The present invention relates to a process for preparing a thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) comprising: contacting a thermoplastic polymer, a cross-linkable elastomer, at least one curative, and at least one cure activator in a solvent to form Composition A. The solvent is then removed, and thereafter the cross-linkable elastomer is at least partially cured. The average particle size of the cross-linkable elastomer is 10 microns or less after the solvent is removed.

Polymer blends comprising a second polymer dispersed in a matrix of a first polymer are very useful and, depending on the properties and the relative amounts of the first and second polymers, a wide variety of such polymer blends can be produced. Of particular interest are polymer blends, also referred to as thermoplastic elastomers, in which the first polymer is a thermoplastic material, such as polypropylene, and the second polymer is an elastomeric material, such as an ethylene-propylene elastomer or an ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM) rubber. Examples of such thermoplastic elastomers include polypropylene impact copolymers, thermoplastic olefins and thermoplastic vulcanizates.
Unlike conventional vulcanized rubbers, thermoplastic elastomers can be processed and recycled like thermoplastic materials, yet have properties and performance similar to that of vulcanized rubber at service temperatures. For this reason, thermoplastic elastomers are useful for making a variety of articles such as weather seals, hoses, belts, gaskets, moldings, boots, elastic fibers and like articles. They are also particularly useful for making articles by blow molding, extrusion, injection molding, thermo-forming, elasto-welding and compression molding techniques. In addition, thermoplastic elastomers are often used for making vehicle parts, such as but not limited to, weather seals, brake parts including, but not limited to cups, coupling disks, diaphragm cups, boots such as constant velocity joints and rack and pinion joints, tubing, sealing gaskets, parts of hydraulically or pneumatically operated apparatus, o-rings, pistons, valves, valve seats, and valve guides.
One particularly useful form of thermoplastic elastomer is a thermoplastic vulcanizate ("TPV"), which comprises a thermoplastic resin matrix, such as polypropylene, within which are dispersed particles of a cured elastomeric material, such as an EPDM rubber. TPVs are normally produced by a process of "dynamic vulcanization", which is a process of vulcanizing or cross-linking the elastomeric component during intimate melt mixing with the thermoplastic resin, together with plasticizers (e.g. process oils), fillers, stabilizers, a cross-linking system and other additives, under high shear and above the melting point of the thermoplastic polymer. The mixing is typically done in a twin-screw extruder, to create a fine dispersion of the elastomeric material within the thermoplastic resin while the elastomeric material is cured. The levels of thermoplastic resin and plasticizer (oil) can be adjusted to produce grades having different profiles of hardness, rheology and engineering properties, although in general it is difficult to produce TPVs by dynamic vulcanization in which the content of the elastomeric phase is greater than 50 wt % of the overall polymer blend.
However, while dynamic vulcanization is effective in producing TPVs with a unique profile of properties, it is expensive and suffers from a number of disadvantages. Not only is the reactive extrusion expensive; finishing, packing, transportation, and handling of both thermoplastic resin and elastomers also add to production cost, which limits the development of value-added products. Thus the production of quality product is technically challenging and specialized equipment is needed. Moreover, the process involves many steps, each one contributing to the eventual quality of the final product. Forming the polymer blend normally involves separately comminuting bales of the elastomeric polymer (which is typically how EPDM rubber is commercially distributed), mechanically mixing it with the thermoplastic resin along with the processing oils, curatives, and other ingredients in a suitable high shear mixing device to comminute the rubber particles and cure them to generate cured rubber particles embedded in a continuous thermoplastic resin matrix. The cured rubber particles in the finished products typically have an averaged particle size of 1 to 10 microns. Careful injection of processing oil helps manage the rheological characteristics of the fluid in the reactive extruder (to minimize pressure buildup) as well as product properties such as hardness. Precise control over the size and distribution of the cross-linked elastomer particles is sought, as it affects properties such as elastic recovery (as measured through compression set). While the products produced with existing technology have many desirable properties, there are gaps in the overall properties profile. Some of these are the need for smaller particle sizes of dispersed rubber within the plastic matrix, higher service temperatures, improved elastic recovery, softer products, higher tensile strength, easier processability, and/or oil-free compositions.
Thus, it would be beneficial to the TPV industry to have a TPV with ultra-fine morphology while still maintaining or preferably exceeding the desirable properties of the dynamic vulcanization in an extruder as mentioned above. It would also be advantageous for the TPV production to be performed in conjunction with the elastomer production without the need to finish and re-dissolve the elastomers. This invention addresses these needs.
GB Patent 1,599,164 discusses the blending of polypropylene (PP) and EPDM in solution. There is no mention of the addition of curatives to enhance physical properties.
A process for producing TPVs is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,388,016, in which a polymer blend is produced by solution polymerization in series reactors employing metallocene catalysts and the resultant blend is subjected to dynamic vulcanization. In particular, the process involves feeding a first set of monomers selected from ethylene and higher alpha-olefins, and a solvent, to a first continuous flow stirred tank reactor, adding a metallocene catalyst to the first reactor in an amount of 50 to 100 weight % of the total amount of catalyst added to all reactors, operating the first reactor to polymerize the monomers to produce an effluent containing a first polymer, feeding the effluent from the first reactor to a second continuous flow stirred tank reactor, feeding a second set of monomers selected from ethylene, higher alpha-olefins and non-conjugated dienes, and optionally additional solvent, to the second reactor, operating the second reactor to polymerize the second monomers to produce a second polymer containing diene, recovering the resulting first and second polymers and blending them with a curing agent under conditions of heat and shear sufficient to cause the blend to flow and to at least partially cross-link the diene-containing polymer and form a dispersion of cured diene-containing particles in a matrix of the first polymer. It will, however, be seen that this improved process still relies on dynamic vulcanization to cure the elastomeric component. As a result the cured diene-containing particles have an average particle size in the range of 1 to 10 microns.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,245,856 describes the use of a compatibilizer in a PP/EPDM thermo plastic olefin (TPO). In the absence of a compatibilizer, the elastomer dispersion is uneven, with some particles greater than 5 micrometers in size. In the presence of the compatibilizer, the dispersion displayed a particle size of about 1 micrometer.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,579,944 discloses a PP/EPDM based TPV composition with a majority of the particles less than 5 micrometers in size, some as large as 10 micrometers, others less than 0.1 micrometers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,311,628 provides an example of a PP/EPDM based TPV having an EPDM content of 85% by weight. The disclosure states that the TPV is processable as a thermoplastic polymer.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,498,214 discloses thermoplastic polyolefin blend compositions useful for soft touch TPO applications which comprise, in weight percent based upon the weight of components A and B. A is about 99 to about 1 percent of at least one polypropylene homopolymer or copolymer; and B is about 99 to about 1 percent of at least one homogeneously branched ethylene/alpha-olefin copolymer in which the alpha-olefin contains at least 4 carbon atoms and the homogeneously branched copolymer has a crystallinity of less than about 3 percent.
U.S. Ser. No. 60/693,030 filed Jun. 22, 2005, discloses a heterogeneous polymer blend comprising: (a) a continuous phase comprising a thermoplastic first polymer having a crystallinity of at least 30%; and (b) a dispersed phase comprising particles of a second polymer different from the first polymer dispersed in said continuous phase, the second polymer having a crystallinity of less than 20% and being at least partially cross-linked, and the average particle size of the particles of the second polymer being less than 1 micron. U.S. Ser. No. 60/693,030 also discloses a process for producing a heterogeneous polymer blend comprising (a) a continuous phase comprising a thermoplastic first polymer that is at least partially crystalline; and (b) a dispersed phase comprising particles of a second polymer different from the first polymer dispersed in said continuous phase, the second polymer having a crystallinity less than that of the first polymer and being at least partially cross-linked, the process comprising: (i) polymerizing at least one first monomer to produce a thermoplastic first polymer that is at least partially crystalline; and (ii) contacting at least part of said first polymer with at least one second monomer and at least one polyene under conditions sufficient to polymerize said second monomer to produce said second polymer and simultaneously cross-link said second polymer such that the dispersed phase produced by said contacting (ii) comprises at least a fraction which is insoluble in xylene.
Other references of interest include: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,629,212, 4,016,342, 4,306,041, 6,245,856, 6,207,756, 6,319,998, 6,770,714, 4,130,535, 4,311,628, 6,388,016, and Wu, Souheng, Phase Structure in Polymer Blends: a Criterion for Rubber Toughening, POLYMER, (1985) 26 (12), 1855-63.
In addition, this invention is related to U.S. Ser. No. 60/693,030, filed Jun. 22, 2005, U.S. Ser. No. 11/296,842, filed Dec. 7, 2005, U.S. Ser. No. 11/296,830, filed Dec. 7, 2005, U.S. Ser. No. 11/295,927, filed Dec. 7, 2005, U.S. Ser. No. 11/295,930, filed Dec. 7, 2005, U.S. Ser. No. 60/699,663, filed Jul. 15, 2005.


