Processes are disclosed for the adsorption and isomerization of paraffinic hydrocarbons wherein an absorption cycle is employed that utilizes a non-adsorbable purge gas for regenerating the adsorber beds, which cycle includes adsorption, regeneration and void space purging steps and wherein one of said void space purging steps comprises passing an adsorber feed to the adsorber bed to purge non-adsorbable purge gas from the void space and said step is continued until at least a portion of the non-adsorbed hydrocarbons in the adsorber feed elutes from the void space of the adsorber bed. Processes are further disclosed for sulfur and/or ammonia-containing feeds that employ additional conversion and adsorption zones to prevent the sulfur and/or ammonia compounds from contacting the isomerization catalyst. The products from the processes are useful as motor fuel blending components.

The separation of mixtures of chemical compounds into two or more fractions by selective adsorption using molecular size adsorbents is generally known. The separation is usually effected by what is known as a relative adsorptivity separation where one component or fraction is more strongly adsorbed than another, or, a size selective separation which takes advantage of the uniform diameters of pores of a given molecular sieve adsorbent to permit the adsorption of certain compounds or fractions while essentially excluding others. The separation of normal paraffins from isoparaffins has been found to be particularly adapted to size selective adsorptive separations and a number of processes have been proposed for this purpose. Some of the processes have been based on contacting the mixed hydrocarbon feed in the vapor phase with a molecular sieve having pore diameters of about 5 .ANG. to adsorb the straight chain hydrocarbon compounds, i.e., normal paraffins, followed by desorption of the straight chain compounds at a lower pressure or higher temperature usually with the aid of a purge gas. Other processes have used a displacement purge material which is sufficiently strongly adsorbed to exert a displacing action on the adsorbed straight chain compounds with little or no change in temperature or pressure. One process of particular interest operates under essentially isobaric and isothermal conditions and desorption is accomplished using a non-adsorbable purge gas instead of a strongly adsorbable displacement purge material. Such a process is defined in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 4,176,053, issued to Holcombe.
The above-identified patent discloses a process for separating normal paraffins from an admixture with non-normal paraffins by passing a feedstock mixture of same in the vapor state and at superatmospheric pressure periodically in sequence through each of at least four fixed beds of a system containing a zeolitic molecular sieve adsorbent having effective pore diameters of substantially 5 .ANG., each of said beds cylically undergoing the stages of;
(A-1) adsorption-fill, wherein the vapor in the bed void space consists principally of a non-adsorbable purge gas and the incoming feedstock forces the non-adsorbable purge gas from the bed void space out of the bed without substantial intermixing thereof with non-adsorbed feedstock fraction;
(A-2) adsorption, wherein the feedstock is cocurrently passed through the bed and the normal paraffin constituents of the feedstock are selectively adsorbed into the internal cavities of the crystalline adsorbent and the non-adsorbed constituents of the feedstock are removed from the bed as an effluent having a greatly reduced content of the normal paraffin feedstock constituents;
(D-1) void space purging, wherein the bed loaded with normal paraffins to the extent that the stoichiometric point of the mass transfer zone thereof has passed between 85 and 97% of the length of the bed and containing in the bed void space a mixture of normals and non-normals in essentially feedstock proportions, is purged countercurrently, with respect to the direction of adsorption stage (A-2), by passing through the bed a stream a non-adsorbable purge gas in sufficient quantity to remove the void space feedstock vapors; and
(D-2) purge desorption, wherein the selectively adsorbed feedstock normal paraffins are recovered as a product stream by passing a non-adsorbable purge gas countercurrently with respect to adsorption stage (A-2) through the bed until the major proportion of adsorbed normals has been desorbed and the bed void space vapors consist principally of non-adsorbable purge gas.
Adsorption processes such as described above have been proven to be commercially useful and have been integrated with isomerization processes to provide a highly isomerized product that is useful as a blending component in the production of motor fuels, particularly gasoline. Such processes are known in the art as "TIP", i.e., TOTAL ISOMERIZATION PROCESS, and are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,210,771, issued to Holcombe, 4,709,116, issued to Zarchy et al. and 4,709,117, issued to Gray Jr. Other similar adsorption/isomerization processes such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,717,784, issued to Stem et al., disclose the adsorption of monomethyl paraffins in addition to normal paraffins.
Generally, the TIP process comprises passing a stream containing a mixture of normal and non-normal hydrocarbons into an isomerization reactor to catalytically isomerize at least a portion of the normals in the presence of hydrogen and a catalyst composition, which typically is a zeolitic molecular sieve with a hydrogenation component. Other catalyst compostions such as alumina-base catalysts have been used as well. Since the isomerization reaction is equilibrium limited, the amount of non-normal paraffins in the feed to the isomerization reactor is minimized. The effluent from the reactor typically contains as much as 20-50 wt. % normal paraffins. The reactor effluent is partially condensed to provide a hydrogen-containing overhead which is recirculated to a main purge gas loop and a hydrocarbon liquid fraction which is passed to an adsorbent bed such as described above where the normal paraffins are selectively adsorbed and the non-normal paraffins are passed out of the adsorber as an adsorption effluent and eventually an isomerate product. The normal paraffins are then desorbed from the bed using purge gas from the main purge gas loop. The fresh feedstream can either be initially supplied to the isomerization reactor or to an adsorbent bed depending on the feedstream composition and other factors known to those skilled in the art.
Despite the usefulness of the above-described adsorption and isomerization processes, improvements are sought. In particular, it has been customary to terminate the adsorption-fill step of the adsorption cycle prior to the breakthrough of hydrocarbons into the effluent stream, i.e., when the concentration of hydrogen has dropped below the level in the non-adsorbable purge gas, e.g., below about 90 mol. %. The effluent stream, known as A-1 effuent, is rich in hydrogen and is typically recycled as purge gas to an adsorbent bed undergoing purge desorption, i.e., D-2 step. When operated in such a manner, there is still hydrogen left in the void spaces of the adsorbent bed when the adsorption fill is terminated and the adsorption step, i.e., A-2 step, is commenced. This remaining void space hydrogen is then passed out of the adsorbent bed with the adsorption effluent.
In the naphtha isomerization process or TIP process according to Holcombe ('771) or in the separation process according to Holcombe ('053), the cycles of the operation are set such that the composition of the hydrogen reaches some minimal acceptable purity level. The A-1 step was completed before any degradation of the hydrogen purity from 100 mol. % hydrogen was observed. At the same time a layer of isoparaffins is formed behind the hydrogen layer and in front of the feed layer. In the second step, or A-2 step, the introduction of feed was continued in order to force the layer of isoparaffins from the bed. In order to maintain the 100 mol. % hydrogen purity of the A-1 effluent, it was necessary to have approximately 15 mol. % hydrogen in the A-2 effluent with the isoparaffin product. This leaves the adsorbent in the bed saturated with normal paraffins and the void spaces of the bed filled with the feed composition. During the D-1 step, hydrogen gradually displaces the normal paraffins from the adsorbent and forces the feed from the bed. In the next step, or D-2 step, the hydrogen flow is continued with the almost pure hydrogen produced during the A-1 step and the normals are withdrawn from the feed end of the bed. This material comprising predominantly hydrogen and normal paraffins becomes the feed to the isomerization reactor.
It has been found that the presence of large and varying amounts of hydrogen in the adsorption effluent, known as A-2 effluent, can be undesirable. For instance, as shown in the Drawing in both U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,176,053 and 4,210,771, the feedstream is heated by indirect heat exchange with the adsorption effluent stream. Since the adsorption effluent stream varies in composition and molecular weight throughout the adsorption cycle due to the varying presence of hydrogen, the heat content also varies. Such variations can lead to inefficient heat exchange. Moreover, the presence of hydrogen in the adsorption effluent stream can require the use of flash vessels, also shown in the Drawing of the above-identified patents, to make a phase separation and recover the hydrogen-containing vapor from the liquid product. The recovered vapor stream is typically recycled to a recycle gas compressor for further use as purge gas. The liquid product is typically passed to a stabilizer for removal of light ends, e.g., butane and lighter.
Other processes have been proposed which incorporate additional equipment to accommodate hydrogen in the adsorption effluent stream. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,831,207, issued to O'Keefe et al., discloses a TIP process that incorporates an impurity removal system that is useful for preventing catalyst deactivation from sulfur or nitrogen compounds. The process utilizes a reactor system to convert the sulfur and nitrogen compounds to H.sub.2 S or NH.sub.3 when necessary and adsorbent beds to adsorb the H.sub.2 S or NH.sub.3. When processing a feedstream that contains sulfur compounds, the above-identified patent discloses that the hydrogen-containing adsorption effluent stream from the A-2 step can be employed as a desorbent for the sulfur-containing adsorber bed. The resulting adsorption effluent stream is then phase separated and the overhead therefrom contains H.sub.2 S and hydrogen. Since combining the H.sub.2 S-containing overhead with the main purge gas loop in the TIP system could lead to sulfur poisoning of the isomerization catalyst, an additional compressor is often required to separate the recycle gas loops. The heat exchanger which exchanges heat between the thermal swing adsorber effluent and the sour hydrogen loop was oversized to anticipate a wide variation in the molecular weight and the heat capacity of the adsorber effluent during the cycle. Furthermore, since many compressors require a relatively constant supply of gas at the inlet, a surge drum can additionally be required to steady the varying hydrogen flow. A process flow scheme illustrating an additional compressor and a surge drum is set forth in FIG. 3 of the above-identified patent, equipment Nos. 243 and 237, respectively.
Accordingly, processes are sought which can reduce the amount of hydrogen in the adsorption effluent, i.e., A-2 effluent, remove the need for two separate hydrogen circuits, and thereby improve its usefulness for heat exchange purposes and avoid the need for additional process equipment.

