A battery container is manufactured by forming, by the DI or DTR forming method, a surface-treated steel sheet obtained by plating the external and internal surfaces of an original steel sheet with a nickel-cobalt alloy. The nickel-cobalt alloy coating the punching load in a cupping process, because the powdering property is remarkably reduced. Therefore, the scratching of a die and a punch caused by metallic contact is suppressed and the service lives of the die and the punch are prolonged, thus providing improved continuous productivity of the battery case which has a good stripping property in the DI or DTR forming operations.

The present invention concerns a container where alkaline solution is packed.
More specifically, it concerns a battery exterior container of alkali manganese batteries and the nickel cadmium batteries. Moreover, it concerns the surface treated steel sheet that is suitable for making thereof.
A method of barrel plating after press forming cold-rolled steel strip into a battery container or a method of press forming nickel-plated steel strip into a battery container have been adopted for manufacturing a battery container for such as alkali-manganese batteries and nickel cadmium batteries in which strong alkaline solution is packed. The reason why nickel plating is used for batteries such as alkali manganese batteries and nickel cadmium batteries is as follows. Nickel having excellent corrosion resistance to alkali is suitable for these batteries whose electrolyte is chiefly strong alkaline potassium hydroxide. Moreover, nickel is suitable for batteries since nickel has steady contact resistance when the battery is connected with an external terminal. Furthermore, nickel has excellent spot welding properties in case where each component is spot welded when assembled into a battery in the battery manufacturing process.
By the way, recently the main current of the plating method has been pre-plating, in which a steel strip is nickeled beforehand, replacing past barrel plating. It was difficult to manufacture products of high quality steadily by the past barrel plating because the difference of the plating thickness was large and it was especially difficult to nickel inside the container uniformly. As for pre-plating, the method of giving thermal diffusion processing after nickel plating has come to be applied chiefly to improve corrosion resistance. Now, the relation between the battery performance of the alkali manganese battery and the positive electrode container (battery container) is described hereafter. The said battery performance and the properties of the inside of positive electrode container are closely related. It is said that the lower the contact resistance between the inside of the positive electrode container and the positive electrode mix of the alkali manganese battery (consisting of manganese dioxide as a positive electrode active material, graphite as a conductor, and potassium hydroxide as electrolyte), the more excellent the battery performance. As for alkali manganese battery, the positive electrode mix and the positive electrode container are in contact, and the positive electrode container serves as not only a container of the battery but also as a conductor which transfers electrons.
Therefore, when the contact resistance between the positive electrode mix and the inner surface of the positive electrode container is great, the internal resistance of the battery rises. It causes decrease in the operation voltage, and in the electrical discharge duration, obstructing the battery performance. So, it is desirable to decrease the contact resistance between the positive electrode mix and the inner surface of the positive electrode container. Therefore, roughing the surf ace inner surf ace the positive electrode container, making a ditch on the positive electrode container in the vertical direction, and applying conductive coating or a conducting material made by adding binder to graphite are proposed to decrease the contact resistance between the positive electrode mix and the inner surf ace of the positive electrode container.
Next, the press-forming method of the battery container is described. Recently, DI (drawing and ironing) forming method is increasingly used as a method of thinning wall to increase the capacity of the battery replacing the past multi step deep drawing method (see Published Japanese Patent Hei 7-99686). This DI forming method and DTR (drawing thin and redraw) forming method is capable of increasing the battery capacity because the container side wall being thinner than the bottom thickness allows more positive electrode and negative electrode active materials to be contained. Moreover, the thick bottom has an advantage to improve the pressure resistance of the battery.
By the way, although the DI forming method and the DTR forming method are effective for increasing battery capacity as mentioned above, there is a disadvantage when they are used for continuous forming because the deformation resistance of the material in those methods is greater than in the conventional multi step deep-drawing forming method. Concretely, when the powdering quality (powdery dropout of the plating layer) in the cupping process of the DI forming method and the DTR forming method is inferior, the powder adheres to the die and the punch in the ironing process causing a defect in the container sidewall. Although the similar phenomenon happens in the deep drawing forming, the above-mentioned defect is more remarkable in the DI forming method and the DTR forming method because the container wall has small surface roughness, which produced more lustrous appearance.
Moreover, powdering quality is more critical in the DI forming method and the DTR forming method. Also, because the contact pressure of the material and the tool is greater in the DI forming method and the DTR forming method than that in the drawing method, favorable lubrication is requested for tool life. Therefore, materials which have a favorable powdering quality and retention of the press lubricant are requested.
When using nickel plated steel sheet, one of the ways to improve the retention of the lubricant is to cause cracks in the plating layer at the press-forming step and to hold the lubricant in the part where cracks are caused. As a means for this, gloss nickel-plating producing a hard plating layer is generally brought to mind. However, although the gloss nickel plating produces a hard gloss plating layer, it is brittle and it has inferior powdering quality at the press-forming. In addition, since gloss plating involves organic additives containing sulfur (for example, sulfonic acid having xe2x95x90C SO2-group) to make electrolytic ally deposited crystal grains fine, sulfur is absorbed in the plating layer, which causes the embrittlement with sulfur promoted by the temperature rise of the material in the ironing and the stretching process of the DI forming and the DTR forming resulting in a deteriorated powdering quality.
The inventors of the present invention examined various materials for a battery container having excellent formability in the DI forming method and the DTR forming method from such viewpoints, and found that nickel-cobalt alloy plating is suitable.
The present invention is based on such findings and it is aimed at a battery container having high quality and excellent continuous formability and a surf ace treated steel sheet which is suitable for producing the said battery container. Another objective of the present invention is to improve the removability DTR forming. This is taken into consideration since the difficulty of stripping the container from the punch (strippability) in the final pressing process is critical in the container manufacturing in addition to the above-mentioned powdering quality. At stripping where the container is pulled out from the punch hitching fingernails on the edge of the container, there was a problem that an inferior stripping caused breaking and split at the open edge portion of the container more frequently, which deteriorated the productivity.
A battery container which achieves the above mentioned purpose is obtained by forming a surface treated steel sheet, of which inside and outside are plated with nickel-cobalt alloy, using DI forming method or DTR forming method. The cobalt content of the above-mentioned nickel-cobalt alloy plating is preferably from 0.5 to 10 percent by weight, and the thickness of the above-mentioned nickel cobalt-alloy plating is from 0.5 to 3 xcexcm for the inside of the container and from 1.0 to 4 9 xcexcm for the outside of the container.
Another battery container is obtained by forming a surface treated steel sheet, of which inside and outside are plated with nickel-iron alloy, using DI forming method or DTR forming method. The iron content of the above-mentioned nickel-iron alloy plating is preferably from 0.5 to 5 percent by weight, the thickness of the above-mentioned nickel-iron alloy plating is from 0.5 to 3 xcexcm for the inside of the container and from 1.0 to 4 xcexcm for the outside of the container.
A first surface treated steel sheet is made by plating inside and outside a steel sheet with nickel-cobalt alloy. The cobalt content of the above-mentioned nickel-cobalt alloy plating is from 0.5 to 10 percent by weight.
Another surface treated steel sheet is made by plating inside and outside a steel sheet with nickel-iron alloy. The iron content of the above-mentioned nickel-iron alloy plating is from 0.5 to 5 percent by weight.
First of all, the formation of the nickel-cobalt alloy plating of the above-mentioned battery container and the surface treated steel sheet is described. When using a plating bath in which cobalt sulfate is added to Watts bath or sulfamate bath, eutectoid of cobalt and nickel is formed. As a result, with the increase of cobalt content in the plating layer, the hardness of the eutectoid plating layer increases. Concretely, the surface hardness of the plating by the nickel sulfamate bath rises to about 300 to 320 (Vickers hardness) when cobalt is added by 1 g/l (cobalt content 5%), while it is about 220 to 230 (Vickers hardness) when cobalt is not added.
Similarly, the hardness of the plating layer of the nickel-iron alloy plating reaches about 500 (Vickers hardness) when containing iron by 3 to 5% in the nickel plating layer. Thus, the surface treated steel sheet having hardened plating layer was manufactured, and then this surface treated steel sheet was formed into a battery container (alkali manganese battery LR6 type) using the DI forming method and the DTR forming method, etc. And when the sidewall inside and outside of the battery container was observed with a microscope, a fine surface roughening was observed.
In order to examine the powdering quality, the lubricant inside and outside of the manufactured battery container was removed with an organic solvent and then the powder dropped out from the plating layer was adhered to the adhesive tape and the amount was observed with the magnifying glass (magnification 25 times). As a result, remarkable decrease in the powdering quality was observed.
In order to evaluate the continuous formability of the battery container, powdering qualities in three kinds of forming methods, which are the deep-drawing method, the DI forming method, and the DTR forming method, were examined. It was found that nickel-cobalt alloy coated steel sheet and nickel-iron alloy coated steel sheet which constitute the surface treated steel sheet used in the present invention have smaller-punching load compared to the ordinary gloss nickel plated steel sheet.
When the surface treated steel sheet of the present invention is formed, the punching load is small because the lubricant enters the above-mentioned finely rugged surface of the surface treated steel sheet in the cupping process and the friction resistance decreases in the subsequent ironing process of the DI forming and the stretching process of the DTR forming due to the favorable retention of the lubricant between the materials and the die or the punch. It is greatly advantageous that the defects of the die and the punch due to metal-to-metal contact decrease because of the lowered punching load, resulting in longer die life and improved continuous productivity of the battery container. And favorable retention of the lubricant is also advantageous for the removability (strippability) of the battery container which is an important factor in the DI formability and the DTR formability.
The present invention is not only applied in the DI forming method and the DTR forming method as a means to thin the wall of the battery container, but also favorably applicable in the conventional multi-step deep-drawing method because it improves the powdering quality and decreases defects.
Moreover, when a battery is produced by forming the plated steel sheet of the present invention into an alkali manganese battery container using the DI forming method or the DTR forming method, the adhesion of the positive electrode mix to the inside of the container, and the adhesion of the graphite coating coated inside the battery container to the positive electrode mix after formed into the battery container are improved by the existence of the above-mentioned finely rugged surf ace.
That is, the use of the plated steel sheet of the present invention compensates the drawbacks that the surf ace roughness inside the container formed using the DI forming method and the DTR forming method is small and that the adhesion of it to the positive electrode mix or the graphite coating is inferior. Since the nickel-based alloy plating containing cobalt and iron of the present invention are involved in the iron-group which has excellent resistance to alkali corrosion and dissolution, it is a suitable material for the batteries such as the alkali manganese batteries, the nickel cadmium batteries, and the nickel hydrogen batteries of which electrolyte is high concentration alkaline solution.
By the way, the suitable cobalt content of the nickel-cobalt alloy plating is from 0.5% to 10%. When the cobalt content is less than 0.5%, it is not effective for hardening the cobalt plating layer. On the other hand, when the cobalt content is exceeding 10%, it is uneconomical because the hardening effect on the surface treated steel sheet is saturated and also because cobalt is expensive precious metal.
As for the nickel-iron alloy plating, the suitable iron content is from 0.5% to 5%. When the iron content is less than 0.5%, hardening effect cannot be obtained. On the other hand, when the iron content is exceeding 5%, the hardening effect is saturated, and it also causes difficulty to control the bath when the iron content increases any further. In relation to the plating thickness of the surface treated steel sheet of the present invention, the preferable range for the inside of the container is from 0.5 to 3.0 xcexcm both for the nickel-cobalt alloy plating and the nickel-iron alloy plating. On the other hand, the preferable range for the outside of it is from 1.0 to 4.0 xcexcm.
When the plating thickness of inside the container is less than 0.5 xcexcm, the exposure of the steel substrate is increased and the corrosion resistance is inferior in the container of batteries such as alkali manganese battery, causing deterioration in the battery performance due to dissolving out of the ferrous ion into the electrolyte. On the other hand, when the plating thickness outside the container is less than 1.0 xcexcm, rust might be generated on the battery container during press forming process and the battery manufacturing process and while preserving it for a long period of time since it does not have enough corrosion resistance.
The upper limits of the plating thicknesses inside and outside of the container are 0.3 xcexcm and 0.4 xcexcm, respectively, because the effect is saturated when the plating thickness exceeds these values and also it is uneconomical to make them any thicker.
Usually a low carbon aluminum killed steel is suitably used a base material of a surface treated steel sheet.
In addition, cold-rolled steel strip prepared from non-aging hyper low carbon steel (carbon content is less than 0.01%) with niobium and/or titanium added is also used. And the steel strip subjected electro-cleaning, annealing, and temper rolling after cold-rolling using a conventional method is used as a substrate for plating. After that a surface treated steel sheet is manufactured by plating the steel substrate with nickel-cobalt alloy or nickel-iron alloy.
As for the plating bath, however both of the known sulphate bath and the sulfamate bath can be used, sulfamate bath is suitable since it is comparatively easy to be controlled. Since either ratio of cobalt or iron to nickel deposited into plating layer is several times greater than that of concentration in either plating bath, it is possible to use nickel anode for anode and to supply cobalt and ferrous ions in the form of sulfamate or sulfate.