Active clearance control ejector systems and methods are disclosed. An example system may include an air ejector; an entrance pipe arranged to supply compressor bleed air to the air ejector; an inlet duct arranged to supply fan bypass air to the air ejector; and a supply pipe arranged to receive ejector outlet air from the air ejector and supply the ejector outlet air to an active clearance control system. The ejector outlet air may include a mixture of the compressor bleed air and the fan bypass air. The air ejector may include a venturi arranged to conduct the compressor bleed air therethrough, thereby drawing the fan bypass air into the air ejector.

The subject matter disclosed herein relates generally to active clearance control systems and, more specifically, to active clearance control systems that use compressor bleed air to pump fan bypass air for active clearance control using an air ejector, and associated methods.
Gas turbine engines feature several components, several of which define a core. With respect to the core, air enters the engine and passes through a compressor section which typically operates a set of compressor blades and stators arranged in stages. Each stage further compresses air that enters from an upstream stage. Some engine designs provide that the compressor stages are arranged with the initial stages being a low pressure compressor (LPC) and the remaining stages being a high pressure compressor (HPC). Upon being compressed as desired, the compressed air is routed through one or more combustors. Within a combustor are one or more nozzles that serve to introduce fuel into a stream of air passing through the combustor. Igniters are typically used to cause a resulting air-fuel mixture to burn within the combustor. The burned air-fuel mixture is routed out of the combustor through a turbine section to exert forces upon turbine blades thereby performing work. Some engine designs provide that the turbine stages are arranged with the initial stages being a high pressure turbine (HPT) and the remaining turbine stages being a low pressure turbine (LPT). In such designs, a system of axially concentric shafts is provided whereby the LPC is mechanically connected to the LPT and the HPC is mechanically linked to the HPT. For high-bypass turbofan engines, a bypass section has the largest blades that route some bypass air into the core, initially through the compressor, and remaining air outside the core, through a fan bypass duct, and alongside the engine where such bypass air rejoins the exhaust in the airstream downstream of an engine exhaust duct. The bypass section is often mechanically connected to the LPC. No matter the engine design selected, with the work extracted, the burned air-fuel mixture is routed out of the engine as exhaust.
In addition to the core and the components described above, aircraft turbine engines also utilize a cowl in order to route air in a desired manner. Active clearance control (hereinafter, ACC) has been utilized in order to provide impingement cooling of the casings under the cowl of the engine as a means to reduce blade tip clearances and achieve a positive effect on performance. Traditionally, an ACC system air inlet is located in a fan bypass duct, and an ACC exit vents to ambient pressure, such as that found outboard of the one or more nozzles within the core as described above. In other applications, such as, for example, marine or industrial turbines, ACC may be of even more importance and may be desired for operations at higher power settings than idle or partial power.
Some core components may be located in an axial position outside of the compressor, combustor, or turbine areas but inside a cowl outside of which bypass air flows. Such components are considered to be placed in an under cowl area. Core component cooling (hereinafter, CCC) refers to the routing of cold air along the outside of engine casings thereby keeping components within their design temperature limits. In addition, CCC can be utilized at low power settings or otherwise when there is not enough ambient air flowing through the cowl. For example, in aircraft applications, CCC has been found useful when the engine is being operated while the aircraft is on the ground running at idle or partial power. Once in flight, air flow is typically sufficient to cool the under cowl region.
The problems: For engines utilizing a long-duct-mixed-flow architecture, the fan bypass duct may extend past the core, and the inlet and outlet pressures may be approximately equal. Therefore, there may not be a large enough pressure difference available between inlet pressure and outlet pressure to drive desired ACC air flow. As a result, ACC system flow requirements may not be met. Further complicating such situations, direct HPC bleed may be too hot to provide desired cooling, and there may be insufficient space for direct LPC bleed tubing.

System and method for active clearance control


A driving device includes a connection switching unit that switches connection condition of a coil between Y connection and delta connection, an inverter, and a control device that controls a carrier frequency of the inverter. The carrier frequency is set at a first carrier frequency when the connection condition of the coil is the Y connection. The carrier frequency is set at a second carrier frequency when the connection condition of the coil is the delta connection.

In regard to motors used for air conditioners and the like, switching of connection condition of the coil of the motor between Y connection (star connection) and delta connection (referred to also as triangle connection or A connection) is performed in order to increase operating efficiency at times of low speed rotation and at times of high speed rotation (see Patent Reference 1, for example).
Output power of an inverter for driving a motor is generated by the PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control method, and a PWM control cycle is determined by the frequency of a carrier wave used as the reference (hereinafter referred to also as a "carrier frequency"). In the case where the connection condition of the coil of a motor is switched between the Y connection and the delta connection, the carrier frequency optimizing the efficiency differs between the Y connection and the delta connection since voltage usage ratio differs between the Y connection and the delta connection.

Driving device, compressor, air conditioner and method of driving interior permanent magnet motor


A process to recover oil is provided wherein an oil containing subterranean formation is heated by conductive heat transfer from heat injectors operating at temperatures above 900.degree. C. The high temperature levels of this process result in high recoveries of initial oil in place, and recovery of the oil within a short time period. This process is particularly applicable to diatomite formations that have low permeabilities.

U.S. Patent Nos. 4,640,352 and 4,886,118 and "Under Ground Shale Oil Pyrolysis According to the Ljunstroem Method", Chief Engineer Goesta Salomonsson, IVA, vol. 24 (1953), no. 3, pp 118-123 disclose conductive heating of subterranean formations that contain hydrocarbons to recover hydrocarbons therefrom. Conductive heating is particularly applicable to low permeability formations such as diatomites, porcelanite, coal, oil shales and other source rocks. Formations of low permeability are not amenable to oil recovery methods that require injection of fluids into the formation such as steam, carbon dioxide, or fire flooding because flooding materials tend to penetrate formations having low permeability preferentially through fractures. The injected fluids bypass most of the formation hydrocarbons. In contrast, conductive heating does not require fluid transport into the formation. Formation hydrocarbons are therefore not bypassed as in a flooding and in-situ combustion process. When the temperature of a formation is increased by conductive heating, vertical temperature profiles will tend to be relatively uniform because formations generally have relatively uniform thermal conductivities and specific heats. Production of oil in a thermal conduction process is by pressure drive, vaporization and thermal expansion of oil and water trapped within the pores of the formation rock. Oil migrates through small fractures created by the expansion and vaporization of the oil and water.
Patent '352 discloses 600.degree. C. to 900.degree. C. as a preferred temperature range for heat injection for the thermal conduction process. Electrical resistance is disclosed as a preferred heat source for the thermal conduction process. The process described in the Salomonsson article uses electrical resistance heat injectors and a heat injection rate of about 240 watts per foot. This rate of heat input would result in an injection temperature within the temperature range of about 600.degree. C. to 900.degree. C.
This heat conduction process has been known for a relatively long time, yet can not be practiced economically. Commercial applications are not economical mainly due to the long time period required to produce hydrocarbons with a reasonable number of wells. A sufficient amount of capital can not be justified by oil production that will not be realized for such a long time period.
The high cost of electrical energy is also an impediment to commercial projects using these prior art methods. Conversion of hydrocarbons to electrical energy is typically accomplished at only about 35 percent efficiency and requires a considerable capital investment. Directly burning hydrocarbons considerably lowers energy costs.
Gas fired heaters which are intended to be useful for injection of heat into subterranean formations are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,902,270 and Swedish Patent No. 123,137. These burners utilize flames to combust fuel gas. The existence of flames results in hot spots within the burner and in the formation surrounding the burner. A flame typically provides a 1650.degree. C. radiant heat source. The heaters are therefore more expensive than a comparable heater without flames. The heater of Swedish Patent 123,137 would appear to result in flameless combustion such as the present invention if the combustion air and the fuel gas were heated to a temperature above the autoignition temperature of the mixture. But due to the shallow depths of the heat injection wells disclosed in that patent, the components do not appear to be heated sufficiently to result in flameless combustion. At burner temperatures above about 900.degree. C. about 100 feet of wellbore would be sufficient to preheat the combustion air and the fuel gas for flameless combustion. Further, radiant heat transfer from the flames appears to be critical in obtaining the temperature profile indicated in FIG. 2 of the Swedish patent because little heat would be transferred from the wellbore to the formation above the portion of the borehole containing flames. Due to the existence of flames, the service life and the operating temperatures of these burners are limited.
FIG. 2 of the Swedish patent shows a temperature profile within the heat injector wellbore, but the nature of radiant heat transfer would not result in a uniform temperature profile such as this. The temperature of the casing would be significantly greater at points close to the flames. The average temperature of the heat injector would therefore realistically be considerably lower than the metallurgical limits of the well materials.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,113,623 and 3,181,613 disclose gas fired heat injection burners for heating subterranean formations. These burners utilize porous materials to hold a flame and thereby spreading the flame out over an extended length. Radiant heat transfer from a flame to the casing is avoided by providing the porous medium to hold the flame. But for combustion to take place in the porous medium, the fuel gas and the combustion air must be premixed. If the premixed fuel gas and combustion air were at a temperature above the autoignition temperature of the mixture, they would react upon being premixed instead of within the porous medium. The formations utilized as examples of these inventions are only up to fifty feet thick and below only about fifteen feet of overburden. The fuel gas and the combustion air are therefore relatively cool when they reach the burner. The burner would not function as it was intended if the formation being heated were significantly thicker or buried under significantly more overburden.
Natural gas fired well heaters that are useful for heating formations to temperatures sufficient for ignition of in-situ fire floods are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,923,535; 3,095,031; 3,880,235; 4,079,784; and 4,137,968. Provisions for the return of combustion gases to the surface are not required for ignition of fire floods. The combustion gases are intended to be injected into the formation. A long service life is also not required due to the short time period during which the burner is needed. The fuel gas and combustion air also remain relatively cool as they go down a borehole toward the burner. These burners are therefore not suitable for use as heat injectors, and do not overcome the shortcomings of the prior art heat injector burners.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method to recover hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon containing formation using a conductive heat transfer. It is another object to provide such a process wherein more than about 75 percent of the original oil in place may be recovered. In a preferred embodiment it is an object to provide such a process which is capable of recovering hydrocarbon from a formation having a low permeability such as oil shale or diatomite.


