A multimode electronic measuring instrument is provided that includes a ratiometric mode of operation. During the ratiometric mode, a desired dimension is established as a stored reference dimension “Xref”. After the reference dimension is stored in memory, subsequent ratiometric measurement readouts will equal a current measurement distance “Xcurr” divided by the reference dimension Xref. A ratiometric measurement according to this invention indicates the relationship of a current dimension to another readily changed (reference) dimension. The ratiometric mode of operation can be implemented in combination with conventional function caliper functions to provide a multimode caliper having a simple and intuitive user interface. Setting the reference dimension and interpreting the ratiometric measurement display are particularly easy, to facilitate intuitive understanding and operation.

Most electronic calipers, dividers, and the like that are currently in use provide measurements only in conventional length or angle units such as inches, millimeters, degrees or radians. Furthermore, devices that provide such measurements, particularly in the case of commercially available electronic calipers, have become near-commodities. That is, the user-controlled functions provided, the number and spacing of the buttons provided to activate the functions, and the dimensions of the electronic housing and the LCD display portion, and the like, have settled into a narrow range of configurations that provide the manufacturability, economy, functionality, and ergonomic factors that are expected or required by a majority of manufacturers and users of electronic calipers. As such, manufacturers and users are reluctant to accept design variations which increase the functional complexity, increase the number of buttons or decrease their ergonomic spacing, increase the ergonomic dimensions of the electronic housing, or decrease the ergonomic visibility of LCD display elements, etc., even to a moderate extent.
Previously proposed methods for adding additional measurement functions to electronic calipers are generally not acceptable according to the aforementioned acceptance factors. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,223,136 to Geiger discloses a method wherein a scaling function is performed in one of two ways: numerical input or a calculated scaling factor. The numerical input is for cases where the drawings, model, or item to be measured is of a known scale. The user inputs that scale. Further measurements are then multiplied by this scale factor and displayed. The calculated scaling factor is for cases in which the user is uncertain of the scale, but has a reference dimension. In this case, the user measures the reference dimension, then inputs the value corresponding to the actual dimension of the object. The calculation module then calculates the scale factor and scales further measurements by the scale factor. It is suggested in the '136 Patent that an increment button, a decrement button, and a enter button are provided to allow the user to access and use the scaling, nominal value, basic geometric and complex geometric functions of the invention. However, such buttons are not conventionally provided on electronic calipers, and their addition and use would necessarily violate the acceptance criteria outlined above, as would the alternatives suggested in the '136 Patent.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,497,051 to Poole discloses a method for scaling a measurement wherein the user is able to select a scale by depressing a scale button. This feature is useful when the measurement to be taken is printed on a sheet drawn in a particular scale. In that case, the user uses the scale button to select the same scale used by the printout. When the measurement ends (the elements positioned to define the measurement distance) of the measuring device are placed on the printout to measure a distance, the CPU will automatically compensate for the scale and display an unscaled measurement. For example, if an MRI image of a person is printed in centimeters and uses a scale of one to four, the device can be set for taking measurements in centimeters and a scale of one to four. If a measurement of the size of an organ is taken where the measurement ends are spaced two centimeters apart on the MRI image, the CPU will automatically calculate the actual distance and display a measurement of eight centimeters on the display. The user is also able to calibrate the device to a known distance by separating the measurement ends to a known distance and the known distance is entered into the CPU by sending a calibration signal to the CPU. This is preferably accomplished by placing the measurement ends against a legend and pressing the calibration button. This will calibrate the measurement device to read precisely a calibrated distance (provided that the calibration operation using the calibration switch is properly coordinated with the scale setting operation using the scale switch). However, a scale switch is not conventionally provided on electronic calipers, nor is the ability to display the value of a scale currently in effect (without which, the current scale might easily be overlooked or mistaken), nor is it necessary to coordinate a calibration operation using a calibration switch with a scale setting operation using a scale switch. Thus, the addition and use of any such elements would necessarily violate the acceptance criteria outlined above, as would the alternatives suggested in the '051 Patent.
Nevertheless, the addition of a scaling-like measurement capability to an electronic caliper, or the like, would be useful. Thus, a configuration of an electronic caliper, or the like, that operates to provide a scaling-like measurement capability while generally satisfying the acceptance factors outlined above would be desirable.

Multimode electronic calipers having ratiometric mode and simplified user interface


A steel cord comprises a core with one or more core steel filaments and further comprises a first layer of intermediate steel filaments twisted around the core, and a second layer of second steel filaments twisted around the first layer. At least one of the intermediate steel filaments is individually coated by means of a polymer with a minimum thickness of 0.010 mm. The polymer reduces the fretting between the coated intermediate steel filaments and the other steel filaments and makes the steel cord suitable for reinforcement of carcass plies of a tire.

Multi-layer steel cords are known in the art, particularly in the art of tire making. Multi-layer steel cords may reinforce both the breaker or belt plies of a truck tire and the carcass plies of a truck tire. The main function of steel cords in the breaker or belt plies of a tire is to give stiffness to the tire. As the breaker plies of a tire can be replaced by retreading, the mechanical properties required from steel cords in the breaker ply are not extremely high. In great contrast herewith, the mechanical properties required from steel cords for the reinforcement of carcass plies are much higher. One of the reasons is that carcass plies are not replaced during the life time of a tire. As a consequence, a higher strength, a higher degree of flexibility, more structural uniformity, a higher adhesion and adhesion retention level, and a higher durability are expected from steel cords for carcass plies. The higher durability can be expressed as a higher resistance against fatigue and a higher resistance against fretting.
Following prior art steel cord construction has been widely used as reinforcement for the carcass plies of truck tire:3+9+15×0.175+1 (wrapping filament)SSZS
Tests show that this cord has a bad fretting performance. This is mainly due to the presence of the wrapping filament and due to the point contacts between filaments of different layers, more particularly between filaments of a S-twisted and filaments of a Z-twisted layer.
Omission of the wrapping filament leads to following prior art construction3+9+15×0.175 SSZand to some improvement regarding fretting.
Yet another alternative prior art steel cord which has been tried is following construction:3+8+13×0.175
The difference with the previous construction is that there is one filament omitted in the first layer and two filaments omitted in the second layer. This omittance leads to a decreased degree of compactness with unsaturated layers which allow rubber to penetrate. The penetrated rubber reduces the fretting damage between the filaments.
The best fretting behaviour, however, has been noticed with following prior art construction:0.20+18×0.175 CC (compact cord).
This construction comprises one thicker core filament and 18 thinner filaments which are twisted with the core filament in the same twisting direction and with the same twisting step. As a result of this twisting geometry, line contacts instead of point contacts are present between the filaments. An additional advantage is reached by the thicker core filament which leads to slightly unsaturated layers which allow rubber penetration. The line contacts together with the rubber penetration are the causes for the good fretting behaviour. However, the core filament remains the most vulnerable element.

Multi-layer steel cord where intermediate filaments are coated with a polymer


The present invention uses vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) as illumination source for simultaneous imaging of blood flow and tissue oxygenation dynamics in vivo, or a means to monitor neural activity in brain slices ex vivo. The speckle pattern on the brain tissue due to a VCSEL's coherence properties is the main challenge to producing low-noise high-brightness illumination, required for evaluating tissue oxygenation. Moreover, using oxide-confined VCSELs we show a fast switching from a single-mode operation scheme to a special multi-modal, multi-wavelength rapid sweep scheme. The multi-modal, multi-wavelength rapid sweep scheme reduces noise values to within a factor of 40% compared to non-coherent LED illumination, enabling high-brightness VCSELs to act as efficient miniature light sources for various brain imaging modalities and other imaging applications. These VCSELs are promising for long-term portable continuous monitoring of brain dynamics in freely moving animals.

Current biomedical imaging modalities, including functional magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography scan, and positron emission tomography, are mature imaging technologies that produce useful data for medical diagnostics and basic biomedical research. However, these technologies generally require the subject to be scanned to be immobile. For adult human subjects, this is easily achieved. However, in infants or animal models, immobilization often requires the use of a sedative or anaesthetic. Due to the negative physiological effects of these drugs, especially in immunocompromised subjects, frequent imaging can have physiologically detrimental or even fatal consequences. The desire to take frequent or continuous images in unanaesthetized subjects is especially pronounced in basic biomedical research, where multiple time points in an imaging series could be used to identify modes of disease progression, drug efficacy, or responses to particular stimuli. The usefulness of a continuous imaging modality in a clinical setting is also undeniable, as it could be used to create personalized treatment plans based on up-to-the-minute disease progression and drug efficacy monitoring.
Therefore there is a need for imaging technologies that enable the generation of useful imaging series, but that do not require that the subject be immobile during scanning.
Another common but widely accepted problem with prior art imaging devices is their size and significant cost (hardware, software, and associated support and training costs). Also, due to bulky, fixed implementation, subjects must be brought to the device—it cannot be brought to them. This limits the applications of optical imaging technologies.
Thus, there is a need for a lower cost, portable, optical imaging system that is operable to generate useful imaging series, and can be applied to a variety of subjects, including in health care and biomedical research settings.
Yet another problem is the need to use different imaging modalities in order to enable capture of different types of images and a series of images captured over time for making a required diagnosis. Performing multiple scans in series using different imaging modalities can significantly increase the time and costs for performing scans for a given subject.
Lasers have been used as effective and cost efficient light sources for optical imaging applications, such as for example VCSELs (vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers). VCSELs in particular are relatively small and cost effective. Lasers, however, introduce coherence effect noise (random constructive/destructive interference) which superimpose a speckle pattern over the signal, and thereby prevent generation of low-noise, high-brightness illuminations, which are required for example for evaluating tissue oxygenation in neural imaging.
Therefore, there is a need for a technology and solution that addresses at least some of the limitations as outlined above.

