The invention relates to an adsorptive filter medium (i.e. a filter unit or filter structure) which is suitable for purifying gases and/or gas mixtures, preferably air, and also for removing chemical and/or biological poisons and/or pollutants from gases and/or gas mixtures, preferably air, and also to the use thereof.

The present invention relates to the technical field of adsorptive materials and in particular to adsorptive filters which can be used, for example, to clarify fluids, such as gas/air streams.
More particularly, the present invention relates to an adsorptive filter medium based on a plurality of a first filter element and also on a plurality of a second filter element other than the first filter element, wherein the filter medium possesses an optimized adsorption behavior and/or optimized adsorption kinetics, particularly with regard to the breakthrough behavior of chemical and/or biological poison/noxiant materials, such as warfare agents.
The present invention further relates to methods of using the filter medium according to the invention for sorptive, in particular adsorptive, applications and/or for the removal of noxiants, specifically gaseous noxiants, or of gases or substances that are toxic, harmful and/or environmentally damaging.
The present invention also relates to filters and filter materials obtained using at least one filter medium of the present invention and/or comprising at least one filter medium of the present invention.
Fluids/fluidic media, more particularly gases, gas streams or gas mixtures, such as air for example, are often clarified or purified in the prior art using particulate systems based on particles possessing specific activity (e.g., adsorbents, ion exchangers, catalysts, etc). The prior art discloses for instance the use of adsorber particles to remove poisonous or noxiant agents and odors from gas or air streams, including in particular in the field of NBC protection.
The use of loose beds of the aforementioned particles, particularly in the form of loose granular-bed filters, is a significant use form to bring the particles concerned, such as adsorber particles for example, into contact with the fluid to be clarified.
Since small particles, such as adsorber particles for example, have a larger surface area in relation to their diameter than comparatively large particles, it is only to be expected that the performance is better with the comparatively small particles. However, small particles in a loose bed lead to a pressure drop that is high and not controllable as such, and also promote the formation of channels within the bed, causing a heightened risk of breakthrough with regard to the poisonous/noxiant agents to be adsorbed. This is why the particle size used in loose beds is often only a compromise, so the particle sizes that are actually optimal for a particular application can usually not be employed. More particularly, the need to achieve economical operating conditions, in particular an acceptable pressure drop, means that larger particles (e.g., adsorber particles) often come to be employed than would be desirable for optimal utilization of the adsorption efficiency and for an optimized breakthrough behavior—i.e., the time until the substances to be removed appear in a critical amount/concentration at the filter outlet—and so it is often the case that a considerable portion of the theoretically available capacity cannot be utilized.
In this context, DE 36 24 975 C2 describes a packed-bed filter based on a shaft which is packed with a granular bed and the side walls of which are pervious to the medium to be filtered, wherein a belt system moves/displaces the packed bed transversely to the direction of throughflow of the gas mixture to be clarified. The system described therein is disadvantageous in that it is cumbersome and hence unsuitable for compact filter systems and in that filter efficiency is not always optimal because of the packing used for the adsorption material.
It is further known in the prior art for the particles employed to remove odors and poisonous/noxiant agents from fluidic media, e.g., adsorber particles, to be secured/attached to a carrier in order thereby to reduce the resulting pressure drops of the filter system, especially compared with beds. However, in-service/on-stream time is occasionally shortened for filter systems of this type. More particularly, the breakthrough behavior with regard to the substances to be adsorbed/removed is problematic with filters of this type, which is extremely critical particularly in the case of highly toxic substances, such as chemical and/or biological poisons/noxiants, since even very small amounts of the substances in question have drastic consequences for the health/life of people confronted therewith. Prior art filters of this type, wherein the adsorption material is fixed to a carrier structure, do generally have a low flow(through) resistance, but, in the use state, the concentration profile within the filter of the noxiant/poisonous agents to be removed has a propensity due to dispersion effects in particular to excessively spread apart in the main flow direction of the fluid/gas mixture to be clarified, leading to a reduced breakthrough time and hence to inferior in-service/on-stream times for the filter.
DE 40 20 246 A1 discloses a device for adsorbing gases from an air stream and/or a carrier gas using an adsorbent bed suitable for fluidization, wherein the adsorbent particles employed therein are further additionally fixed to a downstream carrier in the manner of a fixed bed, the pressure drop of the fixed bed in the use state being stated to be low. The device described therein has an overall large volume due to the fluidization zone provided and occasionally has the disadvantage that particles fluidized in the use state may cause plugging of the fixed bed and that an optimal (initial) breakthrough behavior is not always ensured with regard to noxiant/poisonous agents in particular.
DE 38 13 564 A1 and the same patent family's EP 0 338 551 A2 disclose an activated carbon filter layer for NBC respirators which comprises a highly air-pervious, substantially shape-stable three-dimensional carrier scaffold whereto a layer of granular, specifically spherical activated carbon particles is fixed, wherein the carrier scaffold may be a braid formed of wires, monofilaments or struts, and/or a foam-based structure. However, the system described has not been optimized in particular with regard to a prolongated breakthrough behavior for substances/gases to be removed/adsorbed, such as biological and/or chemical noxiants/poisons.
DE 43 43 358 A1 further discloses porous bodies comprising activated carbon which consist of plates and agglomerates formed by ground activated carbon incorporated in a porous SiO2 matrix. What is more particularly described therein are porous plates or bodies having adsorbing properties wherein activated carbon granules or activated carbon spherules and/or particles comprising activated carbon are adhered together by means of a silicate solution and subsequently the silicate bridges are converted into silica gel bridges and the resultant bodies are dried. One disadvantage with this is the fixed geometry of these porous bodies and also their lack of flexibility and compressibility, making them unsuitable for filtering applications under mechanical loading. A further disadvantage is that the particles comprising activated carbon are completely wetted with the silicate solution, so a large proportion of the capacity of these particles is no longer available for adsorptive processes. The system described has further not been in any way optimized with regard to the breakthrough behavior of chemical/biological noxiants/poisons.
In conclusion, therefore, the filter systems known in the prior art do not always have good pressure drop properties nor optimal in-service/on-stream times, especially not with regard to the removal/adsorption of highly toxic substances from gas/air streams, so the systems known in the prior art are not always optimally suitable for an industrial-technical employment and/or for employment as a sheet filter and/or respiratory filter in the field of NBC protection in particular. The filter systems of the prior art often have a but minimal adsorption capacity, and the adsorption kinetics are also occasionally not optimal, so to compensate that in a corresponding manner occasionally requires large volumes/amounts of adsorbents, yet this leads to a further deterioration in the pressure drop properties and is also prejudicial to compact filter design/construction.


In the submerged diffuser arrangement described in the specification, a plurality of submerged air diffuser arrangements are disposed adjacent to the bottom of in a body of wastewater to be aerated and connected an air supply pipe extending along the surface of the wastewater. Air is supplied from the air supply pipe through downcomers leading to the diffuser arrangements. The diffusers may be suspended from the air pipe above the bottom or they may rest on the bottom. In order to raise the diffuser arrangements to the surface of the wastewater for servicing, inflatable buoyant members are affixed to each diffuser arrangement or to the lower ends of the associated downcomers. The inflatable buoyant members are connected through tubing to valves from which air may be supplied under pressure, either from the air supply pipe or form a portable air compressor or a compressed air container or through an air pressure line leading from a remote air supply located on the shore of the basin.

This invention relates to aeration systems for diffusing air into liquids utilizing submerged diffusers and, more particularly, to an aeration system in which access to the submerged diffusers is facilitated.
In many aeration systems for treatment of wastewater such as described, for example, in the Von Nordenskjold et al. Patents Nos. 4,287,062, 4,797,272 and 5,472,611, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference, purification of wastewater in a basin is effected by aerating the water with air bubbles emitted by submerged diffusers located adjacent to the bottom of the basin. In those systems the diffusers are suspended by downcomers from flexible floating air lines which supply air under pressure to the diffusers. As air bubbles emerge from the diffusers, the resulting turbulence causes the diffusers to move back and forth in the basin which in turn causes the flexible aeration lines to move along the surface of the water so that the entire aeration region of the basin is swept by the diffusers. In other submerged diffuser aeration systems, the diffusers normally rest on the bottom of the basin.
Periodically, it is necessary to obtain access to such submerged diffusers at the bottom of the basin for servicing. This might be accomplished with considerable difficulty by manually grasping downcomers by which the diffusers are suspended from a floating air line and attempting to pull the diffusers up to the surface of the water by moving the downcomers to a horizontal orientation or by grappling for submerged diffusers resting on the bottom of the basin. When the diffusers have been raised they must be held at the surface of the water while the necessary servicing is effected and, if inadvertently released, the same procedure must be followed to raise them again from their submerged position at the bottom of the basin.
The Tharp Patent No. 5,133,876 proposes a solution to this problem by providing a flexible retrieval rope tied at its lower end to the diffuser and secured at the surface by tying it to the aeration line or to a float which floats on top of the wastewater. Such retrieval lines, however, still require manual effort and are subject to loss or damage from debris in the wastewater or deterioration with time.
The Murphy Patent No. 5,316,671 discloses aeration diffuser trains consisting of bladders supporting flexible air lines having suspended diffusers. The bladders are inflated to hold the air line at the surface of the water and suspend the diffusers above the bottom during operation but, to avoid damage to aeration lines and their suspended diffusers resulting from floating debris in wastewater being treated when the diffusers are inoperative, the bladders may be deflated to pennit the air line to sink until it is below the surface of the water and the diffusers rest on the bottom of the basin. When the air line is intended for operation again, the bladders are reinflated, raising the air line to the surface of the water and suspending the diffusers away from the bottom of the basin. The submerged diffusers, however, must still be raised manually to the surface of the water in the manner described above for servicing.