Hydrocarbon adsorption and isomerization process


A system or a method to at least partially steer systems, e.g. heating and/or cooling and clusters of systems, when the controller of the system is unknown or when the transfer function of the system is unknown. The steering of the energy flow, e.g. heating/cooling/electrical energy, includes providing energy to the system or the cluster of systems and preferably to manage common constraints, like capacity problems.

It is known that heating systems can be controlled with distributed control strategies, for example:    Power supply network control system and method, Patent Application number EP3000161. Inventors: De Ridder F., Claessens B., De Breucker S.    De Ridder F., Claessens B., Vanhoudt D., De Breucker S., Bellemans T., Six D. and Van Bael J. "On a fair distribution of consumer's flexibility between market parties with conflicting interests", International Transactions on Electrical Energy Systems, DOI: 10.1002/etep.2188, 2016;    D'hulst R., De Ridder F., Claessens B., Knapen L., Janssens, D. 2015. "Decentralized coordinated charging of electric vehicles considering locational and temporal flexibility." International Transactions on Electrical Energy Systems, 25(10), 2562-2575.    De Ridder F., Reinhilde D'Hulst, Luk Knapen, Davy Janssens. "Electric Vehicles in the Smart Grid, Chapter in Data Science and Simulation in Transportation Research." Editors: Janssens D., Yasar A., Knapen L., IGI Global, 2013;    De Ridder F., Reinhilde D'Hulst, Luk Knapen, Davy Janssens. "Applying an Activity Based Model to Explore the Potential of Electrical Vehicles in the Smart Grid", Procedia of Computer Science, 19, 847-853, 2013].
Practically many systems cannot be steered, because the internal control system is shielded or hidden from access. This is often the case in Building Management Systems (BMS) or in large industrial plants, where many material flows are optimized. Many systems and cluster of systems cannot be steered, because the internal management of the system are shielded or because the internal management system is too complex or because the system is controlled manually. These internal management systems are important, because they guard internal constraints, like security of supply, comfort constraints, minimum/maximum temperatures, safety measures, like pumps will not work if pressure drops are detected which might indicate a leakage in a pipe.
Known control schemes for control of a cluster of devices are based on explicit knowledge of the underlying system. Even if self-learning model-free machine learning techniques are used, these can only steer some control parameters. In practice, cluster control schemes are difficult to implement for several reasons:                There is often no access to the internal controller (e.g. because it is owned and operated by a private company.        If the system changes, the controllers have to be changed, which is a time consuming job.        If the configuration changes, e.g. devices are added or removed, the controller will have to be changed, which is a time consuming job.        Many safety measures complicate the interference with controlling the real system.
For instance, until now, one way in which an external control component can influence a BMS's behaviour is by overriding the thermostat settings. In some special cases the BMS provider may offer an optional secondary (lower priority) controller input connector for such purposes, which leads to vendor lock-in, requires detailed knowledge and permission of the BMS provider, often requires costly cooperation and consultancy to be provided by the vendor, including maintenance fees. Overriding settings like thermostat settings can lead to dangerous situations, e.g. overheating.
It has been proposed to measure the thermal state inside houses and to steer the BMS accordingly. However, in many applications, this is difficult. In addition, many devices, such as heat pumps have their own internal management system, which can only partly be controlled. Often anti-pendle time constraints are active, e.g., if the heat pump is switched off, it will remain off for 20 minutes. It is hard to take such (unknown) constraints into account.
The massive integration of distributed energy resource (DERs) is changing the landscape of the energy systems. It has increased the variability and uncertainty of power systems in the whole energy supply chain. At the distribution level, incidents such as network asset congestion next to over/under voltage are becoming a new routine that distribution system operators (DSOs) have to deal with on a daily basis.
One solution to tackle the increasing uncertainty and emerging problem(s) is to increase the flexibility of the system. This can be done by enabling larger involvement of end-users to resolve the network operation limit violation in the low-voltage grids by implementing demand response (DR) programs. To ensure success of DR programs, the DSO is required to become more active and to play a coordinating role between DR resources (i.e., distributed flexible load and energy resource (DERs)). To do so, the DSO needs to be able to determine the minimum amount of flexibility that it requires to procure from every grid zone. It is known to provide a centralized demand response program that aggregates prosumers to minimize the reserve energy flows and to maximize net benefits in a day ahead energy market. A cooperation based algorithm that seeks network congestions alleviation via local energy exchange is known. Local energy storage systems can be incorporated to resolve network congestions. A competitive market clearing platform has been proposed that operates synchronously with the existing Day-ahead and Intra-day markets. A real-time local market for trading is known which focuses on real time balancing.
Clusters can be controlled by distributed control algorithms. A significant disadvantage is that a separate control unit needs to be developed for every individual device in the cluster. From an IT point of view, individual devices can be controlled by an agent. A significant disadvantage is that an agent needs to be written explicitly for every device. From a control perspective, a controller for the complete cluster can be developed, but this is a large task. In all cases, the design is not scalable, i.e. every change in the system requires new adaptations and developments in the control scheme. In addition, the control system must have access to every device. This is often not allowed.
Many buildings have BMS systems, which cannot be accessed, or heat pumps have an internal controller (for safety and other reasons), which cannot be accessed.

Hierarchical implicit controller for shielded system in a grid


The use of a unique styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer and an improved more highly diluted suspension for preparing standard turbidity test equipment calibration samples of very low turbidity levels for use in the measurement of turbidity in water.

1. Scope of Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of turbidity/nephelometry and particularly to an improvement in the stability and accuracy of the test suspension used as test samples to accurately calibrate turbidity/nephelometry measurement equipment.
2. Prior Art
The present invention represents a substantial improvement over my prior teachings as set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,291,980. To the extent not reproduced or derived from the '980 patent, that disclosure is incorporated herein by reference.
In testing and treating water for drinking purposes, it is necessary to test the water's Turbidity. Turbidity has a marked effect on the bacteriological quality of water, whether or not disinfection is practiced. This is so because turbidity interferes with the ability to disinfect water.
Turbidity is measured by use of a turbidimeter which includes a light source for illuminating a sample to be tested and one or more photoelectric detectors with a readout to indicate the intensity of light scattered at right angles to the path of the incident light. The greater the scatter, the greater the turbidity. In testing for turbidity, a turbidity reference suspension must be selected which is readily reproducible and which can be used to calibrate the turbidimeter. Until the advent of the '980 patent teaching, no such reference existed.
Prior attempts to measure turbidity were, in retrospect, rather crude. FIG. 1 shows the first accepted means of evaluating turbidity by filling a cylindrical container 1 with water 3 to a height 5. Candle 2 was placed at the bottom of the transparent cylindrical vessel 1. The illumination produced by the candle 2 was viewed downwardly toward the water surface 4. Simply stated, water level 5 was increased until the candle's illumination could no longer be seen at 4. The technique was proposed by Jackson and the height of the water was read in Jackson Turbidity Units (JTU). The result was a crude determination of the turbidity of water for as water became more turbid, the height 5 became smaller for a given sample.
The Jackson method can only be described as primitive at best. The candle would blacken the bottom of the transparent vessel thus interfering with the pure turbidity measurement. Furthermore, sedimentation would precipitate out of solution and would block the candle's illumination, although such sedimentation has nothing to do with turbidity.
The next advance in turbidity measurement involved the use of Formazin suspended in water as the reference. Formazin is the condensation polymer of hydrazine sulfate (NH.sub.2).sub.2 H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 and hexamethylenetetramine C.sub.6 H.sub.12 N.sub.4. Unfortunately, hydrazine compounds are extremely toxic end their use as a preparation of a turbidity standard for water represents certain disposal problems and health problems which should be avoided if possible. A further drawback to the use of Formazin as a standard is that in the 1.0 and 5.0 NTU range, a non-linear dilution of Formazin concentrate is necessary for, in such low concentrations, Formazin decomposes. Formazin is prepared via a standard condensation reaction: ##STR1## As the Formazin solution becomes more dilute, the reaction is pushed to the left, thus breaking down the compound.
A further drawback experienced through the use of Formazin is that it characteristically has a sedimentary light scatter loss of approximately 10% for four hours. This means that care must be given to thoroughly mix any Formazin suspension prior to sampling. Such a problem can be more readily appreciated by viewing FIG. 2. The turbidity of a Formazin containing standard is done by illuminating transparent cylinder 7 through its base by light source 9. The Formazin 15 suspended in water 6 causes the light to scatter and a light reading is taken at rights angles to the incidence of illumination at 8. The turbidity units are known as Formazin Turbidity Units (FTU). Again, the greater turbidity, the greater the light scatter.
Because of the problems outlined herein, a Formazin standard, although in use for many years, is not at all accurate. The sedimentary light scatter loss is significant and, as was true with regard to the Jackson turbidity test, sediment acts to block the illumination source and results in false readings of the standard. Lastly, Formazin diluted has a life expectancy of approximately one week while in a concentrated form, its life expectancy is approximately 30 days.
It was also found that in order to provide a proper material for use as a standard in turbidity measurements, the particle would have to have an extremely long shelf life and be of a size which would approximate those impurities which normally cause water to be turbid such as spores and bacteriological growth. It was also found necessary to produce a particle which, when suspended in water, would remain suspended for an extremely long period of time so that the turbidity measurement can be taken without sedimentation. All of those necessary characteristics were achieved in producing the specific copolymer of styrene and divinyl benzene of my '980 patent and the present invention. However, the teachings of the '980 patent do not provide for suspension samples at very low levels of turbidity, e.g. below 1.0 NTU and as low as 0.02 NTU.
The production of spherical beads comprised of copolymers styrene and divinylbenzene is well known. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,366,007 and 3,463,320. However, until the advent of my '980 patent and as improved upon by the present invention, no material such as a styrenedivinylbenzene copolymer could possibly act as an acceptable standard in turbidity measurement. More specifically, the particle would be spherical in nature and have a diameter approximately in the range of 0.2 microns to 1.0 microns. On a statistical basis, this means that approximately 90% of all beads produced should fall within the range.
There are two basic types of polymerization systems; i.e., suspension and emulsion polymerizations. In suspension polymerization, which is classically an oil in water suspension wherein the oil phase is polymerized by the introduction of free radicals while the oil droplet suspension is maintained, the particles produced tend to have a diameter greater than 1.0 micron. If a classical emulsion polymerization is performed, wherein the polymer is built up from a solubilized phase of monomer, particles much smaller than 0.1 micron are produced. Thus, in order to arrive at an ideal particle size, my former '980 patent developed a unique polymerization process which is a cross between suspension and emulsion polymerization.
The national standard test for turbidity of water is described in ASTM Designation D 1889-94. The currently accepted test equipment for turbidity measurement is the Mixcro 200 BW produced by HF Scientific Corp., a Florida corporation.
Although the turbidity sample standard and method of its preparation disclosed in my '980 patent has also been used recently and has been adopted by the E.P.A as the definitive means for testing the turbidity of water, there remains serious drawbacks to that teaching and the accuracy and reproducibility of test sample suspensions especially below 1.0 NTU. The difficulty with the '980 teaching is with respect to the dilution of the sample to lower NTU units to provide a calibration sample below. The only means for dilution available under the '980 teaching was through the addition of additional Tergitol 4T, a sodium alkyl sulfate anionic pure surface active agent produced by the Union Carbide Company. This addition of 4T prevent the diluted sample from becoming unstable by agglomeration. Although it is accurately claimed in the '980 disclosure that the particles in the test sample remain stable for at least two year, the diluting addition of additional Tergitol 4T may destroy that stability and, more importantly, it becomes virtually impossible to determine the exact gravimetric analysis of the particles because of the presence of the Tergitol 4T which cannot be removed without destroying the sample.
The present invention adds a substantial improvement to the teachings of my previous '980 patent by overcoming these severe limitations of gravimetric analysis inaccuracy through the use of ammonia as a dilutant which is added in sufficient quantity to elevate the pH of the media to an alkaline level of at least about pH 8 or above.