Battery container with surface treated steel sheet


A system for supplying driving force to a recording and/or reproducing apparatus includes a first gear train which causes a supply or take-up reel table to rotate at a first speed, and a second gear train which causes the supply or take-up reel table to rotate at a second speed higher than the first speed. By selecting one of these gear trains, the apparatus selectively operates in a FF/REW mode or a high-speed FF/REW mode. In the FF/REW mode, the tape forwarding or rewinding is performed in a tape loaded condition in which tape is arranged in the usual tape traveling path. In the high-speed FF/REW mode, it is performed in a tape unloaded condition in which the tape is arranged at a location other than in the tape traveling path, or is housed within a tape cassette. The system has a torque limiter between a driving source and the first or second gear train. When the apparatus operates in a forward or reverse reproduction mode, the torque limiter acts on the first gear train so as to decrease the rotation speed of the supply or take-up reel table depending upon the load applied to the first gear train.

1. Field of The Invention
The present invention relates to a system for supplying driving force to a recording and/or reproducing apparatus. More specifically, the invention relates to a mechanism for transmitting driving force to a recording and/or reproducing apparatus.
2. Description of The Prior Art
In recent years, some recording and/or reproducing apparatus, such as video tape recorders, use a common motor which drives a capstan axle as well as two reel tables in order to make the apparatus more compact.
In such recording and/or reproducing apparatus, the motor causes the capstan axle to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise for causing magnetic tape to travel along a tape traveling path in a forward or reverse direction. The magnetic tape is urged onto the capstan axle by means of a pinch roller so as to travel in dependence upon the rotation of the capstan axle. The motor also causes two reel tables, i.e. a supply reel table, and a take-up reel table to selectively rotate clockwise or counterclockwise via a pendulum gear which is movable between the supply and take-up reel tables. The pendulum gear is engageable with one of the reel tables via corresponding idler gears. With this construction, in order to cause the magnetic tape to travel in the forward direction, for example, the capstan motor rotates counterclockwise, so that the magnetic tape is fed toward the take-up reel table in dependence upon the rotation of the capstan axle. At this time, the pendulum gear engages the take-up reel table via its idler gear so that the take-up reel table rotates clockwise for winding the magnetic tape thereon. On the other hand, in order to cause the magnetic tape to travel in the rearward direction, the capstan motor rotates clockwise, so that the magnetic tape is fed toward the supply reel table depending upon the rotation of the capstan axle. At this time, the pendulum gear engages the supply reel table via its idler gear so that the supply reel table rotates counterclockwise for winding the magnetic tape thereon.
In this way, the recording and/or reproducing apparatus may operate in a forward or reverse reproduction mode, in which the recording and/or reproducing apparatus may indicate an image on a television's picture plane by reading picture signals by means of a rotary head drum while the magnetic tape travels in the first or second direction.
In a case where the recording and/or reproducing apparatus operates in a FF/REW mode, the magnetic tape is drawn into a tape cassette, and thereafter the capstan motor rotates clockwise or counterclockwise so that the supply or take-up reel table rotates for winding the magnetic tape onto the corresponding reel table in the aforementioned manner. In this case, the voltage or electrical current applied to the capstan motor is so controlled that the it rotates at a higher speed than in the forward or reverse reproduction mode.
However, in the aforementioned conventional recording and/or reproducing apparatus, although the rewinding time of the magnetic tape onto the reel table can be short, there is a disadvantage in that the switching time from the FF/REW mode to the forward or reverse reproduction mode is relatively long since the magnetic tape is housed within the tape cassette in the FF/REW mode.
That is, when the operation mode of the recording and/or reproducing apparatus is switched from the FF/REW mode to the forward or reverse reproduction mode, it is required that the magnetic tape is drawn out of the tape cassette so as to form a given tape traveling path. There is a disadvantage in that forming such a tape traveling path is time consuming.
If the magnetic tape is wound onto the reel table at a high speed in the FF/REW mode while it is arranged in the tape loaded condition, i.e. it is arranged in the tape traveling path, then there is a disadvantage in that the rotation speed of the reel table can not be so high since the surface of the magnetic tape will be damaged, and undue wear to the magnetic head(s) of the VCR will be caused.

Mechanism for transmitting driving force to recording and/or reproducing apparatus


The invention provides a polarizer device. The polarizer device according to the invention is adapted to a polarized light having an electric field direction. In particular, the polarizer device according to the invention enables the polarizer to be automatically adjusted to a proper viewing angle.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates a polarizer device which is adapted to a polarized light having an electric field direction. Particularly, the invention relates to a polarizer device which enables the polarizer to be automatically adjusted to a proper viewing angle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Before outputting, the images from a 3D screen first pass through a polarizer. The polarizer separates in advance the images that will reach the eyes into two polarized lights that are perpendicular to each other. In other words, if the direction of a polarized light of the image is horizontal, the direction of another polarized light is vertical. Correspondingly, the polarized glasses worn on an user also has two polarizers, one on the left and the other on the right, to receive images with different polarized directions respectively. If the left frame of the polarized glasses is configured to be a horizontal polarizer, the horizontal polarizer will only allow images with horizontal polarized direction to pass through and block images with vertical polarized direction. Similarly, if the right frame of the polarized glasses is configured to be a vertical polarizer, the vertical polarizer will only allow images with vertical polarized direction to pass through and block images with horizontal polarized direction. The images with different polarized directions which are respectively received by the left eye and the right eye will generate parallax and form 3D images in the brain. In theory, the action of a polarizer is described as above. In practice, a pose or an action of the head of a person will form different angles between each polarizer and the polarized images which leading to light leak and color shift. In other words, the polarized glasses must match the screen. When the polarized lights which are outputted from the screen are in vertical direction and horizontal direction, the angle of the lens of the polarized glasses must match the directions of the polarized lights.
However, all the polarizer devices for viewing 3D images nowadays can not automatically adjust the tilt of the polarizer. That is to say, when the angle of the polarizer device used by an user tilts left or right, the eyes of the user will not receive the images in vertical direction or in horizontal direction correctly, thus interfering the information received by the left eye and right eye.
Accordingly, one scope of the invention is to provide a polarizer device which enables the polarizer to be automatically adjusted to a proper viewing angle.

