A wall-mountable hanger bracket assembly includes a main frame, a plurality of horizontal beams, a plurality of first coupling members, a plurality of releasable securing members, a plurality of pairs of bracket members for receiving and supporting an article thereon, and a plurality of second coupling members. The main frame is securable to a wall. The horizontal beams are disposed between a pair of opposite upright side members of the main frame. The first coupling members slidably attach the horizontal beams to the upright side members of the main frame. The releasable securing members hold the first coupling members in place on the upright side members of the main frame. The second coupling members slidably and pivotably attach the bracket members to the horizontal beams. The bracket members vary in length with the shortest being at the level of the uppermost one of the horizontal beams and longest being at the level of the lowermost one of the horizontal beams.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to storage of tools and like articles which are relatively large in size and, more particularly, is concerned with a wall-mountable hanger bracket assembly.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Garages and buildings of various kinds are common places for storage of a variety of articles, such as weed trimmers and like tools, which are typically used outside of residences, businesses and along public highways. These storage places often have only limited space and so must accommodate such articles in a manner which utilizes the available space in a highly efficient manner and places the article where it is less likely to be accidentally hit by and thus injure persons moving about the area.
Walls and ceilings have often been found as useful for the storage of articles within minimal space above floors. Various devices have been proposed over the years for hanging a variety of articles above floors and on walls or ceilings. Representative examples of these prior art devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 143,228 to Doyle et al., U.S. Pat. No. 1,493,264 to Hennessy, U.S. Pat. No. 2,503,375 to Burg, U.S. Pat. No. 2,626,714 to Rover, U.S. Pat. No. 2,647,642 to Kosash, U.S. Pat. No. 2,675,923 to Humphrey, U.S. Pat. No. 3,158,113 to Johnson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,976,200 to Munns, U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,555 to Anatalio and U.S. Pat. No. 5,236,095 to Krizka. While these prior art devices generally appear to be satisfactory in use for the specific purposes for which they were designed, none of them seem to provide optimum versatility to resolve the problem at hand that being to hold rather long irregular articles, such as gas powered weed trimmers and the like, in a generally horizontal position along a wall.
Consequently, a need remains for a device which will provide a comprehensive and yet simple solution to the aforementioned problem with the prior art devices without introducing any new problems in place thereof.


An apparatus (3) for removing developing solution from a substrate (30) includes a working table (36) for placing the substrate, a supporting frame (33) positioned on the working table, a gas dispensing nozzle (31) mounted on the supporting frame, and a water dispensing nozzle (32) mounted on the supporting frame. The apparatus can remove the residual developing solution from the substrate and needs not to lift the substrate. The substrate is safely processed and the working time is improved.

A photolithography process is often used for forming patterns on a substrate such as that used in making a liquid crystal display panel. The substrate is commonly a glass substrate, and the photolithography process generally includes a coating process, an exposing process, and a developing process. The coating process involves coating a photoresist layer on the substrate. The exposing process involves exposing the photoresist layer through a photo mask, so that patterns of the photo mask are correspondingly transferred to the photoresist layer. The developing process involves removing unwanted portions of the photoresist layer by using a developing solution, in order to obtain a patterned photoresist layer.
When the developing process is used in fabricating a thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT LCD), the developing solution generally is formed on the photoresist layer by relative movement between the substrate and a developing solution dispensing nozzle. After reaction of the developing solution with the unwanted portions of the photoresist layer is finished, residual developing solution is removed.
Referring to FIG. 3, this represents a conventional apparatus 1 for removing residual developing solution (not shown) from a substrate 11. The apparatus 1 includes a working table 15, and a supporting frame 14 mounted on the working table 15. The working table 15 includes a plurality of pins 12 extending up from a right top face thereof. The pins 12 can be lowered or retracted into the working table 15, and similarly can be extended back out from the working table 15. A top end of the supporting frame 14 has a dispensing nozzle 13, for dispensing developing solution onto the substrate 11 having a photoresist layer thereon. When the dispensing nozzle 13 dispenses developing solution, the pins 12 are in a lowered position or are fully retracted inside the working table 15. After reaction of the developing solution with unwanted portions of the photoresist layer is finished, the pins 12 are extended back up or out from the working table 15, thereby lifting up a right end of the substrate 11. Because the substrate 11 is inclined, residual developing solution flows off from the substrate 11 by force of gravity. Thus, the residual developing solution is removed.
However, when the substrate 11 is lifted, it is liable to be bent or even crack. In addition, the next stage in processing the substrate 11 only can be executed after the residual developing solution has flowed down from the right end thereof and off from the left end thereof. This may take an unduly long time.
Referring to FIG. 4, this represents another conventional apparatus 2 for removing residual developing solution (not shown) from a substrate 21. The apparatus 2 includes a working table 25, and a supporting frame 24 mounted on the working table 25. The working table 25 includes a low-profile, rectangular plate 22 extending up from a middle of a top face thereof. The plate 22 can be lowered or retracted into the working table 25, and similarly can be extended back out from the working table 25. A top end of the supporting frame 24 has a dispensing nozzle 23 for dispensing developing solution onto the substrate 21. When the dispensing nozzle 23 dispenses developing solution, the plate 22 is in a lowered position or is fully retracted inside the working table 25. After the reaction of the developing solution with unwanted portions of the photoresist layer is finished, the plate 22 is extended back up or out from the working table 25, thereby lifting a middle portion of the substrate 21. Because the two ends of the substrate 21 are inclined, residual developing solution flows off from the substrate 21 by force of gravity.
Because the two ends of the substrate 21 are inclined, the time needed for the developing solution to flow down and off from the substrate 21 is shorter than that needed when using the apparatus 1. However, the substrate 21 is still liable to be cracked or damaged.
What is needed, therefore, is an apparatus for removing developing solution which does not risk damage to the substrate and which provides quick processing.


An adjustable impedance-correcting delay line adapted to form a standard line for providing an adjustable group delay time for measurement purposes or the like in which a plurality of different delay networks including coaxial segments of different lengths with or without damping compensating amplifiers can be selectively connected in the cascade or shunted. A bridge circuit can be provided with fundamental damping and delay time for bridging with the standard delay line where difference measurements are of interest.

Colby Instruments, Inc. provides characteristic--impedance-correcting standard or reference lines capable of realizing adjustable delays (group time delays or delay times) as delay lines PDL 10A, PDL 20A. Within a fairly narrow range of values, the delay times can be selected arbitrarily.
These known delay lines work exclusively with coaxial lines which can be extended or contracted and of the so-called variable length or telescoping line ("trombone") type or with coaxial relays. The fabrication and adjustment of such systems is extraordinarily expensive and the damping is frequency-dependent.
For diversity systems in radio relay or microwave technology, delay time differences have had to be tolerable (see IFC Publication 835, Part 2, Section 7, FIG. 2) and delay was provided by manually adjustable coaxial cable sections which were introduced in the measuring system at lengths corresponding to the desired group time delay. Here, however, as in the previously described system, apart from the desired group time delay, there was an accompanying undesired frequency dependence of the damping. Such systems are also costly and the use of the system is time-consuming.

Standard or reference transmission line with variable group time delay

Wandel & Goltermann GmbH & Co. Elektronische Messtechnik


A communication system comprises a multiplicity of slave units and a master unit. The slave units are coupled to one another via a first communication path and a second communication path, the first communication path and the second communication path operating in opposite directions to one another, and a master unit, the master unit being coupled to the multiplicity of slave units via the first communication path and the second communication path. The master unit comprises a transmit control unit, the transmit control unit separately transmitting an information signal with a data field which has for each slave unit an associated data area, on the first communication path as a first information signal and on the second communication path as a second information signal. The master unit further comprises a receive control unit, the receive control unit superimposing the data field of the first information signal circulated on the first communication path and the data field of the second information signal circulated on the second communication path.