Styrene-divinyl benzene copolymer and stabilization and enhanced dilution of standard turbidity/nephelometry test samples


Favorable electrical characteristics are given to a semiconductor device. Furthermore, a semiconductor device having high reliability is provided. One embodiment of the present invention is an oxide semiconductor film having a plurality of electron diffraction patterns which are observed in such a manner that a surface where the oxide semiconductor film is formed is irradiated with an electron beam having a probe diameter whose half-width is 1 nm. The plurality of electron diffraction patterns include 50 or more electron diffraction patterns which are observed in different areas, the sum of the percentage of first electron diffraction patterns and the percentage of second electron diffraction patterns accounts for 100%, the first electron diffraction patterns account for 90% or more, the first electron diffraction pattern includes observed points which indicates that a c-axis is oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface where the oxide semiconductor film is formed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an object, a method, or a manufacturing method. In addition, the present invention relates to a process, a machine, manufacture, or a composition of matter. In particular, one embodiment of the present invention relates to a semiconductor device, a display device, a light-emitting device, a power storage device, a storage device, a driving method thereof, or a manufacturing method thereof.
In this specification and the like, a semiconductor device generally means a device that can function by utilizing semiconductor characteristics. A transistor and a semiconductor circuit are embodiments of semiconductor devices. An arithmetic device, a memory device, an imaging device, an electro-optical device, a power generation device (e.g., a thin film solar cell and an organic thin film solar cell), and an electronic appliance each may include a semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Non-Patent Document 1 discloses that a homologous series represented by In1−xGa1+xO3(ZnO)m (−1≦x≦1, and m is a natural number) exists. Furthermore, Non-Patent Document 1 discloses a solid solution range of a homologous series. For example, in the case of a solid solution range of a homologous series when m is 1, x is within a range from −0.33 to 0.08, and in the case of a solid solution range of a homologous series when m is 2, x is within a range from −0.68 to 0.32.
A compound represented by AB2O4(A and B are metal elements) is known as a compound having a spinel crystal structure. In addition, Non-Patent Document 1 discloses an example of InxZnyGazOw, and when x, y, and z are set so that a composition in the neighborhood of ZnGa2O4 is obtained, i.e., x, y, and z are close to 0, 1, and 2, respectively, a spinel crystal structure is formed or is likely to be mixed.
A technique in which a transistor is formed using a semiconductor material has attracted attention. The transistor is applied to a wide range of electronic devices such as an integrated circuit (IC) or an image display device (also simply referred to as a display device). As semiconductor materials applicable to the transistor, silicon-based semiconductor materials have been widely used, but oxide semiconductors have been attracting attention as alternative materials.
For example, a technique for formation of a transistor using zinc oxide or an In—Ga—Zn oxide semiconductor as an oxide semiconductor is disclosed (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).
In recent years, demand for integrated circuits in which semiconductor elements such as miniaturized transistors are integrated with high density has risen with increased performance and reductions in the size and weight of electronic appliances.

Semiconductor film, transistor, semiconductor device, display device, and electronic appliance

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


To provide a two-cycle combustion engine, in which the blow-off of the air-fuel mixture used as the scavenging gas is avoided and the combustion efficiency of the air-fuel mixture can be increased, the two-cycle combustion engine includes first and second scavenge passages (11, 12) for supplying the air-fuel mixture (M) from a crank chamber (2a) into the combustion chamber (1a) of the combustion engine. Each of the first and second scavenge passages (11, 12) has a lower end portion thereof extended to assume the position where it confronts an outer end face of a bearing (81) for the crankshaft (8), so that the air-fuel mixture (M) within the crank chamber (2a) can be introduced into the first and second scavenge passages (11, 12) through the bearing (81) and be then supplied into the combustion chamber (1a) through the first and second scavenge passages (11, 12).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a two-cycle combustion engine suitable for use as a power plant for a compact working machine such as, for example, a bush cutter and, more particularly, to the two-cycle combustion engine of a design effective to minimize the blow-off phenomenon of exhaust gases in which a portion of the air-fuel mixture used as a scavenging gas is discharged in the form of an unburned gas.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An example of the two-cycle combustion engine of the type referred to above has a scavenging path for supplying a scavenging gas into a combustion chamber including a cylinder-side scavenging passage and a crankcase-side scavenging passage. The crankcase-side scavenging passage is made up of i) a gap defined between an upper inner peripheral surface of the crankcase and the outer peripheral surface of the reciprocating piston and ii) a connecting portion defined between an upper end of this gap and a lower end of the cylinder-side scavenging passage. Also, in this two-cycle combustion engine, in order to facilitate supply of an air-fuel mixture during a high speed engine operating condition, an auxiliary scavenge passage for supplying the air-fuel mixture into the cylinder-side scavenge passage is defined at the interface between left and right components of the crankcase and also at the interface between the crankcase and the cylinder block, to thereby communicate between the interior of the crankcase and the scavenging path. See, for example, the Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2000-179346, particularly FIGS. 5 and 6 and their related description made therein.
With this construction the prior art two-cycle combustion engine aims at avoiding the blow-off of the air-fuel mixture by allowing the air-fuel mixture within the crankcase to flow towards the cylinder-side scavenge passage through the crankcase-side scavenge passage that is defined by the narrow gap and the connecting portion.
However, it has been found that the cylinder-side scavenge passage employed in the above discussed prior art two-cycle combustion engine has an overall length so small that in a high speed operation of the engine, the velocity of flow of the air-fuel mixture entering the cylinder-side scavenge passage through the gap for the introduction of the air-fuel mixture into the scavenging path in the outer periphery of the reciprocating piston tends to increase and, therefore, the blow-off phenomenon is liable to occur in which the air-fuel mixture, particularly the enriched air-fuel mixture containing a large amount of fuel component and nearly in a liquid phase, is abruptly injected into a combustion chamber from the scavenging port and is subsequently discharged from an exhaust port.
Also, with respect to the supply of the air-fuel mixture during the high speed engine operating condition, although the air-fuel mixture can be supplied from the auxiliary scavenge passage into the cylinder-side scavenge passage, the auxiliary scavenge passage tends to provide a large resistance to flow of the air-fuel mixture and will hardly supply a sufficient amount of the air-fuel mixture into the combustion chamber because of the presence of complicated and tortuous passage portions present in such auxiliary scavenge passage.


The present invention provides an improved, more efficient method of constructing neckties, as well as the resulting neckties, by laminating one or more of the components. The invention thus reduces the number of steps or components necessary to construct a necktie.

