A cutting method and an apparatus are provided which enable a rim area or other part of a vitreous silica crucible to be cut off so as to leave a smooth cut surface without damaging the cut edge, etc. The apparatus for cutting the crucible comprises a disk-shaped cutting blade (10) disposed to be movable with respect to the crucible. Without rotating the crucible (20), the rotating cutting blade (10) is brought into contact with a surface of the crucible wall and pushed forward in the wall thickness direction to make a cut piercing the crucible wall. The cutting blade (10) is moved relatively to the crucible (20) in the circumferential direction of the crucible (20) while keeping the cutting blade in the state of piercing the wall. A rim area (25) of the crucible (20) is thus cut off.

A vitreous silica crucible, into which silicon melt is put, is used for pulling silicon single crystal. This vitreous silica crucible is manufactured according to rotational molding by uniformly depositing quartz powder on an inner surface of a rotating mold, and heating and melting the quartz powder for vitrification thereof. In this manufacturing method, it is difficult for the crucible to have a uniform open circumferential portion (rim area) and, therefore, products manufactured by this method need to be finished by cutting the non-uniform rim area. In a related art method, the rim area was manually cut off. However, such a manual cutting of the rim area becomes a burden as the crucible size gets larger, and therefore there has been an attempt to mechanize the cutting process of the crucible for reducing the burden.
As an apparatus for cutting a vitreous silica crucible, a rim cutting apparatus including a supporting means of the crucible and a cutting means of a rim has been known. The supporting means includes an arm which can be opened or closed for gripping the crucible and an operating means thereof for rotational and up-down movement, and the cutting means includes a cutting blade and a moving means thereof. Preferably, the cutting apparatus further includes a mechanism of centering the crucible and a mechanism of taking out the cut rim, and performs a series of operations of centering the crucible, cutting the rim, and taking out the cut rim successively (refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-226134.
The rim cutting apparatus can mechanically cut off a rim of a vitreous silica crucible with high precision, and complete the rim-cutting operation of a large-sized vitreous silica crucible in a short time. Furthermore, since it is possible to automate a series of operations from the centering of the crucible to the taking out of the cut rim, the rim cutting apparatus is considered to be useful for significantly increasing working efficiency.
Meanwhile, when cutting a rim area of a vitreous silica crucible, as illustrated in FIG. 6, a wall is cut by bringing a cutting blade 10 into contact with an outer surface 21 of a sidewall of a crucible 20 and moving the cutting blade 10 toward the inside of the crucible 20, while rotating the crucible 20.
According to the cutting method above, a cutting groove 28 extending around the entire circumference of the crucible is formed in an outer surface 21 of the crucible 20, and the cutting groove 28 progresses in the wall's thickness direction so that a cutting end portion is positioned at an inner surface 22 of the crucible. This way, the load of the cut rim area 25 concentrates on a thin cut section of the inner surface 22 of the crucible 20, so that a crack may be easily generated and a cut edge of the inner surface can be damaged. Thus, burrs 23 and defects 24 may possibly be remain on the inner surface of the crucible after cutting, as illustrated in FIG. 7. In the case where the crucible is cut by bringing the cutting blade 10 into contact with the inner surface of the crucible and moving the cutting blade 10 toward the outer surface, the result is also the same as above.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-226134

Apparatus for cutting vitreous silica crucible


In a webbing retractor, due to a moving member being moved toward an axial direction distal end side, and first teeth and second teeth of a rotating member piercing the moving member, the rotating member is rotated in a take-up direction. Here, at the moving member, a sectional surface area, in a direction orthogonal to an axis, of a small diameter portion that is at an axial direction distal end side is made to be small as compared with a moving member main body that is at an axial direction proximal end side. Therefore, resistance to movement of the moving member can be reduced.

In the belt retractor disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2014-500178, a force transmitting element is moved toward an axial direction distal end side, and teeth of a driving wheel bite into the force transmitting element. Due thereto, the force transmitting element rotates the driving wheel in a take-up direction, and a belt reel is rotated in the take-up direction.
Here, in such a belt retractor, it is preferable to be able to reduce the resistance to the movement of the force transmitting element.


An illuminating device (10). In one embodiment, the illuminating device includes a light source (12), optical components (16, 18, 20) that define a plurality of light paths (14) originating from the light source, a light-conditioning array (22) on at least one of the plurality of light paths, at least one light output (34) to which an associated device that is to be supplied with light or conditioned light is connectable, at least one light path-selecting unit (24) which is provided with several input light path sections associated with another light path and at least one output light path section leading to said light output or another associated light output. Each light path is optionally connected to the light output via the output light path section or to a predefined or selected light output via a predefined or selected output light path section as a selected light path in a corresponding selection mode of the light path-selecting unit by means of the light path-selecting unit that can be switched between several selection modes.

A fluorescence measuring device comprising an illuminator is known from DE 41 15 401 C2. The illuminator of the fluorescence measuring device comprises two illuminating units each comprising a light source, of which at least one unit is pulsed, and a diffraction grating, which is illuminated by the two illuminating units in such a way in its entrance slit plane that the two beam paths originating from the illuminating units are combined in its exit slit plane and emerge therefrom in one beam path, forming a bichromatic intensity-time profile of varying wavelength. The known fluorescence measuring device serves, according to the details in the patent specification, to determine the ion concentration of an object under investigation, which has been coloured with a fluorescent dye, whose excitation maximum varies as a function of the ion concentration to be determined. By means of an imaging system, the beam path with the bichromatic intensity-time profile is directed on the object under investigation. A detector unit is provided for converting the fluorescent light output by the object under investigation into a measurement signal. The two illuminating units are distinguished in that they each comprise a light guide, whose entrance aperture is exposed via an imaging system to light from the light source assigned thereto and whose exit aperture lies in the entrance slit plane of the diffraction grating. The exit apertures of the light guides are displaceable relative to one another and to the diffraction grating for adjustment of the wavelengths of the light with the bichromatic intensity-time profile impinging on the object under investigation. As far as the structure of the illuminating units is concerned, it is proposed that these comprise two flash lamps as light sources. It is also proposed that the two pulsed illuminating units each comprise a continuous light source and an controllable shutter arranged in the beam path between said light source and the diffraction grating. It is further proposed that the two pulsed illuminating units comprise a common, continuous light source and two separately controllable shutters arranged in the beam path between said light source and the diffraction grating.
A further fluorescence measuring device is known from DE 42 28 366 C2 for determining ion concentrations of an object under investigation dyed with fluorescent dye altering the absorption or fluorescence characteristics as a function of the ion concentration. The fluorescence measuring device comprises an illuminator, a detector unit for receiving the fluorescent light and an evaluator. The illuminator comprises a polychromatic light source and means for selecting predeterminable wavelengths at short time intervals for fluorescent excitation or for simultaneous fluorescent excitation of the object under investigation with any desired predeterminable exposure time for each wavelength and any desired predeterminable dark periods. As means of selecting the predeterminable wavelengths, a holographic volume grating is provided, which is arranged on an adjustable scanner, which may be adjusted into the appropriate wavelength position for generating the wavelengths and setting the exposure time and into a wavelength position which does not excite the system for setting the dark periods. It is proposed to operate the volume grating as a reflection grating.
Further known devices, which may in principle be used as illuminator or as part of an illuminator, are known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,254, which describes a monochromator, U.S. Pat. No. 3,907,430, which describes an optical bandpass filter, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,575,243, which describes a monochromator. Reference is further made to U.S. Pat. No. 4,660,975.

Illuminating device and optical object-analyzing device


Techniques for protecting mobile applications are presented. A user's mobile device is provisioned and proxied over a cloud environment with enterprise policy enforced in that cloud environment. Enterprise applications run on the mobile device within the cloud environment. Administrative reporting and control occurs within the cloud environment and the enterprise applications establish connections to, authenticate to, and communicate with remote enterprise services via the provisioned cloud environment.

As mobile devices are being used as a basic part of the corporate Information Technology (IT) solutions, security is suffering. One of the reasons that security is such a problem is because the corporate IT department has little or no control of the mobile device. The company cannot control: what other applications may be running on the mobile device, the environment of the mobile device, and potential theft of the device; such circumstances expose the security of network data that the user's mobile device has legitimate access to.
Making the problem harder to solve, most of the time the mobile device is not actually owned by the company, but is owned and controlled by the employee of the company. This is called the "Bring Your Own Device" (BYOD) model and is becoming a new standard for mobile devices. Today, BYOD situations are most prevalent with the tablet style iPad® devices and exasperates device management, which can be done by the company. So, the user is the owner of the device; and the user typically only authorizes control by the company to company-based applications or data, but the user does allow the company any other control or access to the user's mobile device.
The situation becomes a catch-22 situation because the company is the owner of the data and therefore does not want its data used on an insecure platform or device, which the company cannot control. This creates a "mobile standoff," which limits how mobile devices are used within the company and results in corporate modifications to the employee policy manual defining "corporate acceptable" usage of mobile devices in the corporations attempt to control behavior of employees in order to give the corporate some sense of control over the security hole created when mobile devices of employees are given access to potentially sensitive corporate data.