Cell culture apparatus is disclosed comprising: a cell culture container comprising a flexible tube; a support table; and a pair of opposed holders for holding opposed portions of the tube in a fluid tight manner such that fluid cannot pass through the respective portion inside the tube, the spacing between the said pair being adjustable to provide an adjustable sealed volume in the tube between the holder pair.

Conventional cell culturing involves expanding cells into larger and larger volume containers to keep space with the increasing quantities of cells. This stepwise approach usually takes the form of initial expansion of the cell of interest from a small sample in a vial, typically of just a few millilitres, to large volumes (e.g., 500-2000 L) in cell bags or tanks. During the cell expansion phase, the cells are initially inoculated into flasks or spinner bottles to revive cell lines. Later cells will be transferred and expanded in the cell bags on a rocker or in stirred tanks. In the expansion process gradually the cells are transferred to the next bigger sized flask/spinner bottle/cell bag/tank and expansion is continued. There are challenges in using a large container with a small population of cells, i.e. the amount of costly cell culture media required is out of proportion to the return of cells produced; and dead spaces can occur where no or few cells are present.
A cell culture container of variable volume would address some of the challenges mentioned above, and has been proposed in WO2015/009153, and a similar disclosure is made in US20130157353. In these documents, a cell culture bag is shown which lies on a table. A roller is pressed against the table to squeeze the whole width of the bag. Movement of the roller relative to the bag allows the bag to obtain more volume. However, the inventors have realised that these known variable volume cell culture bags have further challenges, i.e. holding and managing a large container size during initial small volume culture; preventing any unused area of the container from coming into contact with the cell culture during initial small volume culture; increasing volume without interfering with inlet and outlet ports of the container; and controlling the increasing volume thereby to optimise cell container volume throughout the cell expansion phase.

Apparatus and methods for adjustable volume cell culture


A survival hook consisting of a pair of hooks rotationally attached to a plate which is itself provided with fastening means to retain the plate over clothing, typically over the forearm of a user. The plate can be of a strap-on type by way of fastening means or can be sown as part of the clothing or alternatively, it can be fixedly attached to the clothing by mechanical fastening means, adhesive means or combination thereof. The hands are always free and unencumbered and the moving elements are simple enough that it is unlikely that jamming through frost or packed snow or ice can occur and hinder proper operation of the invention. The pair of hooks are normally folded against the plate so as not show their pointy ends, and are folded out only when needed.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to safety equipment but more particularly to an emergency hook for getting out of a fall through ice over water
2. Background of the Invention
Accidents involving people falling through ice covered lakes and rivers can sometimes result in death due to drowning or hypothermia. The problem is that it is sometimes very difficult to grab a good hold on ice and often times, a victim will become exhausted in trying to get out of the water.
Over the years, inventors have tried to come up with devices to help someone who has fallen into the water to get out quickly and safely. Unfortunately, these devices are not always practical or reliable since a number of them are to be worn on the hands of a user, which precludes the accomplishment of manual activities, which makes the user not wear them, which defeats the purpose since one never knows when ice will break. Other inventions feature telescoping or extendable devices worn on the forearms but the moving parts make them likely to jam especially given that they will be immersed in cold water and may freeze the moment they are taken out of the water. For these reasons, there is a need for an improved survival hook.


Disclosed are stable, non-irritating, skin treatment active agents containing formulations and delivery systems for topical application to the skin. The disclosed topical formulations and delivery systems provide controlled, gentle release of the active agents into the skin for the treatment of amenable skin conditions as well as for improvement of aesthetic skin properties. Also provided are methods for the formulation, manufacture and use of the disclosed formulations and delivery systems.

Active agents are used in skin treatments of various and diverse dermatological conditions such as psoriasis, photoaging, age spots, aged appearance of the skin due to extrinsic and intrinsic causes, skin wrinkles, acne, hyperpigmentation and skin cancers. Active agents typically are prescription active agents and non-prescription active agents. Solvents used in dermatological formulations having skin treatment active agents may be strong solvents, such as acetone, or mild, i.e., gentle, solvents. However, strong solvents are known to cause skin condition effects that require additional treatment including disruption of the skin barrier, and may interfere with patients' compliance with skin treatment regimens. Mild solvents, on the other hand, are known to be ineffective in delivery of active agents in transdermal and cutaneous uses. Furthermore, with present tendency toward extended use of dermatological formulations in skincare, there is a continued need for topical formulations of active agents for various skin treatments.
Retinoids are useful in the treatment of various and diverse dermatological conditions, including inflammatory disorders, conditions characterized by increased cell turnover such as psoriasis, photoaging, age spots, skin wrinkles, enlarged pores, oily skin, skin appearing prematurely aged, acne, and skin cancers.
However, retinoids, particularly retinol, are unstable and easily oxidized in the presence of air as well as in the presence of ingredients commonly used in cosmetic formulations. This can be a serious issue when applied as a thin layer to a relatively large surface area of the skin and also with regard to shelf life potency of retinol containing products.
Retinol can also be very difficult to release and drive effectively into the skin from prior art delivery systems, resulting in greatly reduced efficiency of delivery even with relatively high concentrations of retinol in the formulation. Accordingly, although a first formulation may include a higher concentration of a retinoid or retinol than a second formulation, the latter may be more efficient with respect to delivery of the retinoid or retinol if its formulation provides enhanced release and transdermal penetration of the active agent, retinoid or retinol as compared to the former.
Retinol can also be irritating to the skin, discouraging continued application by those in need of treatment with retinol-containing formulations, and thereby reducing if not eliminating efficacy of the treatment. Available retinoid and retinol formulations include solvent-based systems, ointments, water-based formulations, emulsions, gels and lotions, all of which vary in their stability and their efficiency. As such, retinoid and retinol formulations are underutilized for skin care procedures, due to the propensity to cause irritation.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for topical formulations and delivery systems that can provide retinoids and/or other active agents to the skin of those in need thereof that may alleviate and ameliorate one or more of the exemplary conditions noted above or others that are recognized in the field of dermatological and cosmetic skincare procedures.
The present disclosure provides formulations and delivery systems for retinol, and other members of the retinoid family, and for other skincare active agents, such as known in the art of skincare formulations. Certain embodiments maintain product stability, exhibit low irritancy, and/or provide increased efficiency of release and delivery of the active agents, such as retinol or another member of the retinoid family and/or other active agents.

Skin treatment methods and compositions for transdermal delivery of active agents


The present teachings relate to techniques and equipment to insert documents into either letter envelopes or flat mail envelopes on the same dual mode mailing inserter without the need to do machine setup between letter and flat mail envelope insertion. The dual mode mail inserting machine is configured to accept documents from a printer that are designed for insertion into flat mail envelope. If a document plus its inserts and envelope weighs less than a predetermined weight, the document will be diverted from the normal flat mail path to a second inserter and output section.

Current mail inserting machines are designed to run either letter size mail or flat sized mail. Some inserting machines can run both letter and flat mail but the machine must be stopped and setup parameters changed to switch between envelope types. Letter and flat mail properties are defined by the postal authority such as the USPS®. The properties include envelope size, weight and postage requirements. Generally the USPS charges less postage for letter mail than flat mail of similar weight due to reduced processing costs associated with letter mail. For example, under current USPS first class postage rates, a 3.4 ounce flat mail envelope will cost $1.39 while a similar letter will cost $0.95. Significant postage savings can be achieved if qualifying flat mail could be converted to into the letter format.
There is an additional problem associated with designing a machine to insert documents configured for insertion into flat mail envelopes. Typically the addressee and address are printed on page one of the document so that the addressee and address will be visible through a window in the envelope after the document is inserted. If the document is inserted into a letter envelope the addressee and address will not be oriented to enable this data to be visible through a window.
Hence a need exists for a dual mode mail inserting machine that can run flat mail but be able to convert documents designed in a flat mail format into a letter format using a sub-set accumulator to direct documents that are less than a predetermined weight to a folder and letter inserter. The addressee and address data must be read from the document or looked up in an insertion definition file before insertion of the document into a letter envelope. The address block data is then printed on the letter envelope and verified with an imagining system for quality assurance.