Traditionally, neckties, both standard (club) and pre-folded (clip-on) versions, are manufactured using three distinctly different, separate fabric components: the shell; an interlining; and the lining used in the tips. The shell fabric is the patterned material intended to be visible when the necktie is being worn. The interlining provides shape, body and stability to the necktie. The lining used in the tips, or the tipping material, is generally a lighter fabric which is used to bind the ends of the shell around the interlining.
The shell fabric provides the color and pattern for the tie. It can be made of almost any material including, for example, polyester, silk, wool, or blends of these materials. Historically, limitations regarding choice of shell fabric were mainly considerations of sufficient strength, durability, finished appearance, and a lack of a tendency to fray upon cutting of the material. The shell of a necktie is typically (but not necessarily) made from three pieces--the broad end, the narrow end and a middle piece--that are sewn together end-to-end, alternating the bias of the material, to form the complete shell. The multi-piece, alternate-bias construction helps minimize the potential for twisting of the necktie material.
The interlining serves as the structural "backbone" of the product. It typically has been made of wool or wool blends, woven or knitted. An interlining may be formed from more than one interliner ply placed on top of one another and usually stitched or tacked to each other.
The tipping material is visible from the back, or bottom, of a finished product. It is typically made of acetate or polyester taffeta. In a standard necktie, for example, there is usually one piece of tipping at the broad end of the tie, and one piece of tipping at the narrow end of the tie, each tipping closing off the respective end of the tie.
When the necktie is fully assembled, the interlining is hidden by the shell and the tipping material, which together form a complete cover over the interlining. The tipping closes the ends of the completed tie, giving it a finished look and keeping the interlining from being exposed or from sliding out if the stitch holding the interlining to the underside of the shell fabric were to break.
During the typical process of constructing a necktie in this manner, the three components are separately spread and cut from bulk goods to a pre-determined size and shape. For example, six interlinings may be cut simultaneously from a piece of fabric, using a single template for six identical pieces placed across the fabric. Similarly, shells and tipping are spread and cut. Then, the interlining for a single tie is carefully stitched or tacked in place to the assembled shell for the same tie. If the interlining is more than one ply, sometimes those plies would separately be tacked or stitched together before the interlining is connected to the shell. The tipping material for that tie is then stitched to the shell, enclosing the interlining and closing the ends of the tie to give the tie a finished look, and to keep the interlining in place even if the interlining stitch breaks. The shape of the finished tie generally matches the shape of the interlining. The interlining provides the body and support for a standard tie to return to its original shape again and again, after each time it is used by being tied and then later untied.
Fusing has been used in the manufacture of articles of clothing for over twenty five years. Traditionally, parts that are fused are cut separately from the actual fusible material. Then, these parts are fused, or laminated, with a fusing press, resulting in a single unit. Fusing has typically been used in many parts of clothing, such as collars, cuffs, fronts, and pockets. In fact, almost all aspects or parts of clothing have used fused goods when particular body is desired for that piece of the finished product. Typically, parts of clothing which are desired to drape, rather than to have body or structure, have not been subject to fusing. Examples of such parts are sleeves and backs of clothing.
Lamination (though not fusing) could also refer to a similar process that involves only one ply of material, rather than two or more plies being overlayed and affixed. In that situation, one ply of material could be laminated by itself, coating the material completely or even coating the material with sporadic laminate, possibly in a pattern such as strips of laminate running across the material, often diagonally across the material's warp construction (i.e., the length of the fabric's construction).
But fusing and lamination had never been used in neckties. While fusing has been used, for example, in formal wear pre-knotted bow ties, such bow ties typically do not have an interlining and are constructed differently than standard or pre-folded neckties. In standard and pre-folded neckties, fusing and lamination has not been used, despite the fact that more efficient constructions are always desired in this particularly cost-conscious industry that is moving overseas more and more because of decreased labor and production costs in foreign countries.
The instant invention provides use of fusing in the construction of neckties, resulting in an easier and more economical construction of the finished product.


The present invention is applicable to, for example, a thermal printing head to form shallow grooves M by removing the insulating films 21, 24, 30, and 33 along at least the rows of the energy transducers.

The present invention relates to liquid-ejecting heads, liquid-ejecting apparatuses, and methods for manufacturing liquid-ejecting heads, and relates to, for example, a thermal printing head. According to the present invention, insulating films on wafers are removed to form shallow grooves along at least rows of energy transducers. In this manner, the grooves can prevent various types of damage due to cracking and chipping even during high-speed dicing.
In printers provided with printing heads ejecting ink droplets, energy transducers convert electric energy into energy for ejecting ink. Heating devices are used as the energy transducers for thermal printing heads.
In thermal printing heads, heating devices heat ink contained in ink chambers to generate bubbles, and the ink droplets are ejected from nozzles by the pressure of bubbling.
In such a printing head, heating devices and a driving circuit are integrated densely on a semiconductor substrate, resulting in high-resolution printing. Moreover, the heads are efficiently produced through semiconductor manufacturing processes: Heating devices and driving circuits for a plurality of chips are integrated on a semiconductor substrate, or wafer; the substrate is cut into chips; and ink chambers and nozzles are provided on the chips.
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a semiconductor substrate manufactured by a known process. In the process, a 6-inch silicon wafer 1, for example, is sequentially processed to form, at a predetermined pitch, rectangular regions 2, each of which includes heating devices and a driving circuit for one chip. In FIG. 1, the size of the regions 2 is illustrated larger than their actual size relative to the silicon wafer 1.
FIG. 2 shows cutting regions 3 formed between the regions 2 during processing of the silicon wafer 1 in a manufacturing process of the printing heads. As shown in a cross-sectional view of FIG. 3, a protective film 4 for preventing penetration of ink, and an insulating film 5 under the protective film 4 are removed from the silicon wafer 1 to form cutting region 3 wider than a blade used for dicing. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the cutting region 3 has a width of 140 μm for a blade width of 50 μm.
In the process, the silicon wafer 1 is held on a stage of a dicing machine. The stage or the blade rotating at high speed is driven such that the blade cuts the silicon wafer 1 substantially at the center of the cutting regions 3 into chips. In this step of fabricating printing heads, a stream of deionized water is provided to the areas to be cut in order to cool the blade and wash away cutting debris.
In this dicing step, an impact due to increasing the cutting speed causes cracking and chipping at the chip edges. FIG. 4 is a plan view of an edge of the chip in FIG. 3. The chip is formed by cutting the silicon wafer 1 with a blade 50 mm in diameter rotating at a speed of 30,000 rpm and fed at a speed of 30 mm/sec, and has chipped portions of approximately 17 μm. The relative speed between the blade- and the silicon wafer 1 under these conditions is given by 50 [mm]×3.14×60×30,000/1,000,000=282 km/h. The collision of the blade with the silicon wafer at high speed is a possible cause for cracking and chipping.
In a printing head, ink contained in ink chambers is heated by the heating devices on the chip, and droplets thereof are ejected as a result. When cracking or chipping occurs in the chip, the ink can penetrate into the chip and may cause instability of semiconductor performance. When ink is introduced to the ink chambers from a side face of the chip, the fluid resistance in the ink passage connected to the ink chambers may change due to cracking or chipping, resulting in slight changes in print quality. Furthermore, when the chipping fragments remain on the chip surface, these fragments can damage the chip surface during forming of the ink chambers. In the event that the damage from the chipping fragments reaches inside the chip, ink will penetrate into the chip, and a wiring pattern or the like may be damaged in the case of severe damage.
To prevent cracking and chipping of the chip, the cutting speed in the process of manufacturing printing heads should be slower than that in a process of manufacturing standard integrated circuits.
A method for dicing standard integrated circuits is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 6-275713, in which grooves deeper than the depth of devices, such as transistors, are formed on both sides of the cutting regions in order to prevent the propagation of cracks during cutting.
In a manufacturing process of printing heads in which a 6-inch silicon wafer is cut along 60 longitudinal lines and 12 transverse lines to form chips at a cutting speed of 5 mm/sec, the time required for cutting is 60×12×(150/5)/3,600=6 hours. Thus, the known dicing step for cutting chips at low speed to avoid cracking and chipping disadvantageously takes time.
When the method disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 6-275713 is applied as a solution for this problem, it requires an additional etching step to form grooves deeper than the devices. Besides, since it is not possible to avoid the chipping fragments, damage to the chip surfaces from the fragments is inevitable.

Liquid-discharging head, liquid-discharging device, and method of producing the liquid-discharging head


An engine valve includes a valve head having a helical top wall arranged to enhance turbulence in an associated combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine to enhance mixing and effective efficiency during the combustion procedure.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention relates to engine valve apparatus, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved engine valve wherein the same is directed to the enhanced efficiency during the combustion process of an internal combustion engine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Engine valves are employed typically in internal combustion engines such as indicated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,805,573 and 4,106,439.
The instant invention attempts to overcome deficiencies of the prior art by providing for enhanced engine combustion efficiency by providing for a swirling and distribution of combustion gases directed into the combustion chamber of an associated internal combustion engine and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.


