A process for the production of a range of improved biomass material products suitable for use as a fuel and which have been derived from municipal solid waste (MSW). The process comprises the steps of delivering a stream of mixed, MSW derived biomass material into a separator which operates under negative pressure enabling the biomass material to fall down the separator while inducing a sole air stream through the falling material to create a vortex of spinning material within the turbo chamber to separate out by centrifugal action selected denser components of the biomass material enabling such to continue falling to an outlet for collection while redirecting by entrainment in the air stream the remaining biomass material to a second outlet for subsequent processing or for collection.

The present invention relates to a process for the production of a range of improved biomass material products, and in particular to the improvement of a biomass material which has been formed as a bi-product from the treatment of municipal solid waste (MSW). The invention further relates to an apparatus for the production of such range of improved biomass material products and the range of biomass materials produced thereby. The biomass material products produced are particularly suitable for use as a fuel for power generation, gasification, hospitals, industrial heating and domestic heating. The biomass materials products produced are suitable as an alternative fuel to fossil fuels, or standard biomass fuels formed from for example shredded dried wood and/or grass.
Incineration is a previously known method for the disposal of MSW. MSW generally comprises a combination of waste materials such as paper, vegetation, food, rubbers, textiles, wood, leather, plastics, glass and metals, or could contain waste from commercial outlets for example fast-food restaurants having a substantial mix of food, plastics and paper. Combustion of the MSW produces a heat energy which, for example, can be used to produce electricity. However, burning produces ash and noxious fumes which must be contained and further processed to enable their safe disposal.
Many governments now place restrictions on the burning of fuels in order to strictly limit the amount of noxious substances released into the environment. It is therefore desirable to process the MSW in a manner which enables the separation and recovery of inorganic and organic material therefrom. The separated organic material after further processing can then be used as a fuel which can be burnt in an environmentally more friendly manner.
Traditionally it is known to separate the organic and inorganic matters by saturating the MSW with water and/or steam, whilst heating and rotating the MSW to cause pulping of the organic material therein. The treated organic matter is then separated from the inorganic components of the waste by allowing it to fall through a screen. Examples of such processes are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,190,226 and 5,556,445. However, these known processes provide a pulped organic matter with a water content of between 35% to 70%, which is extremely wet and therefore further processing is required to reduce the water content to render the pulp suitable for use as a compost or fuel. Also, the pulped material will still contain some non-combustible material such as metals, rubble, glass etc, and combustible toxic materials such as plastics and rubbers which are of a size which has enabled their passage through the perforations of the screen with the thus recovered organic matter. The presence of such non-combustible material and toxic materials reduces the value of the biomass fuel produced from the recovered organic material, since burning of such fuel still results in the production of some noxious gas and ash, lowering its potential energy density.
International Patent Application No. WO 03/092922 describes an improved method for the treatment of MSW which provides an organic pulped material having a moisture content of up to 15% which is highly suitable for further processing to produce a fuel or compost. However, the improved organic pulped material is still separated from the non-organic components of the waste by its passage through a trommel screen, and thus still contains some non-organic and toxic components.
Air separators are known which use two flows of air to separate out material based on its density. One such system is known from EP 0982082 (Beloit Technologies Inc). In this prior system air is drawn through a vertical separation chamber which is open to the atmosphere. Material to be separated is introduced into the rising stream of air and material having a lower density rises with the uprising air, whilst heavier material falls through the open bottom of the separator. The dispersion of the material is accomplished with a jet of high pressure air which breaks up and disperses the material within the rising air stream. This system is particularly adapted to separate wood chips, with the more dense knotted chips falling through the uprising current of air and, with the lighter chips being drawn up the separation chamber. However, this system is unsuitable for separating MSW. This is because MSW contains items such as glass shards, which although possessing a relatively high density also have a relatively large cross-sectional area which would enable them to be captured by the high pressure jet and forced up the separation chamber, rather than falling down to the outlet for collection.


The high density siping zones reduce rib edge erosion wear by creating a weakened zone without the tendency of tearing.

The present invention relates to a tread for a pneumatic tire. Pneumatic tires are a laminated mechanical device of generally toroidal shape having beads and a tread and made of rubber, chemicals, fabric and steel or other materials. When mounted on the wheel of a motor vehicle, the tire through its tread provides traction and contains the fluid that sustains the vehicle load. In particular, the tread of the present invention is particularly suited for a radial-ply tire. The term "radial-ply" tire is intended to include a belted or circumferentially-restricted pneumatic tire in which the ply cords which extend from bead to bead are laid at cord angles between 65.degree. and 90.degree. with respect to the equatorial plane of the tire. The tread is provided with high density zones located in the shoulder region of the tread.
Heavy duty radial truck tires are often characterized by tread patterns utilizing ribs with projecting and reentrant portions in a generally zig-zag pattern. This tread pattern has proven advantageous for a variety of performance criteria. However, this tread pattern has also proven to be susceptible to a type of irregular wear known as "railway wear" or "river wear". River wear is wear in a circumferentially extending rib of a tire tread along the edge zones. The irregular wear spreads across the tread creating an unacceptable appearance.
In the prior art, tread designers have sought to eliminate or reduce river wear by placing narrow slots in the edges of the tread ribs as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,449,560. Tread designers also modified projecting portions of the tread rib to prevent the initiation of river wear, as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,266,592 and 4,200,134. While these techniques have been moderately successful, river wear continues to be a significant source of irregular wear for truck tires used extensively for long distance highway applications.

Tread for a ribbed pneumatic tire having high density siping zones located in the rib regions


The present invention relates to: to a silicone polymer formed from reactive components containing (i) at least one silicone component and (ii) 2-hydroxyethyl acrylamide; a silicone hydrogel containing such silicone polymer; a biomedical device (e.g., a contact lens) containing such polymer; and a biomedical device formed from such hydrogel.

Contact lenses have been used commercially to improve vision since the 1950s. The first contact lenses were made of hard materials. Although these lenses are still currently used, they are not suitable for all patients due to their poor initial comfort and their relatively low permeability to oxygen. Later developments in the field gave rise to soft contact lenses, based upon hydrogels, which are extremely popular today. Many users find soft lenses are more comfortable, and increased comfort levels can allow soft contact lens users to wear their lenses longer than users of hard contact lenses.
A hydrogel is a hydrated crosslinked polymeric system that contains water in an equilibrium state. Hydrogels typically are oxygen permeable and biocompatible, making them preferred materials for producing biomedical devices and in particular contact or intraocular lenses.
Conventional hydrogels are prepared from monomeric mixtures predominantly containing hydrophilic monomers, such as 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate ("HEMA") or N-vinyl pyrrolidone ("NVP"). U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,220,960, 4,495,313, 4,889,664, and 5,039,459 disclose the formation of conventional hydrogels. Blends of such mixtures are cured, typically, using heat or light activated initiators. The time required to cure such blends typically ranges from a few minutes to more than 24 hours. In commercial processes, it is preferable that the cure times be short. The resulting polymers are swelled in water. The absorbed water softens the resulting hydrogels and allows for some degree of oxygen permeability.
The present invention relates to the discovery of a silicone polymer/silicone hydrogels containing 2-hydroxyethyl acrylamide and ophthalmic devices, such as contact lenses, formed therefrom, which have improved curing speed and other properties.

Silicone hydrogels having improved curing speed and other properties


An image forming apparatus includes a single support member, an upper body and a lower body. The single support member is positioned between the upper body and lower body and connected at a back lower portion of the lower body. The cumulative weight of the upper body is aligned, to a significant degree, over the location where the support member pushes against the upper body. As a consequence the upper body is conveniently moved away from the lower body when opened, and the gap between the upper body and lower body is free of obstructions so as to facility an operator's ability to perform a maintenance action.

Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to image forming apparatuses that include support members. More particularly, the present invention relates to image forming apparatuses such as copiers, printers, facsimile machines, and the like that have at least two main body components that are interconnected by a support member when the two main body components are separated, such as perhaps during maintenance operations.

