the cable carrier along a track.

In a known assembly for moving a carriage, the assembly comprises a carriage beam, which is arranged for supporting the carriage. The carriage beam extends along a longitudinal direction. The carriage is moveably arranged along the carriage beam in the longitudinal direction. The assembly further comprises a cable carrier for supporting a cable. The cable carrier is attached to the carriage, such as being attached to the carriage at a first end of the cable carrier. In examples, the cable may comprise a wire for communicating electrical power and/or electrical signals towards the carriage and may comprise a tube for communicating a fluid or a gas towards the carriage.
The cable carrier comprises a plurality of carrier segments distributed along a length of the cable carrier. The plurality of carrier segments provides flexibility to the cable carrier along its length such that the cable carrier may move together with the carriage, while the carriage moves along the carriage beam. The cable carrier moves along with the carriage by bending in a looping shape.
The cable carrier is partly supported by an elongated support plate. While the carriage moves along the carriage beam, the cable carrier is in rolling contact to the elongated support plate along a track, which is substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the carriage beam. The elongated support plate, the carriage beam or both are fixed to a frame.
When the cable carrier rolls on the elongated support plate along the track, the plurality of carrier segments contacting the support plate generate a dynamic vibration inside the cable carrier and inside the elongated support plate. The dynamic vibrations may propagate towards the carriage via the cable carrier and/or from the support plate via the frame and the carriage beam. As a consequence the position of the carriage is disturbed by the dynamic vibrations.
This is especially disadvantageous in case a processing unit is mounted onto the carriage and the position of the processing unit is important for processing, such as in an apparatus having a processing unit, which comprises a print head assembly for printing an image on a substrate.
Further, the vibrations, specifically their frequency and/or intensity, need not be constant or may vary by per device. This may for example be due to the speed with which the carriage moves over the beam or due to differences during the assembly of a device.
It is an object to provide an assembly for moving a carriage, the assembly comprising a cable carrier comprising a plurality of carrier segments, wherein dynamic vibrations of the cable carrier are reduced in a simple way.


The invention relates to self-crosslinking polyurethane, polyurethane-polyurea or polyurea dispersions, a process for the preparation of such dispersions and the use thereof.

