A resin roller (10) is produced by disposing a core body (21) in a forming metal mold (1) having a cylindrical metal mold (13) and core supporting members (14) furnished at both edge parts of the cylindrical metal mold (13) as well as causing the core supporting members (14) to hold said both edge parts, and pouring a forming resin into the metal mold and solidifying it. The resin roller (10) has the core body (21) of the same outer diameter over a full length and a cylindrical resin-formed body (12), sealing members (24, 26) are furnished around the core body (21) in the vicinity of both edge parts of the resin-formed body (12), and the core body (21) is disposed such that the sealing members (24, 26) contact edge faces (14a) at sides of a roller forming space of the core supporting members (14).

Many kinds of devices employing electrophotographic systems of a laser printer, copier or facsimile apparatus are incorporated with a roller such as a film developing roller, an electrically charging roller, or a transcribing roller. One example of these rollers is shown in FIG. 24.
A roller 10 has a core body 21 and a cylindrical forming body 12 fabricated with a resin. A metal mold for forming the roller 10 has, as shown in for example FIG. 25, a cylindrical metal mold 13 and core supporting members 14 located at upper and lower both edges of the cylindrical metal mold 13 for supporting a core 21 inserted inside of the cylindrical metal mold 13 and sealing both edges of the cylindrical metal mold 13. The lower core supporting member 14 is defined with a resin injecting inlet 16 for injecting a resin material into a roller forming space 15, while the resin injecting inlet 16 is urged outside of the metal mold with a resin injecting nozzle 18 of a forming machine from a semi-circular nozzle touch portion 19, so that the resin material is introduced into the roller forming 15.
After completion of filling the resin into the metal mold, the resin in the roller forming space 15 is hot-set. Hot-setting the resin, the core supporting members 14 are removed upward and downward respectively along an axial direction from the cylindrical metal mold 13. Subsequently, the core body 21 is extruded from the cylindrical metal mold 13 to take out a formed product (roller) held within the cylindrical metal mold 13.
The core supporting member 14 is provided with concave parts 17 for supporting the core body 21 at edges 21a, and in order to make easy insertion of the edge 21a of the core supporting member 14 into the concave part 17 or taking variation within dimensional tolerance of the edge of the core body into consideration, spaces of 10 to 20μ are provided between the concave part 17 and the core supporting member 14. So, if the resin is poured into the metal mold at high pressure or if a pressure in the mold is high when the resin is expanded at hot-setting, a defect is present that the resin leaks out of the metal mold from the spaces. The leaked resin is adhered to the edges 21a of the core body 21 or to an interior of the concave part 17 of the core supporting member 14, and it should be removed after formed products have been released from the mold.
In the case where the core body 21 used to form the resin roller is, as shown in FIG. 25, differs in an outer diameter in the center part of the core body 21 and in an outer diameter in the edge part 21a of the core body 21, and the outer diameter in the center part of the core body 21 is larger than that of the edge part, a method is used to attach sealing members 24 (for example, O-ring) to the core supporting member 14 so as to contact side faces of the center part of the core body 21 for preventing the resin leakage.
However, the core body 21 being different in the outer diameters in the center part and in the center part thereof has disadvantages of high processing cost and high material cost of the core body 21, and accordingly a cost of the core body 21 is expensive.
In order to lower the cost of the core body 21 and make thickness of an elastic layer large for aiming at reducing rubber elastic hardness of the formed body 12 (elastic layer), such a core body 21 is sometimes used which uses core body 21 being the same in the center part of the core body 21 and the outer diameter in the edge part 21a of the core body 21.
In this case, as illustrated in FIG. 26, the core supporting member 14 is used which is buried with sealing members 24 (for example, O-ring) opening in the concave part 17 thereof. But there is a defect that the sealing members 24 buried in the core supporting member 14 are broken while repeatedly attaching the core body 21 to the concave parts 17, so that an effect for avoiding the resin leakage is decreased.
Further, for adopting a structure of burying the sealing members in the core supporting member 14, taking strength of burying grooves into consideration, it is necessary to bury the sealing members in depth of around 0.5 to 1 mm from the side edge face of a resin formed product of the core supporting member 14. Therefore, until around 0.5 to 1 mm from the side edge face of the resin formed product of the core supporting member 14, the resin leakage cannot be stopped with the sealing members 24, and the resin leakage 30 by the amount thereof occurs.
When using the core body 21 which is the same in the outer diameter in the center part of the core body 21 and the outer diameter in the edge part 21a thereof, a problem is to shorten a life of the sealing member and cause the resin leakage in parts from a resin formed edge part to the sealing member.
Thus, it is indispensable to frequently exchange the sealing members owing to the short life thereof and remove the leakage resin at edge parts, and in turn a cost-up of the resin roller is invited.
Next, reference will be made to using methods of the roller by use of an example of the resin roller for a photographic film developing process, referring to FIG. 27.
In various kinds of devices of the electrophotographic system, there is a system known as a photographic film developing process for visualizing electrostatic latent images, which supplies a nonmagnetic unary developer 55 on an image carrier 51 of a photosensitive body 50 of carrying the electrostatic latent image, adhering said developer to the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the image carrier, and contacting a developing resin roller 10a to the image carrier 51.
Using the nonmagnetic unary developer 55, this system is cheap in comparison with a system supplying the magnetic developer by use of the conventional magnetic roller. In a case of using a magnetic binary developer, a carrier itself has a short life, for example, it must be periodically exchanged per 10000 or 20000 copies, taking trouble for exchanging the carrier. On the other hand, the above mentioned system does not have such a defect. Further, in a case of using the magnetic binary developer, since the magnetic developer itself contains a magnetic substance near a different color, it is technically difficult to make the magnetic developer a color toner, but since the resin roller of the invention is employed to the nonmagnetic developing system using the nonmagnetic developer, such a problem is absent.
Typical shapes of the resin roller are shown in FIGS. 28, 29 and 30. The resin roller 10a has a core body 21, a cylindrical resin layer 12a formed with a resin around the core body 21, and a surface layer 12b covering the periphery of the resin layer 12a.
A method for the resin roller 10a to send the nonmagnetic unary developer, depends on an electrically absorbing force, and since a property necessary as the developing roller makes the developer frictional electrification between the developing surface and a regulating blade 52 for regulating a piling thickness of the developer on the surface of the developing roller, the developer is easily cracked owing to pressurization, and such a developing roller 10a is served which covers a soft resin layer 12a on the core body 21 for avoiding the developer from cracking.
The resin layer 12a is often exposed at the surface, but for controlling electric charging of the developer or transferring performance, it is provided on the surface with a thin surface layer 12b.
Further, explanation will be made to a producing method of the resin roller 10a.
At first, a metal mold 120 for forming the resin layer 12a of the resin roller 10a has, as shown in for example FIG. 31, a cylindrical metal mold 13 and the core supporting members 14, 14 located at upper and lower both edges of the cylindrical metal mold 13 for supporting a core 21 inserted inside of the cylindrical metal mold 13 and sealing both edges of the cylindrical metal mold 13. The lower core supporting member 14 is defined with a resin injecting inlet 16 for injecting a resin material into a roller forming space 15 formed within the cylindrical metal mold 13, while the resin injecting inlet 16 is urged outside of the metal mold with a resin injecting nozzle 18 of a forming machine from a semi-circular nozzle touch portion 19, so that the resin material is introduced into the roller forming space 15.
After completion of filling the resin into the metal mold 120, the whole of the mold 120 is heated to hot-set the resin in the roller forming space 15. Hot-setting the resin, the core supporting members 14, 14 are removed upward and downward respectively along the axial direction from the cylindrical metal mold 13. Subsequently, the core body 21 is extruded from the cylindrical metal mold 13 to take out a formed product (roller) 10b held within the cylindrical metal mold 13.
After that, the resin layer 12a of the roller main body 10b produced by the above forming method is coated on the peripheral surface thereof with a treated liquid mixed with a resin material through a spray method, a dipping method or a roll coater method, and dried to form a surface layer 12b.
The roller main body 10b produced by the above forming method has swelling parts at edge parts of the resin layer 12a as shown in FIG. 32 when releasing from the metal mold. A mechanism of the swelling phenomenon at the edge is explained that the swelling is generated by thermal expansion and shrinkage owing to temperature difference between temperatures at pouring the resin into the metal mold 120 and after releasing from the mold, the amount of shrinkage in the axial direction is larger than that in the peripheral direction, and the formed resin is adhered to the core body 21. Even if the swelling part at the edge part of the resin layer 12a is cut in round slice in the peripheral direction, the edge part after cutting apparently swells similarly.
The cylindrical metal mold 13 and the core supporting members 14, 14 have tolerances of respective parts and assembling spaces, and so-called parting lines occur. If the spaces become large owing to such as abrasion in the respective parts when setting up the metal mold, the resin flows into the spaces and burrs are created at the edges of the resin layer 12a as shown in FIG. 33.
The corner 74 of the resin roller 10a is obtained by forming the surface layer 12b around the resin layer 12a of the resin roller 10a in the above mentioned method, and as shown in FIG. 34, actually the film thickness of a resin forming the surface layer 12b is small.
When the resin roller 10a contacts and slides with the image carrier as the sensitive substance, since the corner of the resin roller 10a contacts the periphery of the image carrier at larger force than that exerting in the center part of the resin roller 10a and the film thickness of the surface layer 13b is smaller than that in the center part, the surface layer 12b of the corner of the resin roller 10a is easily worn, and in turn this abrasion causes the surface layer 12b to peel off, and as a time passes, the surface layer 12b gradually widens to peel in the surface of the resin roller 10a.
For resolving those occasions, there is a method of uniformly machining or polishing the surface of the resin roller prior to coating the surface layer, but it takes many processing steps, and besides the resin layer is soft, and in particular the corner could not be precisely machined or polished.
Another method is to machine or polish only the corner, but some of elastic resins such as, above all, silicone forming the resin layer have viscosity or stickiness particular to these resins, so that processing parts are nappy or ragged, and the surface cannot be processed to be smooth. There is another available method which carries out the process of immersing or coating water or oil to the processing part of the resin roller while machining or polishing, but after processing, it is further necessary to remove water or oil.
Next, an apparatus of producing the roller will be explained in detail. The apparatus of producing the roller is mainly structured with, as shown in FIG. 35, for example, a cylindrical metal mold 61 and the core supporting members 62a, 62a located at upper and lower both edges of the cylindrical metal mold 61 for supporting a core 21 inserted inside of the cylindrical metal mold 61 and sealing both edges of the cylindrical metal mold 61.
The lower core supporting member 62b is defined with a straight resin injecting inlet 64 for injecting the resin material into a roller forming space 63 formed within the cylindrical metal mold, while the resin injecting inlet is provided on the way with a closure mechanism 68 for regulating a resin fluid. If a resin injecting nozzle (not shown) at the side of the forming machine is urged to a nozzle touch portion 65 formed to be semi-circular with a part opening toward outside of the metal mold of a resin injecting inlet 64, so that the resin material is introduced into the roller forming space 63.
On the other hand, the upper core supporting member 62a is defined with a straight air vent hole 66, and a closure mechanism 67 is provided as crossing with the air vent hole 66 for closing the resin fluid.
The summary of the method of forming the roller by use of this producing apparatus is as follows.
At first, the core body 21 inserted within the cylindrical metal mold 61 is held at its upper and lower edges by the upper and lower core supporting members 62a, 62b, and subsequently a hot-setting liquid resin is filled into the roller forming space 63 through the resin injecting inlet 64, and on completion of filling, the closure mechanism 68 in the lower core supporting member 62b is operated to check a counter flow of the resin expanding within the cylindrical metal mold when hot-setting.
In contrast, the air vent hole 66 provided in the upper core supporting member 62a releases the closure mechanism 67 during filling the resin to exhaust the air in the roller forming space via the air vent hole 66 outside of the metal mold, and on completion of filling the resin, the closure mechanism is closed, and under this condition, the resin staying in the roller forming space is hot-set.