Polyether poly(ester-amide) block copolymer having a softening point between 60° C. and 180° C., formed from reaction mixtures comprising a diacid, a poly(alkyleneoxy)diamine, and a poly(alkyleneoxy)polyol, wherein said diacid is a cyclohexane dicarboxylic acid; or formed from reaction mixtures comprising a diacid, a short chain aliphatic diamine having 2-6 carbons, and a poly(alkyleneoxy)polyol. Methods for making and using said block copolymers, compositions and articles comprising said block copolymers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure is directed to polyether poly(ester-amide) block copolymers, methods of making and methods of using such polymers, and compositions and products comprising such polymers. More specifically, the present disclosure is directed to polyalkylene glycol-based poly(ester-amide) (PGPEA) polymers, methods of making and methods of using such polymers, and compositions and products comprising such polymers. The present invention is further directed to the use of such PGPEA polymers as gelling agents, and to compositions comprising PGPEAs wherein the composition is a gel.
2. Description of the Related Art
In many commercially important compositions, the consistency of a product is critical to its commercial success. Examples include personal care, household care, industrial care, and medicated products, which generally contain one or more active ingredients within a carrier formulation. While the active ingredient(s) determine the ultimate performance utility of the product, the carrier formulation is critical to the commercial success of the product in that it largely determines the consistency of the product. The rheology of the carrier or "base" largely determines the manner in which the consumer will apply or use the product. Many commercial and would-be commercial products depend upon the availability of materials called "gelling agents" that have the ability to modify various rheological properties, in order to allow formulation of a successful product.
Products are often desired to be "gels," in that they maintain their shape when undisturbed but flow upon being sheared. Transparent gelled carriers are especially desired by formulators who develop products wherein a colorant is an active ingredient, for example in a lipgloss or rouge, because a transparent carrier (as opposed to an opaque carrier) will minimally, if at all, interfere with the appearance of the colorant. In recent years, consumers have demonstrated an increasing preference for transparent and colorless personal care products such as deodorants and shampoos.
Certain polyamide poly(ester-amide), and polyether-polyamide resins as gellants in formulations for surface-, air-, and personal care are known in the art.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,839,245 to Emery Industries, Inc. discloses a preparation useful as polymer fiber anti-static blend components. The disclosed materials comprise dimer acid as the sole diacid and comprise polyether segment levels of up to 75% by weight of the total polymer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,230,838 to ATO Chemie discloses block copolymer antistatic compositions comprised of polyether and polyamide blocks arranged linearly and joined together with linking ester groups. The poly(ether-ester-amides) have molecular weights below the fiber-forming range and contain a specified amount of the polyether block and a definite ratio of amide to ester linkages. They are blended with polyesters, polyamides and other fiber-forming polymers to impart antistatic properties. The '838 disclosure does not teach or suggest use of such polymers as gellants (the softening points disclosed in the examples are very high, typically 180° C., making these unsuitable for gellant applications). In addition, the disclosure does not teach or suggest dimer acid- and/or CHDA-based compositions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,783,657 to Union Camp Corporation (1998), discloses dimer acid-based polyamide compositions which dissolve in non-polar liquids such as mineral oil and, when cooled to room temperature, form firm, transparent gels. The compositions are specific in requiring that they contain an amount of ester groups and, furthermore, that these esters must be located at the ends of the polymer chain.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,111,055, to Union Camp Corporation and Bush Boake Allen (2000), discloses an ester-terminated dimer acid-based polyamide which may be blended with a solvent to form a gel. The solvent may be flammable, and a wick may be added to the resulting gel so as to form a candle. A wick may or may not be present in this gel, but in any event, the composition provides for the release of the fragrance, insecticide or insect-repellent.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,242,509, discloses an ester-terminated dimer acid-based polyamide which may be blended with a solvent to form a gel. The solvent may be flammable, and a wick may be added to the resulting gel so as to form a candle. Depending on the composition, the candle may be formed into a free standing pillar, or may be better suited to being placed in a container. The solvent may be mineral oil. The ester-terminated dimer acid-based polyamide may also be combined with an active ingredient, such as a fragrance, colorant, insect-repellant, insecticide, bioactive ingredient or the like, to afford a delivery vehicle for the active ingredient.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,268,466, (2001) to Arizona Chemical Company, discloses a dimer-acid polyamide which can dissolve in non-polar liquids such as mineral oil and form transparent gets upon cooling. The compositions are specific in requiring that the polymer chains be terminated with tertiary amide groups.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,399,713 to Arizona Chemical Company (2002) discloses polyamide gelling agents (PAOPAs, for poly(alkyleneoxy)-terminated polyamides), consisting of the reaction product of dimer acid, ethylene diamine (EDA), a poly(oxyethylene/propylene)diamine, and a poly(oxyethylene/propylene)monoamine.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,469,131, discloses a block copolymer of the formula hydrocarbon-polyether-polyamide-polyether-hydrocarbon. The copolymer may be prepared by reacting together reactants that include dimer acid, diamine, and a polyether having both hydrocarbon termination and termination selected from one of amine, hydroxyl and carboxyl. The copolymer may be combined with a solvent to form a gel, where the gel may be transparent and may be incorporated into household and consumer products including antiperspirants.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,503,077, discloses a tertiary amide-terminated dimer acid-based polyamide which may be blended with a solvent to form a gel. The solvent may be flammable, and a wick may be added to the resulting gel so as to form a candle. Depending on the composition, the candle may be formed into a free-standing pillar, or may be better suited to being placed in a container. The solvent may, for example, be mineral oil or triglyceride. A solid coating may be placed around the candle, for advantages including to enhance the mechanical stability of the gelled body, and to eliminate the tendency of a gel to have an oily feel and to accept noticeable fingerprints. The solvent which, in combination with the tertiary amine-terminated dimer acid-based polymer forms a gel, may be or include a fragrance material. The gelled composition may also include fatty acid and/or a compound containing one, two, or more ester groups. In one aspect, the article does not contain a wick, and is intended to function as a fragrance-releasing product.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,503,522, discloses a structured, solid composition that contains at least one colorant, a liquid oil phase, and a gellant, wherein the gellant is a tertiary amide-terminated polyamide resin (ATPA) comprising a number of repeating units wherein terminal amide groups constitute from 10% to 50% of the total amide groups.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,552,160, discloses a resin composition prepared by reacting components comprising dibasic acid, diamine, polyol and monoalcohol, wherein (a) at least 50 equivalent percent of the dibasic acid comprises polymerized fatty acid; (b) at least 50 equivalent percent of the diamine comprises ethylene diamine; (c) 10-60 equivalent percent of the total of the hydroxyl and amine equivalents provided by diamine, polyol and monoalcohol are provided by monoalcohol; and (d) no more than 50 equivalent percent of the total of the hydroxyl and amine equivalents provided by diamine, polyol and monoalcohol are provided by polyol. The resin composition may be formulated into, for example, personal care products, fragrance releasing products and candles.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,592,857, discloses a low molecular weight, tertiary amide terminated polyamide which may be blended with a liquid hydrocarbon to form a transparent composition having gel consistency, and this gel may be used to formulate a cosmetic. The tertiary amide terminated polyamide may be prepared by reacting "x" equivalents of dicarboxylic acid wherein at least 50% of those equivalents are from polymerized fatty acid, "y" equivalents of diamine such as ethylene diamine, and "z" equivalents of a monofunctional reactant having a secondary amine group as the only reactive functionality. The gel contains about 5-50% tertiary amide terminated polyamide, with the remainder preferably being pure hydrocarbon.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,864,349, discloses polymerized fatty acid-based polyamides which may be combined with low polarity and high polarity co-solvents to produce homogeneous water-in-oil emulsions. These emulsions are useful in applications favoring an oil base, such as skin creams and cosmetics with emulsions of low stiffness, and car polish with emulsions of greater stiffness.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,875,245, discloses a resin composition prepared by reacting components comprising dibasic acid, diamine, polyol and monoalcohol, wherein (a) at least 50 equivalent percent of the dibasic acid comprises polymerized fatty acid; (b) at least 50 equivalent percent of the diamine comprises ethylene diamine; (c) 10-60 equivalent percent of the total of the hydroxyl and amine equivalents provided by diamine, polyol and monoalcohol are provided by monoalcohol; and (d) no more than 50 equivalent percent of the total of the hydroxyl and amine equivalents provided by diamine, polyol and monoalcohol are provided by polyol. The resin composition may be formulated into, for example, personal care products, fragrance releasing products and candles.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,956,099 to Arizona Chemical Company (2005) discloses polyether polyamide (PEPAs) gelling agents comprising the reaction product of dimer acid, a diamine. The disclosed copolymers have linked internal polyether blocks and internal polyamide blocks and have advantageous physical properties and solvent-gelling abilities. The copolymer may be prepared from a reaction mixture that contains 1,4-cyclohexane dicarboxylic acid (CHDA) and poly(alkyleneoxy) diamine (PAODA). Optionally, the reaction mixture contains no monofunctional compound reactive with either amine or carboxylic acid groups, however some of this monofunctional compound may be present. Dimer diamine and/or dimer acid may be present in the reaction mixture. A copolymer may also be prepared from a reaction mixture containing dimer acid and at least two diamine compound(s) including PAODA and short-chain aliphatic diamine having 2-6 carbons (SDA).
Despite advances in the art, there remains a need for novel polyamide resins capable of functioning as gelling agents. Although references in the art wherein the use of a poly(alkyleneoxy)diamine as a reactive component is stipulated or allowed as optional are known, none of the references disclose or suggest the use of a poly(alkyleneoxy)polyol as a reactive component. The present disclosure is directed to fulfilling these needs and provides additional advantages as described more fully herein.

