A protective apparatus for a portable device is disclosed. The protective apparatus generally includes a main case configured for accommodating the portable device; an accessory case configured for accommodating accessories of the portable device; and a protective jacket including a main jacket and an accessory jacket, wherein the main jacket is configured for receiving the main case, and the accessory jacket is configured for receiving the accessory case; and a strap configured for joining the main jacket and the accessory jacket together. The protective apparatus not only can reduce the damage come from a sudden and violate collision to the portable device, but also provide a whole protection for the portable device without interfering the operation to the portable device.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a protective apparatus, particularly to a protective apparatus for a portable device and corresponding accessories.
2. Related Art
As the market trend of portable devices become smaller and tinier, protecting these small, tiny, multi-functioned, sophisticated portable devices has become a subject itself to electronics designers. Generally, not only does current portable devices have a liquid crystal display for displaying images and input keys for entering information, but are also fitted with interfaces for communicating with peripheral equipments, such as earpieces and cords.
Present protective mediums typically consist of a case and a cover for portable devices. When using a portable device with protective medium, the portable devices has to be taken out of the protective medium first before using the portable device. Some protective mediums includes a transparent membrane on an opening excavated in the cover for displaying the information displayed on the LCD (liquid crystal display), but such a configuration undermines a sturdiness of the protective medium.
The U.S. Pat. No. 6,196,405, entitled "Personal organizer case system", issued on Mar. 6, 2001, discloses such a protective case for personal organizers. The case includes a base having a floor and two lower walls extending from the floor, a pair of hinge pins attached to opposing sides of the lower wall, a cover having a accessory cover with an open portion on the accessory cover, and a pair of slots receiving the hinges thereby deciding the protective case in an open or close state. The user has to open the cover to operate the input keys of the portable device accommodating in the protective case.
However the present protective case has three disadvantages, first of all, the protective case lacks a room for placing accessories of the portable device when the accessories are not in use. Second, the protective case lacks a shock-absorbing element. Lastly, the user has to open the cover before operating the portable device.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous if the protective case provides accessories case for placing accessories, a shocking-absorbing element for limiting harsh collisions. And it would be better if the protective case provides the user a genuine touch sense when operating the portable device.

Protective apparatus for a portable device

Longhua Town, Bao'an District, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province

Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shen Zhen) Co., Ltd.


A printed advertising device is formed by folding a sheet to enclose a pop-up insert. The pop-up insert is a folded sheet that is initially retained within the advertising device by a novel arrangement, but "pops-up" when the advertising device is accessed to gain the attention of the person opening the device. The advertising device is created by several manipulations of a web, such as folding and applying adhesive using web printing equipment. The advertising device may be a mailing device, a magazine insert or a stand-alone circular.

The consuming public is inundated with print advertisement, such as mail, newspaper ads and magazine ads. This places advertisers in competition with each other to gain the attention of consumers. Prior attempts to gain the attention of consumers have included catchy slogans, startling artwork, novelty items, contests, prizes, redeemable coupons and in some cases even the inclusion of token sums of money. Though these traditional attempts at gaining the attention of consumers have been somewhat successful, a continuous need exists for a structure that gains the attention of consumers, to gain more sales per advertising dollar.
Additionally, attempts to gain the attention of consumers must be capable of reaching numerous consumers in an efficient manner. Thus, the most efficient attention grabbing advertisement should be easily mass manufactured and otherwise cost effective.


A cathode active material is a lithium-rich lithium-containing compound having a bedded salt-type crystal structure. A product SD of a specific surface area S in square meters per gram and a crystallite diameter D in micrometer is equal to or more than about 1.4×10−6 cubic meters per gram.