Image forming apparatus with support member


The flow meter probe with force sensors has the body of a frustum of a regular pyramid with a force sensor disposed upon each face. The force sensors are mounted in bores defined in the probe body and include a pin that may be displaced in the bore to exert pressure on an electrical transducer. The transducer may be a ceramic, piezoelectric sensor or a Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) sensor. The pin has an aerodynamically- or hydrodynamically-shaped head, a cylindrical body, and a frustoconical tail to concentrate force exerted upon the sensor. The head of the pin protrudes slightly above the face of the probe body so that aerodynamic and hydrodynamic forces are exerted directly against the pin, and pin displacement measures the forces directly. A plurality of probes may be placed in the path of fluid flow in a variety of configurations, as desired.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to probes for measuring the velocity vector of a fluid flow, which may be a gas flow or a liquid flow, and particularly to a flow meter probe with force sensors that uses aerodynamic or hydrodynamic force sensors instead of pressure sensors.
2. Description of the Related Art
The measurement of velocity vectors in fluid flow fields is of critical importance for several applications, including the operation and monitoring of petrochemical plants, weather monitoring and forecast, air-transportation traffic control, electronic cooling, and several biomedical engineering applications. A number of flow measurement techniques have been used by researchers, including Laser-Doppler Velocimetry, Particle Image Velocimetry, multi-hole pressure probes, thermal anemometry using hot wires and hot films, etc.
Of these devices, multi-hole pressure probes are the more practical, relatively easy to use, and cost effective tools. Despite their advantages, the multi-hole probes suffer a few disadvantages, including: (i) a requirement of relatively clean fluid to avoid clogging the holes; (ii) most probes have been adopted for air-flows, while some have been modified for water with limited capabilities; (iii) limitations on fluid temperature operation; and (iv) as the pressure hole size is decreased for miniaturization purposes, the probes have a limited frequency response.
Multi-hole pressure probes are generally of the pitot tube variety, with multiple tubes extending between pressure sensing ports in the tip and sides of the probe to a pressure transducer in the body of the probe for measuring the total pressure and stagnation pressure. By Bernouli's equation, the total pressure pt is equal to the static pressure ps plus the dynamic pressure:
                                          p            s                    +                                    1              2                                    ρ                                                                                V              2                                      =                  p          t                                    (        1        )            where ρ is the density and V is the velocity. Equation (1) can then be solved for the velocity as follows:
                              V          2                =                              2                                      (                                                p                  t                                -                                  p                  s                                            )                                ρ                                    (        2        )
However, because of the length of the tubing, conventional multi-hole probes do not have a rapid response time, which limits their use where the velocity of fluid flow is changing rapidly. In addition, the magnitude of the response is attenuated.
Thus, a flow meter probe with force sensors solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals


Lipo-chito oligosaccharides (LCOs) are produced by culturing rhizobacteria cells in or on a culture medium comprising at least one of: jasmonic acid or a derivative thereof; linoleic acid or a derivative thereof; or linolenic acid or a derivative thereof. Preferably, the rhizobacteria cells are Bradyrhizobium japonicum cells having the identifying characteristics of B. japonicum strain USDA 3. Preferably, the derivative of jasmonic acid is an ester thereof, preferably methyl jasmonate. Also provided are methods for improving LCO production at low temperatures, particularly temperatures below 25° C.

The symbiotic relationship between leguminous plants and nitrogen-fixing bacteria involves nodule formation. Nodule formation is a complex process requiring communication between the bacteria and the host plant. During the initial events of symbiosis, plant-to-bacteria signal molecules known as flavonoids are produced by the host plant at low concentrations.
The flavonoids induce the expression of nod genes in the rhizobacteria bacteria. The first level of host specificity in the rhizobacteria-legume interaction is modulated by nodD and its alleles. These regulate the transcription of nodulation genes (nod, nol and noe). The nodD gene product, NodD, acts as a sensor of the plant signal and also regulates transcriptional regulation of the nod genes. The bacterial nod, nol and noe genes are required for infection and nodule formation.
Generally, the transcription of nol/noe genes is induced in the presence of NodD and flavonoids produced by host plants. NodD proteins belong to the LysR family of transcriptional activators. In the presence of flavonoids, NodD proteins bind to a nod box, a conserved promoter sequence preceding the inducible nod genes, and activate the transcription of nod operons.
Expression of the nod genes in the rhizobacteria is believed to be involved in the synthesis of lipo-chito oligosaccharides (LCOs). LCOs are substituted, β1,4 linked trimers, tetramers, and pentamers of N-acetylglucosamine. The LCOs, often described as "nod factors", signal the plant and stimulate the formation of nodules inside the host plants.
Successful colonization of legume plants by nitrogen-fixing rhizobacteria is of significant agricultural and commercial importance. It would be particularly useful to obtain sources of LCOs that could be used to promote nodule formation by rhizobacteria. It would also be of benefit to identify compounds that are useful for inducing nod gene expression in rhizobacteria, resulting in production of LCOs. Rhizobacteria strains that are particularly responsive to nod gene induction, and which produce high levels of LCOs would also be of great utility.
A number of flavonoids which induce nod gene expression in rhizobacteria are known. Isoflavones, primarily genistein and diadzein, are the best inducers of nod::lacZ translational fusions and of the nod YABCUIJ operon in Bradyrhizobium japonicum. Genistein (C15H10O5, 5,7,4′-trihydroxyisoflavone, MW 270.2) is a stronger inducer of nod genes in B. japonicum than diadzein.
Jasmonic acid (JA) (Chemical Abstracts name: [1R-[1α,2β(Z)]]-3-oxo-2-(pentenyl)cyclopentaneacetic acid) and its methyl ester methyl jasmonate (MeJA), are fatty acid derived molecules. They are octadecanoid-based compounds that occur naturally in plants. Jasmonates are involved in plant growth and development, and play an important role in defence responses against pathogens and in wounding responses.
Jasmonic acid is produced in large quantities by the roots of wheat seedlings, and is also produced by fungal microorganisms such as Botryodiplodia theobromae and Gibbrella fujikuroi, yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), and pathogenic and non-pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli. Jasmonic acid plays an important role in mycorrhizal signaling and, when applied to an ectomycorrhizal system, has been shown to increase the number of mycorrhized roots, and shoot and root dry weight of spruce seedlings.
Little is known with respect to how jasmonates affect the growth rate of symbiotic microorganisms, or the activation of bacteria-to-plant signaling molecules (nod factors) or their role in host-specific aspects of symbioses when they are present in the rhizosphere. Rosas et al (1998) recently reported that jasmonic acid and methyl jasmonate induced expression of nod genes in Rhizobium leguminasorum strain RBL 1284. However, Rosas et al. (1998) did not report whether jasmonic acid or methyl jasmonate increased LCO production as well.
The first step in jasmonic acid biosynthesis is the formation of linoleic acid (Chemical Abstracts name: (Z,Z)-9,12-Octadecadienoic acid) and linolenic acid (Chemical Abstracts name: (Z,Z,Z)-9,12,15-Octadecatrienoic acid) from membrane lipid breakdown, catalysed by phospholipase. Linoleic and linolenic acid are converted to 13-hydroperoxylinolenic acid by the action of lipoxygenase. 13-hydroperoxylinolenic acid is converted into 12,13 expoxy-octadecatrienoic acid in the presence of allene oxide synthase (AOS), and then converted into 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid by allene oxide cyclase (AOC). Following reduction and three steps of β-oxidation, (+)-7-iso-jasmonic acid is formed.
However, despite the role of linoleic and linolenic acid in the biosynthesis of jasmonic acid, it does not appear that they have been considered as possible inducers of nod gene expression or LCO production by rhizobacteria.
Not only is there a need for methods for increasing LCO production by rhizobacteria, there is a need for methods for increasing LCO production by rhizobacteria at low temperatures, in order to improve symbiotic nitrogen fixing symbiosis of rhizobacteria at low temperatures. Optimal symbiotic activity of rhizobacteria in legumes (i.e. nitrogen fixation) often occurs at a temperature far above that at which legume crops are grown. For instance, soybean is a subtropical legume that requires a root zone temperature ("RZT") in the range of about 25 to 30° C. for optimal symbiotic activity. At low temperatures, expression of nod genes in B. japonicum, the soybean nitrogen fixing microsymbiont, are inhibited, resulting in a delayed onset of nodulation. Low spring soil temperature is therefore a major factor limiting soybean growth and symbiotic nitrogen fixation in northern regions, such as in Canada. Hence, methods for improving the symbiotic nitrogen fixing activity of rhizobacteria at low temperatures would be of great benefit to legume crop production in cool climates.

Methods and compositions for production of lipo-chito oligosaccharides by rhizobacteria


An integrated circuit package having a lid is disclosed. The integrated circuit package comprises a substrate having an embedded conductor exposed on a surface; a lid comprising a plurality of conductive portions; and a solder bond between the embedded conductor and the plurality of conductive portions of the lid. The substrate may comprise a recess for receiving a flange associated with the walls. The embedded conductor preferably comprises a conductor coupled to a power or ground plane of the substrate. A standoff within the walls may optionally be soldered to a contact pad on the substrate. A method of assembling an integrated circuit package is also disclosed.