System and method for optical imaging with vertical cavity surface emitting lasers

THE GOVERNING COUNCIL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO


A vibration damping device according to an embodiment is a vibration damping device for a blade of a rotating machine, which includes at least one housing configured to be containable in a cavity formed under a platform of the blade, and to be detachable from the blade, and an attenuation material disposed in a vibration damping space formed inside the housing.

In recent years, it is required to suppress a vibration of a blade associated with a rotation of a rotating machine (such as an aircraft engine or a gas turbine).
For example, in a component described in Patent Document 1, a vibration of a blade of a gas turbine is suppressed by embedding a cavity where a vibration damper is encapsulated in the blade.

Vibration damping device for blade of rotating machine and rotating machine including the same

MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES AERO ENGINES, LTD.


The invention generally provides a ground shield for use in a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber. In one embodiment, a ground shield includes a generally cylindrical body comprising an outer wall, an inner upper wall, an inner lower wall having a diameter less than a diameter of the inner upper wall and a reentrant feature coupling the upper and inner lower walls. The reentrant feature advantageously prevents arching between the shield and target, which promotes greater process uniformity and repeatability along with longer chamber component service life.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention generally relate to a ground shield for semiconductor processing chamber.
2. Description of the Related Art
Physical vapor deposition (PVD), or sputtering, is one of the most commonly used processes in the fabrication of electronic devices. PVD is a plasma process performed in a vacuum chamber where a negatively biased target is exposed to a plasma of an inert gas having relatively heavy atoms (e.g., argon (Ar)) or a gas mixture comprising such inert gas. Bombardment of the target by ions of the inert gas results in ejection of atoms of the target material. The ejected atoms accumulate as a deposited film on a substrate placed on a substrate pedestal disposed within the chamber.
A ground shield may be disposed in the chamber to help define a processing region in a desired region within the chamber with respect to the substrate. The ground shield helps confine the plasma within the processing region. Confining the plasma and the ejected atoms to the processing region helps maintain other components in the chamber free from deposited materials and promotes more efficient use of target materials, as a higher percentage of the ejected atoms are deposited on the substrate.
The ground shield (typically attached to the walls, or body, of the vacuum chamber) is electrically coupled to the vacuum chamber walls and is electrically isolated from the target. In addition, a small gap is maintained between the edge of the ground shield and the target to prevent the plasma from forming outside of the processing region. If enough material from the target is deposited on the ground shield during PVD processing, the deposited material may bridge the gap and the electrical isolation between the ground shield and target will be lost. The loss of electrical isolation will disrupt processing.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for an improved ground shield for use in a PVD chamber.


A method of producing mirrors comprising depositing a reflecting metal layer by pyrolysis on a ribbon of hot glass during the glass production process characterized by applying to the glass ribbon prior to deposition of the reflecting metal layer a primer for enhancing metal nucleation on the glass. The invention also provides a method of producing mirrors during the glass production process the method comprising pre-treating the surface of a ribbon of hot glass with an activating agent and pyrolytically depositing over the pre-treated surface a reflecting metal layer.

The invention relates to a method of producing mirrors, and to coated glass substrates incorporating highly reflecting "mirror" coatings.
The light reflecting properties of mirrors are generally provided by a layer of highly reflecting metal, especially silver, aluminium or chromium, applied to a glass or plastics substrate; copper layers are sometimes used as an alternative, but are generally less acceptable because of the strong red tint of the reflected light.
Silver coatings are generally applied to preformed glass plates, in the cold, by wet chemical methods in which a solution of silver salt is applied to the glass surface and reacted with a reducing agent which reduces silver ions present to silver metal which deposits on the glass surface. The silver used is not very durable in use and in practice requires protection by other layers, and these methods are generally unsuitable for application to glass on the production line on which it is formed so that a separate "silvering" line is required to produce the silvered glass.
Aluminium coatings are difficult to apply by chemical methods because of the strongly reducing nature of aluminium metal, and aluminium mirrors are generally produced by deposition methods carried out at low pressure e.g. by sputtering. Such low pressure methods are essentially batch processes and, like the wet chemical methods used for deposition of silver mirrors, are generally unsuitable for on-line application on the production line on which the glass is made.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,656,926 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,681,042 each propose a process for the production of mirror coatings by condensing a metal vapour on the hot glass surface on the production line on which the glass is made. According to U.S. Pat. No. 3,656,926, a body of molten metal, for example silver, aluminium copper or gold, is located adjacent the upper surface of the glass by a beam of refractory material extending transversely across the glass width, and an electrical current is passed through the beam of refractory material extending transversely across the glass width, and an electrical current is passed through the beam to heat the beam, for example to a temperature of 2000.degree. C., and evaporate the metal for condensation on the adjacent glass. According to U.S. Pat. No. 3,681,042 a body of molten metal, for example silver, aluminium, gold, copper or tin, is contained in a trough in a duct supported over the glass ribbon and heated to a high temperature, for example 2000.degree. C., and a carrier gas passed over the molten metal body in the trough to entrain metal vapour evaporating therefrom. The carrier gas containing the metal vapour is directed towards the glass surface where the metal vapour condenses on the glass. To improve the adhesion of the reflecting metal to the glass, it is further proposed to first deposit, in a similar manner, a keying layer of tungsten palladium, nickel or a palladium nickel alloy on the glass before deposition of the reflecting layer. Both these techniques require use of extremely high temperatures and neither has found commercial application.
Silicon has been deposited on hot glass during the glass production process to produce reflecting layers (which, like silver and aluminium layers, are substantially neutral in reflection colour) for use on architectural glazing for aesthetic and solar control purposes. GB-A-1507465, GB-A-1507996 and GB-A-1573154 relate to a continuous chemical vapour deposition method for producing float glass having such a silicon layer, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,661,381 describes a development of that method. However, such silicon layers do not provide the high reflections commonly required in mirrors, Thus REFLECTAFLOAT (trade mark) glass, commercially available from Pilkington Glass Limited of St Helens, England, has a reflection of about 50%, and MIRROPANE EP (trade mark) commercially available from Libbey-Owens-Ford Co, has a reflection of about 60%.
EP-A-0583871 discloses mirrors and their production in which a mirror coating comprises a stack of layers. The mirrors may be produced on-line during manufacture of the glass, for example during the float glass production process. The layers comprise materials which can be deposited on-line, for example non-metallic materials such as silicon, silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, etc. It is disclosed that reflective metals, for example aluminium, chromium, cobalt or titanium may be used as an alternative to silicon and that a metal may be deposited by condensation of a metal vapor or by chemical vapor deposition using a suitable organometallic vapour. However, no specific conditions for metal deposition onto the glass substrate are disclosed.
GB-A-2248853 disclose a pyrolytic metal of coating glass with aluminium to form a mirror. A solution of an alane amine adduct is formed and the liquid is deposited onto heated glass. The adduct decomposes to form an aluminium coating. It is envisaged that the invention may be used in conjunction with float glass production, and suggested that the aluminium deposition may be carried out on hot glass, typically at 180.degree. C., emerging from the float glass process. Unfortunately, it has been found that coatings produced in the manner described are insufficiently durable for commercial application as mirrors.

Method for producing mirrors by surface activation and pyrolytic deposition


A method in one example implementation includes selecting at least one criterion for controlling data transmission from within a virtual machine. At least one application is included within the virtual machine, which includes a policy module. The selected criterion corresponds to at least one policy associated with the policy module. The method also includes evaluating the selected criterion of the policy to permit an attempt to transmit the data from within the virtual machine. In more specific embodiments, the policy may include a plurality of criteria with a first selected criterion permitting transmission of the data to a first application and a second selected criterion prohibiting transmission of the data to a second application. In another specific embodiment, the method may include updating the policy module through an administration module to modify the selected criterion.

The field of network security has become increasingly important in today's society. In particular, the ability to effectively protect computers, systems, and the data residing on such computers and systems presents a significant obstacle for component manufacturers, system designers, and network operators. This obstacle is made even more difficult due to continuously evolving security threats. Virtualization is a software technology that allows a complete operating system to run on an isolated virtual environment (typically referred to as a virtual machine), where a platform's physical characteristics and behaviors are reproduced. Virtualization can also provide for execution of a single application within a virtual machine. A virtual machine can represent an isolated, virtual environment (lying on top of a host operating system (OS) or running on bare hardware), equipped with virtual hardware (processor, memory, disks, network interfaces, etc.). Commonly, the virtual machine is managed by a virtualization product. A virtual machine monitor (VMM) is typically the virtualization software layer that manages hardware requests from a guest OS (e.g., simulating answers from real hardware). A hypervisor is typically computer software/hardware platform virtualization software that allows multiple operating systems to run on a host computer concurrently. Applications represent a unique challenge in virtual environments because they can easily be manipulated in order to infect a given computer system. Security professionals and network administrators should account for these issues in order to protect computers and systems from emerging security threats.