A position detection switch is provided with a case having a cylindrical part that has a plurality of ribs on an inner circumferential wall thereof along the axial direction thereof. Accordingly, the strength of the case is increased and running of a molten resin for fixing a substrate disposed on the inside are improved when the molten resin is injected from a long groove of the case. The contact surface area between the ribs and a sheath is increased whereby durability against an external force and temperature variation is increased.

In air cylinders and hydraulic cylinders, position detection switches have been widely used to detect positions of pistons reciprocating inside cylinder bores in a non-contact manner. For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-297671 proposes a position detection switch with a structure including a sensor case, a cord bush disposed at the rear end of the sensor case, and a cord connected to a sensor element and extended to the outside of the sensor case. According to the invention disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-297671, the cord would not be bent inside the sensor case even when the cord is bent at the cord bush, and thus no gaps are created between the cord and filler inside the sensor case, resulting in higher safety against water. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 10-249883 proposes a structure formed by filling resin into a sensor case while the sensor case is fitted in shaping dies simultaneously with shaping of resin of a grommet part at a lead wire wire outlet.

Position detection switch and method for manufacturing same


A pivotable joint including a first part provided with pivot bores and a second part with resiliently mounted pivot pins received in said pivot bores such that the second part is pivotably mounted in a desired assembled position. The first part has a closed tubular cross section and may be a section of the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine. The resiliently mounted pivot pins are symmetrically mounted on opposite sides of the second part, which may be a throttle valve. The pivot pins are elastically displaceable axially during assembly of the first and second parts such that they snap resiliently into the pivot bores of the first part when the second part reaches the desired assembled position.

This invention relates to a pivotable joint in which a first part is provided with pivot bores and a second part with elastic mounting pins or pivot pins.
Pivotable joints of this general type are known, e.g., in boxes for music cassettes. However, if it is desired to use such pivotable joints, for example, in intake manifolds with throttle valves, it is disadvantageous that the passage cross section would have to be made elastic. This would certainly be difficult and expensive. A housing could also be provided which could be divided and then reassembled in order to mount the throttle valve. This is, however, costly to manufacture, and it would make the pivotable joint expensive. Another possibility would be to mount the throttle valve on a continuous shaft extended through pivot bores. This, however, would be difficult to assemble and would make it necessary afterward to seal up the intake manifold.


A photoelectric conversion device according to an exemplary embodiment includes a first substrate, a photoelectric conversion layer disposed above the first substrate, a second substrate which is different from the first substrate and disposed on the photoelectric conversion layer, and a nano pillar layer disposed above the second substrate in which the nano pillar layer includes a plurality of nano pillars which is spaced apart from each other, so as to easily absorb the light.

Currently, a technology for obtaining visual information among five senses of a human is actively being developed. An essential technology for developing such a digital image implementing technology is an image sensor technology. The image sensor is a semiconductor device which converts an optical signal into an electrical signal. The image sensor may be classified into a CCD (charge coupled device) image sensor based on a silicon semiconductor and a CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) image sensor. Generally, the CMOS image sensor has lower unit cost of production and lower power consumption, easier integration of a periphery circuit on the same chip and a higher processing speed than those of the CCD image sensor. Therefore, in recent years, the CMOS image sensor has dominated the market while replacing the CCD image sensor.
The CMOS image sensor uses a silicon p-n junction photoelectric conversion device (photodiode) as a photo detection method. The CMOS image sensor is manufactured by integrating large number of silicon p-n junction photoelectric conversion device unit pixels in an array in order to obtain an image. Recently, in order to obtain an image resolution and a high quality image of the CMOS image sensor, a size of a unit pixel, that is, a size of a silicon p-n photoelectric conversion device unit pixel is reduced so that a technology development with a high integrated pixel structure is performed.

ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE


A gaze target detector includes a line-of-sight detector, a relative speed data acquiring unit, a relative position data acquiring unit, a curvature calculator, a threshold adjuster, and a gaze determination unit. The line-of-sight detector detects the line of sight of an occupant in a vehicle. The relative speed data acquiring unit acquires a relative speed between the vehicle and a gaze target at which the occupant is gazing. The relative position data acquiring unit acquires a relative position between the vehicle and the gaze target. The curvature calculator calculates the curvature of a traveling track of the vehicle. The threshold adjuster adjusts a threshold based on at least one of the relative speed, the relative position, or the curvature. The threshold is used to determine the gaze target. The gaze determination unit determines the gaze target as a gaze event based on the threshold adjusted.

The technology relates to a gaze target detector.
Automobiles are highly convenient means of transportation. People are capable of going to various places in their automobiles. While driving automobiles, occupants in the automobiles often gaze at an external object that draws their interests.
To address such a concern, a method has been proposed that specifies the gaze area of an occupant and automatically captures an image of a target object present in the gaze area. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. 2008-018853 discloses a data storage that stores image data of driving scenes that is divided into several pieces of data as appropriate. The method of JP-A No. 2008-018853 is applicable to a situation where no conversation is made. Further, JP-A No. 2013-255168 discloses an imaging device that determines the gaze area of an occupant on the basis of the direction of the line of sight of the occupant detected by a line-of-sight detector, specifies the direction to a target object which the occupant is interested in, and automatically captures an image of the target object.


A computer-based method includes receiving an input signal at a neuron in a computer-based neural network that includes a plurality of neuron layers, applying a first non-linear transform to the input signal at the neuron to produce a plain signal, and calculating a weighted sum of a first component of the input signal and the plain signal at the neuron. In a typical implementation, the first non-linear transform is a function of the first component of the input signal and at least a second component of the input signal.

Many recent empirical breakthroughs in supervised machine learning have been achieved through the application of deep neural networks. Network depth (referring to the number of successive computation layers) has played perhaps the most important role in these successes. For instance, the top-5 image classification accuracy on the 1000-class ImageNet dataset increased from approximately 84% to approximately 95% through the use of ensembles of deeper architectures and smaller receptive fields in just a few years.
On the theoretical side, it is well known that deep networks can represent certain function classes exponentially more efficiently than shallow ones. Moreover, the use of deep networks can offer both computational and statistical efficiency for complex tasks.
However, training deeper networks is not as straightforward as simply adding layers. Optimization of deep networks has proven to be considerably more difficult, leading to research on initialization, techniques of training networks in multiple stages, or with temporary companion loss functions attached to some of the layers.
Nnaisense SA is appreciative of any collaborative support that may have been provided by La Scuola Universitaria Professionale della Svizzera Italiana (SUPSI).

Highly trainable neural network configuration


A wireless response system and method of receiving user responses from a plurality of users at a base unit includes providing a base unit having a base transceiver that is adapted to wireless signal transmitting and wireless signal receiving and providing a plurality of response units. Each of the response units includes a response unit transceiver and a user input device. The response unit transceiver is adapted to wireless signal transmitting and wireless signal receiving. User input selections are received with the user input device. A response user transmission is transmitted with the response unit transceiver in response to the user input device receiving a user input selection. A base transmission is transmitted with the base unit transceiver. The user response transmissions are asynchronously transmitted after receipt of a base transmission.

The present invention is directed to response systems in which user responses entered in respective response units, also known as keypads, are retrieved at a base unit and, in particular, to such a response system in which the base unit acknowledges receipt of valid data from the response units.
One known form of response system utilizes time division multiplexing for organizing retrieval of user responses entered into response units, which are typically handheld units provided to a gathering of users. In such a system, a transmission by the base unit initiates a series of timeslots, each assigned to a particular response unit. Each unit having a selection entered by the user responds to the base unit transmission in its assigned timeslot. While pure time division multiplex systems accommodate the sending of data from the base unit to the response unit, such as data acknowledging receipt of valid data from particular response unit(s), it is not without limitation. For example, as the number of response units increase, the increase in assigned timeslots can excessively increase the duration between transmissions from the base unit.
Asynchronous response systems are also known. Timing of transmission from response units in an asynchronous response system is event driven, rather than controlled by the base unit. In particular, entry of a response by a user typically results in an immediate transmission of data from that response unit. Because more than one user may make an entry at the same moment, resulting in potential interference between transmissions, schemes have been devised for handling such data collisions. However, the asynchronous nature of the transmissions from the response units has made the acknowledging of validly received data by the base unit not practical.