Method and system for simultaneously processing letters and flat mail


A method and apparatus for initiating, facilitating and carrying out cross-market electronic trading utilizing role of an intermediary in an otherwise traditional buyer-supplier transaction. The invention utilizes a publicly or privately accessible computer program that recognizes role of a participant as a buyer, a supplier, or an intermediary and specific trade restrictions in terms of operating locations, or trading markets, or selected participants in a particular electronic transaction. The invention presents method to extend the market reach of the transaction by further identifying network of participants in a role of an intermediary that can initiate and carry out electronic transaction across market boundaries and beyond selected participants to create higher liquidity in the marketplace. The invention utilizes computer program that dynamically routes the electronic transaction through identified participants anonymous or otherwise augmenting the transaction at each step with specifics for transacting parties in that step including but not limited to incentives for price markups. In one or more embodiments the invention also utilizes a computer program that matches different transaction parameters between a buy and a sell request along with intervention from participant playing role of an intermediary. The invention extends market reach of an electronic transaction across market boundaries, creates higher liquidity with higher participation and incentives, and simplifies cross-market logistics and regulations in an electronic marketplace through services of an intermediary.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to electronic marketplace that facilitates electronic trade, more particularly in cross-market trading.
2. Description of Prior Art
Electronic Commerce enables trade participants to initiate trade, and exchange trade related information electronically to improve the efficiency of the transaction. Electronic commerce helps in reducing latency in a transaction lifecycle and also reducing manual intervention with automated processes. Marketplaces are where participants initiate a trade and carry out a transaction provided requirements of all the parties meet. An Electronic Marketplace provides tools to facilitate electronic commerce between trade participants. There are different types of marketplaces or online exchanges depending upon type of transactions and participants e.g. one-to many, many-to-one, and many-to-many. One-to-many exchange can be Online-Procurement system wherein there is one buyer and many vendors preferred or otherwise. Many-to-one business exchange can be Online Sales system where there is one supplier and many buyers. Many-to-many exchange can be an online-product or online-service exchange where there are many buyers and many suppliers controlling the transactions by the supply-demand forces. Similarly, depending upon participants, exchange can be private or public. Private exchange involves fixed group of known participants. Public exchange involves any suitable participant with trade done anonymously or with disclosed identity.
There are several shortcomings in marketplaces that currently operating for electronic trading. A buyer or a supplier has fixed operating locations or trading markets. Many a time this market restriction is introduced by international boundaries. This causes problem for a supplier or a buyer that does not operate in those trading markets to respond to the requirement. Thus market reach of an electronic transaction becomes limited reducing the liquidity of the transaction. Also, businesses have preferred list of trade participants to reduce operational overheads. This also imposes a serious restriction on the market reach of the trade in the current electronic marketplaces.
Electronic marketplaces promise global trading crossing boundaries of traditional markets. However, cross-market trading involves complex logistics, cross-market regulations, and license restrictions that are not addressed effectively in present electronic marketplaces. For marketplaces with public trading and competitive pricing models these issues become very critical for the successful transaction. For global trading, which involves multiple international marketplaces with different regulations and logistics, costs associated with these may vary drastically and introduce operational problem for end-buyer or end-supplier to compare and make a decision based on competitive pricing.
Reduced liquidity, market restrictions, limited range of participants, and problems associated with cross-market logistics and overheads cause operational inefficiencies, higher overhead costs, and higher time to complete transaction.
Currently, there are no solutions that address the above-mentioned problems and shortcomings.
Present invention gives a method and apparatus that addresses above-mentioned problems and shortcomings. Also, it provides a completely new and unique way of creating a network of trade-participants that add tremendous value to the transaction by increasing liquidity, allowing cross-market trading taking care of cross-market logistics and regulations. Present invention when implemented increases efficiency and effectiveness and efficiency of electronic commerce. The unique process by which the information is tracked and participants interact does not compromise fixed or dynamic pricing model and private or anonymous public trading.

Intermediary driven electronic marketplace for cross-market trading


A display device includes a display panel having a display region and a peripheral region. Signal lines disposed in the peripheral region provide an image display signal to the display region. A test pad portion is disposed in the peripheral region and connected to at least some of the signal lines. The test pad portion includes a test pad, an extension line extending from the test pad, and a bridge wire connecting the extension line to an associated signal line. The bridge wire is formed of a corrosion resistant material. The signal line is protected from corrosion by connecting the signal line to the test pad portion via the bridge wire, which prevents corrosion of the test pad from spreading to the signal line. The bridge wire can be protected from corrosion by disposing it under a sealing member of the panel.

This disclosure relates to display devices, such as liquid crystal display (LCD) devices, and more particularly, to a wiring connection technique for display devices that prevents wires in the display regions of display panels from corroding due to corroded test pads disposed outside the display regions.
LCDs constitute one of the more widely used types of flat panel display devices, and typically include an LCD panel for displaying images in response to an external control signal and means for driving the panel. The LCD panel includes upper and lower substrates having a display region and a peripheral region, with a layer of a liquid crystal material sealed between the two substrates. In the manufacture of such LCD panels, thin film transistors, pixel electrodes and the like are formed on the lower substrate, and color filters, a common electrode and the like are formed on the upper substrate. The upper and lower substrates are bonded together, a common seal is formed at their adjacent edges, and the liquid crystal material is then injected between the two substrates to complete the panel.
Completed LCD panels are subject to a visual test after the panel manufacturing process in order to detect signal line defects, such as a short or an open circuit in the signal lines, thin film transistor defects, and the like. The visual test is performed using a plurality of test pads that are located in a peripheral region of the lower substrate and connected to a plurality of signal lines located in the display region of the panel.
After the visual test, the test pads remain exposed to air in the peripheral region of the lower substrate. As a result, the test pads easily corrode. Corrosion generated in the test pads spreads to the signal lines in the display region connected thereto, resulting in corrosion of the signal lines. The corrosion of the signal lines in the display region of the device causes the device to malfunction.


A hard disk drive assembly for a portable computer includes a conventional small form factor hard disk drive which is mounted in a rigid housing; the housing is mounted to the portable computer chassis. The hard disk drive itself is shock and vibration protected from the housing by a set of thin shock pads of a shock absorbing material such as a viscoelastic polymer. The pads are e.g., 1 or 2 mm thick, typically no more than 5 mm thick. The pads are each relatively small in surface area and are interposed between all surfaces of the hard disk drive and the opposing surfaces of the housing, thereby suspending the hard disk drive in the housing with shock and vibration protection, without the shock pads themselves occupying a significant volume.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to disk drives and personal computers, and more specifically to a shock mounting for a hard disk drive in a portable computer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Personal computers are well known, as are portable personal computers, hereinafter referred to as portable computers. Most portable computers now sold include a hard drive disk drive (Winchester disk drive). A typical xe2x80x9cform factorxe2x80x9d for hard disk drives currently used in portable computers is two and a half inches, meaning the nominal diameter of the disk is two and a half inches. The typical overall size of such a hard disk drive is approximately four inches by three inches by one-half inch. In a portable computer, the hard disk drive is usually the component most sensitive to shock and vibration since it is the only rotating component, and it is mechanically complex. In use, the disk in the hard disk drive rotates at a high speed and a read/write head rides very closely above the disk. The head/disk arrangement is very sensitive to both vibration and shock and is easily damaged by either.
A typical shock parameter for a portable computer is that the portable computer can be dropped six inches onto a hard surface (e.g. table top) and that the hard disk drive itself sustains a maximum of 100G acceleration. It is to be understood that the hard disk drive itself is mounted within some sort of housing, typically metal and/or plastic, which is attached to the chassis of the portable computer.
To limit the shock to the hard disk drive to 100G, a typical prior art solution is to swathe the entire hard disk drive in a thick layer of very soft (polymer gel) material. This has the advantage of providing shock protection due to the softness of the material, and also eliminating transmission of vibration to the hard disk drive since gel dampens vibration. While effective, this approach has the drawback that the polymer gel material must be fairly thick, e.g. xe2x85x9c inch thick or more. This is a significant problem, especially with the smaller types of portable computers where internal volume is at a premium. In this case, the shock mounting material undesirably occupies more volume than does the hard disk drive itself inside the computer.
Also, of course, such shock mounting material is typically thermally insulative. This may be a problem since the hard disk drive includes a rotational drive motor and a head motor which generate heat which must be dissipated. Hence, this prior art solution, while effective in terms of shock and vibration isolation, is far from ideal in terms of portable computer system design. An improved shock mounting system which would be highly desirable would consume less volume and also not be thermally insulative.
In accordance with this invention, a hard disk drive is shock mounted within a housing in a portable computer. The shock mounting is a number of thin shock pads each having a small surface area. The shock pads are e.g. one or two millimeters thick, typically no more than five millimeters thick. Each shock pad is a shock absorbing material such as a viscoelastic polymer. The shock pads are collectively fairly small in surface area, e.g. 20% or less of the total surface area of the main top and bottom surfaces of the hard disk drive are covered by the shock pads. Most of the space between the outer surface of the hard disk drive and the inner surface of the housing is empty, or it may be used in one embodiment for installation of thermally conductive pads to provide an efficient heat path between the hard disk drive and e.g. the housing for heat dissipation.
These shock pads provide optimum shock and vibration isolation compared to that in the prior art, but occupy only an insignificant amount of volume since the shock pads are thin. The actual surface area of the shock pads and their thickness is determined so as to provide sufficient shock isolation while also minimizing amplification of resonant frequency vibrations to the hard disk drive from the portable computer.
Hence, the actual thickness and surface area of the shock mount is dependent upon the size and mass of the hard disk drive, as well as any resonant frequencies from which the hard disk drive must be protected.
This shock mounting is compatible with the usual sorts of housings for hard disk drives. For instance, in one embodiment the housing is a rigid box consisting of a bottom tray portion and a covering lid portion in which the hard disk drive fits. The shock mount pads are disposed between the inner surface of the housing and the outer surface of the hard disk drive. This housing in turn slides inside the portable computer on rails which are mounted on the portable computer chassis.
In another embodiment, the housing tray is mounted inside the portable computer on the chassis. The hard disk drive fits inside the tray and is isolated therefrom by shock pads. A cover fits over the hard disk drive and is also isolated from the hard disk drive by additional pads. This cover in turn is part of an outer surface of the portable computer. Of course, other types of housing are compatible with the present shock pad structure.
Also, while the presently disclosed shock mounting is directed to a hard disk drive, it is not so limited. As will be readily understood by one skilled in the art, in addition to hard disk drive, this scheme may be used with a floppy disk drive or with other types of disk drives. Of course, in the floppy disk (or other replaceable disk) drive embodiment, the front surface of the disk drive must be exposed through the outer housing of the portable computer. Otherwise the structures and methods disclosed herein for shock mounting are applicable to other than hard disk drives and also are not limited to the portable computer environment.