The invention relates to a communication system, a master unit, a user unit, a method of operating a communication system and a method of operating a user unit.
In production and automation technology, serial bus systems are increasingly used in which the remotely arranged devices of machine peripherals such as I/O modules, transducers, drives, valves and operator terminals communicate with automation, engineering or visual display systems via an efficient real-time communication system. In this arrangement, all users are networked together via a serial bus, preferably via a field bus, the data exchange via the bus being carried out, as a rule, on the basis of the master-slave principle.
The active bus users on the bus system, the control devices, as a rule, possess a bus access authorization and determine the data transfer on the bus. The active bus users are called the master units in the serial bus system. In contrast, passive bus users are, as a rule, machine peripheral devices. They do not receive a bus access authorization, i.e. they are only allowed to acknowledge received information signals or transfer information signals to a master unit on request by the latter. Passive bus users are called slave units in the serial bus system.
To avoid complex cabling, field bus systems having a master-slave structure are generally arranged in ring topology, all bus users being coupled to a ring-shaped transmission path. An information signal generated by the master unit is fed into the ring-shaped transmission path by the master unit and successively passes through the slave units serially coupled to the ring-shaped transmission path and is then received again by the master unit and evaluated. Master-slave systems can also be designed as multi-master systems.
As a rule, the information signals are organized by the master unit into data packets which are composed of control data and useful data, preferably using the Ethernet standard which provides for data packets having a length of up to 1500 bytes with a transmission speed which, at the same time, is high at 100 Mbit/sec. Each of the slave units coupled to the ring-shaped transmission path exchanges the useful data intended for it with the Ethernet message when the Ethernet message fed in by the master unit passes through on the ring-shaped transmission path.
As a rule, the master-slave communication systems with ring structure are configured in such a manner that the master unit has a transmitting unit as data injection point and a receiving unit as data extraction point into a transmission medium. The individual slave units are then coupled together on the transmission path to form a chain, wherein each user is coupled to two neighbors and the first and last user in the chain is coupled to the master unit. The data packets are transmitted in one direction starting from the master unit via its transmitting unit to the first slave unit coupled and from there to the next one, until the last slave unit in the chain is reached, and then back to the receiving unit of the master unit. Each slave unit has, for receiving the circulating data packets from the previous user, an interface with a receiving unit and, for forwarding to the following user, an interface with a transmitting unit, a processing unit being arranged between receiving and transmitting unit in order to process the data packets passing through the slave unit, i.e. to exchange the useful data allocated to the slave unit with the data packets. The ring-shaped communication system with master-slave structure is often designed in such a manner that the master unit forms a physical line with the slave units arranged at it, the transmission medium having a dual-line structure and each slave unit having two ports with a combined transmitting/receiving unit, transmitting and receiving unit being short-circuited in the output port of the last slave unit in the transmission chain. The data packets injected into the first line by the master unit via its receiving unit are processed by the slave units on the forward path and are then simply forwarded only to the receiving unit of the master unit on the return path via the second line.
A central requirement for master-slave communication systems, particularly when they are used in production and process automation, is a high fault tolerance, that is to say the capability of the communication system to maintain the required function, i.e., for example, the production of a workpiece, in spite of the occurrence of faults. In this context, faults in the communication system which must be overcome without impairment of the process are, in addition to faults in the data packets, also the failure of entire transmission links, in particular, for example due to physical separation of the transmission medium.
To achieve a fault-tolerant master-slave communication system, particularly in the case of link faults, i.e. in the case of the failure of entire transmission sections, dual-ring structures operating in opposite directions are frequently used. Thus, a communication system having a master-slave structure in which the master unit is serially coupled to a multiplicity of slave units via two communication paths operating in opposite directions, is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,663,748, wherein the master unit simultaneously sends out the data packets over two communication paths. The slave unit then has two processing units which are in each case coupled between the two communication paths in order to process the data messages passing through. Furthermore, coupling units which can be activated are arranged in the users, so that when a link fault occurs, e.g. a break in a communication line, it reconfigures the communication system by monitoring the signals on both transmission rings and correspondingly switching over the communication system, in such a manner that a failure due to the link fault of a greater section of the communication system or even a total failure is prevented.
In DE 103 12 907 A1, it is also proposed to arrange the slave unit in such a manner that on each communication path in the direction of data transmission, first a processing unit and then a multiplexer having two inputs and one output is arranged. The multiplexer is coupled with its inputs in each case to the two processing units of the slave unit and coupled with its output to the associated communication path. In fault-free normal operation, each of the two multiplexers switches through the processing unit arranged on the associated communication path. In fault mode, when a link fault occurs on the associated communication path, however, the processing unit on the other communication path is then switched through. This design of the slave unit enables the communication system to be reconfigured essentially in real time in the fault case.
However, fault-tolerant master-slave communication systems having a dual-ring structure, in which the individual slave units in each case have two processing units for processing the data message passing through, provide for high hardware and switching complexity of the slave units and thus increase the cost. Furthermore, each slave unit must decide in normal operation which of the two data packets passing through the two processing units should be used for device control which greatly restricts the use of such communication systems at the required high data transmission rates. In addition, the known fault-tolerant communication systems with dual-ring topology require that the master unit responds separately to a link fault and switches from normal operation into fault operating mode.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Communication system and method for operation thereof


A method is provided for simultaneously developing caverns while depositing wastes or other materials in them. A well is first drilled into a salt formation and the development of a salt cavern by means of solution mining is initiated. When the development of the cavern has been carried out to an extent sufficient to accommodate the injection of a prescribed amount of wastes or other materials, injection of the wastes or other materials through the well is started while continuing to develop the cavern by solution mining. The injection of the wastes or other materials may be carried out continuously or intermittently. The proportion and rates of wastes or other materials and mining water injected into the well are monitored and regulated so that cavern development continues at a rate that allows the cavern to reach an intended prescribed size while the wastes or other materials are injected and deposited into the cavern.

The constant increase in waste generation worldwide is accompanied by an increasing need to provide for proper waste disposal. In the natural resource mining industry this trend is exemplified by the need to find and provide practicable and efficient technologies for the proper disposal of oil field and other such solid and liquid wastes that are not only cost-effective, but also environmentally sound. Such technologies often involve special methods and equipment for injecting and disposing of the waste in underground reservoirs such as subterranean cavities and salt caverns. Hence, technologies exist for the disposal of various types of wastes in underground reservoirs, and many techniques have been developed for creating and providing caverns in subterranean formations. Thus, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,435,290, of Lindörfer et al., discloses a process for the temporary storage and treatment of certain liquid wastes in an underground salt cavern, whereby acidic wastes are pumped underground and neutralized, then allowed to stand to separate their components by gravity. Part of the overlying light phase (such as an oil phase) is subsequently pumped out and the underlying aqueous heavy phase treated to precipitate the heavy metals, the heavy-metal-free overlying salt solution is then pumped out and the process steps repeated as necessary. The volume of the cavern can be maintained by pumping out the corresponding amount of salt solution. The excess salt solution may be discharged into the sea or put back into the caverns. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,577,999, Lindörfer et al., improve this technique by chemically treating liquid waste above ground to make it more "pumpable".
U.S. Pat. No. 4,488,834, of Hooper et al., claims a method for creating a special type of underground storage from a salt deposit by solution mining. The method consists in drilling a first well into the salt deposit and circulating raw water through it, then evacuating the water and injecting the material to be stored (which includes waste material) into the mined cavity, then sealing the cavity. A second well is then drilled on top of the first well and raw water again circulated and evacuated from the thus formed cavity, which is subsequently injected with the waste material and plugged. Means are provided to withdraw the injected material from storage. Multiple stacked storage cavities can be created in this fashion in which the first cavity may be a relatively small cavity that is easy to create and (if desired) larger storage cavities may be made thereafter from the same well on an as-needed basis.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,513, of Lindörfer et al., discloses a process for the terminal storage and treatment of certain liquid wastes in underground salt caverns. This is a companion patent to U.S. Pat. No. 4,435,290, in which the specific gravity of the waste liquid phase is increased by the addition of certain magnesium salts so as to convert the liquid phase into a paste-like consistency and thereby minimize convergence (volume contraction) of the salt caverns. Adsorbents (vermiculites, perlites and the like) are also used to increase the specific gravity. The idea is to narrow the difference between the specific gravity of the salt mineral of the cavern walls and the specific gravity of the liquid waste contained within the walls. Narrowing this difference eliminates or minimizes the undesirable convergence. The caverns are sealed after substantial solidification of the wastes has taken place.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,596,490, of Van Fossan et al., teaches a method of making underground storage chambers within salt formations by solution mining techniques in order to store brine- or water-soluble fluid materials, such as caustic soda, anhydrous ammonia and ethylene dichloride. U.S. Pat. No. 4,692,061, of Lindörfer et al., addresses the disposal of particulate solid waste materials in an underground salt-enclosed cavity that contains rock salt solution. The novelty of the method revolves around the treatment of the solid waste materials with a dust suppressant and solidifying the water that may be present in the dust suppressant. Other chemicals are added to the injected materials in order to best convert them to a "pumpable" state. U.S. Pat. No. 4,906,135, of Brassow et al., claims an elaborate method and apparatus for the disposal of hazardous wastes in salt domes whereby the wastes are first transferred to a "chemical solidification unit" to be solidified, then sent down to a salt cavern by means of injection tubes under controlled conditions; while U.S. Pat. No. 4,886,393, of Jahn-Held et al., addresses ways of pretreating a solid waste so that it may be injected by gravity into underground salt caverns via a down pipe.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,310,282, of Voskamp, discloses a method for the recovery of hydrocarbons from hydrocarbon-contaminated drilling muds that are stored in salt cavities. Brine is displaced from the cavities by the contaminated drilling muds that, after being injected, separate into a relatively dense component that gravitates to the bottom and a relatively light hydrocarbon component that rises through the brine and accumulates at the top of the cavity. The preferred cavities are located in anhydride formations that cause the solution-mined caverns to exhibit natural baffle-like anhydride ledges that provide a tortuous flow path thereby facilitating the separation of the hydrocarbons.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,589,603 and 5,734,988, both of Alexander et al., cover systems for the injection disposal of oil field waste in naturally occurring subterranean formations, whereby the formations are penetrated with a borehole, a slurry of solid material is then made at the surface of the earth and sent into the formation through the borehole while reducing the slurry pressure at the surface so that the pressure of the slurry inside the formation is less than the formation fracture pressure. U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,734, of Becnel, Jr. et al., describes an improved process for creating large underground storage caverns in domal salt deposits found in certain areas, such as the northeastern part of the United States, where the normal temperature of the water used for solution mining is relatively low. The process involves clarifying and using warm brine, produced on-site by solution mining the salt deposit, as the heating medium in an indirect-heating heat exchanger in order to preheat fresh water from local reserves. The preheated water is further heated, injected and circulated under controlled conditions through one or more caverns to maximize heat recovery efficiencies. The heat-depleted brine can be injected into disposal wells or used in chemical plants that require brine.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,863,283, of Gardes, discloses a system for disposing of hazardous wastes in deep underground formations. A special borehole configuration and sealed liner are provided. U.S. Pat. No. 6,002,063, of Bilak et al., claims a method and the equipment for the subterranean deep injection disposal of solid waste, in slurried form, within rock formations. A cased injection well is employed to inject the pressurized slurry of the waste material in a carrier liquid under controlled conditions. Many operational parameters are stipulated, and criteria for selecting the geological formation are offered and discussed.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,137,028, of Snow, discloses a method for the disposal of certain radioactive oil field waste material in subterranean salt formations. The method entails the drilling of two interconnected wells into a salt formation and the subsequent injection of the waste material, in aqueous slurry form, into the first well, allowing the waste solids to be deposited at the bottom of said well, and then withdrawing the slurry water from the formation through the second well. In another embodiment, fresh water is injected into the first well while withdrawing the resulting brine from the second well so as to create a salt cavern. The waste material is then slurried with salt water and injected through the first well, in slurry form, into the salt cavern. The waste solids are subsequently allowed to be deposited at the bottom of said salt cavern, and the slurry salt water is then withdrawn from the formation through the second well.
While the technologies described in these patents serve to address a number of individual waste disposal situations, none of them addresses the dual task of developing and/or enlarging a salt cavern while simultaneously disposing of waste in the cavern so as to accelerate the overall process under conditions that minimize the capital investments and operating costs required to conduct these operations. A need exists to provide a safe and efficient method for developing and enlarging a salt cavern by solution mining techniques while simultaneously disposing of waste in the cavern under conditions that minimize the capital investments and operating costs required in carrying out such operations. The present invention is directed toward providing such a method.
It is an object of this invention to provide a method for the efficient deposition of materials and disposal of wastes in subterranean reservoirs. It is also an object of this invention to provide a method for the disposal of waste in subterranean formations under conditions that minimize the capital investments and operating costs required in carrying out such waste disposal operations. It is another object of this invention to provide a commercially efficient technique for the simultaneous creation of an underground salt cavern and disposal of waste generated in the natural resource mining industry. A further object of the invention is to provide a commercially efficient technique for enlarging and developing existing underground salt caverns while simultaneously disposing of oil field waste and other solid and liquid wastes in such existing underground salt caverns. A specific object of this invention is to provide a commercially efficient method for the development of new underground salt caverns and the enlargement and further development of existing underground salt caverns so that they may be effectively used for disposal of various kinds of solid and liquid wastes, which method is not only cost-effective but also environmentally sound. These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the description that follows.