Polarizer device adapted to polarized light


A two-dimensional photonic crystal formed by arranging in a lattice pattern a medium having a refractive index different from that of a medium layer formed near an active layer. The two-dimensional photonic crystal includes a distributed-feedback control photonic crystal in which a light propagating through the active layer as a core is subjected to a two-dimensional distributed feedback within a plane of the active layer, and the light is not radiated in a direction normal to the plane of the active layer, and a surface-emission control photonic crystal in which the light is radiated in the direction normal to the plane of the active layer, which are superimposed with each other.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a two-dimensional photonic crystal surface-emitting laser.
2. Description of the Related Art
Photonic crystals are periodic optical structures formed by arranging a medium having a refractive index different from a refractive index of, for example, semiconductor, with a period on the order of wavelength of light, and applications thereof to various optical devices are being studied.
Examples of the optical devices using the photonic crystals include a two-dimensional photonic crystal surface-emitting laser. Conventional two-dimensional photonic crystal surface-emitting lasers are disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2000-332351, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-23193, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2004-296538. For example, FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of a two-dimensional photonic crystal surface-emitting laser 100′ disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2000-332351. The two-dimensional photonic crystal surface-emitting laser 100′ includes a confinement layer 102′, a lower cladding layer 103′, an active layer 104′, and an upper cladding layer 105′ grown in that order on a substrate 101′. The confinement layer 102′ is formed of n-InP semiconductor and contains air holes 108′ formed in a square-lattice pattern arrayed at a predetermined two-dimensional period. Thus, the air holes 108′ form a photonic crystal in which air medium having a refractive index different from that of the n-InP semiconductor is arrayed periodically. The active layer 104′ has a multiple-quantum well (MQW) structure using GaInAsP semiconductor material and emits a light when a carrier is injected into the active layer 104′. The lower cladding layer 103′ is formed of n-InP semiconductor and the like. The upper cladding layer 105′ is formed of p-InP semiconductor. The lower cladding layer 103′ and the upper cladding layer 105′ sandwich the active layer 104′, and thereby a double heterojunction is formed to confine the carrier. Thus, the carrier that contributes to light emission is confined in the active layer 104′. In this state, an electrode 106′ made of Au is formed on a top surface of the upper cladding layer 105′ and an electrode 107′ made of Au is formed on a bottom surface of the substrate 101′.
When a voltage is applied between the electrodes 106′ and 107′, the active layer 104′ emits a light, so that a light spreading as an evanescent wave from the active layer 104′ is distributed in the two-dimensional photonic crystal formed in the confinement layer 102′. The two-dimensional photonic crystal has a two-dimensional distributed feedback effect. Therefore, similar to a distributed-feedback laser using a typical one-dimensional grating, laser oscillation occurs with the two-dimensional photonic crystal. Furthermore, the distributed-feedback effect of the two-dimensional photonic crystal occurs two dimensionally, so that a coherent single-mode oscillation occurs over a large area of the two-dimensional plane. As a result, surface emission occurs with a single-mode laser light. Principles of the two-dimensional distributed feedback and the surface emission of the two-dimensional photonic crystal surface-emitting laser 100′ are described below in relation to a wave number space of the two-dimensional photonic crystal.
A light that can distributed feedback-operate in the two-dimensional square-lattice photonic crystal operates at X-point, M-point, and Γ-point among symmetric points in a reciprocal lattice space (wave number space) of the photonic crystal. The Γ-point is a point at which a wave number vector k is represented by k=pb1+qb2, where p and q are arbitrary integers and b1 and b2 are reciprocal primitive vectors with minimum magnitudes in a square-lattice. The reciprocal primitive vectors b1 and b2 are perpendicular to each other and their magnitudes are 2π/a where "a" is a lattice constant of the photonic crystal. Similarly, the X-point is a point at which a wave number vector k is represented by either k=(p+(½))b1+qb2 or k=pb1+(q+(½))b2. The M-point is a point at which a wave number vector k is represented by k=(p+(½))b1+(q+(½))b2.
On the other hand, a light that can distributed feedback-operate in the two-dimensional triangular-lattice photonic crystal operates at M-point, K-point, and Γ-point among symmetric points in a wave number space of the photonic crystal. The Γ-point is a point at which a wave number vector k is represented by k=pb1+qb2, where p and q are arbitrary integers and b1 and b2 are reciprocal primitive vectors with minimum magnitudes in a triangular-lattice. In this case, the reciprocal primitive vector b1 and b2 make an angle of 60 degrees therebetween, and their magnitudes are 4π/(√3a) where "a" is a lattice constant of the photonic crystal. Similarly, the M-point is a point at which a wave number vector k is represented by one of k=(p+(½))b1+qb1, k=pb1+(q+(½))b2 and k=(p−(½))b1+(q+(½))b2. The K-point is a point at which a wave number vector k is represented by either k=(p+(⅓))b1+(q+(⅓))b2 or k=(p−(⅓))b1+(q+(⅔))b2.
The two-dimensional photonic crystal surface-emitting lasers disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2000-332351 employs the Γ-point of either the two-dimensional square-lattice photonic crystal or the two-dimensional triangular-lattice photonic crystal as an operating point of two-dimensional distributed feedback.
A principle of the two-dimensional distributed feedback is described in relation to diffraction of a light by a photonic crystal lattice. The diffraction of a light in a periodic structure such as a crystal lattice means that a light with a wave number vector k changes to a light with a wave number vector of k′=k+p′b1+q′b2, where p′ and q′ are arbitrary integers and b1 and b2 are reciprocal primitive vectors. Assuming that a light with a wave number vector k=pb1+qb2, that is, a light at the Γ-point, is diffracted such that p′=−2p and q′=−2q are satisfied, a light after diffraction has a wave number vector k′=−k. That is, the light at the Γ-point is coupled with a wave that travels in a direction opposite to a direction of a light before diffraction. Because lights that travel in opposite directions are coupled with each other, distributed feedback occurs. When a light is diffracted such that p′=−p+q and q′=−q−p are satisfied, a wave number vector of a diffracted light is represented by k′=qb1−pb2. In this state, the light is coupled with a wave tilted by 90 degrees from a light before diffraction in the case of a square-lattice, and with a wave tilted by 120 degrees from a light before diffraction in the case of a triangular-lattice. Furthermore, when a light is diffracted such that p′=−p−q and q′=−q+p are satisfied, a wave number vector of a diffracted light is represented by k′=−qb1+pb2. In this state, the light is coupled with a wave tilted by −90 degrees from a light before diffraction in the case of a square-lattice, and with a wave tilted by −120 degrees from a light before diffraction in the case of a triangular-lattice. Thus, the light at the Γ-point is fed back to an original position, being diffracted at an arbitrary position on a crystal lattice and coupled with a wave that travels in the abovementioned predetermined direction. That is, the two-dimensional distributed feedback occurs with the light at the Γ-point.
A principle of the surface emission is also described in relation to diffraction of a light. When a light at the Γ-point is diffracted such that p′=−p and q′=−q are satisfied, k′=0 is obtained. The fact that a wave number vector k′ in a two-dimensional in-plane is zero (k′=0) means that the light travels in a direction normal to a plane of a photonic crystal. That is, the light at the Γ-point has such property that surface emission occurs due to an effect of grating couple, with which the light is diffracted and travels in a direction normal to the plane of the photonic crystal. As a result, the light at the Γ-point distributed-feedbacks two-dimensionally, and surface-emits as well.
As described above, the two-dimensional photonic crystal surface-emitting laser causes surface emission with a light at the Γ-point in a wave number space of the photonic crystal formed on the confinement layer. The surface emission is achieved as a coherent single-mode laser light over a large area of a two-dimensional plane.
However, in the conventional two-dimensional photonic crystal surface-emitting lasers, if a two-dimensional distributed feedback effect of the photonic crystal structure is optimized to improve the in-plane optical confinement, the intensity of the surface emission decreases. On the other hand, if the surface emitting property of the photonic crystal structure is optimized to increase the intensity of the surface emission, the in-plane optical confinement degrades. Thus, the two-dimensional distributed feedback effect and the surface emitting property cannot independently be optimized.