Shock mount for hard disk drive in a portable computer


A solid three-dimensional article is formed from a liquid medium by initially coating a layer of the liquid medium on a fixedly mounted apertured support plate. An initial cross-section or profile of the article then is formed by solidifying the liquid medium, or at least a portion thereof, on the support plate. In another embodiment, each layer of the liquid medium is formed by dispensing the entire layer from above the fixed support plate. In a further embodiment, a device is disclosed for dispensing a liquid medium in layers of uniform thickness on the medium surface of a laser modeling machine, for solidification when subjected to prescribed energy. The dispenser comprises an elongated applicator or coating bar of rectangular, essentially solid construction, with a liquid medium reservoir and dispensing passageways located adjacent a dispensing side of the bar. A feed tube and traversing mechanism support rods are secured to an opposite side of the bar. The dispensing passageways may be apertures arranged in multiple rows, with the apertures in at least one row offset with respect to the apertures in the other rows, for more uniform dispensing. In the alternative, the passageways may be inclined slots having portions overlapping in a direction extending longitudinally of the bar.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an applicator or coating device for dispensing a liquid medium in the forming of a solid three-dimensional article wherein the liquid medium is capable of solidification when subjected to prescribed energy, and more particularly to a specially configured applicator bar for dispensing the liquid medium in relatively thin layers of uniform thickness for the successive solidification thereof, so as to form the article in a very precise manner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, apparatus for forming a solid three-dimensional article from a liquid medium capable of solidification when subjected to prescribed energy are known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,755,578 to O. J. Munz discloses a system for generating three-dimensional objects from a liquid medium by irradiating liquid layers with the aid of a computer programmed irradiation source and a translational mechanism. Other arrangements of this general type are disclosed in an article by H. Kodama, entitled "Automatic Method for Fabricating a Three-Dimensional Plastic Model With Photo-Hardening Polymer," Review Scientific Instruments, Vol. 52, No. 11, November 1981, pages 1770-1773, and an article by A. J. Herbert, entitled "Solid Object Generation," Journal of Applied Photographic Engineering 8 (4), August 1982, pages 185-188. A similar arrangement is disclosed in reexamined U.S. Pat. No. 4,575,330 to C. W. Hull, in which Reexamination Certificate B1 4,575,330 was issued on Dec. 19, 1989. Other prior art of interest includes the U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,525,532 to Dreywood, 2,381,234 to Symmes, 3,723,120 to Hummel, 3,609,707 to Lewis et al., 4,081,276 to Crivello and 4,252,514 to Gates, and the British Patent No. 566,795 to Gates.
However, a need still exists for a method of and apparatus for forming a solid three-dimensional article from a liquid medium in an accurate, rapid and expeditious manner, with a minimum of waste in time and material, and a primary purpose of this invention is to provide such a method and apparatus.

Method of making a solid three-dimensional article from a liquid medium


In addition to a first opening (11) forming a primary output from a waveguide cavity (10) of a microwave oscillator, a coupling aperture (12) in a reflective wall (32) provides a secondary output which does not degrade the performance or tuning characteristics of the source. Less than -20 dB of the source power may be coupled out via the aperture (12) and is used in a feed-back loop (12,21,23,24,36) with an harmonic mixer (21) and frequency discriminator (24) to stabilize the source. The mixer comprises a further waveguide section (15) separated from the source cavity (10) by the reflective wall (32). An advantageous mixer assembly comprises a circuit substrate which is mounted across the further waveguide cavity (15) and which carries an inductive probe by which the signal from the coupling aperture (12) is fed to an antiparallel pair of mixer diodes on the substrate. The whole assembly may be bolted together through holes (34).

This invention relates to microwave oscillators comprising a waveguide source cavity in which there is mounted an oscillator device, particularly but not exclusively a Gunn diode, for generating power of a desired microwave frequency; the invention is concerned with stabilizing the oscillator frequency. Such an oscillator may be designed for use as the transmitting source in microwave transmission equipment (e.g. in a video distribution system) or in radar for example, or it may be designed for use in a non-transmitting mode (e.g. for a local oscillator in instrumentation). The invention also provides a simple microwave transmitter comprising such an oscillator as its microwave source.
For many waveguide sources operating within the frequency range of 26 GHz to 100 GHz, there is a need for low-cost control arrangements to improve the long-term behaviour of the source, particularly its frequency stability and/or its amplitude stability. Thus it is found that over a 2 year period the centre frequency of the source may drift by 10 MHz or more.
It is known to monitor the output of a microwave oscillator via a directional coupler mounted outside the oscillator cavity. The directional coupler is designed so as to sample the waveguide output at the oscillator frequency and requires an appropriate mounting outside the oscillator cavity. Especially with oscillators in the mm-wave region of the spectrum, such couplers can be expensive to manufacture and to mount. Furthermore the directional coupler has a finite fixed insertion loss which may be considerably more than the sample power coupled out at small coupling values. For mm-wave couplers this fixed loss typically may be about 0.5 dB and so the available power from the source may be reduced by as much as 10%.
Such losses can be avoided by adopting a different approach to frequency stabilization, using a cavity resonator coupled to the source cavity. In an example of this known different form as proposed in published Japanese patent application kokai JP-A-55-83304, the cavity resonator also forms a detector section of the oscillator. Thus, the microwave oscillator of JP-A-55-83304 comprises a waveguide forming a source cavity separated from a detector section (the cavity resonator) by a reflective wall, and an oscillator device mounted in the source cavity for generating power of a desired microwave frequency; the wall is present at one end of the source cavity for reflecting the microwave power generated by the oscillator device; a first opening is present in another wall portion of the source cavity to provide a primary output of the microwave power; a coupling aperture is present in the reflective wall to provide as a secondary output a sample of the microwave power from the source cavity to the detector section; detector means is associated with the detector section for generating from the sample a signal indicative of whether the desired microwave frequency is being generated in the source cavity; a bias terminal to the source cavity serves for applying a bias signal for controlling the microwave power generated in the source cavity.
In this proposed oscillator of JP-A-55-83304, the detector means is a detection diode outside the cavity resonator but connected thereto by a coupling part projecting into the cavity resonator. The cavity resonator amplifies the extracted sample at the resonant frequency. A load resistance is connected to the detection diode, and the voltage developed across this load resistance is used to monitor deviation of the oscillator frequency from the resonant frequency of the cavity resonator. No voltage is developed across the resistance when the oscillator is generating an unwanted wavelength differing from resonance; when this condition is observed the bias signal to the oscillator is reduced to suppress the unwanted wavelength by stopping the oscillation.
Although the provision of such a detection arrangement with the cavity resonator indicates when the generated frequency deviates from the resonance, it does not indicate whether the deviation is to a higher or lower frequency, and the circuit arrangement of the detection diode and load resistance does not make provision for automatically regulating the bias signal to the oscillator so as to correct its frequency operation. Furthermore, such a cavity resonator can be expensive to manufacture.

Microwave oscillators and transmitters with frequency stabilization


Described is a technology by which ambient data related to a vehicle is sensed and processed, for use in determining a state change related to external traffic awareness. Based upon the state change, an allowed level of interactivity with a user interface may be changed, and/or a notification may be output. Images and/or depth data may be sensed as part of determining whether a user who is interacting with a device in a stopped vehicle is to be made aware of the changed condition with respect to other vehicles, pedestrians and/or the like.

When a driver is stopped, he or she often interacts with a mobile device. At such a time, the driver is unaware of the state of other vehicles and/or pedestrians around his or her vehicle. Driver distraction is often evident when a red light changes to green and a car does not move when even when cars in front have moved forward.
Accidents with pedestrians as well as vehicles are another concern with distracted drivers. A driver may react suddenly and move forward upon realizing that he or she is supposed to be moving forward at the time, possibly as a result of a honking horn from a driver behind. However, such a sudden movement can be dangerous. Any technology that assists drivers with respect to safe and attentive driving is beneficial.

Ambient vehicle and pedestrian state detection for device notification


Disclosed is a wettable agrochemical composition comprising an agrochemical active component (A), which is a compound represented by the following formula (I) or an agriculturally and horticulturally acceptable acid addition salt thereof, one or more additives, and one or more surfactants, the wettable agrochemical composition being solid at 30° C. This wettable agrochemical composition has excellent physical properties of the formulation and storage stability.