Asynchronous response system with acknowledge


A first sheet transfer guide plate includes a first divided sheet guide plate and a second divided sheet guide plate separable from each other. The first divided sheet guide plate is capable of being drawn out or pushed in relative to the second sheet transfer guide plate in a sheet width direction. The first divided sheet guide plate and the second divided sheet guide plate are separable from each other by a draw-out operation or a push-in operation of the first divided sheet guide plate. The first divided sheet guide plate is configured to release nipping of a sheet by paired sheet transfer rollers corresponding to the first divided sheet guide plate, along with the draw-out operation or the push-in operation of the first divided sheet guide plate.

1. Technical Field
The disclosure relates to a sheet transfer device which allows a sheet, if jammed across the sheet transfer device and its adjacent sheet transfer device provided along a sheet transfer route in an image forming apparatus while being transferred along the sheet transfer route, to be easily taken out from the devices without leaving the jammed sheet in the devices.
2. Related Art
Generally, the sheet transfer device configured to transfer sheets is applied to an image forming apparatus such as a printing apparatus configured to print images and characters on sheets and a photocopier configured to duplicate images and characters on sheets.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-31422 proposes such an image forming apparatus to which the sheet transfer device is applied. When paper jam occurs and a jammed sheet exists across a main body and a drawer unit, the proposed image forming apparatus can automatically prevent the jammed sheet from being torn.
Although illustration is omitted herein, the image forming apparatus described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-31422 includes units for sheet transfer (for example, a sheet transfer unit and a duplex printing unit) as drawer units in various portions of the apparatus such that the units can be drawn out toward the front of the main body in a substantially horizontal direction.
For example, in the aforementioned sheet transfer unit, a base portion is attached to be capable of being drawn out in the horizontal direction by engaging with rails in the main body. Moreover, a sheet guide member is attached onto the base portion to be openable and closeable by turning about a supporting shaft extending in a sheet width direction orthogonal to the sheet transfer direction.
A sheet transfer route for transferring sheets is formed between the base portion and the sheet guide member and a pair of upper and lower sheet transfer rollers are provided along the sheet transfer route.
When sheet jam occurs, a controller stops all of the sheets being transferred in the main body. In addition, if the sheet is stopped to exist across the main body and the drawer unit configured as described above, the controller moves the stopped sheet such that the sheet can completely enter the drawer unit or the main body.
Moreover, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-31422 states a jammed sheet can be taken out from the sheet transfer route in such a way that: the sheet transfer unit is drawn out from the main body; and then the sheet transfer route is exposed with the sheet guide member opened upward from the base portion, for example.


In a perpendicular magnetic recording medium, a multilayered underlayer including a first metal underlayer, a second metal underlayer having no solid solution properties with respect to the first metal underlayer and having a hole, and a third metal underlayer having solid solution properties with respect to the first metal underlayer and having no solid solution properties with respect to the second metal underlayer is formed on a substrate, and a magnetic recording layer is formed on the multilayered underlayer.

1. Field
The present invention relates to a perpendicular magnetic recording medium for use in, e.g., a hard disk drive using the magnetic recording technique, and a perpendicular magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recent hard disk drives have become smaller and smaller, and a product having a disk diameter of 1 inch. or less has been proposed. In addition, to realize an inexpensive, high-speed, large-capacity recording medium, the recording density is required to further increase. One of the most effective methods of increasing the areal recording density of a magnetic recording medium is to reduce noise by reducing the size of the magnetic crystal grains in the magnetic recording layer. Conventionally, in a method of stacking thin films by using sputtering, size is reduced by changing the thin film materials or optimizing the thin film formation conditions. However, in the method of simply stacking thin films, the grain size is often naturally determined and cannot be unconditionally controlled. For example, the average grain diameter of an underlayer below the magnetic recording layer is about 8 nm. Also, when a granular recording layer is used as the magnetic recording layer, the average grain diameter can be reduced to about 6 nm, but further reduction has been found to be very difficult.
Although it is being attempted to further reduce the crystal grain size of the magnetic crystal grains by using a granular structure in which the grains are segregated in an amorphous matrix, the crystal grains did not easily grow into columns, the crystal orientation readily deteriorated, and the crystal grain density was low by using this method. It is preferable that the degree of crystal orientation of the magnetic crystal grains is as high as possible, and the orientation variance is as low as possible. In the granular structure described above, however, the crystal orientation generally worsens and often becomes random, and this greatly increases the medium noise. Also, the crystal grains sometimes grow into spheres instead of columns. Even when the crystal grains grow satisfactorily into columns and relatively uniform nuclei form on the upper surface of the underlayer, some crystal grains often become enlarged, inhibit growth, or subsequently combine with other grains. As described above, it is generally difficult to grow magnetic recording crystal grains while a predetermined grain size is material in the direction of thickness of the magnetic recording layer.
Also, the magnetic recording layer is becoming thinner and thinner, and the signal output lower and lower. Therefore, if the crystal grain density greatly decreases, it is necessary to greatly increase the saturation magnetization of the magnetic crystal grains in order to maintain the output. To increase the saturation magnetization, a large change in composition is generally required. However, the segregated structure and crystal orientation are often disrupted, increases the medium noise, so this method is also not easy to put into practice.
In addition, as described in, e.g., Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication Nos. 2001-52330 and 2003-59037, it has been proposed to form small island-like nuclei on the underlayer or substrate, and epitaxially grow magnetic crystal grains or grow the grains into columns from these nuclei, thereby reducing the size of the grains. The size of the nuclei can be reduced in principle by reducing the formation amount of the nuclei. However, the individual crystal grains, having grown from the nuclei, enlarge in the in-plane direction until the gaps between adjacent nuclei are filled, unless the granular structure as described above is used. It seems possible, as a model, to imagine the high density of the nuclei. In practice, however, it is physically very difficult to realize a state in which fine nuclei spread such that they do not form a continuous film but separate from each other, in case of depositing, on the nuclei, magnetic crystal grains in an amount with which a continuous film can be formed. Generally, a continuous film is formed, or large islands are formed at low density.

Perpendicular magnetic recording medium and perpendicular magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus


A device for fastening an ajar door of the operator's cab of a construction machine, which is small in size, presents a good appearance, and is easy to unfasten, has a plate support element (5) fixed to the outer surface of the operator's cab (2), a tubular support element (6) to hold the plate support element, a U-shaped striker (10) fixed to the plate support element, a lock (20) for holding the striker when the door is ajar, and a releasing lever (30) for releasing the lock from inside the operator's cab.

Conventionally, an operator's cab having a device fastening the ajar door is constructed as in a perspective view shown in FIG. 6, and details of the device, indicated and are shown in the perspective view in FIG. 7, an elevational view in FIG. 8 and a top plan view in FIG. 9.
More specifically, a door 2 is swingably fixed to a side 3 of an operator's cab I by means of a hinge 4. A lock member 40 having a lock element 41 is fastened near the hinge 4 above the door 2 by means of a bolt 42. A bracket is attached to a position corresponding to the lock member 40 above the side 3, and a lock 50 is fastened by a bolt 55. The lock 50 includes a hook 51, a bracket 52, a pin 53 and a torsional spring 54 wherein the hook 51 is secured pivotally to the bracket 52 by means of the pin 53 and is urged in the direction of the arrow P (FIG. 8) by means of the torsional spring 54. The door is ajar and fastened by swinging the door 2 on the hinge 4 so as to allow the lock element 41 to push up the hook 51 against the urging force of the torsional spring 54 and to engage the hook 51 at the position indicated by chain double-dashed lines in FIGS. 8 and 9. The lock is unfastened by pushing up the hook 51 manually, thereby allowing the door 2 to close.
However, the foregoing construction has the following problems:
(1) Since the fastening device is fixed adjacent to the hinge of the door, the distance L.sub.2 (FIG. 9) between the center of the hinge and the center of the lock is small, and the lock is heavily burdened. Consequently, the fastening device has to be large and costly. PA0 (2) Since the fastening device greatly protrudes at the top of the operator's cab, it might be damaged by obstacles and does not present a good appearance. PA0 (3) Someone has to take the trouble to go out of the cab and release the lock manually to unfasten the ajar door, and this is operationally inconvenient. PA0 (1) The distance L.sub.1 (FIG. 4) between the center of the hinge and the center of the fastening device is greater, and thus the device is not so heavily burdened and accordingly the fastening device can be small. PA0 (2) Since the fastening device does not protrude from the top of the operator's cab, it will not be damaged by obstacles. The tubular support element also functions as a handle outside of the operator's cab, and presents a good appearance. PA0 (3) It is operationally convenient to unfasten the ajar door from inside the operator's cab.
In view of the foregoing problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a device for fastening the ajar door which device is small in size, presents a good appearance, and is easy to unfasten.