On completion of hardening the resin, the core supporting members 62a, 62b are removed upward and downward from the cylindrical metal mold 61 along the axial direction, and finally a formed product held within the cylindrical metal mold 61 is taken out by extruding the core body 21 with respect to the cylindrical metal mold 61. This is a method of producing rollers by means of this kind of the conventional apparatus.
However, the conventional roller producing apparatus and method are involved with many problems.
For example, in the conventional roller producing method, a metal mold device composed of the core supporting member and the cylindrical metal mold is charged with a thermosetting resin, and then the upper and lower closure mechanisms are closed to make the forming space a closed space. The closed space is filled with the thermosetting resin to form an elastic layer (formed body), and at this time the resin hot-set within the closed metal mold is generated with cubical expansion. Since the filled thermosetting liquid resin is non-compressive, an internal pressure within the metal mold by the cubic expanded resin is considerably high. A magnification of this internal pressure is normally more than 100 kg/cm2, though depending on air tightness of the closure mechanism provided in the core supporting member, and so the metal mold must have sufficient pressure resistant strength. Accordingly, thickness of the cylindrical metal mold is large, and load should be large for connecting the cylindrical metal mold and the core supporting member.
If the internal pressure within the metal mold is large, the resin flows into the parting line between the cylindrical metal mold and core supporting member, and this becomes a burr appearing at the roller peripheral part, so that a secondary process as a polishing is necessary to remove burrs. Further, the resin often leaks from the closure mechanism 68 provided in the lower core supporting member 62b, so that a work is demanded to remove the resin adhered to the metal mold after having formed to cause the working efficiency to go down.
A problem is present when taking out the formed product from the metal mold. If the internal pressure within the metal mold is large, as the surface of the elastic layer is closely adhered to the inner surface of the metal mold, when releasing from the mold after completion of hardening, resistance against releasing from the mold is still large even if the elastic layer is shrunk with enough cooling time, and scratches often appear on the surface of the elastic layer by releasing from the mold. For avoiding these occasions, the cylindrical metal mold is carried out with a fluorine coating treatment, or a plating treatment for heightening smoothness, but with such only measures, the-mold releasing property is not yet sufficient, and actually a mold releasing agent is coated on the inside of the metal mold per each time.
Next, referring to FIG. 36, explanation will be made to another conventional method of making rollers using the thermosetting liquid resin. This method comprises mixing silicone-based liquid base polymer (main agent), a cross linking agent, a catalyst and if necessary an electrically conductive agent within a vacuum agitating-defoaming device, rendering this to be one liquid state, storing it in a container 81, subsequently transferring a thermosetting liquid resin 82 in the container 81 by use of a force feed pump 83 to an injection device 84, sending to a cylinder 86, measuring a predetermined amount, and injecting into a cavity of a roller forming metal mold 88 via an injecting nozzle 87, thereby to form a roller main body. Herein, a cooling device 90 is necessary to normally keep cooled at about 10° C. or lower the transferring course comprising the container 81, injecting device 84, injecting nozzle 87 and transferring tube 89. In the illustrated example, a cooling liquid is circulated and supplied from the cooling device 90 through pipes 91a, 91b, 91c, 91d so as to cool each of the parts. The cooling device is provided because if this is absent, a bridging reaction of the thermosetting liquid resin progresses, and the liquid resin is adhered to and solidified on the inner walls of the transferring course comprising the container 81, injecting device 84 and transferring tube 89, and obstacles transferring of the liquid resin, so that the apparatus is frequently necessarily disassembled to clean to remarkably decrease productivity.
Since this cooling system heightens production cost, there is an attempt of adding a hardening retard agent to the liquid resin for avoiding the cost-up, and lengthening a pot life, but as a progressing risk of the bridging reaction of the liquid resin staying in the container 81 is high, a problem occurs in variation of quality between rollers at a beginning period of and after the injection forming.
However, in the conventional roller producing method employing the above mentioned cooling system,    (1) since the thermosetting liquid resin is cooled down at about 10° C. or lower and increases viscosity, an injecting pressure is heightened to fill it into the cavity, it is necessary to design the thickness of the roller forming metal mold to be durable against the injecting pressure, and    (2) if injecting the once cooled liquid resin, a problem arises that a heating load is increased when hot-setting, and a hardening reaction time is extended.
FIG. 37 is a schematically cross sectional view showing another example of the conventional injection forming apparatus (metal mold). In the same, reference numeral 41 designates the cylindrical metal mold, 42 shows the core body inserted inside of the cylindrical metal mold 41, 43, 44 are the core supporting members, 45, 46 are cover members screwed inside with thread, and 47 is a pin. A sequence of forming the elastic roller by use of the injection forming metal mold is as follows. At first, the cylindrical metal mold 41 is inserted with the core body 42, both edge parts 42a, 42b thereof are fitted in core supporting holes 43a, 44a provided in the cylindrical metal molds 43, 44, these core supporting members 43, 44 are engaged in the cylindrical metal mold 41, subsequently screwing cover members 45, 46 on the cylindrical metal mold 41 to protect them and to form the roller forming space 48 for closing the injection forming metal mold.
Next, an attaching hole 49 defined in the cover member 46 is attached with the resin injecting nozzle (not shown), the resin material is injected and filled into the roller forming space 48 through the resin injecting inlet 44b penetrating the core supporting member 44, an attaching hole 150 penetrating the cover member 45 is closed with a pin 47 to shut a vent hole 151, and the cylindrical metal mold 41 is heated to hot-set the resin material. Herein, as the heating means, listed are means contacting a heating mechanism (not shown) to an outside surface of the cylindrical metal mold 41, or means moving the injection forming metal mold into a blast furnace (not shown) to heat it.
After hot-setting, the cylindrical metal mold 41 is cooled, and the metal mold is opened in a sequence reversal to the above mentioned for releasing the formed product from the mold, and by repeating the above mentioned sequence, a new formed product is made.
However, the forming apparatus having the conventional injection forming metal mold as mentioned above has the following problems. One of them is difficult to automatize the steps of fitting the core supporting members 43, 44 in the cylindrical metal mold 41 and mounting the cover members 45, 46 by screwing in the production process, and must depend on manual operation. For example, when screwing the cover members 45, 46 on the cylindrical metal mold 41, if a tightening load is too large, the core body 42 receives excessive load and is easily bent, and if it is too small, the resin material leaks out owing to pressure of the filled resin to generate burrs in a formed product, resulting in decreasing the formability of the roller. Therefore, the tightening load should be adjusted, but automatization of this adjustment is difficult, not depending on the manual operation, and even if the automatization of this kind of steps is possible, since facility investment of the automatized mechanism is very expensive, so that it cannot cope with recent fierce low cost competitions. In particular, in case of mass production using the production apparatus of a plurality of rollers, this problem is remarkable and very much labor is demanded.
In addition, since the prior forming apparatus has such a complicated structure of the metal mold, when getting rid of the adhered and solidified resin after hot-setting, a maintenance working for dissolving and cleaning the roller producing apparatus is troublesome, taking much labor and inviting cost-up.
However, as shown in FIG. 38, when taking out the formed product from the cylindrical metal mold 13 upward or downward along the axial direction, owing to friction between an outer periphery 12e of a resin formed product 12 and an inside 13a of the cylindrical metal mold 13, force is exerted in the axial direction between an outer periphery 21e of the core body 21 and an inside periphery 12f of the resin-formed body 12, and when the formed body is extracted from the cylindrical metal mold 13, a relative position between the core body 21 and the resin-formed body 12 often gets out of position. In particular, force is concentrated to a part X of an edge 12c of the resin-formed body 12 and the core body 21 contacting, and as seen in FIG. 38B, the edge of the resin-formed body 12 and the core body 21 separate, and this portion serves as a trigger to often develop to a whole separation of the resin-formed body 12 and the core body 21. Therefore, a further method is to coat the cylindrical metal mold 13 on the inside with a mold releasing agent for reducing friction between the outer periphery 12e of the resin-formed body of the product and the inside 13a of the cylindrical metal mold, thereby lowering the shifting force exerting in the axial direction between the outer periphery 21e and the inner periphery 12f of the resin-formed body contacting the same. This method increases a step of coating the mold releasing agent, resulting in cost-up.
Silicone based addition type liquid rubber material enabling to be liquid-injected inherently ordinarily used as the resin material for forming the elastic layer; polyether based addition type liquid rubber material which hydrosilyl-hardens terminal allylated polyoxyalkylene based polymer or terminal allylated polyolefin based polymer with poly siloxane based hardening agent; polyolefin based addition type liquid rubber material; urethane based liquid rubber material; EPDM rubber enabling to be injection-formed; millable silicone rubber; or NBR rubber are low in density of polar group contributing to the adhesion or scarcely contain the polar group, thereby to be difficult to adhere a metal made core body. Also in a case of using primer for improving the adhesion of the resin-formed body 12 to the core body 21, depending on the coating of primer to the metal core body 21, influences of adhesion checking substance (for example, a cutting oil) remaining on the metal core body or variation in histories of temperature and moisture after drying, differences arise in a film forming property of the primer component or the adhesion thereof with metal, or residual degree of functional group, so that the adhesion between the resin-formed body 12 and the metal core body 21 might vary. If an injection pressure is high in the metal mold during forming, the primer on the surface of the metal core 21 is forced out by the resin flowing and the primer does not fully display effect, and even if the primer is coated, a sufficiently satisfied adhesion cannot be obtained. Besides, of course a step of coating the primer is added to invite cost-up.
Thus, when taking out the formed product from the cylindrical metal mold 13 upward or downward along the axial direction, owing to friction between an outer periphery 12e of a resin formed product 12 and an inside 13a of the cylindrical metal mold 13, force is exerted in the axial direction between an outer periphery 21e of the core body 21 and an inside periphery 12f of the resin-formed body 12, and a relative position between the core body 21 and the resin-formed body 12 often gets out of position. There is a method of in advance coating the primer to the core 21 for heightening the adhesive strength between the core 21 and the resin-formed body 12, but this method is involved with problems of increasing a primer coating step and that the liquid rubber material used as a resin forming material is inherently weak in the adhesive force with the metal core 21. Therefore, by decrease in the rate of good products by getting out of a relative position between the core 21 and the resin-formed body 12 or addition of the primer coating step, the cost-up is caused in the production of resin rollers.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to offer a resin roller enabling to check resin leakage from a formed roller, though using a core body having the same outer diameter in the edge portion as a center part thereof.
It is another object of the invention to offer a resin roller improving durability in a surface layer and in turn having a long life.
It is a further object of the invention to offer a roller producing apparatus which is easy to release from a mold, obtains rollers without scratches or burrs, enables to use a metal mold having a structure of thin thickness and light weight and to shorten a cooling time before releasing the mold, and a method thereof.
It is a still further object of the invention to offer a roller producing apparatus which does not employ a cooling step of a liquid resin being a technical common knowledge in the prior art, restrains heating load and shortens a hardening reaction time for decreasing energy loss, is excellent in productivity and less to vary product quality, and a method thereof.
It is a yet further object of the invention to offer an apparatus of injection-forming rollers which largely reduces manually operating steps, easily accomplishes automatization of opening and closing the metal mold, lighten maintenance work, and enables to make rollers at low cost.
It is another object of the invention to offer a resin roller which enables to prevent peeling in a part contacting the edge faces of the resin-formed body and the core body for checking getting out of a relative position between the resin-formed body and the core body in the formed resin roller, and a forming metal mold therefor.