A method for passive alignment of adapters, enabling high-precision connection between components on a rigid or flexible substrate as part of a printed circuit board (PCB) is provided. Removable alignment structures are positioned in an alignment area on a PCB, where the alignment structures are in accordance with a patterned layer. An adapter, having adapter mating pins or holes, respectively, and adapter alignment pins, is placed on the PCB in the alignment area such that the adapter is aligned with the alignment structures. The adapter alignment pins are inserted into holes in the alignment structures. A ferrule is fixed on the PCB in the alignment area, and the ferrule holes or pins, respectively, are aligned to mate with the adapter mating pins or holes, respectively. The adapter is removed from the alignment structures, and finally the alignment structures are removed.

An exemplary embodiment of this invention relates to optical printed circuit board technology, and particularly to methods for passive alignment of adapters, enabling high-precision connection between optical flexes and optical elements in which the methods are based on removable reference structures.
Currently, numerous worldwide industrial and academic R&D teams are working on the development of an optical printed circuit board (PCB) technology. One of the hurdles of this development is to find a reliable, high-precision, low-cost method to align components, such as optical connectors, vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSELs), photodiodes, and lenses on the PCB.
However, the described alignment issue for optical PCBs can also be understood in a much broader sense and can be transferred to other fields of application where a high-precision, fully passive, mechanical alignment of components on a low-precision carrier is required.
With regard to optical PCB development, the major challenge of the mentioned alignment task lies in the fact that for conventional PCBs, he manufacturing tolerances (e.g., board distortion tolerances, copper layer patterning tolerances, mutual layer alignment tolerances, milling tolerances) are typically 100 μm (micrometers), while for multi-mode optical links on optical PCBs, the alignment tolerances to achieve sufficient optical coupling efficiency between optical components are about 5 μm.
In order to address this discrepancy between PCB and optical requirements, most of the solution approaches worldwide are based on actively controlled, time-consuming, and therefore cost-intensive alignment procedures. FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a fully passive alignment method. In the passive alignment method, alignment structures 110 (e.g., a set of copper alignment markers) integrated in the PCB 120 and realized by conventional PCB processes take manufacturing tolerances into account. These cooper alignment structures 110 serve as reference markers to find back the position of the integrated waveguides (not shown) patterned with respect to the copper alignment structures 110. Furthermore, these copper alignment structures 110 exhibit mechanical features for the alignment and assembly of mechanical adapters 130 carrying the component to be aligned. Finally, the placement of the adapter 130 onto the PCB 120 can be performed by a low-precision handling tool 140 or by a conventional pick-and-place tool. Further details of a passive alignment method may be found, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 7,212,698, herein incorporated by reference.
For many alignment tasks within the field of optical PCBs, the above-described method will be fully sufficient. However, there may be certain applications where the footprint of the copper markers (e.g., copper alignment structures 110) and the dimensions of the adapter 130 could be an issue in terms of the space requirments at a PCB edge or within a PCB. The board edge can become a bottleneck regrading the available space for the required electrical as well as optical connectors. A similar situation can occur within the board where board openings are realized for the assembly of components, such as optical transceiver modules.
In both cases, it would be beneficial to have methods to reduce the footprint of the marker set and the adapter and to have more freedom in the positioning and the design of these features. Further, it would be beneficial to use these features for the alignment of the component and to make them removable to retrieve the space required by the alignment features.

Methods for passive micrometer-range alignment of components using removable reference structures

International Business Machines Corporation


The present invention provides HIV-derived lentivectors which are multiply modified to create highly safe, efficient, and potent vectors for expressing transgenes for gene therapy. The lentiviral vectors comprise various combinations of an inactive central polypurine tract, a stuffer sequence, which may encode drug susceptibility genes, and a mutated hairpin in the 5′ leader sequence that substantially abolishes replication. These elements are provided in conjunction with other features of lentiviral vectors, such as a self-inactivating configuration for biosafety and promoters such as the EF1α promoter as one example. Additional promoters are also described. The vectors can also comprise additional transcription enhancing elements such as the wood chuck hepatitis virus post-transcriptional regulatory element. These vectors therefore provide useful tools for genetic treatments for inherited and acquired disorders, gene-therapies for cancers and other disease, the creation of industrial and experimental production systems utilizing transformed cells, as well as for the study of basic cellular and genetic processes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improved lentiviral vectors, their production and their safe use in gene delivery and expression of desired transgenes in target cells.
2. Description of Related Art
Transfection of cells is an increasingly important method of delivering gene therapy and nucleic acid based treatment for a number of disorders. Transfection is the introduction of nucleic acids into recipient eukaryotic cells and the subsequent integration of the nucleic acid sequence into chromosomal DNA. Efficient transfection requires vectors, which facilitate the introduction of foreign nucleic acids into the desired cells, may provide mechanisms for chromosomal integration, and provide for the appropriate expression of the traits or proteins encoded by those nucleic acids. The design and construction of efficient, reliable, and safe vectors for cell transfection continues to be a substantial challenge to gene therapy and treatment methods.
Viruses of many types have formed the basis for vectors. Virus infection involves the introduction of the viral genome into the host cell. That property is co-opted for use as a gene delivery vehicle in viral based vectors. The viruses used are often derived from pathogenic viral species that already have many of the necessary traits and abilities to transfect cells. However, not all viruses will successfully transfect all cell types at all stages of the cell cycle. Thus, in the development of viral vectors, viral genomes are often modified to enhance their utility and effectiveness for introducing foreign gene constructs (transgenes) or other nucleic acids. At the same time, modifications may be introduced that reduce or eliminate their ability to cause disease.
Lentiviruses are a subgroup of retroviruses that can infect nondividing cells owing to the karyophilic properties of their preintegration complex, which allow for its active import through the nucleopore. Correspondingly, lentiviral vectors derived from human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) can mediate the efficient delivery, integration and long-term expression of transgenes into non-mitotic cells both in vitro and in vivo (Naldini et al., 1996a; Naldini et al., 1996b; Blomer et al., 1997). For example, HIV-based vectors can efficiently transduce human CD34+ hematopoietic cells in the absence of cytokine stimulation (Akkina et al., 1996; Sutton et al., 1998; Uchida et al., 1998; Miyoshi et al., 1999; Case et al., 1999), and these cells are capable of long-term engraftment in NOD/SCID mice (Miyoshi et al., 1999). Furthermore, bone marrow from these primary recipients can repopulate secondary mice with transduced cells, confirming the lentivector-mediated genetic modification of very primitive hematopoietic precursors, most probably bona fide stem cells. Since none of the other currently available gene delivery systems has such an ability, lentiviral vectors provide a previously unexplored basis for the study of hematopoiesis and similar phenomena, and for the gene therapy of inherited and acquired disorders via the genetic modification of human stem cells (HCLs).
This important capability is subject to significant biosafety concerns (Akkina et al., 1996; Sutton et al., 1998; Uchida et al., 1998). The accidental generation of replication-competent recombinants (RCRs) during the production of lentiviral vector stocks represents one of the major problems to be solved before lentiviral vectors can be considered for human gene therapy.
In the retroviral genome, a single RNA molecule that also contains all the necessary cis-acting elements carries all the coding sequences. Biosafety of a vector production system is therefore best achieved by distributing the sequences encoding its various components over as many independent units as possible, to maximize the number of crossovers that would be required to re-create an RCR. Lentivector particles are generated by co-expressing the virion packaging elements and the vector genome in host producer cells, e.g. 293 human embryonic kidney cells. In the case of HIV-1-based vectors, the core and enzymatic components of the virion come from HIV-1, while the envelope protein is derived from a heterologous virus, most often VSV due to the high stability and broad tropism of its G protein. The genomic complexity of HIV, where a whole set of genes encodes virulence factors essential for pathogenesis but dispensable for transferring the virus genetic cargo, substantially aids the development of clinically acceptable vector systems.
Multiply attenuated packaging systems typically now comprise only three of the nine genes of HIV-1: gag, encoding the virion main structural proteins, pol, responsible for the retrovirus-specific enzymes, and rev, which encodes a post-transcriptional regulator necessary for efficient gag and pol expression (Dull, et al., 1998). From such an extensively deleted packaging system, the parental virus cannot be reconstituted, since some 60% of its genome has been completely eliminated. In one version of an HIV-based packaging system, Gag/Pol, Rev, VSV G and the vector are produced from four separate DNA units. Also, the overlap between vector and helper sequences has been reduced to a few tens of nucleotides so that opportunities for homologous recombination are minimized.
HIV type 1 (HIV-1) based vector particles may be generated by co-expressing the virion packaging elements and the vector genome in a so-called producer cell, e.g. 293T human enbryonic kidney cells. These cells may be transiently transfected with a number of plasmids. Typically from three to four plasmids are employed, but the number may be greater depending upon the degree to which the lentiviral components are broken up into separate units. Generally, one plasmid encodes the core and enzymatic components of the virion, derived from HIV-1. This plasmid is termed the packaging plasmid. Another plasmid encodes the envelope protein(s), most commonly the G protein of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV G) because of its high stability and broad tropism. This plasmid may be termed the envelope expression plasmid. Yet another plasmid encodes the genome to be transferred to the target cell, that is, the vector itself, and is called the transfer vector. Recombinant viruses with titers of several millions of transducing units per milliliter (TU/ml) can be generated by this technique and variants thereof. After ultracentrifugation concentrated stocks of approximately 109 TU/ml can be obtained.
The vector itself is the only genetic material transferred to the target cells. It typically comprises the transgene cassette flanked by cis-acting elements necessary for its encapsidation, reverse transcription, nuclear import and integration. As has been previously done with oncoretroviral vectors, lentiviral vectors have been made that are "self-inactivating" in that they lose the transcriptional capacity of the viral long terminal repeat (LTR) once transferred to target cells (Zufferey, et al. 1998). This modification further reduces the risk of emergence of replication competent recombinants (RCR) and avoids problems linked to promoter interference.
Nevertheless, experience with retroviral vectors demonstrates that the emergence of a replication-competent retrovirus (RCR) is possible, although a rare event even when vectors are produced by stable packaging cell lines and components designed to provide high safety. The pathogenic potential of RCRs is demonstrated by the induction of cancer in monkeys injected with contaminated oncoretroviral vector stocks. Consequently, the administration of retroviral vectors to human patients is authorized only if the presence of contaminant RCRs has been excluded by a test sensitive enough to detect a single RCR in an aliquot equal to 5% of the dose actually used. Creating highly safe vectors is clearly important when doses equal or superior to 1010 transducing units may be necessary to reach therapeutic efficiency.
There is therefore a significant need to develop improved lentiviruses for use as transducing vectors capable of effectively transducing cells and expressing desired transgenes at high levels while meeting biosafety requirements. Currently available lentiviral vector production systems rely on the expression of packaging and vector elements either by transient transfection or in stable cell lines. Deletion of non-essential genes from the parental virus and splitting of the vector system components on separate DNA units act to help minimize the risk of emergence of RCRs. Greatest safety is achieved with the fewest, or, ideally, with zero RCR occurrence in vector production. The present invention utilizes specific changes in the packaging and vector system components, their methods of production and their methods of use in order to further reduce or eliminate the occurrence of RCR.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Methods and compositions relating to improved lentiviral vector production systems