System and method for preventing data loss using virtual machine wrapped applications


The invention relates to a seal arrangement consisting of two abutting structures of concrete, steel, reinforced concrete, cast iron or other materials and a sealing section of elastomeric material which bridges and seals the gap between the two structures, in which the structures are especially segments assembled to form a tubular tunnel with the formation of transverse and longitudinal seams, where each segment preferably has at least one peripheral recess covering all the mating sides of the segments and there is in each recess a stranded sealing section which especially has strand-shaped grooves on the base side of the sealing section and/or strand-shaped channels, forming a sealing frame with corners, and the back of the sealing section has at least one strand-shaped groove to accept an emergency seal. When the segments are moved in the direction of the arrow, giving rise to gaps, the emergency seal, consisting especially of a water-activatable sealing material, can expand as a result of a swelling process with an increase in volume.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a seal arrangement consisting of two abutting structural parts made of concrete, steel, reinforced concrete, cast iron, or other materials (e.g. synthetic resins), as well as of a sealing section made of elastomeric material (i.e., rubber or rubber-like material), which bridges and seals the gap between the two structural parts, whereby the structural parts particularly are segments assembled to form a tubular tunnel with the formation of transverse and longitudinal joints, whereby each segment preferably is provided with at least one peripheral recess covering all the mating sides of the segment, and whereby a sealing section extending in the form of a strand is present in each recess, such sealing section being provided particularly with grooves extending in the form of strands, such grooves being arranged on the base side of the sealing section, and/or with channels extending in the form of strands as well, forming a sealing frame with frame corners. As the segments have four mating sides in most cases, the sealing frame consists of four assembled-sealing sections, whereby the corners of the frame are preferably manufactured by the injection molding process.
2. The Prior Art
A seal arrangement according to the above type is known, for example from U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,309. Due to the compression of the abutting structural parts or segments with reduction of the spacing of the gap or transverse and longitudinal joints, the sealing section made of elastomeric material develops its sealing capacity under the interaction of force and reactive force. Such compression seals are successfully used in connection with numerous tunnel projects.
For the purpose of additional pressure activation, it has been proposed, furthermore, to provide a sealing section toward the water side with a lateral bore, which is connected with at least one of the channels extending in the form of strands (U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,823). When water penetrates from the outer side of the segment, the channel or the channels is/are supported by the water pressure, which leads to an increase in the sealing capacity. However, the drawback is that the bore may be closed due to soiling, resulting in inefficiency of said additional pressure-activating measure.
Furthermore, a seal arrangement is introduced in EP-B-0 340 659, in which the sealing section has a hollow space connected with an injection channel. The sealing section is activated by means or an injectable medium increasing the total volume. In this way, a high sealing effect is obtained without requiring compression of the sealing sections during assembly. However, the drawback in this connection is that an injection channel has to be made available, which, furthermore, frequently has to be extended through the segments, and that additional device parts are needed.
French laid-open patent specifications 2 669 259, 2 678 680, and 2 712 655 introduce seal arrangements in which the back of the sealing section has at least one groove extending in the form of a strand, for which provision is made for the purpose of receiving an emergency seal, in particular an activatable, and especially a water-activatable sealing material. Here, the back of the sealing section may have one single groove. Another possibility is to fit the back of the sealing section with two grooves, which are arranged substantially mirror-symmetrically relative to each other based on the vertical plane of the center of the section (EP-A-0 522 912).
In spite of numerous solutions proposed for sealing abutting structural parts, the problem has not been solved adequately heretofore. Structural parts, especially tunnel segments, may change in their positions relative to each other in the course of time (e.g. due to the action of conditions caused by geological changes), for example due to ovalizing, so that gaps open up. Moreover, structural parts or tunnel segments may be dislocated with displacement when installed. Such constellations then necessarily lead to a negative influence on the sealing efficiency of the sealing section.

Seal arrangement for tubular tunnel segments


A mobile support structure for a display device includes a cross bar having a first end and a second end, a display, a first pair of legs, and a second pair of legs. A first coupling defines a first transverse cavity receiving the cross bar and a first pair of axial cavities receiving the first pair of legs. A second coupling defines a second transverse cavity receiving the cross bar and a second pair of axial cavities receiving the second pair of legs. A locking mechanism is disposed in at least one of the cross bar and the first pair of legs. A wheel coupling includes a wheel and is engaged with at least one of the first coupling and the second coupling such that when in a moving position, the wheel contacts a ground surface and rolls the display from a first location to a second location.

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Portable display devices have become widespread in the advertising industry. They are often used out of doors and, therefore, must be freestanding. Conventional freestanding display devices include a support structure and a frame for containing a display card. The support structure often includes a cross bar and a set of legs affixed thereto. The cross bar supports the frame in a vertical manner. The legs are fixed to the cross bar with threaded fasteners or other type of fixation means. The convention freestanding displays are often heavy and require equipment to move. Generally tools are also required for assembly and disassembly. Therefore, changing the location of the portable sign can be difficult, expensive and overly time consuming.


There is now provided a closed cell rigid polyisocyanate based foam blown with a C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 hydrofluorocarbon and formic acid as blowing agents, which possesses a uniform density gradient varying by not more than 10 percent. There is also now provided a polyol composition and a froth foaming mixture having good flow by employing a polyol and formic acid in the presence of a C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 hydrofluorocarbon having a boiling point of 300K or less as co-blowing agents. The polyol composition advantageously has an average OH number of less than 400 and an average functionality of greater than 4, which when reacted with the isocyanate in the presence of a C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 hydrofluorocarbon, yields a rigid closed cell polyisocyanate based dimensionally stable foam having a fine cell structure.

Various hydrofluorocarbons have been investigated in the industry as blowing agents for polyisocyanate based foams due to their low or nonexistent ozone depletion potentials. U.S. Pat. No. 4,997,706 discloses the use of closed cell rigid polyurethane foams blown with a C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 hydrofluorocarbon along with a blowing agent precursor such as water in amounts effective to lower the thermal conductivity of the foam relative to a similar foam made in the absence of the hydrofluorocarbon. Such rigid thermal insulation foams are generally poured or sprayed into a cavity or mold to make residential or commercial refrigeration cabinets, entry doors, or other applications where insulation is advantageous. The cavities into which the foaming mixture is poured or sprayed are often large and/or contain complex shapes which make it difficult for the foaming mixture to uniformly penetrate. In the case of a large cavity, the foam front begins to gel making it increasingly difficult for the mixture to cover the whole cavity and foam to a uniform density. The advantageous thermal insulation properties of the foam are defeated if gaps are left in the cavity where the foaming mixture could not penetrate, if bubbles form as a result of the foam shrinking due to poor dimensional stability, or if the density gradient is non-uniform which in turn leads to gaps or poor dimensional stability.
The flow characteristics of a foaming mixture becomes particularly critical when one employs a blowing agent which instantly volatilizes at atmospheric pressure and temperature, causing the foam to froth at the dispensing head. An example of such a blowing agent is 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (R-134a). A frothed foam has the consistency much like a shaving cream, which renders it difficult to evenly flow throughout a cavity.
When manufacturing a rigid closed cell polyisocyanate based foam in a cavity or pour in place application, the average hydroxyl number of the polyols are generally over 400 to increase the crosslinking density, provide structural strength, and prevent foam shrinkage. The higher the average hydroxyl number, however, the more isocyanate one must consume at an equivalent isocyanate index and the faster the ingredients react. It would be desirable to increase the formulation latitude and processing window by decreasing the average hydroxyl number of the polyols, with the attendant advantage of reducing the amount of isocyanate consume and slowing the reaction down to afford improved flow characteristics. Adding high levels of blow catalyst in an effort to improve flow actually impedes the flow and impairs foam properties because the high levels of catalyst too rapidly promote the formation of urethane foam matrix. Merely lowering the average hydroxyl number, however, typically results in sacrificing dimensional stability.
It would also be desirable to reduce the amount of hydrofluorocarbon, such as R-134(a), employed due to its cost, while retaining the same density of a foam blown with the original amount of the hydrofluorocarbon. Merely adding more water, however, tends to gel the foam quicker, which reduces the flow characteristics of the foaming mixture, degrades the dimensional stability of the foam, and causes the foam to have a coarse cell structure.

