A method, system and program providing graphical queries and direct manipulation of a database is disclosed. In a preferred form, tables and lists are configured from a database to define a common data structure. Additional, dynamic data structures are employed based on information entered by a user to define various relationships between the dynamic data and the database information. The system employs a graphical query interface and a relational database to provide an ergonomic, natural interface for a database user.

Databases have become the subject of significant recent interest, not only because of the increasing volume of data being stored and retrieved by computerized databases but also by virtue of the data relationships which can be established duping the storage and retrieval processes.
Structured Query Language (SQL), and in particular ANSI SQL, has become a preferred language media fop communicating queries to relational databases. As a consequence, there presently exist thousands of relational databases and thousands of related queries directed to such databases. Given an investment in such databases and queries, migration is not only a desirable feature, but a substantially necessary capability for new relational database systems and methods.
The concept of portraying a query in a graphical depiction on a display screen of a workstation is a relatively new approach to relational database interfacing. Visual queries, often referred to as graphical queries, utilize workstation graphics to represent query objectives heretofore defined by SQL statements. A visual query presents a pictorial depiction of the objectives of a search, thereby eliminating any need for a user to learn a query language, improving the rate at which SQL queries can be formulated, and reducing the defect or error rate of queries.
With the growing prevalence of relational databases, communication networks and workstations, the training and experience of a representative system user has decreased in relation to the resources available. The dilemma created by these various events is threefold. First, there exists an established and valuable base of queries formulated with classical SQL expressions. Second, there is a growing usage of relational databases and networks accessing their information. The end users of such databases are routinely less proficient in the very tools needed to efficiently and accurately access the relational database information. Finally, users of database access methods do not receive direct feedback of changes based on their manipulation of the database. Thus, a distinct need exists for methods, systems and programs which convert query statements into visual representations understandable by novice database users, and, in the compliment, which convert graphically or visually represented queries into SQL format statements usable in existing databases and network environments.
An article by Faloutos, F., and Sellis, T., entitled, "An Efficient Pictorial Database System for PSQL", IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, Vol. 14, No. 5, May 1988, discusses a prior art technique for searching a K or B-tree database using efficient data structures for optimizing the search, The report discusses access techniques fop retrieving information and displaying the information on graphical displays. For example, demographic information can be used to retrieve information and format it graphically to reflect population in various sections of the United States. An improvement to further optimize the access of data fop subsequent graphic display is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,163 and IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin Vol. 30, No. 1, June 1987, Intelligent Scheduling, Query and Reporting Data Base.
An example of a dynamic, graphical display for a knowledge base application is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,889 to Neuron Data. The patent discloses a graphical tree structure depiction of a knowledge base that is updated after changes are made to the database via user line commands. None of the prior art references disclose or suggest a graphic interface for directly manipulating a database and reflecting the changes in a dynamic manner.

System for interactive graphical construction of a data base query and storing of the query object links as an object

International Business Machines Corporation


The present invention is related to an issue-manage-style internet public opinion information evaluation management system and method thereof. The system mainly comprises 5 modules of 1) Issue establish/setup module for establishing new issue and the keywords thereof; 2) public opinion information collection module for retrieving and analyzing data retrieved by dredge technology, program, and community web-site open API; 3) public opinion information reputation analysis module for calculating each public opinion information evaluation score by text reputation analysis and community interactive fuzzy analysis; 4) issue trend analysis module for calculating issue trend score by disclosed method based on daily, weekly, or monthly public opinion information reputation evaluation score; 5) issue related public opinion information exchange module for presenting issue related public opinion information on each management interface or message alert of each system via internet exchange standards.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to an issue-manage-style internet public opinion information evaluation management system and method thereof. More particularly, the present invention is related to data management and exchange system among an internet information group with evaluated issue relevance.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The fast growing of community web-site service, dynamics of community web-site issues rapidly influence management of a company even an individual business. Thus, monitoring and/or managing public opinion information and/or issue evaluation have become very important recently. Internet community builds up its reputation based on customer's real experience and sharing. These reviews or opinions exist in many internet forums, blogs, and community web-sites, which is oriented to particular issues and the evaluations grows rapidly. It greatly influences products, services, and brand value of a company. In the past, users face five major problems of hard to collect public opinion information, orderless and/or overloading information of collected public opinion information, human-power oriented information analysis, hard to observe potential issue among huge public opinion information, and hard to track issue.
Taiwan published patent application no. TW201137632 disclosed technologies of a system and method thereof of document feeling analysis based on document and calculation of space vector and feeling vector among readers and the writer corresponding to different linked feelings of a document. The documents are divided into different level of feeling by different colors in the system and method thereof.
China patent no. 102073646A disclosed technologies focusing on analysis of words/sentences of text. It calculates trend of each word/sentence toward a topic, including positive trend and negative trend, and the calculation would indicate a topic with most trends as the case need to be watched.

Issue-manage-style internet public opinion information evaluation management system and method thereof


A brake control unit includes a primary piston and a secondary piston that respectively define a primary chamber and a secondary chamber. The primary piston carries an intermediate piston that slides in the secondary piston. A primary insulating seal is disposed between the pistons such that the primary insulating section of the primary insulating seal only depends on the equivalent section connecting the force applied at the inlet and the secondary pressure. The ratio of the hydraulic sections is configured to be modified without having to intervene on the primary and secondary pressure seals for the main piston and the secondary seal by way of modifying the section of the plunger piston and that of the seal thereof.

The present disclosure has as its object a brake control unit including a primary piston defining a primary chamber connected to a primary circuit and a secondary piston defining a secondary chamber connected to a secondary circuit, the control unit receiving the braking demand signal supplied via the push-rod actuated by the driver, said demand signal being detected by the displacement sensor for the movement of the push-rod in order to control the primary piston, which itself pushes against the secondary piston, thereby generating a pressure inside the primary chamber which then exerts a hydraulic thrust on the rear cross section of the secondary piston.
Generally, the disclosure has as its object a brake control unit which corresponds substantially to a tandem master cylinder and is intended, for example, for hybrid vehicles. The primary chamber is connected to the hydraulic circuit for the brakes of the rear axle, which is not a driving axle. The secondary chamber is connected in a decoupled manner to the braking circuit of the front axle. The front axle is a driving axle. It is equipped with electric motors ensuring regenerative braking (dynamic braking) in combination with mechanical braking via brakes that are controlled by a braking circuit. However, the braking circuit for the front axle is not connected directly to the secondary pressure chamber which acts indirectly. Braking of the front axle is assured, initially, principally by the dynamic braking, the electric motors functioning as a generator and from a certain speed down to zero speed, the mechanical braking being combined with the dynamic braking before replacing it completely when the speed falls below 10 km/h, for example, and continuing down to 0 km/h.
It should be noted that the pressure generated inside the secondary chamber of a tandem master cylinder results from the thrust generated by the primary pressure acting on the hydraulic cross section of the rear part of the secondary piston, said thrust going on to generate a pressure inside the secondary chamber according to the hydraulic cross section of the front part of the secondary piston. The hydraulic cross sections of the front and rear parts of the secondary piston usually being of the same value, the primary and secondary pressures of a traditional master cylinder are substantially the same.
Generally, certain recent braking systems require a master cylinder having a bore of small dimensions for multiple reasons, such as the characteristics in degraded mode or the feel through the pedal. However, producing bores of reduced cross sections in master cylinders and grooves for cups of small dimensions is a difficult and costly machining operation. Furthermore, cups (or lip seals) of small dimensions of the kind that would be necessary do not exist in the standard manufacturing ranges. These special seals would be difficult to develop, to manufacture and to install in the throat surrounding the bore, by comparison with the installation of lip seals with a large diameter.
In addition, machining throats in bores with a small diameter is a difficult and costly operation.
FIG. 1 is a simplified diagram of a tandem master cylinder, of a known kind, for the purpose of describing the definition of the characterizing feature connecting the inlet force FIN, applied by the push-rod to the primary piston P1 and the pressure Ps inside the secondary chamber CH2.
The tandem master cylinder has a primary piston P1, of which the front cross section S1 defines the primary chamber CH1 which is further defined by the rear cross section S2 of the secondary piston P2.
The front cross section S2b of the secondary piston P2 defines the secondary chamber CH2.
Under the effect of the force FIN, a primary pressure Pp is present inside the primary chamber CH1, which pressure Pp, when applied to the secondary rear cross section S2 of the secondary piston P2, generates a force Fs displacing the secondary piston, of which the front cross section S2b generates the secondary pressure Ps inside the secondary chamber CH2.
By definition, the relationship between the inlet force FIN and the secondary pressure PS is as follows:
  Ps  =            F      IN        k  being an equation in which the coefficient k has the dimension of a surface; this coefficient is referred to by convention as the "equivalent cross section Se", such that:
                    Ps        =                              F            IN                    Se                                    (        1        )
However, in the master cylinder defined above, the primary pressure Pp inside the primary chamber CH1 is given by the following equation:
                              P          p                =                              F                          I                                                                                N                                            S                                                                          1                                              (        2        )
This primary pressure gives rise to the force Fs exerted on the secondary piston P2 according to the equation:
                                          F                                                                          s                    -                                    P              p                        ·                          S              2                                      =                                            F                              I                                                                                N                                                    S              1                                ·                      S            2                                              (        3        )
The force Fs generates the pressure Ps inside the secondary chamber CH2:
                              P                                                              s                =                                            F                                                                                s                                      S                              2                                                                                b                                              =                                    F              IN                        ·                                          S                2                                                              S                  1                                ·                                  S                                      2                                                                                b                                                                                (        4        )
The equivalent cross section SE may accordingly be described as follows:
      P                          s    =                                          F                          I                                                                                N                                            S                                                                          e                                            (          1          )                    →              S                                                  e              =                            F                      I                                                                          N                                    P                                                              s                    =                                    S            1                    ·                      S                          2                                                                                b                                                S          2
The following equation is thus obtained:
                              S                                                              e                =                                            S              1                                      S              2                                ·                      S                          2                                                                                b                                                          (        5        )
The presentation made above with the cross sections of the pistons, according to normal practice in the field of master cylinders, gives the diameter of the pistons or the seals (cups) according to the following traditional formula connecting the surface of a circular disc to its diameter D:
                    S        =                              π            ×                                          D                2                                            2                2                                              =                                    π              4                        ×                          D              2                                                          (        6        )            or also:
                    D        =                  2                                              S              π                                                          (                  6                    bis                )