Lids covering an integrated circuit die of an integrated circuit package are often used, among other functions, to encapsulate and protect the die from moisture and contaminants. Lids may also provide the additional function of a heat sink. Heat sinks are used in a variety of electronic devices to dissipate heat from the integrated circuit, preventing any failure of or damage to the integrated circuit. Heat sinks are made of a variety of heat conducting materials and are formed in a variety of shapes to adequately conduct the heat from the device. A lid is often used with an integrated circuit to reduce the heat of the semiconductor die to enable the integrated circuit to function properly. One purpose of the lid is to keep a semiconductor junction, such as a junction of the transistor, below a maximum specified operating temperature.
FIG. 1 is a top plan view of an integrated circuit package 100, shown as a flip chip package. Flip chip packages are thermally enhanced ball grid arrays (BGAs) with die facing down, and are provided with an exposed metal heat sink at the top. Because of their layout, flip chip packages lend themselves to the application of external heat sinks, either passive or active, for further heat removal efficiency. The integrated circuit package 100 comprises a region 102 having a plurality of contact pads 104 for receiving a flip chip die, and contact pads 108 for receiving other components, such as chip capacitors. As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 2, a lid 201 is coupled to a substrate 202 and comprises an inner surface 203 and inner walls 204 forming a recess 206. The lid further comprises a foot portion 208 coupled to the substrate by a bonding agent 209, such as an adhesive. An integrated circuit die 210 has a plurality of contact pads 212 and corresponding solder bumps 214 which make contact with contact pads 216 of the substrate. An adhesive 218 may also be used above the integrated circuit die 210, and an underfill 220 may be used below the integrated circuit die. A solder mask 222 may also be used during the assembly process, as is well known in the art. As is also shown, the substrate is a multilayer substrate having conductors formed on a plurality of layers. A capacitor 224 on the surface of the substrate is coupled to the integrated circuit die by a conductor 226 on a layer of the substrate. The capacitor is also coupled to a ground plane 228 and a corresponding contact 230 on the bottom portion of the substrate. Other conductors 232 may extend directly from contact pads on the top of the substrate to contact pads 234 on the bottom of the substrate according to substrate artwork created for the substrate. The substrate artwork defines the various conductors so that the proper connections are made from the contact pads of the integrated circuit die (by way of the solder bumps and contact pads on the top of the substrate) to the contacts on the bottom of the substrate. Conductors 236 in various layers of the mulitlayer substrate, as well as a power contact 238, are also shown.
However, lids of integrated circuit packages often exhibit the problem of separating from the top of the package. Because the adhesion strength of the adhesive is sometimes not strong enough to secure the lid to the package, the conductive lid may come off of the package. Degradation of the adhesive may be caused by many factors, including improper dispensing of adhesive that does not produce full adhesive surface as designed, shear stresses introduced by thermal expansion/shrinkage differences at the interfaces, stresses introduced by warping, adhesive degradation due to chemical attack, etc. Excessive component handling stresses during test, assembly, or rework, such as excessive torque or pressure, may also result in separation of the lid from the package. In order to secure the lid to the substrate using an adhesive, significant area on the substrate is required for the adhesive to make a suitable bond. As more components such as chip capacitors continue to be added to substrate under the lid, the space for attaching the lid to the substrate using adhesives continues to decrease. Further, efforts are continuously being made to reduce the size of integrated circuit packages.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved integrated circuit package and method of attaching a lid to an integrated circuit package.

Integrated circuit package and method of attaching a lid to a substrate of an integrated circuit


Described herein is a facemask and/or facial covering support system for a variety of masks and/or other facial coverings. The system is designed to redirect the straps and/or bands of a facial covering or facemask to prevent impinging on, or causing pain, to the ears of the user of the facial covering as well as preventing the facemask from obstructing the mouth/nose of the user. The system may be used with a dedicated facemask or retrofit onto existing facemasks. The system further allows for the facemask to be loosened without being completely removed.

Wearing a mask is one of the most effective protection measures against bacteria, viruses, airborne pathogens, dust, and the like. A conventional mask comprises a mask body and two loop-shaped elastic straps mounted on two opposite ends of the mask body. When in use, the straps are put on and around a user's ears, and the mask body is placed over the user's mouth and nose to isolate harmful substances, such as dust, bacteria, and the like, from the user's mouth and nose to prevent the harmful substances from touching and entering the user's mouth and nose.
However, each of the straps has a fixed size so that the size of each of the straps cannot be adjusted to fit that of different users, and the mask body cannot be placed on the user's mouth and nose exactly and closely, thereby decreasing the sealing effect of the mask. The straps will also impinge on a user's ears causing discomfort after wearing for only a short period of time. In addition, the mask body has a poor breathability and poor permeability so that when the user wears the mask body, the user cannot breathe smoothly, thereby easily causing an uncomfortable sensation to the user. Thus, there is a need for a mask that meets and exceeds such shortcomings. The present invention and its embodiments meet and exceed these objectives.
Review of Related Technology:
WO2018/210319 pertains to a strap fixing device, comprising: a fixing base comprising a body; a rotating frame comprising a support pivotally connected to the body and a fixed hanging part provided on the pivot end of the support, wherein the rotating frame may be rotated or fixed relative to the fixing base; and a distance adjustment mechanism disposed on the support and provided with a movable hanging part. The movable hanging portion may be linearly displaced along the length direction of the support and positioned to adjust the distance between the movable hanging portion and the fixed hanging portion. In this way, the present invention makes it more comfortable to wear a breathing mask, with no pressure on the ears and the head, thereby achieving zero loads.
WO2016/047579 pertains to a hygienic mask which is capable of being worn without putting a burden on an ear. The hygienic mask comprises a mask main body part formed from a flexible material which covers at least from the tip of a wearer's nose to the end of the wearer's chin, and a mask wearing part which couples the right edge part and the left edge part of the mask main body part. The mask wearing part further comprises a pair of support parts which are respectively fixed to the left and right lateral edge parts of the mask main body part, and a rear wearing part which passes below both of the wearer's ears and encircles behind the wearer's neck part. A right support part is configured from a pair of right support members which respectively connect two right anchor locations which differ vertically in locations on the mask main body part to one right coupling location further forward than the wearer's right ear at which the rear wearing part is coupled. A left support part is configured from a pair of left support members which respectively connect two left anchor locations which differ vertically in locations on the mask main body part to one left coupling location further forward than the wearer's left ear at which the rear wearing part is coupled.
KR1020180121659 pertains to a mask provided with a latch that can maintain a latched state of fastening cords and suppress offsetting when the mask is worn. A latch of a mask is in the form of an oblong thin sheet and includes a first latching part for disengageably latching one fastening cord of the mask and a second latching part positioned on the second end edge side of the first latching part, having an insertion through hole for inserting the other fastening cord of the mask in advance. The first latching part has a guide channel extending from the first lateral edge and a first latching hole connected to the guide channel, and the second latching part has a second latching hole communicating with the insertion through hole, and having an outer shape smaller than that, and the first latching hole and the second latching hole are directed in directions opposed to one another in a lateral direction.
JP2013252339 pertains to a fastening implement for a mask, eliminating the pain of ears by strings of the mask, in particular, in long-time use. Described is a fastening implement for a mask that includes, on both sides of a body, at least two fastening parts allowing the fastening of strings of the mask which is equipped with the strings capable of being hung on the ears of a user by elastic members such as rubber strings. Thereby, loads are not imposed on the ears, so that the pain of the ears do not occur.
Thus, as noted above, various systems and methodologies of hygienic masks are known in the art. However, their structure and means of operation are substantially different from the present disclosure. The other inventions fail to solve all the problems taught by the present disclosure. At least one embodiment of this invention is presented in the drawings below and will be described in more detail herein.


The base stations of a cellular radio system direct their respective antennas effectively towards the terminal equipment with which they are respectively communicating. Each terminal equipment maintains and updates a list of base stations serving and potentially available to serve the respective terminal equipment. Updating is based on measuring signal strengths and directions, as well as directions of motion of the respective terminal equipment, so that each list, as updated includes only those base stations serving, and on the basis of forecast direction of movement of the terminal equipment, likely to be able to serve the respective terminal equipment. The terminal equipment measure signal strengths for the listed base stations, to determine the need for a handover.