The invention relates to self-crosslinking polyurethane, polyurethane-polyurea or polyurea dispersions, a process for the preparation of such dispersions, and to the use thereof.
The use of polyurethane dispersions, e.g., for the preparation of glass fibre sizes is known, e.g., from U.S. Pat. No. 4,255,317. Similarly, the use of hardener components based on blocked polyisocyanates in combination with polyurethane dispersions is known, e.g., from EP-A 792 900. Self-crosslinking dispersions are not described therein.
Aqueous PU dispersions with isocyanate groups blocked with butanone oxime and with diamine mixed in, e.g., isophorone diamine, are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,387,181, but not the use of said dispersions as size. Rather, a special preparation process is described wherein the dispersion, which contains the blocked isocyanate groups, undergoes chain extension, e.g., for 12 hours at 70xc2x0 C. by reaction with the diamine. High molecular weight dispersions are thereby obtained in which no subsequent crosslinking is possible. The dispersions are less suitable for use in glass fibre sizes.
Paint dispersions are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,563,208, wherein curing is carried out with a polyamine on the substrate. Relatively low molecular weight prepolymers with blocked isocyanate groups in an approximately trifunctional structure are described here, this being substantiated by the use of the polyisocyanates used by way of example such as crude MDI or isocyanurate group-containing paint polyisocyanates based on 1,6-diisocyanatohexane. No indication is given of the suitability of such products for sizes. In view of the considerable branching and high crosslinking density, the products are unsuitable for sizes and the reinforcing properties are insufficient.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,300,556 describes a process for the preparation of aqueous dispersions containing blocked polyisocyanates and polyhydroxyl compounds. A hydrophilic polyisocyanate is reacted with blocking agent in the presence of polyhydroxyl compounds in aqueous dispersion. It is necessary in this case to use blocking agents which have a greater reactivity than water and the polyhydroxyl compound. This means the opportunities for improvement are considerably restricted and also makes implementation on an industrial scale extremely difficult since an isocyanate-water reaction can never be ruled out altogether. Similarly, no indication of the suitability of such products for sizes is given.
Surprisingly, it has now been found that glass fibre sizes containing special self-crosslinking polyurethane, polyurethane-polyurea or polyurea dispersions exhibit markedly improved processability with sized glass fibres and improved mechanical properties of corresponding glass fibre-reinforced plastics.
The term self-crosslinking dispersions means those dispersions that contain polyurethanes, polyurethane-polyureas or polyureas with blocked isocyanate groups and reactive hydroxyl or amino groups in the same polymer and/or blocked isocyanate groups in the polymer and, in addition, diamines, polyamines and/or hydroxyamines. The presence of blocked isocyanate groups and reactive hydroxyl or amino groups in the same monomer leads, surprisingly, to improved properties as regards reinforcing properties and resistance to hydrolysis, and the processing properties such as, e.g., bulk density.
It was also found that such dispersions also offer some other advantages for the user. The expense of the separate storage of dispersion and hardener is dispensed with, problems or inadequate size properties which may arise due to inaccurate mixing of dispersion and hardener are avoided. No compatibility problems arise of the kind that can occur between different dispersions and hardeners either during the mixing stage or during the elevated temperatures during application.
The invention provides, therefore, self-crosslinking dispersions based on polyurethanes, polyurethane-polyureas or polyureas which contain blocked isocyanate groups bound to the polymer and, also bound to the polymer, reactive hydroxyl or amino groups and/or up to 10 wt. % of a reactive component comprising at least one diamine, polyamine or hydroxyamine having a molecular weight from 60 to 1000, are stable in storage up to 50xc2x0 C. and react at 90 to 280xc2x0 C. with crosslinking.
For the sake of simplicity, the polyurethane, polyurethane-polyurea or polyurea dispersions according to the invention are also referred to below as polyurethane dispersions or as dispersions, in which case polyurethane, polyurethane-polyurea and polyurea dispersions are always included. The term dispersion also includes dispersions which contain dissolved polymer proportions. The proportion of dissolved polymers may be influenced, e.g., by the content of hydrophilic components.
The self-crosslinking dispersions according to the invention based on polyurethanes, polyurethane-polyureas or polyureas are reaction products, present in the dispersed or dissolved form, of
a) at least one polyol component,
b) at least one di-, tri- and/or polyisocyanate component,
c) at least one hydrophilic, nonionic or (potentially) ionic structural component comprising compounds with at least one group which is reactive towards isocyanate groups and at least one hydrophilic polyether chain, and/or compounds with at least one group capable of salt formation optionally present at least in the partially neutralised form, and at least one group which is reactive towards isocyanate groups,
d) at least one structural component which is different from a) to c) having a molecular weight from 32 to 500 with at least one group which is reactive towards isocyanate groups, and
e) at least one monofunctional blocking agent,
wherein c) is used in a quantity such that a stable dispersion is obtained, wherein either a component d) is used in such a way that the resulting dispersion contains, in addition to blocked isocyanate groups, reactive free hydroxyl and/or amino groups, and/or wherein a component F) comprising at least one reactive diamine, polyamine and/or hydroxyamine is contained in the resulting dispersion, wherein the proportion of reactive hydroxyl or amino groups from d) and/or F) may not be 0.
The dispersions according to the invention based on polyurethanes, polyurethane-polyureas or polyureas are preferably reaction products of
a) 30 to 90 wt. % of at least one polyol component having a hydroxyl value from 5 to 350,
b) 10 to 50 wt. % of at least one di-, tri- and/or polyisocyanate component,
c) 1 to 20 wt. % of at least one hydrophilic, nonionic or (potentially) ionic structural component comprising compounds with at least one group which is reactive towards isocyanate groups and at least one group capable of salt formation optionally present at least in the partially neutralised form, or a hydrophilic polyether chain,
d) 1 to 20 wt. % of at least one structural component different from a) to c) having a molecular weight from 32 to 500 with at least one group which is reactive towards isocyanate groups,
e) 0.2 to 7.5 wt. % of at least one monofunctional blocking agent,
wherein c) is used in a quantity such that a stable dispersion is obtained, wherein either a component d) is used in such a way that the resulting dispersion contains, in addition to blocked isocyanate groups, reactive free hydroxyl and/or amino groups in quantities from 0 to 4 wt. % based on the solids content of the dispersion, and/or wherein 0 to 10 wt. %, based on the solids content of the dispersion, of a component F) comprising at least one reactive diamine, polyamine and/or hydroxyamine are contained in the resulting dispersion, wherein the proportion of reactive hydroxyl or amino groups from d) and/or F) may not be 0.
Particularly preferred dispersions according to the invention based on polyurethanes, polyurethane-polyureas or polyureas are reaction products of
a) 35 to 75 wt. % of at least one polyol component having a hydroxyl value from 5 to 350,
b) 15 to 40 wt. % of at least one diisocyanate component,
c) 2.5 to 15 wt. % of a hydrophilic nonionic compound with at least one group which is reactive towards isocyanate groups and a hydrophilic polyether chain and also a further (potentially) anionic compound with a group capable of salt formation optionally present at least in the partially neutralised form,
d) 1 to 11 wt. % of at least one structural component different from a) to c) having a molecular weight from 32 to 500 with at least one group which is reactive towards isocyanate groups, and
e) 0.2 to 6 wt. % of blocking agent,
wherein the sum of a) to e) is 100%, wherein c) is used in a quantity such that a stable dispersion is obtained and wherein a component d) is used in such a way that the resulting dispersion contains, in addition to blocked isocyanate groups, reactive free hydroxyl and/or amino groups in quantities from 0 to 2.5 wt. % based on the solids content of the dispersion, and/or wherein 0 to 6 wt. %, based on the solids content of the dispersion, of a component F) comprising at least one reactive diamine, polyamine and/or hydroxyamine are contained in the resulting dispersion, wherein the proportion of reactive hydroxyl or amino groups from d) and/or F) may not be 0.
The invention also provides a process for the preparation of self-crosslinking dispersions, characterised in that an isocyanate-functional prepolymer is prepared in the first instance from at least one polyol a), at least one isocyanate component b), optionally with the use of hydrophilic components c) or components d), then a part of the remaining isocyanate groups is reacted with at least one blocking agent e) and then the other isocyanate groups are reacted either before, during or after dispersion optionally with hydrophilic components c) and/or components d), then the solvent optionally added before, during or after prepolymer preparation is optionally removed by distillation, wherein the hydrophilic component(s) c) are used in a quantity such that a stable dispersion is obtained and wherein a component d) is used in such a way that, in addition to blocked isocyanate groups, free reactive hydroxyl and/or amino groups are bound to the polymer in the self-crosslinking dispersion.
The invention also provides a further process for the preparation of self-crosslinking dispersions, characterised in that an isocyanate-functional prepolymer is prepared in the first instance from at least one polyol a), at least one isocyanate component b), optionally with the use of hydrophilic components c) or components d), then a part of the remaining isocyanate groups is reacted with at least one blocking agent e) and then the other isocyanate groups are reacted either before, during or after dispersion optionally with hydrophilic components c) and/or components d), and wherein a reactive component F) is added before, during or after dispersion when no more free isocyanate groups are present, and then the solvent optionally added before, during or after prepolymer preparation is removed by distillation, so that, in addition to blocked isocyanate groups, optionally free reactive hydroxyl and/or amino groups are bound to the polymer in the self-crosslinking dispersion and reactive amino and/or hydroxyl groups are contained in the form of diamines, polyamines or hydroxyamines.
The invention also provides the use of self-crosslinking polyurethane dispersions in or as sizes, particularly for glass fibres.