Various agrochemicals are used to control pests to crops at present. Among them, aqueous suspension agrochemical compositions (hereinbelow, also referred to as a "flowable formulations") are water-based agrochemical formulations, of which utility value has been enhanced as safety agrochemical formulations, in view of considerations to sprayers and the environment.
However, in a flowable formulation, crystals of an active component are suspended in water. Thus, depending on the type of active component, hydrolysis occurs during storage or a small amount of the active component dissolves and recrystalizes to thereby cause crystals of the active component to grow. Crystal growth of the active component in the formulation lowers the controlling effect, and moreover, arouses concern in hardcaking and nozzle clogging upon spraying due to deterioration in its physicochemical characteristics. Thus, it is important to suppress the crystal growth within an acceptable range in the flowable formulation. Further, when the particle diameter of the crystals of the active component in the composition has an influence on the effect on the subject pest, an increase in the particle diameter due to crystal growth may severely lower the effect. Accordingly, it is desired to persistently suppress the crystal growth of the active component in the composition over a long period of time.
In Patent Literature 1 and Patent Literature 2, in a flowable formulation containing one of quinoline compounds, 2-ethyl-3,7-dimethyl-4-methoxycarbonyloxy-6-(4-trifluoroparamethoxyphenoxy)-quinoline (generic name: flometoquin), as the active component, the particle diameter of flometoquin may increase depending on the formula of a composition or storage conditions, and the efficacy of the effective component may not be sufficiently exerted. Patent Literature 1 and Patent Literature 2 disclose that, in order to solve this problem, as a method of suppressing crystal growth of flometoquin, blending a water-soluble cellulose derivative or polyvinyl phenol in the composition or blending a specific surfactant in the composition enables crystal growth to be suppressed.
Patent Literature 3 mentions that a composition containing diafenthiuron and various biocidal compounds extends the active spectrum to pests to be controlled and a synergistic effect of the effective components also occurs. However, in examples, specific effective components are limited to combinations of diafenthiuron and fenoxycarb or abamectin, and whether combinations of diafenthiuron and all of the effective components are effective or not is unknown. In an emulsifiable concentrate or suspension stock liquid of a mixed agent, problems such as mutual dissolution of the active components, recrystallization, crystal growth, separation of the liquid phase, aggregation, hardcaking, and decomposition of the effective component may occur during long-term storage.
Patent Literature 4 mentions that, in a mixed agent containing imidacloprid and an organophosphorus compound, use of amorphous silica enables a mixed agent having excellent stability to be provided. However, this literature describes the stability of the content, but there is no description of the physical properties of the formulation of a wettable powder after long-term storage. This method is also effective to specific agrochemical active components, but whether the method is effective to all of agrochemical active components or not is unknown.
Patent Literature 5 mentions that mixing a phthalamide compound with some active materials enhances insecticidal activity and acaricidal activity and a synergistic effect can be obtained. However, examples provide description only on an emulsifiable concentrate. In such an emulsifiable concentrate, the effective component precipitates during storage, or a chemical hazard may occur in plants due to use of an organic solvent. Emulsifiable concentrates may not be optimal depending on an effective component because the emulsifiable concentrates are combustible and agrochemical formulations recently have tended to shift to water-based formulations.


In a synchronous detector a first local signal from a first local signal generator is frequency divided by a frequency divider to obtain a second local signal. The polarity of the first local signal is inverted by a polarity inverter in synchronization with the second local signal, and the output of the polarity inverter is used to synchronously detect the output of an AC amplifier by a first synchronous detector. The synchronous detected output is synchronously detected by the second local signal in a second synchronous detector, the detected output of which is averaged by a filter.

The present invention relates to a synchronous detector which is used in a synchronous detection part of a fiber optic gyro, for example, and is particularly suitable for synchronous detection of high frequencies.
A brief description will be given first, with reference to FIG. 1, of the basic construction of an ordinary fiber optic gyro to which the present invention is applicable. Light emitted from a laser or like light source 11 is split by a beam splitter 12 into two beams, which enter, as clockwise and counterclockwise beams 14 and 15, into a loop-like optical transmission line 13 as of a plane-of-polarization retaining optical fiber coil at opposite ends thereof and propagate therethrough in opposite directions. The two 14 and 15 having thus propagated through the optical transmission line 13 and emitted therefrom are coupled again by the beam splitter 12 and interfere with each other. The resulting interference light is converted by an optoelectric transducer 16 into an electric signal corresponding to its intensity, which is cut off in DC and amplified in AC by an AC amplifier 17. An optical phase modulator 18 is provided between the beam splitter 12 and one end of the optical transmission line 13. A bias signal generator 19 applies to the optical phase modulator 18, as a modulation signal, a bias signal V.sub.B by which the phase difference between the two beams 14 and 15 at the time of their interference in the beam splitter 12 alternate between +.pi./2 rad and -.pi./2 rad at intervals of the time .tau. necessary for the light from the light source 11 to propagate through the optical transmission line 13. In synchronization with this phase shift the output of the AC amplifier is synchronously detected (i.e. multiplied by .+-.1) by a synchronous detector 21 for each time .tau..
The phase difference between the clockwise and counterclockwise light beams 14 and 15 when they interfere and the output of the AC amplifier 17 bear such a relationship as indicated by the curve 22 in FIG. 2. When no angular rate is being applied to the optical transmission line 13, the phase difference .phi. between the clockwise and counterclockwise light beams 14 and 15 is caused by their modulation with the optical phase modulator 18 to go positive and negative alternately about the zero phase by the same value at .tau. time intervals as indicated by the curve 23 in FIG. 2. In this instance, the output of the AC amplifier 17 becomes constant as indicated by the line 24 and the output of the synchronous detector 21 is zero. When an angular rate is applied to the optical transmission line 13, a phase difference (i.e. a Sagnac shift) .phi..sub.R develops, owing to the Sagnac effect, between the clockwise and counterclockwise light beams 14 and 15 in accordance with the direction and magnitude of the angular rate being applied. Under the influence of the Sagnac shift .phi..sub.R the phase difference .phi. between the beams 14 and 15 goes positive and negative alternately by the same value about a phase shifted from the zero phase by .phi..sub.R at intervals of the time .tau. as indicated by the curve 25 in FIG. 2. In consequence, the output of the AC amplifier 17 varies like a rectangular wave at intervals of the time .tau. as indicated by the curve 26 in FIG. 2. In this case, the amplitude of the output from the AC amplifier 17 corresponds to the Sagnac shift .phi..sub.R and its phase (in-phase or 180.degree. out-of-phase) relative to the bias signal V.sub.B of the bias signal generator 19 represents the direction of the Sagnac shift. Thus the output waveform 26 of the AC amplifier 17 is detected (multiplied by +1 and -1 alternately every .tau. time) in synchronization with the bias signal V.sub.B and the detected output is provided as a signal representative of the magnitude and direction of the Sagnac shift .phi..sub.R between the clockwise and counterclockwise beams 14 and 15 caused by the angular rate applied to the optical transmission line 13.
The relationship between the input angular rate .omega. and the Sagnac shift .phi..sub.R is expressed by the following equation (1): EQU .phi..sub.R =4.pi.RL.OMEGA./(.lambda.C) (1)
where R is the radius of the optical transmission line (i.e. the optical fiber) 13, L is the length of the optical transmission line 13, .lambda. is the wavelength of the light emitted from the light source 11, C is the velocity of light in a vacuum, and .OMEGA. is the input angular rate.
An angular rate calculator 27 detects the magnitude of the Sagnac shift .phi..sub.R from the output of the synchronous detector 21 and calculates and outputs the input angular rate .OMEGA..
In the conventional fiber optic gyro, an offset contained in the output of the synchronous detector 21 remains intact in the results of measurement of the input angular rate, but since a typical demodulation frequency (determined by 1/(2.tau.)) is relatively high i.e., hundreds of kilohertz to several megahertz, it is difficult in the prior art to design a fiber optic gyro which affords sufficient reduction of the offset of the synchronous detector 21. Ordinary synchronous detectors as well as that for the fiber optic gyro pose the same problem, namely that a relatively large offset develops when the demodulation (i.e. detection) frequency is high.

Two step demodulation synchronous detector

Japan Aviation Electronics Industry Limited


An ion source is provided that can generate an ion beam in which the width is wide, the beam current is large, and the uniformity of the beam current distribution in the width direction is high, and that can prolong the lifetime of a cathode. The ion source 2a has: a plasma generating chamber 6 having an ion extraction port 8 extending in the X direction; a magnet 14 which generates a magnetic field 16 extending along the X direction, in the plasma generating chamber 6; indirectly-heated cathodes 20 which are placed respectively on the both sides of the plasma generating chamber 6 in the X direction, and which are used for generating a plasma i0 in the chamber 6, and increasing or decreasing the density of the whole of the plasma 10; and plural filament cathodes 32 which are juxtaposed in the X direction in the plasma generating chamber 6, and which are used for generating the plasma i0 in the chamber 6, and controlling the density distribution of the plasma 10.