Simultaneous development of underground caverns and deposition of materials


The subject of the present invention is a process for treating highly environmentally polluting residues such as for example residues derived from dry or wet filtration. The process consists in mixing the residues with a product containing iron oxide, in placing the mixture in a crucible, in protecting the crucible with insulating fibers, in putting the crucible in a microwave oven and in exposing the mixture to microwaves for a time of between 2 and 15 minutes at a temperature of between 1000.degree. and 1300.degree. C. in order to produce a dry fusion of the mixture and to obtain a solid material. The present invention is applicable to the reclaiming of sludge from the iron and steel industry.

1. Field of the Invention
The subject of the present invention is a process for treating residues which are highly environmentally polluting via water, such as for example residues derived from dry or wet filtration.
The highly polluting residues targeted by the treatment process according to the present Application, are in particular sludge from metal production, sludge from decanters in mechanical engineering factories or iron and steel works, sludge from factory networks or from urban networks or also fines derived from dry or wet filtration of the fumes from coal-fired power stations or from industrial incinerators.
This type of residue contains particularly environmentally dangerous products.
In fact leaching tests carried out on these residues reveal that they contain products such as zinc, lead or cadmium which are highly polluting for the ground-water table when these residues come into contact with water.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Hitherto, several methods have been used to treat these residues which consist either in carrying out calcining of the residues at a temperature of the order of 1500.degree. C., or in packing the residues in order to store them in a hermetic enclosure or in absorbing the said residues by resins in order to avoid contact with water and air.
But these various methods are not economically profitable because, in the one case they require large energy consumption and in the other case they need refined and costly products of the noble resin, adhesive or special packaging type.

Process for treating highly environmentally polluting residues


A gas sensor includes a metallic shell with a shell aperture extending therethrough along an axis; a metallic glass holder metallurgically sealed to the shell in order to prevent gases from passing between the glass holder and the shell, the glass holder including a glass holder aperture extending axially therethrough; a ceramic sensing element extending through the shell aperture and through the glass holder aperture; and a glass seal which seals between the sensing element and the glass holder in order to prevent gases from passing between the sensing element and the glass holder. A method of making the gas sensor is also provided.

Gas sensors are known for determining composition concentrations in hot gases, for example, combustion exhaust gases produced by an internal combustion engine. A typical gas sensor includes a ceramic sensing element which includes electrodes at a sensing end thereof that are exposed to the gas being sensed while an opposing terminal end of the sensing element is fluidly isolated from the sensing end. The sensing element is commonly mounted in a metallic shell, and consequently, the sensing element must be sealed with respect to the shell in order to fluidly isolate the terminal end of the sensing element from the sensing end of the sensing element.
Various arrangements are currently used to seal the sensing element with respect to the shell in order to fluidly isolate the terminal end of the sensing element from the sensing end of the sensing element. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,238,551 to Katsu et al., talc that has been compressed between ceramic supports is used to form this seal. However, such a talc seal may not be effective under all conditions that the gas sensor may experience. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,477,887 to Ozawa et al., the sealing arrangement includes a glass seal which seals between the sensing element and an insulator while a mechanical seal is compressed to seal between the insulator and the shell. While this sealing arrangement may be effective, the mechanical seal requires an additional part which adds cost and complexity to the process.
What is needed is a gas sensor which minimizes or eliminates one or more of the shortcomings as set forth above.

Gas sensor with a seal and method of making


Technologies and implementations for a defibrillator electrode having communicative capabilities are generally disclosed.

Unless otherwise indicated herein, the approaches described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
A heart, such as a human heart, facilitates pumping of blood to and from various parts of a body. The heart commonly beats at a regular rate and regular rhythm. However, a symptom may occur, where the electrical control system of the heart may malfunction, which may cause the heart to beat irregularly or not at all. Additionally, the regular rhythm of the heart may be negatively affected, which may be generally referred to as an arrhythmia. Arrhythmia may be caused by many factors, but in general, arrhythmia may be caused by a malfunction in the electrical control system of the heart. Some types of arrhythmias may result in inadequate blood flow resulting in reduction or lack of the amount of blood pumped to the various parts of the body. For example, issues with the sinoatrial (SA) node may lead to arrhythmia of some kind. Some arrhythmias may lead to a condition known as sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). In an SCA condition, the heart may fail to pump blood effectively, and as a result, death may occur.
An example type of arrhythmia, which may be associated with SCA, may be a condition known as ventricular fibrillation (VF). VF may be a condition where a ventricle or ventricles, which make up the heart to facilitate the pumping of blood, may make uncoordinated movements instead of steady rhythmic movements. In the VF condition, the heart may not pump adequate amount of blood or may not pump blood at all, which may eventually lead to death. Another type of arrhythmia, which may be associated with SCA, may be a condition known as ventricular tachycardia (VT). An electronic device may also be utilized to help sense, monitor, or treat a medical condition such as cardiac VF by defibrillating the heart. An example of an electronic device may be a defibrillator device. A defibrillator device may be capable of providing an electrical signal, commonly in the form of an electric shock, to the heart in the VF condition. The defibrillator device may provide the electrical signal to a heart externally (i.e., through the surface of a body) via accessories commonly known as electrodes. Commonly in the form of a pad, as the name may imply, the electrode may facilitate transfer of the electrical signal from the defibrillator device to the heart through the surface of the body. Because of the nature of the function of the electrode, the electrode may be considered to be a consumable accessory (i.e., the electrode may have a limited number of uses, may have a shelf life, may have compatibility requirements with certain defibrillator devices, etc.), albeit one of an important accessory.