The invention relates to a cellular radio system comprising in each cell at least one base station communicating with terminal equipments located within its area, which base stations comprise means for measuring the direction angle and distance of each terminal equipment with respect to the base station, means for calculating the location of each terminal equipment in the coverage area of the base station on the basis of the direction angle and distance of the terminal equipment, and which terminal equipments comprise means for maintaining a list of nearby base stations, and means for measuring the signal strength from the base stations that are in the list kept by the terminal equipment, in order to determine the need for a handover.
The present invention is applicable for use in a data transmission system applying any multiple access method, but especially in a cellular system utilizing code division multiple access. Code division multiple access (CDMA) is a multiple access method, which is based on the spread spectrum technique and which has been applied recently in cellular radio systems, in addition to the earlier developed FDMA and TDMA methods. CDMA has several advantages over those earlier developed methods, for example spectral efficiency and the simplicity of frequency planning. An example of a known CDMA system is disclosed in the EIA/TIA Interim Standard: Mobile Station-Base Station Compatibility Standard for Dual-Mode Wideband Spread Spectrum Cellular System, TIA/EIA/IS-95, July 1993, EIA/TIA IS-95, which is incorporated herein by reference.
In the CDMA method, the narrow-band data signal of the user is multiplied to a relatively wide band by a spreading code having a considerably broader band than the data signal. In known test systems, bandwidths such as 1.25 MHz, 10 MHz and 25 MHz have been used. In connection with multiplying, the data signal spreads to the entire band to be used. All users transmit by using the same frequency band simultaneously. A separate spreading code is used over each connection, between a respective base station and a respective mobile station, and the signals of the different users can be distinguished from one another in the receivers on the basis of the spreading code of each user.
Matched filters provided in the respective receivers are synchronized with a desired signal, which they recognize on the basis of a spreading code. The data signal is restored in the respective receiver to the original band by multiplying it again by the same spreading code that was used during the transmission. Signals multiplied by some other spreading code do not correlate in an ideal case and are not restored to the narrow band. They appear thus as noise with respect to the desired signal. The spreading codes of the system are preferably selected in such a way that they are mutually orthogonal, i.e. they do not correlate with each other.
In a CDMA cellular radio system, it is possible to use a so-called pilot channel in the transmission direction of base stations to subscribers, i.e. in the downlink direction. A pilot channel is a signal which is transmitted with a specific spreading code and utilizing the same frequency band on which the actual traffic channels are situated, the pilot signal being distinguishable from them only on the basis of the spreading code. The pilot signal is a channel known and listened to by all subscriber equipments within the cell area, and it is used, for example, in power measurements and in the generation of a coherent phase reference. Each base station of the system transmits its own pilot signal on the basis of which the subscriber equipments can distinguish the transmissions of different base stations from each other.
In a typical mobile phone environment, the signals between a base station and a terminal equipment propagate along several paths between the transmitter and the receiver. This multipath propagation is mainly due to the reflections of the signal from surrounding surfaces. Signals which have propagated along different paths arrive at the receiver at different times, due to their different transmission delays. In the CDMA system, the multipath propagation can be exploited in the reception of the signal in the same way as diversity. The receiver generally utilized in a CDMA system is a multibranch receiver structure, where each branch is synchronized with a signal component which has propagated along an individual path. Each branch is an independent receiver element, the function of which is to compose and demodulate one received signal component. In a conventional CDMA receiver, the signals of the different receiver elements are combined advantageously, either coherently or incoherently, whereby a signal of good quality is achieved.
CDMA systems can also apply a soft handover, wherein a mobile station may simultaneously communicate with several base stations by utilizing macrodiversity. The connection quality of the mobile station thus remains high during the handover and the user does not notice a break in the connection.
Interference caused in a given connection, by other connections thus appears in a receiver of the given connection as noise that is evenly distributed. This is also true when a signal is examined in an angular domain according to the incoming directions of the signals detected in the receivers. The interference caused by the other connections in the given connection thus also appears in respective receiver as distributed in the angular domain, i.e. the interference is rather evenly distributed across the different incoming directions.
The capacity of the CDMA system, which can be measured by means of spectral efficiency, has been further improved with sectorization. When sectorization is implemented, a cell is divided into sectors of a desired size that are serviced by directional antennas. The mutual noise level caused by the mobile stations can thus be reduced significantly in the base station receiver. This is based on the fact that, on average, the interference is evenly distributed across the different incoming directions, the number of which can thus be reduced by means of sectorization. The sectorization can naturally be implemented in both transmission directions. The advantage provided in the capacity by the sectorization is proportional to the number of the sectors.
A sectorized cell may also utilize a softer handover, wherein a mobile station performs a handover from one sector to another by communicating simultaneously with both sectors. Even though soft handover improves the connection quality and sectorization increases the system capacity, the movement of the mobile stations naturally leads to the stations performing several handovers from one sector to another. This loads the processing capacity of the base station controller. Several soft handovers also produce a situation where several mobile stations communicate simultaneously with more than one sector (usually, two sectors), whereby the increased capacity provided by the sectorization is lost as a signal of a mobile station is audible in a wide sector.
The multiple access interference of the CDMA systems has also been reduced by means of different known multiple access interference cancellation (IC) methods and multi-user detection (MUD). These methods are best suited for reducing the interference produced within a user's own cell, and the system capacity can thus be increased to about a double, compared to a system implemented without interference cancellation. However, these methods do not significantly improve the size of the coverage area of a base station. Also, the IC/MUD techniques are complicated to realize, wherefore they have only been developed in the uplink direction, and the opposite transmission direction is similar to that of a conventional CDMA system.
Another method that has been developed is an SDMA (Space Division Multiple Access) method wherein the users are distinguished from one another on the basis of their location. This is performed in such a way that the beams of the receiver antennas at the base station are adjusted to be directed towards the desired directions according to the locations of the mobile stations. For this purpose, the system uses adaptive antenna groups, i.e. phased antennas, and processing of the received signal, by means of which the mobile stations are tracked.
The use of SDMA in connection a CDMA system provides several advantages over the prior methods, such as sectorization. If the sector beams in the sectorization are narrowed in order to increase the spectral efficiency, the number of the handovers to be performed from one sector to another also increases. This in turn excessively increases the calculation capacity required in the base station controller.
In connection with the application of SDMA, the background art is illustrated in A.F. Naguib, A. Paulraj: Performance of CDMA Cellular Networks With Base-Station Antenna Arrays (Proc. International Zhrich Seminar on Digital Communications, pp. 87-100, Zhrich, Switzerland, March 1994), which is incorporated herein by reference. In SDMA, a signal is thus received by means of an antenna group, and the received signal is shaped by means of digital signal processing in such a way that the directivity patterns of the antennas are suitable for the stages following the shaping in the receiver. In prior art arrangements, the received signal is shaped in order to maximize the signal-to-interference ratio of the desired signal. The received signal is thus shaped in such a way that the directivity pattern of the antenna group minimizes the interference caused by the other connections in the desired signal. In the arrangement according to the aforementioned Naguib publication, each detected signal component is subjected to individual beam shaping, i.e. the impulse response must be known before the shaping is performed.
The subscriber equipments continuously measure the strength of the signal they have received from the base station. In CDMA systems, the signal measurement is generally performed as the measurement of the pilot signal. In order to reduce the measurement load of a terminal equipment, in the prior art systems each terminal equipment keeps a list of the base stations that are situated near respective terminal equipment and that are possible candidates for handover or call set-up, and of the corresponding spreading resoective pilot signals. This list is called hereinafter in this document will be called below a measurement list. The terminal equipments monitor with the highest priority the pilot signals of only those base stations that are on the measurement list. The other detected pilot signals are measured secondarily.
When a terminal equipment moves, the measurement list must be updated as the need arises. The updating is performed in the prior art systems according to the measurement of the strength of the pilot signal performed by the terminal equipment, i.e. if it is detected on the basis of the measurement of the terminal equipment that a pilot transmitted by some base station is received with sufficient strength, the base station is added in the measurement list, and correspondingly if the signal from some base station deteriorates, the base station is removed from the list.
In order to enable a fast handover, the measurement list should be as short as possible and it should contain only those base stations to the respective areas of which the terminal equipment is likely to move. In such a case, the terminal equipment can perform the measurements rapidly. The updating of the measurement list should also be fast. This is true especially in systems where the cell sizes are rather small compared to the speed of movement of the terminal equipment.
In prior art arrangements, as in the EIA/TIA IS-95 arrangements already mentioned above, the measurement list is maintained on the basis of the measured strengths of the received signals. The list cannot then be made very short, in order that no essential base stations are left out of it. Therefore, the rate of handover is not the best possible, especially with respect to small microcells.
A prior art arrangement is illustrated in FIG. 1 of the attached drawings, which shows a system comprising a group of base stations 164 to 168 the coverage areas of which are each divided into three sectors, and a subscriber equipment 102, which is situated in the area of the base station 167 and which communicates with it in a sector 162. The subscriber equipment receives not only the signal from its own base station sector 162, but also signals from the surrounding sectors. The list of each terminal equipment typically comprises most of the surrounding sectors, in the example of FIG. 1, sectors 150 to 160, and the terminal equipment continuously monitors the signals of these sectors.