A carbon black of the category of hard carbon blacks having a nitrogen adsorption specific surface area (N.sub.2 SA) of 120 to 165 m.sup.2 /g and a DBP absorption number of 120 ml/100 g or more and satisfying requirements respectively represented by the following formulae (1) and (2): EQU Dst.ltoreq.(4.35.times.dn)-10.0 (1) ##EQU1## In the formulae (1) and (2), dn is the arithmetic average diameter (nm) measured by electron microscopy, .DELTA.Dst (nm) is the difference between two Stokes diameters each obtained in a frequency of 50% of the maximum frequency in a distribution curve of the aggregate Stokes diameter, Dst (nm) is the Stokes diameter of the maximum frequency in the distribution curve of the aggregate Stokes diameter, N.sub.2 SA is the nitrogen adsorption specific surface area (m.sup.2 /g) and IA is the iodine adsorption number (mg/g).

The present invention relates to a carbon black for a tire tread rubber capable of imparting an excellent abrasion resistance and traction performance to a rubber component.
In recent years, with an improvement in the performance of automobiles, demands for the performances and ride comfort at high speeds have been increased, and research and development have eagerly been conducted on an improvement in the performance of the tire tread portion.
For this reason, a carbon black for reinforcement of rubber as well has strongly been required to have such characteristics that it can simultaneously impart to a rubber component a high abrasion resistance sufficient to attain ride comfort at high speeds and a high traction performance capable of providing a high grip of the road surface.
The reinforcement of rubber with carbon black has hitherto been thought to be mainly governed by the specific surface area (particle diameter) and structure of the carbon black. In general, the better the above-described characteristics, the larger the increase in the abrasion resistance of the compounded rubber.
The use of SBR having a high styrene content as a rubber component of a tread portion and the compounding of a process oil in high loading are known as means for improving the grip of the road surface.
However, the above-described use of SBR having a high styrene content and compounding of a process oil bring about not only the sufficient improvement in the traction performance but also a remarkable lowering in the abrasion resistance.
In view of the above, the present inventors have forwarded studies on the impartation of a high traction performance to a rubber component without detriment to the high abrasion resistance from various angles in respect of characteristics of carbon black and, as a result, have found that it is effective in attaining this purpose to narrow the aggregate size distribution of carbon black, lower the surface activity and decrease the Stokes diameter of an aggregate size relative to the electron-microscopic average diameter of carbon black, which has led to the completion of the present invention.


In the liquid crystal display devices according to the present invention, the spacer used for deciding the cell gap of the display cell comprises spherical particles having a Cv value of not more than 2% and an aggregation ratio of not more than 5%, hence the occurrence of irregular density and irregular color of the displayed images is inhibited and also the formation of cold bubbles in the display cell is inhibited.

Liquid crystal display devices are being used widely as display device in clock, computer, will television and the like. The liquid display device is a display device using a liquid crystal, the molecular arrangement of which changes when only a slight voltage is applied thereto, thereby varying the direction of polarization, and the display device usually comprises two electrodes and a liquid crystal layer held between said electrodes.
In the liquid crystal display device of the type mentioned above, it is desirable that the distance between the electrodes, that is, a cell gap, is uniform.
If the cell gap formed in liquid crystal display device mentioned above is not uniform, the electric field applied to the liquid crystal layer comes to have partial irregularity in strength. On that account, the contrast ratio of the image formed on the display device varies depending on the spot, whereby irregular density are formed in the image, or alternatively irregular color of the image happens when said image is formed by such a display system as STN. Further, the response speed of liquid crystal to an input signal varies regularly according to the cell gap and strength of the electric field, but if the cell gap is not uniform, said response speed varies irregularly, failing to give clear images.
For that reason, it was a common practice in the field of liquid crystal display devices to form a uniform liquid crystal layer between a pair of electrodes in a liquid crystal device by charging a liquid crystal into a space between a pair of electrodes wherein a particulate spacer composed of an insulator is lying.
For example, Japanese Patent L-0-P Publn. No. 78227/1989 proposes that the use as the above-mentioned spacer of spherical particles having a standard deviation of not more than 0.3 .mu.m dispersed between a pair of electrodes in order to prevent discoloration from displayed image.
Further, Japanese Patent L-0-P Publn. No. 269933/1987 discloses the use as a spacer for a liquid crystal display panel of silica particles having a coefficient of variation (CV value) of not more than 10.0%, said CV value indicating uniformity of particle diameter of said silica particles, and in the example of said patent publication, there are used silica particles having a CV value of 8%.
When spacer particles having such standard deviation and CV value as defined in the cited publications mentioned above are used in liquid crystal display devices of the ordinary type, it is possible to prevent displayed images from irregular density or irregular color to a certain extent without relying upon the length of the cell gap. However, in the case of a liquid crystal display device using such a liquid crystal as a ferroelectric liquid crystal and having a small cell gap such as 1 to 2 .mu.m, the cell gap to be adopted therein is required to be smaller in gap irregularity. Further, in the case of a liquid crystal display device using STN liquid crystal, if the cell gap is large in length, a specific interference color is unobtainable, resulting in displaying irregularities, hence the cell gap adopted therein is required to be uniform all the more.
Extensive researches conducted by the present inventors with the view of obtaining liquid crystal display devices free from displaying irregularities have resulted in the finding that such excellent liquid crystal display devices as aimed at above are unobtainable by the use of spherical particles merely having a small CV value mentioned above as the spacer for liquid crystal display cell.
That is, it has been found that even when the spherical particles used have a CV value of not more than 10.0%, if the proportion of aggregated particles becomes large, irregularities of the cell gap take place and, at the same time, cold bubbles are formed.
By cold bubbles as used herein are meant air bubble-like matters formed in the cell gap in the following manner.
That is, when a liquid display device is exposed to such a low temperature of below an ice point (0.degree. C.), by shrinkage of the liquid crystal sandwiched between a pair of transparent electrodes, space portions are formed partially between at least one of the transparent electrodes and liquid crystal and these space portions remain as so-called "cold bubbles" even when the liquid crystal display device is warmed to room temperature.
The present invention is intended to solve such problems associated with the prior art as mentioned above, and an object of the invention is to provide liquid crystal display devices in which irregular density and irregular color of the displayed images are inhibited assuredly all the more and, moreover, no cold bubbles occur.

Liquid crystal display device having a spacer composed of spherical particles having a particular coefficient of variation in particle diameter and an aggregation ratio

Catalysts & Chemicals Industries Co., Ltd.