Electrode assembly having various communicative solutions


An ink ribbon cartridge including a cartridge frame, take-up shaft connecting members, and supply shaft connecting members is provided. The take-up shaft connecting members support and rotatably connect ends of a take-up shaft to the cartridge frame and the supply shaft connecting members support and rotatably connect ends of a supply shaft to the cartridge frame. At least one of the supply shaft connecting members includes a rotation member, an intermediate body, an urging member, and a spool portion, the spool portion is arranged substantially inside the supply shaft. The intermediate body is arranged between a portion of an inner surface of the rotation member and a portion of an outer surface of the cartridge frame, and the urging member is arranged substantially inside at least one of the spool portion and the rotation member and urges the inner surface of the rotation member closer to the outer surface of the cartridge frame.

1. Field of Invention
The invention relates an ink ribbon cartridge and, more particularly, to an attachable/detachable ink ribbon cartridge.
2. Description of Related Art
Image forming devices, such as, printers and facsimile machines, which print images/data via a thermal transfer method generally employ an ink ribbon to form an image on an image recording medium. The ink ribbon is typically held by an ink ribbon cartridge that is detachably arranged in the image forming device. An ink ribbon cartridge generally includes a supply shaft, a take-up shaft and a cartridge frame. The supply shaft maintains thereon the unused portion of an ink ribbon sheet and generally, an unused portion of the ink ribbon sheet is maintained in the form of a roll thereon. The take-up shaft maintains thereon the used portion of the ink ribbon sheet and generally, the used portion of the ink ribbon sheet is maintained in the form of a roll thereon. To print an image on an image recording medium, the ink ribbon sheet, supplied by (e.g., rolled out from) the supply shaft, is overlapped with the recording medium (e.g., paper) and heated by a thermal head. The heat causes the color elements on the ink ribbon to be transferred to the image recording medium. The used portion of the ink ribbon is then taken up by (e.g., rolled onto) the take-up shaft.
One way to improve the quality of the image produced using such a thermal transfer method, is to subject the ink ribbon sheet to a sufficient amount of tension such that the portion of the ink ribbon sheet extending from the supply shaft to the take-up shaft is not loose and/or wrinkled to enable corresponding unwrinkled/stretched portions of the ink ribbon and the recording medium to consistently overlap each other. If the ink ribbon sheet is loose and/or wrinkled, for example, the color elements from the ink ribbon sheet may not be properly transferred to the image recording medium because some of the ink components may not be transferred to the recording medium at all and/or some of the ink components may be transferred to improper areas of the recording medium. In such a case, portions of the image may, for example, be smudged, missing, shifted, lighter, darker, etc. and thus, the quality of the formed image is sacrificed. One way to reduce, and preferably completely prevent, the loosening and/or wrinkling of the ink ribbon sheet is to apply a tension to the supply shaft in order to prevent over-rotation of the supply shaft in a direction which releases some of the ink ribbon sheet.
To reduce the occurrence of a loose or wrinkled ink ribbon sheet, JP 2001-130075 discloses a back tension mechanism which supplies a predetermined rotation resistance to the supply shaft of an ink ribbon cartridge. The back tension mechanism disclosed therein utilizes a resin spool, which is rotatably mounted on an end of the supply shaft, and a spring, which presses the resin spool against the resin cartridge frame. When a surface of the resin cartridge rubs against a surface of the resin supply spool, a frictional force is generated therebetween. Accordingly, a back tension (i.e., rotation resistance) is applied against the rotation of the resin spool with the unused ink ribbon thereon (i.e., against the release of the ink ribbon on the resin supply spool). The applied back tension helps keep the ink ribbon from rotating excessively (i.e., supplying more ink ribbon than needed) and thereby loosening and/or wrinkling thereof.
The back tension mechanism employed in JP 2001-130075, however, depends on the frictional force generated between a surface of the resin supply spool and a surface of the resin cartridge frame (i.e., two resin surfaces). The magnitude of the frictional force between two resin members is dependent on changes in the environment and thus, the magnitude of the frictional force between the surface of the resin supply spool and the corresponding surface of the resin cartridge frame may change based the surrounding temperature, for example. Thus, a consistent amount of back tension may not be applied to the supply spool because the tension applied to the resin supply spool is dependent, for example, on the surrounding temperature of the image forming apparatus employing such an ink ribbon cartridge. Therefore, due to environmental differences, the generated frictional force may not be consistently substantially equal to an intended predetermined amount. In such a case, the frictional force generated may not be sufficient to apply the necessary back tension against the rotation of the supply shaft and the quality of images being formed may be hindered as a result of a wrinkled/loose ink ribbon sheet.
JP 9-109524 discloses another back tension mechanism for a supply shaft of an ink ribbon cartridge. The back tension mechanism disclosed therein employs a felt member arranged between a disk portion and a round flat plate. A spring urges the disk portion against the felt member and the round flat plate, and a back tension is applied to the ink ribbon sheet by a frictional force generated between corresponding surfaces of the felt member and the disk portion. In the mechanism disclosed therein, the spring and the round flat plate, for example, are provided on an external circumference of the revolving shaft and are part of the printer. The spring is provided between a surface of the gear and a first surface of the disk portion, and one surface of the felt member is secured the round flat plate while the other surface of the felt member is urged by the spring to be in contact with the second surface of the disk portion. Thus, to employ the back tension mechanism disclosed therein, a space for at least the spring and the round flat plate of the back tension mechanism must be allocated in the main body of the printing device. Accordingly, a size of the image forming apparatus employing the back tension mechanism disclosed in JP 9-109524 may need to be increased in order to accommodate for the components of the back tension. Further, as a result of wear and tear, the felt member may, for example, deteriorate and the generated resistance may not be in substantially equal to the predetermined desired rotation resistance. However, in the back tension mechanism disclosed herein the back tension mechanism is secured (i.e., screwed) to the printer. Thus, if for example, the felt member needs to be replaced, disassembly of the back tension mechanism from the printer is required.
Another way to improve an attachable/detachable ink cartridge is to provide an ink cartridge frame which allows for easier handling and attachment/detachment thereof to/from the image forming device. Generally, as disclosed, for example, in JP 2003-182130, ink cartridges employ a structure in which the ink ribbon supporting shafts are rotatably connected by a frame member. The frame member disclosed in JP 2003-182130 employs a pair of side frame members, which are independent of each other. The right ends of the ink ribbon shafts are supported by support members which are rotatably attached to the right side frame and the left ends of the ink ribbon shafts are supported by support members which are rotatably attached to the left side frame. Further, all the support members are attachable to and detachable from the side frame members.
Attachment and detachment of such an ink cartridge can be difficult and time consuming because it is necessary to correctly install all the attachable/detachable components of the ink cartridge and, in some circumstances, for example, while assembling one group of attachable/detachable components another group of attachable/detachable components detach from the frame. Also, an ink cartridge having a frame consisting solely of two side members can be wobbly and unstable, making handling and attachment and detachment thereof more difficult.
Another way to improve an ink cartridge is to provide an ink cartridge that is an attachable/detachable ink cartridge having components which maintain their connection with corresponding components during attachment and detachment of the ink cartridge and/or during replacement of the ink ribbon sheet. An example of a known supporting member 100 is illustrated in FIG. 23. The known supporting member 100 includes a gear member 102, which is equipped with a drive gear 101 and a spool member 103. One end of the spool portion is inserted into a receiving portion of the take-up rotating shaft body and the other end of the spool portion has elastic pieces 104 projecting therefrom. The gear member 102 has engaging holes which receive the elastic pieces 104 of the spool portion. Engaging protrusions 104a on the elastic pieces 104 engage with the engaging holes 105 and the spool member and the gear member are thereby connected. However, when such a structure is tilted, due to an external force applied from a side of the spool member 103, such as, for example, during removal of a shaft to which it is connected, the elastic piece 104 receives a force which separates the elastic piece from the engaging hole 105. Therefore, in such a structure, the spool member 103 and the gear member are too easily separated.