Polyalkylene glycol-based poly(ester-amide) polymers, methods of making and methods of using same, compositions and products comprising same


When a wavelength of an electromagnetic wave in an electromagnetic wave propagation space (4) is λ, and n is an integer, in a case where a first conductive layer (2) and a second conductive layer (3) are short-circuited in a first end surface (7b), the more distant an electromagnetic wave output interface (6) is from an electromagnetic wave input interface (5), the closer to a distance of λ/4+n·λ/2 from the first end surface (7b) which is short-circuited the electromagnetic wave output interface is installed, and, in a case where the first conductive layer (2) and the second conductive layer (3) are not short-circuited in the first end surface (7b), the more distant the electromagnetic wave output interface (6) is from the electromagnetic wave input interface (5), the closer to a distance of n·λ/2 from the first end surface (7b) which is not short-circuited the electromagnetic wave output interface is installed.

For example, JP-A-2010-114696 (PTL 1) discloses an electromagnetic wave transmission sheet having a mesh-like electrode, in which the length of a width perpendicular to a traveling direction of a transmitted electromagnetic wave is almost equal to a natural number multiple of half of the wavelength of the transmitted electromagnetic wave so as to be in a resonating state in a vertical direction.
In addition, JP-A-2005-317462 (PTL 2) discloses a plasma treatment device which includes a waveguide tube for electromagnetic wave distribution which propagates an electromagnetic wave therethrough, and a plurality of waveguide tubes for electromagnetic wave radiation branched from the waveguide tube for electromagnetic wave distribution and respectively provided with a plurality of slots. Further, a plurality of power supply windows make the waveguide tube for electromagnetic wave distribution be communicated with the respective waveguide tubes for electromagnetic wave radiation, and each power supply window is set such that an opening width increases in a direction toward the electromagnetic wave propagation direction side and such that a central axis parallel to the longitudinal direction of the waveguide tube for electromagnetic wave radiation is offset in the electromagnetic wave propagation direction side with respect to a central axis of a corresponding waveguide tube for electromagnetic wave radiation in a direction toward the opposite side of the electromagnetic wave propagation direction side.
In addition, JP-A-2002-280196 (PTL 3) discloses a plasma generating device in which a plurality of coupling holes are provided in waveguide tubes disposed in a plasma generating chamber, coupling factors of the coupling holes which are sequentially located toward the front end side of the waveguide tubes are increased one by one, and a plurality of dielectric windows corresponding to the respective coupling holes of the waveguide tube are provided in the plasma generating chamber. In addition, it is disclosed that an interval of the coupling holes is set to (2n+1)·λg/2, and an interval between a selected coupling hole and a short-circuited plate of the front end of the waveguide tube is set to λg/4. Here, λg is an in-tube wavelength of the waveguide tube, and n is an integer.


Media composer for editing source material. The media composer includes apparatus for receiving digitizing, storing and editing video and audio source material. Computing apparatus manipulates the stored source material and output apparatus communicates with the computing apparatus to display the manipulated material and control information. The computing apparatus includes JPEG compression techniques and is programmed to provide enhanced editing features.

Video and audio source material editing systems employing digital techniques have been introduced over the last several years. One example is the Avid/1 Media Composer from Avid Technology, Inc., of Burlington, Massachusetts. This media composer receives, digitizes, stores and edits video and audio source material. After the source material is digitized and stored, a computer such as an Apple MacIntosh based computer manipulates the stored digital material and a pair of CRT monitors are used for displaying manipulated material and control information to allow editing to be performed. Later versions of the media composer included compression techniques to permit the display of full motion video from the digitized source material. Compression was achieved using a JPEG chip from C-Cube of Milpitas, Calif. That data compression is described more fully in copending application U.S. Ser. No. 07/807,269 filed Dec. 13, 1991, and entitled Buffer and Frame Indexing. The teachings of this application are incorporated herein by reference. Although previous media composers could achieve full motion video from digitized sources, the compression degraded image quality below desirable levels. Further, the media composer lacked features which enhance the editing process.
The media composer according to the invention for editing source material includes apparatus for receiving, digitizing, storing and editing video and audio source material. Computing apparatus manipulates the stored source material and output apparatus communicates with the computing apparatus for displaying the manipulated material and control information. The computing apparatus includes JPEG compression apparatus and is programmed so that multiple JPEG resolutions can be displayed, recorded and played back.
In another aspect of the invention, the computing apparatus is programmed to provide motion effects in the displayed material and is further programmed to provide a dial whose rotation rate corresponds to a selected motion effect rate. Motion effects include forward and reverse variable speed effects, fit-to-fill capability, and strobe motion. The improved media composer of the invention enables a variety of wipes to be effected, zoom to fill screen capability, pitch change audio scrub, graphics positioning and image capture instrumentation The system also enables sync point editing and slip sync. The system also provides for a novel mechanical user interface including a track ball and speed control integrated into a single unit. Importantly, the system also supports a media consolidation process to free up disk space.

Media composition system with media consolidation


In an audio processing device, a method and system for improved CODEC with polyringer are provided. An audio CODEC may comprise an audio ADC, an audio DAC, and a sidetone generator. Data from an external microphone may be processed by an audio ADC and may be sent to a processor that may be adapted to perform digital signal processing operations. The audio DAC may receive from the processor digital audio and polyphonic ringer data and may process the digital audio and polyphonic ringer data through separate digital filters and digital interpolators. The audio DAC may add the processed digital audio and polyphonic ringer data before analog conversion. The audio DAC may perform analog conversion by utilizing a delta-sigma modulator, a current-based DAC, and a switched-capacitor filter. The converted data may be filtered with an RC filter and may be utilized to drive an external speaker or earpiece.

In audio applications, many audio interface and processing systems may be required to provide duplex operations, which comprise the capability to collect audio information through a sensor or microphone while at the same time being able to drive a speaker or earpiece with processed audio data. In order to carry out these operations, audio interface and processing systems may utilize audio COding and DECoding (CODEC) devices that provide appropriate gain, filtering, and/or analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) in the uplink direction to an audio data processing system and may also provide appropriate gain, filtering, and/or digital-to-analog conversion (DAC) in the downlink direction from the audio data processing system.
FIG. 1A illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary audio interface and processing system. Referring to FIG. 1A, an audio interface and processing system 100 may comprise a microphone 102, a speaker 104, an audio CODEC 106, and a processor 108. The audio CODEC 106 may receive audio information from the microphone 102 and process the received audio information before transferring it to the processor 106. The audio CODEC 106 may also receive audio information from the processor 106 and process the received audio information before transferring to the speaker 104. The processing of audio information provided by the CODEC 106 may comprise encoding and decoding operations. The processor 108 may be adapted to provide digital signal processing to audio information. The processor 108 may be connected to a network and may be adapted to control the transfer of audio information to and from the network. The processor 108 may also be connected to a plurality of data processing devices and may be used to transfer audio information to and from the plurality of data processing devices.
The audio interface and processing system 100 in FIG. 1A may be used, for example, in mobile or wireless handsets where the microphone 102 may collect voice data from a local user while the speaker 104 may provide the local user with voice data from a remote user. The audio CODEC 106, when utilized in wireless handsets, may be optimized to provide efficient coding of the local user's voice data and decoding of the remote user's voice data while the processor 108 may be optimized to provide efficient digital signal processing operations on coded voice data.
The added functionality and advanced applications that may be available in novel audio communication systems may require that audio interface and processing systems in wireless devices allow the user to receive additional audio data in order to interact with the added functionality of the applications. However, audio interface and processing systems, and more specifically, CODEC devices, may not provide the user with an interface that may combine audio data with additional information, and may therefore limit the user's ability to utilize interactive functions and applications that may be available in newer audio-based communication systems.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with some aspects of the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.