A control handle for electro-mechanical devices, such as the brakes of a train or other vehicle, is disclosed. The control handle incorporates elements for electrical switching as well as elements for measuring the angle of rotation between the control handle's rotating portion and its stationary portion. Some of the switching elements and measuring elements are combined onto a single printed circuit board in order to reduce size, complexity, and cost.

Prior control handles are typically implemented with pneumatic, mechanical, or electrical hardware. In high reliability applications, such as for brake systems for locomotives, the control handles are almost entirely implemented with pneumatic or mechanical linkages. Control handles implemented with electrical hardware are disclosed in two published patent applications, incorporated here by reference, numbered 20040168606 and 20040168539. The control handles disclosed in those applications are superior to previous handles because they are smaller, easier to maintain, and more reliable.
Spiral sensors are a type of non-contact robust position sensor that is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,091, also incorporated by reference. In essence, a spiral sensor consists of 2 parts, one that moves in relation to the other. The output of the sensor is a measurement of the relative displacement between the two parts. Applications 20040168606 and 20040168539 disclose, but do not claim, using Spiral Sensors in a control handle. Applications 20040168606 and 20040168539 also disclose a control handle wherein contact switches are used to detect handle position. However, they do not disclose a control handle in which both contact switches and a Spiral sensor are used. Furthermore, they do not disclose a control handle wherein electrical switching elements and Spiral sensor elements are combined on the same printed circuit board.
The present invention combines electrical switches and Spiral sensing to overcome limitations in the prior art.

Control handle with spiral position sensor and integral switches


A measuring device for contactless determination of relative angular position including a stator (10) provided with slotlike stator air gaps (14, 15), a rotor (12) rotatable relative to the stator with a main gap between it and the stator and a Hall element (16) arranged in at least one of the stator air gaps. Two ring magnets (21, 22) having magnetic polarities opposite to each other are provided in the interior wall of the stator (10). To measure a rotational angle of greater than .+-.75.degree. with a linear response measurement curve, the first ring magnet (15) extends around the rotor (11) over an angular range of greater than 180.degree.. When the null point of the magnetic induction B is shifted to the beginning of the linear range of the mechanical measuring range, particularly small rotation angles can be measured with a comparatively reduced measurement error.

The present invention relates to measuring devices for contactless determination of relative angular position.
A measuring device for contactless determination of relative movement between a rotor and a stator is known, in which a main gap is provided between the stator and the rotor, at least one stator air gap is provided in the stator, at least one magnetic field sensing element is provided in the at least one stator air gap and at least one ring magnet is arranged in the rotor with magnetic polarization aligned in the radial direction.
A measuring device of this type is described in French Published Patent Application FR-OS 90 15 223, in which a stator and rotor move relative to each other. A comparatively small air gap is found between the stator made from magnetically conductive material and the rotor. A first ring-shaped permanent magnet which is radially polarized is arranged in the rotor over an arc length of 180.degree.. In addition, a second ring-shaped permanent magnet polarized magnetically in the opposite sense extends similarly over a 180.degree. portion of the stator. Furthermore the stator has two stator air gaps arranged diametrically opposite to each other. A Hall sensor is arranged in at least one of these stator air gaps. The strength of the magnetic field passing through the Hall sensor changes on rotation of the rotor relative to the stator. This change of magnetic field produces a measurement signal proportional to the size of the rotational motion. The linear measurement range of this measuring device is however limited to a size of about .+-.75.degree.. Furthermore with a measurement range of about 150.degree. the rotor is arranged relative to the stator so that the null point of the induction is in the center of the angular range. Because of that, one obtains measurement signals with a minimum measurement error in the center of the measurement range and measurement signals with correspondingly larger measurement errors at the ends of the measurement range.

Measuring device for contactless determination of relative angular position with an improved linear range


A double-scrim belting (10) is described having a first woven scrim (12) and a spaced apart and substantially parallel second woven scrim (14) connected by staple fibers (16) consolidated together through entanglement and integrated with the scrims through entanglement, both entanglements being of the kind typically produced by needling. If desired, a non-woven web of staple fibers is needled to the outer surfaces of the scrims and the thusly formed belting is completely encapsulated in a matrix of elastomeric material (36). To further strengthen the connection between the scrims (12, 14), the scrims are additionally joined together by binder members (42) which extend in a direction of the thickness of the belting. If the belting is intended to be used to convey food grade products, preferably an antibacterial agent is incorporated into the elastomeric material to inhibit bacterial growth.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to conveyor belting and to methods of manufacture of conveyor belting. More particularly, the belting of the present invention is a multiple-scrim belting comprising at least two spaced apart and generally parallel scrims having an intermediate fibrous material disposed therebetween.
One embodiment of the belting of the present invention comprises at least a first woven scrim and a spaced apart and substantially parallel second woven scrim, the scrims being joined together by staple fibers that are consolidated together through entanglement and integrated with the scrims through entanglement, both entanglements being of the kind typically produced by needling. If desired, a non-woven web of staple fibers is needled to the outer surfaces of the scrims and the thusly formed belting can be encapsulated in a matrix of elastomeric material. If the belting is intended to be used to convey food grade products, an antimicrobial agent can be incorporated into the elastomeric material to inhibit bacterial growth. The textile yarns comprising the scrims and the fibrous layers can also have incorporated therein an antimicrobial agent.
In another embodiment of the multiple-scrim belting of the present invention, the spaced apart scrims are joined together by entangled staple fibers with binder members reinforcing the connected scrims. The entangled staple fibers are also consolidated together through entanglement. Again, both entanglements are of the kind typically produced by needling. The resulting multiple-scrim belting having the entangled staple fibers joining the at least two scrims together with reinforcing binder members can be encapsulated in an elastomeric material, and if desired, the elastomer can have an antimicrobial agent incorporated therein. The textile yarns comprising the scrims and the fibrous layers can also have an antimicrobial agent incorporated therein.
2. Prior Art
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,526,637 and 4,813,533 to Long describe a conveyor belting having a plurality of individual woven fabric layers having an intermediate non-woven mat or batt of entangled or spun-bonded staple fibers disposed therebetween. The non-woven fabric layer aids in absorption of a liquid polymeric resin saturant which encapsulates the fabric layers. However, the non-woven fabric layer is not needled to the woven fabric layers but instead is held together only with reinforcing cords which join the fabric layers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,369.081 to Curry et al. describes a laminated foam-fabric belting having a layer of batting needled into the form and substrate fabric to form an integral laminated belting. However, this prior art belting is not encapsulated in an elastomeric saturant and neither is it a double-scrim belting.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,787,516 to Morrison, 5,069,907 to Mixon et al. and 5,238,749 to Cueman et al. describe the use of the antimicrobial agent 5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy) phenol to inhibit bacterial growth in various devices. However, the use of this antimicrobial agent in a belting is not disclosed.

Conveyor belting and method of manufacture


This disclosure relates to a computing chip, a hashrate board, and a data processing apparatus. The computing chip includes a plurality of operation stages arranged in a pipeline configuration. Each operation stage includes: a first combinational logic circuit occupying a plurality of first cell points adjacent to each other, at least a portion of the first cell points being located in a first incomplete column; one or more second combinational logic circuits each occupying one or more second cell points, at least a portion of the second cell points being located in a second incomplete column; and a plurality of registers each occupying a plurality of third cell points, at least a portion of the third cell points being located in the first incomplete column or the second incomplete column. The first cell points, the second cell points, and third cell points occupy equal areas on the computing chip.