Ink ribbon cartridge having shaft connecting members


There is disclosed a computer-based system and method for generating print-based and/or auditory-based language friendly labels. Further disclosed is an article of manufacture comprising voice simulating microchips housed on a standard label, and an apparatus for downloading data correlating to a desired language string onto the voice simulating microchips.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to a computer-based system and method for generating labels for application to bottles, boxes, jars and other containers. In particular, it relates to a computer-based system and method for generating print-based and/or auditory-based language-friendly labels.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
For centuries articles of commerce have been labelled to provide a description of the good sold, directions for use, and source of manufacture. At first labeling was performed by simply making physical marks on the actual vessel containing the article of commerce. Later, as knowledge of paper manufacture spread, paper labels were developed upon which writing or print was placed. These labels were applied to the vessel and held affixed by means of glue, nails or other items of affixation.
Labels have always been particularly important in the pharmaceutical art. While it is generally believed that most medicines available prior to the 20th century were relatively non-toxic, many medicines of yesterday were fatally toxic when taken in the wrong dose. For example, in the late 1800's nitroprussic acid, a cyanide-based solution, was not infrequently given to people suffering from menstrual pains, epilepsy and coughs. Numerous deaths were reported in that period owing to inappropriately applied or misunderstood directions on the medicament.
Arguably, however, with the advent of new, stronger and more selective pharmaceutical drugs, labeling has become even more important in the last century. Today a patient may well be exposed to cardioselective drugs such as calcium channel blockers, anti-cancer drugs such as alkylating agents, non-depolarizing neuromuscular blockers such as tubocurarine chloride, and antipsychotic drugs such as amitriptyline, all of which can be lethal if taken in too high of a dose. For example, digoxin, a glycoside derived from the plant Digitalis lanata, is not infrequently given to persons suffering from cardiovascular disease. Numerous deaths have been reported in this century owing to inappropriately applied, misunderstood or unread directions placed on this medicament.
In the pharmaceutical art, pharmacists have been given the duty for assuring that therapeutically sound directions are applied to every prescription. Until the widespread advent of personal computer systems nearly 20 years ago, pharmacists depended solely on their retained knowledge of drug dosages, interactions, and routes of administration. After checking for the therapeutic soundness of a prescription, pharmacists generally typed onto a paper label the name of the patient, the name of the physician, the date, the drug name, the directions for use and the number of refills. Today, most pharmacists enter the same drug information into computer-based systems which automatically generate the label. These computer-based systems are often programmed to detect possible drug interactions, and in many cases possible drug overdoses. Rather than typing out each character of the name, drug, direction etc., however, pharmacists today use a system of code identifiers known as "sig codes," that is, letters and symbols which represent words or word strings. For example, the code "1TAC" might be transformed by programming into "Take one capsule three times a day after meals" on the label.
While much has improved in the detection of errors on pharmaceutical labels, one particular problem still plagues the field--the inability of many consumers to read the label. Commercially available pharmacy computer systems produce labels printed in the predominant language of the country in which the system is found. Many newly arrived literate immigrants are unable to read these labels. Furthermore, such labelling does not aid the illiterate, the blind, or sight-impaired.
In a similar manner, most manufacturers of packaged products label their products using the predominant language of the people in the area in which their product is distributed. Labeling size restrictions often prohibit printing the label in more than one language.
Microchip technology has advanced to the point that chips can now convert human voice signals into digitized datastreams. Such digitalized datastreams can be stored, processed and converted back into a voice simulation by means of a voice simulation microcircuit. A wide variety of voice simulating microcircuits are commercially available such as General Dynamics SPO256A, National Semiconductor MM54104, Texas Instrument TMS5220, Mitsubishi M50800-SP, Signetics MEA-8000, OKI Semi-Conductor Inc. MSM6378 (programmable) etc., and includes microprocessors, such as the AIM-65 marketed by Rockwell International having a electrical programmable read only memory (EPROM), coupled to voice synthesizer chips such the Voltrax Speech PAC with SC-01 voice synthesizer chip by Vodex, etc. Heretofore, such voice simulation microcircuits have not been applied in the labeling art.

Apparatus and method for producing audible labels in multiple languages


Apparatus, methods and computer readable media for speed management and control, including logic executable to determine a present geographic position of a wireless device, logic executable to determine a speed limit corresponding to the present geographic position, and logic executable to selectively generate an alert based upon the speed limit.

The driver of a vehicle should be aware of the speed limit of the road upon which they are driving. Unfortunately, currently the only way for a driver to know the speed limit of a road is to observe posted speed limit signs, or to know the rules of a given city, area or type of road as to the speed limit when no signs are posted. Posted speed limit signs are problematic because such signs may only be located infrequently on any given stretch of road. As such, a driver turning onto the road may not be notified of the speed limit in a timely manner. Another disadvantage of such posted speed limit signs is that they are often obstructed from view by trees, shrubs and other signs. Further, even if not obstructed, such speed limit signs may be difficult to see among the myriad of signs and advertisements typically found in urban and suburban areas. Additionally, if a driver is new to a particular stretch of road, or is trying to find a location on the road, such posted speed limit signs may be outside of the driver's focus of attention and may be easily missed. Thus, posted speed limit signs often provide less than adequate notice of the speed limit for that road to a driver of a vehicle.
Alternately, many drivers are not familiar with local speed limit rules, such as on city streets where speed limit signs are often not posted. For example, these areas rely on postings located at the perimeter of the area, such as a sign reading "city speed limit of 25 mph unless otherwise posted," and if the driver does not notice these signs prior to entering the area, they may never again be notified of the speed limit within the area. Thus, many drivers lack knowledge of the rules of a given city, area or type of road as to the speed limit.
There are systems, such as cruise control systems, that help a driver to maintain a vehicle at a desired speed limit value set by the driver. The disadvantage of these systems, however, is that the desired speed limit value will not change until manually altered or cancelled. These cruise control systems do not include any mechanism to notify the driver of a speed limit of a road, or to automatically adjust the desired speed limit value based upon a change in the speed limit of the road.
Therefore, improved apparatus and methods are desired to aid a driver in managing and controlling the speed of a vehicle in relation to a speed limit for the road or transit route upon which they are traveling.

Apparatus and methods for speed management and control


The present invention is directed to a system and method to allow users to access and use data services, and then charge for such services using a point of sale system. Information about various services capable of being performed by a multifunction peripheral device is provided to the user, as well as the available payment options. The user selects the services to be performed and then selects the appropriate payment option. The user then provides selected information about the service the user wants to be performed. The user is then presented with the total cost of the service. Upon the user accepting the charges, the service is performed. The details of the transaction are archived and the user is billed for the service. The multifunctional peripheral device submits an authorization request to the point of sale server. The point of sale server authorizes or rejects the transaction request. If the transaction is authorized, the transaction details are transmitted to the point of sale server. The transaction request is then closed and a confirmation is transmitted to the multifunctional peripheral device.

This invention teaches a system and method for providing data services. More particular, this invention is directed to a system and method to allow users to access and use data services, such as scanning, printing, and distribution of documents and data, and then charge for such services.
Typically, professionals routinely work with documents or other data while away from their office environment. These professionals need to generate or propagate data, such as image data, by printing a document, and then to need to distribute or perform other functions on such image data. Mobile access is suitably accomplished via a laptop computer, notepad computer, personal digital assistant, cellular telephone, and the like. Multifunctional peripheral devices, such as printers and scanning devices, routinely perform such operations. However, there is no easy or cost effective way for these mobile users to use these existing technologies in a non-office environment or a public facility. Currently publicly accessed multifunctional peripheral services may be operated on a per copy basis via system such as coin operated devices, identification card readers, or key counters. There is no mechanism or device for seamlessly integrating a mobile multifunctional peripheral system to a point of sale system in order to allow for credit or prepaid card charges, including the authorization and posting of charges for services.
There is a need for system and method to allow users in a non-office environment to access and use data services, and then charge for such services using a point of sale system.