A rotational element for a wheel comprises a cast iron segment and an anti-lock brake system exciter ring adhering to the cast iron segment as a cast-in insert. The anti-lock brake system exciter ring is made of a material having greater corrosion resistance and a higher melting point than the cast iron. The exciter ring includes at least a first tang penetrating the cast iron segment. The exciter ring is preferably made from ferritic stainless steel. For disk brake systems the rotational element serves as a disk brake rotor. In vehicles using drum brakes the rotational element serves as a wheel hub.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to motor vehicle brake systems and more particularly to a corrosion resistant cast-in insert ABS exciter ring integrated with either a disk rotor or, for drum brake systems, a wheel hub.
2. Description of the Problem
Brake units for motor vehicles should provide smooth braking with reasonable service life. This need has been met with disk brake rotors made from relatively inexpensive gray iron castings. Gray iron is however highly susceptible to corrosive attack, particularly in the operating environment of vehicles where brake components are open to the air, subject to substantial transient heating and exposed to water and salt water spray. In regular use, the working surfaces of the disks are rubbed clean by contact with the disk pads, which are typically made of a composite material and which rub off corroded areas. However other areas of the brake disks are not swept by the brake pads and thereby cleaned of corrosion. Prior to anti-lock braking systems, such concerns were not paramount with brakes which were frequently in use, since the rotor is a regularly replaced part and the remaining areas subject to attack were non-critical.
With the advent of anti-lock braking systems other sections of the disk brake rotor can take on importance. Among other sections of a typical disk rotor of mechanical importance is an anti-lock brake system exciter ring which has typically been cast as one piece with the rotor. The exciter ring is a cylindrical section of the rotor having a common axis of rotation with the rotor. A plurality of teeth are positioned in a ring, flat in the plane of rotation of the rotor and outwardly oriented on the exterior of the ring to pass closely by a stationary sensor. The stationary sensor is a variable reluctance sensor which generates an electrical pulse train as a function of the varying magnetic flux leakage between the sensor head and the exciter ring. The frequency of the resulting electrical pulse train indicates the rotational speed of the wheel on which the rotor is mounted. The generation of clean pulse train is greatly aided by having teeth of uniform shape, size and spacing. Corrosion can greatly compromise all of these factors, resulting in difficulty in detecting the passage of teeth and gaps and resulting in a corrupted pulse train.
It is known that coating parts suppresses corrosion. Corrosion protection coatings can be used such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,569,543 and those supplied by Magni Corp., including the Magni 109 and Magni 111 coatings. Such coatings can be easily compromised when applied to exciter rings since the sensor usually needs to pass within very close proximity to the teeth and, consequently, the chance exists for removal of the coating from the teeth, which again leaves the teeth exposed to corrosive agents. In addition, such coatings are relatively expensive and their long term durability under all of the widely varying conditions of vehicle use is not well known.
It is known to make disk rotors out of more than one material, although no application of such an approach to solving the problems of ABS exciter rings is known to the inventor. German Laid Open Application 42 37 655 describes a brake disk for a motor vehicle disk brake system. The rotor comprises two abrasion rings, including an inner ring made of iron and an outer ring made of a composite fiber material. The rings are bonded to one another, preferably using rivets. The application mentions the possibility of casting the iron disk onto the composite fiber disk. The application is not directed primarily to corrosion problems but rather to improving weight balance, reducing the potential for cracking and reducing brake vibration.
The problem of corrosion of exciter rings for anti-lock brake systems is not limited to disk brake systems, but is also an issue with drum brakes. In drum brakes the exciter ring has not been an integral part of any part of the working brake, but rather has been a separate part press fitted on the end of a wheel hub. Such hubs are frequently made from nodular iron, which like gray iron is highly susceptible to corrosive attack. Improper control of the fitting process can result in exciter rings becoming displaced from an optimal position.
According to the invention there is provided a rotational element for a wheel comprising a cast iron segment and an anti-lock brake system exciter ring segment, which adheres to the cast iron segment as a cast-in insert. The anti-lock brake system exciter ring segment is made of a corrosion resistant, magnetic material having a higher melting point than the cast iron segment. The exciter ring includes at least one tang penetrating the cast iron segment. The exciter ring is preferably made from ferritic stainless steel where magnetic anti-lock brake sensors are to be used. For disk brake systems the rotational element serves as a disk brake rotor. In vehicles using drum brakes the rotational element serves as a wheel hub.
Additional effects, features and advantages will be apparent in the written description that follows.

Corrosion resistant cast-in insert exciter ring

International Truck Intellectual Property Company, LLC


A rotor and flexible drive shaft assembly for a progressive cavity pump or motor in which the rotor 10 is provided with an end portion 12 and the drive shaft 20 is provided with a head portion 18. A transverse spirally wound sheet metal pin 24 is engaged in the first passage 16 in the end portion 12 and a second passage 22 in the head portion 18, a retaining sleeve 26 preventing the pin from falling out, the retaining sleeve itself being held in place by a circlip 32.

The present invention relates to a rotor and flexible drive shaft assembly for a progressive cavity pump or motor. The invention is particularly concerned with a progressive cavity pump or motor having an outer member, usually a stator, which has female helical gear formation thereon having n starts and a rotor, rotatable within said stator and having a male helical gear formation of the same pitch but with n.+-.1 starts.
In former years the rotor was driven by means of a drive shaft having a universal joint at each end. More recently, however, the rotor is driven by a flexible drive shaft see, for example, GB-A-1220848; GB-A-1285377; GB-A1562277 and GB-A-2244517.
Such a drive arrangement has been very satisfactory. However, the method of connecting the drive shaft to the rotor is somewhat complex and expensive and is not always entirely satisfactory if it is necessary to rotate the drive shaft in either one rotational direction or the other.


To prevent heat transfer inhibition and an increase in pressure loss due to refrigerating machine oil discharged into a cycle, and to provide a compact and highly efficient refrigerating cycle apparatus using carbon dioxide gas (CO2). In a refrigerating cycle apparatus having at least a compressor, a radiator, a decompressor, a vaporizer and piping for successively connecting them, and provided with a refrigerant circuit in which refrigerant circulates in the compressor, the radiator, the decompressor, the vaporizer and the piping, carbon dioxide gas (CO2) is enclosed as said refrigerant, and the drop in heat transfer rate and the increase in pressure loss in the heat exchanger can be restrained to very low levels by keeping oil enclosing volume in the refrigerant circuit to the quantity of carbon dioxide gas (CO2) enclosed as refrigerant (weight %) to less than 40 weight % and more than 0, resulting in practical elimination of the increase in size and the impact on the drop in efficiency of the heat exchanger.