Method and system for codec with polyringer


A structure for mounting a rotating machine element, such as a drum pulley, idler, roller or the like includes first and second bearing sets secured to first and second end disks of the rotating member. The first bearing set is secured to a stationary shaft by means of a locking assembly. The locking assembly includes a wedge-shaped sleeve or adapter which is secured between the inner race of the first bearing set and the stationary shaft. During installation of the locking assembly, the second bearing set remains slidable along the shaft, thereby avoiding pre-loads or stresses in either bearing assembly or the components of the rotating member. Once the rotating member has been fixed in a desired position along the shaft by means of the locking assembly, a retaining element may be placed adjacent to the second bearing set. The structure may be easily disassembled by the reverse process.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for mounting a rotary machine element, such as a drum pulley to a stationary shaft. More particularly, the invention relates to a novel technique permitting a pulley or similar element to be accurately positioned in a desired location along a stationary shaft and secured in the desired location without placing excessive and undesirable pre-loading on bearings supporting the pulley.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many applications exist in industrial, mining and other fields for pulleys mounted on stationary shafts. In many such applications, pulley wheels and idlers are mounted on machine frames, and belts, chains or other conveyor means are fed around the pulleys and idlers for moving raw and manufactured materials. In many conveyor systems of this type, drum pulleys are provided which offer excellent support for conveyor belts and contribute to maintaining proper alignment of the conveyor belts on the system components.
Many conveyor applications utilize several types of pulleys and idlers along an extended machine frame over which the conveyor belt runs. Certain of the pulleys may be provided on a "live" shaft. Such pulleys are generally fixed to the shaft and rotate with the shaft as the conveyor is driven. The shaft is, in turn, mounted on anti-friction bearings on the machine frame to permit free rotation of the shaft and pulley. Live shafts of this type are typically used to drive a conveyor belt or chain in the conveyor system. Other pulleys in the conveyor system may be mounted on "dead" shafts. Pulleys of this type will typically be mounted on a pair of bearing sets which are fixed at predetermined locations along the shaft. The shaft is then mounted by means of support blocks which prevent rotation of the shaft. The pulley rotates with respect to the shaft and machine frame, supported by the bearing sets, as the conveyor belt is drawn across it. Both live and dead shaft pulleys of this type are well known in the art and are commercially available from the Dodge Division of Reliance Electric Industrial Company.
Pulleys, idlers and other rotating drum-type elements configured for mounting on dead shafts generally include a central drum-like portion for supporting a belt or web, and end disks secured to the central portion. The end disks may be configured as annular disk-like elements or may includes spokes or recesses depending upon the weight and strength requirements of the application. The end disks are typically welded to the central portion to form a unitary structure.
Several arrangements and methods are known for attaching such rotary elements to dead shafts. In one known arrangement, a hub is precision machined along an interior annular surface and a bearing set is interference fit within the hub. The hub and bearing assembly are then fitted around the dead shaft and secured to the dead shaft to solidly fix the inner race of the bearing set to the dead shaft. An annular outer flange of the hub is then secured by means of bolts to a mating arrangement formed in the end disk of the pulley. In another known arrangement, regions of the dead shaft intended to receive the bearing sets are precision ground and the bearing sets are press fit into locations along the regions. In both arrangements, a first end of the dead shaft is relatively freely attached to the hub or bearing sets. However, as a hub or bearing set is secured to the second end disk of the pulley, the bearing sets are pre-loaded at one or both ends, resulting in undesirable stresses on the bearing elements and end disk attachment joints. Such pre-loading stresses can severely limit the useful life of the bearings and other system components.
In addition to undesirable pre-loading, known structures for mounting rotating members on dead shafts can be extremely difficult to disassemble for servicing of the bearings, shaft or rotating member. In particular, over time, components of the rotating machinery wear, or may fail, requiring removal of one or both bearing sets supporting the rotating member. However, in arrangements having bearing rings press fit to a dead shaft, disassembly requires that the rings be forceably drawn from the shaft, which may prove impossible without destroying the bearing or shaft, or both. Similarly, taper locking arrangements also are difficult to disassemble, requiring that a tapered locking sleeve be drawn from a mating hub.
There is a need, therefore, for an improved technique for mounting a pulley assembly or similar structure to a dead shaft, which avoids or reduces undesirable pre-loading of the support bearing sets between the pulley and the dead shaft. In particular, there is a need for an improved mounting system for dead shaft pulleys in which the pulley can be mounted at a desired position along the shaft and secured in place in a relatively straightforward manner. There is also a need for a dead shaft pulley mounting structure which is easy to assemble and disassemble for servicing of the pulley system components.

Method and apparatus for securing a rotary member to a stationary shaft


Electrophoretic media are provided comprising at least un-crosslinked polymers which have a temperature reversible transition from low viscosity to high viscosity, so as to be pourable at one temperature, while providing sieving properties at another temperature. Optionally included with the un-crosslinked polymers having a reversible temperature responsive viscosity change are gelling agents and polymers which do not have the reversible temperature responsive viscosity change. The subject compositions have excellent clarity, provide excellent separation and resolution, handling properties, and mechanical strength. The compositions are compatible with transfer of separated components from the gel to an accepting membrane.

Gel electrophoresis is an extremely versatile tool with which to identify compounds associated with developments in biotechnology. Electrophoresis is used extensively for the separation, identification and preparation of pure samples of nucleic acids, polypeptides, and carbohydrates. In many applications, one wishes to separate components of a mixture, where the components may vary in relatively subtle ways. Separations may be associated with the detection of biomolecules (polypeptides, polynucleotides, polysaccharides, and combinations thereof, for example, glycosylated proteins, DNA-protein complexes) having different molecular characteristics, such as numbers of monomers, different sequences, different conformations, different charge/mass ratios, or different hydrophobicities/hydrophilicities. Essential to the success of the gel electrophoresis is the nature of the gel and the manner in which it is prepared.
The gel medium in electrophoresis serves one or more functions. For example, the medium can serve as an anti-convective support, a molecular sieve, a gradient of pH, or some other function. For the most part, two compositions dominate the gel compositions which are generally employed in slab gel formats: polyacrylamide and agarose. The polyacrylamides are normally crosslinked to provide for a sieving structure, where the proportion of crosslinking monomers determines the molecular weight range which may be separated by the gel. The addition polymers are normally formed in situ, where substantial care must be taken in the preparation of the gel to insure uniformity, substantial completion of the polymerization, and reproducibility of the separations achieved on the gel. For agarose, the source of agarose is a naturally occurring material, so there can be great variation in the quality of the agarose, the nature of the contaminants, and the like. Therefore, there is substantial uncertainty in going from one batch to another batch of agarose whether one is obtaining gels of comparable quality.
While the polyacrylamides used in slab gel electrophoresis are normally crosslinked, this crosslinking is not required for molecular sieving, but rather for providing anticonvective and mechanical properties to the medium. By contrast, in capillary electrophoresis, mechanical integrity and anticonvective properties are not requirements of the gel medium and un-crosslinked solutions are commonly used for their molecular sieving properties. Barron (1995) reviews the prior art with respect to the large variety of un-crosslinked polymer solutions that have been used in capillary electrophoresis, including hydroxyethylcellulose, polyacrylamide, and various other polymers. Un-crosslinked polymers have been used in slab gel electrophoresis when the un-crosslinked polymer is contained in a composite matrix with agarose. In this manner, the agarose contributes mechanical and anticonvective properties, and prevents the un-crosslinked polymer from dissolving into the surrounding buffer. Examples include combinations of un-crosslinked polyacrylamide and agarose (Bode et al.) and combinations of hydroxyethylcellulose and agarose (Perlman et al.).
Major shortcomings remain in current methods of using un-crosslinked polymers in capillary and slab gel electrophoresis. Even moderate concentration solutions of high molecular mass polymers are very viscous, and difficult to load in narrow bore capillaries or to pour in slab gel chambers. The viscosity of un-crosslinked polyacrylamide in aqueous solution demonstrates a log-linear temperature profile, i.e. the log of the viscosity decreases linearly with temperature. This behavior is typical of hydrophilic polymers, and is found in solutions of hydroxyethylcellulose, polyethylene oxide and other hydrophilic, water-soluble polymers. Thus, the viscosity of these solutions is reduced by an equal percentage for every unit increase in temperature, thereby requiring large temperature increases to obtain sufficient viscosity reduction.
The preparation and formation of the gel is not simple and there are many problems in insuring that bubble formation does not occur, that there are no hot spots, and there is homogeneity. While filling a slab gel is an art form, filling a capillary for capillary electrophoresis is a matter of greater complexity. Furthermore, despite the complexity and difficulties in preparing the gels, both slab and capillary, one may only be able to use the gel once and then have to discard it. This means that a substantial proportion of time for obtaining the result from gel electrophoresis is involved with the preparation of the gel.
One of the reasons there are so few materials which have found acceptance for gels is the relatively large number of parameters which the gels must fulfill. Included among these parameters are excellent resolution, handling properties, optical clarity, mechanical strength, ease of transfer of separated sample to other substrates, acceptance of various reagents for binding to or reacting with the bands of the sample, and ease of recovery of the sample. To retain all of these characteristics at a high performance level while still improving other characteristics, such as ease of forming the gel slab or gel containing electrophoretic capillary and ease of handling during the formation of the gels in the holder, has proved to be extremely elusive.
Alternative compositions to those described above have been suggested such as combinations of agarose and galactomannan (U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,832), modified cellulose (Perlman et al. Anal. Biochem. 163:247-254 (1987)), water soluble gums (U.S. Pat. No. 4,290,911; 4,894,250; and 4,952,686), and 1,3-glucans (WO 93/08200). Hydroxyethylcellulose has been suggested for use in capillary electrophoresis (Barron et al. J. Chromatography A, 652:3-16 (1993)). Entangled polymer solutions for capillary electrophoresis have been described in Heller, J. Chromatography A, V710N2 (1995) 309-32 1.