Polyol components a) suitable for the preparation of the dispersions according to the invention are, e.g., polyester polyols (e.g. Ullmanns Encyclopaedia of industrial chemistry, 4th ed., vol. 19, p. 62-65). Suitable raw materials for the preparation of said polyester polyols are difunctional alcohols such as ethylene glycol, 1,2- and 1,3-propylene glycol, butane 1,3-, 1,4-, 2,3-diol, hexane 1,6-diol, neopentylglycol, tri-methylhexane diol, triethylene glycol, hydrogenated bisphenols, trimethylpentane diol, diethylene diglycol, dipropylene diglycol, cyclohexane 1,4-diol, 1,4-cyclo-hexane dimethanol and difunctional carboxylic acids and the anhydrides thereof such as adipic acid, phthalic acid (anhydride), isophthalic acid, maleic acid (anhydride), terephthalic acid, tetrahydrophthalic acid (anhydride), hexahydrophthalic acid (anhydride), succinic acid (anhydride), fumaric acid, azelaic acid, dimer fatty acid. Polyester raw materials also suitable are monocarboxylic acids such as benzoic acid, 2-ethylhexanoic acid, oleic acid, soya oil fatty acid, stearic fatty acid, groundnut oil fatty acid, linseed oil fatty acid, nonanoic acid, cyclohexane monocarboxylic acid, isononanoic acid, sorbic acid, conjuene fatty acids, higher functionality carboxylic acids or alcohols such as trimellitic acid (anhydride), butane tetracarboxylic acid, trimer fatty acid, trimethylolpropane, glycerine, pentaerythritol, castor oil, dipentaerythritol and other polyester raw materials not mentioned by name.
Polyol components a) also suitable are polycarbonate diols which may be obtained, e.g., by reaction of diphenyl or dimethylcarbonate with low molecular weight diols or triols or epsilon caprolactone-modified diols or triols.
Polyester diols based on lactone are also suitable, these being homo- or copolymers of lactones, preferably addition products of lactones having terminal hydroxyl groups such as, e.g., epsilon caprolactone or gamma butyrolactone on difunctional starter molecules. Suitable starter molecules may be the above-mentioned diols or low molecular weight polyester or polyether diols. The corresponding hydroxycarboxylic acids may also be used instead of the polymers of lactones.
Polyol components a) also suitable are polyether polyols. They may be obtained in particular by polymerisation of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, tetrahydrofuran, styrene oxide and/or epichlorohydrin with themselves, e.g., in the presence of BF3 or basic catalysts, or by addition of said compounds optionally also in mixture or successively to starter components with reactive hydrogen atoms such as alcohols, amines, aminoalcohols or water.
The polyol components a) mentioned may also be used as mixtures, optionally also together with other polyols a) such as, e.g., polyester amides, polyether esters, polyacrylates, polyols based on epoxide.
The hydroxyl value of the polyols a) is 5 to 350, preferably 8 to 200 mg KOH/g of substance. The molecular weights of the polyols a) are between 300 and 25000, preferably between 300 and 15000, polyols a) with a molecular weight of  greater than 9000 g/mole being used at least partially in a preferred embodiment.
Components a) used in particular preference are polyols resistant to hydrolysis having a molecular weight from 300 to 3500 based on carbonate diols, tetrahydrofuran diols and/or di- or trifunctional polyethers based on propylene oxide or propylene oxide/ethylene oxide, where, if trifunctional polyethers are used, these are used at most in quantities of up to 8 wt. % based on the total solids content of the polymer.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, component a) is used in quantities from 37 to 49 wt. %.
The total proportion of trifunctional orxe2x80x94less preferablyxe2x80x94higher functionality components a) to F) is 0 to 8, preferably 0 to 5.5 wt. %, based on the total solids content of the polymer.
Component b) is composed of at least one organic di-, tri- or polyisocyanate having a molecular weight from 140 to 1500, preferably 168 to 262. Suitable examples are hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI), isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), 4,4xe2x80x2-diiso-cyanatodicyclohexylmethane (H12MDI), 1,4-butane diisocyanate, hexahydrodiiso-cyanatotoluene, hexahydrodiisocyanatoxylene, nonanetriisocyanate. Aromatic isocyanates such as 2,4- or 2,6-diisocyanatotoluene (TDI), xylylene diisocyanate and 4,4xe2x80x2-diisocyanatodiphenylmethane are suitable in principle but not preferred. Inherently known polyisocyanates based on the above mentioned and other isocyanates with uretdione, biuret, allophanate, isocyanurate, iminoxadiazine dione or urethane structural units may also be used, but this is not preferred.
The exclusive use of aliphatic or cycloaliphatic difunctional isocyanates having a molecular weight from 168 to 222, particularly isophorone diisocyanate and/or hexamethylene diisocyanate is particularly preferred.
Component c) is composed of at least one (potentially) ionic compound with at least one group which is reactive towards isocyanate groups and/or at least one nonionic compound with hydrophilic polyether groups and at least one group which is reactive towards isocyanate groups. The ionic compounds are, e.g. carboxylic acid, sulfonic acid and phosphoric acid having at least one, preferably one or two hydroxyl and/or primary or secondary amino groups, or the salts thereof. Suitable acids are, e.g., hydroxypivalic acid, dimethylol acetic acid, 2,2xe2x80x2-dimethylolpropionic acid, 2,2xe2x80x2-dimethylolbutyric acid, aminobenzoic acid, 2,2xe2x80x2-dimethylolpentanoic acid, addition products of acrylic acid and diamines such as, e.g., ethylene diamine or isophorone diamine. The use of sulfonate diols optionally having ether groups of the kind mentioned in U.S. Pat. No. 4,108,814 is also suitable. Aminofunctional sulfonates are also suitable.
Also suitable but less preferred are (potentially) cationic compounds with at least one hydroxyl and/or primary or secondary amino group and at least one tertiary amino group or the salts thereof with carboxylic, sulfonic or phosphoric acid.
The free acid or amino groups, particularly carboxyl and sulfonic acid groups are the above-mentioned xe2x80x9cpotentially ionic or anionicxe2x80x9d groups whilst the salt-like groups obtained by neutralisation with bases or acids, particularly carboxylate groups and sulfonate groups, are the above-mentioned xe2x80x9cionic or anionicxe2x80x9d groups.
In particularly preferred embodiments, anionic components c) are composed of compounds containing sulfonate groups or of the addition product of equivalent amounts of acrylic acid and isophorone diamine.
Favourable compatibility, a reduced crystallisation tendency of the polymer and improved application properties are obtained due to the cycloaliphatic group of said carboxylate hydrophilic agent. The sulfonate groups also improve the compatibility with other binder components and have a positive effect on the resistance to hydrolysis and altogether improve the stability of the sizes.
Nonionic hydrophilic compounds c) are contained as an imperative, and have, per molecule, one or two groups which are reactive towards isocyanate groups, particularly hydroxyl and/or primary or secondary amino groups and at least one hydrophilic polyether chain. 30% to 100% of the polyether chains of said compounds are composed of incorporated ethylene oxide units, in a preferred embodiment 40 to 95% incorporated ethylene oxide units in addition to 5 to 60% incorporated propylene oxide units being present. Suitable components c) of such kind have molecular weights from 300 to 6000 and are, e.g., monofunctional polyethylene/-propylene glycol monoalkylethers such as Breox(copyright) 350, 550, 750 from BP Chemicals, Polyether LB(copyright) 25, LB(copyright) 30, LB(copyright) 34, LB(copyright) 40 from Bayer AG, polyethylene-propylene glycols such as Carbowax(copyright) 300, 400, 1000, 2000, 6000 from Union Carbide, di- or monofunctional polyether amines such as Jeffamine(copyright) ED600, ED900, ED4000, M715, M1000, M2070 from Texaco.
Nonionic monofunctional components c) having a molecular weight from 1000 to 2500 containing 10 to 57% incorporated propylene oxide and 90 to 43% incorporated ethylene oxide are used in preference.
A mixed hydrophilic agent is used in particular preference composed of nonionic hydrophilic component c) in quantities from 2 to 8 wt. %, wherein the ethylene oxide content is not more than 4.5 wt. % and anionic components c) with sulfonate groups or carboxylate groups from the reaction product of isophorone diamine and acrylic acid in quantities of 0.5 to 7 wt. %. This leads to sizes with excellent stability, very good adhesion properties and good reinforcing properties.
Component d) is at least one, preferably at least two mono-, di or polyfunctional compounds different from a) b) and c) having a molecular weight from 32 to 500 with primary or secondary amino and/or or hydroxyl groups. Suitable examples include ethylene diamine, diethylene triamine, isophorone diamine, hexamethylene diamine, 4,4-diaminodicyclohexylmethane, hydroxyethylethylene diamine, ethanolamine, diethanolamine, isopropanolamine, diisopropanolamine, N-methylethanolamine, aminomethylpropanol, hydrazine (hydrate), propylene diamine, dimethylethylene diamine, ethylene glycol, 1,2-, 1,3-propylene glycol, butane 1,4-diol, neopentyl glycol, hexane 1,6-diol, trimethylpentane diol, trimethylolpropane, glycerine, hydroxyethylacrylate, hydroxyethylmethacrylate, hydroxypropylacrylate, hydroxypropylmethacrylate, 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, 3-aminopropyl-trimethoxysilane, 3-aminopropyltributoxysilane, aminoethylaminopropyl-trimethoxysilane, reaction products of maleic acid dimethyl ester, maleic acid diethyl ester, and/or maleic acid dibutyl ester with the above-mentioned aminoalkoxysilanes, reaction product of (meth)acrylic acid and the glycidyl ester of versatic acid (Cardura E10, Shell), reaction product of 2 mole of propylene carbonate and 1 mole of hydrazine, adipic acid dihydrazide and/or mixtures of the above-mentioned, optionally with further components d). The components d) are used preferably in quantities from 2 to 8.5 wt. %.
By means of a suitable choice of component d) the molecular weight structure can be influenced by chain extension, chain branching and/or chain termination, and/or functional groups may be introduced. If components e) are used to prepare the prepolymer, hydroxyfunctional components d) of the type mentioned are used in preference. If components d) are used in organic solution or in aqueous dispersion for chain extension of the prepolymer, di- and/or trifunctional amine components d) are used in preference.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, the chain extender used is 0.1 to 1.2 wt. % of hydrazine or an equivalent quantity of hydrazine hydrate.
Monoaminofunctional alkoxysilanes such as, e.g., 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane or 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane are used preferably for chain termination reactions, preferably in quantities of 0.5 to 3 wt. %.
The content of free hydroxyl and/or amino groups available for crosslinking may be adjusted by means of a suitable choice of component d).
To this end, e.g., aminoalcohols are used, particularly preferably diethanolamine, diisopropanolamine, ethanolamine and/or hydroxyethylethylene diamine and diamines such as, e.g., isophorone diamine. The amount (the excess) of component d) is preferably chosen such that only amino groups are allowed to react wholly or partially with isocyanate groups, and excess amino groups or preferably excess hydroxyl groups remain after the reaction has ended.
Suitable monofunctional blocking agents e) may be, e.g., butanone oxime, cyclohexanone oxime, acetone oxime, malonic ester, triazole, xcex5-caprolactam, phenol, dimethylpyrazole, monofunctional amines such as, e.g., dibutylamine, diisopropylamine, monofunctional alcohols such as, e.g., butanol, cyclohexanol, isopropanol, tert.-butanol. Mixtures of different blocking agents may also be used, particularly mixtures of blocking agents which deblock at different temperatures and, according to a preferred embodiment, permit a stepwise reaction.
