There is provided a diaphragm sealed valve particularly advantageous in chromatographic systems. The valve is provided with first and second body and a seal member compressibly positioned therebetween. The first body comprises a first, a second and a common port, each opening and being interconnected to the others in a recessed fluid communication channel extending in a first interface of the first body. The valve is also provided with first and second plungers, each having a closed position wherein the plunger presses down the seal member against the seat of the corresponding port for closing said corresponding port, and an open position wherein the plunger extends away from the seat for allowing a fluid communication between the corresponding port and the channel. Complex valves are also provided as well as chromatographic systems and methods.

As well known from people involved in the art, chromatographic systems rely on the use of valves to allow reproducible sample introduction and various column switching schemes.
Today, in the chromatographic field, there are mainly two types of valves used: the rotary valves and the diaphragm-sealed valves. The rotary type, as the name suggests, uses a rotary movement to switch or divert various flow paths required for a particular application. Description of such valves may be found in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/957,560 filed on Oct. 1, 2004 by the same Applicant.
The rotary chromatographic valves are well suited for liquid applications, even if they are also suitable for gas applications. Their design allows the use of various materials to provide inertness or very long lifetime, and relatively high working pressure and temperature which can be required in various liquid chromatography applications. The actuating means used to actuate a rotary valve is generally a pneumatic rotary one or an electrical motor equipped with some gear to increase the torque needed to rotate the valve. In both cases, these assemblies, i.e. actuating means and valve, require a relatively large amount of room in a system. Furthermore, in cases where a pneumatic actuator is used, extra 3-way solenoid valves must be used to allow pneumatic gas to be switched.
In the bulk gas analysis like He, H2, O2, N2, Ar, Kr, Xe, Ne, CO, CO2, CH4, THC, H2O and some other gases, the working pressure and temperature of the chromatographic system is relatively low compared to liquid chromatography. A diaphragm-sealed chromatographic valve could therefore be used since it is generally well suited for gas chromatography. It would so be advisable and beneficial to use diaphragm-sealed valves instead of rotary valves for gas chromatography wherein the design of a rotary valve may probably be overkilled for low pressure and temperature application in gas chromatography.
A diaphragm-sealed chromatographic valve that would take much less room than a rotary system and that could be built at a lower cost, mainly when compared to rotary valves using ceramic material, while providing a long working lifetime would therefore be very desirable.
For the last forty years, many people have designed diaphragm valves for chromatography. Such diaphragm valves have been used in many commercially available gas chromatographs. They are able to be integrated more easily in a gas chromatograph due to their physical size and since the actuator is embedded in the valve itself. These characteristics make them attractive for gas chromatograph manufacturers. However, their performances are poor. For example, the leak rate from port to port is too high and thus limits the system performance. Moreover, the pressure drop on the valve's ports differs from port to port, causing pressure and flow variation in the system. This causes detrimental effect on column performance and detector baseline. Furthermore, many of them have too much inboard contamination. Such valve designs are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,111,849; 3,140,615; 3,198,018; 3,376,894; 3,387,496; 3,417,605; 3,439,542; 3,492,873; 3,545,491; 3,633,426; 4,112,766; 4,276,907; 4,333,500; 5,601,115 and 6,202,698. The general concept of these valves is shown in FIG. 1.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the valve 1 is provided with a top block 2 having an interface 4 and a plurality of ports 6. Each of the ports 6 opens at the interface 4 and has an inclined thread passage 8 to connect various analytical fitting and tubing (not shown). At the bottom of the inclined thread passage 8, there is a conduit 10 extending in the top block 2 and opening at the interface 4. The ports 6 are arranged on a circular line on the interface 4 of the top block 2. The interface 4 is advantageously flat and polished to minimize leaks between port and from ambient atmosphere. The valve 1 is also provided with a bottom block 12 and a diaphragm 14, which is generally made of polyimide, Teflon or other polymer material. The diaphragm 14 is positioned between the top block interface 4 and the bottom block 12. The valve 1 is also provided with a plurality of plungers 16, each being respectively arranged to be able to compress the diaphragm 14 against the top block 2 at a position located between two of the ports 6. Preferably, as illustrated, when the valve is at rest, three plungers 16 are up while the three others are down. When the plungers are up, they compress the diaphragm 14 against the top block 2 for closing the conduits made by diaphragm recess 18, so that fluid circulation is blocked. Alternatively, there is fluid flowing between the ports where the corresponding plungers are down. The recess 18 in the diaphragm 14 sits down in the recess 20 made in the bottom block 12, thereby allowing some clearance for fluid circulation. The bottom block 12 keeps the plungers 16 and the actuating mechanism in position.
Referring now to FIG. 2A, there is shown a typical chromatographic application wherein a sample is injected on a separation column to separate the impurities and then to measure them by the integration of successive signal peaks by the detector, as well known in the art. In FIG. 2A, the sample loop SL is swept by the sample gas, while the separation column and the detector are swept by the carrier gas, coming from the valve port #2. To allow this flow path through the valve, the plungers B, D and F are down while the plungers A, C and E are up. The mechanical equivalent of this valve position is shown in FIG. 2B. To do a sample injection, all valve ports must first be isolated from each other to avoid cross port leaks that invariably lead to inaccurate measurements. This is done by setting plungers B, D and F in the up position. The valve analytical flow path and mechanical equivalent of this valve position is shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B. This step is only a temporary intermediate one. Its time duration depends on the actuating mechanism used and the required actuating pneumatic pressure. Then, the sample loop is put in the carrier circuit. This step is generally known as the sampling loop injection position. This is done by moving down plungers A, C and E while keeping plungers B, D and F in the up position. This position is shown on FIG. 4A and the mechanical one in FIG. 4B. In a similar way, to come back in the sampling position which is illustrated in FIG. 2A, the plungers A, C and E are first brought back in the up position. This leads to the intermediate position shown in FIG. 3A, i.e. all plungers up. Finally, the plungers B, D and F are brought back down. So, the valve is now in the position shown in FIG. 2A, i.e. sampling loop filling position. All the patents that we previously referred use this general concept or some slight variation thereof.
Referring again to FIG. 1, the main aspect of this concept is to interrupt the flow between two adjacent ports. For that, the corresponding plunger presses the diaphragm 14, which is then pressed on the interface 4 of the top block 2. Thus, the sealing relies simply on the surface of the plunger defining the area that presses the diaphragm recess 18 on the interface 4. This technique imposes tight tolerances on the surface finish, surface flatness and the plungers' length. Any scratch on the interface 4 or imperfection of the diaphragm 14 will generate leaks. Moreover, the length of all plungers must be the same. Any difference in their lengths will result in leaks, since a shorter plunger will not properly compress the diaphragm against the interface 4. In the prior art, there are some variations of this general concept. The main one relates to the location of the bottom block recess 20. In the past, this recess 20 or its equivalent was located internally in the top block 2, or on its interface 4. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,111,849; 3,198,018; 3,545,491; 3,633,426 and 4,112,766, which were granted to the same group of people, illustrate this concept. However, as they reported in a more recent valve brochure specification entitled "Applied Automation Company, series 11 diaphragm valve", this method has been dropped because of a too high cold flow. Cold flow is also often referred to as cross port flow leak. Their latest design, which was commercialized, uses a flat and polished interface 4 on the top block 2 and a recess 20 in the bottom block 12. In this design, the diaphragm 14 has no recess. Moreover, in order to reduce the cold flow, it was also envisaged to use two diaphragms. In fact, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,111,849, the use of a "cushion" diaphragm helps to compensate for any slight non-parallelism or length difference of plungers. Other attempts have also been made to correct the non-parallelism, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,376,894; 3,545,491 and 3,633,426, wherein the use of solid plungers has been replaced with the use of small steel balls.
The concern about plunger length has also been taken into consideration in U.S. Pat. No. 6,202,698, granted to Valco Company, which suggests the use of plungers made of softer material. This allows tolerance reduction for the length of such plungers.
However, such designs still result into too much leak rate between ports since the sealing done by the plungers' pressure is not equal on diaphragm.
Other attempts have been made in the past to eliminate problems caused by plunger tolerance variations. U.S. Pat. No. 3,139,755 discloses a valve wherein no plunger is used. Instead, a hydraulic pressure is used. However, an auxiliary source of pressure must be used since the pneumatic amplification of pneumatic actuating mechanism does not exist. The system, as far as we know, wasn't commercialized. Cross port leaks are still an important problem.
Another design is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,085,440. In this valve, the diaphragm has been replaced by an O-ring. Nevertheless, cross port leaks are still too high for modern high sensitivity detector.
In brief, in view of the previously mentioned patents, it can be seen that many attempts have been made to try fixing cross port leaks problems and outboard or inboard contamination. All of the proposed designs are quite similar in regard to sealing mechanisms and have the same drawbacks. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,140,615, granted in 1964, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,202,698, granted in 2001, do use the same sealing concept in regard to flow switching between ports.
Valco Company did release the DV series valve wherein the diaphragm 14 has an additional recess 18 as illustrated in FIG. 1. The recess 18 sits down in the recess 20 of the bottom block 12. So, when a plunger 16 is in down position, the diaphragm recess 18 sits in the bottom block recess 20, thereby clearing the passage between two adjacent ports, reducing the pressure drop and helping to operate with a low pressure sample.
Finally, it can be seen from the various brochures used to market these valves that the lifetime of these valves is mostly stated in terms of actuations. Most of the time, the number of actuations stated is between 500,000 and 1,000,000. However, it appears that this specification is related to the actuating mechanism and not to the leak rate of the valve. In this aspect, the diaphragm type valve's specifications are not as well defined as the rotary type valve, wherein it is clear that the lifetime of the valve is expressed in terms of leaks.
Besides, a brand new diaphragm valve will often have too many leaks between ports for low level applications. Moreover, it appears that when the valve is at rest for a long period of time, it doesn't perform well when put back in service. This is caused by the diaphragm getting compressed and marked where the plungers press it. It is even worst for valves having fine edge plungers defining a ring type sealing surface.
Thus, the diaphragm type gas chromatography valves of the prior art have several disadvantages: they present too much cross port leaks and too much pressure drop on selected adjacent ports. Moreover, they are difficult to operate when sample pressure is low and they cannot conveniently work with sub-atmospheric sample pressure. Furthermore, they rely on tight tolerance of plungers' length, to minimize cross port leaks.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a diaphragm-sealed valve that would overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks of the diaphragm valves of the prior art while being less expensive to manufacture.