Dimensionally stable closed cell rigid polyisocyanate based foam prepared from a froth foaming mixture


A numerical controller outputs a position command corresponding to a synchronous position in consideration of a servo delay of a slave axis, to the slave axis from a real position of a master axis, in order to perform position control of the slave axis, thereby making a real position of the slave axis synchronously follow the real position of the master axis. A position control gain of the slave axis is changed based on a predetermined physical quantity during the synchronous control and a compensation value for the position command for the slave axis is varied depending on the amount of change of the position control gain of the slave axis.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a numerical controller for controlling machine tools and industrial machines, and more particularly, to a numerical controller having a function of switching a position control gain during synchronous control.
Description of the Related Art
In a synchronous controller configured so that the position of a master axis is fetched by means of a sensor or the like and a slave axis is synchronized with the master axis position, an actual position (real position) of the master axis is obtained and a command synchronized with the real position is given to the slave axis. If the synchronization command is given to the slave axis based on the real position of the master axis, a delay of a servomotor for the slave axis inevitably occurs as a synchronization error. To cancel this synchronization error, a position (expected position) at a future time corresponding to a position control gain of the slave axis is expected, and a synchronization command for the expected position is given to the slave axis.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-67016 discloses a technique for a machine or the like to which an electronic cam is applied. According to this technique, a phase lead circuit called a lead-angle control is added to a servo controller for positioning, whereby a delay of a control system is compensated to reduce a positional deviation, which is the difference between a position command value and a position detection value. Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-5306 discloses a technique in which a gain is switched during control.
If the position of the slave axis is falsely expected on account of a change of the speed of the master axis, the difference between the expected position and a synchronous position of the slave axis undesirably increases. Consequently, a correct synchronous position of the slave axis cannot be calculated, so that a synchronization error inevitably occurs. Thus, if the master axis speed changes, the slave axis cannot correctly synchronize with the motion of the master axis. In general, the longer an expectation time, the larger the difference between the expected position and the synchronous position tends to be. The lower the position control gain, the longer the expectation time is, the larger the difference between the expected position and the synchronous position is, and the higher the synchronization error is.
For example, a packing machine is configured so that goods are packed, by a holding device driven by a slave axis, into a box that is conveyed by a conveyor driven by a master axis. In the packing machine of this type, the position of the conveyor is obtained by a sensor or the like, and synchronous control is performed such that an axis for packing is driven in accordance with the position of the box on the conveyor. The packing machine cannot perform accurate packing unless the position of the axis (slave axis) for packing is correctly synchronized with an actual position (real position) of the axis (master axis) for driving the conveyor.
In order to synchronize the real position of the slave axis with that of the master axis without an error, in this packing machine, the synchronization command for the slave axis is compensated in consideration of a servo delay. The servo delay is compensated by, for example, expecting the position at the future time corresponding to the position control gain of the slave axis and commanding the expected position as the synchronous position.
If the speed of the synchronized master axis changes, the expected position is deviated from an actual synchronous position, and the deviation causes a synchronization error that results in a reduction in synchronization performance. As described above, this expectation time is determined depending on the position control gain, that is, the lower the position control gain, the longer the expectation time is. In general, the longer the expectation time, the more easily the difference between the expected position and the synchronous position occurs. In other words, the lower the gain, the longer the expectation time is, and the higher the synchronization error is.
Now let us suppose that the position control gain of the slave axis is constant during synchronization. If the position control gain is high when the master axis vibrates in a certain section during the synchronization, there is a problem that the synchronization performance is greatly affected by the vibration to cause a synchronization error in the vibration section, although it is satisfactory outside the vibration section. If the position control gain is low, in contrast, there is a problem that a synchronization error is caused by a speed change of the master axis, although the influence of the vibration is small.

Numerical controller having function of switching position control gain during synchronous control


Some on-vehicle devices, such as air dams, air spoilers, and HVAC system baffles, may have movable components that are pulled from one position to another by shrinkage of a linear shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator. Upon an activation signal, the shrinkage of the SMA actuator occurs when it is resistance heated by an electrical current. It is found that useful information concerning the overall intended operation of the on-vehicle device may be obtained by computer analysis of the temporal variation of both current flow through the actuator and its electrical resistance as it is heated to perform its function in the device. A comparison of present current flow and variation of resistance, during activation of the device, with prescribed stored values can reveal malfunction of components of the device as it is being used, in place, on the vehicle.

Linear mechanical actuators of shape memory alloy (SMA) compositions have been used in a variety of devices, many of which have been conceived for use on automotive vehicles. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,607,717, 7,686,382, and 8,188,757, and Patent Application Publications 2012/0174573 and 2012/0184195, each assigned to the assignee of this invention, describe and illustrate a number of on-vehicle devices using linear mechanical actuators formed of shape memory alloys such as nickel-titanium based alloys. The portions of these patent disclosures pertaining to compositions, shapes, and functions of shape memory alloy, mechanical actuators for devices are incorporated herein by reference. These documents describe and illustrate that movable air flow dams, air flow spoilers, and baffle controllers within Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning outlet housings are examples of on-vehicle devices that may be set in motion by linear SMA actuators.
Often the SMA actuator is in the shape of a wire (or band, strip, cable, or other generally linear shape) and a change in the length of the actuator is used to move or otherwise activate a movable member or element of the device. The change in length of the actuator is typically achieved by exploiting the metallurgical and mechanical properties of a selected alloy composition. A desired remembered-length characteristic is formed in the linear actuator at a suitable elevated temperature at which the metallurgical alloy composition is in its austenitic phase. In the next manufacturing step the intended linear actuator is cooled to a lower temperature region at which it transforms to it martensite phase. This lower temperature region is preferably the ambient temperature region in which the device is to be operated. When the linear actuator material is in its martensite phase it displays an approximately 2.5 times decrease in stiffness, and it is stretched (sometimes termed "pseudo plastically deformed") to a longer length. The longer length of the linear actuator material is utilized as its "ready" actuator length. Then, upon a need for an activation function, the actuator is heated to re-transform it to its austenite phase. With such heating and metallurgical phase transformation, the wire experiences an approximately 2.5 times increase in stiffness, undergoes change in its electrical resistance, and it shrinks to its remembered length and, thereby, moves and repositions the movable part of the device in which it is placed.
Thus, in many uses, the metal alloy composition of the wire actuator is prepared so that the wire has a predetermined length at an ambient temperature for the use of the device. This initial length of the actuator is placed in the device and retains that length until an element of the device is to be moved or otherwise actuated. Upon a suitable signal for actuation of the device, the wire is then heated, such as by electrical resistance heating. As the wire is heated it shrinks in length (e.g., five to eight percent of its ambient temperature length) to move some part of the device. The heating and phase transformation is typically accomplished in a relatively short period of seconds or minutes depending on the ambient temperature, the size of the linear actuator, and the current flow. But some heating of the actuator is continued while the device is in its actuated condition so that the actuator is maintained in the shortened, remembered length of its austenitic phase. When de-activation of the device is signaled, heating is stopped and the actuator is cooled back to its martensite phase, often by heat transfer to the ambient environment. As the SMA actuator is cooled, it softens and is stretched with a complementary, attached spring in its device, to strain the SMA wire to its intended length for the next actuation of the device in which it is employed. The movable component of the device is returned to its rest position as the SMA wire is being elongated. The moving component may be pulled against a stop in the device to assure that the SMA actuator is returned to its original length.
While the function of such linear SMA actuators is relatively simple, a typical actuator is usually expected to experience many repeated metallurgical phase transformations as well as repeated length-stretching deformations in order to serve its purpose in its air dam or other on-vehicle device. These repeated phase transformations and deformations of the actuator may result in unwanted changes in its ambient temperature length and its capacity to undergo full work-producing phase transformations. Further, there may be unwanted mechanical changes in the other elements of the device in which the actuator is employed. There is a need for low cost and relatively inexpensive diagnostic procedures to detect problems and deterioration in the performance in the operation of the SMA actuator and related problems arising in associated elements of the actuated device which affect the viability or "health" of the actuator and device. Often such SMA actuated devices may be employed in difficult-to-reach locations on automotive vehicles, and often there is a need to inform the operator of the vehicle of such problems.

Intrinsic monitoring of shape memory alloy actuated devices


An actuator comprising, a first, rotatable member arranged to be driven by a motor, a sleeve, said first member cooperating with said sleeve such that rotation of the first member at a given speed relative to said sleeve causes the sleeve to be translated axially at a first speed through a predetermined distance, stop means limiting axial translation of the sleeve reative to the first member whereafter during continued rotation of the first member the sleeve rotates with the first member, a second, non-rotatable, member, said sleeve cooperating with said second member whereby rotation of the sleeve at said given speed causes axial translation of the second member relative to said sleeve at a second speed and, a brake arrangement applying a braking force to the sleeve, the braking force resisting rotation of the sleeve but not significantly affecting translation of the sleeve.