Preferred blocking agents are butanone oxime, xcex5-caprolactam, dimethylpyrazole and alcohols or mixtures of said blocking agents.
The dispersions may additionally contain up to 10, preferably up to 6 wt. % of a reactive component F). Said component may be added at any time during the preparation of the products according to the invention, but only when no more free NCO groups are present. Suitable components F) may be, e.g., at least difunctional amines, polyamines or arninoalcohols. Preferably linear aliphatic or particularly preferably cycloaliphatic diamines are used. Possible components F) are hexamethylene diamine, isophorone diamine, dimethylethylene diamine, 1,4-cyclohexane diamine, trimethylhexane diamine, dimethylhexane diamine, Jeffamine(copyright) (Texaco) such as, e.g., 3,3xe2x80x2-[1,4-butanediyl-bis(oxy)]bis-1-propanamine, 4,4xe2x80x2-methylene-bis-(2,6-diethylcyclohexanamine), 4,4xe2x80x2-methylene-bis-(2-methyl-cyclohexanamine), 4,4xe2x80x2-methylene-bis-cyclohexanamine, TCD-diamine. The molecular weight of component F) is 60 to 1000, preferably 89 to 500.
In a preferred embodiment, the dispersions according to the invention contain, in addition to blocked isocyanate groups, 1 to 6 wt. % of aminofunctional components F) as the component bearing reactive groups.
In a further preferred embodiment, the dispersions according to the invention contain, in addition to blocked isocyanate groups, hydroxyl groups incorporated exclusively in the polymer, as reactive groups.
In a further preferred embodiment, the dispersions according to the invention contain, in addition to blocked isocyanate groups, both aminofunctional components F) and hydroxyl groups incorporated in the polymer as reactive groups or components bearing reactive groups.
In a further preferred embodiment, the dispersions according to the invention contain various blocked isocyanate groups, the isocyanate groups deblocking at different temperatures and thus contributing to a good bond of glass fibre to the size and in the second stage contributing to a good bond between size and plastic.
One such possible combination is the use of 20 to 80 wt. % of butanone oxime or dimethylpyrazole together with 80 to 20 wt. % of xcex5-caprolactam or monofunctional alcohols, the percentage details being based on the total quantity of blocking agent e).
The ratio of blocked NCO groups to free reactive hydroxyl and/or amino groups from component d) and/or component F) in the dispersions according to the invention is 1.00:0.25 to 1.00:1.35, preferably 1.00:0.35 to 1.00:0.85 and more particularly preferably 1.00:0.42 to 1.00:0.58.
The self-crosslinking dispersions according to the invention exhibit a storage stability that meets practical requirements at room temperature up to 50xc2x0 C. After application, crosslinking takes place at temperatures from 80 to 280xc2x0 C., preferably 110 to 220xc2x0 C. The time required for the crosslinking reaction may be between 20 seconds and 45 minutes, and is preferably 1 to 20 minutes.
The reaction of components a) and b), optionally with the use of c) and/or a hydroxyfunctional component d) may take place in one or more stages. The reaction may be carried out in bulk or in organic solvents, in which case preferably in acetone. The equivalent ratio of the OH-functional components a) and optionally c) and/or d) to the NCO-functional component b) is chosen such that an NCO excess of 20 to 200, preferably 30 to 150% is obtained. Optionally, solvent is added to the NCO-functional prepolymer thus obtained in the first instance and then a part of the remaining NCO groups are reacted with component e). Said reaction takes place preferably at temperatures from 30 to 110, more particularly preferably at 30 to 80xc2x0 C. The other NCO groups are reacted either before dispersion, in which case in an acetone solution, or during or after dispersion with an aminofunctional component c) and/or an amino- or hydroxyaminofunctional component e) in such a way that up to 4.0 wt. %, based on the solid of the polymer, of excess amino- and/or hydroxyl groups are present.
The solvent is then optionally removed by distillation. The hydrophilic component c) is used in quantities such that stable dispersions are obtained, a nonionic-hydrophilic component c) always being used too. If hydrophilic components are incorporated in the prepolymer, hydroxyfunctional ionic and/or nonionic hydrophilic agents are used in preference. The use of aminofunctional hydrophilic agents takes place preferably in the presence of a solvent and after prepolymer preparation, e.g., in the chain extension step before, during or after dispersion.
In one variant of the process, the reaction of components a) and b) takes place in the first instance, optionally with the use of c) and/or a hydroxyfunctional component d), in one or more stages. The reaction may be carried out in bulk or in organic solvents, in which case preferably in acetone. The equivalent ratio of the OH-functional components a) and optionally c) and/or d) to the NCO-functional component b) is chosen such that an NCO excess of 20 to 200, preferably 30 to 150% is obtained. Optionally, solvent is added to the NCO-functional prepolymer thus prepared in the first instance and then a part of the remaining NCO groups is reacted with component e). Said reaction takes place preferably at temperatures from 30 to 110, more particularly preferably at 30 to 80xc2x0 C. The other NCO groups are reacted either before dispersion, in which case in an acetone solution, or during or after dispersion with an aminofunctional component c) and/or an amino- or hydroxyaminofunctional component e) such that optionally excess amino- and/or hydroxyl groups are present in a quantity of up to 4.0 wt. %, based on the solid of the polymer. The addition of the reactive component F) in a quantity of up to 10, preferably up to 6 wt. % based on the solids content of the dispersion takes place at any time during preparation but only when no more free NCO groups are present.
The solvent is then optionally removed by distillation. The hydrophilic component c) is used in quantities such that stable dispersions are obtained, a nonionic-hydrophilic component c) always being used too. If hydrophilic components are incorporated in the prepolymer, hydroxyfunctional ionic and/or nonionic hydrophilic agents are used in preference.
The use of aminofunctional hydrophilic agents takes place preferably in the presence of a solvent and after prepolymer preparation, e.g., in the chain extension step before, during or after dispersion.
The reaction of the components may be carried out with the addition of catalysts such as, e.g., dibutyltin dilaurate, tin-2-octoate, dibutyltin oxide or diazabicyclononane.
Amines may be used to convert the acid groups to salt groups, for example tri-ethylamine, N-methylmorpholine, diisopropylamine, hydroxyamines such as di-ethanolamine, triethanolamine, diisopropanolamine, aminomethylpropanol, potassium or sodium hydroxide, ammonia and di- or polyamines such as hexamethylene diamine, isophorone diamine, dimethylethylene diamine, 1,4-cyclohexane diamine, trimethylhexane diamine, dimethylhexane diamine, Jeffamine(copyright) (Texaco) such as, e.g., 3,3xe2x80x2-[1,4-butanediyl-bis(oxy)]bis-1-propanamine, 4,4xe2x80x2-methylene-bis-(2,6-di-ethylcyclohexanamine), 4,4xe2x80x2-methylene-bis-(2-methyl-cyclohexanamine), 4,4xe2x80x2-methylene-bis-cyclohexanamine. The component F) described above with its free primary and/or secondary amino groups may also act as a neutralising agent for incorporated acid groups. This is preferred in the case of mixed hydrophilic agents.
The degrees of neutralisation are generally between 40 and 120%.
After dispersion in/by water, stirring is carried out until all the NCO groups have reacted with component b) and/or d) due to NCO-water reaction and/or chain extension reaction. A complete reaction of all the NCO groups with the above-mentioned OH or NH-functional components prior to dispersion in/with water is also possible.
The solvents optionally used for the preparation of the dispersion may be separated partially or preferably wholly from the dispersion by distillation. In particular preference, the dispersions contain less than 2 wt. % of volatile solvents and neutralising agents. Preferred solvents are acetone and N-methylpyrrolidone.
Auxiliary substances and additives such as anti-settling agents, defoamers, thickeners, emulsifiers, catalysts, flow control agents, adhesion promoters, biocides, antistatic agents, light stabilisers, lubricants, heat stabilisers etc. but also special oligomer or polymer compounds without hydrophilic groups may also be added to the polymers before, during or after dispersion.
The dispersions according to the invention have average particle diameters (determined, e.g., by laser correlation spectroscopy) of 20 to 900, preferably 50 to 400 nm.
The solids contents of the dispersions are at least 30, preferably at least 35% at viscosities of 10 to 150 seconds flow time (DIN-4 beaker, 23xc2x0 C.). The pH values are preferably between 5.0 and 11.0.
The self-crosslinking dispersions according to the invention are particularly suitable for use in or as sizes, preferably glass fibre sizes. The dispersions may be used as the sole binder or together with other polymers such as, e.g., polyurethane dispersions, polyacrylate dispersions, polyester dispersions, polyether dispersions, polyepoxide dispersions, polyvinylester or polyvinylether dispersions, polystyrene or polyacrylonitrile dispersions, blocked polyisocyanates, blocked polyisocyanate dispersions, amino crosslinking resins such as, e.g., melamine resins.
The self-crosslinking dispersions according to the invention or the sizes prepared therefrom may contain the conventional auxiliary substances and additives such as, e.g., defoamers, thickeners, flow control agents, dispersing aids, catalysts, anti-skinning agents, anti-settling agents, emulsifiers, biocides, adhesion promoters, e.g., based on the well known low or high molecular weight silanes, lubricants, wetting agents, antistatic agents.
The sizes may be applied by any methods, for example, using suitable devices such as, e.g., spray or roller applicators. They may be applied onto glass filaments drawn at high speed from spinning nozzles immediately after the solidification thereof, i.e. before winding. It is also possible to size the fibres in a dipping bath after the spinning process. The sized glass fibres may be further processed either wet or dry, for example, to chopped glass. The drying of the end product or intermediate product takes place at temperatures from 100 to 200xc2x0 C. The term drying means not only the removal of other volatile constituents but, e.g., also the solidification of the size constituents. The proportion of size, based on the sized glass fibres, is 0.1 to 4%, preferably 0.2 to 2 wt. %.
Matrix polymers used may be thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers.
The dispersions obtained according to the invention are also suitable for all fields of application in which solvent-containing, solvent-free or other types of aqueous coating systems with an increased range of properties are used, e.g., for coating mineral substrates, lacquering and sealing wood and wood materials, painting and coating metallic surfaces, painting and coating plastics and coating textiles and leather. The dispersions according to the invention may be used as base primer, anchor coat, primer, surfacer, paint, one-coat paint, top coat or finish in the form of clear coats or clear coatings or in pigmented form.