Diaphragm-sealed valve, analytical chromatographic system and method using the same


The invention provides a multi-piece solid golf ball having soft, good shot feel, excellent flight performance, high rebound characteristics and high launch angle, when hit by golfers who swing a golf club at high or low head speed using all golf clubs, namely, a driver to an iron club, a putter. The multi-piece solid golf ball has a core having an inner core and an outer core covering the inner core, and at least one layer covering the core; the inner core has a diameter of 30 to 40.4 mm and surface hardness of 60 to 85 JIS-C, and center JIS-C hardness of the inner core lower than the surface hardness by 5 to 30; the outer core has a thickness of 0.2 to 1.3 mm, and a surface JIS-C hardness of the outer core lower than the surface hardness of the inner core by 2 to 30.

In the history of golf balls, a thread wound golf ball was firstly developed. The thread wound golf ball is obtained by winding thread rubber in a stretched state on a solid or liquid center to form a thread wound core and covering it with a cover of balata, etc. having a thickness of 1 to 2 mm.
A two-piece solid golf ball was subsequently developed, which was composed of a core formed from integrally molded rubber material and a thermoplastic resin cover (e.g. ionomer resin cover) formed on the core. The two-piece solid golf ball is easily produced because of simple structure, and has excellent rebound characteristics and excellent durability. Therefore, the two-piece solid golf ball is generally approved or employed by many golfers, mainly amateur golfers. However, the two-piece solid golf ball exhibits harder and poorer shot feel at the time of hitting than the thread wound golf ball.
In order to provide a two-piece solid golf ball having a shot feel as good as the thread wound golf ball, a soft type two-piece solid golf ball using a softer core has been proposed. However, the use of the soft core adversely affects on rebound characteristics, thus resulting in a reduction in flight distance and a deterioration in durability.
It has been proposed to place an intermediate layer between the core and the cover of the two-piece solid golf ball to form a three-piece solid golf ball so as to maintain the balance between flight performance and shot feel at the time of hitting. The three-piece solid golf ball generally occupies the greater part of the golf ball market. The three-piece solid golf ball are classified into two types, depending on whether the intermediate layer is formed from rubber material or thermoplastic resin.
For example, a three-piece solid golf ball comprising a two-piece core composed of a core and an intermediate layer, which is formed from vulcanized rubber material having the same composition as the core, is suggested in Japanese Patent Kokai publication Nos. 228978/1990, 332247/1996, 322948/1997, 216271/1998 and the like. These golf balls are characterized by controlling the thickness of the intermediate layer to not less than 1.5 mm, which is relatively thick, and they are classified into two types depending on whether the intermediate layer is harder or softer than the inner core.
In the three-piece solid golf balls described in Japanese Patent Kokai publication Nos. 228978/1990 and 332247/1996, of which the intermediate layer is harder than the inner core, the flight performance is excellent, but the shot feel is poor, because the intermediate layer is thick and hard. Therefore, the golf balls have very soft core in order to accomplish soft and good shot feel. However, in the golf balls, the shot feel when hit by golfers who swing the golf club at low head speed is hard and poor, if the shot feel when hit by golfers who swing the golf club at high head speed is designed to be soft and good. On the other hand, the shot feel when hit by golfers who swing the golf club at high head speed is heavy and poor, if the shot feel when hit by golfers who swing the golf club at low head speed is designed to be soft and good. The golf balls have hard and poor shot feel when hit by a short iron club or putter, if the shot feel when hit by a driver is designed to be soft and good. In addition, the golf balls generally have poor durability.
In the three-piece solid golf balls described in Japanese Patent Kokai publication Nos. 322948/1997 and 216271/1998, of which the intermediate layer is softer than the inner core, the rebound characteristics are largely degraded, which reduces the flight distance when hit particularly by golfers who swing the golf club at low head speed.
Three-piece solid golf balls, of which the intermediate layer is formed from thermoplastic resin, is suggested in Japanese Patent Kokai publication Nos. 313643/1997 and 24084/1995, Japanese Patent Kokoku publication No. 48473/1992 and the like. In the golf balls, the golf ball described in Japanese Patent Kokai publication Nos. 313643/1997, of which the intermediate layer is harder than the inner core, has soft and good shot feel when hit by all golfers who swing at high and low head speed, but has poor shot feel when hit by a short iron club to a putter, when compared with the three-piece solid golf ball having hard type intermediate layer formed from the above vulcanized-rubber.
In the golf balls described in Japanese Patent Kokai publication No. 24084/1995 and Japanese Patent Kokoku publication No. 48473/1992, of which the intermediate layer is softer than the inner core, it is restrained to degrade the rebound characteristics when compared with the three-piece solid golf ball having soft type intermediate layer formed from the above vulcanized rubber. The golf balls have good shot feel when hit by a short iron club to a putter, when compared with the three-piece solid golf ball having hard type intermediate layer formed from the thermoplastic resin. However, since the deformation amount at a portion nearby the surface of the golf ball is large, the area contacted with the golf club, which reduces the spin amount, and the flight distance is long, when compared with the three-piece solid golf ball having hard type intermediate layer formed from the thermoplastic resin. In addition, the shot feel when hit by golfers who swing the golf club at high head speed is heavy and poor.
There has been the case that the conventional three-piece solid golf ball, which has excellent performance for golfers who swing the golf club at high head speed, is not suitable for golfers who swing the golf club at low head speed. On the other hand, there has been the case that the conventional three-piece solid golf ball, which has excellent performance for golfers who swing the golf club at low head speed, is not suitable for golfers who swing the golf club at high head speed. There has been no golf ball, which is suitable for all golfers who swing the golf club at high or low head speed. There has been problem that the conventional three-piece solid golf ball, which has long flight distance and is suitable for golfers who swing the golf club at low head speed, has hard and poor shot feel when hit by an iron club or putter.


A method and a device to evaporate volatile substances such as aromatic substances and/or insecticides, in which the volatile substances are evaporated using electrical heating devices that heat a wick impregnated with the substance to be evaporated. The method and device permits the evaporation of the volatile substance efficiently by optimizing the use of heat energy generated by electrical heating devices. The device comprises a rotating pipe with at least one opening with a portion of wick inserted in this pipe and depending on the position of this pipe relative to the heating elements, the amount of heat flow transmitted to the wick is regulated as well as, consequently, the degree of evaporation of the volatile substance.

Devices to evaporate volatile substances in a liquid state are well known that consist of a wick of which one end is in contact with a volatile substance in a bottle, such that the substance rises by capillarity through the wick, which is made of a porous material, until this becomes totally impregnated.
Conventionally, these devices include heating devices, such as PTC electrical resistances, aimed at heating the upper portion of the wick that facilitates evaporation of the substance that dissipates to the exterior of the device in the form of vapor.
Some of these pieces of equipment are equipped with devices that permit the degree of evaporation of the product to be controlled, which are generally based on modifying the intensity of heating the wick. The need to control the degree of evaporation tends to complicate the design and manufacture of the device since several interconnecting parts are required, making the manufacturing process more expensive, which is a key factor in these products since the low production costs are the key to their profitability.
Some known devices of this kind use heating elements with a toroidal configuration such that one end of the wick is lodged in the central orifice, permitting uniform heating of the whole perimeter of the wick in the area of influence of the heating element. Although this toroidal shape of the heating element is effective from an operative perspective, the device as a whole increases in width and, therefore, size and this is undesirable from manufacturing and sales perspectives.
Some examples of this type of device can be found in the patents U.S. Pat. No. 4,739,928, EP-1.270.022, U.S. Pat. No. 6,659,301.

Method and device for the evaporation of volatile compounds


An improved security checkpoint separates certain individuals into a secure, enclosed wanding station for additional security screening. The wanding station may be constructed using glass (or other strong, visually transparent substance) and metallic (such as aluminum or steel) posts so that people may be securely enclosed in the wanding station but still have a direct line of sight to personal items being screened at another location. The size of the wanding station may vary according to the needs of the checkpoint but preferably has room to screen three people simultaneously. The wanding station may include an entry area in which people form a queue, optimally of six people, for entering the wanding station. Two or more personal and item screening areas may share a wanding station to form a double lane module. The security module is configured so that most people pass straight through the checkpoint, and people leaving the wanding station can easily obtain their items without delaying others. The security module may further include a small item x-ray or other screening device positioned near the wanding station to expedite the screening within the wanding station.