System and method for providing fee-based data services to mobile users


In a first embodiment, a hexagonal threaded nut includes a pair of horizontal slots about a peripheral portion extending through the nut into a central threaded bore. The slots form jaws which are tightened by pairs of vertical screws about a threaded stud engaged within the central bore. The sides of the slots are forced together to firmly grip the stud. Stress relieving bores at the ends of the slots aid in applying a high torque to the stud and facilitate removal. A standard wrench can be used to rotate the nut and unscrew the stud. Another embodiment utilizes a pair of like threaded nuts positioned on a threaded stud with a fixed spacing therebetween. Screws passing through holes in the two nuts are tightened to compress the spacing and affix the nut to the stud to permit removal. One method for removing studs includes threading a pair of like nuts onto a stud to provide a fixed spacing therebetween, the nuts having a plurality of threaded holes, threading a plurality of screws through respective holes in said nuts, and tightening the screws to compress the spacing and affix the nut to the stud to permit removal of the stud.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for removing threaded rods or studs which are embedded in machinery, walls or other support structures, and particularly, to a tool for facilitating removal of such studs.
2. Description of the Related Art
Previous devices for removal of threaded rods or studs from various machinery to be repaired, such as engine blocks, have utilized conical members having vertical slots forming jaws which are compressed about the stud. An example of such a device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,815,500 to Doan. An inner shank member has an upper threaded and a lower conical end with a longitudinal split forming jaws to fit around the stud. An outer body member having a hexagonal top and conical bottom fits over the threaded shank. A wrench tightens the outer member on the inner shank to close the jaws about the stud which can then be unscrewed and removed.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,807,264 to Walker discloses a tool for driving studs using a bead with a tapered hexagonal socket forming jaws, and a spring actuated plug fits into the jaws and grips a stud.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,043,274 to Wegner discloses a hexagonal body having a bore with cammed surfaces. A slotted sleeve with internal threads to fit over a stud and external cammed surfaces fits into the hexagonal body. A pin on the hex member and groove on the sleeve prevent undesired relative movement. A projecting flange and spring prevent longitudinal separation. The flange unites the cammed sleeve portions which coact with the hex surfaces when rotated to remove the stud.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,212,972 to Armstrong discloses a tool for inserting or removing corporation stops from gas or water mains. A threaded socket with extending fingers engages nipples on the stop member. Rotation of the socket causes rotation of the stop member without damaging the nipples.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,367,480 to Beswick discloses a quick attachment nut having hexagonal tapered external faces, a resilient frame with legs secured to the tapered faces and a hexagonal sleeve with internal tapered faces mounted over the frame and nut.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,391,624 to Heuer discloses a stud bolt retractor and drive using a slotted member having jaws and a tapered body with tapered threads. A groove has ribs for gripping a stud. A nut having internal threaded tapered surfaces engages the slotted member to rotate the stud.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,681,582 to Valvano discloses a stud driving and removing wrench. An outer body has a cavity with a pair of intersecting arcuate walls, a pair of threaded jaws engaging the walls, a pin and keepers holding the jaws in position to engage a stud.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,719,445 to Giebler discloses a stud puller having a sleeve with a tapered end and a tapered chuck within the sleeve having a bore to receive a stud. The chuck includes splits to form jaws and keyways and a pin to prevent undesired rotation. A screw is threaded into the sleeve to cause the chuck to engage and remove the stud.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,104,569 to Davis et al. discloses a stud bolt remover having a slotted tubular threaded tapered member that engages a stud. A nut engages the tubular member and a driving bolt forces the nut to clamp the tubular slotted member onto the stud to permit removal of the stud.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,457,812 to Wagner, Jr. discloses a housing with internal teeth at one end to engage and remove a fastener.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,587,363 to Rogers discloses a ball plunger holder with a threaded bore and a boss at one end. A screw is threaded into the holder and a ball plunger into the boss end. The ball plunger is tightened against the screw end and the assembly inserted into a work piece. For removal of the plunger, the ball is depressed by the screw to lock against the threads to permit removal.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,718,058 to Jones, Jr. discloses two threaded members with complementary camming surfaces to be threaded in alignment with a threaded stud. The members grip the stud to permit removal.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,735,650 to Weng, Jr. discloses an extractor tool having a collet with an annular array of pointed teeth that grip a stud when tightened.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,769,861 to Kisle et al. discloses a body threaded at one end for engaging a stud and at the other end for a take-up nut. A pair of jaws are positioned between the two ends and a tapered pin is between the jaws. Torque applied to the nut end causes force against the pin and jaws and lower threads to grip the stud.
Another device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,556 to Kelly et al. discloses a stud removal tool having three sleeves with different diameters and a tapered end. An inner slotted sleeve with a flared end is placed over the stud, with a second sleeve placed over the first sleeve and engaging the flared end. A third sleeve receives screws to force the second sleeve to collapse the end of the first sleeve against the stud. A wrench can then rotate the first sleeve to remove the stud.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,315,902 to Ragland et al. discloses a plurality of axial cams on the interior wall of a socket. The cams engage gripping jaws in a removable cartridge which grips a stud to be removed.
These devices are relatively complex, costly to manufacture and maintain, and have not performed effectively.


An external fixator for positioning a first element or the like relative to a second element or the like. The external fixator includes a first base for mounting to the first element; a second base for mounting to the second element; a plurality of adjustable effective length struts; connector structure for rotatably attaching the first ends of a first pair of struts relative to one another and relative to the first base; connector structure for rotatably attaching the first ends of a second pair of struts relative to one another and relative to the first base; connector structure for rotatably attaching the first ends of a third pair of struts relative to one another and relative to the first base; connector structure for rotatably attaching the second ends of the first pair of struts relative to one another and relative to the second base; connector structure for rotatably attaching the second ends of the second pair of struts relative to one another and relative to the second base member; and connector structure for rotatably attaching the second ends of the third pair of struts relative to one another and relative to the second base member.. A unique method of using an external fixation device to reposition a first bone segment relative to a second bone segment is claimed herein. The unique method of using the external fixation device of the current invention includes attaching said first base member to said first bone segment, attaching said second base member to said second bone segment, and adjusting the effective length of at least one of the struts, thereby repositioning said first bone segment relative to said second bone segment.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to a device that allows complete repositioning of two members relative to one another. More specifically, this invention relates to the method for using an improved orthopaedic external fixator including a mechanism that allows two bone elements or portions to be fixed relative to one another while allowing complete repositioning of the two bone elements or portions relative to one another.
2. Background Art
It is often necessary to realign, reposition and/or securely hold two elements relative to one another. For example, in the practice of medicine, bone fragments and the like must sometimes be aligned or realigned and repositioned to restore boney continuity and skeletal function, etc. At times this may be accomplished by sudden maneuver, usually followed by skeletal stabilization with cast, plate and screws, intramedullary devices, or external skeletal fixators.
A bone fragment can be moved, in general, from its original position as in a nonunion or malunion or from its intended position as in congenital deformities along six separate axes, a combination of three orthogonal translational axes (e.g., typical "X," "Y" and "Z" axes) and three orthogonal rotational axes (e.g., rotation about such typical "X," "Y" and "Z" axes).
Certain boney skeletal injuries or conditions are sometimes treated with an external device that is attached to the boney skeleton with threaded and/or smooth pins and/or threaded and/or smooth and/or beaded wires. Such constructs are commonly referred to as orthopaedic external fixators or external skeletal fixators. External fixators may be utilized to treat acute fractures of the skeleton, soft tissue injuries, delayed union of the skeleton when bones are slow to heal, nonunion of the skeleton when bones have not healed, malunion whereby broken or fractured bones have healed in a malposition, congenital deformities whereby bones develop a malposition, and bone lengthening, widening, or twisting.
External fixators vary considerably in design and capabilities, and may include multiple or single bars or rods, and a plurality of clamps for adjustably securing the bars to pins or wires which are, in turn, joined to the boney skeleton. The pins or wires may extend completely through the boney skeleton extending out each side of the limb or may extend through the boney skeleton and out one side of the limb. Pins which extend completely through the boney skeleton and out both sides of the limb are commonly referred to as "transfixation pins." Pins which extend through the boney skeleton and out only one side of the limb are commonly referred to as "half pins." Such external fixators may be circumferential for encircling a patient's body member (e.g., a patient's femur), or may be unilateral for extending along one side of a patient's body member. More that one unilateral external fixator can be applied to the same length of the patient's body member. Materials for fixators also vary, including metals, alloys, plastics, composites, and ceramics. External fixators vary in their ability to accommodate different spatial relations between the pin and bar.
Prior art external fixators stabilize bone fragments by holding the fragments in a relatively fixed spatial relation. Some of the more completely adjustable external fixators allow the physician to reorient one fragment with respect to the other along all six axes in an acute motion, usually by loosening one or more clamps and effecting the corrective motion manually and retightening clamps to hold the fragments stably.
A circumferential external fixator system was disclosed by G. A. Ilizarov during the early 1950's. The Ilizarov system include at least two rings or "halos" that encircle a patient's body member (e.g., a patient's leg), connecting rods extending between the two rings, transfixion pins that extend through the patient's boney structure, and connectors for connecting the transfixion pins to the rings. Use of the Ilizarov system to deal with angulation, translation and rotation is disclosed in "Basic Ilizarov Techniques," Techniques in Orthopaedics.RTM., Vol. 5, No. 4, December 1990, pages 55-59.
Mears, U.S. Pat. No. 4,620,533, issued Nov. 4, 1986, discloses a unilateral external fixator system including a plurality of fixation pins attached to at least one rigid bar through adjustable clamps having articulating balls which allow rotational adjustment of each pin or bar.
Stef, U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,750, issued May 11, 1993, discloses a unilateral external fixator system including an orthopaedic brace for rigidly connecting groups of pins screwed into a long bone for the reduction of a fracture of the long bone. The brace includes a telescopic support made up of an elongated tube and an elongated rod slidable within the tube. A first plate is attached to the outer end of the tube and a second plate is attached to the outer end of the rod. Third and fourth plates are adjustably attached to the first and second plates, respectively, by way of threaded rods and ball-and-socket joints. Jaws are attached to each third and fourth plate to secure the pins to the brace.
Prior art orthopaedic external fixators differ in their ability to move or adjust one bone fragment with respect to the other in a gradual fashion. Some allow gradual translation, others allow gradual rotation about two axes. The Ilizarov system can provide an external fixation device that could provide gradual correction along and about six axes; however such a device would require many parts and would be relatively complicated to build and use in a clinical situation.
Often orthopaedic external fixators such as Ilizarov fixators must be modified later on after their initial application. Such modification may be necessary to convert from one correctional axis to another or to convert from an initial adjustment type of fixator to a weight bearing type of fixator, some of the correctional configurations not being stable enough for weight bearing.
More simplistic external fixators may accomplish a rotation of fragments about a center of rotation contained on the external fixator. This may or may not correspond to the center of rotation necessary to fully correct the deformity by angular correction alone. In no circumstances will a center of rotation confined to the external fixator create a virtual center of rotation remote to the external fixator as is frequently required in the treatment of these deformities. Some orthopaedic external fixators utilize a simple hinge which cannot create a center of rotation remote to its mechanism. The Ilizarov system provides a circumferential encompassing type fixator that is more universal in that it permits the placement of the hinge axis around the bone, but does not allow rotation about an axis remote to its mechanism. A focal hinge made of an arc segment of gear or track with a following carriage can create a center of rotation remote to the mechanism but may not be applicable to certain situations where because of anatomy or preference the mechanism is to be applied to the concavity of a deformity, especially a severe deformity where there is no space to apply the long arc segment of gear or track necessary to fully correct the deformity.
Anderson, U.S. Pat. No. 2,391,537, issued Dec. 25, 1945, discloses an orthopaedic external fixator for fracture reduction including a pair of hollow tubes telescopically joined together, a plurality of pins for transfixing bone elements, a first fixation unit slidably mounted on one of the tubes for connecting a pair of the transfixion pins to that tube, and a second fixation unit attached to the end of the other tube for connecting a pair of the transfixation pins to that tube. One of the tubes is telescopically mounted within the other tube. A threaded adjusting shaft is mounted within the tubes and can be manually rotated by way of a wrench head located at the outer end of one of the tubes. Rotation of the shaft causes a nut nonrotatably located within the tubes to move longitudinally along the shaft. Coil springs located within the tubes on either side of the nut transfer longitudinal movement of the nut to the tubes while permitting a certain desired yielding and eliminating any perfectly solid and hard contact. A geared mechanism allows for correction of rotational deformity, utilizing an arc segment of gear and a mating carriage with corresponding pinion.
A "Stewart platform" is a fully parallel mechanism used in flight and automotive simulators, robotic end-effectors, and other applications requiring spatial mechanisms with high structural stiffness; and includes a base platform, a top platform, and six variable limbs extending between the base and top platforms. See S. V. Sreenivasan et al., "Closed-Form Direct Displacement Analysis of a 6-6 Stewart Platform," Mech. Mach. Theory, Vol. 29, No. 6, pp. 855-864, 1994.
Nothing in the known prior art discloses or suggests the present invention. For example, nothing in the known prior art discloses a fixator that can be adjusted in six axes by changing strut lengths only, without requiring joints to be unclamped, etc. Further nothing in the known prior art discloses or suggests a mechanism including, in general, a first member or swash plate for attachment relative to a first element; a second member or swash plate for attachment relative to a second element; an adjustable effective length first strut having a first end movably attached to the first member and a second end movably attached to the second member; an adjustable effective length second strut having a first end movably attached to the first member and a second end movably attached to the second member; an adjustable effective length third strut having a first end movably attached to the first member and a second end movably attached to the second member; an adjustable effective length fourth strut having a first end movably attached to the first member and a second end movably attached to the second member; an adjustable effective length fifth strut having a first end movably attached to the first member and a second end movably attached to the second member; and an adjustable effective length sixth strut having a first end movably attached to the first member and a second end movably attached to the second member, with the first ends of the first and second struts joined relative to one another so that movement of the first end of one of the first and second struts will cause a corresponding movement of the first end of the other strut, with the first ends of the third and fourth struts joined relative to one another so that movement of the first end of one of the third and fourth struts will cause a corresponding movement of the first end of the other strut, with the first ends of the fifth and sixth struts joined relative to one another so that movement of the first end of one of the fifth and sixth struts will cause a corresponding movement of the first end of the other strut, with the second ends of the first and sixth struts joined relative to one another so that movement of the second end of one of the first and sixth struts will cause a corresponding movement of the second end of the other strut, with the second ends of the second and third struts joined relative to one another so that movement of the second end of one of the second and third struts will cause a corresponding movement of the second end of the other strut, with the second ends of the fourth and fifth struts joined relative to one another so that movement of the second end of one of the fourth and fifth struts will cause a corresponding movement of the second end of the other strut.