This invention relates to an actuator. The invention is particularly suitable for use in an electrically-operated thrust reverser system, but it will be appreciated that the invention may also be used in other applications.
One type of actuator suitable for use in deploying a thrust reverser cowl utilizes a ball screw mechanism comprising a first element which is rotatable by a motor, the first element cooperating with a second, non-rotatable element such that rotation of the first element causes translation of the second element. The second element is secured in use to the cowl to be moved.
When using low friction screw arrangements of this type to generate axial translation there is a risk that axial loads imposed on the second element may tend to generate rotation of the first element and it is an object of the invention to minimise the risk. Thus according to the present invention there is provided an actuator comprising a first rotatable, element arranged to be driven by a motor in use, a second, axially translatable, element coacting with said first element by way of a low friction screw arrangement whereby rotation of said first element relative to said second element results in axial translation of said second element relative to said first element, and, a brake arrangement applying a braking force to said first element to resist rotation thereof relative to said second element.
It has been found in certain applications that in order to deploy the thrust reverser cowl, the initial force necessary to move the second member must be high, but that movement of the member beyond a predetermined position is possible by applying a lower magnitude force. An actuator has been proposed which is capable of providing an initial, high deploying force phase followed by a phase in which the deploying force applied by the actuator is of reduced magnitude. The actuator comprises a first, rotatable member arranged to be driven by a motor, the first member cooperating with a sleeve such that rotation of the first member causes the sleeve to translate at a low speed through a predetermined distance. Once such translation has been completed, the sleeve rotates with the first member. The sleeve cooperates with a second, non-rotatable member, and rotation of the sleeve causes translation of the second member. The cooperation between the sleeve and the first and second members is such that, for a given speed of rotation of the first member, the sleeve, and hence the second member, initially translates at a low speed, the second member translating at an increased speed when rotation of the sleeve commences.
In use, it is found that once the initial high resistance of deploying movement of the thrust reverser cowl caused by the air flow over the cowl, has been overcome, the air flow tends to assist movement of the cowl. It is desirable to ensure that such assisting or aiding loads or forces are not transmitted back through the actuator as rotational movement, to the motor used to drive the actuator. It is an object of the invention to provide an actuator in which such assisting or aiding loads or forces are not applied to the motor.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided an actuator of the type described hereinbefore, characterised by a brake arrangement applying a braking force to the sleeve, the braking force resisting rotation of the sleeve but not significantly affecting translation of the sleeve.
In such an arrangement, the actuator drive motor does not need to overcome the resistance imposed by the brake arrangement during the initial operating phase in which the actuator extends at a low rate applying a large magnitude force to, for example, a cowl associated with the actuator as the sleeve does not rotate during this phase. However the brake arrangement acts to apply a braking force resisting rotation of the sleeve during the subsequent phase, thereby avoiding or restricting the transmission of any aiding or assisting loads or forces to the motor used to drive the actuator.
The brake arrangement conveniently comprises a brake element rotatable with the sleeve, but slidable longitudinally relative thereto, said element being biased into engagement with a fixed brake surface. It will be appreciated, however, that other brake arrangements are possible. For example, the brake element could be slidably, non-rotatably mounted upon a fixed member and biased into engagement with a surface associated with the sleeve.
Preferably, the cooperation between the sleeve and the first member is achieved using a fine or low pitch ball screw. The cooperation between the sleeve and the second member may be achieved by means of a coarse or higher pitch ball screw. In some circumstances, it is desirable for the actuator to be capable of being reversed by the application of axial load thereto so that rather than simply applying a braking force reducing the speed of rotation of the sleeve, the sleeve is incapable of being rotated by the application of axial loading. Such a result may be achieved by arranging for the cooperation between the sleeve and the second member to take the form of an acme screw thread coupling. In such an arrangement, the brake element may be omitted, the screw threaded cooperation between the sleeve and the second member defining the brake arrangement.

Sequentially operated actuator with brake arrangement


A caliper logging sonde is provided having a plurality of sensing fingers each of which is pivotally mounted to the sonde and movable with respect to the sonde in response to variations in the internal dimensions of a wellbore tube through which the sonde passes. An electrical signal which is proportional to variations in the internal dimensions of a wellbore tube is determined at regular time intervals at a series of points around the circumference of the wellbore tube. A maximum and minimum dimension for each point around the circumference of the wellbore tube during a selected time interval is temporarily stored and thereafter transmitted to the surface at regular intervals. A high density array of sensors is provided by utilizing a transducer plate having a large number of cylindrical apertures disposed around the circumference thereof. Thimble members, each having an internal chamber and an elongate body narrower than the cylindrical aperture are fixedly inserted into one end of each of the detector plate apertures while an associated electrical coil is inserted into each aperture from the other end, surrounding the elongate body. Movable magnetic rods within the internal chamber of each thimble are then variably positioned in response to movement of the sensing fingers and the variable inductance of each electrical coil is then utilized to produce an electrical signal proportional to variations in the internal dimensions of the tube under measurement.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to methods and systems for accurately measuring the internal dimensions of a tube within a borehole and in particular to a method and system for measuring and storing maximum and minimum variations in internal dimensions of a tube within a borehole over a predetermined time interval. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a system for providing highly accurate measurement of borehole tube internal dimensions utilizing a large number of closely spaced detectors.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The modern petrochemical industry utilizes a large number of tubes which are designated primarily for the circulation of fluids within a wellbore. Notable examples of such tubes are those utilized for well drilling and fluid circulation in an oil well. In actual practice, it is often necessary to measure the ovalization or corrosion of either the internal or external surfaces of these tubes to ensure that tubing which is about to fail is replaced. Such measurements are often carried out in atmospheres which may deleterious or difficult to reach, for example at the bottom of an oil well in the case of tubing strings. In order to carry out these measurements, provisions must be made for a reliable and accurate measurement which operates in a simple and straightforward manner.
Early systems for measuring the shape of a cylindrical tube within a wellbore were primarily impression-taking devices of a mechanical type which may produce electrical signals as a result of mechanical contact between the measuring device and a dimension of the tubing. Typically such devices utilizing an engraving stylus on a substrate for the purpose of marking a curve which corresponds to ovalization of a cylinder or to surface defects within the cylinder. These devices are complicated by reason of the fact that they require high precision mechanical transmission systems and the fact that a mechanical marking operation impairs the sensitivity of the measurement over time. Moreover, such devices do not immediately deliver usable information since the device must be removed to the surface of a wellbore for analyzation after the measurements have been taken.
Electromechanical devices utilizing multiple feeler arms have been proposed which overcome this mechanical device problem. One example is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,494, Peruchon Edouard et al., issued Feb. 5, 1980. The transducers set forth within the above-referenced United States patent are quite bulky and only a limited number of fingers may be placed around a sonde owing to the space necessary for corresponding transducers within the sonde.
More recently, U.S. Pat. No. 4,559,709, issued to Beseme et al., Dec. 24, 1985, discloses a technique whereby multiple sensing fingers are provided, each movable with respect to a sonde. A mobile member attached to each sensing finger and movable in response to movement of the finger is placed within an electric coil and is utilized to vary the inductance of that coil in response to variations in the internal dimensions of a tube. Thereafter, the device may be periodically interrogated from the surface, utilizing a signal transmitted over a conductive cable, and the output of each transducer is then transmitted to the surface, providing an indication of defects or irregularities in the internal dimensions of a tube within a borehole.
While each of these systems represents an adequate method for measuring the internal dimensions of a tubular member within a borehole, several shortfalls have been experienced with these devices. For example, the Beseme et al. device transmits the output of each transducer to the surface in response to an interrogation from the surface and thus defects which are located physically between two points within the tube at which an interrogation takes place will not be noted utilizing a tool of this type. Additionally, the transducers described therein, while an improvement over Peruchon Edouard et al., still require a substantial amount of space and therefore preclude the provision of a large number of sensing figures which might be utilized to provide a highly accurate indication of irregularities within the internal dimensions of a tubing member within a borehole.
It should therefore be apparent that a need exists for a method and system which permits highly accurate measurements of the internal dimensions of a tube within a borehole utilizing a large number of sensing transducers disposed circumferentially about a measurement tool.

Method and system for measurement of internal tube dimensions within a wellbore


A dry shaver has an elongated shaving head with a lengthwise axis. The shaving head carries semi-cylindrical first and second outer cutters disposed on its opposite width ends, as well as a semi-cylindrical finishing cutter and a slit cutter interposed between the first and second outer cutters. The finishing cutter has a finishing foil which is deeply curved than a foil of the first and second outer cutters into an arcuate contour having a width less than that of the first and second outer cutters. The finishing foil disposed behind the first outer cutter comes into contact with a user's skin to make closer shaving than the first and second cutters.

There have been proposed a dry shaver with multiple cutters, as shown in Japanese patent no. 2539149 which is provided with a shaving head configured to carry multiple cutters of different types, namely, a semi-cylindrical cutter with an arcuately curved outer foil and a slit cutter with a generally flat outer blade having a plurality of slits. The shaving head is arranged to have the one slit cutter disposed between the two semi-cylindrical cutters on opposite width ends of the shaving head. Generally, the semi-cylindrical cutter is utilized to introduce hairs deep into perforations of the outer foil as a result of being pressed against a user's skin for close shaving, while the slit cutter is utilized to catch flattened or curled hairs for cutting the hairs to such a length as to be subsequently cut by the semi-cylindrical cutter. Also, the semi-cylindrical cutter is known to make close shaving to a greater extent as it is shaped to have a narrower width, i.e., curved with an increasing radius of curvature.
There has been a demand of effectively shaving hairs on narrow areas of the skin, such as, those under a nose, a chin top, and under the chin, as well as the other wide areas. One straightforward solution is to dispose the semi-cylindrical cutter of reduced-width on one width end of the shaving head so as to be readily brought into contact with such narrow area. However, such design is found to raise a problem that the semi-cylindrical cutter of reduced-width always comes first into contact with the skin, and is therefore liable to make close shaving excessively accompanied with pain. In view of this, the arrangement of the dry shaver disclosed in Japanese patent no. 2539149 is not suitable for the intended close shaving. Another possible solution may be made based upon the disclosure of Japanese patent no. 3609580 in which the two semi-cylindrical cutters are disposed between the two slit cutters on the opposite width ends of the shaving head. That is, one of the two semi-cylindrical cutters may be made to have a reduced-width. However, with such modification, the slit cutter comes first into contact with the skin to irritate the skin, whereby the user hesitates to press the semi-cylindrical cutter against the skin and is difficult to enjoy the close shaving on the harrow area.