Security measures allow the public to continue to live normal lives in an increasingly dangerous world. Because of the increasing dangers, security precautions are becoming common aspects of modern life. For example, security checkpoints at airports and other public locations provide increased safety to the public through the screening, location, and collection of harmful items, thereby helping to prevent the presence of these harmful items in the public locations. In exchange for this increased safety, the public trades inconvenience and loss of privacy.
To help ensure the general acceptance of security checkpoints, the checkpoints should minimize the costs to the public. Various performance measures quantify these costs to the public. For instance, the delay time associated with a checkpoint may be measured, and the security checkpoint may be modified to minimize the delays.
Conventional security checkpoint configurations typically suffer from several disadvantages. Primarily, the conventional checkpoint may not process the public with optimal efficiency. Because of resulting delays, the public is frequently dissatisfied with the conventional security checkpoint configurations. Even if the delays associated with a checkpoint are minimal, the checkpoint may cause public dissatisfaction for unnecessary delays and for the perception of unnecessary delays.
Specifically, chaos may occur in a conventional security checkpoint as the "clean" (people and items cleared through the checkpoint) and "dirty" (uncleared) people mingle. The mingling may cause delays as people travel back and forth through checkpoint. The mingling may also create potential security concerns as a "dirty" person flagged for additional screening is allowed to interact with other people or retrieve her bags, prior to the additional screening. Thus, the mingling presents the opportunity to dispose of a suspicious object with a person or item that had already cleared inspection.
Furthermore, the conventional security checkpoints do not use available space and allocate relatively expensive search equipment efficiently. Instead, the conventional checkpoints are generally installed haphazardly.
Also, people passing through the checkpoint are separated from some of their items, creating a potential for loss or theft of the items. Conventional checkpoint configurations generally do not address this problem.


The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus of transmitting data via a multi-protocol single-medium network. The method includes initializing a network; transmitting messages in the network; setting up the size and the protocol of the messages and assigning the messages to a multi-protocol stack of the PHY layer based on a network time sharing multitasking principle; assigning each of the messages to a proper time slot; checking whether or not all messages are assigned to the proper time slots; if yes, transmitting the messages; and receiving the messages by a network device and transmitting the messages to another network device via a single-medium network.

In recent years, network technologies advance rapidly, and thus the chance and demand of using a network become increasingly higher. To meet the requirements of transmitting messages over the network, network manufacturers provide different technologies and standards to support different objectives and environments. As to the different network transmission standards, a solution of transmitting messages of different transmission standards via a network is an important subject.
In general, a conventional network requires a network transmission line for the transmission of messages, and sometimes requires two or more transmission protocol standards to transmit messages to meet the requirements of different purposes. In other words, two or more types of cables are sometimes needed, and thus incurring an additional cost of the cables for constructing the network infrastructure. To transmit messages of two transmission protocol standards among different networks, a network protocol converting device is used and thus incurs an additional cost. As technology advances, new network protocol standards are introduced, and finding a way of effectively lowering the cost for constructing the infrastructure and flexibly updating a transmission protocol standard on the existing cable structure demands immediate attentions and feasible solutions.
In the prior art, messages are transmitted via a network according to different transmission standards such as an IP or non-IP transmission standard including Ethernet, X-10, control area network (CAN), RS-485, 1394, universal serial bus (USB) and media oriented systems transport (MOST), etc. In an example of the application, the messages of two different transmission protocols and standards are transmitted among different networks. In the present existing method, an appropriate protocol converting device is installed among networks of different transmission protocols and standards for converting the messages. However, it is necessary to install a plurality of protocol converting devices of several different transmission protocols and standards for transmitting the messages in order to meet the requirements of an increasing larger network structure and more updated network protocol standards, and such architecture becomes more complicated and incurs a higher cost.
In the prior art, a network connecting device uses a gateway to connect two networks of different protocols, and a typical gateway adopts a combination of software and hardware for interpreting the protocol, and then transmits the data from a network to another network. The network architecture is connected by a gateway in the prior art, and the transmission of the messages via independent networks of different protocols requires the interpretation by the gateway.
In the prior art, the mechanisms used for accessing messages of different types of protocols transmitted through a single medium includes polling, token passing, carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) and time division multiple access (TDMA). In the conventional polling mechanism, a master station periodically inquires a slave station for controlling the priority of the network media of the slave station. In the conventional token passing mechanism, a token ring at a network node of a token-ring network is provided for processing. The determination of a protocol used for the accessing procedure in the conventional CSMA mechanism is determined by the competition among the stations, and each station monitors the network condition to determine whether or not the network is in an idle state. If the network is at an idle state, the station will start transmitting signals after a predetermined time period. If a conflict exists, the station will continue monitoring the network condition and wait for the correct time for transmitting the signals. In the conventional TDMA mechanism, a network master station issues and broadcast a message to a plurality of frames synchronously, such that the time slot of each frame is synchronized, and the time slot for transmitting the signals is assigned, and each slave station receives a message synchronization signal and uses the signal for specifying the time slot for the signal transmission.
A method and an apparatus of transmitting data via a multi-protocol single-medium network data in accordance with the present invention adopt a TDMA multi-protocol access mechanism. U.S. Pat. No. 6,831,913 entitled "Method of identifying network layer PDU" and U.S. Pat. Application No. 2006/0153237 entitled "Communication system with improved medium access control sub-layer" did not teach a common method of accessing messages of different protocols, but both patents store different types of protocols in seven network layers of the OSI network. U.S. Pat. Application No. 2006/0198387 entitled "Reserving time periods for communication on power line networks" uses a CSMA mechanism which is different from the method using the TDMA mechanism in accordance with the present invention. U.S. Pat. Application No. 2004/0136396 entitled "Contention-free access intervals on a CSMA network", U.S. Pat. Application No. 2005/0114489 entitled "Medium access control layer that encapsulates data from a plurality of received data units into a plurality of independently transmittable blocks" and U.S. Pat. Application No. 2005/0169296 entitled "Temporary priority promotion for network communications in which access to a shared medium depends on a priority level" adopt the CSMA protocol mechanism. Unlike the protocol stack disclosed in the present invention, these patented inventions use a protocol stack on a physical layer.
Since the method and apparatus of transmitting data via a multi-protocol single-medium network in accordance with the invention adopt a TDMA mechanism, the prior art single medium for transmitting different network services includes MOST, and the prior art TDMA protocol includes FlexRay, TTP/C and Byteflight, etc. The MOST of the same packet includes control messages, synchronous messages and asynchronous messages used for providing several types of network transmission services, but its shock-proof mechanism adopts CSMA, and FlexRay uses different time slots for storing different transmitting messages for transmitting data, and the packet comes with a fixed length which is a variable packet length in this invention, and the protocol in each packet may vary. Although the TTP/C uses the same TDMA protocol, yet the packets of different protocols transmitted in the time slots are different.
In view of the foregoing shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention provides a method and an apparatus of transmitting data via a multi-protocol single-medium network for transmitting messages of different transmission protocols through a single medium, wherein different network devices can select an appropriate transmission protocol for receiving the messages, and transmitting the messages to another network device through the single medium.

Method and apparatus of transmitting data via a multi-protocol single-medium network

Industrial Technology Research Institute


An automotive powered seat slide device including upper and lower guide rails, slidably fitted to each other, such that the position of the seat relative to the floor is adjusted frontwardly and rearwardly, includes a driving mechanism having a driven connection with an electric motor and a screw-threaded shaft rotatably mounted on the upper rail in an aperture defined in the slidably fitted pair of rails and a nut member engaged with the screw-threaded shaft and rigidly mounted on the lower rail for rotation relative to the screw-threaded shaft. One end of the screw-threaded shaft is rotatably supported by the upper rail, the other end of the screw-threaded shaft is constructed as a free end so as to permit a proper flexibility of the screw-threaded shaft. An elastomeric mass is also attached to the free end of the screw-threaded shaft, so as to prevent a direct contact between the free end and the inner wall of at least one of the upper and lower rails and to achieve an exact dynamic balance of the screw-threaded shaft.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a powered seat slide device, such as a motor-driven seat slide device for an automotive vehicle, and particularly to a powered seat slide device employing at least one pair of guide rails, namely an upper slidable guide rail firmly secured to the bottom surface of the automobile seat and a lower stationary guide rail rigidly mounted on the floor panel of the vehicle body, which is capable of electronically adjusting the position of the automobile seat assembly in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body.
2. Description of the prior Art
Recently, there have been disclosed and developed various powered seat slide devices which can adjust the relative displacement between upper and lower seat rails. A conventional automotive powered seat slide device traditionally employs a telescopically extendable guide rail structure for each side of the seat assembly. The telescopically extendable guide rail structure is usually interposed between the seat cushion and the floor panel of the vehicle.
Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a prior art powered seat slide device for automotive vehicles. The telescopically extendable guide rail structure is comprised of a lower stationary guide rail 60 rigidly mounted on the floor panel of the vehicle body, and an upper guide rail 61 firmly secured to a respective side portion of the base plate of the seat. As is generally known, the upper guide rail 61 is slidably fitted to the lower guide rail 60. The powered seat slide device also includes a guide rail drive mechanism comprised of a gear box 64 including a worm having a driven connection with a drive shaft of a drive motor (not shown) and a worm wheel having external threads meshed with the worm. The gear box 64 serves as a reduction gear for reducing revolutions of the output shaft of the motor and increasing rotation torque created by the motor. As clearly seen in FIG. 1, a screw-threaded shaft 62 is also provided in an aperture defined between the slidably fitted pair of rails 60 and 61. The worm wheel is rigidly formed integral with the screw-threaded shaft 62. The screw-threaded shaft 62 engages with a nut member 63 fixed onto the bottom wall section of the lower stationary guide rail 60 by means of fasteners, such as bolts, so as to prevent both rotational movement and sliding movement of the nut member 63 relative to the lower guide rail 60. Conventionally, the front end (viewing FIG. 1) of the screw-threaded shaft 62 is rotatably supported by bearings provided on the gear box 64, while the rear end of the screw-threaded shaft 62 is rotatably supported by a radial bearing 65 firmly suspended by the upper guide rail 61. In the previously noted conventional powered seat slide devices, since the screw-threaded shaft 62 is rotatably supported at three portions, namely the front end, the substantially center, portion and the rear end, such an arrangement of the screw-threaded shaft 62 requires an excessively precise alignment matching between the bearings of the gear box 64, the nut member 63, and the rear end bearing 65. Supposing that at least one of the above noted bearings and the nut member is offset from a predetermined installation position, there is a tendency for the three supported portions of the screw-threaded shaft 62 to be slightly misaligned with each other. Furthermore, since the upper and lower guide rails 61 and 60 are generally formed by pressing, so as to lighten the entire weight of the guide rail assembly, each guide rail having a relatively low rigidity tends to be slightly deformed by a load applied thereto. Ideally, each supported portion of the screw-threaded shaft 62 must be in alignment with each other. With the previously noted conventional supporting structure of the screw-threaded shaft 62, the respective supported portions of the screw-threaded shaft 62 thus tend to be misaligned with each other, during assembling or after assembling the powered seat slide device on the vehicle body. If the supported portions of the screw-threaded shaft 62 are slightly misaligned with each other, smooth rotation of the screw-threaded shaft 62 is prevented due to undesirable load applied to each supported portion. The screw-threaded shaft 62 vibrates depending on the magnitude of misalignment of the respective supported portions thereof. The greater the misalignment of the respective supported portions of the screw threaded shaft 62 becomes, the greater the amplitude of vibration of the shaft 62. The amplified vibration of the shaft 62 causes undesirable noise. With energy loss resulting from the increased noise, the motor speed fluctuates irregularly. Consequently, the motor employed in the conventional powered seat slide device has an increased tendency to become overloaded due to misalignment between front, middle, and rear supported portions of the screw-threaded shaft 62. This results in a low durability of the device.