In an ion source which generates a ribbon-like ion beam, usually, plural cathodes are used in order to generate a plasma of high uniformity.
The lifetimes of the cathodes depend on sputter due to collisions of ions in a plasma, thermal evaporation, consumption due to a reaction with a source gas for generating a plasma, and the like.
Among cathodes, in an indirectly-heated cathode in which a cathode member is heated by a filament, usually, the cathode member can be made thicker than a filament cathode (in other words, a directly-heated cathode, the same shall apply hereinafter). Therefore, an indirectly-heated cathode has an advantage that the lifetime can be prolonged. An example of an ion source in which two such indirectly-heated cathodes are used is disclosed in Patent Reference 1.
By contrast, a filament cathode is simple in structure, and hence has an advantage that many filament cathodes can be disposed in a relatively easy manner. An example of an ion source in which a plurality of such filament cathodes are used is disclosed in Patent Reference 2.    Patent Reference 1: JP-A-11-25872 (Paragraph 0015, FIG. 2)    Patent Reference 2: JP-A-2000-315473 (Paragraph 0003, FIG. 8)

Ion source and method for operating same


A magneto-caloric effect type heat pump apparatus includes a magneto-caloric element which generates heat when an external magnetic field is applied to and which absorbs heat when the external magnetic field is removed from; a magnetic field switcher which switches the applying and the removal of the external magnetic field from each other; a pump pumping a heat transport medium between a low-temperature end and a high-temperature end of the magneto-caloric element; and an auxiliary heat source device which supplies heat of a heating element to the magneto-caloric element.

FR 2933539 describes a magneto-caloric effect type heat pump apparatus associated with a housing of a battery for a vehicle, and has the corresponding publications WO 2010/004131 and US 2011/0104530. FR 2936363 describes a structure of a magneto-caloric effect type heat pump apparatus, and has the corresponding publications WO 2010/061064 and US 2011/0215088.
However, it is difficult to draw up the heat of the battery by the magneto-caloric effect type heat pump device, due to the configurations in FR 2933539 and FR 2936363.
Further, the heat of the battery cannot be used for the magneto-caloric effect type heat pump device, due to the configurations in FR 2933539 and FR 2936363.

Magneto-caloric effect type heat pump apparatus


A printing system in which a DSC and a PD printer are directly connected to each other via a general interface, image data is transmitted from the DSC to the PD printer, and the data is printed, wherein the number of offset bytes and a data amount of the image data are designated from a print controller to a storage controller to specify partial image data, the storage controller reads the partial image data from the storage device of the DSC based on the specification, the partial image data is supplied to a print controller of the PD printer, and printing is performed.

In recent years, digital cameras (image sensing apparatuses) capable of photographing an image by a simple operation and converting the photographed image into digital image data have widely been used. To print an image photographed by this camera and use the print as a photograph, in general, after digital image data of the photographed image is temporarily inputted from the digital camera to a PC (computer) and undergoes image processing by the PC, the processed data is outputted from the PC to a color printer, which prints the data.
To the contrary, there have been recently developed color print systems capable of directly transferring digital image data from a digital camera to a color printer and printing the data without the mediacy of any PC, and so-called photo-direct (PD) printers capable of directly mounting in a color printer a memory card which is mounted in a digital camera and stores a sensed image, and printing the photographed image stored in the memory card.
Particularly when image data is directly transmitted to a printer from a digital camera and the data is printed, since digital cameras vary in specification and operating method from vendor to vendor, photo-direct printers compatible with digital cameras of various vendors have been demanded. Further, in addition to the above digital cameras, such photo-direct printers are considered to receive image data from mobile telephones, PDAs, and the other devices and print the data, and the printers have various functions. Hence, the capabilities of the devices cannot be predicted from each other and thus it is necessary to exchange function information each other.
Further, when image data stored for each image file is acquired from a digital camera, because of a limitation on a memory capacity of a printer, it may not be possible to read the overall image data of the image file and store the image data in the printer. However, in this case, since a data unit for transferring the image data to the printer from the camera is an image file, when the printer does not have a memory capacity enough to store the image file, the image data cannot be transferred.

Recording system and controlling method therefor


Methods and apparatuses featuring an injection-locked oscillator (ILO) are described. In some embodiments, an ILO can have multiple injection points and a free-running frequency that is capable of being adjusted based on a control signal. In some embodiments, each injection point of an ILO can correspond to a phase tuning range. In some embodiments, a circuit can include circuitry to detect a phase boundary between two adjacent phase tuning ranges. In some embodiments, a circuit can use the detected phase boundary to switch between the two adjacent phase tuning ranges.

Some applications (e.g., high-performance memory systems) use circuits for adjusting the phase of a clock signal. An injection-locked oscillator (ILO) can be used in a phase adjustment circuit that adjusts the phase of a clock signal with respect to a reference phase. Some ILO-based phase adjustment circuits add a significant amount of complex circuitry to adjust the phase of the output clock signal.

Integrated circuit having a clock deskew circuit that includes an injection-locked oscillator


Data are prefetched into a cache from a prefetch region of memory, based on a program instruction reference and on compile-time information that indicates the bounds of the prefetch region, a size of a prefetch block, and a location of the prefetch block. If the program reference address lies with the prefetch region, an offset distance is used to determine the address of the prefetch block. Prefetching is performed either from a continuous one-dimensional prefetch region, or an embedded multi-dimensional prefetch region. The prefetch block address is respectively determined in one dimension or multiple dimensions. Program-directed prefetching is implemented by a media processor or by a separate processing component in communication with the media processor. The primary components include a program-directed prefetch controller, a cache, a function unit, and a memory. Preferably, region registers store the compile-time information, and the prefetched data are stored in a cache prefetch buffer.

Accessing computer memory for image and video processing functions imposes different requirements than accessing computer memory for carrying out general-purpose computing functions. In particular, many image/video processing functions are characterized by high spatial locality, meaning that the functions require access to pieces of data that are stored in close proximity to each other within memory. Typically, image data are stored in consecutive blocks of memory, and image functions, such as frame averaging and two-dimensional transposition, generally require sequential access to the consecutive blocks of data. However, image/video processing functions characteristically have little temporal locality, meaning that these functions typically don't need to reuse the same pieces of data after a short period of time. For example, functions such as frame averaging and two-dimensional transposition generally do not reuse the same blocks of data after a short period of time.
Cache memories are well suited to temporarily store data for repeated access by a processor. Thus, cache memories are best employed when functions are executed that have sufficient temporal locality, so that the data stored in the cache can be reused often. However, caches are not well suited for functions having primarily spatial locality. The ability of caches to exploit spatial locality is limited due to the relatively small size of cache lines, where a cache line is the smallest unit of memory that can be transferred between main memory and the cache. (Cache lines are also sometimes referred to as cache blocks.)
Many media processors try to overcome the limitations of caches by replacing or supplementing them with direct memory access (DMA) controllers. Double buffering has become a popular programming technique when utilizing DMA controllers and takes advantage of the static and simple memory references in most image/video computing functions. With double buffering, the DMA controller transfers data to an on-chip buffer while the processor uses data stored in another on-chip buffer as its input. The roles of the two buffers are switched when the DMA controller and the processor are finished with their respective buffers.
Double buffering overlaps computation and memory transfers. This overlap hides memory latency very effectively. In addition, the memory bandwidth obtained is typically higher with DMA transfers than those obtained when fetching data from cache lines. There are two reasons for this. First, most modem main memory designs enable the address and data phases to be decoupled, so that addressing and data access periods can be overlapped. An example of this type of memory is RAMBUS™ dynamic random access memory (RDRAM). These main memories typically operate most efficiently when the supply of read addresses is uninterrupted and pipelined, which is possible with DMA data transfers. A continuous supply of addresses is more difficult to guarantee when using a cache, because a cache miss only results in a few words of data being loaded from main memory. In fact, a continuous supply of addresses is impossible unless the cache is non-blocking, meaning that the processor is not blocked (stalled) from continuing to execute subsequent instructions during a cache miss. Of course, the processor is allowed to execute subsequent instructions only if the subsequent instructions do not use the data being loaded by a cache miss service. In double buffering, a block of data is typically large enough that the DMA controller will typically fetch a longer portion of a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) page than would be fetched during a cache miss. Since DRAMs are most efficient when accessing data within a page, double buffering also improves the data transfer bandwidth.
The use of double buffering enables computation-bound functions to minimize memory stalls, since it effectively hides the memory latency behind continued computing time. For memory-bound functions, efficient bandwidth utilization directly translates into better performance, because execution time is highly correlated with the memory bandwidth obtained.
The disadvantage of using DMA controllers for double buffering is that they make programming significantly more difficult. A DMA controller must be programmed separately from the main data processing. The DMA controller must also be properly synchronized to the program running on functional units. The programmer must keep track of where the data are stored and explicitly perform transfers between on-chip and off-chip memories. Current compiler technologies are unable to simplify most of these tasks. Thus, substantial programming effort expended in developing an image computing function is directed to establishing correct and efficient DMA data transfers.
It would be desirable for a cache to mimic the efficient memory addressing characteristics of functions running on a DMA controller to ensure that memory bandwidth utilization is high, while avoiding the need for difficult and time-consuming DMA programming. It would also be desirable to prefetch blocks of data larger than a cache line sufficiently early to reduce cache miss penalties.
A particular concern with prefetching large blocks of memory is that a misprediction of the data that are needed will result in a large amount of useless data being transferred to the processor, since a prefetch is useful only when the prefetched data are employed by the processor before the data are replaced. High prefetching accuracy is therefore needed to avoid useless prefetches. Achieving a high accuracy in this task by using suitable hardware would require significant on-chip space, and it might take a significant amount of time for the hardware to collect the necessary information, such as memory addresses, from run-time information. Any delay in this decision-making process will incur cache misses early in the execution.
For these reasons, it would be desirable to use compile-time information to aid in prefetching. Preferably, such compile-time information would be determined indirectly from instructions (hints) provided by a programmer or compiler. For example, hints provided by the programmer or compiler could identify the region of data and a general direction in which to prefetch the data. This concept of providing programmed hints is referred to herein as program-directed prefetching (PDP). Although PDP requires the programmer's active role in creating the hints, the programming effort can be significantly reduced since the programmer does not have to deal with the complicated data transfer synchronization problem. Furthermore, since no DMA programming interface, which is architecture dependent, would be required, the portability of functions would be improved by providing a cache prefetcher mechanism such as PDP.