An automated message distribution system routes digitally-encoded messages via public-switched telephone networks and wide area networks and local area networks to the most desired route. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, digitally encoded messages enter into a local area network, either directly or via a public-switched telephone network, and are sent to their destinations in a distributed manner. The paths or routes are calculating by using a set of customized rules. The customized rules are set to distribute messages evenly among the available paths.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to message distribution in public and private networks. More particularly, the present invention is a system and method for optimally routing messages received over public and private networks to an appropriate message receiving subsystem or person.
2. Background of the Invention
Generally, a message distribution system distributes information in the form of one or more messages from a message sender to a message receiver. The message sender combines data representing the information content of the messages into a form that can be transmitted to the message receiver. A variety of communication media exist over which messages can be transmitted, including telephone, wireless communication systems and computer networks. There are several conventional message distribution systems currently in use for delivering messages from a message sender to a message receiver.
One conventional message processing system is a point-to-point message distribution system. Point-to point distribution systems distribute messages by establishing a direct path between a message sender and a message receiver. An example of a point-to-point distribution system is in an automated message routing (AMR) system.
FIG. 1 illustrates schematically an AMR system 100. In the AMR system 100, a message sender 1s sends a message to a message receiver 1r along a direct path 101. The message receiver 1r is located at logical address 102. Both the message recipient 1r and the route through which the AMR system 100 delivers the message are predetermined by the respective addresses of the message sender 1s and the message receiver 1r. Common forms of addresses for the message sender 1s and the message receiver 1r include a dialed telephone number and an identified mailbox address. The AMR system 100 is limited, however, because it does not select the route over which to transmit a message. Rather, the particular route is determined solely by the respective addresses of the message sender and the message receiver.
A second conventional message processing system is used in telephone call distribution systems. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an automated call distribution (ACD) system 200 for distributing telephone calls received by the ACD system 200. In the ACD system 200, the only information that is known about the telephone call at the time the telephone call is answered is the type of information that will be discussed during the call (e.g., the caller dials a number for customer service for a particular product line), the identification of the caller (e.g., the caller's telephony system identifier), or both. Such systems are limited because the information content of a telephone call is unknown at the time of call receipt by the ACD system 200. Thus, such content cannot be used in the routing process. As a result, information based on the content of the message, the telephone call, cannot be used to determine the ultimate receiver of the call.
A third conventional message processing system is an automated message distribution (AMD) system. Conventional AMD systems place inbound messages in one or more general-purpose mailboxes that correspond to known pieces of information. In an AMD system, the only information known prior to receipt of the message is similar to that of the ACD system described above, i.e., type of information to be discussed and caller identification data. However, because the information is in a message format, rather than a telephone call, the rules for message distribution in an AMD system can differ substantially from those for distributing calls in an ACD system. For example, conventional content processing mechanisms, including mail header parsers, addressing parsers, and optical mark recognition (OMR) and optical character recognition (OCR), can add further information to the routing decision.
FIG. 3 illustrates schematically a conventional AMD system 300 for message distribution. The AMD system 300 has a mailbox subsystem 302, a content processing subsystem 304 and a message distributor subsystem 306. The mailbox subsystem 304 receives a message from a message sender 1s-6s. The message is received in message format and stored in the mailbox subsystem 302. The content processing subsystem 304 then derives information from a message stored in the mailbox subsystem 302. This information can be passed to the message distributor subsystem 306 to help distribute the message to an appropriate message receiver 1r-4r. However, the information stored in conventional mailbox-based AMD systems is not sufficient to determine optimal routing of the mailbox messages to an appropriate message receiver. This is because no information regarding the priority of the message, the amount of time the message has been in the mailbox subsystem 302, nor the status of the mailbox subsystem 302 potential recipients is monitored in the conventional mailbox system.

System and method for automated received message handling and distribution


Methods for inhibition of fibrotic rejection of implanted devices which contain cells by administering to the recipient of the devices an amount of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent (NSAID) sufficient to inhibit fibrotic inactivation of the device. Most NSAID's are carboxylic acids (R--COOH) or enolic acids (R--COH).

Transplantation of donor tissue into a recipient can be used to treat a wide variety of disorders, including heart disease, neoplastic disease, and endocrine disease. The clinical application of transplantation-based therapies are, however, limited by several factors. These factors include immune rejection of transplanted allogeneic or xenogeneic tissue by the transplant recipient, a shortage of allogeneic donor-tissue, and donor-propagated immune attack of recipient tissue (graft-versus-host-disease).
Immune rejection of transplanted donor-tissue can be the most serious barrier to more widespread availability of the benefits of transplantation-based therapies. Implantation of allogeneic or xenogeneic donor-tissue into an immunocompetent recipient generally results in a vigorous and destructive immune response directed against the donor-graft. Efforts to prevent immune-based destruction of donor tissue have generally fallen into two categories. In one approach, efforts have been directed to moderating the recipient's immune response, e.g., by the induction of specific immunological tolerance to transplanted tissue, or much more frequently, by the administration of broad-spectrum immune suppressants, e.g., cyclosporin. In the other major approach, efforts to prolong the acceptance of a donor-graft have been directed to rendering the donor-graft less susceptible to attack, e.g., by immunoisolating the donor-tissue by encapsulating it in a way which minimizes contact of elements of the recipient's immune system with the encapsulated donor tissue.
Immunoisolation is particularly attractive for the treatment of endocrine disorders or in hormone or enzyme replacement therapies. For example, the implantation of immunoisolated pancreatic islet cells can be used to restore glucose-responsive insulin function in a diabetic recipient. Islets can be placed in a mechanical enclosure, or can be coated with a material, which allows relatively free diffusion of glucose, insulin, nutrients, and cellular waste products but which is impervious to components of the recipient's immune system.
A microcapsule typically includes an inner core in which living cells are embedded and optionally an outer semipermeable coating. The outer coating often has a porosity which prevents components of the implant recipient's immune system from entering and destroying the cells within the microcapsule. Gel microcapsules containing a small number of living cells have been used to transplant both allogeneic and xenogeneic donor cells into recipient animals. Several methods for microencapsulating cells, e.g., pancreatic islet cells, in an alginate gel have been investigated. These include the alginate-polylysine technique described in Lim et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,391,909 and Soon-Shiong et al., Transplantation, 54:769-774 (1992), the alginate-chitosan system described in Rha et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,933, and the polyacrylate encapsulation method described in Sefton, U.S. Pat. No. 4,353,888. A tissue response to implanted microcapsules limits the usefulness of this class of therapeutic entities. The fibrotic response consists of host deposition of fibrous proteins that causes death and rejection of the encapsulated therapeutic substance. Immunosuppressive drugs have been used to delay rejection, for example, fetal nigral allograft survival and function has been shown for up to 10 months after transplantation and immunosuppression (with the agents cyclosporin, azathioprine, and prednisone) in a human Parkinson's patient. (Widner et al., (1991) Transplant. Proc., 23:793). Function of islet cells implanted in polyalginate microcapsules was extended for a period approximately 4-fold that of the control by administration of cyclosporin A (CsA, 20-30 milligrams/kg/day, s.c.; Langa, Ed. R.G. Landes, Press 1994, Texas, Immunomodulation of Pancreatic Islets). However, a variety of negative side effects of CsA include nephrotoxicity, increased incidence of viral diseases, and transient liver dysfunction. Drugs that are safe, economical, and convenient for suppression of fibrotic rejection of implanted devices are clearly needed.
Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although methods and materials similar or equivalent to those herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, the preferred methods and materials are described below. All publications, patent applications, patents, and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference. In addition, the materials, methods, and examples are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents inhibition of fibrotic response to an implanted device


A positioning device that is ideally suited for the assembly of optical components, particularly fiber optic components utilizing small-core single-mode optical fiber. The invention teaches a structure that can be used for 3 axis positioning and alignment wherein all of the control actuators are located on a common axis to improve operator adjustment efficiency and reduce repetitive motion strain. The device uses flexible elements to connect relatively movable parts, including parts which move orthogonally relative to each other. The device also has a lever arrangement which provides a mechanical advantage for the control actuators.