Un-crosslinked polymeric media for electrophoresis


An optically active (2S,3R)-2-(3'-hydroxyacyl)aminoalkane-1,3-diol and a process for producing the same are disclosed. The compound is represented by the following general formula (1): ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 represents a linear or branched, saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 9 to 19 carbon atoms; R.sup.2 represents a linear or branched, saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 19 carbon atoms; and symbol * means that the carbon atom is an asymmetric carbon atom of the S or R configuration. The optically active compound is a ceramide in which the fatty acid moiety has an optically active hydroxyl group in the 3-position.

Ceramides are specific sphingolipids which exist in intercellular lipid lamellae of horny layers. Ceramides are known to function, in skin epidermises, to retain moisture and as a barrier against water penetration. Various ceramides have been isolated from horny layers of skins of mammals such as human, horse, bovine, and swine and from brains and other organs of such mammals, and identified. It has been reported that various kinds of ceramides exist which are roughly classified under Types 1 to 6 (see D. T. Downing et al., J. Invest. Dermatol., vol. 84, p. 410 (1985)).
The ceramides each is constituted of a sphingosine base moiety and a fatty acid moiety bonded thereto through an amide bond. Among these, the ceramides classified under Types 4 to 6 have a hydroxyl group in the fatty acid moiety in the position adjacent to the carbonyl group. Namely, this hydroxy acid having the hydroxyl group constitutes an .alpha.-hydroxy fatty acid (2-hydroxy fatty acid). It is also known that in each of these ceramides, the sphingosine base moiety is an optically active part of the (2S,3R) configuration, while the 2-hydroxy fatty acid moiety is an optically active part of the (R) configuration.
As described above, such 2-hydroxy fatty acid moieties having the hydroxyl group therein, including the optically active moieties described above, have been known. On the other hand, with respect to 3-hydroxy fatty acid moieties having the hydroxyl group therein, racemic 3-hydroxyvaleric acid is given in JP-A-2-200691 as an example of lower saturated acids from which N-acyl groups are to be formed. (The term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application".) However, there is no description therein concerning a specific process for producing a ceramide using an optically active 3-hydroxy acid or concerning physicochemical data for such a ceramide.

Optically active compound and process for producing the same


In-situ calibration of an interferometer includes making a sequence of phase measurements of a test object using the interferometer, each of the measurements having a same carrier fringe frequency, where at least some of the measurements are made at three or more different orientations of carrier fringes, and determining information about the test object based on at least some of the phase measurements, in which determining the information includes reducing errors in the measurements arising from imperfections in the interferometer based on the measurements made at the three or more different orientations.

Interferometric optical techniques are widely used to characterize test surfaces.
For example, to measure the surface profile of a test surface, one can use an interferometer to combine a test wavefront reflected from the test surface with a reference wavefront reflected from a reference surface to form an optical interference pattern. Spatial variations in the intensity profile of the optical interference pattern correspond to phase differences between the combined test and reference wavefronts caused by variations in the profile of the test surface relative to the reference surface. Phase-shifting interferometry (PSI) can be used to accurately determine the phase differences and the corresponding profile of the test surface. The surface profile measurement of the test surface is relative to the surface profile of the reference surface, which is assumed to be perfect (e.g., flat) or known within the tolerances of the measurement.
With PSI, the optical interference pattern is recorded for each of multiple phase-shifts between the reference and test wavefronts to produce a series of optical interference patterns that span, for example, at least a half cycle of optical interference (e.g., from constructive, to destructive interference). The optical interference patterns define a series of intensity values for each spatial location of the pattern, wherein each series of intensity values has a sinusoidal dependence on the phase-shifts with a phase-offset equal to the phase difference between the combined test and reference wavefronts for that spatial location. Using numerical techniques known in the art, the phase-offset for each spatial location is extracted from the sinusoidal dependence of the intensity values to provide a profile of the test surface relative the reference surface. Such numerical techniques are generally referred to as phase-shifting algorithms.
The phase-shifts in PSI can be produced by changing the optical path length from the measurement surface to the interferometer relative to the optical path length from the reference surface to the interferometer. For example, the reference surface can be moved relative to the measurement surface. Alternatively, the phase-shifts can be introduced for a constant, non-zero optical path difference by changing the wavelength of the measurement and reference wavefronts. The latter application is known as wavelength tuning PSI and is described, e.g., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,594,003 to GE. Sommargren.
One type of interferometer that is often used for characterizing a surface of a test object is a Fizeau interferometer. In many embodiments, phase shifting for object surface profiling proceeds by mechanical translation of the reference surface or by wavelength tuning, during which time a computer captures successive frames of an interference pattern at a detector for later analysis.
In certain cases, it is useful to operate an interferometer using single-frame data acquisition with short integration times, where environmental disturbances such as vibration and air turbulence are minimized and the acquisition of dynamically-changing events may be realized. In one embodiment, the requirement of multiple phase shifts across a single camera frame is accomplished by the introduction of dense carrier fringes. However, operating interferometers in a way to spatially encode the phase shifts required for single-frame data acquisition can, in some instances, introduce other errors known as "retrace errors." A retrace error occurs in a Fizeau-type interferometer, for example, when two interfering beams (e.g., a measurement beam and reference beam) depart from a common imaging path and, as a result, accumulate additional and differing phase contributions due to system design or spatially local imperfections in the traversed optical components. That is, a retrace error refers to a systematic error (e.g., accumulated phase difference).


A fastener is staked to a sheet of equal or higher strength material. The fastener can be staked to a substantially circular shaped opening in the sheet material but other shapes of openings can be used. The opening is prepared by forming serrations in at least a part thereof. The serrations can take many forms and depths depending on the requirements for the particular application and materials being used. The serrations are formed by a doming tool and a punch tool aligned on opposite sides of the sheet material coming together to create the serrations. The nut is inserted into the serrated opening in the sheet material and force is applied to the fastener causing at least a portion of material of the fastener to flow at least partially into the serrations and secure the fastener to the sheet material.

When a fastener is installed in a material, such as a piece of sheet metal, it is essential that the fastener not become dislodged from the material when an external force pulls or twists on the fastener. Hence, the installed fastener must be capable of resisting both torsional and pull-out forces. As used herein, the term "fastener" may include a nut, stud, post, pin, spacer, tube, or other structure needing to be staked. And it should be understood that references to "fastener" or "nut" could apply to other similar structures being staked.
One method of generating the above resistances that is known in the art involves inserting a high strength nut with exterior serrations into a prepared opening in a piece of sheet metal and then applying a force strong enough to deform the sheet metal, such that the sheet metal fills the gaps between the nut's exterior serrations, leaving the nut secured within the sheet metal. In this method, the sheet metal is deformed, while the nut maintains its shape.
However, particularly in the automotive industry, nuts and other fasteners are being installed in increasingly high strength materials, such as high strength steels with yield strength greater than 700 MPa. Increasing the strength of the material in which the fastener is installed vastly increases the difficulty of deforming the material around the fastener. Therefore, a staked installation method that generates high torsional and pull-out force resistances without requiring the deformation of the high strength material during installation is increasingly valuable.
One installation method aimed at achieving the above goals is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2017/0268553 to Hirschmann et al. This installation method involves creating a non-circular opening in a piece of high strength material, inserting a nut into the opening, and using a die to deform the nut, such that the deformed nut fills the non-circular opening. The oblong shape of the deformed nut provides torsional resistance against the twisting of the nut within the opening. However, this method does not provide any means for the nut to interlock with the material in which it is installed, and it additionally requires the generation of a non-standard shaped opening, which generally requires specialized tooling.
As such, there is a need for a method of installing a fastener in a piece of high strength material that allows for the fastener to be installed in a standard circular opening and by which the fastener is staked to the piece of high strength material for increased resistance to torsional and pull-out forces.
It will be understood by those skilled in the art that one or more aspects of this invention can meet certain objectives, while one or more other aspects can lead to certain other objectives. Other objects, features, benefits, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent in this summary and descriptions of the disclosed embodiment, and will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Such objects, features, benefits and advantages will be apparent from the above as taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures and all reasonable inferences to be drawn therefrom.