A method for operating a chassis regulating system of a vehicle, in which a control quantity is generated for an actuator, includes providing a first signal, which is representative of the transverse acceleration of the vehicle, providing a second signal, which is representative of the steering lock angle, providing a third signal, which is representative of the speed of the vehicle, allocating a weighting factor for the amplitude of the first signal, generating an estimated transverse acceleration signal from the second signal and the third signal, generating a weighted estimation signal by multiplying the estimated transverse acceleration signal with the weighting factor, and generating the control quantity by additive superimposing of the weighted estimation signal with the first signal.

Conventional methods for operating a vertical dynamic chassis regulating system often use a sensor signal, which is representative of the transverse acceleration of the vehicle, as input quantity for calculating particular control quantities for hydraulic and/or electromechanical actuators, which are used for stabilizing the chassis. The hydraulic or electrical output of the actuators is designed with respect to highly dynamic driving states, which can occur temporarily in difficult driving situations. Particularly high requirements are set for the response behaviour of the actuators. In the quasi-stationary driving state, on the other hand, disturbances to the control signal, such as background noise or superimposed oscillations of the attachment parts of the transverse acceleration sensor, have a negative influence on the comfort of the system (e.g. noise development or perceptible high frequency oscillations). If the disturbed signal is subjected to a filtering process, delays occur in the signal pattern, which in turn have a negative effect on the dynamics of the system as a whole.
Thus, there is a desire to provide a method for operating a chassis regulating system, which makes possible a better response behaviour of the actuators.

Method for operating a chassis regulating system and a device to carry out the method


A window shutter frame defining a recess in which various selected decorative strips may be inserted. The shutter frame also carries a flexible flap so the frame may be pre-manufactured and installed in window recess or other installation location which are not dimensionally accurate without the necessity of cutting and trimming. Preferably the frame components are extruded from synthetic polymeric material.

The present invention relates to window shutters and more particularly to window shutters and components fabricated at least partially from synthetic materials and having features which facilitate installation and provide decorative versatility.
Various interior window treatments are utilized both in residential and commercial buildings. One widely used and accepted window treatment is the shutter. Shutters are popular because of their pleasing aesthetic appearance, versatility, adjustability and functional advantages. A functional advantage of shutters is that the shutter""s louvers can be positioned to change the desired light level and also to deflect light and reduce glare. Shutters also serve to reduce heat load transferred to the interior area through a window opening. Shutters can be manufactured to fit into window openings having a wide variety of sizes and shapes. Shutters in the past have been primarily made of wood and are fabricated and assembled off-site and then installed at the installation location. Generally wooden shutters are stained or painted.
As indicated above, conventional shutters are manufactured of wood. The stiles and rails are planed, shaped, drilled and routed in the assembly process. Wooden louvers are similarly formed and assembled as part of the structure. If the louvers are of the adjustable type, the louvers are provided with dowels or pivot pins, which are inserted into the vertical edges of the stiles. Subsequent to assembly, the shutters are generally finished by coating with either a stain, varnish or paint. While conventional shutters are widely used and are suitable to many applications, wooden shutters in some instances may be subject to warpage and discoloration as a result of the environment in which they are installed being subject to both heat and light.
As a result of the environmental conditions to which shutters are subjected and further reduce the cost of manufacture, shutters may also be formed of suitable synthetic polymeric materials. Materials such as polyvinylchloride, polystyrene, polyurethane, polypropylene are often used. One such material is the material sold under the trademark Polywood(copyright) by Sunburst Shutters of Phoenix, Ariz. The louvers are support on opposite stiles by pivot pins. The louvers are supported on pivot pins. The assembly and fabrication involves the steps of molding the rail and stile components, installing the louvers on pivot pins or dowels and completing the frame structure in which the panel is installed. Painting or staining in not generally necessary as the polymeric material includes a suitable colorant. Shutters made of polymeric materials have distinct advantages in terms of durability, reduced warpage and ease of fabrication, such shutters do not provide the customer with a variety of decorative features from which the customer can select. However, shutter assemblies fabricated from synthetic materials do not lend themselves to shaping, cutting and trimming operations at the point of installation and inasmuch as extruded sections are provided with an external smooth skin which, if removed, will expose a rougher more porous core.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a shutter assembly which provides the customer a number of aesthetic decorative options from which the customer can select. Further, there exists a need for a shutter assembly which can be easily installed without requiring cutting or trimming and which when installed will provide a tight seal against the window frame or recess in which it is installed.
Briefly, the present invention provides a window shutter assembly having an exterior frame which supports at least one louver panel with vertical stiles and horizontal rails. The louver panel is hinged so it may open or close. A plurality of louvers, which may be fixed or pivotal, are arranged in parallel fashion and joined at their opposite ends to the edges of the vertical stiles. The exterior frame, in which the louver panel is mounted, defines one or more channels or recesses extending in the surface of the frame. The channels are adapted to receive a decorative insert. The surface of the decorative strip carries suitable design features. One or more surfaces of the louvers may also be provided with a matching or compatible design features. The design features on the surfaces of the louvers are applied by embossing on the surface subsequent to the extrusion operation.
The exterior frame member, which extends around the louver panels, has a generally L-shaped configuration with a rearwardly depending leg section and a facing section which extends around the louver panel. In a normal installation, the rearwardly depending leg extends into the opening such as the perimeter area around a window into which the shutter assembly is installed. To facilitate installation with little or no cutting or trimming necessary, the rearwardly depending leg of the frame is provided with a flexible flap which abuts and seals against the edges of the opening providing a dust-free, neat installation. The flap also provides a clearance space with respect to the opening to facilitate installation without the necessity of trimming.
Accordingly, the shutter assembly, including the frame and louver panel, may be fabricated and assembled at the factory and installed with little or no trim work required at the installation site. Decorative trim features can be installed either at the factory or at the time of installation. While the components may be fabricated from wood, it is preferred that the frame, insert and panel components be fabricated by techniques such as extrusion and embossing using synthetic polymeric materials.


A wireless communications system comprises a first splitter separating at least two signals, a wireless circuit for processing a first signal as a wireless signal and a combiner connected to the wireless circuit and the splitter, combining the two signals and transmitting the signals into a service area. The wireless communications system further comprises a second splitter separating the wireless signal from a second signal, and a transmitter for broadcasting the wireless signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to voice/data transmission, and more particularly to a method for providing voice/data transmission over cable networks.
2. Discussion of Related Art
As cable operators switch the existing analog cable systems over to two-way capable digital systems additional types of content can be carried. Other benefits include an increased number of available channels and improved video quality. The two-way capable digital systems have been implemented with proprietary or DOCSIS (Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification) cable modems. The need for the delivery of voice services to the home over the digital cable system has been established.
For both the video service and the high-speed data service, the end device has been inside the home, e.g., digital cable set top box or digital cable modem. However, for voice services, it is more traditional to have the digital termination device outside the home. This is the usual practice of the phone companies, which use a Network Interface Device "NID" on the side of a home or other building. One difficulty with the NID outside of the home is integrating a wireless capability because of the low transmit power of the available wireless bands.
Therefore, a need exists for a method of providing voice/data transmission over cable networks.