In a common data processing apparatus, a computing chip can be designed based on a pipeline configuration according to characteristics of an algorithm. Specifically, operation logic can be divided into several operation stages arranged in the pipeline configuration, wherein each operation stage can have a similar function design and operation structure.
Currently, various circuits or devices in the operation stage are typically designed to occupy a rectangular area in the computing chip, the rectangular area being composed of a number of rows and columns of cell points, wherein a cell point refers to a minimum unit in the chip design. However, due to characteristics of the circuit or device itself, space in some rectangular areas may not be fully utilized, i.e., some cell points may not be used for any circuit or device. Therefore, the layout of the existing computing chip is not compact enough, and as a result, the computing chip or another apparatus containing the computing chip occupies more space.

Computing chip, hashrate board and data processing apparatus

SHENZHEN MICROBT ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


A method for modifying contaminants in a liquid comprising a reaction chamber where the liquid interacts with an ionization reaction material which causes contaminants to reduce or oxidize into harmless compounds.

Presently, the quality of the global pure drinking water supply is decreasing at a faster rate than the population is expanding. The United Nations International children's Educational Foundation (UNICEF) estimates that 20,000 to 30,000 children die every day from waterborne diseases such as typhoid, malaria, e-coli, cholera and many other contaminants. These contaminants can also include such things as salts, halogens, organic solvents, pesticides, fertilizers, industrial chemicals, bacteria, protozoa, fungi and other foreign matters.
The extensive use of fertilizers and pesticides by farmers, runoffs from major animal husbandry sites, contamination spills by industries, the dumping of raw sewage into our lakes and streams and the significant number of landfill sites have caused many contaminants to percolate down through the soil and into the underlying water tables throughout the world. The result is that today many more wells and springs are now testing positive for a wide array of toxins and contaminants harmful to human, animal and plant health.
In many areas of the world, and in the United States of America, public water supply systems are monitored for diseases and toxins on a regular basis to assure the public that the water is safe to drink. However, cases are still reported in the U.S. of contaminated water supply systems. Furthermore the majority of the water piping and distribution systems in the U.S., and internationally, are many decades old and as the water passes from a main purification site to an end user, the water can pickup additional contaminants and toxins from the aging water distribution systems.
There have been a variety of attempts to provide purified water at a user or business' point of entry and/or point of use site. One such device is known as the Britta. It is a single stage filter utilizing the laws of gravity and a carbon block held in a container. Water is poured into a top holding container and gravity slowly draws the water through the carbon block to a lower container for consumption. Carbon does reduce some toxic chemicals and gases from water however it does not purify the water. This device is also greatly limited by the capacity of water that it can produce in a 24-hour period. It most certainly would not produce enough filtered water to supply a family of four with enough drinking and cooking water for an entire day.
There are other products available that provide two stage filtering devices consisting of a carbon block filtration and a paper filter surrounding or in line with the carbon block. However, these systems do not address the issue of microorganisms in the water, which can bypass the filtration systems.
Yet another product available to consumers is a device called the Pur water filter. This system utilizes a small and low wattage ultraviolet (UV) lamp and a carbon block filter. The UV light is known to kill microorganisms in the air and in water. Unfortunately, the UV lamp deteriorates over time to the point that it cannot produce the necessary wavelength to kill microorganisms in the water. Furthermore, the system does not provide a means to know when the UV lamp has deteriorated. As such, the end user may think that the device is adequately killing microorganisms when in fact the UV lamp has become useless as a biocide. The use of a laser for producing UV light for treating water has also been described by Goudy in U.S. Pat. No. 4,661,264
Another additional means of purifying water has been the use of what is known as KDF 85 and/or KDF 55 as a biocide and is described by Heskett in U.S. Pat. No. 5,951,869. This process utilizes a compound that is basically copper and zinc that creates and ion exchange and chelating (clumping together) producing properties in the water. This material is primarily used in large municipal water treating systems however there have been some attempts to have the KDF 85 or KDF 55 material impregnated onto a paper filter for point of use water treatment systems with limited success.
While all of the above presented means provide some degree for improving the water supply, none of them fully purify the water in an economical and efficient manner. As such, a technical need still exists to purify water, air or other fluids quickly, efficiently, over a long-term use and do so economically.

Method for liquid purification using a molecular reaction unit


There is provided an LED as a light source and a reflector for reflecting a light emitted from the LED toward the surface of a license plate LP. The reflector has a first reflector disposed in a region getting out of the optical axis of the LED and a second reflector disposed in a region including the optical axis of the LED, and a light getting out of the optical axis and having a low luminous intensity is reflected by the first reflector to illuminate the vicinal region of the license plate and a light transmitted along the optical axis and having a high luminous intensity is reflected by the second reflector to illuminate a distant region from the license plate. An illuminance in the license plate can be made almost uniform so that the whole surface of the license plate can be illuminated in an equal brightness.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a device for illuminating the license plate (information plate) of a car and more particularly to an illuminating device using an LED (a light emitting diode) for a light source.
2. Background Art
As a device for illuminating a license plate, a related art incandescent bulb has been used for a light source as in JP-A-2000-168438. However, the incandescent bulb has a problem in that its lifetime is short and a great deal of time and labor is required to change the bulb due to a burnout. Furthermore, the amount of consumed power is great, the burden of an on-board battery is heavy, and an installation space is large, and the degree of freedom of the design around the license plate is low. Therefore, use of the LED for the light source has been investigated. Since the LED has a long lifetime, a small size and small power consumption, it is possible to effectively solve the foregoing related art problems of the incandescent bulb.
When the LED is provided on one of the sides of the license plate and a light is irradiated from the LED toward the surface of the license plate to carry out an illumination process, the surface of a close region to the LED can be illuminated to be brighter, and the surface of a region further away from the LED is less illuminated to be darker.
Similarly, a technique using the incandescent bulb in JP-A-2000-168438 has such a problem. For this reason, JP-A-2000-168438 discloses evenly illuminating almost the whole surface of the license plate by providing a diffusion lens step region in a lens to diffuse a light. However, the LED has a high directivity of an emitted light and the surface of a region provided along an optical axis is bright, and the surface of a region away from the optical axis is dark.
Even if the diffusion lens step is simply provided as in JP-A-2000-168438, it is impossible to solve the problem of the nonuniform brightness. Thus, there is a problem in that it is hard to uniformly illuminate the surface of the license plate by the LED.
Moreover, a plurality of LEDs can be provided around the license plate to uniformly illuminate the surface. However, the number of the LEDs is increased so that a cost is increased. Furthermore, it is impossible to avoid the undesired external exposure of the LED provided around the outside of the license plate. As a result, there is another problem in that an outer appearance is deteriorated.


An electrode for a wire bonding apparatus is provided. The electrode includes a body portion and a tip portion adjacent the body portion. The tip portion has a substantially spherical configuration.

A conventional wire bonding apparatus 100 is depicted in FIG. 1. The apparatus includes an electrical flame-off (EFO) wand 104, a bonding wire 108, which is fed through a wire damper 112 and a capillary 116. The wire damper 112 and the capillary 116 are parts of what is typically referred to as a bond head assembly (the bond head assembly may include other components such as, for example, an ultrasonic transducer). A ball 120 is formed at the end of the wire 108 that protrudes from the narrow end of the capillary 116. The apparatus 100 also includes a lead frame 122 having leads 124 and 128. A semiconductor integrated circuit or die 132 is mounted on the lead frame 122 and forms a die-lead frame assembly. The die 132 includes bond pads 136 and 140. A wire 144 is bonded to the pad 140 and the lead 124. The apparatus 100 also includes a lead frame holder 148, which secures the die-lead frame assembly during wire bonding, and an electrical discharge generator 152 coupled to the wire damper 112 and the EFO wand 104. The electrical discharge generator creates an electrical discharge in response to receiving a discharge signal.
Bonding the wire 108 to the die 140 and the lead frame 122 is accomplished using the bond head. The bond head generally moves in the x, y, and z directions above the die-lead frame assembly.
Conventionally, the ball 120 on the end of the wire 108 is formed by placing the electrical flame-off (EFO) wand 104 a predetermined distance from the end of the wire 108. An electrical arc is emitted between the end of the wire 108 and the EFO wand 104. The arc forms the ball 120 on the end of the spool of bonding wire 108. By varying the intensity and the duration of the electrical arc, the size of the ball that is formed can be adjusted to specific dimensions.
FIG. 2 depicts a prior art EFO wand 104, which includes a mounting section 164, epoxy 168, and an electrode 172. The mounting section 164 is both rigid and electrically conductive. The epoxy 168 is electrically conductive and secures the electrode 172 to the mounting section 164. As discussed above, the electrode 172 emits an electrical discharge or arc from a tip 176 to the end of a bonding wire 108 to form a ball 120. The electrode 172 is formed from a rigid and electrically conductive material. Typical electrodes 172 are made of platinum having a purity of 99.95%. The diameter of a typical electrode is 0.020 inches.
It has been determined that, during use, a certain amount of carbon contamination forms on the EFO electrode each time a bonding ball 120 is formed. The carbon contamination acts as an insulator. As such, build up of carbon contamination interferes with the normal functioning of the electrode tip 176. As the carbon contaminates the electrode, it gradually degrades the quality of the bonding balls that are formed. A variety of other contaminants also build up on the wand and interfere with the ball formation process in a similar manner.
Mechanical scraping of the electrode tip 176 is one possible method of removing the contamination which has been deposited. However, this method has serious drawbacks in that continual mechanical adjustments would be required to avoid excessive damage to electrode tip 176. Additionally, a mechanical apparatus for scraping the electrode tip would desirably be located on the automated ball bonding machinery near the normal operating position of the electrode 172, a location where space is already at a premium. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide an improved method or design for cleaning an electrode of an EFO wand.