Method of using an orthopaedic fixation device


A mechanism for efficiently overlapping multiple operand types is used in a microprocessor which includes a plurality of execution units and a mechanism to provide operations, which include one or more operands, to the plurality of execution units. Each of the plurality of execution units interprets the one or more operands as different types of operands, and the mechanism to provide operations overlaps the different types of operands.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the field of microprocessor architecture. More particularly, this invention relates to combining data paths in a microprocessor.
2. Background
As the computer revolution has progressed the quest of microprocessor developers has been to develop chips exhibiting more power and faster performance. Initial efforts focused essentially on increasing transistor populations on single microprocessor integrated circuits. That effort continues with today's microprocessors now housing literally millions of transistors on a single chip. Further integration has allowed processor clock speeds to be greatly increased with the increased density of transistors.
Given the large number of transistors involved, modem microprocessors are divided into discrete functional blocks through which instructions are propagated one stage at a time. This allows for pipelining of instructions such that when one instruction has completed the first stage of processing and moves on to the second stage, a second instruction can begin the first stage. Thus, even where each instruction requires a number of clock cycles to complete all stages of processing, pipelining provides for the completion of instructions on every clock cycle. This single-cycle throughput of a pipelined microprocessor greatly increases the overall performance of computer systems.
Other enhancements to microprocessor design include the development of superscalar microprocessors which are capable of initiating more than one instruction at the initial stage of the pipeline per clock cycle. Likewise, in a superscalar microprocessor, frequently more than one instruction completes on a given clock cycle. Other development efforts have gone into the simplification of microprocessor instruction sets, developing reduced instruction set computer (RISC) microprocessors which exploit the fact that many simple instructions are more commonly executed than some complicated instructions. Eliminating the complicated instructions from the instruction set provides for a faster executing pipeline. Complicated instructions are carried out by combinations of the more simple instructions.
Substantial increases in instruction throughput are achievable by implementing out-of-order dispatch of instructions to the execution units of superscalar microprocessors. Many experiments have confirmed that typical Von Neumann code provides substantial parallelism and hence a potential performance boost by use of out-of-order execution. Out-of-order execution is possible when a given instruction does not depend on previous instructions for a result before executing. With out-of-order execution, any number of instructions are allowed to be executing in the execution units, up to the total number of pipeline stages for all the functional units.
Microprocessors execute a wide range of instructions based on various types of numbers, typically referred to as either floating point numbers or integer numbers. One method of executing floating point and integer instructions has been to use two different data paths for the instruction operands: one for floating point operations and the second for integer operations. These two different data paths and their corresponding control logic can be included on the same chip, or may be two physically separate chips. This separation of data paths for different operands, however, can require a large amount of chip area due to the duplication of registers to store the two types of data as well as duplicated control logic. Thus, it would be beneficial to provide a mechanism for overlapping multiple operand types in a microprocessor.
An additional enhancement to microprocessor performance is the data path width. Microprocessor integer data paths have grown in width to 32-bit and 64-bit data paths which are common today. Floating point data paths are even wider, typically being at least twice as wide as integer data paths. This large number of bits being routed around the chip requires significant chip area. Thus, it would be beneficial to provide a mechanism for overlapping multiple operand types and thereby reducing the amount of area required on a chip to support both floating point and integer data paths.
Additionally, different instructions of a typical instruction set require different numbers of operands, such as one, two or three operands. The additional data required for the three-operand instruction can result in significant additional chip area. Thus, it would be beneficial to provide a mechanism which supports instructions requiring different numbers of operands without requiring significant additional chip area and with little, if any, performance loss.
As will be described in more detail below, the present invention provides a mechanism for efficiently overlapping multiple operand types in a microprocessor that achieves these and other desired results which will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the description to follow.

Mechanism for efficiently overlapping multiple operand types in a microprocessor


A mechanism for adjusting an elevation angle of an LCD includes a base, a U-shaped locking arm, a pawl, a release button, an LCD, two rotation shafts and return springs. The base is disposed with a lower casing and a slot. The U-shaped locking arm is defined with an L-shaped hole. The pawl extends through the L-shaped hole and the slot. The release button connects to the U-shaped locking arm. The LCD is disposed with an upper casing. Teeth are respectively disposed at two ratchet arcs of the upper casing and abut against the pawl. The rotation shafts are pivotally disposed at the U-shaped locking arm, the upper casing and the lower casing. The upper casing and the angular relationship between the LCD and the base are restricted by the return springs. When the release button is operated, the angle of elevation of the LCD is adjustable.

An elevation angle of an LCD needs to be adjusted to overcome its limited visual angle, to escape glare from lamplight reflection, to accommodate the stature of a user, and to enable the LCD to be used as a touch panel.
An angle of elevation of an LCD is conventionally adjusted and maintained by a pivotable engagement between the bottom of the LCD and a housing.
However, the manner of simply adjusting and positioning the angle through the pivot does not offer enough supporting force to position the angle firmly. When the LCD is employed as a touch panel, the force of a user's touch can sway or shift the LCD, which causes unstable operation and even causes the angle of elevation to change, resulting in inconvenience and trouble in use.