System and method for voice/data transmission over cable networks


A combination ottoman, table or desk and a foldable sleeper bed comprises upper and lower wooden frame sections, the lower frame section being configured as an open top box, atop which the upper frame section is located. The two frame sections are interconnected by a pair of opposed four-bar linkages which permit the upper frame section to be moved between a first position in which it rests atop and encloses the lower frame section, and a second raised position in which it is spaced upwardly and rearwardly from the lower frame section. Contained within the enclosure defined by the upper and lower frame sections, there is a foldable sleeper bed having pivotally interconnected head, body, intermediate and foot sections, which sections are extendable forwardly from the lower frame section when the upper frame section is in the second raised position to form a bed and foldable to fit and be contained within the enclosure when the bed is collapsed and stored.

Foldable sofa sleepers having a pivotally interconnected head, body, intermediate and foot sections movable between a fully folded or retracted position within a chair or sofa frame and an extended unfolded position for use as a bed are well known in the art as exemplified, for example, by U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,479. Generally, such sofa sleepers contain cushions which cover and hide the folded bed when the chair or sofa is used as a seating surface. And when the bed is unfolded, those cushions are simply removed and placed to the side. But, such sofa sleepers or combination chairs and foldable beds are relatively large items of furniture which are not suitable for use in small apartments, trailers or locations of very limited space. It has therefore been an objective of this invention to provide a foldable bed which may be combined with an item of furniture, which item of furniture has a much smaller footprint or smaller surface area than conventional sofa sleepers or chair/sleeper combinations, but which may still hide and contain a foldable sleeper bed.
Still another object of this invention has been to provide a foldable sleeper bed which may be contained within a completely enclosed item of furniture, such as an enclosed coffee table, ottoman or desk and which, when unfolded, does not require the removal of cushions or other portions of the item of furniture to enable the bed to be unfolded and used as a sleeping surface.

Combination item of furniture and foldable sleeper bed


The determination and use of three dimensional structures of receptor protein tyrosine kinases and/or their ligands are described. One particular group of such structures includes three dimensional structures of the extracellular domain of RPTKs. The three dimensional structures of RPTKs can faciliate the design and identification of modulators of RPTK function. Other such structures can include of RPTK ligands, such as stem cell factor or a fragment thereof. Modulators of RPTK function can be used to treat diseases that are mediated by inappropriate RPTK activity.

The following description of the background of the invention is provided simply as an aid in understanding the invention and is not admitted to describe or constitute prior art to the invention.
Receptor protein tyrosine kinases ("RPTKs") include a large and diverse family of enzymes. The RPTK family contains multiple subfamilies, one of which is the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) subfamily. Another subfamily is the type III receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) subfamily whose members include platelet-derived growth factor receptors a and β ("PDGFR α" and "PDGFR β"), macrophage colony-stimulating factor receptor (M-CSFR), c-kit (also referred to as SCF receptor ("SCFR")) and the flt3 receptor. The members of this RTK subfamily contain five immunoglobulin-like (Ig) domains in their extracellular ligand binding domains followed by a single transmembrane domain and a cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase domain interrupted by a large kinase-insert. For a review of RPTKs, see Schlessinger and Ullrich, 1992, Neuron 9: 383–391; for a review describing the FGFR subfamily, see Givol and Yayon, 1992, FASEB J. 6 (15): 3362–3369.
All RPTKs enzymatically transfer a high energy phosphate from adenosine triphosphate to a tyrosine residue in a target protein. These phosphorylation events regulate certain cellular phenomena in signal transduction processes. Cellular signal transduction processes contain multiple steps that convert an extracellular signal into an intracellular signal. The intracellular signal is then converted into a cellular response. RPTKs are components in many signal transduction processes. Typically, an RPTK regulates the flow of a signal in a particular step in the process by phosphorylating a downstream molecule. This phosphorylation modulates the downstream molecule's activity by turning it either "on" or "off," causing excessive or deficient signalling by the downstream molecule. Excessive signalling can lead to such abnormalities as uncontrolled cell proliferation, which is characteristic of such disorders as cancer, angiogenesis induced by various tumors, atherosclerosis, and arthritis. Alternatively, cellular proliferation can be induced therapeutically, for example angiogenesis may be used to ameliorate coronary artery disease by inducing collateral vascularization.
Ligand-induced dimerization of RPTKs is an important step in the RPTK-mediated signal transduction process. For review of the importance of dimerization of RPTKs, see Lemmon and Schlessenger, 1994, Trends in Biochem. Sci. 19: 459463; and Ullrich and Schlessenger, 1990, Cell 61:203–212. Some growth factors, for example platelet-derived growth factor ("PDGF") and stem cell factor ("SCF"), are dimeric molecules that, by themselves, induce dimerization of their specific receptors. In contrast, other growth factors, such as fibroblast growth factors (FGFs), are monomeric molecules that must act in concert with other molecules to induce dimerization of their specific receptors. See Schlessenger et al., 1995, Cell 83: 357–360; Spivak-Kroizman et al., 1994, Cell 79: 1015–1024; Ornitz et al., 1992, Mol. Cell. Biol. 12: 240–247. In particular, FGFs typically function in concert with soluble or cell surface-bound heparin sulfate-containing proteoglycans (HSPGs).
The FGFR subfamily consists of at least 21 structurally related polypeptides, designated FGFR1 through FGFR21, that are expressed in embryonic, fetal, and adult vertebrates. FGFR1 through FGFR4, are known as "high affinity FGFRs," due to their ability to bind appropriate fibroblast growth factors with a high affinity. These high affinity FGFRs are characterized by an extracellular ligand-binding domain which comprises three immunoglobulin (IG)-like domains (known as D1, D2, and D3), a single transmembrane helix, and a cytoplasmic domain containing tyrosine kinase activity. See Lee et al., 1989, Science 245: 57–60; Jaye et al., 1992, J. Mol. Biol. 227: 840–851; Johnson & Williams, 1993, Adv. Cancer. Res. 60: 1–41. Each of the four high affinity FGFRs binds to a specific subset of FGFs. Ornitz et al., 1996, J. Biol. Chem. 271: 15292–15297.
Naturally occuring variants of the high affinity FGFRs-lacking D1, or D1 and the linker region between D1 and D2 known as the "acid box," have been identified. These varient FGFRs retain the ability to bind appropriate FGFs with high affinity, suggesting that the D2 and D3 regions are sufficient to confer FGF binding ability and specificity. See Crumley et al., 1991, Oncogene 6: 2255–2262; Dionne et al., 1990, EMBO J. 9: 2685–2692; Johnson and Williams, 1993, Adv. Cancer. Res. 60: 141. In particular, D3 has been shown to play a critical role in the binding specificity of FGFRs. See Bottaro, et al., 1990, J. Biol. Chem. 265: 12767–12770; Miki et al., 1992, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 89: 246–250; Dell et al., 1992, J. Biol. Chem. 267: 21225–21229; Yayon et al., 1992 EMBO J. 11: 1885–1890.
Recently, three dimensional structures of the intracellular catalytic domains of various PTKs have been described in International Publication No. WO 98/07835, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/034,168, filed Dec. 19, 1996, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,942,428, issued on Aug. 24, 1999, each of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety including all claims, drawings, tables, and figures.
Despite recent advances in the understanding of signal transduction and function of the receptor PTKs and their ligands, there remains a need in the art for the atomic-level characterization and analysis of such molecules, particularly with respect to the design and synthesis of novel and improved therapeutic molecules.

Crystal of fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 in complex with fibroblast growth factor


A back-up table for a chip mounter. The back-up table for a chip mounter includes a base plate, a back-up plate spaced a predetermined distance from the base plate to support a back-up pin that supports a printed circuit board, and at least one set of link units installed between the base plate and the back-up plate and facing opposite to each other. The back-up table further comprises a first driving part installed between the opposite facing link units and operating the link units to raise and lower the back-up plate, and a second driving part serially connected to the first driving part.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a back-up table for a chip mounter, and more particularly, to a back-up table for a chip mounter used in equipment for supporting a printed circuit board on a certain position in the chip mounter.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a chip mounter is a device for mounting small electronic components such as a semiconductor chip on a printed circuit board. The chip mounter picks up electronic components supplied through a component supply device using a pickup mechanism movable on an X- and Y-axis frame, and then mounts the components onto the printed circuit board conveyed by a board conveyance device.
When the electronic components are completely conveyed to a mounting position by the board conveyance device, the printed circuit board is raised to a predetermined position by a back-up table disposed under the printed circuit board. Then, the pick-up mechanism moves onto the printed circuit board, and a suction means is lowered onto the printed circuit board to mount the electronic components on the printed circuit board.
FIG. 1 is a front view of a conventional back-up table for a chip mounter. The conventional back-up table for a chip mounter includes an upper table 1 on which a printed circuit board (not shown) is mounted, a lower table 2 disposed under and spaced apart from the upper table 1, and a pneumatic cylinder 3 installed at the lower table 2 to raise/lower the upper table 1.
In addition, a guide part 4 is installed at edge parts of the upper table 1 and the lower table 2. The guide part 4 includes a plurality of guide rods 5 fixed to a lower surface of the upper table 1, and a plurality of guide holes 6 formed in the lower table 2 and through which the guide rods 5 pass.
Here, the pneumatic cylinder 3 is disposed at center parts of the upper and lower tables 1 and 2. One end of a rod 3a of the pneumatic cylinder 3 is fixed to the lower surface of the upper-table 1. In addition, the guide part 4 is disposed at the edge parts of the upper and lower tables 1 and 2.
However, in the conventional back-up table for a chip mounter as described above, horizontality of the upper table generally cannot be maintained upon upward movement of the upper table, and therefore the printed circuit board cannot be uniformly supported.
Korean Utility Model Registration No. 131578 discloses another back-up table for a chip mounter. That is, the utility Model discloses technology using a stepping motor and a raising/lowering device mechanically connected to the stepping motor to variously adjust the height of the back-up table without using a pneumatic cylinder. However, the conventional back-up table for a chip mounter has disadvantages of complicating the entire structure and increasing the entire manufacturing cost.