A method is provided for monitoring at least one yarn quality parameter and/or a parameter of a sensor by an electronic cleaner of yarn by means of an optical detector comprising a sensor with one or two rows of individual optical elements. The individual optical elements provide at their outputs an analog signal proportional to the intensity of its irradiation, the value of which is monitored during each measurement cycle. In the first and/or the second row of optical elements of the sensor, for each monitored parameter, individual optical elements of the sensor, are selected constituting an active zone for monitoring a particular parameter. The number of the optical elements in one active zone in one row is lower than the overall number of the optical elements in the corresponding row, and the output analog signal of the individual optical elements of the corresponding active zone is included in the evaluation of the particular parameter.

The patent CZ 286113 (EP1051595B1) describes a method for detecting the thickness and/or homogeneity of moving yarn, in which the yarn moves in a radiation flux between a radiation source and a linear CCD detector, whereby each of the elements of the CCD detector is coupled with an evaluation device of the state and/or intensity of its irradiation. CCD detectors are used as detectors of radiation, monitoring the yarn to be measured discontinuously always on very short sections of approximately 10 μm in length.
The U.S. Pat. No. 6,242,755 B1 discloses a method for the contactless measuring of fibrous textile material of indeterminate length, in which the textile material is placed within a radiation range of at least one source of radiation and its shadow is projected by the radiation on a receiving device comprising a row of sensor cells arranged next to one another, whereby the receiving device is composed of a CCD detector. The diameter of the fibrous textile material is determined on the basis of the number of fully shadowed sensor cells and from the partial shadowing of one or two neighbouring sensor cells, the value of the partial shadowing being determined proportionally according to the amount of the partial shadowing to the amount of the fully shadowed sensor cells.
Known yarn cleaners based on linear CCD or CMOS optical detectors work with digital values of the number of the shadowed optical elements. Even though the patents CZ 286 113 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,242,755 disclose methods for the evaluation of the yarn diameter including the influence of the partially irradiated optical elements, such detectors have not yet been realized for direct application on production machines, very probably also due to the difficulties and disadvantages which have been overcome by the present invention. The processing of the analog signals from the individual optical elements of the detector, if not accompanied by other measures, such as those preventing electromagnetic disturbances, is complicated and does not lead to the desired effect.
The patent U.S. Pat. No. 6,219,135 (EP 1015873 B1) describes a configuration of an optical detector, combining analog and digital optical elements with the purpose of obtaining not only the information about the yarn diameter from the number of the shadowed digital optical elements, but also the information about its surface structure from the partially shadowed optical elements. Supposedly, this device is intended only for laboratory apparatuses. However, if the device is to be used as a measuring device online directly during the production of yarn, it has a number of shortcomings. Another disadvantage is the fact that the alternating current component of a signal from analog optical elements, defining the surface structure of yarn, is modulated at a relatively great direct current component which worsens its processing by an A/D converter. Another drawback is the fact that the analog signal is carried to be processed outside the detector itself and is therefore exposed to the influences of electromagnetic disturbances which are induced into the analog conductor from other devices of the machine operating in the vicinity. Apparently, disturbance-free environment can be realized when the optical detector is used in a laboratory, but not in the case when it is used as part of production machines.
The disadvantages during the processing of an analog signal were eliminated by a device for the contactless measuring of the properties of moving yarn according to the patent CZ 299684, in which a linear optical detector is incorporated into one semiconductor application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) along with at least a part of electronic circuits for the processing and/or evaluation of a signal of the linear optical detector, whereby the electronic circuits for the processing and/or evaluation of a signal of the linear optical detector are integrated along with the linear optical sensor on a common semiconductor support and/or mounted in one common case.
The advantage of such an arrangement is especially the fact that the initial operations of the processing and/or evaluation of a signal of the detector take place in one integrated circuit, and so the output signal is not influenced by disturbances. Nevertheless, the solution according to CZ 299 684 is based only on the binary processing of the signals from the individual optical elements when only the irradiation or shadowing of each individual optical element is monitored. The drawback of this solution is a purely digital evaluation of the individual optical elements, when, according to a set comparison level, the individual optical elements are divided into irradiated and non-irradiated, the information about the yarn diameter is represented by the sum of the width of the shadowed optical elements. This device, therefore, does not permit a sufficiently precise evaluation of the surface structure of yarn and, moreover, it is immensely difficult to monitor a possible contamination of the individual optical elements with dust or other impurities or to monitor changes in the intensity of the light source.

Method for monitoring at least one parameter of quality of yarn and/or parameters of sensor by electronic yarn cleaner


A method is disclosed for obtaining limited specific hydrolysis of proteins using a Glu/Asp specific protease to produce peptides with C-terminal Glu or Asp. The protease is obtained from Bacillus licheniformis, has a mass of about 23,600, is inhibited by diisopropyl fluoride but not by phenylmethane sulfonylfluoride, and has a pH of maximal activity between 6.5 and 10.0. The proteins are treated with the protease at neutral pH and the reaction terminated by raising the temperature above 70.degree. C. or lowering the pH below 5.0 to obtain the hydrolysate. The process may include a second protease which is specific for Arg/Lys, and produces peptides with C-terminal Arg or Lys.