An original reading device includes an original mount for mounting an original, a reading scanning system for reading the original mounted on the original mount by scanning the original, and a frame for supporting the original mount. The reading scanning system is mounted on the frame at a back side of the frame.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an original reading device which scans an original while moving and reads image light obtained from the original with a photosensor.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, in an original reading device, such as an image scanner or the like, a so-called 1:1/2 optical system is mostly adopted in which an original mounted on original-mount glass is scanned using a light source and mirrors, and the image of the original is exposed on an image sensor or a photosensitive drum. In such a 1:1/2 optical system, as shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b), an original P disposed on fixed original-mount glass 100 is illuminated by a light source 101, and image light reflected by mirrors 102, 103 and 104 is focused onto an image sensor 106 including a photosensor located near an imaging lens 105. A first scanning unit 107 that includes the light source 101 and the mirror 102, and a second scanning unit 108 that includes the mirrors 103 and 104 scan the range of the original-mount glass 100 at a speed ratio of 1:1/2 along a guide rail (not shown) provided on a base frame 109 by means of a driving force from a driving source (not shown). The imaging lens 105, the image sensor 106 and the driving source are fixedly mounted on the base frame 109. As shown in FIG. 6, a signal representing an image read by the image sensor 106 is amplified by an amplifier 110, is converted into digital values by an A/D converter 111, and is transmitted to an image processing circuit 112, where image processing, such as binary coding, .gamma.-conversion or the like, is performed. The processed signal is transmitted to an external apparatus, such as a host computer, a personal computer or the like, via an interface circuit 113.
As shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b), the device of this kind includes optical components, such as the first scanning unit 107, the second scanning unit 108, the lens 105, the image sensor 106 and the like, and driving-transmission components, such as a motor or the like, as principal components. The original-mount glass, a supporting member therefor, electric components and the like are mounted around the above-described principal components, and upper and lower covers are finally mounted.
In such a device, however, since the base frame is provided as a separate member, the number of components and the number of assembling processes inevitably increase, whereby it is very difficult to reduce the size of the device.

Original reading device wherein a frame supports both the original and the reading scanning system


A method for selecting a ferrite bead for a filter to avoid a peak value in a frequency response curve of the filter is provided. The method includes the steps of: building an equivalent model database including parameters of equivalent models of ferrite beads, the parameters including an inductance and a capacitance of a corresponding equivalent model of each ferrite bead; calculating parameters of a desired ferrite bead in the filter based on parameters of the filter, the parameters of the ferrite bead including an inductance, a capacitance, and a resonant frequency; adjusting parameters of the filter until the calculated resonant frequency equals or approaches a desired resonant frequency, and finding an inductance and a capacitance respectively equaling or approaching the calculated inductance and the calculated capacitance in the database; and selecting a ferrite bead with the appropriate inductance and capacitance as found in the database for the filter.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for selecting a ferrite bead for a filter.
2. Description of Related Art
Ferrite beads are widely used as attenuators or suppressors of unwanted signals in electrical circuits. A ferrite bead is inserted into a filter of a power supply circuit containing useful signals as well as electromagnetic interference (EMI). The desired signals will pass through the filter while the undesired EMI will be attenuated by the filter. This is accomplished through an impedance of the ferrite bead, which is frequency sensitive. Direct and low frequency currents see only the conductor, and are unimpeded. The high frequency energy couples with the ferrite bead and impedance is developed which has inductive and resistive components. When a line is passed through a ferrite core, low frequency energy is transmitted with little loss, whereas higher frequency energy encounters the inductive reactance caused by the real part of the complex permeability of the ferrite bead. The inductive reactance reduces the conducted EMI current and introduces an insertion loss.
However, the ferrite bead has a characteristic of resonance, which causes a peak value in a frequency response curve of the filter, which can lead to the filter oscillating, disabling the filter.
What is needed, therefore, is a method for selecting a ferrite bead for a filter, avoiding a peak value in a frequency response curve of the filter.

Method for selecting a ferrite bead for a filter


A method of deploying a telecommunications service implemented in a service graph formed from a plurality of service independent building blocks includes developing the service graph from a plurality of service independent building blocks interconnected to execute a service process. From the service graph, a service script is generated and the service script is transferred to a customer.

Modern telecommunications networks provide telephone users with a myriad of features in addition to performing their primary function of placing calls between users. Features such as call waiting, caller identification, and caller call back are now standard features offered by most telephone service provides, and thus the telecommunications networks of these service providers must be configured to support these and other features such as handling calls from wireless users.
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a conventional telecommunications network 100 utilizing a global telecommunications standard known as "SS7," which stands for "Common Channel Signaling System No. 7." The SS7 standard defines protocols for defining how network elements in the public switched telephone network (PSTN) communicate over digital communications networks to provide wired and wireless call setup, routing, and control. The PSTN is the international telephone system that utilizes copper wires and analog signals to represent voice data and place calls between users, and the telephone service provide by this system is known as plain old telephone service (POTS). Thus, the network 100 utilizes network elements of the PSTN in addition to digital communications networks to place calls and provide various advanced features to users.
The network 100 includes service switching points (SSPs) 102 and 104 that operate to originate or terminate calls between users, which are represented by telephones 106, 108. Each SSP 102 and 104 communicates SS7 signaling messages according to the SS7 standard to other SSPs in the network 100 to setup, manage, and release voice circuits in the PTSN required to complete a call. The network 100 further includes signal transfer points (STPs) 110, 112 that route SS7 signaling messages to an appropriate point in the network 100 based on routing information contained in the message. In this way, each STP 110, 112 functions as a network hub and thereby eliminates the need for direct links between points in the network 100. The network 100 further includes service control points (SCPs) 114 and 116, each of which functions as a centralized database that determines how to route particular calls, such as calls having an 800 or 888 area code. In operation, one of the SSPs 102 and 104 originates a query message that is communicated to one of the SCPs 114 and 116. In response to this query message, the SCP 114 and 116 receiving the query message communicates a response message to the originating SSP 102 and 104 that contains routing information associated the call.
A number of service providers typically provide service through the network 100, and these service providers are constantly trying to improve the performance of the network and to add new or enhance existing features for their customers. To make such modifications typically requires a service provider to modify software executing on various points in the network. The software executing on the SSPs 114 and 116 typically provides most of the advanced features offered by a service provider and supported by the network 100, and thus a service provider must modify this software to add or change such features. On behalf of a service provider, a service developer 118 typically accesses computer systems (not shown) forming the SSPs 114 and 116 to modify the appropriate software and thereby modify the services executed by this software.
Each service is a program on the SSP 114 and 116 that executes a particular service logic flow. While these service programs can be written in a variety of different languages, many are based upon a model known as the service independent building block (SIB) model, where SIB is a term defined by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T). With this model, an SIB is a unit of service logic that performs a simple function, such as playing an announcement or incrementing a counter, and programs are formed by interconnecting number of SIBs. Libraries of SIBs have been defined, and the SIBs in these libraries are interconnected to form the desired service program and thereby provide the desired service. Associated with each SIB are inputs, outputs, and events, and the SIBs are interconnected using their events. For example, if there are three SIBs designated SIB1, SIB2, and SIB3, and SIB1 generates events A, B, and C, then SIB1 can be connected to SIB2 for event A and to SIB3 for events B and C.
To modify an existing service the service developer 118 must modify the service logic flow defined by the interconnected SIBs forming the corresponding program. Similarly, to develop a new service the service developer 118 must interconnect SIBs to perform the desired service logic flow. Current programs which may be utilized by the service developer 118 to implement desired modifications to an existing service or to develop a new service make the process difficult for a variety of reasons. First, current programs do not provide a sophisticated graphical user interface that allows the developer 118 to easily modify existing and generate new service programs. Also, current programs do not provide the developer 118 with an easy way to reuse repeated service logic sub processes within a given service program and among other service programs. For example, a group of SIBs may be interconnected in the same way in several different locations within the same service program, and may be used a number of different times in different service programs. The developer 118 must independently input this group of SIBs each time required, and test and debug each occurrence to ensure they have been input properly.
Another issue that arises currently with the SIB model involves maintaining proprietary rights in service programs. The interconnected SIBs that collectively form a service program are referred to as a service graph, and this service graph is akin to the source code of the service program. The service developer 118 may not be associated with the service provider and may be developing the service program for sale to a number of different service providers. In this situation, the service developer 118 ideally does not want to provide the service provider with access to the service graph, which represents the key piece of intellectual property generated and owned by the developer 118. Current programs, however, do not provide the developer 118 with an easy way of downloading or "deploying" a developed service program onto the SCP 114 and 116 without providing the serviced provider access to the service graph.
There is a need for a program and system for easily and efficiently designing and deploying service programs written using the SIB model.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A method for improving the recovery efficiency of storing fresh water into an aquifer, the storing includes injecting the fresh water and extracting the injected fresh water by a single water storage system that includes at least one well penetrating into the aquifer, the method includes: providing a plurality of screens, each screen being located alongside a wall of at least one well, and each screen respectively allowing a flow of fresh water between an associated storage zone in contact with the screen and the well on which the screen is located; controlling the flow of fresh water through each one of the plurality of screens according to parameters provided from a storage model of the aquifer, the storage model describing a behavior of each storage zone.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to storing of a liquid into a geological formation.
2. Background Art
Storing of a liquid into a geological formation is a common practice, and may be used for example for storing fresh water. The geological formation may for example be an aquifer, i.e. a water bearing stratum of permeable rock, sand or gravel.
The storing of fresh water in an aquifer may be economically more competitive than using tanks, and more particularly surface tanks. This is particularly true when relatively large quantities of water need to be stored for an uncertain amount of time, e.g. in a context of strategic storage. The aquifer is simply used as a reservoir into which the fresh water is placed. This water can be used later: for example in case a normal water providing process is interrupted, or when a drier period occurs and large quantities of water are required, the stored fresh water may be withdrawn. A pump is then placed at the well and the stored fresh water is extracted.
FIG. 1 show a schematic illustration of a water storage system using an aquifer according to prior art. A screen 11 with slots 17 is located on a wall of a well 12 penetrating into the aquifer 13. The slots of the screen enable a flow of liquid. In case fresh water is to be stored in the aquifer, the fresh water is injected from the surface into the well 12 and flows through the screen 11. The fresh water is injected using a pump or any other means as appropriate. The injected fresh water creates a water bubble, i.e., a zone 14 of fresh water inside of the aquifer 13 and extending away from the screen 11. A part of the aquifer surrounding the zone 14 contains native aquifer water. The native water may for example be brackish water 15, i.e. water containing salts. The native water tends to be pushed aside as the volume of the stored fresh water increases.
In the following description it will be assumed as an example that the native water is brackish water.
In case the fresh water is to be extracted from the aquifer, the fresh water flows from the zone 14 through the screen 11 to the surface by flowing inside the well 12. The water is generally pumped to the surface by using a pump placed inside the well. A sensor 16 is used to measure a quality parameter of the extracted water at a level of the surface. The measurements from sensor 16 are used to monitor the quality of the water. Usually the quality of the fresh water may be affected by salt providing from the brackish water 15, or from any other contaminate that is present. This may happen after a part of the stored fresh water has been retrieved and a mixture of fresh water and brackish water created at the border of the zone 14 starts being extracted.
FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a plot of the quality parameter versus time during the extraction of fresh water in the system from FIG. 1. The quality parameter may be a Total Dissolved Salt (TDS) content, or any other parameter used to define water quality. Generally a suitable zone is found so that the fresh water does not move much in the aquifer after it has been injected and during the time in which it is stored. Therefore, at the beginning of extraction, the quality of the extracted fresh water is close to the quality of the injected fresh water: the TDS content has relatively low values as can be seen at the left of the curve in FIG. 2 around the time t0.
As the water continues to be extracted and time increases, the TDS content rises. After a relatively large amount of the injected fresh water has been extracted from the aquifer, the extracted liquid contains an increasing amount of brackish water and the TDS content raises. The TDS content reaches a pre-defined threshold at the time t1. The pre-defined threshold may for example correspond to a maximum tolerable TDS for fresh water. The extraction is then stopped.
The injection of fresh water and its extraction up to a pre-defined TDS content corresponds to an injection-extraction cycle. The injection-extraction cycle may be repeated several times, i.e. the aquifer and its water storing system may be re-used.
A recovery efficiency parameter is defined as a ratio of the volume of extracted water to the volume of injected water during any one cycle. The recovery efficiency parameter increases with the number of injection-extraction cycles. FIG. 3 contains an example curve illustrating the increase of the recovery efficiency parameter. The recovery efficiency parameter is plotted versus the number of injection-extraction cycles. In this example, at the first injection-extraction cycle, the recovery efficiency parameter has a value of about 42%. The efficiency parameter increases with each subsequent cycle and reaches 72% at the end of the fifth injection-extraction cycle.
Often the fresh water is stored seasonally so a cycle may represent 1 year.
In a further embodiment of a water storage system know from prior art, a plurality of wells may be provided. Each well addresses a distinct area of the same aquifer. For each well, the injection-extraction cycle is performed, independently of the other wells. FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a water storage system using a plurality of wells, in which the surface is viewed from above, i.e. from the sky. Each of the wells 42 is represented by a large dot. Each well 42 is used to inject and extract fresh water. As a result of this an extended zone 44 of fresh water is obtained in the aquifer. The fresh water zone 44 is represented by a white surface and is in fact located under the surface in the geological formation. Hatched surfaces represent brackish water under the surface. Hatched surfaces 45 surrounding the fresh water zone 44 represent a transition zone of the aquifer containing brackish water and fresh water, partly mixed.
Further hatched surfaces that are represented as limited surfaces inside the fresh water zone 44 illustrate traps of brackish water 49: these may appear between the wells 42 as a result of operating the wells 42 independently from each other during the injection and extraction of fresh water. During the time that the fresh water is stored in the aquifer, the traps of brackish water 49 may deteriorate the quality of the zone of fresh water 44, thus causing a loss in recovery efficiency.
Similarly, during extraction, each well is used to extract fresh water independently of the other wells. In some cases fresh water located between the wells may not be extracted by any well, thus creating traps of fresh water. This causes a loss of fresh water and reduces the recovery efficiency.