1. Field of the Invention
In assembling micro-optic structures and in particular those utilizing fiber optic waveguides, it is often necessary to control relative spatial alignments with extremely fine precision. Some optical components use optical fibers having a core region that carries a beam of light that is of the order of 10 microns in diameter (and even smaller in some cases). In order to assemble such a component the optical fibers have to be manipulated with a precision level on the order of {fraction (1/10)} of a micron.
2. Prior Art
In the past, optical fibers components have been assembled using known 3-axis ball-bearing positioners. Anyone who has attempted to achieve stable alignment using single-mode optical fiber with such known kinds of positioners equipped with micrometer actuators will attest to the lack of required precision. Crossed roller and ball type stages inherently require preload which generates motional friction and have a resolution limit set by the randomness of the required drive force due to dust and surface variations associated with the frictional interfaces and the limited stiffness of actuator mechanisms.
Other designs of positioners offer frictionless movement with the use of flexure-based designs but often at the expense of overall mechanical stiffness. A single parallel cantilever pair will generate an arc-error in its trajectory. What is commonly done is to combine two cantilever pairs into a compound cantilever stage so as to have one compensate the other and provide perfect linear motion. Compound cantilever stages are very large for their available travel as conventional designs consist of two separate compound stages that are effectively joined at a centerline to maintain high off-axis stiffness. One of the objects of this invention is to provide a compound cantilever stage that is much smaller than the conventional design.
The majority of 3-axis positioning equipment is made up by staging single axis units one on top of each other using angle plates. This results in a structure that has diminished resolution and stiffness as one moves progressively further from the mounting frame of reference. In many designs the stiffness of the overall unit is inadequate to resist the forces required to operate the actuators. In these cases the operator must use a touch and release method where the signal is adjusted and the operator then has to release the actuator to witness the result. Another downfall of a 3-axis positioner made up of three individual orthogonally arranged stages is the fact that the actuators are also arranged in an XYZ configuration, i.e. each has an axis perpendicular to the other two actuators, making prolonged use strenuous due to the required hand movements.
An inherent limitation to the resolution of nearly all positioning systems lies in the use of what can be termed simple axial actuators. A micrometer head or a complex piezo micrometer head are examples of simple actuators as they produce a displacement that is used to control the movement of a translation stage in a direct ratio. For example, a 1 micron movement of the shaft of said actuator is used to produce a 1 micron movement of the corresponding translation stage. As a result, all motional errors such as hysteresis or randomness of movement inherent in the actuator itself are passed on directly to the translation stage. The requirement for sub-micron resolution also necessitates the requirement for differential micrometer and micro-stepped stepper-motor driven lead screw drives in order to achieve the necessary resolution since a single thread micrometer under hand control can""t be easily adjusted at such fine a resolution. The general trend towards increased resolution and stability in positioning equipment has been driven by the increased use of small-core single-mode optical fibers over the larger core multimode optical fibers which require less precision in alignment manipulation. In order to remove the effect of operator induced forces, a number of sub-micron resolution remote driven motor driven stages have emerged on the market. Even with fully automated positioning systems where a scan routine is carried out under computer control, some level of operator intervention is required for handling and loading the individual elements to be assembled. In many labor intensive assembly applications the cost of an automated system cannot be justified and would not be considered if an appropriate mechanical positioner were available.
It is the object of this invention to realize a 3-axis positioning device ideally suited for, but not limited to, the assembly of single-mode fiber optic components. The invention allows for all of the actuators to be placed in a common orientation to reduce hand fatigue and improve adjustment efficiency. The invention teaches a structure that provides for both coarse and fine movement while using a simple adjustment screw and a single actuator such as a micrometer head or a motorized stepping or DC motor driven actuator. The structure also allows for the fine movement to be a fraction of the travel of the control actuator while increasing movement resolution. Another aspect of the invention includes means of translating motion from one axis of movement to another. In addition, the invention teaches a linear compound flexure stage that provides for large travel and linear motion with high stiffness. In its preferred form, the invention can provide for operator insensitive adjustment when aligning single-mode optical fibers with a resolution limit that is comparable to a closed-loop piezo driven translation stage.
The invention is an improvement over a conventional stacked 3-axis unit as the operator adjustment forces act only on a single stiff linear translation stage instead of the sum of the total of all stages. It is thus possible to realize a positioning device that can operate under hand control at resolution and stiffness levels required for single-mode fiber optic alignments wherein the operator does not influence the measured optical signal level during adjustment of the unit. It is also possible with the invention to implement linear motor drive on the second and third axes without affecting the overall sensitivity to hand adjustment forces.
According to one aspect of the invention, a positioning device includes:
a first, normally fixed support;
a movable support mounted on said fixed support and constrained to move in a generally rectilinear manner in a first direction;
a first actuator mounted on the fixed support for moving the movable support in the first direction;
a second actuator mounted on said movable support in substantially parallel relationship to the first actuator;
holding means for an object to be positioned, the holding means mounted on said movable support for movement relative to said movable support in a second direction which is perpendicular to said first direction; and
an orthogonal drive conversion system for converting motion of said second actuator in the first direction to movement of the holding means in the second direction.
The orthogonal drive conversion system serves to isolate the holding means from manual forces applied to the second actuator.
The orthogonal drive conversion system may include an actuator mechanism having a push rod pivoted at a first of its ends to means movable by the second actuator, and at a second end, to motion translation means for converting motion of the push rod to movement of the holding means in the second direction.
Preferably, the device includes both second and third actuators mounted on the movable support in parallel relationship to said first actuator; and the holding means is mounted on the movable support for movement relative to the movable support in second and third directions which are perpendicular to the first direction and perpendicular to each other. First and second orthogonal drive conversion systems are provided for converting motion of said second and third actuators respectively to movement of the holding means in said second and third directions. Each orthogonal drive conversion system may include an actuator mechanism including a push rod pivoted at a first end to means movable by the respective second and third actuators, and at its second end to motion translation means for converting movement of the push rod to movement of the holding means in the respective second and third directions.
One aspect of the invention is a compound cantilever stage that is one-half of the conventional design, the latter using two separate compound stages that are effectively joined at a centerline to maintain high off-axis stiffness. Traditionally, the one-half arrangement is not used as the intermediate frame of reference would move in response to external loads placed on the system and limit off-axis stiffness. It can be shown however, that if the intermediate frame in a compound cantilever stage were to be forced to move one-half of the overall displacement, then high stiffness can be achieved while requiring only one half of the conventional compound cantilever design. An aspect of this invention is to provide a forcing or control means to set the displacement of the intermediate frame of reference of a compound cantilever stage to one half of the output displacement. In its preferred form, the control means is a beam member connected to the parts by frictionless elastic elements.
In accordance with this aspect of the invention, a positioning device includes:
a first, normally fixed support;
a movable support movable in a generally rectilinear manner in a first direction and carrying holding means for an object to be positioned;
an intermediate member which is connected to said first support by a pair of first spaced flexible elements and which is connected to the movable support by a pair of second spaced flexible elements; the arrangement being such that the first flexible elements and the second flexible elements are approximately of the same length: and control means connecting said fixed support, said intermediate member and the movable support so that the movement of the intermediate member is a fixed proportion of the movement of the movable support.
Preferably, the control means comprises a rigid member connected to the intermediate member at a position midway between its connections to the fixed support and the movable support, so as to ensure that the movement of the intermediate member is about one-half that of the movable support.
Another aspect of the invention provides a lever type mechanical advantage between the actuators and the mechanism producing movement in the second and third directions. In accordance with this aspect, the positioning device includes:
a support;
holding means for an object to be positioned, the holding means mounted on said support for movement in a particular direction;
an actuator mounted on said support, and
an orthogonal drive conversion system for converting motion of the actuator to movement of the holding means in said particular direction, said conversion system including an actuator mechanism and a motion translation means;
said actuator mechanism including a lever having a first end connector point movably connected to the actuator, the lever having a second end portion which has second and third spaced connector points which form a triangle with the first end connector point, the second spaced connector point being located by a contact element and the third spaced connector point being located by an adjustment screw providing an adjustment which is coarse relative to the actuator, and wherein said lever has a fourth connector point in contact with a push rod which transmits motion of the lever member to the motion translation means.
The fourth connector point is positioned so that the movement of the push rod is a fraction of the movement of the actuator.
Yet another aspect of the invention relates to the nature of the motion translating means which connect the push rod or like means to the holding means. In accordance with this aspect of the invention, the positioning device includes:
a fixed support;
a movable support movable in a generally rectilinear manner in a first direction and carrying holding means for positioning an object, and also carrying an actuator,
an orthogonal drive positioning conversion system for converting motion of said micrometer type actuator to movement of the holding means in a particular direction which is perpendicular to the axis of the actuator, said conversion system including an actuator mechanism and a motion translation means, said actuator mechanism including a push rod movable by the actuator; and
an angularly movable part which is connected to an element fixed to said movable support by two crossing flexible elements which preferably extend perpendicularly to each other, said angularly movable part being also connected to said holding means in such manner that when angularly moved by said push rod the angularly movable element produces movement of said holding means in said particular direction which is perpendicular to the first direction.
Preferably, the crossing flexible elements, when viewed along the axis of rotation of the angularly movable part, cross each other between the fixed element and the angularly movable part at the approximate centers of the crossing flexible elements.

Positioning device especially for assembling optical components


A fluid flow system (20) includes fluid inlet conduits for supplying fluid through a fluid flow path (86) as formed by a manifold (74) and a module (76). The fluid is directed through fluid flow path (86) to a flexible conduit (54) and to a fluid dispensing wand (36) whereat the fluid can be selectively dispensed in a stream or a spray. A linking passageway (102) is formed by manifold (74) and module (76) to couple selectively the pressure of a pressurized environment, such as atmospheric pressure, to fluid flow path (86). An umbrella valve (104) is located in linking passageway (102) and is responsive to the development of a negative pressure at the fluid supply and thereafter couples the pressure of the pressurized environment to fluid flow path (86). This action neutralizes the effects of the negative pressure and precludes the reverse flow of fluid within fluid flow system (20).