Two-dimensional photonic crystal surface-emitting laser


A table system that includes at least first and second table assemblies. The first table assembly includes a horizontally oriented first table member having a first upright member extending downwardly therefrom and a top surface and a bottom surface, a first flap member hingedly connected to the first table member and movable between a stowed position and a deployed position. The first flap member has a top surface and a bottom surface. The second table assembly includes a horizontally oriented second table member having a first upright member extending downwardly therefrom and a top surface and a bottom surface. A first top surface horizontal distance is defined between the top surfaces of the first and second table members. The top surface of the first flap member defines a first top surface width dimension. The first top surface horizontal distance and the first top surface width dimension are approximately the same.

It is well known within the restaurant industry that more seating generally equates to more money. A need exists for the ability to maximize the available seating within a confined space. In many restaurants, tables for two (also known as two tops) are often moved together to accommodate parties of three or more. This can be time consuming and inefficient. These tables can only accommodate a certain number of patrons within the floor space allotted for the tables. For example, three two tops positioned near one another (see FIG. 4) can only accommodate six patrons. It would be advantageous to use the same amount of floor space to accommodate more than six patrons even though the tables are fixed to the floor. The present invention addresses such a need.


A case, particularly for cosmetic products, of the type comprising a base (1), a cover (3) articulated on the edge of the base (1) and a catch (5) for the cover (3) and the base (1) on the edge opposite the articulation. The articulation of the cover (3) on the base (1) is constituted by elastically deformable pins (6), a deformation clearance being provided for each pin (6) between the base (1)and the cover (3). The base (1) or the cover (3) comprises adjacent the articulation, at least one abutment (11) parallel to the plane of the joint (12) of the base (1) and the cover (3) and/or at least one abutment (13) orthogonal to that joint plane (12).

In known cases of this type, the unlocking of the catch means leaves the cover practically closed on the base, so that the user must open it, for example by inserting a fingernail into the free space between the base and the cover. Moreover, the cover tends to return to the closed position by gravity, which militates against a rational use of the case.
To overcome this drawback, it is known to arrange a return spring, for example a helicoidal spring wound about the articulation axle and whose ends bear respectively on the base and the cover. The mounting of such a spring is complicated and difficult for cases of small dimensions such as compacts. Moreover, the return force is difficult to calibrate so as not to provoke a too abrupt and/or too complete opening.

Case with pivoting cover and elastic articulation


An apparatus includes a radome and an evanescent wave-coupled windowing system in the radome. In operation, the apparatus receives radiation reflected from an object that is incident upon a windowing system; emits evanescent waves from the windowing system whose amplitudes are proportional to the angle of incidence of the radiation; and non-coherent, Fresnel direction finds the object.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to optical remote sensing systems, and, more particularly, to an evanescent wave-coupling used for Fresnel direction finding in such systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
LADAR and other laser guided airborne systems have historically used hemispherical radomes at their front end. The hemispherical shape was chosen to accommodate certain optical characteristics in the operation of the guidance systems. While increasing the performance of the guidance systems, they hampered the overall performance of the airborne system. One significant drawback to hemispherical radomes is that they create high levels of drag, which inhibit the speed of the airborne system. This is particularly undesirable in a military context because it renders the airborne system more vulnerable to enemy fire, thereby decreasing its survivability, and reduces lethality.
Efforts therefore were directed at developing new techniques that would accommodate the use of sleek, low drag radomes fostering speedier airborne systems. One technique developed as a part of this effort was non-coherent Fresnel direction finding ("NCFDF"). See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,851,645, entitled "Non-Coherent Fresnel Direction Finding Method and Apparatus", issued Feb. 9, 2005, to Lockheed Martin Corporation as assignee of the inventors Brett A. Williams, et al. This technique ably accommodates the use of sleek radomes.
At the same time, some in the art have been pushing to decrease the size of such systems to obtain smaller, smarter, guided airborne systems. Desires for smaller guided projectiles, for instance, have produced pressure on sensors to fit within ever smaller dimensions. Opportunities for what may be termed "micro-missiles" such as darts or bullet-like projectiles in the neighborhood of 0.25″ diameters, or less, increase these strenuous demands still further.
While requirements for optical seekers conforming to sleek, high speed radomes vs. high drag, low speed hemispherical domes typically used by semi active laser ("SAL") resulted in NCFDF with its independent, radially distributed windows and photodetectors, NCFDF begins to suffer for miniature missiles due to shrinking real-estate available for its window apertures and their associated lengths. The NCFDF apparatus in the patent mentioned above, for instance, uses a window/light-pipe design. The walls of the light-pipe are curved, reducing light rejection compared to straight walls. The aperture of the window collects light over its surface while the pipe simply guides light to its exit by multiple reflections. No focused, phase-front sensitive optics is required and wall reflection is most efficacious for total internal reflection without reflective coatings.
Light rejection and window field-of-view depend on a relation between aperture and light pipe length—that is, the aperture must be proportional to that length to avoid ever increasing reflection angles within the light-pipe until ultimately they are rejected back out to free space. If length limits are imposed, thus reducing allowable aperture dimensions, then additional apertures can be added which can satisfy the length relation for a smaller aperture/multi-window approach, increasing aperture area by the number of added windows. Yet micro-missiles have virtually no length allowance and even spacious airframes may have existing components in conflict with light-pipe placement.
The present invention is directed to resolving, or at least reducing, one or all of the problems mentioned above.

Evanescent wave coupling for Fresnel direction finding


There is provided an image coding apparatus including a mode selection unit arranged to select an input image type, an input unit arranged to input image data in accordance with an output of the mode selection unit, an image size determination unit arranged to determine an image size of the image data input by the input unit, a block size determination unit arranged to determine a block size of a block in accordance with the image size determined by the image size determination unit; and a block construction unit arranged to divide the image data input by the input unit into blocks of the block size determined by the block size determination unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image coding apparatus and a method thereof, and in particular, in the image coding apparatus and the method thereof for performing coding process by a block unit, relates to a technology for performing coding process corresponding to a plurality of input image sizes.
2. Description of the Related Art
AS a technology for high efficiency coding a moving image, coding methods, such as Motion JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) and MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group)-1 and MPEG-2, become commercially practical. Each manufacturer is developing and commercially producing DVD (digital versatile disk) recorders or imaging apparatuses such as digital video cameras, which make the video data recordable by using the coding methods. A user can simply view and listen to the moving image using these apparatuses or personal computers, DVD players, etc.
Also, the method using JPEG as the technology which performs compression coding of the still image is in use. A digital still camera compresses a picked-up image using JPEG, and records the compressed image in a memory card etc.
Furthermore, a coding method of the moving image which can produce further high compression rather than the above-described MPEG-2 etc. is desired. Recently, a coding method called H.264/MPEG-4 part 10 (hereinafter, referred to as "H.264") has been standardized by ITU-T (International Telecommunication Union—Telecommunication Standardization Sector) and ISO (International Organization for Standardization). Although, H.264 requires many operation amounts of coding and decoding rather than the conventional coding methods, it is known that higher coding efficiency is realized. The arrangement of data processing of H.264 is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-56827, for example. Generally, the digital still camera can select a pixel number, such as 640×480 pixels, 1600×1200 pixels, etc. and record the picked-up still image with the selected pixel number. In the digital video camera, there are products which can select a video format, such as 480/60i, 720/30p, 1080/60i (i: interlace mode, p: progressive mode) and record the picked-up moving image with the selected video format. An imaging apparatus which performs recording processing of several input image signals with which the pixel numbers are different is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2002-314870, for example.
Thus, the types and sizes of the images which are input and recorded in the imaging apparatus can consider various cases.
However, for example, in cases where the imaging apparatus adopts the H.264 coding method, the following problems exist.
Since a block size in an integer transform performed at the time of a coding process of H.264 is fixed to a 4×4 pixel block, there is a problem that flexibility is lacking when it corresponds to a variety of input images handled with the imaging apparatus.
Furthermore, regarding the above-described integer transform, in a case where an orthogonal transform is performed by the 4×4 pixel block for the input image is compared with the case where an orthogonal transform is performed by an 8×8 pixel block for the same input image, the orthogonal transform by the 4×4 pixel block has a degradation, for a decoded image of a complicated pattern, rather than the orthogonal transform by the 8×8 pixel block. This is because special frequency resolution of the orthogonal transform by the 4×4 pixel block is lower than the orthogonal transform by the 8×8 pixel block.

Image coding apparatus and image coding method


An air-operated brake actuator system of a vehicle comprises a spring brake actuator and a service brake actuator, the spring brake actuator including a sealed housing with a spring chamber and a pressure chamber, and a hollow actuator rod disposed in the spring brake actuator and axially moveable for applying a parking brake, the service brake actuator including a service pressure chamber for applying a service brake, in which a control valve of the brake actuator system includes a valve body placeable within the hollow actuator rod, the valve body including an opening formed therein for allowing fluid communication between the spring chamber of the spring brake actuator and the service pressure chamber of the service brake actuator through the hollow actuator rod, the control valve including a membrane formed of an elastic material and having a breathing hole formed there-through, the membrane positioned within the opening of the valve body and configured to seal the opening except the breathing hole when the membrane is not subject to a fluid pressure beyond a threshold level.