An emulsion used to lubricate the surface of a steel sheet, comprising an additive corresponding to one of the following formulae: (R1-2xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94)1-2xe2x80x94PSSxe2x80x94(CH2)nxe2x80x94COOxe2x80x94(CH2)mxe2x80x94CH3, (R1-2xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94)1,2xe2x80x94PSSxe2x80x94CH2-xcfx86-Oxe2x80x94H, (R1,2xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94)1,2xe2x80x94PSSxe2x80x94CH2-xcfx86-Oxe2x80x94(CH2)n, xe2x80x94COOxe2x80x94(CH2)m, xe2x80x94CH3, where PSS designates a dithiophosphate function. The naked sheets of steel that are treated with said emulsion have very good tribological properties even when the density of the emulsion thus applied is less than or equal to 1 g/m2 when dry. The invention enables dry-looking oiled sheets to be obtained, whereby no re-oiling is required before forming even by die stamping.

The invention relates to an additive for soluble oil, intended to increase the lubricity of this oil, especially when it is applied as a thin and xe2x80x9cdryxe2x80x9d film to a steel surface.
This type of soluble oil is used in metal-working operations, as described for example in patent U.S. Pat. No. 4,027,512.
To prepare the operations of forming bare steel sheet, for example by drawing, it is known to carry out an oiling treatment on the surface of this sheet intended to come into contact with the surfaces of the forming tools.
This oiling treatment is intended to provide good lubrication between the sheet surface and the surface of the tools under the forming conditions.
Applied to bare steel sheet, this oiling treatment often has another function, of temporarily providing corrosion protection, as described in patent EP 0 577 486 (Sollac).
To carry out xe2x80x9coilingxe2x80x9d-type surface treatments, it is known to use:
either oils called xe2x80x9cwholexe2x80x9d oils, that is to say those being in the form of an oily homogeneous liquid phase;
or oils called xe2x80x9csolublexe2x80x9d oils, that is to say those which can be emulsified in water and applied as an emulsion, the emulsion having at least two different phasesxe2x80x94an aqueous liquid phase and an oily phase dispersed in the liquid phase.
An advantage of soluble oils over whole oils is that they make it possible to obtain more easily homogeneous coatings which are very thin or have a very low surface density, for example less than or equal to 1 g/m2.
This is because, unlike whole oils, soluble oils may be easily applied by spraying. This makes it possible to ensure that there is a homogeneous coating of very small thickness on the surface to be treated.
The abovementioned patent EP 0 577 486 describes a method of treating the surface of a metal workpiece using an oil emulsion; according to the invention forming the subject matter of that patent, this treatment is suitable for forming, on this surface, a thin homogeneous and protective film, of dry appearance, with a surface density of less than 1 g/m2.
The abovementioned patent U.S. Pat. No. 4,027,512 describes the use of fatty acids as additives for increasing the lubricity of soluble oils for the working of metals and the method of incorporating these additives into emulsions.
Among the advantages associated with the application of very thin oil films to metal surfaces, mention may be made of:
the ease of handling these workpieces, because they do not have a xe2x80x9cgreasyxe2x80x9d appearance;
the elimination, in certain cases, of a cleaning step prior to subsequent conversion operations such as, for example enameling or painting;
on the other hand, should subsequent cleaning be necessary, the cleaning is easy since the amounts of oil to be removed are smaller;
the possibility of obtaining effective temporary corrosion protection, especially on bare steel sheet, as described in the abovementioned patent EP 0 577 486.
Unfortunately, the lubricating properties of the thin films obtained from an oil-in-water emulsion are generally inferior to those of thicker films obtained by applying whole oils; this is because, on a thin film:
problems of chattering often arise;
the friction coefficient and/or the maximum drawing force (as defined in the xe2x80x9cMETHODSxe2x80x9d section below) are too high.
It is an object of the invention to propose an additive for increasing the lubricity of soluble oils when they are applied to bare steel surfaces, especially when they are applied as a thin dry film to these surfaces.
For this purpose, the subject of the invention is an oil-in-water emulsion intended for a lubrication treatment of a steel surface, containing at least one lubrication additive chosen from the group comprising the products corresponding to the following formulae:
(R1,2xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94)1,2xe2x80x94PSSxe2x80x94(CH2)nxe2x80x94COOxe2x80x94(CH2)mxe2x80x94CH3 with n and m chosen so that n+mxe2x89xa722;
(R1,2xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94)1,2xe2x80x94PSSxe2x80x94CH2-"PHgr"-OH, or hydroxybenzyl O,Oxe2x80x2-dialkyl dithiophosphates;
(R1,2xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94)1,2xe2x80x94PSSxe2x80x94CH2-"PHgr"-Oxe2x80x94(CH2)nxe2x80x2xe2x80x94COOxe2x80x94(CH2)mxe2x80x2xe2x80x94CH3 with nxe2x80x2 and mxe2x80x2 having any value,
where PSS denotes the dithiophosphate functional group, (R1,2xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94)1,2xe2x80x94 denotes O,Oxe2x80x2-dialkyl terminal groups, xe2x80x94CH2-"PHgr"-OH denotes the hydroxybenzyl functional group and xe2x80x94CH2-"PHgr"-Oxe2x80x94 the benzyloxy functional group.
The invention also has one or more of the following characteristics:
if the additive satisfies the formula (R1,2xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94)1,2xe2x80x94PSSxe2x80x94(CH2)nxe2x80x94COOxe2x80x94(CH2)mxe2x80x94CH3, n and m are each greater than or equal to 3;
if the additive satisfies the formula (R1,2xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94)1,2xe2x80x94PSSxe2x80x94CH2-"PHgr"-Oxe2x80x94(CH2)nxe2x80x2xe2x80x94COOxe2x80x94(CH2)mxe2x80x2xe2x80x94CH3, nxe2x80x2 and mxe2x80x2 are each greater than or equal to 3;
if the additive satisfies the formula (R1,2xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94)1,2xe2x80x94PSSxe2x80x94CH2-"PHgr"-OH, no other polar group than the xe2x80x94OH functional group is grafted to the aromatic ring "PHgr" of the hydroxybenzyl functional group.
Preferably, the proportion of lubrication additive in the oily phase of the emulsion is between 2% and 6%.
The subject of the invention is also a treatment method for the lubrication of a steel surface, comprising the steps of applying this emulsion to this surface followed by a drying step suitable for forming a dry film on said surface, the dry film preferably having a surface density of less than or equal to 1 g/m2.
The subject of the invention is also the use of this treatment method for lubricating a steel sheet before it is formed, since the oiled sheet with a dry appearance obtained by this treatment method does not need to be reoiled before the forming operation, especially by drawing.
If the lubrication treatment method according to the invention is applied to a sheet intended to be enameled or to be painted, the invention advantageously avoids having to carry out any cleaning operation after this lubrication and prior to this actual enameling or painting, especially if the dry film which results from this treatment has a surface density of less than or equal to 1 g/m2, and even if a forming operation is interposed between the lubrication treatment and the enameling or painting operation.

Oil-in-water emulsion comprising at least one lubricating additive


The present invention relates to a long nozzle used to prevent molten steel flowing out of a collector nozzle of a sliding nozzle from being oxidized by atmospheric air when molten metal, particularly molten steel is poured from a ladle into a tundish. This nozzle has a construction comprising: (a) the long nozzle (3) made of a refractory causes molten metal to flow down from the collector nozzle (2) and the head thereof is covered by a metallic shell (16); (b) a first gas passage is provided to blow inert gas to the vicinity of a fitting portion (7) between the collector nozzle (2) and the long nozzle (3) through a first gas inlet port (8) provided on the side wall of the metallic shell (16); and (c) a second gas passage is provided to blow inert gas into an inner hole (18) of the long nozzle through a second gas inlet port (10) provided on the side wall of the metallic shell (16).