This invention relates to a fluid flow system with a vacuum breaker for use in faucet systems and particularly relates to a fluid flow system with an atmospheric vacuum breaker which is used in a faucet system to prevent the reverse flow of water from a contaminated source to a potable supply associated with the faucet system.
In one type of faucet system, a faucet spout is designed to support at its free end a removable water dispensing head which can function selectively to provide a stream of water therefrom in a stream mode or a spray of water therefrom in a spray mode. The dispensing head is connected to a flexible conduit which extends inwardly through the spout and is coupled to a potable water system through a valve of a conventional hot and cold water system.
In the stream mode, the valve is adjusted to provide the desired mix of hot and cold water which flows through the flexible conduit and exits as a water stream through the head which is supported at the end of the spout. In this manner, the head functions as a typical water-dispensing spout. When the head is used as a spray head in the spray mode, the head is removed from the spout and is pulled to draw the flexible conduit therefrom. A button on top of the head is depressed to adjust the head to function .in the spray mode whereafter the water is dispensed from the head in a spray.
Typically, a sink or basin is located below the spout and head. If, for example, dishes are washed in the sink, dirty and contaminated water will collect in the sink. If the head is placed in the dirty water in the sink during a period when the faucet valve is on and a negative pressure develops in the supply line, the dirty water could be drawn from the sink, through the head and flexible conduit, through the valve and into the supply line of the potable water system. Thereafter, if water is drawn from the supply line through any of the faucet systems in the house, a mix of contaminated and potable water will undesirably appear at the outlet or spout of the operated faucet systems. The negative pressure could develop, for example, because of a break in a main water line outside of the house or when a sudden and exceptional demand is placed on the main water supply such as by the fire department in extinguishing a fire nearby.
In the past, a variety of techniques have been employed to prevent the undesirable draw of contaminated water from the sink when negative pressure occurs in the supply line as described above. An example of one system for preventing the above-described reverse flow of water is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,322 which was issued to Alfons Knapp et al. on Sep. 29, 1987. In the faucet system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,322, a hollow spherical valve element is formed with water inlet ports to accommodate coupling to a hot water supply line and a cold water supply line. The valve element is further formed with an outlet port to facilitate supplying of a selected mix of hot and cold water therethrough.
As further illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,322, the spherical valve element is formed by two half-spherical hollow elements which are joined and welded together to form a unitary hollow sphere. An anti-siphon back flow preventer is welded to the inside wall of one of the half-spherical elements and is thereby fixedly attached to and is then sealed within the spherical valve element after the two half-spherical elements are welded together.
The back flow preventer includes a chamber in which is mounted a flapper valve for normally covering a plurality of apertures formed through one wall of the chamber. A large opening of the chamber is covered by a snap ring which is formed with a smaller central aperture to thereby capture the flapper valve within the chamber. The plurality of apertures communicates through openings in the spherical valve element with the atmosphere surrounding the faucet system.
When the associated water supply is subjected to a positive pressure, the flow of water through the valve element causes the flapper valve to cover and seal the plurality of apertures. When the water supply is subjected to a negative pressure, and the dispensing head of the faucet system is located within dirty water with the valve positioned to allow water to flow, the dirty water tends to flow in a reverse direction through the spherical valve element. This action would result in the mixing of the dirty water with the potable water of the water supply within the supply line. However, with the development of the negative pressure and the tendency of the dirty water to flow in the reverse direction, the flapper valve is drawn away from the apertures to allow atmospheric pressure to be applied within the spherical valve element. In this manner, the atmospheric pressure neutralizes the effects of the negative pressure whereby the reverse flow of dirty water is prevented.
While the back flow preventer of U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,322 is effective to prevent the undesirable reverse flow of dirty water as noted above, the preventer is welded in place within the hollow spherical valve element. Further, the valve element is formed by two half sections which are welded together to permanently seal the preventer within the valve element as noted above. So, not only is the preventer welded in place, it is contained within an enclosure, that is the welded spherical valve element. Thus, when replacement of a defective valve element is necessitated, another preventer will be required in the replacement valve element because the original preventer is welded and sealed within the defective valve. Further, if the preventer is defective and requires replacement, the entire valve element must be replaced because the defective preventer is welded and sealed within the valve element.
In addition, the preventer as mounted within the valve element is constantly being moved when the valve element is moved to initiate or stop the supply of water therethrough. This movement subjects the flapper valve and the snap ring to sudden and sometimes violent forces which could possibly jar the flapper valve or snap ring from their mountings resulting in defective operation of the preventer.
Thus, there is a need for an inexpensive vacuum breaker system which can be inserted or removed with relative ease from the associated fluid flow system independently of the valve of the fluid flow system. Further, there is a need for an inexpensive vacuum breaker system which can be mounted removably in a fixed position at all times, including during use of the related fluid flow system, and not be subjected to forces resulting from the manipulation of the related valve of the fluid flow system.


A multiple pulsed dose drug delivery system for pharmaceutically active amphetamine salts, comprising a pharmaceutically active amphetamine salt covered with an immediate-release coating and a pharmaceutically active amphetamine salt covered with an enteric coating wherein the immediate release coating and the enteric coating provide for multiple pulsed dose delivery of the pharmaceutically active amphetamine salt. The product can be composed of either one or a number of beads in a dosage form, including either capsule, tablet, or sachet method for administering the beads.