Air brake systems for a vehicle such as a bus, truck, trailer and other heavy-duty vehicles or the like typically include a brake shoe and drum assembly which is actuated by means of an actuator assembly operated by the selective application of compressed air. Conventional air brake actuators have both a service brake actuator for actuating the brakes under normal driving conditions by the application of compressed air and a spring-type emergency brake actuator which causes actuation of the brakes when air pressure has been released. The emergency brake actuator includes a strong compression spring which forces application of the brake when air is released. This is often referred to as the spring brake.
Air-operated brake actuators are either piston type or diaphragm type. In the diaphragm type brake actuator, two air-operated diaphragm brake actuators are typically arranged in a tandem configuration, which includes an air-operated service brake actuator for applying the normal operating brakes of the vehicle, and a spring brake actuator for applying the parking or emergency brakes of the vehicle. Both the service brake actuator and the spring brake actuator include a housing having an elastomeric diaphragm dividing the interior of the housing into two distinct fluid chambers. On the other hand, the piston brake actuator operates under basically the same principles as above described, except that instead of a diaphragm, a piston reciprocates in a cylinder for applying the normal and/or parking brakes of the vehicles.
In a typical service brake actuator, the service brake housing is divided into a pressure chamber and a pushrod chamber. The pressure chamber is fluidly connected to a source of pressurized air and the pushrod chamber mounts a pushrod, which is coupled to the brake assembly, whereby the introduction and exhaustion of pressurized air into the pressurized chamber reciprocates the pushrod into and out of the housing to apply and release the operating brakes.
In a typical spring brake actuator, the spring brake housing is divided into a pressure chamber and a spring chamber. A pressure plate is positioned in the spring chamber between the diaphragm and a strong compression spring, whose opposing end abuts the housing. In one well-known configuration, an actuator rod extends through the pressure plate, through the diaphragm, into the pressure chamber, and through a dividing wall separating the spring brake actuator from the service brake actuator. The end of the actuator is fluidly connected to the pressure chamber of the service brake actuator.
When applying the parking brakes, the spring brake actuator pressure is discharged from the pressure chamber and the large force compression spring pushes the pressure plate and the diaphragm toward the dividing wall between the spring brake actuator and the service brake actuator. In this position, the actuator rod connected to the pressure plate is pushed for applying the parking or emergency brakes and thus forcing the vehicle not to move. To release the parking brake, the pressure chamber is closed to the atmosphere and pressurized air is introduced into the pressure chamber of the spring brake actuator which expands the pressure chamber, moving the diaphragm and pressure plate toward the opposing end of the spring brake actuator housing, thereby compressing the strong compression spring.
One known problem in association with spring brake actuators of this design is that as the large force compression spring is compressed, the pressure chamber increases in volume and the spring chamber decreases in volume, resulting in a pressure increase in the spring chamber unless it includes a particular system for relieving the pressure increase in the spring chamber. The build-up of pressure in the spring chamber upon the release of the brake is highly undesirable in that any pressure build-up in the spring chamber must be offset by an increased pressure in the pressure chamber in order to fully compress the spring and thus fully releasing the brake.
The pressure build-up in the spring chamber is exacerbated in that most pressurized air systems for heavy-duty vehicles operate at an industry standard maximum pressure. The combined pressure of the spring and the increase in air pressure in the spring chamber cannot approach the maximum for the brake to operate properly. As the combined force associated with the pressure of the spring and the build-up of pressure in the spring chamber approach the force applied by the maximum pressure, the brake can fail to release, only partially release, or release very slowly, all of which are undesirable.
One typical solution to cope with the pressure build-up problem in the spring chamber provides an adequate vent design in the spring chamber. The most common venting mechanism in the diaphragm brake actuator is to place holes in the housing around the spring chamber. A great disadvantage of such vent openings is that the interior of the spring chamber is thus exposed to the external environment. Environmental elements such as dirt, salt, and water can then enter the spring chamber and accelerate abrasion, corrosion, or wear on the various internal brake components such as the spring. The damage to the internal brake components by environmental elements can cause increased maintenance or premature failure of the spring and consequent replacement of the brake actuator.
An additional problem with directly externally venting the spring chamber is that the vehicle, such as a tractor/trailer, is often parked for extended periods in a bay adjacent a dock. The bays are typically sloped and below grade. Under heavy rain or snow conditions, a bay can fill with water to a height above the vent opening and flood the interior of the spring chamber. Although the water would normally be expelled from the spring chamber through the vent openings as the brake is released, the flooding can accelerate corrosion and introduce other environmental hazards. In certain environmental conditions, the water can freeze, which may prevent release of the brake altogether.
Because of the problems associated with the introduction of environmental elements into the spring chamber through the vent openings, attempts have been made to seal the spring chamber to prevent the introduction of various environmental elements. Sealing the spring chamber, however, creates other problems in that a vacuum or a lower pressure tends to form in the spring chamber when the parking brakes are applied, unless a system is provided for compensating or relieving the low pressure. If the low pressure is great enough, it can slow the response time of the parking brakes, which is not desirable.
Several known attempts to eliminate the pressure build-up and vacuum creation in the spring chamber while keeping out environmental elements include, for example, fluidly connecting the spring chamber of the spring brake actuator to either chamber of the service brake actuator, placing a filter in the vent opening, and providing an internal fluid flow path from the spring chamber through the actuator rod and into the service brake pressure chamber. All of these solutions are compromises in that they do not provide complete solutions or introduce other problems instead thereof. For example, the filtered vent openings inherently permit external air to enter the brake, yielding a brake that is not completely sealed. As long as the filter is open there is some possibility that external elements can enter the brake through the filter such as if the brake actuator is submerged in a flooded bay.
An example of a filtered vent opening is found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,029,447 issued Feb. 29, 2000. The internal fluid paths extending through the actuator require two-way valves of complex design that control the fluid flow to release a pressure build-up in the spring chamber while permitting the introduction of pressurized fluid to prevent a vacuum in the spring chamber. Examples of such two-way valves are also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,311, issued Mar. 3, 1998 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,059, issued Dec. 13, 1994.
On the other hand, an example of one-way type valve is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,588,314, issued Jul. 8, 2003, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. This vent design may provide an effective solution to the pressure build-up problem in the spring chamber by permitting internal air vents from the spring chamber to the service brake pressure chamber. However, the compression spring in the spring chamber must be selected to have a much larger force than conventional springs of the spring chamber to overcome the low pressure or vacuum creation in the spring chamber when applying the spring brake, or otherwise the spring brake cannot properly be applied within the desired application time.
It is desirable to have an air-operated brake actuator including a spring brake actuator wherein the spring brake actuator is sealed and pressure increase and vacuum formation are remedied without the need for complex or high maintenance valve and filter systems and/or without requiring a much larger force spring in the spring chamber.

Air-operated brake actuator with control valve


An automatic traffic control method and device includes an endless conveyor which is located along a predetermined length of a road for carrying a vehicle travelling in a first direction, the conveyor capable of moving in a second direction opposite to the first direction, thereby reducing the vehicle's virtual speed. A regenerative braking device engages the conveyor to oppose the conveyor movement. The braking device can also be used to reclaim kinetic energy generated by a decelerated vehicle. A sensor senses the vehicle speed and provides a signal to modulate the braking device. A receiver-decoder receives transmitted command signals to modulate the sensor signal, thereby to remotely set a desirable speed limit and ensure the passing vehicles obey the speed limit.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic traffic control method and device, and more particularly to a device for controlling traffic at certain high risk road sites, such as busy streets, crossroads, poor visibility highway curves, steep slopes, or checkpoints.
Apart from poor road conditions, another two closely connected factors are known to be responsible for a growing number of traffic accidents. The first factor includes speeding on high risk road sites such as busy streets or crossroads, poor visibility highway curves or steep slopes. The second factor is inadequate traffic control such as poorly lit stop signs and overcrowded intersections, as well as the inability to compel every single vehicle to obey orders or traffic regulations. Many of the prior art methods and devices fail to cope with these problems.
Traffic signs are typically located at known dangerous sites to help maintain safe traffic flow. However, traffic signs are only able to remind or warn a driver of a dangerous condition. The traffic signs alone cannot prevent accidents. Likewise, while traffic lights and police are intended to control the flow of traffic by ordering drivers to slow or stop their vehicles, the number of traffic accidents keep growing.
The problem is that undisciplined or unskilled drivers, as well as those with ill intentions, do not often heed the warnings or obey the orders. To subsequently blame the guilty driver, after the fact, is not a suitable remedy.
Furthermore, under certain circumstances, even a well-intentioned and trained driver may not be in a position to slow or stop a vehicle due, for example, to vehicle brake failure. A driver may miss a poorly visible traffic sign, e.g. under heavy rain, snow, fog conditions, or even fall asleep at the wheel. In these situations, the consequences can be disastrous.
Another prior art method for controlling traffic is based upon putting speed bumps in the road at or near certain high risk sites. These bumps, though able to restrict the vehicle speed, suffer serious disadvantages. The speed bumps do not allow the imposed low speed limit to be lifted or varied irrespective of the time or day of the week, current traffic capacity, or other suitable circumstances. Unlike police, the bumps cannot discriminate between a casual violator and ambulance, police, fire brigade, or VIP's vehicle, which may be authorized to exceed speed limits when necessary. The bumps also cause excessive wear and tear to vehicles, discomfort to the passengers, higher fuel consumption and air pollution, as all bad roads do.
Thus, none of the cited prior art methods and devices is effective and reliable enough to cope with the above-mentioned traffic problems. Nor can they provide for reclaiming kinetic energy wasted by a vehicle having to decelerate in a high risk road site. What is necessary is, therefore, a virtual control method or device to ensure that every vehicle shall obey traffic laws or orders. This means that such a device should effectively operate irrespective of either material factors, e.g. conditions of the vehicle brakes, traffic sign visibility, etc., or human factors, such as the driver's personal skill, conditions or intentions. On the other hand, the device should be flexible enough to enable certain vehicles, such as those typically provided with special siren signals, to exceed the imposed speed limits. The device should be easily adjusted to adapt to changes in the dynamic condition of the road, and provide for reclaiming kinetic energy wasted by a vehicle having to decelerate in a high risk road site.
The present invention is directed to a method and device for controlling traffic in certain high risk or busy road sites. The present invention reclaims kinetic energy wasted by a braking vehicle by providing affirmative speed control tactics.