Self-crosslinking polyurethane, polyurethane polyurea or polyurea dispersions for sizing agents


The invention provides an organic electroluminescent light emitting device comprising essentially comprising a substrate, a hole injecting electrode formed on at least said substrate, a light emitting layer and an electron injecting electrode containing a constituting material having a work function of up to 4 eV. The electron injecting electrode has a sealing film on a side thereof not opposite to the substrate. This sealing film contains one or two or more of an oxide, a nitride and a carbide of the constituting material for the electron injecting electrode, and so can be relatively easily formed continuously from the electron injecting electrode without any dedicated equipment for sealing films, while maintaining a high sealing effect. The invention also provides a process of producing such an organic electroluminescent light emitting device.

In recent years, organic EL devices have been under intensive investigation. One such organic EL device basically includes a transparent electrode (a hole injecting electrode) of tin-doped indium oxide (ITO). A thin film is formed on the transparent electrode by evaporating a hole transporting material such as triphenyldiamine (TPD). A light emitting layer of a fluorescent material such as an aluminum quinolinol complex (Alq.sup.3) is deposited on the hole transporting thin film. An electrode (an electron injecting electrode) is formed thereon from a metal having a low work function such as magnesium or Mg. This organic EL device attracts attentions because they can achieve a very high luminance ranging from several hundreds to tens of thousands cd/m.sup.2 with a voltage of approximately 10 volts.
An electron injecting electrode considered to be effective for such organic EL devices is made up of a material capable of injecting more electrons into the light emitting layer or electron injecting and transporting layer. In other words, the lower the work function of a material, the more suitable is the material as the electron injecting electrode. Various materials having a low work function are available. Regarding materials used as the electron injecting electrode of organic EL devices, for instance, JP-A 2-15595 discloses an electron injecting electrode comprising a plurality of metals other than an alkali metal, at least one of which has a work function of less than 4 eV, typically MgAg.
A preferable material having a low work function is an alkali metal. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,173,050 and 3,382,394 disclose NaK as one example of the alkali metal. However, an electron injecting electrode made up of the alkali metal is inferior to that built up of MgAg, etc. in terms of safety and reliability, because the alkali metal has high activity and so is chemically unstable.
To use such a material having a low work function as mentioned above or its alloy, film sealing has been under investigation. To achieve sufficient sealing, however, it is required to make use of costly yet troublesome sealing films such as those of Teflon or SiO.sub.2 because any desired result is unachievable by use of glass sealing or the like. Such film sealing should be carried out immediately after the formation of an electron injecting electrode, thereby preventing corrosion of the electron injecting electrode by oxidation. To this end, however, dedicated film sealing equipment should be provided separately.
In efforts to prevent oxidation, it has been proposed to form an aluminum cap layer on Mg.Al as set forth in JP-A 4-233194 or to use a cap layer formed of an alkaline earth metal, a rare earth metal or the like which have a work function much lower than that of the electron injecting electrode material. However, such cap layers have for its object the prevention of appearance of dark spots, and so serve mainly to absorb moisture at an interface between a cathode (electron injecting electrode) and an organic electroluminescent medium, etc. In other words, these cap layers are less than satisfactory for a sealing film protecting the whole of an organic EL device.

Organic EL element and method of producing the same


An RF signal filter includes an elongate block of dielectric material having a transmit electrode, an antenna electrode and an array of spaced resonators extending between the transmit electrode to the antenna electrode. A signal trap resonator is positioned adjacent to the transmit electrode but opposite the array of spaced resonators. The filter also includes a isolated electrode positioned between but spaced apart from the trap resonator and a local ground conductive layer. A PIN diode switch is operably connected between the isolated electrode and the local ground conductive layer for shifting of the resonant frequency of the trap resonator.

This invention relates to dielectric block filters for radio-frequency signals, and in particular, to dielectric block resonators suitable for use in filtering signals generated in wireless communication applications.
Ceramic block filters offer several advantages over lumped component filters. The blocks are relatively easy to manufacture, rugged, and relatively compact. In the basic ceramic block filter design, the resonators are formed by cylindrical passages, called holes, extending through the block from the long narrow side to the opposite long narrow side. The block is substantially plated with a conductive material (i.e. metallized) on all but one of its six (outer) sides and on the inside walls formed by the resonator holes.
One of the two opposing sides containing holes is not fully metallized, but instead bears a metallization pattern designed to couple input and output signals through the series of resonators. This patterned side is conventionally labeled the top of the block. In some designs, the pattern may extend to sides of the block, where input/output electrodes are formed.
The reactive coupling between adjacent resonators is dictated, at least to some extent, by the physical dimensions of each resonator, by the orientation of each resonator with respect to the other resonators, and by aspects of the top surface metallization pattern. Interactions are complex and difficult to predict.
These filters may also be equipped with an external metallic shield attached to and positioned across the open-circuited end of the block in order to cancel parasitic coupling between non-adjacent resonators and to achieve acceptable stopbands.
Although such RF signal filters have received wide-spread commercial acceptance since the 1970s, efforts at improvement on this basic design continued.
In the interest of allowing wireless communication providers to provide additional service, governments worldwide have allocated new higher RF frequencies for commercial use. To better exploit these newly allocated frequencies, standard setting organizations have adopted bandwidth specifications with compressed transmit and receive bands as well as individual channels. These trends are pushing the limits of filter technology to provide sufficient frequency selectivity and band isolation.
Coupled with the higher frequencies and crowded channels are the consumer market trends towards ever smaller wireless communication devices (.e.g. handsets) and longer battery life. Combined, these trends place difficult constraints on the design of wireless components such as filters. Filter designers may not simply add more space-taking resonators or allow greater insertion loss in order to provide improved signal rejection.
Therefore, the need continues for improved RF filters which can offer selectivity and other performance improvements, without increases in size or cost of manufacturing. This invention overcomes the size-to-selectivity compromise by providing a ceramic block RF filter having adaptable selectivity with a robust, relatively low cost control mechanism and relatively low insertion loss.
An RF signal filter suitable for use in a mobile communication device is provided. The filter includes an elongate block of dielectric material having a transmit electrode and an antenna electrode in the form of selective metallization on the outside surfaces of the block. The dielectric block defines an array of spaced resonators extending between the transmit electrode and the antenna electrode, and a trap resonator adjacent to the transmit electrode but opposite the array of spaced resonators (i.e. at the end of the block nearest the transmit electrode).
The filter also includes a local ground conductive layer on the elongate block, an isolated electrode positioned between but spaced apart from the trap resonator and the local ground conductive layer, and a switch operably connected between the isolated electrode and the local ground conductive layer.
The switch allows shifting of the resonant frequency of the trap resonator by adding a predetermined capacitance of the isolated electrode. In a preferred embodiment, the switch is a PIN diode with a first terminal connected to the isolated electrode and a second terminal connected to the local ground conductive layer. The isolated electrode is adapted for connection to an external input source of DC biasing for switching the PIN diode from a conducting state to a non-conducting state. Alternatively, the isolated electrode is connected through a resistor to the transmit electrode such that a DC bias to the transmit electrode can be used to switch the PIN diode.
Another embodiment of this invention is a dielectric block filter adapted for use as an antenna duplexer. The duplexer comprises an elongate ceramic block which includes an antenna electrode on the elongate ceramic block and a transmitter branch extending between the antenna electrode and a first end of the block, a receiver branch extending between the antenna electrode and a second end of the block. Each branch has a plurality of through-hole resonators.
The ceramic block has a pattern of metallization on the outside surface of the ceramic block. The metallization pattern defines a plurality of connection electrodes including a transmit electrode, a receive electrode, an antenna, and a control electrode. The transmit electrode is spaced apart from the antenna electrode along a length of the block and positioned in the transmitter branch. The receiver electrode is spaced apart from the antenna electrode along the length of the block and positioned in the receiver branch.
At least one of the plurality of resonators of the transmitter branch is a trap resonator which is positioned between the first end of the block and the transmit electrode. An isolated electrode is positioned between but spaced apart from the trap resonator and the local ground conductive layer for creating a capacitive coupling between the trap resonator and the isolated electrode. The filter also includes a PIN diode mounted to the block that has a first terminal connected to the isolated electrode and a second terminal connected to the local ground conductive layer.
The filtering characteristics of dielectric block filters of this invention can be moved from one of two settings by applying and removing a biasing voltage to the control input. Specifically, the effect of the trap resonator on the transfer function of the filter can be shifted between two discrete positions by applying or removing a DC voltage to the control input.
There are other advantages and features of this invention which will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, the drawings, and the appended claims.

Cost effective dual-mode shiftable dielectric RF filter and duplexer


A circumferential flow type liquid pump includes an impeller with vanes on its outer periphery, and a pump casing assembly defining an arcuate elongated pump flow path along the outer periphery of the impeller and a suction inlet and a discharge outlet at both ends of the pump flow path. The pump casing assembly includes a radially-extending gas venting path which is opened in the inner periphery of the pump flow path near the impeller and separated by a step from the bottom of the pump flow path, and a through-hole much larger in sectional area than the gas venting path, through which the gas venting path is communicated with the outside of the pump casing assembly. Bubbles formed by vaporization of the fuel in the pump flow path are positively discharged from the pump casing assembly, and no vapor locking is caused.