Conventional refrigerating cycle apparatus each including a compressor, a radiator, a decompressor, a vaporizer connected to one another are used in air conditioners for buildings, air conditioners for vehicle use, electric (or freezers) refrigerators, refrigerating or freezing warehouses, showcases and the like. In such conventional apparatus, hydrocarbons containing fluorine atoms were used as a refrigerant.
Especially hydrocarbons containing both fluorine atoms and chlorine atoms (hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs)) were extensively used in refrigerating cycle apparatus because of their high performance, non-flammability and non-toxicity to human bodies.
However, it was revealed that HCFCs (hydrochlorofluorocarbons), because they contain chlorine atoms, would deplete the ozone layer when they were discharged into the atmosphere and eventually reached the stratosphere. Accordingly, HCFCs are being replaced by HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons), which contain no chlorine atoms. However, even though they have no property to deplete the ozone layer, they have a significant greenhouse effect on account of their long life in the atmosphere, and are not necessarily a satisfactory refrigerant for preventing global warming, which is a matter of grave concern nowadays.
In place of the aforementioned HCFCs and HFCs containing halogen atoms, the feasibility of refrigerating cycle apparatuses using carbon dioxide gas (CO2) as refrigerant, of which the ozone depletion factor is zero and the global warming factor is far smaller than that of hydrocarbons containing halogen atoms. For instance, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-18602, there is proposed a refrigerating cycle apparatus using carbon dioxide gas (CO2)
The critical temperature of carbon dioxide gas (CO2) here is 31.1° C., and its critical pressure is 7372 kPa. In a refrigerating cycle apparatus using it, the cycle can be transcritical as will be described with reference to FIG. 11.
FIG. 11 is a Mollier diagram of the refrigerating cycle where carbon dioxide gas (CO2) is used as refrigerant. As indicated by A-B-C-D-A in the diagram, by depriving external fluid such as air of heat with the latent heat of vaporization, the external fluid is cooled by a compression stroke (A-B) of compressing CO2 in the gaseous phase state with a compressor, the cooling stroke (B-C) of cooling CO2 in the supercritical state of high temperature and high pressure with a radiator (gas cooler) the decompression stroke (C-D) of reducing its pressure with a decompressor, and the vaporization stroke (D-A) of vaporizing CO2 in the vapor-liquid two phase state with a vaporizer.
In FIG. 11, a line (B-C), positioned by the gas-liquid critical point CC toward the higher pressure side, crosses neither the saturated liquid curve nor the saturated steam curve. Thus, although the shift from the saturated steam region (the vapor-liquid two phase region) to the heated steam region (the gaseous phase region) in the vaporization stroke (D-A) takes place in a similar way to what takes place with HCFCs or HFCs, there is no condensation stroke, which is present with HCFCs or HFCs, in the region beyond the critical point CC (the supercritical region), but there comes the cooling stroke, in which CO2 is cooled without being liquefied.
As the working pressure of the refrigerating cycle apparatus using carbon dioxide gas (CO2) then is about 3.5 MPa on the lower pressure side and about 10 MPa on the higher pressure side, the working pressure is higher than where HCFCs or HFCs are used, the higher side pressure and the lower side pressure being about 5 to 10 times as high as in a refrigerating cycle apparatus using HCFCs or HFCs.
Next will be described the configuration of the refrigerating cycle apparatus. As the critical temperature of the refrigerating cycle apparatus using carbon dioxide gas (CO2) mentioned above is 31.1° C. and its critical pressure is 7372 kPa, its configuration is such that the high pressure side circuit (the refrigerant circuit from the discharge part of the compressor via the radiator to the inlet part of the decompressor) is used in the supercritical region, while the configuration of a usual refrigerating cycle apparatus is, as shown in FIG. 13, consists of a main route provided with a compressor 210 for raising the pressure of a refrigerant, a radiator 220 for cooling the refrigerant, a decompressor 230 for reducing the pressure of the refrigerant to its vaporization pressure and a vaporizer 240 for vaporizing and gasifying the refrigerant.
In this main route, the refrigerant, which has been raised in pressure by the compressor 210 and is in a supercritical state, is cooled by the radiator 220, reduced in pressure by the decompressor 230 to become wet steam and, after being turned into a gaseous phase by the vaporizer 240, is returned to the compressor 210.
If such a refrigerating cycle apparatus is configured in a similar way of thinking to the concept of the conventional refrigerating cycle apparatus using chlorofluorocarbon gas, where it is to be used for a vehicle-mounted air conditioner, it is a common practice to enclose about 500 g of carbon dioxide gas (CO2) as refrigerant and about 300 g of refrigerating machine oil as lubricating oil for the compressor 210. Thus, oil in a ratio of about 60 weight % of the enclosed carbon dioxide gas (CO2) is enclosed.
However, in a refrigerating cycle apparatus in which a large quantity of oil is enclosed similarly to such a refrigerating cycle apparatus using chlorofluorocarbon gas, the quantity of refrigerating machine oil discharged into the cycle is also large, and where carbon dioxide gas (CO2) is used for which the high pressure side circuit (the refrigerant circuit from the discharge part of the compressor via the radiator to the inlet part of the decompressor) is used in the supercritical region and there is no condensate, the refrigerating machine oil discharged into the cycle may stick to the inner walls of the pipes of the radiator 220 or become scattered in a misty form, inviting inhibition of heat transfer or an increase in pressure loss and thereby becoming a cause of an enlargement of the size or a drop in the efficiency of that refrigerating cycle apparatus.
On the other hand, as the refrigerant channels of heat exchangers used in the radiator and the vaporizer of a refrigerating cycle apparatus using carbon dioxide gas (CO2) as refrigerant, a flat tube 21 configured of a plurality of small bore through-holes 21a is employed as shown in the schematic configurational diagram of FIG. 12 to bear the pressure of the high pressure refrigerant.
Here, when oil is discharged together with CO2 from the compressor, the oil will become a factor to inhibit the vaporization of the CO2 in the refrigerant channels, especially in the refrigerant channels in the vaporizer having a plurality of small bore through-holes, inviting inhibition of heat transfer or an increase in pressure loss, and accordingly there has been found the problem that the size of the refrigerating cycle apparatus is increased or its efficiency deteriorated.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A battery pack structure with heater including a plurality of secondary batteries, a housing case housing them, and a heater is arranged to prevent uneven heating among the secondary batteries, reducing temperature variations among the secondary batteries. Specifically, the battery pack structure with heater of the present invention includes: a battery pack including a plurality of secondary batteries and a housing case housing them; a first heater; and a second heater. The housing case includes a metal spaced part separated with a space S from each of the secondary batteries. The first heater and the second heater are placed on at least part of an outer surface of the spaced part of the housing case.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a battery pack structure with a heater, comprising a plurality of secondary batteries each of which has a power generating element and a battery case accommodating it, a housing case that houses the plurality of secondary batteries, and a heater.
2. Description of Related Art
Batteries such as nickel-metal hydride storage batteries have been watched as power sources of portable devices and power sources of electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, and others.
However, the batteries such as nickel-metal hydride storage batteries have problems that discharge capacity is apt to decrease during cold conditions, failing to provide adequate output power. If such battery is used as a power source of an electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, or the like, for instance, it could not generate sufficient output power in low-temperature conditions, e.g., in a cold region where temperatures may fall to sub-zero.
In recent years, some techniques for solving the above problems by attaching a heater to a battery to heat the battery by use of a household power source have been proposed (e.g., Jpn. unexamined utility model publication No. 60 (1985)-192367 and Jpn. unexamined patent publication No. 2002-216731).
Jpn. unexamined utility model publication No. 60 (1985)-192367 discloses a battery pack structure with heater, in which a sheet heater is placed inside a bottom of a housing case made of a heat insulation material and two batteries are arranged in contact with the sheet heater in a container. Jpn. unexamined patent publication No. 2002-216731 discloses a heater system having a heater attached to a battery. The techniques disclosed in the above publications, in which the batteries are heated by use of the heaters, could improve the output characteristics of the batteries even in low-temperature conditions.
According to the techniques disclosed in the above publications including direct heating of the batteries by the heaters, the batteries tend to excessively rise in temperature if the temperatures of the heaters abnormally increase due to any malfunction or failure.
When a plurality of secondary batteries (a "secondary battery" in the following description represents a battery including a power generating element and a battery case accommodating the power generating element) is heated according to the method configured to directly heat batteries by use of a heater as disclosed in the above publications, there is a case where the battery temperatures widely vary among the heated batteries. This may be caused when some of the secondary batteries are out of contact with the heater, because the secondary batteries out of contact with the heater and the secondary batteries in contact with the heater are largely different in quantity of heat conducted from the heater. In such case, the output characteristics are largely different from one secondary battery to another. Thus, an entire battery pack could not produce stable output.


Membrane modules that contain one or more hydrogen-selective membranes, methods for preparing the same, and hydrogen purification systems, fuel processors and devices containing the same. In some embodiments, the membrane modules include one or more hydrogen-selective membranes supported on a support or screen structure, of which a variety of embodiments are disclosed. In some embodiments, the membrane or membranes are adhesively mounted on the screen structure during assembly. In some embodiments, the screen structure includes a plurality of screen members adhesively mounted together during assembly. In some embodiments, the screen structure includes a coating. The present invention is also directed to methods for reducing the thickness of hydrogen-selective membranes.

The invention relates generally to hydrogen-selective membranes and devices that form and/or purify hydrogen gas, and more particularly to methods for forming hydrogen-selective membranes, hydrogen-selective membrane modules, hydrogen purifiers and fuel processors.
Purified hydrogen is used in the manufacture of many products including metals, edible fats and oils, and semiconductors and microelectronics. Purified hydrogen is also an important fuel source for many energy conversion devices, such as fuel-cell systems, and especially proton-exchange-membrane fuel-cell (PEMFC) systems.
Hydrogen gas streams may be produced by fuel processors that produce hydrogen gas by chemically reacting one or more feed streams. These fuel processors often require that the initial hydrogen stream be purified before the stream is suitable for use in a particular application, such as a feed stream to a fuel cell.
An example of a suitable fuel processor is a steam reformer, which produces hydrogen gas by reacting a hydrocarbon or alcohol with water. Other examples of suitable fuel processors produce hydrogen gas by autothermal reforming, partial oxidation of a hydrocarbon or alcohol vapor, by a combination of partial oxidation and steam reforming a hydrocarbon or an alcohol vapor, by pyrolysis of a hydrocarbon or alcohol vapor, and by electrolysis of water. Examples of suitable fuel processors and fuel cell systems incorporating the same are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,861,137, 5,997,594 and 6,376,113, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
Hydrogen-selective membranes formed from hydrogen-permeable metals, most notably palladium and alloys of palladium, are known. In particular, planar palladium-alloy membranes have been disclosed for purifying hydrogen gas streams, such as hydrogen gas streams produced by steam reformers, autothermal reformers, partial oxidation reactors, pyrolysis reactors and other fuel processors, including fuel processors configured to supply purified hydrogen to fuel cells or other processes requiring high-purity hydrogen.
To be economical, palladium and palladium-alloy membranes must be thin. For example, planar membranes are typically approximately 0.001 inches thick. However, forming an extremely thin membrane tends to become more expensive from a manufacturing standpoint as the thickness of the membrane is reduced. Furthermore, extremely thin membranes are subject to wrinkling during assembly into a membrane module containing one or more hydrogen-selective membranes. A membrane that has one or more wrinkles is subject to premature failure due to stress fractures forming at the wrinkle. When such a failure occurs, impurities that otherwise would be unable to pass through the membrane can now pass through the membrane, thereby reducing the purity of the product hydrogen stream and potentially damaging the fuel cell stack or other hydrogen-consuming device with which the purified stream is used.
The present invention is directed to membrane modules that contain one or more hydrogen-selective membranes, methods for preparing the same, and hydrogen purification systems, fuel processors and devices containing the same. In some embodiments, the membrane modules include one or more hydrogen-selective membranes supported on a support or screen structure, of which a variety of embodiments are disclosed. In some embodiments, the membrane or membranes are adhesively mounted on the screen structure during assembly. In some embodiments, the screen structure includes a plurality of screen members adhesively mounted together during assembly. In some embodiments, the screen structure includes a coating. The present invention is also directed to methods for reducing the thickness of hydrogen-selective membranes.

Hydrogen-selective metal membranes, membrane modules, purification assemblies and methods of forming the same


Fused heterocylic compounds of the following Formula

The immune system plays an important role in host defense. In the treatment of leukocyte activation-associated disorders is often desirable to attenuate the immune response. Such disorders include the immune response incurred by transplantation or diseases improved by decreased T-cell activation and proliferation. It is accepted that agents that inhibit T-cell proliferation may be useful in the treatment of the aforementioned disorders.
A number of agents demonstrate clinical or therapeutic utility by attenuating or modulating the immune system. Such agents include Cyclosporin A ("CsA"), azathioprine, tacrolimus, sirolimus and mycophenolate mofetil. However, these agents often demonstrate a relatively high incidence (25 to >50%) of multiple unique liabilities during clinical or therapeutic use. For example, CsA therapy is associated with nephrotoxicity, azathioprine therapy is associated with leukopenia, and tacrolimus therapy is associated with undesirable effects on the central nervous system. Also, sirolimus therapy is associated with hypertension, hyperlipidemia and hypercholesterolemia, and mycophenolate mofetil therapy is associated with diarrhea.
The overproduction of cytokines, such as TNF-α, is also implicated in a wide variety of leukocyte activation-associated disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, endotoxin shock, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease and congestive heart failure, among others. See e.g., Henry et al., Drugs Fut., 24:1345-1354 (1999); Salituro et al., Curr. Med. Chem., 6:807-823 (1999). There is convincing evidence in human patients that cytokine protein antagonists can provide treatment for these disorders. See e.g., Rankin et al., Br. J. Rheumatol., 34:334-342 (1995) (monoclonal antibody to TNF-α—Enbrel®); and Moreland et al., Ann. Intern. Med., 130:478-486 (1999) (soluble TNF-α receptor-Fc fusion protein—etanercept). Accordingly, it is accepted that agents demonstrating TNF-α inhibitory activity are useful for the treatment of leukocyte activation-associated disorders.
As none of the current treatments provide complete relief of symptoms and are often associated with various liabilities, new agents and improved methods for treating leukocyte activation-associated disorders are needed.