Program-directed cache prefetching for media processors


A practice putting device according to the present invention is an annular collar sized for a snug friction fit onto a conventional golf ball. The collar in use is placed on a putting surface so that the golf ball may be aimed at the collar opening when the collar is laid on its side. Upon a successful putt, a golf ball becomes frictionally lodged within the collar. The collar has a one inch depth which, when the putt has the correct weight, and is aimed exactly so as to lodge in the collar, the collar will flip up so that its opening is in a horizontal plane, and so as to hold the golf ball in the manner of an egg sitting in an egg cup.

In the sport of golf it is generally understood that in order to improve a player's game, the player must practice. This is because golf, both the so-called long game and short game, requires both a high degree of eye-to-hand coordination and a developed muscle-memory for successful play. In the short game on the putting green, a successful putt requires, again, eye-to-hand coordination and muscle memory to improve the two basic elements of a successful putt, namely, accuracy and weight. In order to sink a putt, the golf ball must arrive at the hole with sufficient accuracy that the ball will either fall directly into the cup or bounce off the inside of the rim around the hold and then fall into the cup. In the latter instance, if the ball has been driven too forcefully, that is, hit with too much so-called weight, then the golf ball will bounce off the rim and out of the cup rather than falling into the cup.
Hence there exists a need to practice both elements of a putt: vis, accuracy and weight in order to improve a player's eye-to-hand coordination and muscle memory so as to improve the golfer's short game.
In the prior art, applicant is aware of, of course, actual putting greens used exclusively for practice. These are typically found at golf courses. Applicant is also aware of practice putting devices simulating the hole found on a putting green, such devices typically lacking the form of target and lacking an indication of proper weight as provided in the present invention. What the present invention provides is a device for practicing putting virtually anywhere there exists a planar surface on which a player may stand and over which a golf ball may roll.

Practice putting and ball retrieving device


A corrosion fuse is a device connected with a compressed air tank in order to provide a predictive indication of corrosive activity occurring within the compressed air tank. The corrosion fuse includes a corrosion detector established as a thin-walled metal tube closed on one end and open to an environment outside the compressed air tank on the other end. The joining of the corrosion fuse with the compressed air tank is enabled by the connection of a plug with a fitting (i.e., flange). The plug connects to the open end of the corrosion detector and with the flange. The flange is connected to the compressed air tank about a tank receiver disposed on the compressed air tank. The tank receiver allows the corrosion detector, connected with the plug, to at least partially extend inside the compressed air tank, when the plug is connected with the flange.

Compressed air storage containers/pressure vessels/air tanks are employed for the storage of air at elevated pressures. These air tanks are widely employed to enable the functionality of various mechanisms, such as pressure washers and air driven tools, and may commonly be utilized in the consumer market, residing in consumer's shops, garages, and barns. A typical problem associated with the use of these compressed air tanks is that due to humidity in the air and temperature changes moisture (i.e., water) may build up within the tank which may lead to corrosion of the tank, if the tank is not properly maintained by regularly draining the condensate from the tank. Compressed air tanks commonly include drain plugs which allow the operator to perform proper maintenance draining. However, it may be the case that operators may fail to properly maintain the air tanks, thereby, resulting in an amount of condensate residing in the air tank for an extended period of time. This water may lead to corrosion of the inside of the air tank with no indication of damage viewing the air tank from the outside. The corrosion of the air tank may lead to a rupture of the tank walls, which may result in a decreased useful life span and serious damage to the air tank.
Compressed air tanks may be composed of various materials. Steel is often employed in the construction of these air tanks. Steel corrosion by water is typically described by a single corrosion rate, usually millimeters (or thousandths of an inch) per year. This corrosion is generally thought to be uniform (i.e., the same at all points on the corroding surfaces.) However, steel corrosion is often not uniform and may have pits or other localized corrosion.
For pitting corrosion, the corrosion rate is measured at the maximum pit depth and the rate can be as high as three times the uniform corrosion rate for the same material under the same environmental conditions. Severe pitting may lead to a leak while some structural strength remains. Thus, for a corroding compressed air tank of an air compressor, pitting may lead to leaks before a rupture may occur. This is referred to as "leak-before-burst".
Another form of non-uniform corrosion is known as "waterline attack". In this corrosion process, the corrosion rate is greater at the splash zone or the intersection of the metal, the corroding liquid, and air. This may result in a "line", commonly referred to as a "waterline" in the air tank that is a thinner or weaker section of the air tank than the surrounding area. A waterline, long length of thin metal, aligned perpendicular to the maximum stress direction, the hoop stress direction, may result in a rupture well before an expected rupture based on metal thickness in the area of uniform corrosion.
Compressed air tanks are typically assembled from formed flat sheets of steel that are welded together. The welding process alters the local metal structure in and near the weld, establishing a fusion region. This may lead to non-uniform corrosion of the metal in or near the fusion region. The fusion region of the weld (metal that was molten) has more microstructure variation than wrought metal and may be prone to pitting. There is a region near the weld that does not melt, but gets hot enough to alter the metallurgical structure. This is called the heat-affected zone (HAZ). This different metallurgical structure may cause local corrosion attack. If local corrosion occurs at the HAZ it may be manifested as a line of thin metal next to the weld. Like waterline attack, localized corrosion in the HAZ may lead to a rupture before one is predicted using expected metal thickness estimated from uniform corrosion.
Currently, many available compressed air tanks employ a method commonly referred to as a "telltale hole" for assisting an operator in identifying internal tank corrosion. This method typically entails mechanically thinning the wall of the tank with a single, small diameter "telltale hole". The telltale hole partially penetrates the wall of the tank. The partial penetration hole established is cut from the outside and when the remaining metal of the tank wall corrodes away, the tank leaks at the hole to warn that the tank's useful life has expired. Unfortunately, this method assumes that the first place a tank will leak due to corrosion will be at the "telltale hole" and that when a leak occurs at the "telltale hole", rupture of the tank will generally be averted because there is still enough metal surrounding the hole and in the rest of the tank to support the pressure and avoid rupture or bursting.
The problem with this method is that the location for drilling the "telltale hole" is typically at the bottom of the tank and may not accurately reflect the degree of corrosion that is occurring further up the wall of the tank, from the bottom of the tank up to and including the "waterline" and above. The "waterline" being the point of intersection of the metal of the tank, corroding liquid within the tank, and remaining air within the tank. This may be problematic because there are occasions where the corrosion rate may be much greater at various locations up the tank wall, such as at the "waterline", than at the point where the "telltale hole" is drilled. When the rate of corrosion is greater at the "waterline", this is commonly referred to as "waterline attack" as stated previously, and may result in a catastrophic rupture of the tank at the "waterline", well before a leak occurs at the "telltale hole".
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide an apparatus enabled to detect corrosive effects occurring within a compressed air tank at various locations within the compressed air tank.


An inkjet recording element comprising an absorbent support, a porous base layer nearest the support, a porous ink-receiving intermediate layer above the base layer, and a porous ink-receiving upper layer above the intermediate layer. The base layer and intermediate layers are each present in an amount of at least 25 g/m2 and the total dry weight coverage of the base layer, the intermediate layer, and the upper layer is 60 to 130 g/m2 in order to handle high fluxes of ink compositions during printing and to provide high gloss upon calendering. Also disclosed is an advantageous method of making such inkjet recording materials.