Enzymatic hydrolysis of proteins by means of proteases is a well-established method of preparing protein hydrolysates which have retained the nutritional value of the original proteins and which may therefore advantageously be used in the diet of certain patients who are unable to ingest or digest sufficient amounts of full-length proteins present in ordinary food, or which may be used to improve the nutritional value of milk substitutes for infants. Protein hydrolysates may furthermore be prepared from sources not traditionally utilized for human nutrition and may, as such, either be used as food products in themselves or as additives to other food products.
The proteases which have hitherto been used for the preparation of protein hydrolysates of this type are proteases with a broad specificity, e.g. Bacillus licheniformis alkaline protease. A major problem encountered when using proteases with a broad specificity is an often pronounced bitter taste of the protein hydrolysates produced. The bitter taste is the result of cleavage of the proteins at amino acids with hydrophobic side chains, resulting in the formation of peptides with exposed hydrophobic amino acid residues. In full-length proteins and longer peptides, the hydrophobic side chains are inaccessible due to the tertiary structure of the protein molecule in which the side chains are embedded within the folded protein. When smaller peptides are formed by proteolytic cleavage of the protein molecule, the hydrophobic side chains will become exposed and hence accessible to adjacent hydrophobic and hydrophilic receptors on the taste buds. This phenomenon has been determined to give rise to a bitter taste (cf. H. Wieser and H. -D. Belitz, Z. Lebensm. Unter.-Forsch. 159, 1975, pp. 65-72; and H. Wieser and H. -D. Belitz, Z. Lebensm. Unter.-Forsch. 160, 1976, pp. 383-392).
It has been suggested to overcome the problem of bitterness of the protein hydrolysate by limiting the degree of hydrolysis of the starting proteins, i.e. by limiting the number of peptide bonds cleaved by the protease, e.g. by monitoring the degree of hydrolysis and terminating the proteolytic reaction when a suitable degree of hydrolysis has been obtained (cf. for instance J. Adler-Nissen, Enzymic Hydrolysis of Food Proteins, Applied Science Publishers, London 1986). It has been found that such hydrolysates exhibit a reduced bitterness, at least in conjunction with other constituents of the food product in which they are included.
Another way of controlling the degree of hydrolysis is to employ specific proteases which only cleave the protein molecule at certain amino acid residues. This has been suggested by J. -M. Chobert et al., J. Agric. Food Chem. 36, 1988, pp. 220-224, reporting the use of the Staph. aureus V8 protease which hydrolyses proteins specifically at glutamic and aspartic acid residues.

Method for hydrolyzing proteins with gluyasp specific protease


An electrical connector system is provided for electrically coupling a plurality of conductors with a printed circuit board. The system includes a main housing for mounting on one side of the printed circuit board, the board having an IC chip on the opposite side thereof. Main terminals are mounted on the main housing for coupling the conductors to circuits of the printed circuit board. A unitary secondary housing is adapted for mounting on the opposite side of the printed circuit board and includes an integral shield portion for covering the IC chip and providing electrostatic discharge protection therefor. Apertures are provided in the shield portion to allow for cooling of the IC chip. The unitary secondary housing includes at least one integral header portion defining a receptacle for receiving a complementary electrical connector. Terminals are mounted in the secondary housing and have contact means located in the receptacle for interengagement with contacts of the complementary electrical connector and tails for interengagement with circuit traces on the printed circuit board.

There are many applications in the electronic industry, such as in copying machines, computers and the like, wherein a plurality of conductors must be terminated to various electronic components to carry out various functions of a machine or apparatus. For instance, in a copying machine, control electronics are fed through data conductors or lines and power conductors or lines to various devices, such as motors, audible or visual indicators, or the like which perform the various functions of the machine, such as changing the reduction of the copying process, varying the numbers of copies, rendering audible or visual signals, and the like. Electronic components or devices, such as printed circuit boards, integrated circuit chips, headers or connectors must be coupled through electrical connectors to the power and data transmission conductors or lines.
An electronic system of the character described above is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,846 to Sampson et al., dated Jun. 30, 1992 and assigned the assignee of this invention. In that patent, a plurality of conductors are coupled to a printed circuit board. The board, itself, has an integrated circuit chip (IC chip) and a plurality of separate header connectors mounted thereon. The header connectors have terminal pins interconnected to circuit traces on the printed circuit board. In essence, the header connectors are separate connector devices, and the IC chip is exposed on top of the printed circuit board between the header connectors.
This invention is directed to an improved electronic system of the character described above and as generally shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,846, but which includes a multi-purpose upper or secondary housing which forms a plurality of header connectors on the printed circuit board, along with means for shielding the IC chip on the board from electrostatic discharge while affording cooling of the IC chip and, in one embodiment, affording deformation of the terminals of the header connectors from outside the housing.


A light source control method and apparatus of an image scanner is disclosed. The invention utilizes a determination means and an illumination control device to perform partial or full illumination and adjust brightness so that the light source can be operated more efficiently and more economically.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light source control method and apparatus of an image scanner, and more particularly to a light source control method and apparatus of an image scanner which can automatically perform partial or full illumination and adjust brightness according to the scan area and the scan mode.
2. Description of the Related Art
Optical scanners are used to capture and digitize images. For example, an optical scanner can be used to capture the image of printed matter on a sheet of paper. The digitized image can then be electronically stored and/or processed with character recognition software to produce ASCII text. The typical optical scanner includes a light source, a linear array of photoelectric sensing elements (generally a CCD sensor or a CMOS sensor, or a CIS sensor), an analog amplifier, an analog to digital converter (ADC), a controller and a random access memory (RAM).
The CCD sensor includes a large number (e.g., 2000) of photoelectric sensing elements arranged in a linear array. Each photoelectric sensing element will capture light representing a single pixel of the image. The array will capture a line of pixels. By moving the CCD sensor across a document, the entire document can be scanned one line at a time.
The conversion into digital signals of light reflected from or transmitted through the document takes place in essentially three steps. First, each photoelectric sensing element will convert the light which it receives into an electric charge. The magnitude of the charge will depend on the intensity of the light and the exposure time. Second, the charges from each of the photoelectric sensing elements are converted into analog voltages via the analog amplifier. Finally, the analog voltages are digitized by the analog to digital converter for digital image processing and storage in the RAM.
In conventional image scanner, the light source always maintains constant illumination during scanning. However, constant illumination of the light source wastes power and is lack of efficiency when only part of scan area is needed to be scanned. Furthermore, constant illumination of the light source for multiple scan modes (Color, Gray and Line art) of an image scanner is not economical either. Hence it is desirable to provide a light source control method of an image scanner which can automatically perform partial or full illumination and adjust brightness according to the scan area and the scan mode so as to utilize the light source more efficiently and economically.

Light source control method and apparatus of image scanner


A system divides a source computer storage device into a plurality of logical volumes, and creates a first recovery point data file and a first recovery point index file. In response to an incremental backup of a first logical volume, the system creates a second recovery point index file comprising a plurality of indices. In response to no data changing in a particular block in the first logical volume, the system points an index in the second recovery point index file to the particular block in the first logical volume. In response to data changing in the particular block in the first logical volume, the system creates a corresponding new block in a second recovery point data file. The system points the index in the second recovery point index file to the corresponding new block in the first logical volume.

In current data maintenance and backup procedures, incremental backups are used quite extensively in disk-to-disk backups. In an incremental backup, after an initial full backup, the backup application will only backup data that has been changed. The backup application stores information about source data as metadata in a database, and the backup application is intelligent enough to reconstruct a file to a point in time, based on information about the changed data that it records.

System and method for merging continuous volume snapshots


A vehicle includes a brake-by-wire system that delivers a certain amount of brake fluid pressure to wheel brakes depending upon the position of a brake pedal. A brake-by-wire fallback or backup mode of operation is also provided. When activated, this by-wire fallback mode commands a certain, known magnitude of brake pressure. The commanded amount of brake pressure can vary based on the state of a brake pedal on/off switch, and can be set regardless of brake pedal position. This provides a backup to the brake-by-wire system without necessarily requiring a mechanical push-through backup system to brake the vehicle in the event a backup mode is required.

Hydraulic braking systems are equipped in the majority of all passenger vehicles in the market. In a hydraulic braking system, a brake pedal is mechanically coupled to master cylinder that delivers pressurized fluid to wheel brakes as the brake pedal is depressed. A vacuum booster can also assist the movement of the brake pedal to reduce the brake pedal application force necessary to deliver hydraulic fluid to the brakes.
A brake-by-wire system is a brake actuation system in which the brake pressure generation is mechanically decoupled from the brake pedal. A brake-by-wire system may use a sensor to determine position of the brake pedal, pedal application pressure, or both. The brake pedal position is processed by an appropriate controller to generate a corresponding braking request. The braking request is used to control an associated actuator which applies hydraulic/pneumatic or electric signals to wheel brake devices. As there is no direct mechanical connection between the brake pedal and the wheel brake devices, the braking controller may determine an appropriate amount of braking torque to be applied to the wheels of the vehicle based upon the position of the brake pedal.
Vehicles equipped with brake-by-wire systems can also have a hydraulic braking system as a backup to the by-wire system. In direct response to an inability to detect the driver's braking demands, a "push-through" mechanical hydraulic braking mode can be activated in which hydraulic pressures are applied to the braking devices by means similar to conventional hydraulic braking systems.