Fused heterocyclic compounds and use thereof

Abstract: wherein R1, R2, R5, Z, J1 and J2 are described herein, and analogs thereof are provided which are useful in treating leukocyte activation-associated disorders.


A cool water misting device removably attachable to a chaise lounge and adaptable for use with a wide variety of water supplies for which a garden hose may function as the conduit. A single piece of tubing having adjustable spray nozzles at spaced intervals along its length is attached to the frame of a chaise lounge by clamps. A control for adjusting the direction, amount and pressure of water flow is provided. Water flow drainage for maintaining a constant supply of cool water is included and is controlled by a hand-held trigger which also functions as the on/off switch for the spray nozzles.

There are several advantages to maintaining cool, moist skin while sunbathing. For one, the ability of the sunbather to endure the sun and heat greatly increases, thereby enabling him or her to absorb more of the sun's ultraviolet rays leading to a better tan. Even for those who are not interested in tanning per se, but who desire to remain outdoors merely to enjoy the sunny weather or a sporting event or the like, they are certainly better able to do so if maintained in a comfortable, cool condition. Another advantage lies in the generally accepted proposition that the maintenance of moist skin accelerates the tanning rate; thus, one who wishes to obtain the cosmetically pleasing effects of tanning, but who does not have an exorbitant amount of time for sunbathing, may be able to acquire a deeper, darker tan than otherwise possible in a limited amount of time.
Sunbathing apparatus incorporating means for cooling the user have been disclosed in the prior art. Typically, these devices comprise a cot or chaise lounge having a specially manufactured hollow, tubular frame attachable to a garden hose. Apertures along the frame cause the stream of water flowing through the frame from the hose to be divided into a number of streamlets for cooling the lounge occupant.
Although effective once operating, the aforementioned prior art devices are not only impractical, but are bulky and thus inconvenient to use in locations other than the yard at home or any other location not in close proximity to the storage place for the apparatus. The impracticality results from a lack of versatility; that is, the entire lounge chair operates as the cooling device, thereby rendering it inoperable if the chair frame or a chair leg breaks.
In consideration of the above-described problems with the prior art, Schmidt disclosed a sprinkling device which is attachable to a variety of lawn chairs in U.S. Pat. No. 4,548,357. Schmidt invented a U-shaped, flexible tube attachable to a lawn chair and having water emitting apertures for directing sprays of water toward the occupant. A control valve is used to turn on and off the water supply to the tube. As the only available control mechanism for regulating the flow of water, Schmidt's valve is inconvenient to use because the occupant may have to twist and to reach through water spray or even to get up to turn the device off. Additionally, there are only two available settings, on or off.
None of the prior art devices disclose a simple yet effective drain for maintaining a constant supply of cool water even while the sunbather is not using the water sprays. Rather, most of these devices incorporate a control valve for turning the sprays on and off so that when the user shuts off the cooling device by closing the valve, the water in the garden hose and attached frame or tubing becomes heated by the sun. Subsequently, upon opening the valve, the supply of water first meeting the user's skin is warm or hot depending on the heating period, thus defeating the purpose of the cooling device.
An improved lawn chair sprinkling or misting device is needed which will not only overcome the limitations of the prior art, but which will incorporate additional features providing further comfort and convenience. The improved misting device should be readily adaptable for use on a wide variety of lawn chairs or chaise lounges or the like. Means for controlling the amount and pressure of water to the user which is easily accessible and convenient to use should be provided. Further, the improved cooling device should be adaptable for use with different types of water supplies. Still further, means for keeping a constant supply of cool water readily available to the user is needed.


A method by a user equipment, UE, that includes acquiring information about an allowed time interval at which resources in a pool of resources can be reserved for future transmission by the UE, and sensing using the resources in the pool and at a first time interval determined based on the allowed time interval for the pool. UEs that perform operations corresponding to the method are disclosed.

During Release 12, the LTE standard has been extended with support of device to device (D2D) (specified as "sidelink") features targeting both commercial and Public Safety applications. Some applications enabled by Rel-12 LTE are device discovery, where devices are able to sense the proximity of another device and associated application by broadcasting and detecting discovery messages that carry device and application identities. Another application consists of direct communication based on physical channels terminated directly between devices.
D2D communications may be extended to support Vehicle-to-X (V2X) communications, which includes any combination of direct communication between vehicles, pedestrian carried devices, and infrastructure mounted devices. V2x communication may take advantage of available network (NW) infrastructure, although at least basic V2x connectivity can be possible in case of lack of available network infrastructure. Providing an LTE-based V2x interface may be economically advantageous because of the LTE economies of scale and it may enable tighter integration between communications with the NW infrastructure (vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I)), vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P), and vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications, as compared to using a dedicated V2x technology.
V2x communications may carry both non-safety and safety information, where each of the applications and services may be associated with specific requirements sets, e.g., in terms of latency, reliability, capacity, etc.
The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) has defined two types of messages for road safety: Co-operative Awareness Message (CAM) and Decentralized Environmental Notification Message (DENM).
A CAM message is intended to enable vehicles, including emergency vehicles, to notify their presence and other relevant parameters in a broadcast fashion. Such messages target other vehicles, pedestrians, and infrastructure, and are handled by their applications. The CAM message also serves as active assistance to safety driving for normal traffic. Devices check availability of a CAM message every 100 ms, yielding a maximum detection latency requirement is not more than 100 ms for most CAM messages. However, the latency requirement for Pre-crash sensing warning is not more than 50 ms.
A DENM message is event-triggered, such as by braking, and the availability of a DENM message is also checked for every 100 ms, and the requirement of maximum latency is not more than 100 ms.
The package size of CAM and DENM message can vary from more than 100 to more than 800 bytes, although the typical size is around 300 bytes depending on the specific V2X use case, message type (e.g. DENM can be larger than CAM), and depending on the security format included in the packet (e.g., full certificate or certificate digest). The message is supposed to be detected by all vehicles in proximity.
The Society of the Automotive Engineers (SAE) has defined a Basic Safety Message (BSM) for DSRC with various defined messages sizes. Based on the importance and urgency of the messages, the BSMs are further classified into different priorities.
Sensing-Based Resource Allocation with Booking
In V2x communications, two major types of traffic are distinguished: recurrent traffic and event-triggered traffic. Various embodiments disclosed herein are mostly related to recurrent traffic, where the transmitted packets arrive regularly (e.g., they may be strictly periodic or have some deviation from an average periodicity).
One efficient way to schedule recurrent-traffic V2x transmissions is to use radio resource booking. In resource allocation using resource booking a user equipment (UE) can book radio resources in advance for transmitting the next packet (including all the retransmissions). The minimum time span of a booking is usually taken to be the minimum time between two consecutive packets (e.g., the minimum message periodicity). Similarly, the maximum time span of a booking is usually taken to be the maximum time between two consecutive packets (e.g., the maximum message periodicity). For example, in V2X the time interval between the generation of two consecutive CAM messages may not be shorter than 100 ms (in the absence of congestion control) and may not exceed 1 s. Thus, it is reasonable to allow bookings for 100 ms, 200 ms, . . . , or 1 s, as it is currently being considered by 3GPP. Usually, the UE signals the booking information to other UEs. This allows a receiving UE to predict the future utilization of the radio resources by reading received booking messages and schedule its current transmission to avoid using the same resources. To do so, a UE needs to sense the channel for some time duration preceding the (re)selection trigger to gather booking messages. In addition, it may also be possible to transmit unhooking messages that release previously booked resources. For accurate prediction, the sensing time should be long enough to detect booking and/or unbooking messages from other relevant UEs.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of the sensing-based resource selection mechanism with booking. Let T be the minimum time between two recurrent transmissions by a UE, which we refer to as "basic period". That is, a UE with recurrent traffic transmits, at most, one packet every T seconds (a transmission may consist of several retransmissions, although this is not illustrated in FIG. 1 for simplicity). In FIG. 1, UE 1 transmits a packet at time to and meanwhile books—e.g., transmits a booking message to other UEs indicating—its intention to transmit the next packet at ta+4T. Similarly, UE 2 transmits a packet at time tb and meanwhile books—e.g., transmits a booking message to other UEs indicating—its intention to transmit the next packet at tb+2T. At time tc, UE 3 wants to select or reselect a radio resource for its transmission within the time window [tc,tc+T]. UE 3 has been monitoring the channel during a time window of size 4T. UE 3 uses its channel observations in this window to predict the future utilization of the radio resources and accordingly select a radio resource for its transmission (e.g., a resource that is not indicated by the above bookings to avoid potential collision).
It is clear that to achieve good performance the sensing window must be long enough to include as many bookings as possible or necessary. Commonly, the size of the sensing window is sufficiently large to roughly cover the longest possible booking (in terms of basic periods). In the example in FIG. 1, the sensing window is chosen to consist of four basic periods ("T" in FIG. 1). In the remainder of this disclosure, the expressions "sensing over the entire window" and "sensing over the whole window" refer to performing the sensing operation using the largest possible window size (i.e., the largest window size that the system allows for).
It is noted that in this example and in the rest of this disclosure, UEs may or may not operate using a common division of the time in terms of basic periods. That is, time may be divided into "basic periods" in the same way for all UEs or, alternatively, different UEs may have different divisions of time into "basic periods".
Sidelink Operations
Sidelink transmissions (also known as D2D or ProSe) over the so-called PC5 interface in cellular spectrum have been standardized in 3GPP since Rel-12. In 3GPP Rel-12 two different operative modes (sometimes referred to as transmission modes) have been specified in 3GPP. In one mode (mode-1), a UE in RRC_CONNECTED mode requests D2D resources and the eNB grants them via PDCCH (DCIS) or via dedicated signalling. In another mode (mode-2), a UE autonomously selects resources for transmission from a pool of available resources that the eNB provides in broadcast via SIB signalling for transmissions on carriers other than the PCell or via dedicated signaling for transmission on the PCell. Therefore, unlike the first operation mode, the second operation mode can be performed also by UEs in RRC_IDLE.
In 3GPP Rel.14, the usage of sidelink is extended to the V2x domain. The design of the sidelink physical layer in Rel.12 has been dictated by the assumptions of few amount of UEs competing for the same physical resources in the spectrum, to carry voice packet for MCPTT traffic, and low-mobility. On the other hand, in V2x the sidelink should be able to cope with higher load scenario (i.e. hundreds of cars could potentially contend physical resources), to carry time/event triggered V2x messages (CAM, DNEM), and high mobility. For such reasons, 3GPP has discussed possible enhancements to the sidelink physical layer.
An enhancement of the physical layer has been proposed for the UE to perform resource selection on mode-2 to enhance the UE autonomously selecting resources for transmission. Before 3GPP Rel-14, the UE performs resource selection randomly, i.e. the eNB provides a pool of time/frequency resources and the UE randomly pick a subset of resources from such pool to perform sidelink transmission. With the introduction of V2V in 3GPP Rel.14, the UE performs sensing before transmitting. Unlike random selection, with sensing the UE monitors the sidelink resources for a certain amount of time, for example, 1 second, before performing transmission. In this way, the risk of transmission collisions with other UEs in the surrounding area may be significantly reduced compared with random selection since the UE selects the resources that according to the sensing procedure are supposed to be less interfered.
The sensing procedure implies that a UE can book transmitting resources for future transmissions. The booked resources are announced to surrounding UEs in the sidelink control channel Upon receiving such sidelink control channel information surrounding UEs may estimate the interference for a future resource allocation, and on this basis, may determine whether to transmit or not in such corresponding resource allocation. Multiple booking processes may be performed by the UE.
In 3GPP Rel.14, two new modes (sometimes referred to as transmission modes) were introduced for LTE sidelink: mode-3 and mode-4. Mode-3 is an extended version of mode-1 targeting V2x communications. In mode-3, resource allocation is performed by the eNB. Mode-4 is an autonomous mode in which the UE selects its own resources for transmission. Selection in mode-4 is based on the sensing and makes use of resource reservation, as described above. Although mode-4 UEs select resources autonomously, the eNB may retain some degree of control over them. For example, it may configure a specific set of resources to be used by mode-4 UEs; or it may prevent mode-4 UEs from accessing certain resource.