Electronic flame-off electrode with ball-shaped tip


An electrical connector for coaxial cable having a corrugated solid outer conductor. The connector formed with a body having a bore with a retaining shoulder. An insert with a plurality of segment(s) having inward projecting projections arranged to mesh with the corrugated solid outer conductor. The segment(s) joined by at least one hinge member(s); the insert bendable along the hinge member(s) to fit within the bore, abutting the retaining shoulder. An interface is attachable to a connector end of the body. The interface having an inward projecting outer conductor stop. By exchanging the insert, the connector may be used with a range of cables having different outer conductor corrugation configurations.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electrical connector. More particularly the invention relates to an electrical connector adaptable for use with coaxial cables having a variety of different outer conductor corrugations.
2. Description of Related Art
Connectors for corrugated outer conductor cable are used throughout the semi-flexible corrugated coaxial cable industry.
Solid outer conductor coaxial cables are available in two main groups of corrugation patterns, helical and annular. Typically, helical corrugation connector configurations are adapted to thread onto the corrugations, requiring precision cutting of a complementary internal threaded surface upon the connector body. Annular corrugation connector configurations often rely upon a clamping means that clamps the lead corrugation(s) at the cable end. These clamping means generally require precision thrust and clamping components, elaborate machining of spring finger element(s) and or additional cable end flaring operations to prepare the cable for connector installation.
Within each of these groups the corrugation depth, spacing, pitch and or number of corrugation leads varies between different cable models and or manufacturers. Prior connectors for use with solid outer conductor coaxial cable have therefore been designed for a specific outer conductor corrugation, requiring the design, manufacture and inventory of a wide range of different connectors, each dedicated to a specific cable configuration.
Advanced metal turning and or machining equipment is typically required to form the complex inner surfaces and or sub components of these connectors. These manufacturing operations comprise a significant portion of the overall manufacturing costs for the connectors.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,939,169, by Islam et al, issued Sep. 6, 2005 to Andrew Corporation, describes a connector for use with a coaxial cable having a helically corrugated solid outer conductor. The outer conductor is held by a body with inner threading adapted to mate with helical corrugations of the outer conductor, retaining the outer conductor for an axial compression connector mounting procedure. U.S. Pat. No. 6,939,169 is hereby incorporated by reference in the entirety.
As described herein above, a connector according to U.S. Pat. No. 6,939,169 must be manufactured for a specific outer conductor corrugation configuration. Also, because the design relies upon threading the helical corrugations of the outer conductor into the connector body, to retain the cable within the body during and after final axial compression, it is not usable with annular corrugated cable.
Competition within the cable and connector industry has increased the importance of minimizing installation time, required installation tools, and connector manufacturing/materials costs. Also, competition has focused attention upon ease of use, electrical interconnection quality and connector reliability.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide an electrical connector and method of installation that overcomes deficiencies in such prior art.

Connector with corrugated cable interface insert


A micelle drug composition having an enhanced drug-loading capacity and improved sustained-release characteristics comprising an amphiphilic block copolymer including at least one hydrophilic blocks and at least one hydrophobic blocks. The block copolymer comprises functional groups selected from the group consisting of carboxyl, amine, hydroxyl, amide, thiol and sulfonic acid groups, in the hydrophobic block chain of the copolymer, and the average number of the functional groups range from 1.1 to 30.

Amphiphilic block copolymers that can form a core-shell type micelle in an aqueous medium have been used for delivering hydrophobic drugs such as anti-cancer drugs, adriamycin and paclitaxel, the drug being loaded in the hydrophobic core and the hydrophilic shell enhancing the solubilization of the micelle.
Such a micelle having a size of not more than 200 nm and a polyethyleneoxide hydrophilic shell is neither easily destroyed by the reticuloenthelial or mononuclear phagocyte system nor excreted through kidney, and therefore, circulates in a living body for a long period of time, accumulating at the blood vessel around tumors where the transfer of materials is much enhanced and more selective than that around normal cells.
The hydrophobic block of such amphiphilic block copolymers may be divided into two groups, i.e., (i) a hydrophobic block having no functional group, e.g. polylactide, polycarprolactone, poly(lactide-glycolide), poly(β-benzyl L-aspartate), as way disclosed in Korean Patent Publication Nos. 1999-69033 and 2001-105439, European Patent Publication No. 583055, U.S. Pat. No. 6,322,805 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 1994-206815, and (ii) a hydrophobic block having a plurality of functional groups, e.g., poly(β-substituted aspartate), poly(γ-substituted glutamate), poly(L-leucine), described in European Patent Publication No. 583955. In case the hydrophobic block has no functional group, the drug loading capacity of the hydrophobic core is limited, whereas when contains too much functional groups, for example, 300 or more per hydrophobic block, the amphiphilic nature of the copolymer is lost and dissolves in an aqueous medium and cannot form a micelle. Therefore, the step of chemically bonding a hydrophobic drug to such copolymer has been performed to prepare a delivery composition.
Accordingly, in order to solve this problem and increase the drug loading capacity and sustained-release characteristics of micelle drug composition, there has been a need to develop amphiphilic block copolymeric micelles containing a small quantity of functional groups in a hydrophobic block.

Block copolymer micelle composition having an enhanced drug-loading capacity and sustained release


Disclosed is a polypeptide shown in the following in (A), and a protein dimer neoculin comprising the polypeptide Neoculin Acidic Subunit (NAS) and the polypeptide Neoculin Basic Subunit (NBS) and having a taste-modifying activity:    (A) a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO.2 in the sequence listing.

Curculigo latifolia is a plant spontaneously growing in west Malaysia and a southern part of Thailand, which is classified into Liliaceae. It is said that the curculin isoform (referred to as curculin hereinafter) contained in the plant is useful as a taste-modifying substance giving sweet taste when the isoform is eaten before drinking water or eating a sour substance.
Conventionally known subunits constituting curculin include for example curculin A and curculin B.
The entire amino acid sequence of curculin A has been determined (see for example patent literature 1). The entire amino acid sequence of curculin B and the nucleotide sequence thereof are disclosed. It is verified that curculin B is different in the amino acid composition from curculin A in terms of several amino acids (see for example patent literature 2).
It has been understood that these subunits both constitute curculin in a form of homodimer and have a taste-modifying function. However, the taste-modifying functions thereof are not sufficient enough to be added into foods.
In accordance with the invention, however, it was succeeded to identify a novel dimeric protein with a heterodimer structure comprising two subunits having different amino acid sequences, namely NAS and NBS. The protein is designated as neoculin. The results are disclosed (see non-patent literature 1). It is first identified in the invention that neoculin has a taste-modifying function sufficient enough for addition into foods.
So as to enable the highly efficient production of neoculin, the results of the expression of the genes encoding the subunits with two different amino acid sequences, namely NAS and NBS, in a prokaryote Escherichia coli are disclosed (see for example non-patent literature 2).
Possibly due to the generation of NAS and NBS in the form of inclusion body in the bacterial cell of Escherichia coli, an accurate heterodimer of NAS and NBS with the exertion ability of the taste-modifying activity can scarcely be generated via the simple expression in Escherichia coli.
So as to exert the taste-modifying function, then, procedures have been required, including recovery of the inclusion body, solubilization thereof using a solubilizing agent solution such as guanidine chloride, and reconstitution. The requirement of the use of such reagent is disadvantageous in terms of laborious works and production cost. Additionally, such use of the reagent is not suitable for industrial production from the standpoint of safety profile when the produced neoculin is used for foods.
In such circumstances, it has been desired to screen for a substance with higher practical applicability and a better taste-modifying function and to develop a safe and efficient production method applicable to foods
Patent literature 1: JP-A-Hei 3-190899
Patent literature 2: JP-A-Hei 6-189771
Non-patent literature 1: "Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem.", Vol. 68, No.6, p. 1403-1407, 2004
Non-patent literature 2: "FEES Letters", Vol. 573, p 135-138, 2004

DNA encoding a neoculin acidic subunit of curculin


A mechanism (40) for enabling an engine cylinder valve (18) to close at various times during engine cycles has a hydraulic actuator (58) and a control valve (60) controlling the hydraulic actuator a) to constrain a pivot axis of a valve rocker (52) against relocation while the cylinder valve is being forced increasingly open, and b) to release the constraint after the cylinder valve has been forced open for enabling the pivot axis to relocate so that the intake valve can close early thereby providing early IVC. A hydraulic snubber (64) snubs closing motion of the cylinder valve through a scheduling geometry to a hydraulic accumulator (62). The control valve opens to the accumulator to allow the rocker pivot axis to relocate and provide early IVC and closes to return the pivot axis to a location that doesn't provide early IVC.

Control of combustion phasing in an internal combustion engine is useful when applied to EGR (exhaust gas recirculation), fuel injection timing, and cylinder cooling strategies. Poor calibration however may at times cause undesired engine operation, such as misfire in ranges where EGR rates are high. Non-uniform EGR distribution or in-cylinder cooling can also lead to cylinder-to-cylinder variability of combustion phasing.
The applicants believe that control of intake valve closing (IVC) on an individual engine cylinder basis can provide better overall control of a multi-cylinder diesel engine. Control can be further improved in the presence of a combustion phasing feedback, such as cylinder pressure or ion sensing technology.

International Engine Intellectual Property Company, LLC