By-wire fallback braking mode for brake-by-wire systems in vehicles


Contemplated substituted arylpiperazinyl compounds, and most preferably 18F-Mefway, exhibit desirable in vitro and in vivo binding characteristics to the 5-HT1A receptor. Among other advantageous parameters, contemplated compounds retain high binding affinity, display optimal lipophilicity, and are radiolabeled efficiently with 18F-fluorine in a single step. Still further, contemplated compounds exhibit high target to non-target ratios in receptor-rich regions both in vitro and in vivo, and selected compounds can be effectively and sensitively displaced by serotonin, thus providing a quantitative tool for measuring 5-HT1A receptors and serotonin concentration changes in the living brain.

Serotonin 5-HT1A receptors are implicated in Alzheimers disease, dementia, anxiety, schizophrenia, and depression, and significant efforts have been undertaken to develop various compounds that bind to these receptors for potential use in diagnosis and therapy of disorders associated with serotonin 5-HT1A receptors. Among other proposed approaches, particularly desirable compounds include those suitable for selective positron emission tomography (PET) analysis.
Currently known serotonin 5-HT1A receptor ligands for animal and human diagnostic imaging studies include 11C-WAY-100635 (WAY), 18F-FCWAY and 18F-MPPF. Other known compounds include those in Prior Art FIG. 1 in which (1) is WAY-100635, (2) is CPC-222, (3) is SWAY, and (4) is JWAY. Still further known ligands (which may or may not be labeled) are described in Nuclear Biology and Medicine (2000) Vol. 27, 441-447, in WO96/01656 and WO94/19026, and in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,861,427, 6,831,084, 6,821,981, and 6,670,400. While such compounds target the serotonin 5-HT1A receptors to at least some degree, numerous difficulties nevertheless exist. Among other problems, all or almost all of the known compounds are metabolized at a relatively fast rate, and/or are eliminated from plasma in an undesirably short time. Thus, data analysis is often difficult. Still further, the synthesis of such compounds is frequently difficult to achieve in adequate yields. Moreover, where 18F is used as a radiolabel, compounds are often rendered chemically instable. Worse yet, affinity of 18F-labeled compounds to the target receptor are typically relatively low.
Thus, while numerous compositions and methods for serotonin 5-HT1A receptor ligands are known in the art, all or almost all of them suffer from one or more disadvantages. Therefore, there is still a need to provide improved compositions and methods for such ligands, especially for 18F-labeled ligands.

Compositions and methods related to serotonin 5-HT1A receptors

The Regents of the University of California


A dual-rotor electric motor (1), having an outer rotor (3) and an inner rotor (4), drives a first drive axle (5) and a second drive axle (6), while also provides inter-axle speed differential function. One of the drive axles is also a steering axle. Torque and rotation are transmitted between the outer rotor and the first drive axle through a clutch (19) and a first drive shaft (20), and between the inner rotor and the second drive axle through a second drive shaft (22). A first brake (24) brakes the rotation of the outer rotor, and a second brake (25) brakes the rotation of the inner rotor. A fluid pressure source, including a pump (51) and an accumulator (59), provides fluid pressure, through a plurality of fluid lines, for operating the clutch and brakes. Electromagnetic control valves (60, 61, 62) control the operation of the clutch and brakes. An electronics (78) monitors and compares continuously the rotational speeds of the axles and controls the valves for engaging the clutch and releasing the first brake when a speed lower than a predetermined value is detected, whereby providing low-speed/four-wheel-drive mode, or disengaging the clutch and applying the first brake when a speed higher than a predetermined value is detected, whereby providing high-speed/two-wheel-drive mode, or applying the first brake or the second brake when a traction slip respectively of the first drive axle or of the second drive axle higher than a respective predetermined value is detected, whereby providing anti-slip traction control.

This invention relates generally to drive systems for electric vehicles, and more particularly to four-wheel-drive systems for electric automobiles.
The four-wheeled electric vehicles, and more particularly the electric battery-powered automobiles, normally have a conventional electric traction motor, driving two of the vehicle wheels through the final drive and differential of a drive axle. In this invention, the term "conventional traction motor" is used to indicate a traction motor of any appropriate electrical type, having a stator and a rotor. In some drive systems the conventional traction motor is integrated with the final drive and differential into a motor-transaxle. Some drive axles have a limited-slip differential for limiting the traction slip of one of the drive wheels, in case of poor traction conditions, and providing some torque to the drive wheel with better traction. The described two-wheel-drive systems are simple and efficient. However, generally, the two-wheel-drive is inferior to the four-wheel-drive, as far as the traction and handling of the vehicle are concerned.
Different four-wheel-drive systems for automotive type vehicles are known in the art. Some of these systems generate tractive force permanently throughout all four vehicle wheels, while others have provisions for selection of a four-wheel-drive mode or a two-wheel-drive mode. However, the four-wheel-drive automobiles have two drive axles, one of which is also a steering axle. In a four-wheel-drive system for electric vehicles, having a conventional traction motor, torque and rotation from the motor rotor are split between the front and rear drive axles through a transfer box and an inter-axle differential. Usually a limited-slip inter-axle differential is used for limiting the traction slip of the wheels of one of the axles, in case of poor traction conditions, and providing some torque to the wheels of the axle with better traction. However, the addition of a transfer box and a limited-slip inter-axle differential complicates significantly a four-wheel-drive system. High cost and low mechanical efficiency are the major disadvantages of the known four-wheel-drive systems, in comparison with the two-wheel-drive ones. An improvement of the average mechanical efficiency of a four-wheel-drive is achieved when the system provides for selection of four-wheel-drive mode or two-wheel-drive mode. Then, the four-wheel-drive is used normally at lower speed and bad road conditions when more traction is needed, and the two-wheel-drive is used normally at higher speed and good road conditions when the traction of two drive wheels is sufficient. However, the addition of a mechanism for selectively connecting or disconnecting one of the axles to or from the power train further complicates the four-wheel-drive systems.
It is well known in the art that the capacity for energy storage of the present-days electric batteries is quite limited, while their weight is significant. Therefore, the efficiency of the drive train of the electric battery-powered vehicles is of an utmost importance. Along with the high cost, the low efficiency is the major reason why the four-wheel-drive system of the above described types have not found practical application in the contemporary electric automobiles.
Some four-wheel-drive electric vehicles have two conventional traction motors, each one driving one of the two drive axles of the vehicle. This type four-wheel-drive systems do not require a transfer box and a limited-slip inter-axle differential. Each of the two mechanically independent drive trains of the system is simple and efficient. Nevertheless, such a system requires a quite complicated double-motor controller, capable to coordinate continuously the rotational behavior of both motors. Overall, the incorporation of two traction motors and a complex double-motor controller makes such four-wheel-drive systems quite expensive. That is why they have found limited practical application, mainly in the design of heavy electric battery-powered vehicle.
All of the above described two-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive systems normally have rigid mechanical power trains providing a single rotational speed reduction ratio between the rotor of the traction motor and the vehicle drive wheels. Therefore, the rotational speed of the vehicle wheels, and consequently--the speed of the vehicle, is substantially directly proportional to the rotational speed of the motor rotor. The vehicle speed and tractive effort are controlled, by the operator of the vehicle, through the traction motor electrical controller, which provides variable torque and rotational speed of the motor rotor in relation with the position of the vehicle accelerator pedal and the external forces resisting or helping the motion of the vehicle. The vehicle direction of motion is controlled also through the traction motor electrical controller, which changes the direction of rotation of motor rotor in relation with the position of a forward/reverse switch, controlled by the operator of the vehicle. Usually the traction motor is also used for electric braking of the vehicle, and particularly for speed retardation on a long downhill incline, by generating torque resisting the motion of the vehicle. The braking action of the traction motor is controlled directly by the operator of the vehicle through suitable means. Usually, the traction motor controller is also arranged to protect automatically the rotor from over-speeding, if, for some reason, the power train is interrupted and the energized motor remains under no torque resisting the rotation. However, the described above electric drive control is well known and relatively simple and efficient. Nevertheless, the existing electric vehicles, having a rigid drive train, provide substantially lower maximum speed than the maximum speed of the compatible automobiles powered by internal combustion engines. That is because the current-torque-speed characteristics of the conventional traction motors of different electrical types usually cannot meet both tractive effort and speed requirements of the contemporary automobiles. A gear-shift transmission may be incorporated into the drive train for providing several speed ratios, and thus to increase the vehicle speed range. Nevertheless, such a solution is not practically applicable because of a substantial additional cost and mechanical losses, which a gear-shift transmission would contribute to the drive system of an electric vehicle.
Drive systems for electric vehicles utilizing a traction motor having two rotors and no stator, although very seldom used, are also known in the art.
The electric motors having an outer rotor and an inner rotor are known under different names, such as stator-less motors, or dual-rotor motors, or double-rotor motors, etc. However, hereinafter the term "dual-rotor motor" is accepted and used in this invention to designate such a motor. In the dual-rotor motors, usually the outer rotor is arranged as a motor field and the inner rotor is arranged as a motor armature. The inner rotor is mounted coaxially inside the outer rotor. Both rotors are mounted in the motor housing, and, when the motor is energized, rotate in opposite directions under the action of the same electromagnetic forces. Normally, the electric current is conducted from terminals on the stationary motor housing to the rotating outer rotor through the contact of brushes, attached to the motor housing, and rings, mounted on the outer rotor. Otherwise, the arrangement, and particularly the wiring and electrical control of a dual-rotor motor, is generally the same as those of a conventional motor of the same electrical type. A dual-rotor traction motor may be a direct-current motor or an alternating-current motor of any particular type and design appropriate for a traction motor of a vehicle. In the known drive systems, usually the dual-rotor motor is integrated with two planetary reducers in a motor-transaxle. Torque and rotation are transmitted between the shaft of the outer rotor and the shaft of one of the drive wheels through one of the planetary reducers, and between the shaft of the inner rotor and the shaft of the other drive wheel--through the other planetary reducer. The two planetary reducers have the same reduction ratio. The output shaft of one of the reducers rotates in the same direction as the direction of rotation of the respective rotor, while the output shaft of the other reducer rotates in direction opposite to the direction of rotation of its respective rotor. Therefore, the output shafts of both reducers, and thus the two drive wheels, rotate in the same direction. A remarkable feature of a dual-rotor motor is that both rotors, driven by the same electromagnetic forces to rotate in opposite directions, produce equal torques on their output shafts but may rotate with different absolute rotational speeds, referring to a static body--such as the motor housing. Thus, the dual-rotor traction motor in the described above motor-transaxles provides for a speed differential between the two wheels of the axle. One of the major disadvantages of the existing drive systems with dual-rotor motors is that they have generally the same quite limited speed range as the described before systems with conventional traction motor and rigid drive train. For that reason, two-wheel drive systems having a dual-rotor traction motor have been used mainly in slow-moving vehicles, such as industrial trucks. However, although a dual-rotor traction motor is more complicated than an equivalent conventional traction motor, the described above drive systems utilizing a dual-rotor motor are overall relatively simple and efficient.
When a dual-rotor motor is incorporated in a drive system, the total available torque on the shafts of both rotors is two times bigger than the torque available on the shaft of an otherwise equivalent conventional motor. Another important feature of the dual-rotor motors is that, if both rotors are made of materials with the same or similar strength, the smaller inner rotor can rotate safely with much higher absolute rotational speed than the safe absolute rotational speed of the larger outer rotor, because the destructive centrifugal forces are substantially proportional to the mass and the square of the radius of each rotor. On the other hand, the control of a dual-rotor motor, including the current-torque-speed control, electric braking and speed retardation of the vehicle, over-speed protection of the rotors, and thermal protection of the motor, is arranged generally in the same manner and by the same means as in a conventional traction motor of the same electrical type. In this regard, a dual-rotor traction motor is not more complicated than an equivalent conventional motor of the same electrical type. However, the unique features and advantages of the dual-rotor traction motors described above have not yet been fully explored and utilized in the design of electric automobiles. Therefore, it will be beneficial if a simple and efficient four-wheel-drive system for electric battery-powered vehicle can be provided by using a dual-rotor traction motor with a conventional single motor controller, instead of using two conventional traction motors with a complicated dual-motor controller or a single conventional traction motor but with the addition of some complicated and inefficient drive train, such as those described herein earlier.
Friction clutches of different types are used for transmitting and selectively interrupting the transmission of torque and rotation between the components of a vehicle drive train. Usually, means using fluid pressure or electrical means operate the automotive clutches. When engaged, the frictional clutch is an extremely efficient power-transmitting element. Also, hydraulic and electric brakes of different types are well known and used for selectively braking the rotation of the vehicle wheels or other rotating components of the vehicle drive train. The contemporary clutches and brakes are relatively simple and inexpensive automotive components. Therefore, it will be beneficial if a four-wheel drive system for electric vehicles can be arranged to provide a wide speed range and selection of four-wheel-drive mode or two-wheel-drive mode, utilizing only a clutch and a brake, instead of a long drive train including a gear-shift transmission, a transfer box, a limited slip inter-axle differential and a mechanism for selectively disconnecting or connecting one of the drive axles from or to the power train, which all are complicated, noisy, energy-consuming and expensive components.
Vehicle electronics, well known in the art, are capable to monitor continuously, through appropriate sensors, the rotational speed of the vehicle wheels or the rotational speed of the input shafts of the drive axles, as well as the rotational speed of other drive train components or other variable parameters, related to the rotational speed of the vehicle wheels, such as the steering angle of the vehicle steering wheels. Such an electronics processes the signals from several sensors, and, in accordance with a predetermined program, controls the operation of means whose quick reaction is of utmost importance for the performance and safety of the vehicle. For example, the electronics may control the performance of the engine of the vehicle, or an automatic gear-shift transmission, or an anti-lock braking system, or an anti-slip traction control system, or another system or combination of systems. Therefore, it will be beneficial if such an electronics may be incorporated in the design of an electric vehicle for providing automatic control of the drive system, in accordance with the rotational behavior of the drive axles and a predetermined program, and thus securing better performance and safety of the vehicle.