Traditionally, drug delivery systems have focused on constant/sustained drug output with the objective of minimizing peaks and valleys of drug concentrations in the body to optimize drug efficacy and reduce adverse effects. Reduced dosing frequency and improved patient compliance can also be expected for constant/sustained release drug delivery systems, compared to immediate release preparations. However, for certain drugs, sustained release delivery is not suitable and is affected by the following factors:
First pass metabolism: Some drugs, such as β-blockers, β-estradiol, and salicylamide, undergo extensive first pass metabolism and require fast drug input to saturate metabolizing enzymes in order to minimize pre-systemic metabolism. Thus, a constant/sustained oral method of delivery would result in reduced oral bioavailability.
Biological tolerance: Continuous release drug plasma profiles are often accompanied by a decline in the pharmacotherapeutic effect of the drug, e.g., biological tolerance of transdermal nitroglycerin.
Chronopharmacology and circadian rhythms: Circadian rhythms in certain physiological functions are well established. It has been recognized that a symptom or disease onset can occur during specific time periods of the 24 hour day, e.g., asthma and angina pectoris attacks are most frequently in the morning hours (Lemmer, B, J Controlled Release. 1991; 16:63-74; Lemmer B, Pulsatile Drug Delivery: Current Applications and Future Trends (R Gurney, H E Junginger, N A Peppeas, eds.) 1993; 11-24).
Local therapeutic need: For the treatment of local disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease, the delivery of compounds to the site of inflammation with no loss due to absorption in the small intestine is highly desirable to achieve the therapeutic effect and to minimize side effects.
Gastric irritation or drug instability in gastric fluid: For compounds with gastric irritation or chemical instability in gastric fluid, the use of a sustained release preparation may exacerbate gastric irritation and chemical instability in gastric fluid.
Drug absorption differences in various gastrointestinal segments: In general, drug absorption is moderately slow in the stomach, rapid in the small intestine, and sharply declining in the large intestine. Compensation for changing absorption characteristics in the gastrointestinal tract may be important for some drugs. For example, it is rational for a delivery system to pump out the drug much faster when the system reaches the distal segment of the intestine, to avoid the entombment of the drug in the feces.
Pulsed dose delivery systems, prepared as either single unit or multiple unit formulations, and which are capable of releasing the drug after a predetermined time, have been studied to address the aforementioned problematic areas for sustained release preparations. These same factors are also problematic in pulsed dose formulation development. For example, gastrointestinal transit times vary not only from patient to patient but also within patients as a result of food intake, stress, and illness; thus a single-unit pulsed-release system may exhibit higher variability compared to a multiple unit system. Additionally, drug layering or core making for multiple unit systems is a time-consuming and hard-to-optimize process. Particularly challenging for formulation scientists has been overcoming two conflicting hurdles for pulsatile formulation development, i.e., lag time and rapid release.
Various enteric materials, e.g., cellulose acetate phthalate, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose phthalate, polyvinyl acetate phthalate, and the EUDRAGIT® acrylic polymers, have been used as gastroresistant, enterosoluble coatings for single drug pulse release in the intestine (Xu X and Lee P, Pharm Res. 1993; 10(8):1144-1152). The enteric materials, which are soluble at higher pH values, are frequently used for colon-specific delivery systems. Due to their pH-dependent attributes and the uncertainty of gastric retention time, in-vivo performance as well as inter- and intra-subject variability are major issues for using enteric coated systems as a time-controlled release of drugs.
A retarding, swellable hydrophilic coating has been used for oral delayed release systems (Gazzaniga et al., Eur J Pharm Biopharm. 1994; 40(4):246-250; Gazzaniga et al., S.T.P. Pharma Sciences. 1996; 5(1):83-88). It was demonstrated that lag time was linearly correlated with coating weight gain and drug release was pH independent.
Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose barriers with erodible and/or gellable characteristics formed using press coating technology for tablet dosage forms have been described to achieve time-programmed release of drugs (Conte et al., Biomaterials. 1993; 14(13):1017-1023). Barrier formulation variables (such as grade of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, water-soluble and water-insoluble excipients) significantly altered the lag time and the release rate from the center cores.
Special grades of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, e.g., METOLOSE® 60SH, 90SH (Shin-Etsu Ltd., Japan), and METHOCEL® F4M (Dow Chemical Company, USA) have been used as a hydrophilic matrix material to achieve bimodal drug release for several drugs, i.e., aspirin, ibuprofen, and adinazolam (WO 87/00044). Bimodal release is characterized by a rapid initial release, followed by a period of constant release, and then by a second rapid drug release.
Tablets or capsules coated with a hydrophobic wax-surfactant layer, made from an aqueous dispersion of carnauba wax, beeswax, polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate, and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose have been used for rapid drug release after a predetermined lag time. However, even though a two-hour lag time was achieved for the model drug theophylline at a higher coating level (60%), three hours were required for a complete release of theophylline after the lag time. (Walia et al., Pharm Dev Tech. 1998; 3(1):103-113)
A sustained-release drug delivery system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,871,549. When this system is placed into dissolution medium or the gastrointestinal tract, water influx and the volume expansion of the swelling agent cause the explosion of the water permeable membrane. The drug thus releases after a predetermined time period.
The OROS® push-pull system (Alza Company) has been developed for pulsatile delivery of water-soluble and water-insoluble drugs (Theeuwes, Drug Dev Ind Pharm. 1983; 9(7):1331-1357; Theeuwes F, Novel Drug Delivery and Its Therapeutic Application (LF Prescott and WS Nimmos eds.) 1989; 323-340), e.g. the OROS-CT® system and is based on the swelling properties of an osmotic core compartment which provides a pH-independent, time-controlled drug release.
The PULSINCAP® dosage form releases its drug content at either a predetermined time or at a specific site (e.g., colon) in the gastrointestinal tract (WO 90/09168). The drug formulation is contained within a water-insoluble capsule body and is sealed with a hydrogel plug. Upon oral administration, the capsule cap dissolves in the gastric juice and the hydrogel plug swells. At a controlled and predetermined time point, the swollen plug is ejected from the PULSINCAP® dosage form and the encapsulated drug is released. A pulsatile capsule system containing captopril with release after a nominal 5-hr period was found to perform, reproducible in dissolution and gamma scintigraphy studies. However, in the majority of subjects, no measurable amounts of the drug were observed in the blood, possibly due to instability of the drug in the distal intestine. (Wilding et al., Pharm Res. 1992; 9(5):654-657)
ADDERALL® is an immediate release composition, which includes a mixture of four amphetamine salts: dextroamphetamine sulfate, dextroamphetamine saccharate, amphetamine aspartate monohydrate and amphetamine sulfate. This combination of amphetamines is indicated for the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in children from 3-10 years of age.
One disadvantage of immediate release-only treatments for children is that two separate doses are administered, one in the morning and one approximately 4-6 hours later, commonly away from home under other than parental supervision. This requires a second treatment, which is time-consuming, inconvenient and may be problematic for those children having difficulties in swallowing tablet formulations. ADDERALL XR® met the need for a dosage form, which can be administered once, in place of the two oral doses which are needed using the conventional drug delivery formulations of the prior art. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,322,819 and 6,605,300; co-pending Reissue Application Nos. 11/091,010 and 11/091,011.
There are currently two medications (ADDERALL XR® and STRATTERA™) approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of ADHD in adults. ADDERALL XR® is a mixed amphetamine salts medication. STRATTERA™ is an atomoxetine (a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor) medication. Long acting stimulant preparations, such as ADDERALL XR® and CONCERTA® (methylphenidate), are designed to provide a duration of effect up to 12 hours. However, clinicians have noted that a proportion of patients treated with these formulations require additional treatment with a short-acting stimulant to extend the daily therapeutic effect. For patients taking long-acting stimulant formulations who require duration of clinical benefit beyond 10-12 hours, clinicians have augmented the morning long-acting formulation, typically at 8-10 hours post-dose, with a dose of the same immediate-release (IR) medication. Typically, the dose of the IR medication is smaller than the long-acting dose. This augmentation strategy is most relevant to the "longer day demands" of adult and adolescents, rather than school age, pediatric patients.
Thus, a need exists for a once-daily, long-acting oral composition that provides effective treatment of ADHD, without supplementation, for patients with longer day demands (e.g., 14-16 awake hours).

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The new generic bar code decoder system described, with its multistage error correcting, is far more powerful than dedicated reference decode algorithms for popular linear and two dimensional bar codes. For example: the 1-7 and 2-8 EAN and UPC character substitution problems are 100% solved (because EAN and UPC become 100% self-checking with the new decoder); the ink spread tolerance improves, especially for EAN, UPC, Code 128 and Code 16K; far greater levels of random systematic edge noise are tolerated and decoded; even many spike edge errors greater than 0.50X module can be corrected; and, generous levels of acceleration are tolerated. These are all the ways bar code scanning data gets distorted. Using this new generic decoder system, the ultimate linear binary coded binary bar code with error correcting, BCB, also described, performs dramatically better than any other, despite being more compact. Computer simulation testing of the generic bar code decoder has already been conducted on BCB and UPC timing count scan data records that were distorted with various levels of ink spread, noise, spikes and acceleration using new bar code testbench software, all of which is also described including test results, to show the advances that have been made in bar code science.

Described in prior patent applications cited above of two of the applicants herein, Leonard Storch and Ernst van Haagen, is a new and improved bar code structure called binary coded binary, BCB. BCB cannot realize its performance potential when decoded by common present day bar code decoding processes, methods and devices such as the type of reference decode algorithm systems published and described in AIM's (AIM Incorporated is an industry trade association based in Pittsburgh, Pa., Automatic Identification Manufacturers) Uniform Symbology Specifications (USS), .COPYRGT.1993 (copies filed herewith) and elsewhere.
What has now been invented by the applicants are new bar code decode processes, methods and devices that incorporate, for example, a moving average, and begin to realize BCB's decode performance potential, including, for example: improved ability to handle extreme levels of ink spread and ink shrink distortion, the limit becomes the point where the sensing apparatus cannot resolve narrow bar code elements; and, improved ability to handle apparent and actual random edge dislocation distortion (systematic, every edge affected), referred to by applicants as edge noise; as well as improved ability to handle apparent and actual occasional greater-amplitude random edge dislocation distortion (non-systematic, occasional edges affected), referred to by applicants as edge spikes.
As it turns out, applicants' new bar code decode processes, methods and devices invented and disclosed in this present application for BCB, can also be used to decode other linear bar codes, including, by way of example, UPC, Code 128 and Code 93; UPC, Code 128 and Code 93 symbols can be decoded exactly as they are now printed. Codabar, Code 39 and Interleaved 2-of-5 can also be decoded by applicants' new decoder if they are printed using whole multiples of modules and no fractional ratios for narrow and wide elements, for example, ratios of 2:1 exactly or 3:1 exactly can be made to work with applicants' new decoder. (A module is defined by AIM as: "The narrowest nominal width unit of measure in a symbol. One or more modules are used to construct an element.") Codabar and Code 39 are discrete (not continuous) and therefore have intercharacter gaps; the intercharacter gaps must also be printed using whole multiples of modules if applicants' new decoder is to decode them with maximum accuracy.
One benefit using applicants' new decoder inventions for UPC, for example, is that the well-known 1-7 and 2-8 UPC character substitution problems can be avoided altogether (this has been a much sought after holy grail for serious bar code enthusiasts). Applicants' present inventions may be used for these and other popular (linear) bar codes, as well as for various two dimensional (2D) bar codes, such as Code 16K, Code 49, PDF 417 and others, in order to increase reading system accuracy and output productivity when high levels of ink spread, edge noise and other distortions are present. (Bar code elements in a linear bar code are disposed along one line, and in a 2D bar code the elements are disposed along two or more lines.)
Applicants also disclose novel means to precisely distort pristine bar code symbol timing count data, and means to simulate bar code decoding on computer apparatus. This, for the first time, allows controlled meaningful comparisons between different decoding processes and methods as well as between different bar code symbologies. The bar code industry was estimated in 1992 to be over $5 billion, and growing toward $20 billion by the turn of the century, yet, as of this patent filing, mean time between bar code failure data and related data is nonexistent, and worse, empirical data gleaned from various elaborate bar code reading tests conducted during the last decade is misleading. Applicants' distortion and simulation apparatus, processes and methods will allow such valuable data to become an integral part of this booming new automatic identification industry.

Bar code decoding using moving averages to break the (N.K.) code barrier for UPC, EAN, code 128 and others