A method of altering the force balance characteristic or moment configuration of an earth-boring rotary-type drill bit by altering the net hydraulic direction vector of drilling fluid exiting from the drill bit and, therefore, the accompanying net hydraulic force exerted on the drill bit. The method includes replacing at least one nozzle of the drill bit with a differently sized nozzle to alter the amount of hydraulic force that is exerted on a particular portion of the drill bit. Alternatively, the orientation of at least one nozzle of the drill bit may be changed to alter the direction in which drilling fluid flows from a particular portion of the drill bit and, thus, alter the direction of the hydraulic force on the drill bit. The method may be employed to counteract a net force imbalance of a drill bit, to alter a direction of net force imbalance, or to vary the magnitude of net force imbalance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to rotary-type drill bits for use in subterranean drilling. Particularly, the present invention relates to rotary-type earth-boring drill bits that employ hydraulics to at least partially achieve or tailor a desired lateral force balance or net force imbalance characteristic or moment configuration.
2. Background of Related Art
Fixed cutter rotary drag bits for subterranean earth-boring have been employed for decades. It has been found that increasing the rotational speed of such a drill bit, for a given weight on bit, increases the rate of penetration of the drill bit. Increasing the rotational speed of a drill bit, however, may tend to prematurely damage or destroy the cutting elements of the drill bit, which decreases the useful life thereof.
It has been recognized that cutting element destruction, particularly at higher drill bit rotational speeds, is at least in part attributable to a phenomenon known as "whirl" or "bit whirl". Radially directed centrifugal imbalance forces (i.e. transverse to the axis of the drill bit) exist to some extent in every rotating drill bit and drill string. Such forces are attributable in part to mass imbalance and in part to dynamic forces generated by contact of the drill bit with the formation. In the latter instance, aggressive cutting element placement and orientation creates a high tangential cutting force relative to the ordinary force of a rotating bit and aggravates the imbalance. In any event, these imbalance forces tend to cause the drill bit to rotate or "roll" about the borehole in a direction counter to the normal direction of rotation imparted to the bit during drilling. This counter-rotation is termed "whirl", and is a self-propagating phenomenon, as the side or transverse forces on the bit cause its center of rotation to shift to one side, after which there is an immediate tendency to shift again. Since cutting elements are designed to cut and to resist impact received in the ordinary direction of bit rotation (clockwise, looking down), whirl-induced contact of the cutting elements with the borehole wall in a counter-clockwise direction places stresses on the cutting elements for which they were never designed, and may damage or destroy the cutting elements, which decreases the effective life of the drill bit.
Balancing the transverse forces acting on rotary-type drill bits during operation has proven to be extremely important to their performance. Drilling forces influence dynamic behavior such as whirl, steerability, and bit walk. Both balanced force and net force imbalance drill bits have been developed to counteract the tendency of a drill bit to whirl.
In many conventional balanced rotary-type earth-boring drill bits, the various components, such as the blades and cutting elements, are designed and oriented in a manner which balances the forces acting on the drill bit and reduces the tendency of the drill bit to whirl when rotated at high speeds and under a low weight on bit (WOB).
Rotary-type earth-boring drill bits which have a net transverse imbalance force during the rotation thereof have also been designed in order to reduce or eliminate bit whirl. Such drill bits are designed to focus or direct the imbalance forces, which typically cause bit whirl, to a particular side of the bit. Typically, the cutting elements and mass of the bit are positioned in a manner that causes the bit to ride on a low friction bearing zone or pad on the gage of the side of the bit to which the imbalance forces are focused, thus substantially reducing the drill bit/borehole wall tangential forces which typically induce whirl. This solution is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,982,802, 5,010,789 and 5,042,596, each of which are assigned to Amoco Corporation of Chicago, Ill. The magnitude of net transverse imbalance forces that are focused toward the low friction bearing zone may, however, be more than adequate to maintain contact of the low friction bearing zone of the drill bit with the formation. Consequently, an excessive net imbalance force may cause the low friction bearing zone to wear prematurely and therefore shorten the useful life of the drill bit.
While the forces of the drill bit against a rock formation and the consequent effect of such forces on the drill bit, as well as the positioning of various components on the drill bit, are typically considered during the design of both balanced and net imbalance rotary-type earth-boring drill bits, the designs of conventional rotary-type drill bits do not account for the hydraulic force of drilling fluid that flows through and out of the drill bit.
Both balanced and net imbalance drill bits include nozzles through which drilling fluid, such as "mud", air, gases or gas mixtures, foam, or other fluid media that may be employed during drilling of a formation, flows. Drilling fluid is typically used during drilling in order to cool and lubricate the face of the drill bit and the cutting elements thereon, to remove debris from the bit face and transport same up the borehole, and to prevent the introduction of pressurized gases or liquids from the drilled formation into the borehole, which may otherwise result in a "blowout" of the borehole.
As drilling fluid flows through the drill bit the hydraulic forces of the drilling fluid affect the rotational balance of the drill bit. The hydraulic forces of drilling fluid on a rotary type drill bit are similar to the force that occurs as water flows through and out of a garden hose or fire hose. In rotary-type drill bits, hydraulic forces will affect the rotational balance of the bit as the drilling fluid moves through the bit, accelerates, and exits the bit through the nozzles. Typically, the nozzles of a drill bit are fixed in orientation; thus, drilling fluid exits the bit through each nozzle in a fixed direction.
Hydraulic forces can have a substantial effect on the balance or net imbalance of a rotary-type drill bit due to the typically high density of drilling fluid and the typically high flow rates of drilling fluid through the bit during drilling. The line graphs of FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the amount of hydraulic force that is exerted on a drill bit as drilling fluid having a weight of 12 lbs/gallon flows at a given rate (typically measured in gallons per minute, or "GPM") through variously sized nozzles of the drill bit. For example, about 20,000 net pounds of force is exerted on a drill bit having four 8/32 inch nozzles as 12 lbs/gallon mud flows therethrough at a rate of 320 GPM. As another example, about 5,000 pounds of force would be exerted on a drill bit including four 15/32 inch nozzles as 12 lbs/gallon mud flows therethrough at a rate of 320 GPM. Thus, since drilling fluid typically exits the drill bit under high flow rates and in a fixed direction, the balance of the drill bit may be undesirably affected, which may induce whirl in balanced force or net imbalance force drill bits which are otherwise designed to prevent this phenomenon, or alter the amount or direction of net imbalance of a net imbalance force drill bit so as to orient the force in a direction so that the bit does not ride on its bearing surface or pad.
Accordingly, a rotary-type drill bit is needed in which hydraulic forces may be utilized to provide a desired amount of force balance or net force imbalance characteristic of the drill bit. A system for altering or tailoring the overall balance of a rotary-type drill bit is also needed.