Automatic traffic control device and method thereof


A computer monitor case (10) having a subframe (28) with an intermediate bucket (12) affixed thereto to form a front assembly (56). A top bucket (14) is affixed to a bottom bucket (16) by rivets (52) to form a rear assembly (55). The rear assembly (55) is affixed to the front assembly (56) by top fastening clips (36) wide fastening clips (38) and narrow fastening clips (40). Alignment pins (34) on the subframe (28) align with alignment pin notches (42) and side alignment pin notches (64) on the intermediate bucket (12) and top bucket (14) respectively. Side lips (62) and a front lip (58) on the top bucket (14), attachment ribs (50) on the top bucket (14) and bottom bucket (16), and an intermediate bucket lip (44) on the intermediate bucket (12) provide rigidity and alignment and are used in conjunction with other components as fastening means to hold the computer monitor case (10) together.

A portion of the disclosure of the patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by any one of the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files of records of any country, but otherwise reserves all rights whatsoever.
The present invention relates to the field of mechanical construction, and more particularly to an improved electronic component case apparatus and associated method for construction thereof. The predominant current usage of the present inventive computer monitor case apparatus and method is in the construction of a partially semi-transparent computer monitor housing, wherein the simplicity and lack of obtrusive support structures is desirable both mechanically and aesthetically.
In the design of an electronic component housing, such as the housing for a computer monitor, it is desirable to have a structure which is rigid, and yet wherein the structures which provide such rigidity are not obtrusive. The parts of the housing should align well with each other, and the means for fastening such parts together should not mar the clean lines of the external structure. Also, the case should be easy to assemble, and inexpensive to manufacture. Such objectives have been difficult enough in much of the prior art, and the research continues as to how best to achieve all of the objectives. Moreover, the now popular trend toward translucent and semi-transparent case structures further complicates these issues. In an opaque case structure, ribs, bosses, and the like, which contribute to rigidity can be readily disbursed about the interior of the case structure without marring the appearance thereof. However, in a translucent case, care must be taken as to the placement of such structures even on the inside of the case, as they will likely show through to the exterior. In the past, it has been the conventional practice to construct monitor housings from opaque materials such that it has been easy to conceal whatever attachment means and/or rigidity means are employed. However, it has recently become popular to construct the housings of electronic devices, such as monitors, from colored transparent materials so that the working components of the devices are visible through the housing. While this is primarily an aesthetic improvement, it has a distinctly functional aspect. That is, in the effort to make monitors and the like, more aesthetically pleasing (and thus more marketable) it is important to retain mechanical integrity and strength in the product.
It would be desirable to have a case structure which is easily assembled, well aligned, rigid, and strong, and yet in which the features which provide these advantages are not readily visible, even when the case is constructed from a translucent or semi-transparent material. However, to the inventor""s knowledge, no such case structure has existed in the prior art. To the inventor""s knowledge, no method has existed in the prior art which effectively retains the aesthetic aspects of a clear monitor housing, while retaining mechanical strength sufficient to produce a reliable product. All methods which might have previously been used have either presented unsightly blemishes visible through the monitor housing, or else have been insufficiently strong and rigid, or else have been too expensive to employ, or some combination of these problems.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a case structure which is rigid and strong.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a case structure which is easy and inexpensive to manufacture and to assemble.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a case that is aesthically pleasing, and relatively free from visible support and rigidity features.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a computer monitor case which is constructed, at least partially, from a translucent material, and yet in which rigidity and fastening features are not obtrusively visible through such translucent material.
Briefly, an embodiment of the present invention is a computer monitor housing having an interior subframe and a plurality of external case components affixed thereto. The external case components have rigidity provided by the general shape and by edge flanges thereof. No reinforcement structures are provided in each of the external case components, except around the edges thereof. The reinforcement flanges around the edges of the external case components have a plurality of alignment features for aligning the external case components to each other and to the subframe. Further, the reinforcement flanges also have fastening features for attaching the external case components to each other and to the subframe. The assembled computer monitor case is rigid and well aligned, and yet it is aesthetically pleasing, in large part due to the fact that all rigidity, alignment, and fastening features are located at the edges of the individual external case components, where they are not very noticeable from the outside of the computer monitor case.
An advantage of the present invention is that there are no ribs or bosses on the surface of external case components.
Another advantage of the present invention is that a housing will be aesthetically pleasing and free from unsightly blemishes as viewed from the outside of the housing.
A further advantage of the present invention is that a computer monitor housing is easy and inexpensive to manufacture.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is that a computer monitor housing is mechanically strong and structurally rigid.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become clear to those skilled in the art in view of the description of modes of carrying out the invention, and the industrial applicability thereof, as described herein and as illustrated in the several figures of the drawing. The objects and advantages listed are not an exhaustive list of all possible advantages of the invention. Moreover, it will be possible to practice the invention even where one or more of the intended objects and/or advantages might be absent or not required in the application.
Further, those skilled in the art will recognize that various embodiments of the present invention may achieve one or more, but not necessarily all, of the above described objects and advantages. Accordingly, the listed advantages are not essential elements of the present invention, and should not be construed as limitations.


The present invention relates to a method for purifying (meth)acrylic acid obtained by oxidizing propane, propylene, acrolein, isobutane, isobutene, ter-butyl alcohol, (meth)acrolein and mixtures thereof by sending the gaseous reaction mixture to the bottom of a countercurrent absorption column (C1) which is supplied at the top with at least one type of hydrophobic heavy solvent, sending the flow (2) from the bottom of column (C1) to a light component separation column (C2) and sending the flow from the base of column (C2), stream (4) to a separation device made up of three sections, exhaustion (S1), concentration (S2) and rectification (S3) respectively in order to extract pure (meth)acrylic acid.”