Methods for making a faster handover, and a cellular radio systems


A method for self configuring automated mechanical transmissions (AMT) and electronic control units (ECU) ensures compatibility therebetween. The method comprehends undertaking a program or subroutine when the vehicle is first powered up which moves the shift operators into a predetermined position. The shift operators include full stroke sensors. Depending upon differences between the commanded shift pattern and the actual shift pattern of the transmission, the specific type of transmission, for example, a twelve speed or a sixteen speed, can be determined.

The invention relates generally to a method for self-configuring automated mechanical truck transmissions and controller and more particularly to a method for self-configuring and checking compatibility between automated mechanical truck transmissions and electronic controllers.
Initially, heavy duty truck transmissions included manually, i.e., operator adjusted, devices including a hand operated gear shift and a foot operated master friction clutch. This operational configuration remained essentially unchanged for many years after the advent of motor vehicles.
During the last few decades, manual, i.e., operator control, of the gear shift and master clutch of heavy duty vehicles such as trucks has become increasingly automated to the point today where an electronic control unit (ECU) provided with data from various speed and position sensors controls selection of gear ratios in the main transmission and auxiliary units such as splitters and planetary gear units as well as engagement and disengagement of the master friction clutch. Both the automated transmissions and electronic control units have become increasingly sophisticated during this time.
Modern day electronic control units are particularly complex memory and processing units which may be flashed with current software subroutines, lookup tables and the like which are then mated with an appropriate, compatible transmission. It is, of course, desirable to properly mate such software and hardware in order to ensure compatibility therebetween. It is also desirable to detect and ensure this compatibility even before the vehicle is mechanically powered up and driven. This is especially necessary since there is often little physical evidence or manner of determining the software loaded into an electronic controller by any reasonable, physical or electrical examination or test.
The present invention addresses this challenge and provides a detection subroutine which provides information to the electronic controller regarding an identifiable variable of the transmission which indicates its particular type and thus confirms or does not confirm compatibility between the electronic control unit and its software and the transmission.

Method for self-configuring automated mechanical transmission and electronic controller


A positioning system and method for determining a position of a machine on a worksite are disclosed. The method may store a map of the worksite which includes one or more known objects in the worksite. The method may determine whether a locating device associated with the machine is accurately providing the position of the machine. The method may also include detecting one or more objects in the worksite. The method may further determine an unmatched object from among the detected objects that does not match the one or more known objects stored in the map. The method may also store the unmatched object in the map as a known object of the worksite.

Machines such as, for example, dozers, motor graders, wheel loaders, wheel tractor scrapers, and other types of heavy equipment are used to perform a variety of tasks at a worksite. Autonomously and semi-autonomously controlled machines are capable of operating with little or no human input by relying on information received from various machine systems. For example, based on machine movement input, terrain input, and/or machine operational input, a machine can be controlled to remotely and/or automatically complete a programmed task. By receiving appropriate feedback from each of the different machine systems during performance of the task, continuous adjustments to machine operation can be made that help to ensure precision and safety in completion of the task. In order to do so, however, the information provided by the different machine systems should be accurate and reliable. The position, velocity, and/or distance traveled by the machine are parameters, the accuracy of which may be important for control of the machine and its operation.
Conventional machines typically utilize a navigation or position system to determine various operating parameters, such as position, velocity, pitch rate, yaw rate, and/or roll rate for the machine. Some conventional machines utilize a combination of one or more Global Positioning System (GPS) data, a Distance Measurement Instrument (DMI) and/or odometer measurement data, and/or Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) data to determine these parameters. Some machines utilize radar sensors, sonar sensors, LIDAR sensors, IR and non-IR cameras, and similar sensors to help guide the machines safely and efficiently in the worksite. In various worksite conditions, different measuring and sensing devices work better than others. Machines utilize combinations of data from these different types of measuring and sensing devices in an attempt to produce robust positioning systems that work in various worksite conditions.
An exemplary system that may be utilized to determine the position of a machine is disclosed in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/721,958 to Friend et al. ("the '958 application"). The system of the '958 application utilizes a perception sensor, such as a LIDAR sensor, to obtain a first estimated position of the machine based on scene data obtained by the perception sensor. The system obtains the first estimated position using a perception-based localization method. The system also obtains a second estimated position of the machine based on a location signal, such as a GPS signal. Based on a comparison of the first estimated position and the second estimated position, the system may estimate the position of the machine.
The positioning system of the present disclosure provides for enhancements to the perception-based localization method of the '958 application, such that the disclosed positioning system may be utilized in additional worksite conditions.

Positioning system utilizing enhanced perception-based localization


A method for making an axle rotating portion including a hub, at least one rolling bearing, and a stub axle, the rotating portion configured to receive a brake disc. The method includes at least one machining of the support surface of the hub, against which the disc is configured to be urged to press, the machining being carried out on a subassembly foamed by assembling at least the hub and the roller bearing and to obtain at least one part of the support surface substantially perpendicular to the axis of the roller bearing in the subassembly.

The field of the invention is that of motor vehicles. More specifically, the invention relates to the production of axles that are assembled before they are fitted to the vehicles, the assembly of these axles involving fitting rotating parts.
The invention relates most specifically, although not exclusively, to the production of front axles.
Where front axles are concerned, the term "rotating part" is generally used to denote the assembly comprising a stub axle, a hub, a rolling bearing, a disk and a brake caliper.
During the design and production of a rotating part, there is one parameter that is given a special consideration in assessing the quality of the rotating part, and that parameter is the run-out.
The run-out is the parameter that corresponds to the lack of perpendicularity exhibited by the surface of the disk with respect to the axis of rotation of the rotating part (the axis of rotation considered corresponds to that of the rotating part when this part is fitted to the vehicle).
In practice, this run-out is measured on an assembly formed of a hub 1, a rolling bearing 2, a stub axle 3 and a brake disk 4 (as illustrated in FIG. 1). This assembly is rotated and a sensor P measures the run-out 5 mm away from the exterior perimeter of the disk.
It will of course be appreciated that the greater the run-out, the greater the lack of perpendicularity. This results in premature wear of the thickness of one of the tracks of the disk, in the region where the disk run-out is at its greatest.
This localized wear causes a variation in the thickness of the track on the disk and this ultimately causes the brake pads to start to vibrate under braking. This vibration can then be felt by the driver, through the steering wheel.
At the present time, the manufacturers of mass-produced motor vehicles will tolerate run-out of up to 60 μm on the rotating part, and this corresponds to an error of the order of 25 μm on the disk/hub bearing surface.
However, new requirements are gradually emerging, even for private motor cars, and are leading to an appreciable reduction in the run-out so that the error in perpendicularity measured on the disk/hub bearing surface is 10 μm at most, so as to obtain a disk run-out of a maximum of 40 μm on the assembled rotating part.
Such a reduction (by 15 μm) is considerable given the number of parts that are assembled in order to form the assembly on which the run-out is measured (which, as already mentioned, corresponds to the lack of perpendicularity at the disk/hub bearing surface). This is because each of the parts is produced with its own manufacturing tolerances, which makes it very difficult to control the run-out once all these dimensions have been combined together.
A solution for reducing the run-out in a rotating part has been proposed in the prior art.
As already mentioned, traditionally the rotating part comprised a hub onto which a rolling bearing is fitted. This rolling bearing comprises an outer cage (on which the stub axle is mounted) and an inner cage (within which part of the hub is fitted).
The prior-art solution for reducing run-out was to reduce the number of parts in the combination of dimensions of the rotating part. To do that, the inner cage of the rolling bearing was omitted, the hub taking its place. In other words, the balls of the rolling bearing are mounted directly between the hub and an outer cage.
These rolling bearings of a new type, known as "3rd-generation rolling bearings" are able to meet the new requirements imposed by manufacturers in terms of rotating part run-out.
However, these rolling bearings prove to be very expensive and therefore have a considerable impact on the cost of the assembled axle with its rotating parts.

Method for making an axle rotating portion and corresponding device


Sealing compositions and application methods for sealing and protecting asphalt roof shingles or other porous roofing and construction materials are described for eliminating algae, mold and mildew, increasing granular adhesion, providing additional UV protection and significantly increasing the wind resistance of the roof or other construction material. The sealing composition includes an acrylic polymer that has been modified by a silicone surfactant to alter its wetting properties so as to promote wicking of the sealer under asphalt shingles and at open edges to prevent curling and water infiltration. The method of applying the sealing composition promotes uniform distribution of the product on the surface of installed roofs as well as enhances bonding between individual shingles by improved penetration on and between shingle layers to increase adhesion area.