A merchandising display rack is provided for displaying products in which the display rack is constructed of a freestanding framework. One or more of its sides includes a several of adjacently disposed partitioned bays or product display modules. Additionally, each of the product display modules includes one or more substantially horizontal product engaging rods disposed across its width. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, each module and each rod are at a different elevation from the elevations of each adjacent module and its corresponding rod. Alternatively, each module and each rod are positioned at substantially equivalent elevations. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, a merchandising display fixture is provided comprising a framework that includes several adjacently disposed bays or product display modules having corresponding product engaging rods. Preferably, each module and each rod are at different elevations from the elevations of each adjacent module and its corresponding rod. Alternatively, each module and each rod may be positioned at substantially equivalent elevations.

The highly competitive nature of the self-service retail industry requires stores to display and offer for sale a wide variety of products in a visually pleasing and efficient manner. Merchandising display racks for storing products and promoting their sale are well known in the art. One frequently used type of display rack designed to increase the merchandising display capacity of a self-service retail store is a self-supporting or freestanding "point of sale" display. Commonly, this type of display unit is employed to showcase newer products and is often supplied to the retailer by the product manufacturer in order to effectively display the manufacturer's particular goods. A key advantage of this type of display unit is its capability of displaying product wherever sufficient retail floor space permits. Accordingly, such freestanding merchandising displays are readily capable of being positioned in hightraffic locations to allow for maximum visibility and the greatest exposure of the displayed products to potential customers.
Additionally, it is common in the art to use various pegboard display systems to exhibit retail products and other items. In this type of display system, one or more upright pegboard supports, or other similar display panels having a plurality of uniformly spaced holes, are used to provide a vertical mounting system. The panels generally have a front surface forming a background for the displayed products. The spaced holes are provided to support brackets, fixtures, and hangers of various configurations and sizes. Typically, these fixtures include one or more prongs configured to selectively engage corresponding mounting holes in the display panels, thus securely retaining the fixtures or brackets thereon so that they may support and display products.
One limitation present in various conventional merchandising display systems is their inability to effectively present information in conjunction with the displayed products. Information that is often made more useful by being place in close proximity to the displayed product includes pricing information, inventory control and reordering information, and product names and descriptions. For example, it is common in conventional commercial display devices containing walking canes to store a variety of different canes on one display device. Examples of such display racks include FUTUROO.RTM. Cane Department #390040 and FUTURO.RTM. Pegged Cane Display #390041.
Since conventional cane display racks are not compartmentalized, walking canes hung thereon tend to become intermixed over time as customers handle the canes, thus making it more difficult for later customers to readily identify and select appropriate products. Further, because the canes have no designated storage locations on conventional walking cane display racks, it has been impossible to provide signs that present information about each cane in such a way as to ensure that information is displayed in a convenient location in close proximity to the cane it describes.


According to one embodiment, a memory system includes a plurality of memory devices and a memory controller operatively coupled to the memory devices. The memory controller is configured to partition write data into a plurality of data blocks, where each data block is associated with one of the memory devices. The memory controller is further configured to generate an instance of a local error-correcting code (ECC) corresponding to each data block, and merge each data block with the corresponding instance of the local ECC to form an encoded data block for each memory device. Additionally, the memory controller is configured to write each encoded data block to the memory devices such that each memory device stores one of the data blocks with the corresponding instance of the local ECC. A global ECC and a local ECC of the global ECC can also be included in the memory system.

The present disclosure relates generally to computer memory and more particularly to error-correcting code distribution in a memory system.
Computer systems often require a considerable amount of high speed random access memory (RAM) to hold information, such as data and programs, temporarily when powered and operational. This information is normally binary, composed of patterns of 1's and 0's known as bits of data. The bits of data are often grouped and organized at a higher level. A byte, for example, is typically composed of eight bits; more generally these groups or bytes are called symbols and may be made up of any number of bits or sub-symbols.
Memory device densities have continued to grow as computer systems have become more powerful. In some cases, the RAM content of a single computer can be composed of hundreds of trillions of bits. Unfortunately, the failure of just a portion of a single RAM device can cause system-wide issues. When memory errors occur, which may be "hard" (repeating) or "soft" (one-time or intermittent) failures, these failures may occur as single cell, multi-bit, full chip or full memory module failures and all or part of the system RAM may be unusable until it is repaired. Repair turn-around-times can be hours or even days, which can have a substantial impact to a business dependent on the computer systems. In systems with an array of memory modules (servers, for example), failed memory modules may be isolated temporarily without taking the system down, in order to sustain the system operation. However, this would result in memory loss from the overall system memory and would adversely impact performance.
The probability of encountering a RAM failure during normal operation has continued to increase as the amount of memory storage in contemporary computers continues to grow. Error-correcting codes (ECCs) are used in more robust systems and are typically collectively stored in an additional device to detect and correct specific error conditions. Memory system architectures typically require a choice of ECC implementation to either correct many error bits in one or two memory devices, or error correction of one or two bits can be provided across many memory devices.

Error-correcting code distribution for memory systems

International Business Machines Corporation


As conventional heat exchange modules, adsorptive agents of an inorganic type such as silica gel, zeolite, active alumina, active carbon and molecular sieve have been used. While these adsorptive agents have characteristics of high moisture absorptive ability and easy handling, they have problems of durability, regenerating temperature and generation of bacteria or fungi. An object of the present invention is to solve these problems which are noted in the inorganic adsorptive agents and to provide a heat exchanger module of a energy conservation type having a high heat exchange efficiency and a method for the manufacture thereof. The present invention is a heat exchange module of a sorptive type, characterized in that, a moisture absorptive layer in which a sorptive agent of an organic polymer type comprising organic polymer having hydrophilic polar group and cross-linking structure in a molecule is an essential component, saturated moisture absorbing rates at 20° C. and 65% RH and 90% RH are not less than 20% by weight and not less than 40% by weight, respectively and the difference in the saturated moisture absorbing rates under such a condition is not less than 20% by weight is formed on a metal surface having excellent heat conductivity.

As shown in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 06/002,984, the conventional adsorptive heat exchange modules in adsorptive freezer, adsorptive air conditioner, etc. adopt such a system that many circular or polygonal metal plates are installed along the outer circumference of each of heat transfer pipes made of aluminum, copper, etc. to constitute fins and tubes and, in the gap of the fins, a solid adsorbent such as zeolite, silica gel or active carbon is filled. In such a constitution however, an area where the solid moisture absorber contacts to the fin is small and, therefore, there are many problems that conductive efficiency of heat is bad, that a filling state of the filled layer of the solid moisture absorber is affected as a result of moisture absorption and desorption and that spaces are generated between the solid moisture absorber and the fin or among the solid moisture absorbers whereby heat transfer efficiency lowers.
In order to solve those problems, there have been proposals such as a method where a solid moisture absorber such as silica gel or zeolite is applied onto a heat exchange surface (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 05/322,364); and a method where an adsorbent such as active alumina, active carbon, zeolite or molecular sieve is adhered to a metal fin using a powdery adhesive of a thermo-setting type or a powdery adhesive of a thermoplastic type (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000/018,767). Further, there have been shown examples such as a method where, in order to enhance the heat exchange efficiency between adsorbent and metal surface, a spherical adsorbent such as zeolite, silica gel or active alumina is installed onto a heat exchange surface via a heat conductive layer part (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 08/271,085); an adsorbent where graphite is added, in order to enhance the heat conductivity, to silica gel acting as an adsorbent and an adsorptive heat exchanger using the same (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10/286,460); and an example where graphite and silicon carbide are added to an adhesive resin (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004/263,959).
As mentioned above, as to moisture absorbers which have been used as conventional heat exchange modules, those of an inorganic type such as silica gel, zeolite, active alumina, active carbon and molecular sieve have been used. Mechanism of adsorption by those adsorptive agents is due to adsorption of water molecules with surfaces of pores of each of inorganic adsorptive agents and there are characteristics that moisture absorptive ability is high and that handling as particles is easy.
However, any of those adsorptive agents is an inorganic substance and, therefore, there is a problem that, it is hard and, when moisture absorption and desorption are repeated for a long period, there occurs a phenomenon in which the adsorptive agent is cracked due to a slight change in volume accompanied by moisture absorption and desorption or is crushed or pulverized resulting in a lowering of property. In addition, all of those inorganic adsorptive agents are strongly bonded to water molecules and, therefore, although the adsorption takes place strongly, big energy is needed for cleaving the bond upon desorption or, in other words, high temperature is needed for regeneration whereby that is not preferred in view of conversation of energy.
Further, in the case of such an inorganic substance, since it is porous and is apt to become a state where moisture is abundant, bacteria or fungi are apt to grow and there are some cases where, due to them, dust causing damage of health or abnormal smell is generated whereby problems happen.