A pixel region is surrounded in any adjacent scan lines and any adjacent data lines. Two thin film transistor (TFT) groups that are controlled by different scan lines are located in each pixel region. The two data lines respectively send different polarity data to the pixel region through the two TFT groups. At least one capacitor is used to couple with the two TFT groups for providing a coupling effect to make sure the voltage in the two connection points simultaneously goes up and down.

User demand for entertainment equipment is particularly high as a result of the rapid development of multimedia applications. Conventionally, the cathode ray tube (CRT) display, which is a type of monitor, is commonly used. However, the cathode ray tube display does not meet the needs of multimedia technology because of the large volume thereof. Therefore, many flat panel display techniques such as liquid crystal display (LCD) have been recently developed.
Conventional LCD panels have narrow view angles so the normal images displayed by them only can be viewed directly in front of the display area. If the display area is watched from an oblique view angle, color distortion occurs in what is viewed, and gray inversion may even occur. That is, what appears black is actually white and what appears white is actually black. Therefore, how to widen the view angle is an important subject for the LCD manufacturers.
Among various methods for widening the view angle, an LC vertical alignment (VA) technique is still one of the most popular techniques in the current LCD market. However, because liquid crystal molecules are aligned in the same direction (mono-domain vertical alignment), a normal image cannot be seen from a view angle perpendicular to or symmetric to the direction. No matter whether the liquid crystal molecules are realigned in a different direction after the electrical field existing therein changes, the view angle is also limited to the parallel direction of the liquid crystal molecules. Therefore, a multi-domain VA (MVA) technique has been put forth to improve the drawback of the prior art. However, according to MVA technology, additional ridges or bumps are required on the color filter to control the alignment of the tilt direction of liquid crystal molecules and automatically align tilt direction according to their region to which they belong. But because the existence of the bumps results in a need for precise alignment between a color filter and an active matrix substrate, and an additional over-coating must be formed on the color filter, the yield of this LCD panel is reduced and the cost thereof is increased. Therefore, bias-bending vertical alignment (BBVA) technology has been developed to solve the foregoing problem.
FIG. 1 is a schematic, cross-sectional diagram of a conventional LCD display panel of the bias-bending vertical alignment (BBVA) type. The LCD panel 100 comprises an upper transparent substrate 102, a lower transparent substrate 104 and a liquid crystal molecule layer 106 between the upper and lower substrates 102 and 104. A common electrode 108 is located over the upper transparent substrate 102. Pixel electrodes 110 are located over the lower transparent substrate 104. A main electric field exists between the common electrode 108 and the pixel electrode 110 to make liquid crystal molecules 116 have oblique positions. A control electrode 112 is formed on the lower substrate 104. An insulation layer 114 is interposed between the control electrode 112 and the pixel electrode 110. During operation, a bias voltage is generated first between the control electrode 112 and the common electrode 108. The bias voltage causes the corresponding liquid crystal molecule to be in a saturation state. Then, when another voltage is applied to the pixel electrode 110, the adjacent liquid crystal molecules are sequentially arranged in a predetermined orientation.
FIG. 2 is a conventional equivalent circuit diagram of a pixel region implanting BBVA technology. Three thin film transistors are located in each pixel region. The thin film transistors 202 and 204 serve as switches of the pixel electrode voltage (Vpixel). The thin film transistor 206 serve as a switch of the control electrode voltage (VCE). The three thin film transistors 202, 204 and 206 are controlled by the signals from the adjacent scan lines Gn-1 and Gn.
When the scan line Gn-1 is scanned, the thin film transistors 204 and 206 are on and the thin film transistor 202 is off. At this time, the control electrode voltage (VCE) and the pixel voltage (Vpixel) are written into the data lines Dm-1 and Dm through the thin film transistors 204 and 206, respectively. Therefore, a voltage difference is built between the control electrode voltage (VCE) and the pixel voltage (Vpixel). Next, when the scan line Gn is scanned, the thin film transistor 202 is on and the thin film transistors 204 and 206 are off. At this time, the voltage signal transmitted in the data line Dm is written into the pixel region through the thin film transistor 202. The control electrode voltage (VCE) is raised or dropped to a specific voltage by the pixel voltage (Vpixel) through a coupling effect generated by a capacitor C2.
However, three thin film transistors are used in the conventional circuit structure designed for BBVA technology, which reduces the aperture ratio. If one of the thin film transistors is damaged, the pixel is considered to be malfunctioning. On the other hand, too many thin film transistors connected to a same scanning line result in a severe RC delay on the scan signal.