This invention relates to circumferential flow type liquid pump, and more particularly to a circumferential flow type liquid pump used as a fuel pump for pumping a liquid-phase fuel such as gasoline from the fuel of a vehicle equipped with an internal combustion engine.
FIGS. 4 and 5 are sectional views showing a pump which is the same in type as a conventional circumferential flow type liquid pump disclosed by Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 79193/1985. In these figures, reference numeral 1 designates a pump casing assembly which comprises a pump casing body 2 and a cover 3. The pump casing assembly accommodates an impeller 4 with vanes 5 on its periphery. The impeller 4 is mounted on a central shaft 6 so that it is rotated around the central axis with respect to the pump casing assembly 1.
In the pump casing assembly 1, an arcuate elongated pump flow path 7 with a suction inlet 8 and a discharge outlet 9 at both ends is defined in such a manner that it is extended along the outer periphery of the impeller 4 and receives the vanes 5 of the impeller 4.
The upstream end portion of the pump flow path 7 which is on the side of the suction inlet is formed into an enlarged flow path 7a having a predetermined length which is larger in section than the remaining portion, and accordingly lower in internal pressure than the latter, and it has a step 7b at the end where its sectional area is decreased in other words, the remaining portion of the pump flow path 7 between the step 7b and the discharge outlet 9 is smaller in sectional area than the enlarged flow path 7a, and accordingly higher in internal pressure than the latter 7a. A small hole, namely, a gas venting hole 14 is formed in the enlarged flow path near the step 7b so that the pump flow path is communicated with the pump casing assembly 1.
The central shaft 6 of the impeller 4 is the rotary shaft of the rotor 16 of an electric motor 15, and it is rotatably supported by bearings 17 and 18 at both ends.
Further in FIG. 4, reference numeral 19 designates an end cover which has a check valve 22 and a liquid outlet 23, and supports a bracket 24.
The pump casing assembly 1 is coupled to the end cover 19 through the yoke 20 of the motor 15. The yoke 20 accommodates the rotor 16, and forms a liquid chamber 21 between the pump casing assembly 1 and the end cover 19 to store a liquid such as a liquid fuel discharged through the discharge outlet 9. Permanent magnets 25 as a serving as s mounted on the inner wall of the yoke. The liquid chamber 21 is communicated with the liquid outlet 23 with the check valve 22 which is provided in the end cover 19. The bracket 24 supports brushes 27 which are held in sliding contact with the commutator 26 of the rotor 16.
The operation of the circumferential flow type liquid pump thus constructed will be described.
As the impeller 4 is rotated clockwise in FIG. 5 by the electric motor 15, a liquid such as a liquid fuel is sucked into the pump flow path 7 through the suction inlet 8. The liquid thus sucked is increased in pressure by the fluid friction resistance which is provided by high speed rotation of the vanes of the impeller, so that it is caused to flow clockwise in FIG. 5 and then flow through the discharge outlet 9 into the liquid chamber 21. On the other hand, when the vanes of the impeller contact the liquid, the latter is partially vaporized, thus forming bubbles in the liquid. The bubbles thus formed are also allowed to flow into the liquid chamber 21. If the bubbles are supplied through the liquid chamber 21 into the internal combustion engine, a variety of difficulties are caused. In order to eliminate these difficulties, the gas venting hole 14 is formed in the enlarged flow path near the step to discharge the bubbles out of the pump casing assembly 1.
In a circumferential flow type liquid pump used as a fuel pump, when bubbles are formed in the pump flow path by vaporization of the fuel and remain therein, so-called "vapor locking" occurs to obstruct the flow of liquid, thus greatly lowering the pumping capacity. In order to overcome this difficulty, in a conventional circumferential flow type liquid pump, as was described above the gas venting hole is formed in the pump flow path to communicate the latter with the outside of the pump casing assembly, so that bubbles formed in the pump flow path by vaporization of the liquid are discharged through the gas tenting hole into the outside of the pump casing assembly.
However, since the gas venting hole is a small hole formed in the bottom of the enlarged flow path, there are various problems. That is, when the vanes of the impeller contact the liquid such as liquid fuel in the pump flow path, bubbles are formed therein, and the bubbles flow along the inner circular periphery of the pump flow path because of the difference between the bubbles and the liquid both in centrifugal force and in specific gravity. Hence, in order to discharge the bubbles out of the pump casing assembly, it is necessary to discharge a large quantity of substantially bubble-free liquid which is present near the bottom of the pump flow path out of the pump casing assembly. Furthermore, since the gas venting hole is a small hole formed in the enlarged flow path as was described before, great flow resistance is induced when the bubbles together with the liquid flow through the small hole.
Furthermore, since the gas venting hole is vertical with respect to the bottom of the pump flow path, the dynamic pressure of the vortex in the pump flow path cannot be utilized in discharging the bubbles out of the pump casing assembly; that is, the bubbles must be discharged only by the static pressure in the pump flow path. Accordingly, when the fuel is vaporized very much, sometimes the bubbles formed by vaporization of the fuel are not discharged from the pump casing assembly; that is, it is difficult to prevent the occurence of vapor locking.


Spatial demultiplexing of data (e.g. video data) is employed in a digital recorder comprising four heads (A, B, C, D) organized as 2 groups (A/C; B/D) each of 2 heads, whereby a field of data comprising a plurality of lines is spatially demultiplexed into i.times.4 data processing channels such that each data processing channel receives a different set of pixels including alternating pixels on every fourth line. The technique finds particular application to the recording of video data in compressed form as the distribution of the pixels to the data processing channels enables efficient compression to be achieved. The video data can be decorrelated before compression. The spatial demultiplexing is then performed on the decorrelated data.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to data processing apparatus for recording and/or replaying data (e.g video or image signals) with a plurality of heads on a recorder/player.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Given the high information densities and stringent requirements under which digital video tape recording systems operate, it is not practical to design systems in which no recording and/or playback errors occur. Typical of the sorts of problems which occur are the loss of data due to a recording or playback head becoming clogged with dirt and/or recording material from the tape, inhomogeneities in the recording layer(s) on the tape and scratches in the tape. Accordingly, known digital video tape recording systems include apparatus and methods for coping with errors which occur during the recording and/or playback of video information as part of the overall operation of such systems.
As a first level of protection against such errors, error correction codes are included with the recorded video data. If the error is a minor one then it is often possible to uniquely identify the particular piece or pieces of information that are in error and what data they should be replaced with. If the error is too severe, then such error correction cannot cope and then reliance is made upon error concealment techniques to reduce the perceivable effect of the error.
In order to facilitate error concealment, it is known to subsample the image data into a number of different data processing and recording channels. In this way, if an error occurs in one channel, then there will be data from the remaining channels surrounding the missing data points from the defective channel. For each erroneous pixel, a replacement pixel value can be interpolated from the surrounding pixel values from the other channels within the same field or frame or alternatively from the corresponding pixel position in preceding and/or following video fields or frames. While detail is still lost from the image by such errors, the overall effect of such error concealment is to make the error less immediately perceivable.
An example of digital video tape recorder apparatus employing such an approach to error handling is described in GB-A-2 140 189. In this known apparatus, with a recording head assembly having 2n heads, where n is 1, 2 or 3, a demultiplexer demultiplexes video samples of an incoming digital television signal sample-by-sample into 2n channels for supply to the 2n recording heads and a switching arrangement for switching the connections between the channels and the heads line-by-line and possibly also field-by-field or frame-by-frame, of the television signal. Although GB-A-2 140 189 mentions the idea of switching the head allocation field-by-field or frame-by-frame, i.e. a temporal demultiplexing of the video signals, it does not describe a detailed implementation of this. In practice a sample-by-sample, or spatial demultiplexing of the video signals has to date been found sufficient.
GB-A-2 140 189 describes the demultiplexing of video data into four channels for supply to each of four heads A, B, C and D. A stream of video pixels for a video field is received as a stream of pixels, pixel-by-pixel from left to right within a scan line and line-by-line. The demultiplexing is applied in a cyclical manner so that successively received pixels are applied to a respective one of the heads A, B, C and D. To facilitate concealment of errors each pixel is arranged to be surrounded by eight pixels not processed by the same head, switching occurs between the heads A and C and between the heads B and D on a line-by-line basis. The result of the multiplexing operations described in GB-A-2 140 189 is that each line of pixels contains the sequence A, B, C, D, A, B, C, D, and so on, with, however, the sequence displaced in alternate lines by two pixel positions within that line. This simple structure always ensures that a pixel is surrounded by pixels from the other three heads.
The demultiplexing strategy described in GB-A-2 140 189 has been found to be satisfactory in most cases where digital pixel samples are recorded directly on tape.
In view of the high information densities involved in image data processing, particularly as image definition increases, it is desirable that some form of data compression be performed upon the image data before it is recorded. One set of techniques for achieving such data compression involves the transformation of the image data from the spatial domain into a transform domain. Once transformed into the transform domain, the redundancy within the image data can be better exploited to yield efficient compression. The data are stored or transmitted as an encoded version of the image in the transform domain.
The demultiplexing strategy described in GB-A-2 140 189 has been found not to be appropriate when the image pixel data are stored in compressed form on tape. For example, the transformation of the image data from the spatial domain into the transform domain can result in a number of pixels per line which is not divisible by four. Accordingly, if it is desired to use a tape transport mechanism with four heads, it is not possible to equally divide the pixels on a line between those four heads.

Digital data apparatus for providing spatial multiplexing and demultiplexing of compressed data to be recorded and reproduced


An atomic absorption spectrometer contains a line-emitting first light source (16), an official system (20, 22, 28, 30, 34) for generating a measuring light beam (18) which passes through a test sample space (12) and impinges on a photoelectric detector (38). An atomization device (14) for atomizing a test sample is so arranged in the test sample space that the constituents of the test sample are present in atomic form in an atomization region traversed by the measuring light beam (18). A light beam (72) is emitted continuously by a second light source (70). A beam splitter (74) reflects the light beam from the second light source (70) as a reference beam into the optical path of the measuring light beam (18). The two light sources (16, 70) can be switched on alternately by switching means. The beam splitter (74) can be removed optionally from the optical path. In addition, an electromagnet (44) generates a magnetic field aligned with the measuring light beam (18) at the site of the atomized test sample for optional background measurement by means of the longitudinal Zeeman effect.