Method and system for storing liquid in a geological formation


A connector for electrically connecting wires to each other is disclosed. The connector comprises a male connector element and a female connector element having a fitting hood section into which the male connector element is fitted. The male connector element has a rectangular fitting surface which is directed or oriented toward the female connector element at fitting. The fitting surface has corners at which cut-out portions withdrawn inwardly are formed, respectively.

The present invention relates to a connector comprising a male connector element having a rectangular fitting surface and a female connector element fitted over the male connector.
FIG. 1 of the attached drawings shows a connector 1 which is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. SHO 61-26280. As shown in FIG. 1, the connector 1 comprises a male connector element 3 having a rectangular fitting surface 9a and a female connector element 7 having a fitting hood section 5 which is fitted over the male connector element 3.
The male connector element 3 is formed with a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 11, within a connector body 9 which is formed with the rectangular fitting surface 9a. A plurality of female terminal parts (not shown), which are connected in caulking respectively to ends of wires 12, are accommodated or received respectively in the terminal accommodating chambers 11.
On the other hand, the female connector element 7 is formed with a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 17 within a housing section 15 which is formed in integral relation to the fitting hood section 5. A plurality of male terminal parts 19, which are connected in caulking respectively to the ends of the wires 12, are accommodated respectively in the terminal accommodating chambers 17. The male terminal parts 19 have respective forward ends thereof which project into the fitting hood section 5.
In order to fit the male connector element 3 arranged as described above, into the fitting hood section 5 of the female connector element 7, the connector body 9 is positioned such that the connector body 9 is under a straight or facing condition with respect to the fitting hood section 5 and, subsequently, one of the male connector element 3 and the female connector element 7 moves toward the other and are urged toward the other in such a direction that they approach each other. By doing so, the connector body 9 of the male connector element 3 is fitted in the fitting hood section 5 of the female connector element 7, and the male terminal parts 19 projecting into the fitting hood section 5 are inserted respectively into female terminal parts (not shown) which are accommodated respectively within the terminal accommodating chambers 11 in the connector body 9, so that the male and female connector elements 3 and 7 are electrically connected to each other.
As shown in FIG. 2, however, when the connector body 9 is inserted into the fitting hood section 5, there is a case where the connector body 9 is inserted under an inclined condition with respect to the fitting hood section 5.
In this case, the connector body 9 inclined with respect to the fitting hood section 5 is so-called prized or wrenched whereby an attempt is made to insert the connector body 9 into the fitting hood section 5 by force or unreasonably. For this reason, it may often occur that the male terminal parts 19 in contact with corners 21 of the connector body 9 are deformed and broken.


An apparatus and method for automated picking of animal cell colonies is described. A picking head comprising a plurality of hollow pins is provided. The apparatus has an integrated imager for capturing an image of adherent or non-adherent animal cell colonies held in liquid or semi-solid medium. Image processing identifies the locations of the animal cell colonies to be picked. Picking an animal cell colony is performed by aligning each of the hollow pins in turn with a target animal cell colony location, introducing the hollow pin into the medium, and aspirating the animal cell colony into the hollow pin. In the case of an adherent colony, the distal end of the pin is forced into oscillation to detach the animal cell colony prior to aspiration. The animal cell colony is dispensed into a well plate by increasing pressure in the fluid conduit.

The invention relates to an apparatus and method for picking mammalian and other animal cell colonies.
Automated apparatus for a variety of repetitive tasks relating to genomics and proteomics have become widespread. For example, automated apparatus have been commercially available for several years to perform microarraying, bacterial colony picking and gel coring [1-5]. However, an apparatus for automated picking of mammalian cell colonies has not been available.
Mammalian cell colonies are usually provided in a sample in one of two types. In the first type, the mammalian cell colony is held in suspension in a semi-solid medium. In the second type, the mammalian cell colony is adhered to a substrate and immersed in a liquid medium.
A problem in automating the mammalian cell colony picking arises for the first type in locating, removing and dispensing individual target cell colonies from the semi-solid medium. For adherent colonies, there is the additional problem that the colony needs to be detached from the substrate before it can be removed. The standard (non-automated) practices for detaching adherent colonies are by scraping with a scalpel, or other mechanical blade, and digestion usually with trypsin. Neither of these practices is well suited to automation.

Animal cell colony picking apparatus and method


The invention provides a power delivery system for a mobile device. The power delivery system includes a contactor device and a plurality of first electrical contacts on the contactor device disposed in an interspersed arrangement wherein first electrical contacts of one polarity are interspersed with first electrical contacts of a second polarity throughout the contactor body.