Roofing systems of varying pitches used on homes and buildings located in tropical/semi-tropical and hurricane-prone areas face many challenging conditions that can adversely affect the integrity and lifetime of the roof. Some of the most commonly used types of roofing systems include asphalt shingles and clay or concrete tiles. Because shingled or tile roof systems are individual pieces or components installed in a single fashion, these types of roofing systems are especially susceptible to damage due to high winds, especially winds in excess of 100 mph or more that can occur during hurricanes or other tropical storms. Other conditions that can often be more intense in tropical/semi-tropical areas include high UV exposure and high humidity that results in mold, mildew and algae growing on the roof.
Typically, asphalt shingles are composed of a base material, an asphalt mixture, and a surfacing material. The base material is usually either organic felt or glass-fiber mat. The base material provides support for the weather-resistant components and gives strength to the shingle. The asphalt mixture includes asphalt, limestone and other mineral stabilizers. Asphalt is a complex mixture of hundreds of aliphatic and aromatic compounds. The surfacing material is generally in the form of mineral granules, which provide protection from impact and UV degradation and improves fire resistance. As asphalt ages due to UV exposure, expansion and contraction, it breaks down chemically and physically. Granule loss may subsequently occur due to the changes in the asphalt layer or due to mechanical forces such as high winds or other impacts to the roof. The result of all these challenges is that the shingles are weakened structurally and highly susceptible to further damage and/or failure.
It is known to protect and extend the life of existing roofing systems by applying a coating to the shingles or other type of roofing material after its installation. Typically, these protective coatings are highly viscous materials that adhere to the existing roof system to form an additional layer that provides a further barrier to weather. Examples of this type of coating system are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,571,415; 4,859,723; and 5,434,009. These types of coating systems cover the existing roof system and therefore, destroy any aesthetic value of the roof such as architectural singles or clay/cementatious tiles. The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the known roof coating systems by providing a clear sealer that wicks into the existing roof structure and results in a shingle, tile, or other porous construction material that is highly water resistant, stronger, and still retains its original look.

Composition and method of sealing and protecting asphalt shingles or other porous roofing and construction materials


The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a conducting pattern on a non-conducting substrate, that leads to a printed circuit board (PCB). The method obviates the use of phototools and is known in the art as "direct write" (DW). It is achieved by coating the copper cladding of an insulating laminate with one or more very thin (1 to 10 micron) metallic layer or layers, that can act as copper etch-resists, when top-coated with at least one laser-imageable polymeric layer, where the principal function of the laser-defined polymeric coating is to achieve high resolution imaging, leaving the major "burden" of copper etch resistance to the metallic coating(s) that are exposed, bared following the laser imaging operation. The substantial advantage of this invention is that the etch resistance is principally achieved by the metal-bearing layer or layers underneath the organic areas that are left on the copper cladding following laser patterning. As a result, the PCBs prepared according to the present invention can use extremely thin layer(s) of laser-imageable organic coatings, and thereby achieve fast scanning speeds or low laser energies, since the organic/polymeric imaging resist is not relied-upon (exclusively) for etch resistance. Thus, the present invention teaches the concept that the polymeric, laser-definable resist has a dual function. The major one being image definition, and not copper etch resistance.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to forming copper conductors on a PCB via a computer-controlled imagewise laser scanning without using phototools.
2. Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,469,982 to Celeste describes the prior art currently practiced to image PCBs via phototools, using a polymeric UV sensitive dry film usually .about.25 micron thick as the sole etch, or plating resist. It is the predominant method, because of its ease of application. The drawbacks reside in the high cost of generating phototools and the cost of manufacturing the dry film, limited resolution and laser imaging capabilities of the dry film, due at least in part to its heavy thickness of over 25 micron, and the environmentally unfriendly disposal features inherent in the manufacture and use of dry films.
The industry is making strenuous efforts to develop DW systems and thus obviate the need for phototools. Such efforts are abundantly reflected in the wealth of prior art literature, both in the form of patents and publications. The following published articles are referenced herewith as typical and pertinent: (1) Emerging technologies, PC fabrication, volume 18, No. 9, September 1995; (2) Laser Direct Writing of Copper on Various Thin-Film Substrate Materials, Applied Surface Science 46 (1990) 143-147, Elsevier Science Publishers B.V. (North Holland); Kuchta, Technological Requirements for Direct Imaging, Technical Paper No. 1, A 8/1, PC World Conventions, June 1990.
The contents of U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,811 is included by its reference. The method it describes has yet to surface in the industry. The patent teaches DW imaging via thermal laser energy that causes a redox reaction between two "reagents" applied on a metallic surface, such as the copper cladding of an unimaged PCB panel. Typically, the patent discloses the redox reaction of CuO with a reducing layer such as polyaldehyde, when impacted with the heat of a thermal laser. Areas that have been scanned with the thermal laser will cause the CuO to be reduced to copper metal, thereby allowing the copper to be selectively etched where exposed. Essentially, the CuO acts as etch resist or plating resist, wherein perhaps lies the reason for the difficulties that can be expected when attempting to practice the teachings of above-cited U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,811. Indeed, CuO cannot be relied upon to safely serve as a reliable etch resist, whether copper etching is done in ammoniacal or acid-based etchants. In the above cited patent, copper oxide or sulphide acts also as absorber of heat generated by the thermal laser. In some examples of above cited patent, etch resistance of copper metal can be aided by the reducer film covering the underlying copper oxide or sulphide. But the thrust of U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,811 is a redox reaction initiated by thermal laser between a first and second "reagent" overlying the copper cladding, and its application is therefore limited to thermal lasers. Herein perhaps lies the difficulty in its achieving industrial success, since such redox reactions are relatively slow and do not generally enable sharp image delineation.

Laser imaging of printed circuit patterns without using phototools


An electrostatic actuator device including a stationary support and a buckled, moveable support mounted to enter into contact with the stationary support. At least three electrodes are employed. The first is mounted on the moveable support and a second electrode is on the stationary support. A third electrode is mounted on one of the supports such that the electrodes are positioned to form two pairs of electrodes for electrostatic attraction therebetween. The electrodes are powered by a voltage supply to provide electrostatic attraction between pairs of electrodes and move them into electrostatic contact. The buckled electrode has a shape configured to transmit a restoring force to its portion in contact with stationary support upon application of voltage to another pair of electrodes. The preferred voltage provides a two phase driving force including a voltage to the first pair of electrode for a period of time in a cycle of operation and a voltage to the second pair of electrodes for a period of time in the same cycle, preferably with an interim period of time with no voltage applied after each application of voltage. Various arrangements of three or more electrodes are disclosed, as is the use of the actuator in a microvalve having at least one valve opening. A three way microvalve is also shown, as are two forms of two dimensional valve arrays.