A sliding gate, which is attached to the bottom of the ladle is used to control the flow rate of molten steel flow when molten metal, particularly molten steel, is poured from a ladle into a tundish in the continuous casting of steel.
FIG. 5 shows a sliding gate 200 attached to the bottom of a ladle 100. A so-called collector nozzle 2 is disposed on the lower side of this sliding nozzle 200. A long nozzle is a very important functional member used for preventing molten steel from being oxidized by atmospheric air and also for preventing molten steel from splashing when molten steel is poured from the collector nozzle 2 into a tundish (not shown).
When molten steel is poured from the ladle 100 into the tundish, molten steel flows down rapidly through a long nozzle inner hole. Through the dynamic pressure of this molten steel, the pressure in the inner hole becomes negative with respect to the outside atmospheric air. Due to this pressure difference, atmospheric air is sucked into the long nozzle inner hole through a fitting portion between the long nozzle and the collector nozzle. The sucked-in air oxidizes the molten steel flowing down through the long nozzle inner hole. As a result, qualities, such as cleanliness of the cast steel and the yield thereof, are remarkably lowered.
To solve the above problem, that is, to prevent molten metal from being oxidized by the air sucked through the fitting portion, methods have been carried out whereby 1) an inert gas such as argon gas or nitrogen gas is blown around the fitting portion or 2) a sealing material such as a refractory plastic material is used.
FIG. 6 shows an example of prior art, which was disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-100656 by the Applicant of this invention. A porous brick 50 is disposed at a fitting portion 7 between a head, which is reinforced by a metallic cover 16 of a long nozzle 3 and a collector nozzle 2. An inert gas is blown by passing through the porous brick 50 through an inert gas supply port 70, such that the air at the fitting portion and the upper and lower portions thereof is replaced with the inert gas. The pressure in the long nozzle inner hole is brought from a negative pressure to a pressure near the atmospheric pressure, by which the suction of air through the fitting portion is controlled and the sealing function is enhanced.
The above-conventional methods present various problems as described below, and results in a considerable problem in carrying out continuous casting stably and economically. In recent continuous casting, molten steel of 3 to 6 ladles has usually been cast continuously in one sequence cast, and further continuous-continuous casting (sequence continuous casting) of molten steel of 10 to 15 ladles has frequently been carried out.
In such continuous-continuous casting, the supply of molten steel from a first ladle to the tundish is carried out such that an allowable maximum amount of molten steel is supplied to the tundish. When the remaining molten steel in this ladle decreases, the first ladle is rapidly changed to a second ladle before the lower limit of tundish capacity is reached, and the supply of molten steel to the tundish is restarted.
Specifically, when the ladle is changed, the supply of molten steel to the tundish is finished, and after a sliding gate is closed, the collector nozzle of the sliding gate is separated from the long nozzle. As long as the long nozzle is sound even if the ladle is changed, the head of the long nozzle is cleaned to remove a sealing material or splashed steel around the head, and the collector nozzle of the next ladle is fitted to this long nozzle.
Before the collector nozzle of the next ladle is fitted to the long nozzle, a worker sometimes removes the remaining steel sticking to the fitting portion of the long nozzle through the use of an iron bar. Additionally, cleaning may also be performed by means of, for example, using oxygen gas to dissolve and remove the metal, which is sticking and solidifying to the lower part of the fitting portion. Through such repair work, the surface of the fitting portion 7 of the long nozzle gets rough. As the change frequency of the ladle increases, this phenomenon proceeds, and finally, any smoothness in the fitting portion is lost and the sealing function in fitting the long nozzle to the collector nozzle is impaired.
Thereupon, a limit to the use of the long nozzle itself is reached, and the quality and yield of the cast steel are lowered. The porous brick 50, which is integrally fixed to the long nozzle by means of a less permeable refractory mortar disposed at the fitting portion 7, is subjected to heat cycle of heating and cooling by the aforementioned work.
Therefore, various problems arise in that the head of the long nozzle is destroyed by thermal stress and physical stress, the blowing mode of inert gas is disturbed, and the sealing property is greatly impaired, such that the inflow of air into the long nozzle inner hole is allowed. These problems can be avoided to some degree, for example, by increasing the blowing amount of inert gas supplied to and around the fitting portion between the collector nozzle and the long nozzle through the porous brick. However, if the blowing amount of inert gas is increased too much, the inert gas blown into the long nozzle inner hole flows down directly into the tundish, resulting in a rampage of molten steel.
Consequently, slag and powder, which are a protective layer for the molten steel surface, are broken by the violent rampage of molten steel, such that the molten steel is exposed to the atmospheric air, or a large amount of molten steel is splashed. As a result, the quality of molten steel is degraded, or a safety problem arises. These problems cannot be overcome even when the blowing amount of inert gas is controlled.


A photonic crystal film, a method for manufacturing the photonic crystal film, and an anti-forgery article comprising the photonic crystal film are disclosed. The photonic crystal film includes a polyurethane-based polymer matrix and colloidal particles dispersed in the polyurethane-based polymer matrix and arranged in a crystal lattice structure. The colloidal particles includes one or more selected from metal nanoparticles, metal oxide nanoparticles, organic nanoparticles, and carbon structure nanoparticles.

A photonic crystal is a material having a crystal lattice in which a matrix and a particle that have different refractive indices are regularly arranged, and refers to a material having a photonic band gap due to periodic changes in dielectric constant at half a wavelength of light.
The photonic band gap controls photons in the photonic crystal in the same manner as in a semiconductor having a band gap of electrons which controls the electrons, and in a case where light having a wide spectrum is incident on the photonic crystal from the outside, only light having a wavelength corresponding to the photonic band gap cannot propagate into a material and is selectively reflected. In a case where such a photonic band gap is present in a visible light region, the selective reflection by the photonic band gap shows as a reflection color.
A regular arrangement of colloidal particles exhibits a reflection color by the same principle and the reflection color is a color corresponding to the photonic band gap of the photonic crystal. The reflection color of the colloidal photonic crystal is determined by a refractive index, a crystal structure, a particle diameter, an interparticle space of each of the materials of a colloid, and a matrix. Accordingly, by controlling these conditions, a photonic crystal having a desired reflection color may be produced.
Meanwhile, a photonic crystal having a film shape may exhibit a reflection color with excellent visibility by increasing a thickness of a film so that a reflectance is increased. However, since a mechanical strength of the photonic crystal film itself is very weak, the photonic crystal film is not easily handled due to durability problems such as easily cracking. Therefore, the photonic crystal film has a limitation to be applied to fields such as banknote and a security document, which are required to have flexibility.
Accordingly, the development of a photonic crystal film that is excellent in visibility by having a high reflectance characteristic and is foldable due to significantly increased flexibility is required.
Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2015-0031862 is provided as a similar related art.

Photonic crystal film, method for manufacturing same, and anti-forgery article comprising same

Korea Minting, Security Printing & ID Card Operating Corp.


A cache management logistics controls a transfer of a trace. A first cache couples to the cache management logistics to evict the trace based on a replacement mechanism. A second cache couples to the cache management logistics to receive the trace based on a number of accesses to the trace.

Modern high-end processors require high throughput front-ends in order to cope with increasing performance demand. Fetching a large number of useful instructions (e.g., instructions residing on the correct path) per cycle is relatively easy task if those instructions are arranged sequentially. However, on an average every few instructions there is a branch instruction. Therefore, fetching a large number of useful instructions per cycle requires accurate prediction of multiple branch targets and the assembly of instructions from multiple non-contiguous cache blocks is a more difficult task.
One way of increasing the effectiveness of conventional fetch is reducing the number of fetch discontinuities along the execution path of the program. Loop unrolling, code motion, and branch alignment are a few examples of compiler techniques that reduce the number taken branches and, subsequently, instruction stream discontinuities in programs executions. Special Instruction Set Architectures (ISAs) have also been proposed to better express such compiler optimizations to the hardware. A trace cache is an instruction memory component that stores instructions in the order they are executed rather than in their static order as defined by the program executable. Trace cache is becoming an important building block of modem, wide-issue processors. Trace-caches have been shown to effectively increase the number of useful instructions that can be fetched into the machine (i.e., processor), thus increasing the average number of instructions the machine can execute each cycle. Trace-cache research has been focused on increasing fetch bandwidth for a given die area. Techniques that aim to improve instruction bandwidth severely increase the number of traces built during the execution. This causes degradation in the performance or power of the system since trace-cache consumes large power when active. Therefore, there is a need to have a trace cache organization that would reduce the number of trace built during the execution without performance or power degradation.


A pace-adjusting mechanism of an elliptical cross trainer having an electric adjusting motor installed at the bottom of a flywheel transmission unit for driving a telescopic tube in displacement. Meanwhile, a w-shaped driven connecting rod and two L-shaped connecting elements are employed to adjust the vertical position of two treadle planks, thereby achieving different exercise paces.

1. Fields of the Invention
The invention relates to a pace-adjusting mechanism of an elliptical cross trainer, and more particularly, to a mechanism that can rapidly adjust the movement pace at will.
2. Description of the Related Art
The elliptical cross trainer is so used that the operator's feet can make an elliptical movement path, thereby simulating the real running and walking path. Moreover, the horizontal pace (simulating the movement on a flat ground) and the inclined pace (simulating the uphill and downhill movement) can be changed when the vertical position of the treadles of the elliptical cross trainer changes. This is the main intention of the invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,090,013 discloses such a mechanism that employs a plurality of selection holes in treadle planks. By selecting a desired hole in the treadle plank for connection, the coupling angle of the treadle plank can be changed to achieve the above-mentioned pace-adjusting effect.
In fact, the manual adjustment of the aforementioned prior art is not a practical solution. This is because the operator has to stop the exercise for adjustment of the movement pace, thereby reducing the desire of using the elliptical cross trainer. Meanwhile, this adjustment way must affect the exercise rhythm. Thus, it is hardly possible to use the pace-adjusting mechanism during the exercise sessions so that this kind of the pace-adjusting mechanism is not so practical and valuable as expected.