The present application relates to a cathode active material as a lithium-containing compound, to a cathode and a secondary battery that use the cathode active material, and to a battery pack, an electric vehicle, an electric power storage system, an electric power tool, and an electronic apparatus that use the secondary battery.
In recent years, various electronic apparatuses such as a mobile phone and a personal digital assistant (PDA) have been widely used, and it has been demanded to further reduce the size and the weight of the electronic apparatuses and to achieve their long life. Accordingly, as an electric power source for the electronic apparatuses, a battery, in particular, a small and light-weight secondary battery capable of providing high energy density has been developed. In these days, it has been considered to apply such a secondary battery to various other applications in addition to the foregoing electronic apparatuses. Representative examples of such other applications include a battery pack attachably and detachably mounted on the electronic apparatuses or the like, an electric vehicle such as an electric automobile, an electric power storage system such as a home electric power server, and an electric power tool such as an electric drill.
Secondary batteries utilizing various charge and discharge principles to obtain a battery capacity have been proposed. In particular, a secondary battery utilizing insertion and extraction of an electrode reactant or a secondary battery utilizing precipitation and dissolution of an electrode reactant has attracted attention, since such a secondary battery provides higher energy density than lead batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, and the like.
The secondary battery includes a cathode, an anode, and an electrolytic solution. The cathode contains a cathode active material contributing to a charge and discharge reaction. As the cathode active material, generally, a lithium-containing compound such as LiCoO2, LiNiO2, and Li(Ni0.5Co0.2Mn0.3)O2 is widely used.
In the development field of the secondary battery, increasing the charging voltage to a value larger than 4.2 V has been considered to fulfill a need for achieving a high-capacity of the secondary battery. However, in the case where the charging voltage is increased, a lithium-containing compound is easily degraded. Thereby, cycle characteristics as one of the important characteristics of the secondary battery are lowered. Therefore, it is substantially difficult to increase the charging voltage at present. Accordingly, as a cathode active material for a high charging voltage, a lithium-rich lithium-containing compound represented by a general formula Li1+a[MnbMn1−b]1−aO2−c has been proposed (for example, see Electrochemical and Solid-State Letters, 9(5), A221-A224 (2006)). In the formula, M represents a transition metal element (excluding Mn), and 0<a<0.25, 0.3≦b<0.7, and −0.1≦c≦0.2 are satisfied. In the case where the lithium-rich lithium-containing compound is used, a discharge capacity more than about 250 mAh/g is obtained.
In the case where the lithium-rich lithium-containing compound is used, the cycle characteristics and/or the like is improved. On the other hand, lithium ions are less likely to be inserted and extracted mainly due to increased resistance, and therefore, load characteristics are lowered. Since such a disadvantage of the lowered load characteristics may be an obstacle to practical use thereof, various studies have been made to improve the load characteristics.
Specifically, in a high-lithium-containing transition metal composite oxide particle represented by a general formula Li1+x−sMn1−x−yMyO2−t, the crystal structure of the particle is changed from a layered structure to a spinel structure as the position thereof gets from the center side to the surface side (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2011-096626). In the formula, M represents a transition metal element other than Mn, and 0<x<0.33, 0<y<0.66, 0<s<0.3, and 0<t<0.15 are satisfied.
In a lithium-manganese composite oxide having a spinel-type crystal structure represented by a general formula Li1+XMn2−Y−ZMZO4+δ, the average particle diameter is from 5 μm to 20 μm both inclusive, the BET specific surface area is equal to or less than 1 m2/g, and the average crystallite diameter is equal to or more than 100 nm (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-226214). In the formula, M represents Ni or the like, and 0≦X≦1/3, 0≦Y≦1/3, 0<Z≦0.25, and −0.14≦δ≦0.5 are satisfied.
In a lithium-manganese composite oxide having a spinel-type structure represented by a general formula LixMn2Oy, the BET specific surface area is equal to or more than 2 m2/g, and the crystallite diameter is equal to or more than 30 nm (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. H08-002921). In the formula, 1<x<1.6, 4<y<4.8, (8/3+4/3×x)<y<(4+1/2×x) are satisfied.
In a lithium-transition-metal composite oxide having a spinel-type (Fd3-m) represented by a general formula Li1+xM2−xO4, the specific surface area is from 0.35 m2/g to 0.8 m2/g both inclusive, and the crystallite size is from 170 nm to 490 nm both inclusive (for example, see WO2009/054436). In the formula, M represents Mn or the like, and 0.01≦X≦0.08 is satisfied.
Regarding a manganese composite oxide, a nickel composite oxide, and a cobalt composite oxide, the specific surface areas are equal to or more than 5 m2/g, and the crystallite diameters are equal to or less than 70 nm (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-202724).
In a lithium-transition-metal composite oxide having a spinel-type (Fd3-m) represented by a general formula Li(LixMgyAlzMn2−x−y−z)O4, the specific surface area is from 0.35 m2/g to 0.8 m2/g both inclusive, and the crystallite size is from 170 nm to 490 nm both inclusive (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2010-097947). In the formula, 0.01≦x≦0.08, 0.02≦y≦0.07, and 0.06≦z≦0.14 are satisfied.

Cathode active material, cathode, secondary battery, battery pack, electric vehicle, electric power storage system, electric power tool, and electronic apparatus


The invention relates to a pressure limiting valve. The pressure limiting valve comprises a valve holder a valve insert connected to the valve holder a valve piston slidably supported in the valve insert and a compression spring acting on the valve piston in the closing direction. Between the valve piston and the compression spring an adjusting shim is disposed such that the compression spring is braced on one end on a bottom piece of the valve holder and on the other on a face of the adjusting shim facing away from the valve piston.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a pressure limiting valve and more particularly to an improved pressure limiting valve suitable for use fuel injection systems.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A pressure limiting valve in conjunction with a device for injecting fuel, in particular Diesel fuel, is known from the book entitled Diesel-engine Management, Stuttgart 1999, page 273 (ISBN 0-7680-0509-4). A pressure limiting valve of this type serves to limit pressure yet at the same time furnish an emergency operation capability. Preferably, the pressure limiting valve of this type is used in conjunction with common rail systems.
Mass-produced pressure limiting valves are already known in which spring washers and valve pistons are embodied in one piece and disposed together with a compression spring in a cup-shaped valve holder. On its end piece remote from the valve piston, the valve holder has an adjusting screw with a check nut, by way of which the valve characteristic can be adjusted and production variations can also be compensated for. Aside from the complicated and expensive construction, these known valves require a relatively large installation volume, which makes it difficult to integrate them into component groups of an injection system. Moreover, these known valves have the disadvantage of regulating down to a pump feeding quantity of only about 90 liters/hour. At a lower flow rate, such a pressure limiting valve closes again. However, this causes severe restrictions in emergency operation.