Pixel structure of a liquid crystal display and driving method thereof


A power converter which can attain a reliable electric connection with electrodes of a power module by facilitating positioning of conductors connected to the electrodes of the power module. The power converter includes the power module having the plurality of electrodes in the form of plate-shaped conductors within a casing having a lid, and also includes a plurality of plate-shaped conductors connected to the electrodes of the power module. Male screws are embedded in ones of the electrodes of the power module provided at least on the side of the lid to be projected therefrom, the plate-shaped conductors connected to the electrodes having the male screws are formed therein with holes at locations corresponding to the male screws, the male screws being inserted in the corresponding holes, and electrically connected with the electrodes with nuts fastened to the male screws.

The present invention relates to a power converter and more particularly, to a technique for increasing the productivity of the power converter.
A power converter, for example, an inverter includes, as its main constituent elements, a power module having a plurality of switching semiconductor elements, a control circuit board for controlling the operations of the plurality of switching semiconductor elements in the power module, and a smoothing capacitor connected to a DC side of the power module. Respective constituent elements including the aforementioned elements are accommodated within a single casing.
The inverter thus arranged is located between a DC power source and an electrical load so that a DC power source side of the inverter is connected to both ends of the smoothing capacitor and an electrical load side of the inverter is connected to an AC side of the power module. In the inverter, a signal indicative of a torque command or a rotation command is input to the control circuit board so that the ON/OFF operations of the plurality of switching semiconductor elements are controlled with use of a drive signal received from a drive circuit board via the control circuit board, whereby a power to be supplied to the electrical load from the DC power source is converted.
In the inverter, current paths from the DC power source to the smoothing capacitor and to the power module as well as current paths from the power module to the electrical load side are made, in many cases, in the form of bus bars made of plate-shaped conductors. For this reason, the power module has a plurality of electrodes or terminals for interconnection with the plate-shaped conductors (bus bars). The plurality of electrodes or terminals are made in the form of plate-shaped conductors and are exposed outside of the case of the power module.
One of background arts of the power converter thus arranged is known as disclosed, for example, in JP-A-2000-216331. Disclosed in JP-A-2000-216331 is such a technique that lamination conductors are stacked on the outer terminals of the power module and the outer terminals and the lamination conductors are connected by bolts.
When such a power converter as the aforementioned inverter is assembled, the power module is located with the casing and then the plurality of electrodes or terminals provided to the power module and the plate-shaped conductors (bus bars) are interconnected by tightening members such as bolts as in the background art. Upon the interconnecting works between the electrodes or terminals and the conductors, threaded holes provided in the both are positioned and then the both members are interconnected by the tightening members.
In such a power converter requiring a high miniaturization or compactness as an inverter used in a vehicle, the power module and the smoothing capacitor are located, in many cases, close to the wall of the casing. In such a case, it is hard to secure a sufficient working zone in the vicinity of the plurality of electrodes or terminals provided to the power module, it becomes highly difficult to confirm the positioning to the plate-shaped conductors (bus bars) and thus the interconnecting works between the plurality of electrodes or terminals provided to the power module and the plate-shaped conductors (bus bars). For this reason, it has so far been demanded to such a technique as to increase a working efficiency upon assembling the power converter including the interconnecting works between the plurality of electrodes or terminals provided to the power module and the plate-shaped conductors (bus bars) and eventually to increase the productivity of the power converter.


A method of making a mask representing a photographic subject includes the steps of: simultaneously capturing a front and two side face views of the subject using a single camera and a pair of mirrors, one mirror on each side of the subject's head; forming a digital image of the captured front and side views; digitally processing the digital image by mirroring the two side views and blending the two side views with the front view to form a blended image; and transferring the blended image to a head sock.

It is known to make masks using photographic images. Generally known techniques for making such masks include capturing the image and digitally distorting the image to adapt it to the shape of a mask. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,929,213, issued May 29, 1990, to Morgan, discloses a method for single image capture and thermal image transfer. This method requires thermal image transfer to a block of compliant foam material and relics on the shape of the foam block alone to restore the 3 dimensional appearance to the 2 dimensional image. This process does not lend itself to producing realistic appearing masks.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,626, issued Apr. 23, 1991, to Katz discloses a method for distorting an image and forming an azimuthal type group (like a "world map"), which when printed on fabric, cut and assembled in a three dimensional format, forms a full head fabric mask. Katz refers to various capture techniques such as flat, stereoscopic, topographical, or panoramic. Katz discloses using two cameras to capture front and side or back, a flexible print-accepting material suitable for fabricating a skin-like facial surface for people dolls, mannequins and humanoids or hair-like appearance for animal dolls and toys. Katz also list a series of flexible type fabrics. Katz also discloses three capture/process techniques; flat frontal with shading to yield the 3-D appearance, azimthal type for cut out and assemble, and computer correlated, molding and stretching. A shortcoming of all the methods disclosed is that the image must be transferred to the material prior to constructing the mask, thereby limiting the use of the techniques for while-you-wait retail sales locations such as found in theme parks and novelty stores. A further limitation of the techniques disclosed by Katz is the need for a skilled operator to manipulate the image.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,305, issued Jan. 18, 1994, to Monroe et al. discloses using a computer to distort or warp a frontal 2-D image. An optional approach is described where a series of video frames are captured and the best one is selected for the mask image. The image is output onto heat deformable plastic, and vacuum forming on a generic face mold is used to form the mask. This approach does not yield realistic looking masks since the generic face form does not fit all user's faces.

Process and apparatus for making photorealistic masks and masks made thereby


The present invention provides a bacterial microorganism Ochrobactrum having the ability, to degrade or detoxify moniliformin or structurally related mycotoxins. The present invention further provides a method for detoxification of grain pre- or post-harvest using Ochrobactrum bacterium having the ability to degrade or detoxify moniliformin or derivatives or analogs of moniliformin and wherein the preferred bacterium is Ochrobactrum anthropi.

Fungal diseases are common problems in crop agriculture. Many strides have been made against plant diseases as exemplified by the use of hybrid plants, pesticides and unproved agricultural practices. However, as any grower or home gardener can attest, the problems of fungal plant disease continue to cause difficulties in plant cultivation. Thus, there is a continuing need for new methods and materials for solving the problems caused by fungal diseases of plants. These problems can be met through a variety of approaches. For example, the infectious organisms can be controlled through the use of agents that are selectively biocidal for the pathogens. Another method is interference with the mechanism by which the pathogen invades the host crop plant. Yet another method, in the case of pathogens that cause crop losses, is interference with the mechanism by which the pathogen causes injury to the host crop plant. Still another method, in the case of pathogens that produce toxins that are undesirable to mammals or other animals that feed on the crop plants, is interference with toxin production, storage, or activity.
Within the Fusarium sp. are several important pathogens of corn and other cereals in various countries. In corn, Fusarium is known to cause root, stem and ear rot that results in severe crop reduction. The etiology of Fusarium ear mold is poorly understood, although physical damage to the ear and certain environmental conditions can contribute to its occurrence(Nelson, P. E., 1992, "Taxonomy and Biology of Fusarium moniliforme." Mycopathologia 117: 29-36). Fusarium may be isolated from most field grown maize, when no visible mold is present. The relationship between seedling infection and the stalk and ear diseases caused by Fusarium is not clear. Genetic resistance to visible kernel mold has been identified (Gendloff E, Rossman E, Casale W, Isleib T, Hart P, 1986, "Components of resistance to Fusarium ear rot in field corn." Phytopathology 76: 684-688; Holley RN, Hamilton PB, Goodman MM, 1989, "Evaluation of tropical maize germplasm for resistance to kernel colonization by Fusarium moniliforme." Plant Dis 73: 578-580). The mycotoxins produced by the Fusarium species that infect plants may accumulate in infected plants or in stored grains, presenting serious health consequences for livestock, humans and other consumers of meat or other food products of such livestock. Fusarium infection has been associated with chronic or acute mycotoxicoses in both farm animals and man (Botallico, et al.). An important mycotoxin that has been found to be produced by certain Fusarium sp. and has been identified in Fusarium-infected crops is moniliformin.
Moniliformin is a water-soluble toxin produced by Fusarium species such as Fusarium moniliforme and F. moniliforme var. subglutinans, as well as other species. These Fusarium species are found in virtually all food-grade corn worldwide, and moniliformin-producing isolates have been reported in Europe, South Africa, The United States, New Zealand, Taiwan and South America. It is likely that as more surveys are completed, moniliformin will be found at high levels in certain grain samples from a variety of areas. Moniliformin has been shown to have marked toxic effects toward animals and plants. It selectively inhibits mitochondrial pyruvate and alpha-ketoglutarate oxidations. Grain containing high levels of moniliformin may be restricted in its use or subject to important import/export regulations.
The discovery of bacteria that are able to metabolize moniliformin allows contaminated grain to be detoxified. This invention provides a bacterium that can grow on moniliformin as a sole carbon source. The degradation of moniliformin in the media may be assayed by a thin layer chromatography (TLC) assay. The present invention provides a method to reduce the amount of the mycotoxin in corn by incubation of infected corn with this bacterium or, alternatively, with the moniliformin-metabolization enzyme.
There is a need in the art for novel methods with which moniliformin may be eliminated from a plant or harvested grain. It is considered important by those skilled in the art to continue to develop inventions in order to protect the final consumer of a plant or harvested grain. The present invention provides the reagents and methodologies necessary to ameliorate plants and harvested grains from moniliformin.