Electrostatic actuators have become selected as the solution of choice for actuators that employ low power, operate at high speed, require low cost to produce, and are of small size. These devices present significant advantages: over thermal devices by requiring much less power; over electromagnetic devices using less power and having smaller size; or piezoelectric actuators that have a higher cost and have a much smaller amplitude of motion.
To date, however, there are no commercially available electrostatic actuators. Of particular concern are electrostatic actuation in the presence of dielectrically isolated electrodes, where specific problems are incurred.
In electrostatic actuators, the desired displacement is the result of the attractive electrostatic force generated by the interaction between a distribution of opposite sign charges placed on two bodies, one of which is moveable. For the purposes of this invention, these two bodies are known as actuator plates. The actuator plates are placed apart by a predetermined distance. The charge distribution is then generated by applying a potential difference between two conductive electrodes that are part of the actuator plates. The actuator will be in the ON state or mode when a potential difference is applied between the electrodes and will be in the OFF state when the electrodes are at the same potential.
One family of patents describes fluid control employing microminiature valves, sensors and other components using a main passage between one inlet and exit port and additionally a servo passage between inlet and outlet ports. The servo passage is controlled by a control flow tube such that tabs are moved electrostatically. U.S. Pat. No. 5,176,358 to Bonne et al teaches such a fluid regulating device, while divisional U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,323,999 and 5,441,597 relate to alternative embodiments.
The actual electrostatic device is only briefly described in the above patents, wherein at least one tab formed as part of a dielectric layer moves toward and away from an aperture upon activation of a means for varying the potential of at least one electrode associated therewith to generate an electrostatic force.
The above referenced patents identify another family of patents for further information on microvalves using electrostatic forces. The pending U.S. patent application referred to in those first discussed patents has matured into U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,242 to Bonne et al. This patent describes a microvalve that is an integral structure made on one piece of silicon such that the device is a flow through valve with inlet and outlet on opposite sides of the silicon wafer. The valves are closed by contact with a valve seat where surfaces must be matched in order to avoid degradation of valve performance. Two patents, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,180,623 and 5,244,527 are divisional patents relating to the first patent. These patents generally describe operation of the electrostatic valve as being driven by various kinds of voltage sources. Specifically, the valve is said to operate as a two position valve with fully open and fully closed positions by applying a DC voltage between electrodes. Also, operation as a proportional control valve is disclosed as being effected by applying a voltage proportional to the voltage necessary to close the valve. Finally, These patents describe operation of the valve with a pulse width modulated voltage signal to modulate gas flow through the valve.
In some electrostatic actuators, the actuator plates have to come in intimate contact during the normal operation cycle. These actuators are sometimes referred to as touch-mode electrostatic actuators. In order to prevent electrical shorting during the touch phase of the operation cycle, the conductive electrodes are isolated from each other by dielectric layers. In order to get the maximum work from a specific device, large electric fields are usually developed between the two conductive electrodes. The non-linear character of the electrostatic attraction results in a snapping action, where the actuator plates move toward each other with accelerations as high as 10.sup.8 g and speeds that exceed 10.sup.3 m/sec. After the impact, the free surfaces of the actuator plates are pushed against each other by the large electrostatically generated pressure. This operation mode creates the possibility of very large mechanical impact and strong interaction forces being developed between the actuator plates. These forces can continue to act after removal of the potential difference between the actuator plates. In some cases, these forces are stronger than the restoring forces available for bringing the electrodes in their original position. In such a case, the two electrodes remain temporarily or permanently attached and the actuator stops functioning as intended and desired. This condition is sometimes referred to as `stiction.` Electrostatic actuators in the prior art develop reduced restoring force that makes them prone to failure due to permanent stiction.
The main forces producing stiction in electrostatic actuators are surface interaction forces (solid bridging, Van der Waals forces, hydrogen bonds) and electrostatic forces produced by charges permanently or temporarily trapped into the dielectrics. To reduce the surface interaction forces, two approaches may be used. The first, reducing the contact area, requires more sophisticated structures and gives up some of the available electrostatic force. The second, reducing the surface energy of the layers in contact, has not yet been successfully demonstrated for devices based on that concept.
Another disadvantage of the electrostatic actuators of the prior art is that it is difficult to control their mechanical shape. It has become known that electrostatically driven actuators can supply high force when the separation gap between the moving parts is small. But, this constraint limits the maximum displacement attainable with electrostatically driven actuators to a few microns or less. To increase the maximum displacement without sacrificing the available force, a pre-stressed, upward bent cantilever structure with a rolling type motion was previously proposed. See the previously identified U.S. Pat. No. 5,176,358 to Bonne et al, and the related patents. This structure does in fact have advantages over earlier electrostatic actuators in that there is a small separation gap between the electrodes at the hinge, resulting in high electrostatic force and, via the parabolic shape, a higher maximum displacement. It is a simple structure, with a single wafer and surface micromachining, and requires low voltage (few tens of volts) and very low power. However, this structure also has some drawbacks. It is very difficult to control the stress gradient, i.e., of the maximum displacement and of the restoring force. Also, there is a very small restoring force, sometimes smaller than the interfacial adhesion forces, resulting in a permanent stiction of the actuator parts. This causes failure of the device.
It would be of great advantage to the art if these difficulties leading to failure could be reduced or avoided altogether.
It would be another great advance in the art if an improved driving method for electrostatic actuators could be provided for use with any actuator and configuration of the physical components thereof.
Yet another advantage in the art would be attained if the stress gradient could somehow be reduced, permitting better control of the device.
Still another advantage would be achieved if a device could be prepared that prevented permanent stiction, which is known to be the most important failure mechanism in touch mode actuators.
Other advantages will appear hereinafter.

Buckled actuator with enhanced restoring force


An automatic release attachment automatically releases a tension line engaged to the attachment when the tension in the line exceeds the tension rating corresponding to a tension release settings selected by an operator. A hook assembly, which can be part of the attachment, includes a shackle that eases shackling and unshackling of a coupling element of the tension line to the hook assembly.

Large kites are used to provide motive force for several sports, most notably kite-boarding and snow-kiting. For example, a rider on a wakeboard-style board, a surfboard, a snowboard, skis or the like can be towed by a kite. Both kite-boarding and snow-kiting involve jumping, where the kite lifts the rider and the board to which the rider usually is coupled, such as by a foot loop, off the surface over which the board had been moving, thereby causing the rider to glide for a distance in a manner similar to a paraglider.
A front control line extending from a leading edge of a kite terminates in what is commonly known as a trim loop or chicken loop. The chicken loop is hooked onto a hook affixed to a spreader bar that is strapped to a harness worn by an operator of a kite, such as the rider of a surfboard being towed by a kite. After the chicken loop is engaged to the hook of the spreader bar, the chicken loop can then be manually locked in place, or shackled.
In addition, rear control lines extending from the trailing edge of the kite are attached to the two ends of a control bar. The operator of the kite uses the control bar to control the kite's flight. For example, when the operator pulls the control bar inwardly toward his body, the length of the rear control lines is effectively reduced, which rotates the kite so that the angle of attack is increased. When tension on the control bar is released, the control bar moves outwardly, away from the operator, effectively lengthening the rear control lines. This lengthening rotates the kite to a position with a lower angle of attack, decreasing the kite's lift. To turn the kite, the operator pulls inwardly only on one end of the control bar, which twists the kite in such a manner that it turns.
Most spreader bars have a simple, U-shaped hook extending therefrom and to which the chicken loop can be attached. In the prior art, the chicken loop is secured to the spreader bar usually by manually inserting a length of plastic tubing, which is attached to one end of the chicken loop, into the space between the two sides of the hook. This securing technique is slow and ungainly both for shackling and unshackling the chicken loop and, therefore, not favored.
In another prior art chicken loop securing technique, a piece of plastic is rotated under a hook extending from the spreader bar. The plastic is snapped into the middle of the hook, locking the chicken loop in place.
Still other spreader bar designs include a manual release utilizing a rotating hook extending from the spreader bar. Such spreader bars include a movable bar, lever or like device positioned in front of the lower part of the hook for preventing rotation of the hook. To release the chicken loop, the bar is moved so that it no longer restrains rotation of the hook. This type of kite release is not a fail safe design, and also has other disadvantages. If the hinge on which the bar rotates fails, the bar can actually be pulled into the middle of the hook as the hook rotates, which effectively locks the chicken loop in place. Similarly, other known chicken loop manual safety releases rely on releasing one side of the chicken loop, thereby allowing the loop to slide through the spreader bar hook. If the release hinge were to fail, the chicken loop would be prevented from sliding through the hook, such that the operator of the kite could not disconnect himself from the kite.
Overall, currently known spreader bar designs rely on an operator removing one hand from the control bar to shackle or unshackle the chicken loop, respectively, to and from the hook and, furthermore, manually activating any available safety release. Recognition of a dangerous situation by a kite operator takes time, and it also takes time for the kite operator to reach for and activate a manual safety release. It has been found that combined human recognition and reaction time is so long that, in many circumstances, the operator cannot act quickly enough to activate a manual safety release before a dangerous situation occurs. Further, in practice, it is difficult for an operator, such as a rider of kite-board, to fly a powerful kite with one hand while manipulating current shackle systems with the other hand to release the kite line.
Also, it is known that most riders, by force of habit, will initially attempt to control a kite when the kite acts unexpectedly, instead of attempting to release the kite. All too often, by the time the rider decides to take steps to release the kite, it is too late to avoid the dangerous situation, which can result in serious injury or death to the rider. For example, an unexpected gust of wind or a kite-control malfunction can cause loftings, which are unintentional flights caused by a kite lifting the rider, and draggings, where a kite drags the rider. Oftentimes, once a rider is being dragged, the rider may not be able to take the necessary physical actions to activate a manual safety release.
Therefore, there is need for an attachment for a tension line, such as a termination of a kite line, which can be releasably engaged to a coupling element of the line and automatically releases the engaged tension line as a function of a tension release setting selected by the operator and, furthermore, makes shackling and unshackling of the coupling element of the line, respectively, to and from a hook easy and convenient.

Automatic release attachment for kites and the like, and method of use


What is provided are compositions of matter and methods for making compositions of matter, which comprise liquid roof coating products and/or roof cement products comprising recycled scrap asphalt shingle that is dry processed without adding heat or liquid into particles substantially within the range of 10-40 mesh size, and which are post added to a liquid mixture to compose a roof coating and/or roof cement product.