Substantially two methods are used determining and compensating for background absorption. With one method, a reference light beam originating from a light source emitting a continuum with a relatively large bandwidth as compared to the line width is directed through the flame or cloud of atoms alternately with the measuring light beam, the absorption due to the atomic absorption plus background absorption, while the absorption of the reference light beam virtually is determined only by the background absorption (DE-A-1,911,048).
Atomic absorption spectrometers are known wherein a measuring light beam originates from a line emitting light source and is directed through a flame or a furnace for the electrothermal atomization to a detector and wherein a reference light beam originating from a light source emitting a continuum becomes effective alternately with this measuring light beam containing a line spectrum of an element looked for. This reference light beam is reflected into the path of rays of the measuring light beam by means of a beam splitter. The beam splitter usually is a partially transparent mirror. This mirror has reflecting and transparent areas uniformly distributed, such that 50% of the measuring light beam pass through the transparent surface portions and 50% of the reference light beam are reflected in the direction of the measuring light beam by the reflecting surface portions. The alternation between measuring light beam and reference light beam is achieved in that both light sources are switched on alternately. ("Applied Spectroscopy" Vol. 27, No. 6 (1973), 467-470).
In this prior art arrangement each light beam is attenuated by 50%. This results in deterioration of the signal-to-noise-ratio which may be critical with very sensitive measurements.
Furthermore it is known to leave a glass plate arranged in the bisecting line of the angle of the beam axes of hollow cathode lamp and deuterium lamp transparent on one surface portion and to provide it with a partially reflecting layer on another surface portion. The glass plate can be displaced in its plane, whereby optionally either both light beams fall on the partially reflecting layer and their paths of rays are superimposed, or only the light beam from the hollow cathode lamp passes through the transparent portion of the glass plate and falls onto a photometer. Then the instrument can optionally be used as a single beam photometer (JP-A-55 419; "Patent Abstracts of Japan" Vol. 4, No 100 (P-19), (582), 18.07. 1980).
Another method for determining the background absorption is based on Zeeman's effect: By applying a magnetic field to the sample the absorption line of the looked-for element in the sample is shifted relative to the spectral lines of the measuring light beam, such that there is no atomic absorption with the magnetic field applied and only background absorption is measured. The atomic absorption corrected for the background absorption can be measured by switching the magnetic field on or off.
The invention relates to an atomic absorption spectrometer in which the background absorption is determined by means of a reference light beam from light source emitting a continuum.
From German Patent Application 1,964,469 an atomic absorption spectrometer is known in which the radiation originates from a single light source designed as a line emitter, the radiation of which passing through the sample is frequency modulated by use of the longitudinal Zeeman's effect. In this prior art atomic absorption spectrometer, a hollow cathode lamp is arranged between the pole pieces of a solenoid. One of the pole pieces has a bore through which the measuring light beam passes through a flame serving as atomizing device and a monochromator and impinges upon a photo-electrical detector. The solenoid is arranged to be switched on and off, whereby the atomic absorption of the sample atoms compensated for the background absorption can be determined from the difference of the signals with the solenoid switched off and switched on. The windings of the solenoid are provided on the pole pieces.
In this prior art atomic absorption spectrometer the emission lines of the line emitting light source are periodically shifted by Zeeman's effect and thus the emitted light frequency is modulated and not the absorption lines of the sample.
From German patent 2,165,106 it is known to apply the magnetic field of a solenoid arranged to be switched on and off to the atomizing device, i.e. to the sample which is to be atomized, instead of to the light source. Therein the atomizing device is a flame. The magnetic field is applied perpendicularly to the direction of propagation of the measuring light beam. A splitting of the absorption lines due to "transverse" Zeeman's effect is effected, which again causes a relative shift of the emission lines of the measuring light beam and of the absorption lines of the sample. Again it can be discriminated between atomic absorption by the atoms of the element looked for and non-specific background absorption by switching the magnetic field on and off.
When the transverse Zeeman's effect is used splitting of a spectral line is effected into a central line the wave length of which corresponds to the non-shifted wave length of the respective line with the magnetic field switched off and two side lines are shifted to longer and shorter wave length relative thereto. The central line and the side lines are polarized differently. Therefore the influence of the central line can be eliminated by a polarizer. Such a polarizer, however, causes a light loss of 50%.
GB-A-2,096,315 describes an atomic absorption spectrometer which uses a graphite tube for the electrothermal atomization of the sample. For background compensation, a solenoid energized by a.c. current is provided, which generates a magnetic field orthogonal to the beam axis of the measuring light beam. By the transverse Zeeman's effect the absorption lines are split into a central .pi.-component which is located at the wavelength of the undisturbed absorption line, and .sigma.-components shifted relative thereto. The .pi.-and .sigma.-components are differently polarized. A monochromator is adjusted to the undisturbed absorption line. There is no polarizer for the elimination of the .sigma.-component.
The compensation of the background absorption by use of Zeeman's effect can present problems, if the background absorption varies quickly, as the frequency of the switching on and switching off of the magnetic field is limited due to the inductivity of the solenoid (International Laboratory" 17 (1987) No. 3).
The various possibilities of the Zeeman-AAS have been shown in a paper in "TRAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry" Vol. 1 (1982), May, No. 9, 203-205.


A smoking article including a porous inner core of an aerosol-generating composition circumscribed by a porous ceramic insulator tube which in turn is circumscribed by a porous charcoal fuel tube. Upon ignition, the smoking article, which is preferably in a cigarette rod form, produces an aerosol that resembles tobacco smoke.

1. Field Of The Invention
This invention relates to smoking articles preferably in a cigarette form. In one aspect, it relates to a smoking article which produces an aerosol that resembles tobacco smoke but has substantially reduced amounts of smoke as produced by conventional cigarettes. In another aspect, the invention relates to a smoking article wherein tobacco is utilized as a flavor generating system. In even another aspect, the invention relates to a smoking article wherein tobacco flavors therein are volatilized but the tobacco is not combusted.
2. Description Of The Prior Art
Many smoking articles have been proposed in the last few years wherein tobacco or other carbon fuel sources are utilized to heat a core of tobacco or tobacco substitutes to a temperature less than the combustion temperature for the tobacco or tobacco substitutes, but which will volatilize the tobacco flavors contained within the core products.
These proposed smoking articles have been in many instances based on the use of heat to generate an aerosol or vapor containing tobacco flavors. Moreover, many different smoking articles have been proposed which actually burn a fuel source, which may be tobacco or other carbon sources, as a heating fuel wherein the heat generated from the combustible elements volatilize the tobacco flavors either from tobacco or a tobacco substitute material. The earliest such smoking articles were described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,258,015 to Ellis et al which teaches the use of a high heat tubular member containing a nicotine-releasing material surrounded by any heating means which will heat the nicotine-releasing material to a temperature between 200.degree. and 400.degree. C. The nicotine-releasing material may be tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, tobacco extract, or a synthetic mixture containing nicotine, such that nicotine is from 5% to 20% of the material by weight. This reference further teaches the use of fine cut tobacco for the heating means and mixing it with smoldering enhancers such as sodium chlorate, potassium chlorate, sodium nitrate, or potassium nitrate. Moreover, other materials such as carbon fuel may be used as the heating means. The Ellis et al patent further teaches the use of an aerosol-nucleating chamber which allows cooling so that the nicotine vapors condense on the aerosol particles. This chamber may be between the mouthpiece or filter and the heating means, in the middle of the tubular member, or some combination of these.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,356,094 to Ellis et al, the metal tubular member of the '015 Ellis et al patent is replaced with a frangible or friable material. This reference teaches using an inorganic salt which loses water or carbon dioxide and becomes brittle when heated. Salts disclosed are magnesium sulfate heptahydrate, magnesium carbonate trihydrate, basic carbonates of magnesium, sodium or potassium bicarbonate and calcium sulfate. Plasticizers listed are colloidal silicate, magnesium oxide, ground chalk, and kaolin. Another reference, U.S. Pat. No. 4,474,194 to Steiner, teaches the use of ceramics or baked clays to separate the heating means from the tobacco simulating substance. Moreover, this reference teaches replacing tobacco as a heating means with a cellulose-base product mixed with activated charcoal and impregnated with appropriate aromatic compounds to provide a tobacco-like aroma.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,714,082 to Banerjee et al teaches placing the heating means and the aerosol-generating means in a tandem relationship rather than a coaxial relationship as set forth in the previously discussed references. In Banerjee et al, the heating means may contain combustible carbon in addition to reconstituted carbon and the aerosol generation means may contain alumina impregnated with an aerosol-forming material with a mass of tobacco located adjacent thereto.