Method of degrading moniliformin with ochrobactrum


A differential pressure system and a gas meter arrangement for precisely measuring a gas consumption by a gas meter is provided. A previously known gas meter is disposed in a bypass comprising a differential pressure system in the gas pipe for measuring a volumetric flow rate inside the gas pipe. The differential pressure system includes flow ducts having decreasing diameters as the radial position increases starting from a central axis of the differential pressure system. Examples of execution include inlet ports and/or outlet ports of the flow ducts which are provided with a specific countersink angle (α), and an equidistant, concentric arrangement of flow ducts on the cross-sectional area of the differential pressure system. This has the advantage of increasing the differential pressure at a low volume flow rate, reducing the differential pressure at a high volume flow rate, and generally creating an improved linearity across the entire measurement range between the volume flow rate in the bypass and the volume flow rate in the gas pipe, among other advantages.

The present invention relates to the field of measuring gas consumption by means of flow sensors and especially thermal flow sensors. It starts from a differential pressure means and from a gas meter arrangement for measuring a gas consumption in accordance with the preamble of the independent claims.
In WO 01/96819 A1 is disclosed a gas meter which is calibrated as an energy measuring apparatus. The calibration is based on sensor signal values being determined in dependence on the flow rate of a calibration gas and being stored in the form of a sensor calibration curve in the gas meter. The sensor calibration curve or respectively the sensor signal values are multiplied by a signal conversion factor and a calorific value factor for the base gas mixture, such that the product obtained gives a gas consumption in an energy unit. By means of a further correction factor, at least approximately the actual calorific value of a consumed gas mixture can be taken into account in the energy calibration. As the actual calorific value, a calorific value which is measured and averaged over a specific period of time can be used.
In the U.S. Pat. No. 5,750,892 is disclosed an arrangement for flow measurement which has a flow sensor in a bypass, in which arrangement an elongated laminar flow element is provided in the main stream and has a large number of flow ducts, and the connections to the bypass lie inside the linear span of the flow element. Thus the drop in pressure can be kept largely linear via the flow element or the bypass as a function of the volume flow rate, since non-linear components as a result of turbulent flow components in the inlet and outflow region of the bypass and as a result of a non-constant flow cross-section are minimised.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Differential pressure means for a gas meter arrangement, comprising an improved flow geometry


An expandable container system including a container, an expandable nipple and a one-way valve. The expandable nipple is attached to the first end of the container and the valve is attached to a second end of the container. A counteracting bias force is generated within the container and a first fluid is drawn in through the valve by extending the expandable nipple. When the expandable nipple is released, the expandable nipple is biased back to an unextended state, and an increase in pressure created by the counteracting bias force induces a second fluid to flow out of an outlet in the expandable nipple.

Various types of valving mechanisms are known to vent air from within a bottle and to prevent the creation of an excess vacuum. Those typically known, include numerous component parts and are large, inconvenient and clumsy to assemble and disassemble. These large valving mechanisms may be integrated into the cap, via the spout and/or an air vent disposed near the cap.
Despite the ineffectiveness of these conventional valve mechanisms, a need exists for an efficient spill proof container assembly and method capable of simultaneously priming before and during use, while enabling a caregiver to efficiently moderating the flow of fluid through the nipple of a container.

System for venting, priming and modifying a flow rate of fluid from a container


The present invention relates to a portable strength training device which can be adapted to various sports and can be utilized in almost any location. More, specifically present invention is a weighted elongated tubular member which includes connectors for attachment of various balls and/or sporting equipment. The training device is adjustable through the use of various sized hollow tubes of different lengths and/or diameters which allow for the addition of one or more types of weight material within the hollow lumen. Various different sports objects, such as balls, golf club handles, tennis racket handles, baseball bats and the like can be secured to one of the distal ends of the hollow tubes. Clips hooks or the like may be secured to the opposite distal end of the tube for anchoring the device.

There are various devices for strengthening the hands, wrists, forearms, upper arms, back and shoulders. These devices operate on the principles of variable threading, tension, torque, and compression mechanisms. These devices range from simple spring like devices which are operated in one hand such as free weights to complicated machines which can develop multiple muscles and muscle groups simultaneously. Strength training devices are currently available for everyone from the casual athlete to the professional athlete. The strength training devices which the professional athletes use are usually complex, relatively expensive, and generally not available for the average person/athlete. Another problem with the strength training equipment that professional athletes use is that it is designed for a specific sport. An individual who wants to play multiple sports would need to purchase many different pieces of strength training equipment.


According to a solenoid air valve, a flange portion of a moving core and a flange portion area of a bobbin implement a stop area defining a distance of travel of the moving core in a direction away from a fixed core. An end portion of a shaft portion of the moving core can project outward through an opening of a frame cover, so that a gap between a surface of the frame cover facing the shaft portion and a side surface of the shaft portion (distance: L2) can be minimized. Consequently, a solenoid air valve having a structure allowing improvement in magnetic efficiency by making smaller the gap between the frame and the moving core is provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure of a solenoid air valve used in a blood pressure monitor or the like.
2. Description of the Background Art
Blood pressure is measured based on information on artery obtained by placing an air bag around human body (brachium, wrist) and inflating the same with air to apply pressure to the human body. When inflated by an air pump, the air bag is closed so as to avoid air leakage. At the time of measurement, deflation control is performed. When the measurement is finished, the inflated air bag needs to be deflated, in order to release the human body from constraint. A solenoid air valve is often used in such a case. A conventional air valve structure is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 09-135817 (hereinafter, referred to as document 1) and Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2000-097364 (hereinafter, referred to as document 2) described below.
According to the air valve structure disclosed in document 1, a nipple is pressed against and brought in contact with a packing portion provided at a tip end of a movable plunger by prescribed elastic force by a spring or the like, thereby controlling air flow rate. In addition, the air valve structure disclosed in document 2 is driven by a moving core or a moving coil, in which a packing is brought in contact with a nipple so as to control a pressure of air that flows, and a viscous member is provided between the moving core or the moving coil and a solenoid fixing member so as to smoothly control air flow rate. In this manner, in the air valve according to the conventional structure, the nipple serving as an air outlet is pressed and closed by sufficient driving force so as to avoid air leakage during inflation. While measurement is being performed and when measurement is finished, the packing is moved in order to control deflation and to release air pressure.
In recent years, in order to improve portability also of a blood pressure monitor, reduction in size of a main unit of the blood pressure monitor is demanded, which means that the air valve contained therein should also be made smaller. The conventional structure, however, suffers from the following problems. The packing for sufficiently covering the nipple portion is necessary for confining air. When the packing is brought in direct contact with the moving core and the moving core is made thinner for size reduction, magnetic reluctance is increased and driving force necessary for pressing the packing is lowered, which results in failure in achieving sufficient sealing and reduction in size.
FIGS. 5 and 6 show a cross-sectional structure of a conventional solenoid air valve 200. A frame 201 has a frame main body 202 and a frame cover 203. Frame main body 202 accommodates a bobbin 241. A coil body 260 is accommodated between an outer circumferential surface of bobbin 241 and an inner circumferential surface of frame main body 202. In addition, in bobbin 241, a fixed core 210 and a moving core 220 serving as a slider are coaxially arranged, and a coil spring 230 applying force in a direction separating fixed core 21 and moving core 220 is accommodated therebetween. In the fixed core, an air passage 211 is provided. A convex nipple (air outlet) 212 is provided at a position of the fixed core opposed to moving core 220, and a rubber packing 250 is embedded in a position of moving core 220 opposed to nipple 212.
In a normal state (a state in which a current is not fed to coil body 260), as shown in FIG. 6, rubber packing 250 of moving core 220 and nipple 212 of fixed core 210 are separated from each other by means of coil spring 230, whereby air can flow out through air passage 211. On the other hand, in a closed state, as shown in FIG. 7, the current is fed to coil body 260, so that magnetic flux is generated by excitation of coil body 260 and moving core 220 is attracted to and brought in contact with fixed core 210. In addition, nipple 212 is pressed by rubber packing 250 to close air passage 211.
Here, reduction in size of air valve 200 structured as above is considered. As shown in FIG. 8, it is possible to make smaller an outer diameter of frame 201, as well as to make smaller an outer diameter φ1 of fixed core 210 and moving core 220 for ensuring a volume of coil body 260. Taking into account the air flow rate, however, an inner diameter of nipple 212 cannot be made smaller, or a diameter of rubber packing 250 for closing nipple 212 cannot be changed either. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, an area of magnetic pole of moving core 220 around rubber packing 250 is made smaller. In such a case, magnetic flux M is concentrated in a narrow area around rubber packing 250, which results in increase in magnetic reluctance, lower efficiency of a magnetic circuit, and lowering in the driving force. Consequently, attractive force of fixed core 210 to be exerted on moving core 220 may extremely be lowered, and leakage of air from nipple 212 is caused. Meanwhile, in order to obtain attractive force equivalent to that in the conventional example in the more compact structure shown in FIG. 8, the current should be increased, which results in increase in a current value.
In addition, as shown in FIG. 10, an end surface portion of moving core 220 opposite to fixed core 210 is covered by bobbin 241 made of resin composed of a non-magnetic material. As a gap L1 comparable to a thickness of the resin is present between frame cover 203 and moving core 220 implementing the magnetic circuit, magnetic reluctance at gap L1 is increased, which may become a factor to lower efficiency of the magnetic circuit.