Mechanism for adjusting an elevation angle of an LCD


A synchronous machine is protected from closely spaced instances of excessive field current and an excessive volts/hertz ratio by a control system which models rotor and stator cooling to provide memory of recent periods of excessive heating. Maximum excitation limiting and volts/hertz ratio limiting modules in a microprocessor based automatic voltage regulator for the machine generate time delayed limit signals which override voltage feedback control when the respective parameters exceed threshold values. The limiters each increment a count when the associated threshold value is exceeded and generate the associated limit signal when a predetermined count is reached. The predetermined counts and the counting rates are selected such that the delay intervals are inversely proportional to the amount by which the threshold values are exceeded. The counts are decremented at a rate which models rotor and stator cooling when the respective parameters return below the threshold values. If another event occurs before the count reaches zero, the delay before limiting action is reinitiated is shortened by an amount related to the residual heating.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus for protecting a synchronous machine from thermal overloads by limiting excitation and volts/hertz. In particular, the invention is directed to providing such protection in response to closely spaced events using a microprocessor-based limiter.
2. Background Information
Large synchronous machines, such as generators used in power generation systems and the machines used to adjust the power factor in such systems, have a stator winding connected to the power system and a rotor, or field, winding which is excited by a dc exciter through slip rings. The rotating dc field produced by turning of the rotor generates an ac field in the stator winding. A voltage regulator attempts to regulate the stator voltage to a desired set point value in a feedback loop which regulates the field current. In the case of a small generator, or even a large generator in a very large power system, terminal voltage of a synchronous machine is set by the power system. If the system voltage becomes depressed, the voltage regulator on the machine attempts to raise the voltage by increasing the field current. This leads to overheating of the rotor and damage to the machine.
Conventionally, synchronous machines are protected by several limiters. A maximum excitation limiter protects the synchronous generating equipment against excessive field current, i.e., excitation. This limiter is typically part of, and acts through, the generator's automatic voltage regulation equipment. Under certain power system fault conditions, or as a result of malfunctions in auxiliary devices, the automatic voltage regulator may attempt to increase the generator field current to a point where rotor heating endangers the machine. Maximum excitation limiters monitor field current and will act to reduce field current under such circumstances; essentially overriding any other attempts to maintain or increase excitation. A time delay related to the degree of excessive excitation is applied before limiting action actually occurs.
Synchronous generating equipment is also routinely protected against excessive rotor flux densities by equipment known as a volts per hertz limiter. This limiter is typically also a subsystem of, and acts through, the generator's automatic voltage regulation equipment. During certain power system disturbances, or as a result of operator actions or malfunctions in auxiliary devices, the automatic voltage regulator may attempt to increase the generator excitation to a point where stator heating endangers the machine. Reduced speed (under frequency) operation requires that the machine excitation be decreased proportionally. Attempting to maintain nominal terminal voltage at under frequency conditions can result in excessive magnetic flux densities in both the generator stator core and in the core of the unit transformer. Excessive flux density results in hysteresis and eddy current losses and overheating of the magnetic material. Such situations may also occur during machine start-up where prolonged periods of underspeed operation are common. Volts Per Hertz (V/Hz) limiters will act to reduce excitation under such circumstances, essentially overriding any other attempts to maintain or increase excitation. Again, a time delay related to the degree of excessive excitation is applied before limiting action actually occurs. The degree of limiting action is proportional to a volts per hertz ratio in excess of a safe level.
These maximum excitation limiters and V/Hz limiters are effective at limiting excitation, but once the excitation returns to safe levels, the limiting action ceases. If the excitation again exceeds safe levels, the limiting algorithms simply reinitiate all time delay cycles. No knowledge of any preceding events is recognized by these known systems. In situations where such events are widely separated in time, the rotor or the magnetic material will have sufficient time to cool. However, if such events occur too closely spaced in time, the rotor or the magnetic material may not return to its normal temperature before the next event begins. The traditional implementation of these limiters reinitializes the delay timers at the end of each event with no allowance for the fact that the rotor or magnetic material is entering the next event at an already elevated temperature. Under these circumstances, the limiting action will not have the needed effect.
There is a need therefore, for improved protection of a synchronous machine. More particularly, there is a need for apparatus for protecting a synchronous machine from events closely spaced in time which can cause thermal damage to the machine.
Specifically, there is a need for improved apparatus for protecting a synchronous machine from over excitation and excess V/Hz events which occur close enough in time that the machine has not had time to cool to normal temperature before the next event occurs.
There is also a need for such improved apparatus which can operate through the existing voltage regulation system for synchronous machines.
There is a further need for such an improved apparatus in which the protection can accommodate for changes in the cooling rate of the machine following an event.

Thermal protection apparatus for a synchronous machine


An automated apparatus and method for filling a container with a fluid. This apparatus is particularly well suited for the filling of relatively large containers of the type that utilize removable, threaded plugs for gaining access into the containers. For such containers, the apparatus can perform the tasks usually involved in the typical filling operation (e.g., aligning, opening, fluid dispensing, closing and sealing the container). Such automated tasks are especially relevant when dealing with fluids which are toxic, inclined to foaming or likely to mix readily with the surrounding gaseous environment. The apparatus includes a container transport system to coordinate the movement of a container between and its interaction with the following task oriented assemblies: bung alignment, kicker, bung cap handling, fluid dispensing, and sealing cap installation.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an automated system for dispensing fluids into containers. The apparatus of this invention is particularly well suited to the filling of relatively large containers that utilize removable, threaded plugs for gaining access into the containers. More particularly, this invention is directed to an automated apparatus which can perform the tasks (e.g., aligning, opening, fluid dispensing, closing and sealing a container) usually involved in filling containers of the aforementioned type. Such automated tasks are especially relevant when dealing with fluids which are toxic, inclined to foaming or likely to mix readily with the surrounding gaseous environment.
2. Description of Related Art
In most facilities for dispensing fluids into relatively large containers (e.g., fifty-five gallon drums), the containers to be filled are conveyed by a suitable roller conveyor or like apparatus between a number of stations at which the various tasks involved in filling the container occur. For containers used for toxic or foaming fluids and which have their fluid receiving openings (i.e., bungs) closed or capped with covers (i.e., bung caps), these steps are exemplified by the following listing of possible container filling tasks: (1) positioning an empty container so that its bung is properly aligned for ease of handling at downstream stations, (2) removing the bung cap, (3) dispensing a predetermined amount of fluid into the container, often by employing a two step, fluid subsurface filling process which entails using a retractable fluid dispensing conduit, (4) closing the container by the insertion of a bung cap, and (5) covering the container's bung and bung cap with a protective sealing cap. Such filling steps and apparatus for performing each are disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,211,263; 4,337,802; 4,494,583; 4,735,238 and commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/901,807, said patents and patent application being hereby incorporated by reference.
Attainment of maximum facility output as measured by containers filled per unit time, potential operator manpower cost savings and fluid handling safety concerns make it advantageous for container filling machines such as those described above to be as automated and time efficient as possible. Progress towards these objectives can be seen in the disclosures of the previously incorporated, commonly assigned patents and patent applications.


The present invention provides a thin polarizing film which has only a small environmental load and has excellent optical characteristics.

An optical laminate having a polarizing film is placed on each of both sides of a liquid crystal cell of a liquid crystal display apparatus as a representative image display apparatus, the placement being attributable to an image-forming mode of the apparatus. The optical laminate representatively has a polarizing film obtained by causing a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based film to adsorb a dichromatic substance and uniaxially stretching the film, and a protective film placed on each of both sides of the polarizing film. The polarizing film obtained by uniaxially stretching the PVA-based film representatively has a thickness of several tens of micrometers.
Meanwhile, in association with a worldwide increase in environmental awareness in recent years, an industrial product having only a small environmental load has been demanded in every field. For example, in the European Union, evaluation, application, and registration of impacts of chemical substances contained in industrial products on human health and the global environment (REACH) are required for the sake of human health and environmental protection, and boric acid, which is contained in the polarizing film, is a candidate substance to be subject thereto. Further, boric acid has a flame retardant function. Accordingly, when a boric acid content of the polarizing film is high, incineration efficiency during an incineration treatment of the optical laminate having the polarizing film which has become industrial waste is low, resulting in a large environmental load. Also in thermal recycling, which involves recovering thermal energy generated during incineration, when the boric acid content of the polarizing film is high, recycling efficiency is low. In addition, iodine is frequently used as the dichromatic substance to be adsorbed onto the polarizing film. However, when an iodine content of the polarizing film is high, a pale purple gas is discharged from a chimney of an incinerator during the incineration treatment, which makes neighborhood residents uneasy.
Thinning the polarizing film as means for solving the problems as described above inevitably reduces the boric acid content and iodine content of the polarizing film. The following method has been proposed as a method of stably producing a thin polarizing film (see Patent Literatures 1 to 3). A laminate of a thermoplastic resin substrate and a PVA-based resin layer is subjected to in-air stretching, and is then immersed in a dyeing liquid so that the thin polarizing film may be obtained. However, such method involves a problem in that optical characteristics (such as polarization degree and single axis transmittance) of the thin polarizing film to be obtained are insufficient.

Thin polarizing film, optical laminate with thin polarizing film, and production method for thin polarizing film

Abstract: The thin polarizing film is produced by forming a polyvinyl alcohol-based resin layer on a thermoplastic resin substrate. The thin polarizing film has a thickness of 10 μm or less, a single axis transmittance of 42.0% or more, a polarization degree of 99.95% or more, and an iodine content of 17.6 grams per 400×700 square millimeters or less, which is measured by an ion chromatography method.