Pace-adjusting mechanism of an elliptical cross trainer


A satellite sensor system for a vehicle includes an application motion sensor for sensing vehicle motion for the purpose of activating a vehicle safety system, a low power consumption motion sensor for monitoring vehicle motion when the vehicle is parked or otherwise not in a driving mode, and an RF communications interface to allow the satellite sensor system to communicate with the vehicle's electronics control unit. The system withholds power from the application sensor until the low power consumption motion sensor indicates that the vehicle is about to enter a driving mode.

It is known in the prior art to provide operating power to satellite sensors in vehicle through the vehicle's wiring harness. As such, satellite sensors draw power from the vehicle's main power system (e.g., the vehicle's battery or batteries, or alternator). However, it is also known that a vehicle's wiring harness is—undesirably—a significant contributor to the vehicle's weight.
Some satellite sensors draw power from an energy harvesting device that converts vehicle motion into power for the sensor. However, this requires that the sensor and energy harvesting device be mounted in a location that provides the necessary motion. Such locations are not viable for some sensors, such as sensors for which such motion may complicate the sensing of the sensor's target measurand.

Method for power management of wireless automotive modules


The invention, in its various aspects and embodiments, includes a method for uniquely identifying a device on a SCSI bus. The method first queries the device with a first SCSI command to obtain general identification information. Next, a first set of identification information for the device is extracted from the general identification information. A second SCSI command is then determined from the first set of identification information. Next, the device is queried with the second SCSI command to obtain general device identifiers. A second set of identification information for the device is then extracted from the general device identifiers. Then, an unique identifier is formulated from the first and second sets of information.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the generation of unique bus device identifiers and, more particularly, to the generation of unique bus device identifiers on a Small Computer System Interface ("SCSI") bus and other technologies using the SCSI command sets.
2. Description of the Related Art
Most types of electronic and computing systems comprise many different devices that electronically communicate with each other over one or more buses. Exemplary types of devices include, but are not limited to, processors (e.g., microprocessors, digital signal processors, and micro-controllers), memory devices (e.g., hard disk drives, floppy disk drives, and optical disk drives), and peripheral devices (e.g., keyboards, monitors, mice). When electrically connected to a bus, these types of devices, as well as others not listed, are all sometimes generically referred to as "bus devices."
A bus, in the conceptually simplest form, is a collection of wires over which the various electronic devices in a piece of electronic or computing equipment transmit information. However, any given bus may be implemented in many different ways. A bus may be implemented so as to transmit only data, or only commands, or both data and commands, for instance. But many more permutations are available based on other operating characteristics, such as bus width and bus speed. These two characteristics are exemplary only, and many other characteristics not listed are considered in designing any particular bus implementation. Occasionally, an industry group will formalize a set of operating characteristics into a "standard." The standard will set flexible definitions for the standard that permit some variation in design but generally ensure compatibility for designs meeting the standard.
One such bus standard is the Small Computer System Interface ("SCSI", pronounced "scuzzy"). There are actually many different kinds of SCSI, each defined by a different SCSI standard. More particularly, at least the following varieties of SCSI are currently implemented: SCSI-1, SCSI-2, Wide SCSI, Fast SCSI, Fast Wide SCSI, Ultra SCSI, SCSI-3, Ultra Wide SCSI, Ultra2 SCSI, Fibre Channel, and Wide Ultra2 SCSI as well as some buses utilizing optical interconnections. Thus, in actuality, there are several SCSI standards and they are not necessarily compatible with each other, although the basic SCSI standards (SCSI-1, SCSI-2, and SCSI-3) are basically functionally compatible. On the other hand, one problem with these standards is that it is hard in many cases to draw the line between them.
Generally, SCSI began as a parallel interface standard used by Apple Macintosh computers, PCs, and many UNIX systems for attaching peripheral devices to computers. The original intent was to develop an interface providing faster data transmission rates (up to 80 megabytes per second) than the standard serial and parallel ports found on computers of the time. However, the SCSI standards proved to be enormously more useful than this original intent. One distinct advantage to the SCSI interface was that it permitted a user to attach many devices to a single SCSI port. Then conventional serial and parallel ports generally were limited to one device per port. SCSI consequently presented numerous advantages, and, not surprisingly many of these greatly facilitated the attachment of peripheral devices for input/output ("I/O") purposes. So, SCSI really was an I/O bus rather than simply an interface.
The various SCSI standards showed still more versatility and have been adapted to large scale computing environments, including networks, both local area networks ("LANs") and wide area networks ("WANs"). One large scale computing application is the implementation of redundant arrays of inexpensive disks ("RAIDs"), which uses multiple arrays of multiple disks to improve performance and enhance reliability. A RAID is essentially a large storage device, and is typically networked to a server or other computer. In this circumstance, both the RAID and the network may both be implemented using SCSI buses, although this is certainly not required.
One thing virtually all SCSI buses have in common, though, is the need to uniquely identify individual SCSI devices in a given implementation. In order for any information to be transmitted to a bus device, it must be uniquely identified in some way to ensure the data is not transmitted to the wrong bus device. Furthermore, in many implementations, certain system resources must be allocated to each bus device, depending upon the make and model of the device. Each bus device should then be uniquely identified in order to control its access to system resources to ensure proper resource allocation and utilization.
Still further, a single system needs to identify the device to recognize when it has multiple paths by which to access the device. The "bus" may include a number of subsidiary buses interconnected by adapters, bridges, and/or port interfaces. Thus, systems need to identify individual instances of multiple devices of the same make or model, which may be cross connected through multiple adapters or via multi-port interfaces. Furthermore, information may sometimes reach its destination over the bus through any one of several paths through the bus. Multiple systems therefore also need to be able to uniquely identify the device so that they may uniformly present the device and coordinate access to the device. Systems desire to make administrative functions to configure, maintain, and service the systems as automatically and transparently as possible to the human operator. Unique device identification allows software subsystems to perform these functions in the manner desired.
Unique identification of SCSI devices has been difficult due to the lack of or poor specification of basic mechanisms for this purpose in the standards. Where mechanisms exist, they offer multiple sets of data, each with differing properties of uniqueness. Some mechanisms are poorly described and allow for multiple interpretations of what the data means. Different revisions of the standards may call out different mechanisms and, in nearly all cases, some or all of the mechanisms are optional for compliance to the standard. Device implementations have complicated this as some vendors have implemented vendor-specific mechanisms, improperly implemented the mechanisms described in the standards, returned erroneous data in response to the mechanisms, or have not provided robust implementations that properly reject unrecognized commands. Some devices return different data depending upon whether media is present or not, what type of media is present, or whether the device has been placed into a ready state or not.
Device identification has typically been based on the physical location of the device. A unique identifier ("UID") in this scheme is typically composed of the adapter that connects to the device, as well as the physical address on the SCSI bus to which the device responds. This physical location is typically specific to a particular system. Hardware implementations have attempted to pre-set the physical address for the device.
A UID based on the device's physical address is problematic, as users may physically move devices, and as several SCSI interconnects allow the physical device address to change due to insertion or removal of other devices or under reset conditions. These changes may occur while a system is using the device or while the system is non-operational. Many unique identification mechanisms have wanted to modify the device's media or non-volatile hardware (if they exist). Many SCSI devices do not allow such implementations. Thus, this scheme tends to be static, and inhibits dynamic configuration (or, reconfiguration) of the system implementing the SCSI bus. Custom hardware has been developed to create vendor-specific components that can be queried by software to determine which components are co-connected, allowing for a rudimentary form of recognition to be performed. Still other identification schemes dictate a specific standards implementation or level of specification, or is only applicable to particular device types.
The present invention is directed to resolving one or all of the problems mentioned above.

Software mechanism for unique identification of SCSI device

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A two-stage process for obtaining a substantial amount of olefinic product from a residua feedstock. The first stage is comprised of a thermal process unit containing a reaction zone comprised of a horizontal moving bed of fluidized hot particles operated at temperatures from about 500.degree. to 600.degree. C. and having a short vapor residence time, and the second stage thermal conversion zone operated at a temperature of about 700.degree. C. to about 1100.degree. C., and also having a short vapor residence time.

The present invention relates to a two-stage process for obtaining a substantial amount of olefinic product from a residua feedstock. The first stage is comprised of a thermal process unit containing a reaction zone comprised of a horizontal moving bed of fluidized hot particles operated at temperatures from about 500.degree. to 600.degree. C. and having a short vapor residence time, and the second stage thermal conversion zone operated at a temperature of about 700.degree. C. to about 1100.degree. C., and also having a short vapor residence time, preferably shorter than that of the first stage reaction zone.

Two-stage process for obtaining significant olefin yields from residua feedstocks