Method of altering a balance characteristic and moment configuration of a drill bit and drill bit


A water wall spray booth having ducts in which water can be entrained and carried to an upper reservoir characterized in that there is a transverse deflector member whereby the air and water from each of the ducts is deflected forwardly to the upper reservoir from which it passes over the water wall.

This invention relates to an improved spray booth and in particular to an improved spray booth of the water wall type.
Water wall spray booths per se are known and are of one of two types. In the first type the ventilating fan which draws the over-spray into the rear of the booth causes the air in which the over-spray is entrained to move upwardly to exhaust and the water is pumped from a lower reservoir to a tank above the water wall, flows over the water wall down its face and returns to the reservoir. In the second type of water wall spray booth the water in the lower reservoir is entrained in the air passing upwardly through ducts, strikes a deflector plate which lies basically transverse to the wall, the water being delivered to the upper surface of the booth and runs into an upper tank and from there over the water wall. This type of booth is exemplified in British Pat. No. 1283202 to Etablissements Vandercleyen S.A.
It is an object of the invention to provide a water wall spray booth of the second type which has advantages over and beyond those spray booths presently known.


A hanger running tool includes a radially outer surface having at least one recess extending circumferentially about at least a portion of a periphery of the hanger running tool. The hanger running tool also includes at least one alignment element disposed within the at least one recess. The at least one alignment element protrudes radially outward from the radially outer surface and is configured to contact a radially inner surface of a wellhead as the hanger running tool moves within the wellhead. In some embodiments, the hanger running tool includes a plurality of recesses each extending circumferentially about a respective portion of the periphery of the hanger running tool, and the recesses of the plurality of recesses are circumferentially separated from one another to enable fluid to flow through at least one axial flow slot of the hanger running tool.

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present invention, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Natural resources, such as oil and gas, are used as fuel to power vehicles, heat homes, and generate electricity, in addition to a myriad of other uses. Once a desired resource is discovered below the surface of the earth, drilling and production systems are often employed to access and extract the resource. These systems may be located onshore or offshore depending on the location of a desired resource. Further, such systems generally include a wellhead assembly through which the resource is extracted. These wellhead assemblies may include a wide variety of components and/or conduits, such as various casings, hangers, valves, fluid conduits, and the like, that control drilling and/or extraction operations. In some drilling and production systems, hangers, such as a casing hanger, may be used to suspend strings (e.g., piping) within the well to facilitate extraction of the resource. Such hangers may be disposed within and supported by a housing (e.g., a spool or a bowl) of the wellhead.
In some cases, a tool is utilized to facilitate running (e.g., lowering) the hanger into the wellhead. However, typical tools for running the hanger into the wellhead may not maintain alignment of the hanger with a bore of the wellhead during the running operation, and thus, the hanger may be installed within the wellhead in a tilted orientation (e.g., non-parallel to an axial axis of the bore). Such misalignment of the hanger may impede subsequent placement of a sealing assembly to seal an annular space between the hanger and the wellhead and/or may interfere with running other tools and strings through the wellhead. Additionally, typical tools for running the hanger may move circumferentially within the wellhead and may have hard radially outer surfaces that contact various surfaces within the wellhead (e.g., a radially inner surface of the housing) as the hanger is lowered to its landed position, which may wear the various surfaces of the wellhead.


A cosmetic compact providing a molded plastic base, a first cover and combined second cover and grip handle, all disposed over the base. The first cover is hinged to the base. The combined second cover and grip handle are selectively removable from the base, and carry an applicator device which when stored, is disposed between the first cover and base. The arrangement enables the user to quickly open the first cover and immediately remove and manipulate the combined second cover and grip handle, and attached applicator device, for application of cosmetic to the face or body. An especially neat, compact construction thereby is realized.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to cosmetic compacts, and more particularly to small, molded plastic units which can be readily carried in a pocketbook or purse.
2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97-1.99
The following references are hereinbelow listed as being considered a representative sampling of prior art in the field to which the present invention pertains:
U.S. Pat. Nos.: 1,689,359 1,908,132 2,104,104 2,796,070 3,586,010 4,726,387 6,073,634 7,163,016
U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 293,837
U.S. patent applications Publications Nos.: 2006/0169298 2006/0219256
U.S. Pat. No. 6,073,634 discloses several forms of mascara applicators. FIG. 7 of the patent shows one construction employing a cosmetic-carrying base, a hingedly connected lid and attached mirror on the base, and an applicator handle carrying at one end, a series of brushes or bristles. The arrangement is such that the handle and bristles can be housed in one compartment of the base, and the cosmetic substance per se, carried in a separate compartment in the base. The hinged lid and mirror can be folded down over the separate compartment and thus cover the bristles of the handle. The latter projects from the end of the base, in the manner of FIG. 5A of the patent.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,387 illustrates a somewhat similar arrangement, showing a compact with a one-piece base and cover. The base of the compact has a compartment for product, and a handle that carries a brush, the latter in turn fitting into another compartment of the base, and wherein the handle closes off the end of the base when the compact is closed.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,104,104 and 3,586,010 both relate to drawer-type compacts, each having an interior compartment for product, and mirror members that are automatically arranged to pop open when the cover of the compact is slid to one side by a pre-determined extent. U.S. Pat. No. '104 utilizes dual compartments for the cosmetic substance or substances being supplied.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,908,132 discloses a cosmetic compact utilizing a base member having a hinged cover and mirror combination, and a slidable cover. As noted on page 2, lines 26 on, part of the hinged cover fits beneath part of the slidable cover in order that the slidable cover can be retained by the hinged cover when the compact is closed, as in storage.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,689,359 relates to a cosmetic compact which provides dual compartments, presumably to accommodate different cosmetic substances, and a drawer-type mechanism which provides access to one compartment and at the same time enables a mirror component to be placed in an open position from which it can be viewed in the usual manner.
Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0169298 relates to several arrangements of make-up kits. Multiple product storage compartments are provided in an elongate base, and the kits have an elongate applicator stick containing a tip or applicator element. The latter is receivable in an elongate opening of the base when the applicator stick is placed on top of the base. In the FIG. 4 arrangement, the tip overlies a compartment (133) containing one of the products being used.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,163,016 shows a number of cosmetic dispenser forms having somewhat diverse specific characteristics. In the form illustrated in FIGS. 1-5 there is provided an elongate casing having a pair of inner compartments, one being for holding a quantity of product, and a second being adapted for receiving the applicator end of an applicator stick. The compartments are sealingly separated from one another, to circumvent inadvertent dry-out of either the product or the applicator tip.
U. S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0219256 illustrates still another drawer-type compact with a base having multiple cup-like compartments for storage of product, and having a hinged lid which closes over the compartments during storage. A pop-up tray carried in the base is provided with multiple slots of differing widths, to respectively accommodate different sized applicator brushes, in the manner of FIG. 3 of the application.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,796,070 describes a vanity kit utilizing a housing or carrier member, and an applicator/holder provided with bristles and adapted for use as a brush, and further having an opening in its end, for holding a lipstick. The back of the applicator/holder is grooved, and arranged to hold captive a self-contained cosmetic compact housing or casing, in toto.
Finally, U. S. Design Pat. No. D 293,837 illustrates a substantially rectangular cosmetic compact of the pull-out drawer type, and having an inner mirror that comes into view when the compact is opened by the user.
It is considered that large scale commercialization of the devices noted above has not occurred. Undue complexity may have been a concern. Alternately, promotional considerations may have prevented the disclosed arrangements from being made and sold in quantity.
It is further noted that some of the devices discussed above did not relate directly to cosmetic applications. Accordingly, the relatively high demand today, for treatments to the face, hands, and body, has resulted in the need for large-scale, inexpensive yet reliable methods and fixtures for storing and dispensing health-care and/or beauty-care products.