The main method for synthesizing acrylic acid uses a reaction of catalytic oxidation of propylene with a mixture containing oxygen. This reaction is generally carried out in the vapor phase, usually in two steps, which may be carried out in two distinct reactors or a single reactor:                the first step carries out the substantially quantitative oxidation of the propylene to an acrolein rich mixture, in which the acrylic acid is a minority component;        the second step completes the conversion of acrolein to acrylic acid.
The gas mixture issuing from the second oxidation step consists of:                acrylic acids;        light compounds incondensable in the temperature and pressure conditions commonly employed (unconverted nitrogen, oxygen and propylene, propane present in the reactive propylene, carbon monoxide and dioxide formed in small quantities by final oxidation);        light condensable compounds, particularly water, generated by the propylene oxidation reaction, unconverted acrolein, light aldehydes, such as formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, and acetic acid, the main impurity generated in the reaction section;        heavy compounds: furfuraldehyde, benzaldehyde, maleic anhydride, etc.
A method well described in the literature for synthesizing methacrylic acid by oxidation is identical in principle to that of acrylic acid, except for the reactive substrate (which may be isobutene or tertbutanol), the intermediate oxidation product (methacrolein) and the types of light condensable byproduct compounds (the reaction gas mixture contains, among other compounds, acrylic acid in addition to the light compounds present in the reaction gas of the acrylic acid synthesis method).
The second stage of fabrication consists in recovering the acrylic acid from the hot gas mixture, previously cooled to a temperature of 150-200° C., by introducing this gas at the bottom of an absorption column where it meets a countercurrent flow of absorption solvent, which we shall refer to below by the term "solvent", introduced at the top of the column, and inside which cooling, condensation, absorption and rectification processes take place simultaneously. In most of the methods described, the solvent employed in this column is water or a high boiling point hydrophobic solvent.
The use of a heavy hydrophobic solvent in this first absorption section, as described in French patent No. 2 146 386 and German patent No. 4 308 087, has advantages over the use of water, the main one being to make the separation of the light compounds far easier, particularly water and acetic acid, which are difficult to remove in the methods with aqueous solution.
On completion of the absorption step, the known methods for recovering (meth)acrylic acid from the solutions of the monomer in the solvent involve a step of removal of the light compounds at the top of a stripping column, designed to send most of these light compounds to the preceding absorption column, where they are removed in the head effluent, as described in the two abovementioned French and German patents. For complete removal of the light compounds, it is necessary to use a distillation column for removing the final traces of these volatile impurities at the top. Other alternatives have been proposed, like the one described in European patent No. 706 986, which consists in removing the final traces of light impurities (tapping) at the top of an upper section of the final acrylic acid distillation column, the pure monomer being recovered in a tapped off side stream. A method is proposed in the French patent application filed today in the name of the present applicant and also having the title "Method for purifying (meth)acrylic acid obtained by oxidation of a gas substrate" in which the conditions of the absorption and stripping sections are selected so as to obtain a stream of raw (meth)acrylic acid stripped of most of these light impurities in a single step, without an additional column or tapping section.
The subsequent steps of the purification method, in the case of the use of a heavy hydrophobic absorption solvent, are designed to quantitatively recover the (meth)acrylic acid, to separate the heavy impurities from the solvent, and to regenerate the solvent for recycling to the absorption step. In fact, the need to recover and recycle the solvent in a sort of "loop" is necessary for economic reasons and to avoid pollutant releases, making it necessary to separate and remove the compounds heavier than acrylic acid, in order to prevent their holdup in this solvent loop. For this purpose, a sufficient quantity of these heavy compounds must be purged, at least equal to the quantity fed to the first absorption section.
Among the compounds heavier than acrylic acid, mention can be made of the impurities generated in the reaction step, and also the polymerization inhibitors introduced at each step of the purification method. In fact, since (meth)acrylic acid is a sensitive product readily prone to a polymerization process favored by the temperature, polymerization inhibitors are introduced into the purification equipment in order to avoid this process.
Numerous polymerization inhibitors are conventionally mentioned in (meth)acrylic acid purification methods. Among them, mention can be made of phenolic compounds, such as hydroquinone or methylether of hydroquinone, phenothiazine and its derivatives, such as methylene blue, quinones such as benzoquinone, manganese salts, such as manganese acetate, metal thiocarbamates such as copper salts of dithiocarbamic acid, like copper dibutyldithiocarbamate, N-oxyl compounds, including 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-piperidinoxyl, amine compounds, such as derivatives of paraphenylene diamine, compounds with a nitroso group such as N-nitrosophenyl hydroxylamine, and ammonium salts of N-nitrosophenyl hydroxylamine.
The vast majority of polymerization inhibitors are heavier compounds than (meth)acrylic acid, and are therefore not entrained with the (meth)acrylic acid during distillation processes. Thus, these inhibitors are generally introduced at all points of the equipment (column heads, condensers, etc.) which may be the seat of a liquid-vapor equilibrium leading to the condensation of (meth)acrylic acid rich streams. The efficiency of these polymerization inhibitors, used alone or in mixtures, is generally increased if they are used in combination with the introduction of oxygen or a gas stream containing oxygen at the bottom of the column.
The polymerization inhibitors are introduced pure, if liquid, or in solution in a solvent, which is selected advantageously from the absorption solvent or (meth)acrylic acid.
The heavy compounds accumulated in the method also consist of impurities originating from side reactions in the acrylic acid synthesis step by oxidation of propylene or propane, or in the methacrylic acid synthesis step by oxidation of isobutene or isobutane. Another category of heavy impurities is that resulting from degradation reactions during the purification steps. The use of heavy hydrophobic absorption solvents with significantly higher boiling points than that of the (meth)acrylic acid requires the application of high temperature levels, particularly at the column bottom. These high temperature levels promote the degradation of the components present in the stream, for example of the solvent and the polymerization inhibitors, and accordingly demand high energy consumption, to heat the stream to boiling. The thermal levels reached by these streams poor in light compounds may be limited to a certain degree by operating the equipment under reduced pressure, but the requirements of the condensation temperature at the top of the column, which cannot be too low at the risk of generating excessive cooling costs, of column size, of condenser and vacuum generation system, which increase proportionally with the vacuum level, mean that temperatures higher than 180° C. are generally obtained in the hottest parts of the equipment. In consequence, it is preferable to limit the number of unit operations involving the boiling of solvent rich streams.
In the case of methods employing heavy hydrophobic solvents, it is necessary to distinguish the following among the heavy compounds:                "intermediate" compounds, with boiling points between that of the (meth)acrylic acid and that of the solvent. Among these compounds are impurities generated during the reaction step, such as maleic anhydride, furfuraldehyde, benzaldehyde, or polymerization inhibitors more volatile than the solvent;        "heavy" compounds which have a higher boiling point than that of the solvent, among which mention can be made of the impurities formed in the method, such as oligomers, derivatives of addition to the double bond of the (meth)acrylic acid, polymers, degradation products of the solvent or the inhibitors, and the polymerization inhibitors less volatile than the solvent.
On completion of the step to remove the residual light compounds, the (meth)acrylic acid is the most often recovered, from its mixture with the heavy solvent containing the heavier impurities, at the top of a distillation column, the less volatile compounds than the monomer being removed in the bottom stream from this column.
The removal of a sufficient quantity of heavier compounds than the solvent, in order to prevent their holdup in the method, can be completed by the use of the purge of a stream enriched with these compounds, obtained at the bottom of a solvent regeneration section, consisting in evaporating or distilling all or part of the solvent stream flowing in a loop in the method. The stream enriched with heavier compounds than the solvent is then removed at the bottom of the evaporator or of the distillation column.
However, the removal of the compounds heavier than the solvent is costly in terms of energy and is inevitably accompanied by equally costly loss of solvent, which is poorly separated from the heavier compounds, and of the polymerization inhibitors. In consequence, it is economically advantageous to limit the quantity of stream concerned by the purging of the heavy impurities.
As described in the abovementioned French patent No. 2 146 386, it is possible to separate the intermediate compounds at the bottom of a water scrubbing column, or at the top of a distillation column.
In the case of extraction using water, the method has the disadvantage of generating an additional aqueous stream laden with pollutant compounds which it is costly to treat before release, and furthermore, this method is unsuitable for removing all the heavy impurities, particularly those that are relatively nonpolar. This results in the progressive holdup of these intermediate compounds in the solvent loop, inevitably leading to their entrainment in the distilled (meth)acrylic acid.
In the other case of separation by distillation, the method also suffers from substantial disadvantages. In purification methods using absorption by heavy hydrophobic solvent, the (meth)acrylic acid concentration in the raw skimmed mixture does not exceed 30%, the remainder essentially consisting of solvent. Since the concentrations of heavy intermediate compounds are lower than that of (meth)acrylic acid, these compounds are extremely diluted in the stream consisting essentially of solvent obtained at the bottom of a (meth)acrylic acid distillation column. In consequence, the separation of small quantities of intermediate compounds in a distillation column fed with a bottom stream from the preceding distillation column, as described in French patent No. 2 146 386, requires treating a very large stream of highly diluted mixture. The drawbacks of such a method are a high loss of solvent entrained at the top of the column, costly energy consumption to heat a large quantity of heavy solvent to boiling, and considerably larger equipment size, essentially the column bottom and boiler, implying higher investment costs. Furthermore, such a method does not permit the efficient recovery of the stabilizers that are heavier or lighter than the solvent, for recycling to the columns located upstream of the method.
An improvement to the process of removing heavy intermediate impurities has been described in French patent No. 2 736 912, which claims a purification section consisting in distilling pure acrylic acid at the top of a first column, allowing little monomer to pass at the bottom, and sending the column bottom stream containing the heavy intermediate impurities to feed another column, in tapping off a side stream rich in intermediate compounds, and in recycling the acrylic acid rich column head stream to the preceding column.
This method has the disadvantage of further generating a loss of solvent and polymerization inhibitors.

Method for purifying (meth)acrylic acid by oxidising a gaseous substrate


The infection of a mammalian host by a microorganism can be prevented or treated through the administration of substrates for transglutaminases or antibodies against such substrates that inhibit the transglutaminase-mediated interaction of the microorganism with the mammalian host. These compounds may be used in the identification, prevention or treatment of microbial infection of mammalian hosts such as immunocompromised or immunosuppressed humans, for example, those having AIDS or undergoing transplantation or anti-cancer therapy.