Mobile devices such as notebook computers, personal digital assistants, mobile telephones, pagers etc. require periodic recharging, which generally involves connecting the mobile device to a charging unit which draws power from a wall socket.
Generally, electrical interconnection between the mobile device and the charging unit is achieved by a pin arrangement, which requires accurate alignment of electrical contact pins before charging can take place. Thus, the mobile device has to be held in a fixed spatial relationship to the charging device while charging takes place. This restricts the mobility, and thus the utility of the mobile device while charging takes place.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Alternative wirefree mobile device power supply method and system with free positioning


A methane content of a bottom sample comprising methane hydrate crystals is determined by:—taking a core sample (5) from a bottom sediment (3) in a deepwater area;—storing the core sample (5) in a storage chamber (4);—lifting the storage chamber (4) to a predetermined waterdepth (BGHZ=Base of Gas Hydrate stability Zone) at which any methane hydrate crystals in the core sample (5) dissociate into water and methane; and—measuring an amount of methane released by the lifted core sample (5).

The invention relates to a method and system for determining a methane content of a bottom sample.
Such a method and system are known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,659,204 and from the papers:                "In situ hydrocarbon concentrations from pressurized cores in surface sediments, Northern Gulf of Mexico" published by K. U. Heeschen et al in the magazine Marine Chemistry, vol. 107, issue no. 4, pages 498-515, published on 20 Dec. 2007, (XP002569753); and        "Wireline Coring and Analysis under Pressure, Recent Use and Future Developments of the Hyacinth System" published by P. Shultheiss et al in the Scientific Drilling Journal issued on 7 Mar. 2009, (XP002569762,ISSN: 1816-8957).
The core sampling methods and systems known from these prior art references comprise a core sampler for evaluating methane hydrate resources, in which core samples are stored at an in-situ pressure and temperature to inhibit decomposition of hydrate crystals due to pressure decrease and/or temperature increase when the core samples are lifted to surface.
A disadvantage of these known pressurized core samplers is that they are expensive and unreliable with a frequent failure to recover the sample at a lower than in-situ pressure and/or at a higher than in-situ temperature which may cause a systematic bias in the reported hydrate content from successful cores.
Accordingly direct measurement of core data as known from these prior art references is unreliable as hydrates may dissociate so that is not known how much hydrates may be lost after the core sample has been taken.
One of the key challenges in economically developing hydrate resources, which are often located in deepwater and/or arctic areas, lies in finding low-cost methods to find and evaluate shallow methane hydrate deposits.
One of the biggest challenges has been measuring the actual hydrate content of cores recovered during drilling offshore, as current techniques are both unreliable and expensive.
Problems with other currently available hydrate sampling and hydrate detection techniques are that:                Indirect geophysical methods (EM, Seismic) are unreliable due to the nature of hydrates.        Estimate of hydrate content based on water freshening is unreliable due to uncertaintly over baseline porewater salinity.
There is a need to provide an improved technique for measuring the methane content of hydrate-bearing cores which is expected to be both cheaper and more reliable than existing methods and systems.

Determining methane content of a bottom sample


An X-ray tube bearing assembly has a first X-ray tube shaft with first and second ball-bearing raceway surfaces which are integral with (i.e., either monolithic portions of or fixedly attached to) the first shaft and has a second X-ray tube shaft with a third ball-bearing raceway surface which is integral with the second shaft. A ball-bearing race, which is non-integral with (i.e., neither a monolithic portion of nor fixedly attached to) the two shafts, has a fourth ball-bearing raceway surface. A first set of ball bearings is located between the first and third raceway surfaces, and a second set of ball bearings is located between the second and fourth raceway surfaces. Preferably, an anode target surface is attached to the first shaft, and a mechanism is provided to preload the ball-bearing race.

X-ray equipment used in the medical field typically includes a rotating anode X-ray tube. Such X-ray tubes are vacuum tubes each including a rotor having a rotatable shaft and each also including a stator which circumferentially surrounds, or is circumferentially surrounded by, the rotatable rotor shaft. An anode target surface is attached to, and rotated by, the rotor shaft. Electrons from a heated cathode strike the anode target surface to produce X-rays.
A pair of bearings is positioned radially between the rotor shaft and the stator. In a straddle-bearing design, the heavy anode target is located longitudinally between the two bearings, and the bearing arrangement is supported at both axial ends. Typically, each bearing includes a radially-outer race having a circumferential ball-bearing raceway surface, a radially-inner race having a circumferential ball-bearing raceway surface, and a set of circumferentially-arrayed ball bearings positioned radially between, and in rolling contact with, the raceway surfaces of the radially-outer and radially-inner races.
Usually, each of the two bearings is a pre-assembled bearing unit which is inserted between the rotor shaft and the stator. Since there is a clearance between the radially-inner races and the stator and a clearance between the radially-outer races and the rotor shaft, it is difficult to maintain the concentricity of the races which can lead to uneven wear of the ball bearings resulting in increased noise and reduced life of the X-ray tube. Also, under high speed rotation, the radially-inner and radially-outer races can start moving with respect to the rotor shaft and the stator making the bearing even more noisy.
Another known design replaces the pre-assembled bearing units with two radially-inner raceway surfaces which are integral with the stator, two radially-outer races which are separate pieces from the stator and the rotor shaft and which slide inside the rotor shaft, and two sets of ball bearings. Since there is a clearance between the radially-outer races and the rotor shaft, it is difficult to maintain the concentricity of these races which can lead to uneven wear of the roller bearings resulting in increased noise and reduced life of the X-ray tube. Also, under high speed rotation, the radially-outer races can start moving with respect to the rotor shaft making the bearing even more noisy. It is noted that radially-paired raceway surfaces together define load-bearing axes for the two sets of ball bearings. Such load-bearing axes typically are non-orthogonally-aligned with respect to the longitudinal axis of the rotor shaft, and a spring is used to apply a fixed longitudinal preload to one of the two radially-outer races. The fixed pre-load applied against one of the two radially-outer races somewhat reduces the bearing noise.
What is needed is an X-ray tube assembly having bearings which better maintain the concentricity of the bearing races and which further reduce bearing noise.


The present invention discloses the topical application of ceramides. The present invention provides specific cosmetic compositions comprising a ceramide and an agent to target said ceramide to the proper site of the skin. Specifically it is shown that the ceramide-containing compositions have a high capacity for recovering diminished water-retaining properties of preheated or damaged skin. Furthermore, the ceramide-containing compositions are shown to protect the skin again irritation.

Lipid lamellar structures in the intercellular spaces of the stratum corneum are considered to be responsible for the water retaining properties of the stratum corneum (Elias, P. M. (1983), J. Invest. Dermatol. 80, 44-49). It is generally understood that ceramides present within these intercellular lipid lamellae of the stratum corneum have an important structural function in the water impermeability barrier of the skin. The ceramides have shown to be essential in maintaining said barrier (Elias et al., (1991) Adv. Lipid Res. 24, 1-23).
Ceramides are a specific class of lipids belonging to the group of sphingolipids. A sphingolipid is a general term for all lipids containing sphingosine, phytosphingosine or sphinganine as a basic building block. Among the sphingolipids, the ceramides are the most abundant lipids present in the stratum corneum. In mammalian skin, seven predominantly occurring ceramides have been identified. These are mentioned ceramide 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6I and 6II (as defined in Wertz et al., (1985) J. Invest. Dermatol. 84, 410-412 and Kerscher et al. (1991), Eur. J. Dermat. 1, 39-43).
It is believed that one of the causes of dry skin is a reduction in the amount of ceramides within the intercellular lipid lamellae. It is therefore desirable to be able successfully to replace these depleted lipids via the topical route.
Ceramides must be able to penetrate the stratum corneum in order to reach the lipid lamellae of the permeability barrier. One of the unsolved problems with the topical application of skin products is to find a suitable way to deliver the active ingredient in sufficient amounts to the place where it must exert its biological activity.
Ceramides are extremely insoluble compounds, a property directly linked to their intrinsic functionality, i.e. the formation of a water-impermeable barrier. As a consequence they are not easy to formulate.
To circumvent these formulation problems, products have been introduced on the market which are not identical, but similar in structure to ceramides. Ceramide-like compounds which are commercially available to date mainly are glycosylceramides (cerebrosides), which are isolated from plant or animal sources, or pseudoceramides, which are no real ceramides but which have an ceramide-analogous structure.
In contrast to real ceramides, glycosylceramides have a relatively high solubility and are easy to formulate. However, it has for instance been shown that glycosylceramides do disturb skin barrier function rather than improving or restoring said function (Holleran et al. (1993) J. Clin. Invest. 91, 1656-1664). Also pseudoceramides, synthetic ceramide-like compounds, often have a higher solubility as compared to ceramides, but these have the disadvantage that they are not biodegradable and consequently can easily accumulate in the skin.
The development of specific formulations which are able to target ceramides to the proper site of the skin is of crucial importance to guarantee efficacy of ceramides.