Three classes of active probes all with coaxial inputs and coplanar waveguide probe tips are described. A millimeter-wave active probe for generating signals with frequencies about 50 gHz and supplying same to millimeter-wafer including a substrate upon which a frequency multiplier consisting of filter sections and impedance matching sections and nonlinear elements are integrated in uniplanar transmission line medium. Also disclosed is a harmonic mixer probe to step down RF received from an integrated circuit to a lower frequency by mixing it with the harmonics of a local oscillator signal. Also disclosed is an S-parameter active probe for on-wafer measurement of the S-parameters of a two port millimeter-wave device or integrated circuit by injecting millimeter-wave frequencies and simultaneously tapping off a portion of the injected signal, the transmitted signal and the reflected signal and stepping all signals down in frequency to a frequency compatible with currently available test equipment such as the HP8510 automatic network analyzer. This is the first and only all-electronic millimeter-wave on-wafer S-parameter measurement device available at present.

This is a division of Ser. No. 07/318,744, filed Mar. 3, 1989, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,253, which is a continuation-in part of a co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/196,998, filed May 20, 1988 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,983,910, entitled "Millimeter-Wave Active Probe". The U.S. Government has a paid-up license int his invention and the right in limited circumstances to require the patent owner to license others on reasonable terms as provided for by the terms of Air Force Office of Scientific Research contract No. F49620-85K-0016.
The invention pertains to the field of testing and characterization of millimeter-wave and very high speed devices and integrated circuits such as those fabricated on gallium arsenide. More particularly, the invention pertains to the field of generating millimeter-wave frequencies for test purposes and guiding these test signals to a particular point on a device or an integrated circuit to be characterized.
Conventional millimeter-wave sources have their outputs in waveguide configuration. This creates a great deal of complexity and inconvenience in trying to inject signals from a waveguide at particular points of the microscopic structure of a millimeter-wave or an ultrafast device or integrated circuit. With waveguide output of conventional millimeter-wave test signal sources, it is necessary to plumb the waveguide to the location of the integrated circuit and use suitable adaptors and test fixtures to couple the energy out of the waveguide and onto the integrated circuit. This must be done with a minimum of losses caused by scattering of energy into higher order modes and with a minimum of reflection back toward the input of energy propagating in the desired mode at discontinuities. Because of the awkwardness and inconvenience of using waveguide output signal sources, high frequency coaxial cable and connectors and wafer probes having a planar configuration using coplanar waveguides have been developed for up to 50 gHz. A tapered wafer probe with a planar configuration can more easily be used to contact pads on the device or integrated circuit.
Cascade Microtech Inc. currently makes a passive coplanar waveguide probe for use up to 50 gHz to contact devices or integrated circuit pads. This probe has a coaxial cable input to receive a test signal at a frequency below 50 gHz to be injected and couples energy from this test signal into a coplanar waveguide printed on the surface of the insulating substrate of the probe. This substrate tapers to a point where contact pads coupled to the coplanar waveguide are formed. Nickel plated probe tips are placed in contact with the contact pads on the integrated circuit to be tested to inject the test signal.
One difficulty with using such a probe is that high frequency test sources capable of generating test signals at approximately 100 gHz with coaxial outputs are not available. Another difficulty is that at least the coaxial section of the probe is not usable at frequencies above 50 gHz. This is because coaxial cable and connectors are not currently for operation at frequencies above 50 gHz. Coaxial cable cannot be used at these high frequencies because the dimensions of the cable would have to be so small as to preclude a practical structure. This restriction on dimensions is a result of the solutions to Maxwell's equations. It is desirable to propagate energy in only one mode, i.e., lowest order or the fundamental mode. The cutoff frequency for the higher order modes for coaxial cable is set by the circumference of the outer conductor. When this dimension approaches within the wavelength of the signal to be guided through the coaxial cable, scattering of energy into higher order modes occurs which is undesirable. Thus, to guide higher frequencies with coaxial cable requires the dimensions of the cable to be made increasingly smaller. However, this shrinking of the cable must be made proportionally to all dimensions to maintain an industry standard characteristic impedance of 50 ohms. Because of mechanical and electrical constraints which have yet to be overcome, at the current time, no coaxial cable exists which can be used above 50 gHz.
Signal sources which can provide output test signals at frequencies above 50 gHz are available, but the output configuration of these systems is waveguide instead of coaxial. One difficulty with using a planar probe in connection with a waveguide configuration output from a high frequency millimeter-wave source is that an adapter must be made for use between the waveguide configuration and the coaxial configuration at the input of the probe. Another difficulty is that the coaxial part of the probe cannot be used above 50 gHz with today's technology. Because the shapes of the rectangular waveguide at the output of the test source and the coaxial cable at the input of the probe are mismatched, making a suitable adapter is difficult and causes losses from the resulting discontinuity as will be understood by those skilled in the art. Coaxial systems can currently be used to guide millimeter-wave energy at or below approximately 50 gHz to planar configuration IC passive probes such as the Cascade Microtech Inc. probe. However, to extend the frequency of sources beyond approximately 50 gHz requires the use of frequency multipliers to raise the frequency and requires the above-described waveguide-to-coax fixtures to couple energy from the waveguide output of the multiplier into the chip under test.
Needle probes which were in use before the introduction of the planar configuration probe by Cascade Microtech Inc. are unacceptable at the very high frequencies prevalent in the microwave and millimeter-wavelength bands. The reason for this is that the inductance of the needle probe wire presents a very high impedance to the test signal microwave and millimeter-wavelength frequencies. This causes difficulty in coupling sufficient amounts of energy to the chip under test because of the impedance mismatch between the 50 ohm line coaxial cable and the impedance of the wire probe. This impedance mismatch causes reflection of power at the interface thereby limiting the amount of power which is available for coupling to the chip under test.
Recently, Cascade Microtech Inc. probes with 2.4 millimeter coaxial connectors have been made publicly available. These probes allow single probe coaxial test operations to be made up to 50 gHz. However, such probes still cannot be used at frequencies above 50 gHz, the frequency range which many new fast technologies are operating.
An alternative approach would be to generate millimeter-wave signals closer to the input of the device or integrated circuit on the wafer under test. For example, the signal could be generated directly on the wafer by mixing two optical beams which are separated in frequency by the desired millimeter-wave test frequency in a nonlinear device on the wafer. The disadvantage of this approach is the need for two complex optical systems and the need for an appropriate nonlinear device formed on the wafer under test. This makes the approach unattractive for many users.
Therefore, a need has arisen for a system which can generate millimeter-wave frequencies above 50 gHz easily with low loss and with single mode operation for use in testing and characterization of millimeter-wave and ultra-fast devices and integrated circuits. Such a system must have a configuration to allow easy coupling of the energy to the integrated circuit and must not require any special constructions or device formation on the wafer under test. Further, the system must have a simple interface with conventional microwave sources and must be efficient in coupling large amounts of the millimeter-wave power generated to the chip under test.
Further, it is important to be able to take high frequency signals off the device or the integrated circuits under test and step them down in frequency to a frequency compatible with the vast majority of test equipment currently available. Therefore, a need has arisen for an integrated, planar probe structure in the form of a harmonic mixer which can perform such a step down function.
Finally, it is essential to be able to characterize two-port devices or integrated circuits operating at very high frequencies in terms of their S-parameters at the actual operating frequencies. To do this requires an S-parameter active probe which injects signals with frequencies on the order of 100 gHz to the device under test on-wafer and which can guide a known amount of 100 gHz reflected power to an output port for measurement while simultaneously stepping the reflected signal frequency down to a frequency compatible with existing test equipment. Further, this probe must also guide a portion of the incident 100 gHz signal back to a test output for measurement while simultaneously stepping it down to a lower frequency capable of measurement.

The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University


An electrochemical machining tool (3) includes a tool body (10) which has an electrode (11) which is made of a flexible conductive material having a cylindrical shape extending along an axis (O), and inside which an electrolyte (W) flows toward a leading end (10a) side, and an insulating layer (12) coated on an outer circumferential surface of the electrode (11) to expose a leading end surface of the electrode (11), wherein a non-insulation section (15) which exposes the outer circumferential surface of the electrode (11) is formed on the tool body (11), and the non-insulation section (15) is surrounded by the insulating layer (12) from an axial (O) direction.

Drilling of a hard-to-cut material which is hard to machine is generally performed by an electrochemical machining method and an electro-discharge machining method. In particular, when a hard-to-cut material having a high aspect ratio is drilled, the electrochemical machining method is used (e.g., Patent Literature 1).
Meanwhile, when a long hole is machined in a workpiece by the electrochemical machining, there is a need to increase the current to increase the machining speed. Although the applied voltage is generally increased to increase the current, it is preferable to limit the applied voltage to a low level for safety reasons and from the viewpoint of saving energy.
In view of such circumstances, as a method for increasing the machining speed without increasing the applied voltage, using a method for increasing an electric conduction area of the electrode used in the electrochemical machining by increasing the thickness of the electrode can be considered. However, the thickness of the electrode is restricted by the machining hole diameter and the amount of the electrolyte supplied to the electrode. Therefore, it is difficult to simply change the thickness of the electrode to increase the electric conduction area. Here, since the outer circumferential surface of the electrode is coated with an insulating member, it is also possible to increase the electric conduction area by peeling off the coating.

Electrochemical machining tool, electrochemical machining system, and method for manufacturing perforated member