Whether pathogenic or opportunistic, microorganisms have evolved numerous mechanisms to facilitate their establishment and proliferation in mammalian hosts. During initial infection, the interaction of a microorganism with its mammalian host can include attachment or adhesion to the host cell surface, invasion of host cells, and elaboration of toxins, for example. In certain instances, this interaction can be nonspecific. In others, such microbial interaction involves the specific binding of the microorganism to a particular receptor or receptor complex expressed on the host cell surface. In turn, the binding event can trigger changes in the microorganism and/or the mammalian host cell, leading to the progression of infection.
The host cell functions of molecules involved in certain microbial interaction are unknown in some cases and known in others. Mammalian transglutaminases are examples of those in the latter category for which the molecular mechanism of action and/or role in host cell growth or development has been elucidated. In general, transglutaminases are enzymes that catalyze intermolecular crosslinks by the formation of highly stable isodipeptide bonds between the γ-carbonyl group of glutamine and the ε-amino group of lysine residues, which are resistant to proteases, sodium dodecyl sulfate and heat. Epithelial cell transglutaminases are important for the formation of cornified envelopes of mature squamous epithelial cells.
Only recently have investigators shown that certain microorganisms may express proteins capable of acting as substrates for, and thus interact with, mammalian transglutaminases. One example is hyphal wall protein 1 (Hwp1), which is expressed on hyphal surfaces of the pathogenic fungus, Candida albicans. Hwp1 consists of an N-terminal proline and glutamine-rich repetitive amino acid sequence that is exposed on the hyphal surface, and a cell wall-anchored serine and threonine-rich C-terminus. The composition of the N-terminal amino acid repeats is reminiscent of mammalian transglutaminase substrates. It is now known that Hwp1 can serve as a substrate in transglutaminase-mediated cross-linking reactions.
Candida is an ubiquitous yeast recognized as the causative agent of candidiasis (Candida mycosis). At least 90% of the disorders are caused by the species C. albicans, which is an opportunistic yeast able only to elicit mild superficial infections in normal individuals. Fungal infections associated with severe infections of the mucous membrane and with invasive infections of individual organs are observed ever more frequently as a result of the increasing number of patients with immune defense weakness, e.g., patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or patients undergoing immunosuppressive therapy.
If left untreated, such systemic infections frequently lead to the death of the patients. At present, the treatment for invasive infections is based on relatively few antimycotics, such as amphotericin B and flucytosine, or the azole derivatives fluconazole and itraconazole. These antimycotics cause serious, sometimes different, side effects, such as renal insufficiency, hypocalcemia and anemia, as well as unpleasant constitutional symptoms such as fever, shivering and low blood pressure.
For this reason, doctors and clinicians are interested, for achieving direct and effective therapy, in having available diagnostic procedures permitting the earliest possible identification of the fungal pathogens. Conventional methods of diagnosis are based on the in vitro cultivation of the pathogens and the identification of the fungal species by means of morphological, physiological and biochemical methods. The culturing of C. albicans from blood is frequently very difficult and unreliable. Although C. albicans can be cultured from the mouths of normal persons, the progression to mucosal candidiasis is characterized by a shift in the microbial flora that includes an increase in the number of fungi in saliva, followed ultimately by invasion and inflammation of the gastrointestinal mucosa by C. albicans. The clinical presentations are pseudomembranous or erythematous lesions in the oral cavity and/or esophagus.
Oropharyngeal and esophageal candidiasis are among the most frequent opportunistic fungal infections observed in human immunodeficiency virus positive (HIV+) and AIDS patients, occurring in the majority of patients. The pathogenesis is complex and is thought to involve multiple host factors that include loss of cell mediated immunity and altered phagocytic cell activity. The current status of the AIDS epidemic is one of increasing numbers of individuals infected and no cure. Many infected individuals may live for a long time with HIV in an essentially permanent immunocompromised state. Because of the loss of the cellular component of the immune system, AIDS patients are susceptible to invasion of submucosal tissue by C albicans. The frequency of candidal infections may also be a result of the prophylactic use of antibacterial drugs used in AIDS patients to minimize other opportunistic infections. Candidal infections increase in severity and recur more frequently as the immunodeficiency progresses.
While treatment with antifungal drugs can be effective, the increasing frequency of resistant strains of C. albicans, and the systemic side effects of the drugs exploration of novel strategies to interrupt the sequence of events leading to disease and to expand the repertoire of antifungal drugs. An antifungal strategy based on biological interactions between C. albicans and the oral mucosa would be of great benefit to those with such fungal infections, e.g., patients with long-term immunodeficiencies.
Relevant features of C. albicans, the most frequent cause of oral candidiasis in HIV infected patients, are persistence in the gastrointestinal mucosa and invasiveness in the presence of diminished host defenses. Although C. albicans is sensitive to antifungal drugs, treatment over long periods of time are required, and isolates from HIV infected patients may be more resistant than other isolates. In addition to HIV infected patients, oral candidiasis occurs in patients with leukemia or other cancers, as well as in patients with other underlying diseases. Candidiasis in denture wearers, or denture stomatities, is the commonest of all C. albicans associated diseases. Indeed, new approaches towards preventing or managing oral candidiasis are needed.
A feature of C. albicans growth that is correlated with pathogenicity in the oral cavity is the ability to transform from budding to filament-extending growth. Filamentous forms adhere more readily to buccal epithelial cells than budding yeasts, and histologically are a prominent feature of invasion of the mucosa. Knowledge of the molecular events that transform C. albicans to the pathogenic filamentous form as well as detailed investigations of the hyphal surface at the molecular level are necessary for understanding the pathogenesis of oral candidiasis.
In mucosal and systemic disease, C. albicans exists as a polymorphic set of growth forms termed yeasts, pseudohyphae and true hyphae. In mucosal disease, filamentous forms, particularly true hyphae, invade the keratinized layer of differentiated, stratified squamous epithelium. True hyphae are septate, cylindrical structures with parallel sides that are formed by extension of germ tubes which emerge from yeasts in appropriate environmental conditions.
In the oral mucosa, Hwp1 adherence may help C. albicans resist the mechanical forces that clear the oral mucosa, enhancing colonization. Hwp1-mediated stabilized adhesion may induce accelerated maturation of epithelial cells, partially explaining the association of candidiasis with increased turnover of basal keratinocytes. Alternatively, Hwp1 may be important for interacting with host transglutaminases other than those associated with epithelial cells. Hwp1 may also be important for the spatial expression of other pathogenically-important proteins on the germ tube surface.
A valuable contribution to the art therefore would be compounds and methods for the prevention and treatment of microbial infection of a mammalian host through the administration of substrates for transglutaminases or antibodies against such substrates that inhibit the transglutaminase-mediated interaction of the microorganism with the mammalian host. These compounds and methods may be used preferably in the identification, prevention or treatment of microbial infection of mammalian hosts such as inmmunocompromised humans having AIDS.

Inhibition of transglutaminase-mediated microbial interaction with a mammalian host


A rear bicycle derailleur includes a base member, a movable member, a guide arm and a tension arm. The base member is adapted to be mounted to a bicycle frame. The movable member is movably coupled to the base member, preferably via a linkage, to move between a retracted position and an extended position. The guide arm is pivotally coupled to the movable member around a first axis and has a guide sprocket. The tension arm is pivotally coupled to the movable member around a second axis and has a tension sprocket. Preferably, the guide arm is freely pivotal about the first axis without being rotationally biased, while the tension arm is rotationally biased by a biasing member about the second axis. Preferably, the guide arm and the tension arm are configured and arranged to move independently of each other.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rear bicycle derailleur to be used as a rear exterior chain shifting device (derailleur) of a bicycle.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the exterior chain shifting device (derailleur) for a bicycle, a rear bicycle derailleur is used. The rear derailleur is a device for speed-changing the bicycle by shifting a chain which is looped over one of a plurality of sprockets or chain wheels arranged concentrically adjacent another sprocket or chain wheel. An example of the derailleur which has been mainly used for the bicycle currently has been disclosed in a number of patent literatures such as WO96/24787 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-247284.
Such a derailleur, particularly the rear derailleur is provided with a tension arm, a freely-pivotable base portion biased in one direction of rotation, and which is biased in the opposite direction by a parallel rocking member or movable member through a pantograph mechanism (i.e., a parallel link mechanism). Two sprocket wheels or pulleys are rotatably supported by this tension arm. A chain is looped over these two sprocket wheels (guide sprocket wheel and tension sprocket wheel) and the chain wheel. A guide sprocket wheel side closer to the above-described chain wheel is moved toward the front of any one of the above-described plurality of chain wheels or sprockets (at this time, the tension sprocket also moves together with guide sprocket) by the above-described pantograph mechanism (i.e., parallel link mechanism), thereby shifting the chain.
Sag or slack of the chain caused by the replacement (shift) is absorbed by combination of two pivot movement in which the pantograph mechanism and the parallel rocking member (movable member) simultaneously pivot and the tension arm provided at a tip end of the movable member also pivots. For this reason, the operation is complicated and this traditional design has suffered from some problems in terms of balance, durability and the like.
Also, parts of bicycles have been standardized. A user typically selects any appropriate wheels from among many sizes in accordance with rider size or a site of use for use in the same manner as other parts. At this time, since some rear derailleurs cannot cope with small wheels, wheels of a desired size could not be selected sometimes.


An individual-characteristic prediction system obtains three-dimensional information from brain images of a subject. Further, the individual-characteristic prediction system detects characteristic values of each part of the cerebrum of the subject, and compares the detected characteristic values with stored information prepared in advance to thereby search out stored information having characteristic values similar to the detected characteristic values. Further, the individual-characteristic prediction system predicts abilities or qualities of the subject based on information about abilities or qualities of a brain having the searched out characteristic values.

In recent years, a brain dock (brain medical checkup) using MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) or CT (Computed Tomography) has been widely performed. In the brain dock, cross-section images of a brain are obtained by MRI or CT, and the state of the brain is determined based on the cross-section images of the brain. By performing the brain dock, it is possible to know the state of the blood vessels in the brain and thereby find signs of brain diseases such as brain infarction, brain hemorrhage and the like.
Further, with the cross-section images of the brain obtained by MRI or the like, it is possible to know not only the state of the blood vessels in the brain but also the state of each part of the brain, so that it is possible to also find signs of a specific disease unrelated to the blood vessels. For example, it is known that a patient with shrunken frontal lobe or the like has an increased chance of developing dementia.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-230456 discloses a method in which a gray matter image is created based on MRI images obtained by photographing the brain of a subject, and the created gray matter image is compared with a gray matter image of a normal person to determine the shrinkage of a specific part to thereby find signs of dementia or the like.

Individual-characteristic prediction system, individual-characteristic prediction method, and recording medium