In a typical inkjet recording or printing system, ink droplets are ejected from a nozzle at high speed towards a recording element or medium to produce an image on the medium. The ink droplets, or recording liquid, generally comprise a recording agent, such as a dye or pigment, and a large amount of solvent. The solvent, or carrier liquid, typically is made up of an aqueous mixture, for example, comprising water and one or more organic materials such as a monohydric alcohol, a polyhydric alcohol, or the like.
An inkjet recording element typically comprises a support having on at least one surface thereof at least one ink-receiving layer. There are generally two types of ink-receiving layers (IRL's). The first type of IRL comprises a non-porous coating of a polymer with a high capacity for swelling, which non-porous coating absorbs ink by molecular diffusion. Cationic or anionic substances may be added to the coating to serve as a dye fixing agent or mordant for a cationic or anionic dye. Typically, the support is a smooth resin-coated paper and the coating is optically transparent and very smooth, leading to a very high gloss "photo-grade" inkjet recording element. However, this type of IRL usually tends to absorb the ink slowly and, consequently, the imaged receiver or print is not instantaneously dry to the touch.
The second type of ink-receiving layer or IRL comprises a porous coating of inorganic, polymeric, or organic-inorganic composite particles, a polymeric binder, and optional additives such as dye-fixing agents or mordants. These particles can vary in chemical composition, size, shape, and intra-particle porosity. In this case, the printing liquid is absorbed into the open interconnected pores of the IRL, substantially by capillary action, to obtain a print that is instantaneously dry to the touch. Typically the total interconnected inter-particle pore volume of porous media, which may include one or more layers, is more than sufficient to hold all the applied ink forming the image.
Basically, organic and/or inorganic particles in a porous layer form pores by the spacing between the particles. The binder is used to hold the particles together. However, to maintain a high pore volume, it is desirable that the amount of binder is limited. Too much binder would start to fill the pores between the particles or beads, which would reduce ink absorption. On the other hand, too little binder may reduce the integrity of the coating, thereby causing cracking. Once cracking starts in an inkjet coating, typically at the bottom of the layer, it tends to migrate throughout the layer.
A porous inkjet recording medium that is glossy usually contains at least two layers in addition to the support: a base layer nearer to the support and a glossy image-receiving layer further from the support. One method of obtaining a "photographic-grade" gloss is to coat the inkjet receiving layers on a resin-coated paper support. Resin-coated paper support is relatively costly, however, and requires an extra resin-coating step in its manufacture.
For example, Bermel et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,630,212, describes an inkjet recording medium comprising two porous layers coated on a resin-coated support paper. The two layers are coated simultaneously by a pre-metering method, extrusion hopper coating, on a polyethylene resin-coated support paper. The base-layer coating composition comprises fumed alumina particles, PVA binder, and coating aids at a solids content of 30%. The coated weight of the base layer is 43 g/m2. An image-receiving layer over the base layer comprises fumed alumina particles, cationic polymeric latex dispersion, and PVA binder. The coated weight of the IRL is 2.2 g/m2.
Inkjet recording media with "photographic-grade" gloss can also be made when coating on a plain paper support. Because plain paper supports are generally rougher or less smooth than resin-coated paper supports, however, it is typically necessary to use special coating processes, such as cast coating or film transfer coating in order to achieve a smooth, glossy surface on the image receiving layer. These specialized coating methods are constrained in their productivity by drying considerations or by extra steps. Mild calendering with heat and pressure has also been used in combination with conventional blade, rod, or air-knife coating processes on plain paper in order to produce a glossy surface on the image-receiving layer, but these approaches tend to result in lower levels of gloss and smoothness than usually obtained for coatings on resin coated paper supports.
For example, a porous two-layer inkjet receiving material coated on plain paper support is described by Sadasivan et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 6,689,430. The inkjet recording element comprises a base layer coated from a composition at a solids level of 35% to form a layer with a dry weight of 27 g/m2. The base layer comprises inorganic pigments, namely precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) and silica gel, and binders, namely polyvinyl alcohol and styrene-butadiene latex. One of the main functions of the base layer is to provide a sump for the ink fluids in the applied ink as compared to the colorant, whether dye or pigment-based. The image-receiving layer is coated over the dried base layer in the amount of 8.6 g/m2 using a coating composition of 15% solids comprising a mixture of colloidal alumina and fumed alumina particles, PVA binder, cationic polymeric latex dispersion, and coating aids. The inkjet recording element disclosed by Sadasivan et al., while providing good image quality and adequate gloss at moderate ink fluxes, is inadequate for higher printing speeds now demanded and is not as glossy as desired.
As the quality and density of inkjet images increases, so does the amount of ink applied to the inkjet recording element (also referred to as the "receiver"). For this reason, it is important provide sufficient void capacity in the medium to prevent puddling or coalescence and inter-color bleed. At the same time, print speeds are increasing in order to provide convenience to the user. Thus, not only is sufficient capacity required to accommodate the increased amount of ink, but in addition, the medium must be able to handle increasingly greater ink flux in terms of ink volume/unit area/unit time.
Porous glossy inkjet receiver materials that are commercially available at present generally comprise less than 50 g/m2 of porous ink-absorbing (or "ink-retaining") layers and there is a limit to the ink fluxes that they can handle without a loss in image quality. The cost of high weight coatings using the materials, comprising fumed alumina, employed in the above-described example of U.S. Pat. No. 6,630,212 to Bermel et al. would be prohibitive in amounts beyond 50 g/m2. In addition, coating compositions comprising such materials thicken at high concentrations. On the other hand, coating of dilute compositions to achieve high weight coatings would require long driers, slower coating rates or multiple coating passes, all of which increase costs of facilities, energy, and/or labor and reduce productivity. Thus, the amount of ink absorbing material used in inkjet recording elements is currently limited as a matter of practice, in that the advantages of higher overall capacity of the coatings is outweighed by certain manufacturing problems and costs. In addition, it has not been demonstrated that high gloss can be obtained in porous inkjet recording elements without relatively expensive materials, or complicated or disadvantageous manufacturing processes. For example, inkjet media having base layers comprising calcium carbonate do not provide gloss and uniformity comparable with that of layers comprising mainly metallic oxide particles. Even with more expensive materials such as boehmite in the base layer, resin coated paper has been needed for high gloss.
In view of the above, the manufacture of high quality, high capacity, high gloss porous inkjet receiver materials has been complicated by multilayer structures, high coated weights of one or more layers, and relatively expensive materials or complicated processes.
Cuch, in US patent application publication 2004/0152819, describes a coating composition for preparing the undercoat of a glossy inkjet receiving material, comprising a mixture of 0 to 20% silica pigment and 80 to 100% fumed metallic oxide pigment. The receiver material may further comprise an optional overcoat comprising a mixture of 20 to 99% silica pigment and 1 to 80% fumed metallic oxide pigment, wherein the ratio of fumed metallic oxide to silica particles ranges from 1:200 to 4:1 Cuch teaches that the fraction of pigment comprising fumed metallic oxide should be greater in the undercoat than in the overcoat in order to obtain higher gloss. The layers are coated on either a paper support or a resin-coated paper which may have a smoothing layer prepared with a silica/calcium-carbonate pigment composition. The overall laydowns used by Cuch in the examples were less than 50 g/m2. The gloss levels depended on the base paper used among other factors, but unless specially calendered paper of high smoothness was used, the gloss at 60° was typically less than 50.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Glossy inkjet recording element on absorbent paper and capable of absorbing high ink flux


An auxiliary terminal-control apparatus, where the apparatus includes a back plate sticker, a control key embedded into the back plate sticker, a communications module, and a control module. The control module is configured to recognize a target operation on the control key, and generate, based on the target operation, a corresponding target operation instruction, where the control key includes a roll ball and/or a key, operations on the roll ball include a roll operation and a press operation, and an operation on the key includes a press operation; and the communications module is configured to establish a communication connection to a terminal device to send the target operation instruction to the terminal device, where the target operation instruction is used to operate an application program on the terminal device or trigger a service.

As mobile phones are used in increasingly extensive scenarios, convenience of use of mobile phones in specific scenarios needs to be considered.
A typical scenario is use of a mobile phone by a driver during driving. Currently, drivers are used to such driving habits as holding a steering wheel with one hand and operating a mobile phone with the other hand, and some drivers even operate their mobile phones with both hands off the steering wheel. This causes much inconvenience for operating a mobile phone in a driving scenario, and also brings huge safety risks.

Auxiliary terminal-control apparatus and method


A bar screen apparatus (10) having inner and outer frame assemblies (14, 16), with each frame assembly including a plurality of thin, blade-like bar elements (44). Each frame assembly (14, 16) further includes means for maintaining the blade-like bar elements under tension (58, 76). The inner and outer frame assemblies are driven by a drive system which includes a drive motor (97), a first drive shaft (121) at the infeed end of the apparatus, a second drive shaft (128) at the discharge end of the apparatus and a connecting assembly (126) for connecting the two drive shafts. Certain eccentric cams (114, 116, 118 and 120) are mounted on the first drive shaft (121) and are connected to the inner and outer frame assemblies (14, 16), while other eccentric cams (140, 142, 144 and 146) are mounted on the second drive shaft (128) and are connected to the inner and outer frame assemblies (14, 16), with the bar elements in the inner frame assembly being driven approximately 180.degree. out of phase relative to the bar elements in the outer frame assembly.

In a typical bar screen apparatus for wood chips, with a length on the order of 10 feet, there often arises a problem of maintaining adequate bar rigidity, i.e. stiffness, over the entire length of the bars. Without sufficient stiffness, the bars deflect to an extent, particularly near mid-length, such that the size of the screen openings will vary over the length of the screen, degrading performance and predictability of results. To correct this, the bars comprising the screen typically have a fairly large thickness, so that the percentage of the screen area that is open to passage of acceptable-size material is only approximately 35%. Alternatively, the individual bars can be supported in some fashion at various points along the lengths thereof. These intermediate support elements can interfere, however, with the passage of acceptable-size material.
In addition to the above-described undesirable deflection effect which occurs over the length of the bars, there is often difficulty in obtaining adequately straight bars from a manufacturer, i.e. the bars are often slightly bowed or crooked. Bars having the required straightness are initially expensive, and also are expensive to replace. In general, such bar screens are expensive to maintain.