Heat exchange module of a sorptive type and a method for the manufacture thereof


Provided herein is a conditionally-replicating serotype 5 adenovirus or adenoviral vector expressing a mutant E1A protein under control of a promoter that is responsive to hypoxia and inflammation and one or more immune modulators under control of a tumor-specific promoter. The adenovirus or adenoviral vector also comprises serotype 3 fiber and hexon proteins. Also provided is a method of inducing cytotoxicity in tumor cells using a composition containing the adenovirus or adenoviral vector.

Oncolytic virotherapy (OV) is a promising and exciting new approach for cancer treatment. Oncolytic viruses are genetically engineered or naturally occurring viruses that selectively replicate in and kill cancer cells without harming normal tissues. In addition to the primary effect of cell killing, OVs can also stimulate the immune system. Oncolytic virus immunotherapy involves the use of oncolytic viruses that also activate cells of the immune system, such as dendritic cells and T cells, and represents a promising agent for cancer immunotherapy. Current OV methodologies employ a variety of different viruses, such as adenovirus, Newcastle disease virus, herpes simplex virus, reovirus, parvovirus, and measles virus. One oncolytic virus, talimogene laherparepvec, or T-VEC (IMLYGIC™), has been approved by the FDA for local treatment of unresectable cutaneous, subcutaneous, and nodal lesions in patients with melanoma recurrent after initial surgery. Oncolytic virus immunotherapies are currently being studied in clinical trials for a variety of different cancers, such as bladder, prostate, colorectal, ovarian, lung, breast, and multiple myeloma.
With the rapid evolution of OV, methods for improving the safety and potency of oncolytic viruses are being developed, including, for example, improving tumor selectivity, enhancing infectivity and conditional replication in tumor cells, and maximizing transgene expression for enhanced cytotoxicity or host immune stimulation (see, e.g., Lang et al., J. Clin. Oncol., 36; 1419-1427 (2018); Forsyth and Abate-Daga, J. Clin. Oncol., 36: 1440-1442 (2018); Desjardins et al., NEJM, Epub Jun. 26, 2018; and Longo and Baden, NEJM, Epub Jun. 26, 2018).
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), ovarian cancer ranks fifth in cancer deaths among women, accounting for more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. A woman's lifetime risk of acquiring ovarian cancer is about 1 in 78, and the lifetime chance of dying from ovarian cancer is about 1 in 108. For 2018, the ACS estimates over 22,000 ovarian cancer diagnoses and over 14,000 ovarian cancer-related deaths. The vast majority of ovarian cancers are detected at a very late stage and present with mild symptoms (e.g., hip pain). Despite improvements in therapeutic options for ovarian cancer, such as surgical cytoreduction and cytotoxic chemotherapy, there remains a need for more effective therapies, particularly for advanced disease. Oncolytic adenovirus has shown some promise targeting ovarian cancer in Phase I clinical studies (see, e.g., Kimball et al., Clin. Cancer Res., 16(21): 5277-87 (2010); Cerullo et al., Cancer Res., 70(11): 4297-309 (2010); and Koski et al., Mol. Ther., 18(10): 1874-84 (2010)); however, the clinical response of these treatments remains unclear, and host secondary immune responses may inhibit their efficacy.
There remains a need for oncolytic virotherapy compositions and methods that exhibit improved tumor selectivity, antitumor activity, and tumor-specific host immune responses. The present disclosure provides such compositions and methods.

Oncolytic adenoviral vector and methods of use


A peripheral device configured to be plugged into an audio jack of an electronic device includes an audio plug having an input terminal; a load electrically connected to the input terminal of the audio plug and configured to draw a first amount of current; a variable resistor electrically connected to the input terminal; a sensor configured to measure a voltage at the input terminal or an amount of current flowing into the load; and a controller that receives a signal from the sensor and is configured to control a resistance of the variable resistor such that a sum of the first amount of current and a second amount of current flowing through the variable resistor is substantially equal to a predetermined current value.

Electronic devices, such as mobile phones, can include external connectors for interfacing with peripherals. For example, one external connector can be an audio jack, e.g., an audio socket. The audio jack can be coupled to an audio plug of a pair of headphones, a microphone headset, or other peripheral device. The peripheral device can be coupled with the electronic device using an audio jack plug.
An electronic device can determine whether the peripheral device is plugged in based on comparing the voltage at a terminal of the external connector to a predetermined voltage. The predetermined voltage can be specified by the electronic device. Generally, a compatible peripheral device has a load, e.g., a resistor, that causes the voltage at the terminal to drop below the predetermined voltage when the peripheral device is connected to the terminal. That is, compatible peripherals can be manufactured according to voltage drop requirements of the electronic device. When the electronic device detects that the voltage has fallen below the predetermined voltage, e.g., using voltage detection circuitry, the electronic device determines that the peripheral is plugged in. On the other hand, when the electronic device does not detect that the voltage has fallen below the predetermined voltage, the electronic device determines that nothing is plugged in.

Method for sourcing current using an audio jack


In one embodiment, a circuit for driving an electronic component includes a first conduction path and a second conduction path connected in parallel. Each of the first and second conduction paths includes a field-effect transistor. The first field-effect transistor lies along the first conduction path, and the second field-effect transistor lies along the second conduction path. The circuit can be used in an electronic device that includes a radiation-emitting electronic component or a radiation-responsive electronic component. During a first time period, current flows through the first conduction path and the first electronic component while a second conduction path of a driving unit is off. During a second time period, current flows through the second conduction path and the first electronic component while the first conduction path of the driving unit is off.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to circuits and methods of operating electronic devices, and more particularly, to circuits including parallel conduction paths and methods of operating electronic devices including parallel conduction paths.
2. Description of the Related Art
Organic electronic devices have attracted considerable attention since the early 1990's. Examples of organic electronic devices include Organic Light-Emitting Diodes ("OLEDs"), which include Polymer Light-Emitting Diodes ("PLEDs") and Small Molecule Organic Light-Emitting Diodes ("SMOLEDs"). Display devices, including OLED displays, have played an important role in modern human life. As computing, telecommunications, home entertainment, and networking technologies converge, the display unit will become more important.
In the display area, there are many kinds of technologies including cathode ray tube ("CRT"), liquid crystal display ("LCD"), inorganic LED displays, and so on. LCD and inorganic LED displays may include transistors within pixel circuits. Metal-insulator-semiconductor field-effect transistors ("MISFETs") may be susceptible to changes in threshold voltage due to charge carriers that become trapped within a gate dielectric layer. However, in the case of LCD and inorganic LED displays, the transistors are on for relatively short amounts of time, and therefore, changes in threshold voltages are not a significant problem in LCD and inorganic LED displays.
OLED technologies have great potential advantages over other display technologies, especially in larger size displays. For example, as display size increases, LCD technology has issues related to the backlight and power consumption. However, OLED material lifetime is a concern. Organic active layers, when used in radiation-emitting electronic components, have a finite lifetime. After a long time of driving a stationary image, inhomogeneity and decay of emission intensity can occur due to different driving (stress) conditions at the organic electronic level.
An anti-degradation mechanism can be used to extend the lifetime of an OLED display as the OLED material degrades. FIG. 1 includes a circuit diagram of a pixel circuit 100 (or a sub-pixel circuit) for a conventional active-matrix ("AM") display. A select unit 102 is configured to receive signals from a select line, SL, and a data line, DL. A select signal on SL activates the select unit to pass a data signal (from DL) to a data holder unit 104 and a driving unit 106. The driving unit 106 can regulate the current flowing to the electronic component 108, which can be a radiation-emitting electronic component, and more particularly, an OLED. To reduce the effects of the use or aging of an organic active layer, an optional anti-degradation unit 110 can be used. The anti-degradation unit 110 is coupled to the data image holder 104 and the driving unit 106. The anti-degradation unit 110 can be used to reduce the charge of a capacitive electronic component within the data holder unit 104.
The anti-degradation unit does not address the threshold voltage shifts seen with MISFETs. Unlike MISFETs in LCD or inorganic LED displays, the MISFET(s) within the driving unit 106 are on for substantially longer periods of time. For example, in an LCD display, a MISFET used within the drive circuit is on for approximately 0.1% of the operational time of the display, whereas in an organic electronic device, a MISFET within the driving unit 106 can be on for substantially all the operational time of the device. With the MISFET on almost all the time, significant amounts of charge carriers can become trapped within the MISFET's gate dielectric layer and cause the threshold voltage of the transistor to drift.