A remotely operated mechanism is used to mount an engine in a compartment ere connections between the engine and compartment are difficult to access or see. The mechanism comprises a mounting adapter which is fit to the engine and which mates to a mounting block connected to the floor of the compartment. The adapter has a ridge, an adapter bore through the ridge, and a facial flat on either side of the ridge. The mounting block has a channel whose sides closely receive the ridge, and has two block bores along a common axis. Mounting flats on the block interface with the adapter's flats when the block and adapter are fully engaged. To fasten the adapter to the mounting block, a plunger is biased to translate in one of the block bores until a keeper of the plunger fits closely both in the ridge bore and the other block bore. The plunger position is controlled by a cable connected thereto, and a locking device on the cable releasably fixes the cable in a selected position.

Placement of engine assemblies in land combat vehicles has design aspects not normal for other vehicles. First, the engine assembly of a land combat vehicle must be in an enclosed, armored compartment to protect it from enemy fire. Second, interior space of combat vehicles is at a greater premium than vehicles such as cargo trucks and passenger cars. As a result, there typically is little space in combat vehicles between an engine assembly and panels of a compartment where the engine is located. When the engine assembly is lowered into the compartment, the lack of space makes it difficult to access or see engine mounts on the floor of the compartment. Consequently, installation of engine assemblies in combat vehicles can require much time, labor and skill.
I address the above problem of installing engine assemblies by using a remotely operated engine mount mechanism. This mechanism comprises a mounting adapter fixed to the engine and mated to a mounting block on the floor of the engine compartment. The adapter has a cross-sectionally tapered ridge and the mounting block has a complimentary channel to closely receive the ridge. The adapter has a facial flats adjacent the ridge that interface with like flats on the block when the adapter engages the block. The mounting block has two block bores on an axis intersecting the channel, and the adapter's ridge has a bore which aligns with the block bores when the block and adapter engage. A plunger in one block bore is biased to translate through the ridge bore and into the other block bore, so the adapter and block are interlock to fix the engine to the compartment floor. Plunger translation is effected by a cable connected thereto, and a releasable locking device on the cable retains the cable and plunger in a selected position.

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army


A method of developing a stamping die for a workpiece is provided, which includes the steps of stamping a workpiece in a current die. A measurement is made of the stamped workpiece to determine its profile. The profile is compared with the design intent workpiece to determine dimensional variance. If the variance is within predetermined limits, the development is complete. If the variance is beyond limits, a conceptual determination is made of the residual forces in the current die stamped workpiece when the current die stamped workpiece is restamped by a design intent die. This conceptual determination is carried out on a computer. From the determination of residual forces, a new current die is developed. The new current die then stamps the workpiece. The steps are repeated until the stamped workpiece profile is within predetermined limits.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of the present invention is designing dies for stamping sheet metal parts. More particularly the present invention relates to designing dies for stamping sheet metal parts which compensate for the tendency of sheet metal parts to spring back after a stamping operation, so that the part process from the die will more exactly match a design intent profile of a part.
2. Background of the Invention
Most automotive vehicles have a plurality of metal stampings which are utilized both in the chassis and automotive vehicle body. In many instances the stamping workpiece starts out as a thin sheet of metal. The metal is pressed between two dies which form the workpiece in the desired configuration. After the stamping operation, the workpiece is trimmed and delivered to another workstation for further metal working operations or assembly with the vehicle. The stamping operation forms the workpiece by plastic deformation. However, some of the deformation which occurs to the workpiece will still be elastic in nature. Therefore, after removal from the dies, certain portions of the workpiece will tend to elastically deform to relieve the residual stress. This relieving of residual stress is often referred to as spring back. Trial and error has taught tool designers that for a predetermined workpiece profile, the die utilized to stamp the workpiece must be modified so that the workpiece will spring back after pressing to form a workpiece within predetermined dimensional limitations.
Prior to the present invention, most of this compensation in die design to accommodate spring back was a function of the knowledge and experience of the tool and die designer. Often the above-noted process of trial and error caused a major expense due to design and redesign of dies. The prior trial and error method also required significant expenditures of time.
Attempts have been made to mathematically quantify the design process of stamping dies to be less dependent upon the knowledge and experience of a tool and die maker. Many of the prior mathematical computational methods of designing dies which could accommodate for spring back require the utilization of computers with a larger amount of power and also require extensive amounts of time to bring forth satisfactory results. Another problem with many prior predictive techniques is that they fail to converge in some circumstances, such as in case of complex tooling geometries or in case of different materials. For example, if a first iteration of the predicted die surface was corrected too far so that the die would form a part that was over bent, the predicted technique could not converge back to provide a die which would form a workpiece in a non over bent condition.
Another problem with prior predictive techniques was lack of a good method to start out with an initial corrected die which differed in profile from the design intent profile of the workpiece. Experience has taught those in tool die arts that certain modifications will be needed. Therefore, it is desirable to start out with a mathematical technique which can predict results starting out with a die which has already been modified from a profile of a design intent workpiece.
Still another problem with prior predictive techniques was that there was no way to take advantage of empirical data which was generated from actual tryout dies.
It is desirable to provide a method of designing a stamping die which can accommodate needed changes due to the spring back characteristic of the stamped metal workpiece in shorter time intervals with more predictable results. It is further desirable to provide a method of designing a stamping die wherein the predicted result converges to a more accurate solution. It is still further desirable to provide a method of designing a stamping die which can take advantage of empirical data gathered from tryout dies.

Method of modifying stamping tools for spring back compensation based on tryout measurements


A receiving circuit of a communications link comprises: a first data buffer configured to input, under control of a first clock signal, data of a first data stream transmitted by a transmitting circuit, and to generate a credit trigger signal indicating when a data value is read from the first data buffer, wherein data is read from the first data buffer, or from a further data buffer coupled to the output of the first data buffer, under control of a second clock signal; and a credit generation circuit configured to generate, based on the credit trigger signal, a credit signal for transmission to the transmitting circuit under control of the first clock signal, the credit signal indicating that one or more further data values of the first data stream can be transmitted by the transmitting circuit.

For communication links between integrated circuits, or between circuits within an integrated circuit, it is generally desirable to limit the number of wires in order to reduce chip area. One solution for reducing the number of wires is to create a plurality of virtual channels that share a single physical channel. This is for example achieved by time multiplexing a plurality of data streams.
In the case of synchronous communications links, a clock signal is used at the receiver in order to correctly receive the transmitted data streams. This clock signal is generally transmitted over the communication link alongside the data. Such a solution is relatively robust against propagation delay variations over the communications link, as the propagation delays of the data streams and of the clock signal will remain substantially equal.
In such synchronous communications links, it has been proposed to implement flow control using a system of credits. A buffer, such as a FIFO (first-in-first-out) buffer is present on the transmission side to store data waiting to be sent over the communications link, and a further buffer, which is also for example a FIFO, is present on the reception side to store the data received over the communications link. If the data transmission rate over the communications link is too high, the FIFO on the reception side may become full, leading an interruption of the data transmission over the communications link. This issue is overcome by credit-based flow control, according to which the transmission circuit may only transmit a data value over the communications link in response to a credit received from the reception circuit. The reception circuit issues a credit each time a data value is read from its FIFO.
While existing solutions for credit-based flow control are relatively effective in preventing overflow in the FIFO of the reception circuit, they tend to require relatively large FIFOs, and bulky circuits for handling credits. There is thus a need in the art for a credit-based flow control solution addressing these issues.

Circuit and method for credit-based flow control

Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives


The present invention relates to a system for determining the orientation of a catheter (2). The system comprises a catheter (2), an asymmetric marker (11) attached to the catheter (2), and an imaging unit (25) for generating a projection image of the asymmetric marker (11), wherein the imaging unit (25) comprises a radiation source for generating radiation for projecting the asymmetric marker (11) in a projection plane and a detection unit for generating the projection image of the asymmetric marker (11) projected in the projection plane. The system comprises further an orientation determination unit for determining the orientation of the asymmetric marker (11) from the projection image of the asymmetric marker (11) and for determining the orientation of the catheter (2) from the determined orientation of the asymmetric marker (11). The asymmetric marker (11) is adapted such that the orientation of the asymmetric marker (11) is determinable from the projection image of the asymmetric marker (11) alone.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,493,575 B1 discloses a system for determining the orientation of a catheter. Radial marker bands surround the distal end of the catheter at predefined intervals. Furthermore, an asymmetric marker being wedge-shaped is attached proximal to the distal end of the catheter. For determining the orientation of the catheter a projection image of the radial marker bands, the asymmetric marker and the distal end of the catheter itself is needed.

System for determining the orientation of a catheter