Roof coatings may be used to add a layer of protection to a roof or one or more roof surfaces, such as to provide protection from various elements, which may act to penetrate or erode a roofing surface. Roofing coatings may serve as moisture barriers, UV ray barriers, thermal barriers, wind barriers, or other protection barriers to reduce or eliminate penetration by an element into or through one or more roofing surfaces.
Liquid roof coatings may be applied over a roofing surface by application techniques such as spray, brushed on, and/or roller application. Roofing surfaces may commonly be composed of asphalt shingles, aluminum, steel or other metal materials, asphalt membranes, polymer modified asphalt membranes or other roofing materials. A roof coating may be applied over the roofing surface one or more times to add additional barrier protection to the roofing surface.
Asphalt roof coatings are known. Asphalt cutback is a desirable material in a roof coating because it may be applied cold so as not to require work with hot material in the application. However, virgin asphalt can be costly. Using recycled asphalt materials, such as scrap asphalt shingles, as a replacement for part of the virgin asphalt in a roof coating could be beneficial in that the scrap materials are less costly and may improve performance. Employing recycled scrap asphalt shingle materials is also beneficial in that the non-asphalt components of the scrap shingles, such as but not limited to, limestone, granules and glass fiber, may act as fillers in a roof coating product and reduce or eliminate the need to add other fillers to a roof coating composition of matter. The glass fiber may also add some reinforcing qualities to the roof coating. However, the scrap shingles must be processed or ground into a small enough size to be capable of being suspended in a roof coating product, such as approximately 20-40 mesh or smaller.
Prior attempts to salvage asphalt in recycled materials have been cost prohibitive, requiring many processing steps and costly machinery, and have often attempted to recover the asphalt in pure form, which has required separating it from other materials in the recycled scrap, again making the process complicated and costly. Some methods require wet processing the scrap shingle in a liquid and/or by applying heat. Other methods have included use of hammer mills, but have produced scrap asphalt that is not of a sufficiently small size to be suitable for a roof coating application, and which is instead suitable primarily for paving products. There has been lacking in the art a method of dry processing recycled scrap asphalt shingle to a size sufficiently small for roof coating applications without heating or significant cooling.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,851 to Good teaches a method of recovering asphalt and other materials from scrap shingles by solvent extraction. Good '851 teaches that a hammer mill is used to grind the scrap shingles to a 3″×3″ size and then liquid solvents are applied with heat to chemically reclaim asphalt in the shingles. Good '851 does not teach a dry processing method resulting in ground shingle powder of a sufficiently small size to be suitable for a roof coating, nor any roof coating products.
Asphalt shingles have been recycled into pavement products. U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,893 to Brock teaches a hammer mill that grinds recycled asphalt shingles to a size of ¼ inch or ⅛ inch. They are heated to melt the asphalt contained therein. Liquid asphalt is added to the heated particles after they are ground. However, there is lacking a method of processing recycled asphalt shingles without adding liquid asphalt to them or heating them, and there is lacking a resulting ground product of a sufficiently small mesh size to be suitable for a roofing coating.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,236,497 to Grzybowski teaches a solid cold patch roadway repair product having recycled scrap asphalt shingle added as a minor additive to the composition. However, Grzybowski does not teach a roof coating product, nor does it teach a process by which recycled scrap shingle is ground.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,385,426 to Omann teaches a two hammer mill apparatus for recycling scrap asphalt shingle into a paving product. The shingle may be sprayed with water prior to entering the first hammer mill and also within the hammer mill. The water must later be removed by heating. The resulting product is not of sufficiently small size to be suitable for a roof coating product.
Attempts have been made to incorporate recycled scrap asphalt materials into roofing surface products. Most shingles are suitable, once ground, to incorporate into roof coatings. Size matters as if it is too large, small lumps are evident in the roofing product, which are not desirable.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,290,152 to Zickell teaches a method of recycling asphalt based material by heating it in a mill. Zickell '152 teaches that the recycled shingle is wet processed in a ball mill. Zickell '152 teaches that the scrap asphalt product, such as shingle, is simultaneously heated and milled in a heated milling apparatus in liquid to reduce the asphalt material including granules to a fine mesh in suspension in liquid asphalt. The milling apparatus has rods or paddles to pull the recycled asphalt under and into the liquid slurry, and a filter apparatus for filtering reduced asphalt and removing foreign objects therefrom. Although Zickell '152 claims to produce particles of a sufficiently small size for roofing surface applications, it requires heat and wet processing. It also teaches that pure asphalt and/or solvents are added to the recycled materials prior to milling: virgin, non-oxidized asphalt, aromatic rich asphalt, flux asphalt, solvents, oil or a combination of any of these is added to the recycled mixture to rejuvenate the mixture of recycled asphalt and to keep it liquid during processing. There is lacking a method and apparatus for dry processing scrap asphalt materials for a roof coating product. There is lacking in the art a process for processing scrap asphalt materials for a roof coating without adding pure asphalt and/or solvents to the recycled materials in the milling.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,025 to Drouin teaches processing scrap asphalt shingle in a liquid mixture to grind it to about a 10 mesh particle size and using the wet paste mixture containing ground asphalt and/or other ground materials from the recycled shingles (such as rock or glass), in solid paving or roofing products. Drouin teaches that liquid in the slurry mixture acts to separate asphalt and other particles. Drouin teaches that the shingles are processed wet by grinding them with liquid (water or a solvent) to prevent the particles from heating and clumping together. However, Drouin teaches away from a dry powder product made with dry processing from recycled scrap shingles, and states that dry processing creates too much heat and particle clumping, which is solved by its wet processing.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,228,503 to Zickell teaches a roll roofing surface material made in part of recycled scrap shingles. However, Zickell '503 teaches that flux asphalt must be added to the reclaimed materials to achieve requisite viscosity to allow for pumping. The recycled materials are reclaimed by using the process of U.S. Pat. No. 5,848,755 to Zickell, which reclaims asphalt in liquefied form and shreds them in a ball mill to 250-300 mesh size during this wet processing. There is lacking a method and apparatus for dry processing scrap asphalt materials for a roof coating product. There is lacking in the art a process for processing scrap asphalt materials for a roof coating without adding pure asphalt to the recycled materials in the milling.
Harmon US2010/0064937 teaches a method of recycling scrap asphalt shingle in a single hammer mill process requiring heat to be added to the material for processing. The material is heated and liquefied to produce a slurry that can be formed into a finished product.


A method for making an electronic module includes forming a low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) substrate with at least one capacitive structure embedded therein. Forming the LTCC substrate may include arranging first and second unsintered ceramic layers and the at least one capacitive structure therebetween. The at least one capacitive structure may include a pair of electrode layers, an inner dielectric layer between the pair of electrode layers, and at least one outer dielectric layer adjacent at least one of the electrode layers and opposite the inner dielectric layer. The at least one outer dielectric layer preferably has a dielectric constant less than a dielectric constant of the inner dielectric layer. The unsintered ceramic layers and the at least one capacitive structure may also be heated, and at least one electronic device may be mounted on the LTCC substrate and electrically connected to the at least one embedded capacitive structure.

Electronic devices are widely used in many types of electronic equipment. Such electronic devices are often grouped together and packaged in a single electronic module. A typical electronic module may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs), such as microprocessors, etc., as well as other discreet components (e.g., resistors, capacitors, etc.) mounted on a substrate, for example. One common material used for making such substrates are low temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC), for example.
Discreet components may account for 80% or more of the total parts in a given electrical circuit design. While the physical size of the discrete components may be relatively small, the footprint required for their placement may be 2 to 3 times their actual size. This represents a significant portion of the available surface area of the substrate. Continuing demands for higher density packaging and miniaturization trends often require that the available surface area on a substrate be utilized by the most significant parts, such as ICs, for example.
The density limitations of current packaging technology are rapidly being reached. As a result, attempts are being made to incorporate discreet components within the substrate, rather than simply on the surface of the substrate. Yet, it may be difficult to embed discrete components within conventional LTCC materials due to a lack of available dielectric materials with higher dielectric values that are compatible with the substrate, with each other, and with the various metals used in the electronic module.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,191,934 to Liberatore et al. entitled "High Dielectric Constant Embedded Capacitors" discloses a capacitor that may be embedded within a multilayer ceramic circuit board. The capacitor is made using a capacitor ink formulation which provides a dielectric constant in a range of about 2600 to 4500, depending upon the size of the capacitor. The capacitor inks can be screen printed onto a glass-based green tape, or cast as a green tape layer. Electrodes may also be screen printed over and under the capacitor layer or green tape layer.
One limitation of such prior art capacitors is that it may be difficult to route signals near the capacitors because of the high constant dielectric materials used therein. This problem may become particularly acute when numerous capacitive structures are used, potentially resulting in insufficient space for routing the necessary signals.

Electronic module including a low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) substrate with a capacitive structure embedded therein and related methods