Circuits including parallel conduction paths and methods of operating an electronic device including parallel conduction paths


An adjustable bowed shower rod and bracket that is simple, strong, and attractive having an elliptical cross section; a semi-capsular wall bracket with a semi-cylindrical middle section and a cutout in the middle section having a height between one quarter and one half the height of the bracket; and a swivel having a cylindrical vertical member longer than the height of the bracket cutout of a diameter selected to fit completely within the bracket middle section and an elliptical horizontal member secured perpendicularly to the vertical member on a first end and sized to receive the rod in an overlapping fit on a second end. The swivel vertical member can be assembled into the bracket with the swivel horizontal member protruding through the bracket cutout, and the elliptical rod can come into communication with the swivel horizontal member, thereby assembling the shower rod and bracket apparatus. The brackets do not require any pivot pin or backing plate.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is in the field of swiveling brackets and rods for shower curtains.
2. Description of the Related Art
To be competitive, bathroom fixtures must have a combination of strength, utility, and beauty. In the field of shower rod assemblies, providing a curved or bowed shower rod and brackets appropriate to support the rod enhances utility. The bowed rod holds a shower curtain away from the bather, effectively increasing the space in the shower. One example of this is shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. D397,928 and 6,216,287 by Wise, which are not admitted to being prior art by their mention in this background section. The Wise patents have a bowed shower rod, but the brackets cannot swivel and require backing plates. The bow radius and bracket angles must be cut precisely for the specific application, or the apparatus will not assemble correctly.
Another example is disclosed in U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2005/0268394 A1 to Monk et al., which is not admitted to being prior art by its mention in this background section. Monk discloses a multi-part rod with multiple bends. The bracket swivels, but requires a two-piece pivot pin on each end. Although the rod and bracket assembly is adjustable for different sizes of showers and shower/tubs, the assembly is complex and therefore expensive.
Yet another example is shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. D426,142 and 6,263,523 by Moore, which are not admitted to being prior art by their mention in this background section. The Moore patents have rotatable bracket assemblies in the shape of a truncated oblate spheroid. They require the use of a pivot pin in the bracket to enable rotation. The '523 patent also requires that the brackets have end plates to attach them to walls and that the rod has straight portions near the ends and a curved portion near the center. This design is also complex, and therefore expensive. Over time, complex apparatuses are more liable to failure than simple ones. Simple apparatuses are usually stronger and have better aesthetic qualities.
What is needed, therefore, is an adjustable bowed shower rod and bracket assembly that is simple, strong, and attractive.

Elliptical shower rod and bracket apparatus


In a broadband communications system, e.g., a cable system, a broadcast program stream is transmitted to broadcast programming content, and the broadcast program stream is recorded in a headend of the system to enable a user to perform network private video recorder (NPVR) functions (e.g., rewinding, pausing, and fast-forwarding) on the programming content in the recorded program stream. In accordance with the invention, a delay is introduced into the transmission of the broadcast program stream to reduce the unsynchronization between its transmission and that of the recorded program stream. In an illustrative embodiment, the amount of the delay is a function of the time required for recording the broadcast program stream and processing a user request for a recorded program stream. In another embodiment, the amount of the delay is predetermined.

Use of a cable network to broadcast programming content, e.g., TV programs, is well known. However, it has been proposed in the cable industry to record in-progress TV broadcast programs at a headend of the cable network, thereby enabling a user to manipulate the recorded programming content to perform such network personal video recorder (NPVR) functions as "pausing," "rewinding" and "fast-forwarding" on the programming content while it is being broadcast. The network architecture and functionalities required to effect these NPVR functions are described, e.g., in copending, commonly assigned application Ser. No. 10/263,015 filed on Oct. 2, 2002, hereby incorporated by reference.
Although providing users with NPVR functions enhances users' program viewing experience, the requisite network processing, e.g., recording programming content and accessing the recorded programming content in the headend, to effect such functions causes the recorded program stream to lag behind the broadcast program stream. That is, the recorded program stream received by a first user afforded the NPVR functions is a delayed version of the broadcast program stream received by a second, non-NPVR user. The unsynchronization of the two streams may be so significant that when the first and second users are communicating with each other (e.g., on the phone) on what they are viewing on TV, the first user is able to notice a delay in receiving the same information which the second user already received. As a result, the first user may feel "behind" the second user in receiving such real-time information as instant sports game scores and breaking news, which unsynchronization may be undesirable.
In another NPVR implementation, an NPVR user may experience the undesirable unsynchronization effect firsthand when the user receiving a recorded program stream is switched to receiving the corresponding broadcast program stream, and vice versa. In that implementation, an NPVR user is initially afforded a broadcast program stream until the user performs one of the NPVR functions, say, rewinding the programming content being broadcast. At such time, the user is switched from receiving the broadcast program stream to receiving the corresponding recorded program stream to perform the rewinding function. However, such stream switching may result in viewing repetitive programming content for the duration of the lag of the recorded program stream behind the broadcast program stream. Conversely, when the NPVR user, after performing the rewinding function, fast-forwards the programming content in the recorded program stream and catches up with the programming content being broadcast, the NPVR user may be switched back to receiving the broadcast program stream. However, such stream switching may result in skipping ahead the programming content being viewed, thereby undesirably creating an information gap which corresponds to the time lag of the recorded program stream behind the broadcast program stream.

Technique for synchronizing deliveries of information and entertainment in a communications network

AOL Time Warner Interactive Video Group, Inc.


A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to receive a first notification that a first cast has been made. The computer-executable instructions may further include instructions, which cause the computer to receive data regarding a video input. The computer-executable instructions may further include instructions, which cause the computer to receive a second notification that a second cast has been made. The computer-executable instructions may further include instructions, which cause the computer to delete a portion of the data regarding the video input that is associated with the first cast in response to receiving the second notification.

This section is intended to provide background information to facilitate a better understanding of various technologies described herein. As the section's title implies, this is a discussion of related art. That such art is related in no way implies that it is prior art. The related art may or may not be prior art. It should therefore be understood that the statements in this section are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Being able to record a catch during a fishing trip is very useful for memorializing the experience. However, during any fishing trip, there may be time periods when fish do not bite and many casts do not result in caught fishes. Recording the entire fishing trip to capture each catch may result in plenty of video that is of little personal value.


This invention refers to a sonic and/or ultrasonic generator for emission in air with a power capacity and certain radiation characteristics which permit the necessary acoustic levels (>170 dB ref. 2.10−4 μbar) to be obtained in a way that is safe and controlled for the mechanical breakage of high consistency bubbles constituting industrial foams.

I. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a sonic and/or ultrasonic generator for the mechanical breakage of high consistency bubbles constituting industrial foams. It can therefore be assigned to the industrial instrumentation sector, with applications in the field of industrial fermentation processes.
II. Description of the Related Art
The problems associated with an excess of foam in industrial processes affect a large number of sectors such as food, pharmaceuticals, the chemical sector, etc. In some of these sectors, and more specifically in those based on fermentation processes, an excess of foam constitutes one of the most serious problems. In particular, an excess of foam leads to a reduction in the capacity of tanks, deficiencies in the process and reactions, spillages and losses of product, difficulties in dosing the container and filling, harmful effects on machinery and equipment, and so on.
Foams are produced in reactors, fermenters, mixers, packaging machines, etc. There exist very different types of foam, and it can be stated that the degree of difficulty for elimination of the foam depends on the foam's characteristics. The methods most commonly used for defoaming are: chemical, mechanical and thermal. Chemical methods are the most effective but they have the problem of contaminating the product. Mechanical procedures such as mobile blades, jets of air or water, etc., are good for thick foams but have little effect on fine foam. Thermal methods consist of heating and cooling the foam, and are expensive and difficult to apply.
The capacity of high intensity sonic and/or ultrasonic waves for producing breakage of foams has been known for decades [see R. M. G. Boucher and A. L. Weiner "Foam control by acoustic and aerodynamic means" British Chemical Engineering vol. 8, 1963, pp. 808-812], though its application has been very limited. This situation can be basically attributed to the lack of adequate macrosonic generators. The acoustic power generators initially used were of the aerodynamic type (sirens, acoustic whistles) which, apart from possessing low efficiency [see H. Hollfelder, Improving the efficiency of stem-jet whistles, Ultrasonics 5, 250-51, 1967)], give rise to a series of collateral problems such as air currents, heating, etc., which hinder their application.
The problem of industrial defoaming has acquired greater importance in recent years on account of growing restrictions on the use of chemical defoamers (the method most used so far), particularly in sectors such as food and pharmaceuticals. This means that the application of macrosonic waves (high intensity sound or ultrasound) is again being considered as a possible means of non-contaminating industrial defoaming. Nevertheless, the most recent precedents on "macrosonic defoaming" resort to the application of sound and/or ultrasound through the liquid [see N. Ueno, Y. Nishi, T. Sakurai, "Method of ultrasonic waves degassing and device using the same", U.S. Pat. No. 6,106,590, 2000. H. K. Ratcliff, "Rotating sonic energy wave", U.S. Pat. No. 3,761,732, 1972, Apparatus for defoaming liquids, U.S. Pat. No. 1,075,100, 1966, F. Shuhei, "Ultrasonic defoaming tank", European Patent EP10020253, 1998., J. A. Gallego-Juárez, "High Power Ultrasound" in Wiley Encyclopedia of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, vol. 9, pp. 49-59, 1999], which in reality implies not the breakage of the foam but instead the degassification of the liquid which is a different process. In fact, in "macrosonic degassification" the wave is generated in the liquid mass and the dissolved gas or gas in the form of small bubbles inside it groups together, forming large size bubbles which gradually increase with oscillation, rising towards the surface where they finally escape from the liquid. This is a phenomenon widely referred to in the literature as "rectified diffusion" [see T. G. Leighton "the acoustic bubble", Academic Press. London 1994] and [L. Bjorno, "High-power Ultrasonics: Theory and Applications" Proc. of the 13th International Congress on Acoustics, Belgrade 1989, pp. 77-89].
"Macrosonic defoaming" is a process of destroying bubbles forming a foam by means of cyclically positive and negative pressure amplitudes generated by high intensity sonic and/or ultrasonic waves impinging on the foam from the air. The mechanisms for breakage of bubbles induced by macrosonic radiation are basically resonances of the bubbles, radiation pressure, friction between bubbles, acoustic currents and atomization of the film which forms the bubble [L. Bjorno, "High-power Ultrasonics: Theory and Applications" Proc. of the 13th International Congress on Acoustics, Belgrade 1989, pp. 77-89].

Macrosonic generator for the air-based industrial defoaming of liquids