The present application discloses regioselectively substituted cellulose esters, films made from the regioselectively substituted cellulose esters and methods for making the same. The regioselectively substituted cellulose esters are synthesized using trifluoroacetic anhydride and cellulose with various acyl donors or acyl donor precursors.

Cellulose is a β-1,4-linked polymer of anhydroglucose. Cellulose is typically a high molecular weight, polydisperse polymer that is insoluble in water and virtually all common organic solvents. The use of unmodified cellulose in wood or cotton products such as housing or fabric is well known. Unmodified cellulose is also utilized in a variety of other applications usually as a film, such as cellophane, as a fiber, such as viscose rayon, or as a powder, such as microcrystalline cellulose used in pharmaceutical applications. Modified cellulose such as cellulose esters are also widely utilized in a wide variety of commercial applications. Prog. Polym. Sci. 2001, 26, 1605-1688. Cellulose esters are generally prepared by first converting cellulose to a cellulose triester before hydrolyzing the cellulose triester in acidic aqueous media to the desired degree of substitution. Hydrolysis of cellulose triacetate under these conditions yields a random copolymer that can consist of 8 different monomers depending upon the final degree of substitution. Macromolecules 1991, 24, 3050.
This application describes new regioselectively substituted cellulose esters prepared by first treating cellulose with trifluoroacetic anhydride in trifluoroacetic acid, followed by the addition of acyl donors or acyl donor precursors.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Regioselectively substituted cellulose esters


An input device (100) includes a housing (80), a base (40), a shaft (20), a first elastic member (60), and at least one second elastic member (70). The housing has a cavity (800), a first end and an opposite second open end. The first end has a hole (802) communicated with the cavity. The base is pivotably received in the cavity of the housing with part of the base protruding out of the cavity from the hole. The base defines a through hole (406) and includes at least one protrusion (408). The shaft is slidably received in the through hole of the base. The first elastic member provides a force to reset the shaft. The second elastic member connected to the base and the housing for providing a force to reset the base. The present invention also provides an electronic device employing the input device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to input devices and, more particularly, to an input device for use in an electronic device such as a mobile phone or a PDA (personal digital assistant).
2. Discussion of the Related Art
With the rapid development of communication technology, mobile phones have become a commonplace tool for communication in people's lives. In addition, because of the use of memory cards and memory sticks to boost memory, and because of the increasing convenience with which mobile phones can connect to the internet, mobile phones are increasingly being used as portable game devices. Mobile phone games have become a popular way of passing the time, especially when waiting for a meeting or stuck in traffic. Most games require the player to operate the keys of controls quickly and with precision. However, with only very small sized keys and small distances between the keys, mobile phones are not very suitable as game playing devices. The inconvenience of operating the keys reduces the fun of playing games. Therefore, an input device which can be operated quickly and can be conveniently used with the mobile phone is needed.
Referring to FIG. 1, a typical input device includes a front panel 112 and a control board 114. Two side boards 113 are vertically formed on two ends of the front panel 112. A hole (not labeled) is defined in the center of the front panel 112. Four projections 115 are formed on the control board 114 respectively adjacent to the four edges of the control board 114, and a joystick 116 is formed on the control board 114 opposite to the projections 115. The joystick 116 runs through the hole of the front panel 112. Catching mechanisms 117 are formed on the side boards 113 for locking the input device onto a mobile phone or other electronic device.
Without any resetting mechanism, the above-described input device cannot reset automatically (i.e. return to a central position) after being pressed. Therefore, the input device does not satisfactorily meet the demands of consumers for an easy-to-use input mechanism.
What is needed, therefore, is an input device which can easily be operated and is able to reset automatically.


Provided herein are thiazolidinone and oxazolidinone compounds such as Compound 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F, and compounds of Formulas (I), (II), (III), and (IV). Also provided herein are uses of these thiazolidinone and oxazolidinone compounds such as Compound 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F, and compounds of Formulas (I), (II), (III), and (IV), pharmaceutical compositions and formulations in the treatment of various diseases, including but not limited to diseases or disorders associated with an activated immune system (e.g., multiple sclerosis and psoriasis).

When the immune system functions normally, it produces a response intended to protect against harmful or foreign substances such as bacteria, parasites, and cancerous cells. Autoimmune diseases arise when the immune system attacks one or more of the body's normal constituents as if they were a foreign substance. These attacks cause inflammation and tissue damage that may lead to autoimmune disorders. There are more than 80 diseases that occur as a result of the body's autoimmune response to various harmful or foreign substances, affecting more than 23.5 million people in the United States. Some of the most common types of autoimmune diseases include multiple sclerosis, and psoriasis.
Multiple Sclerosis ("MS") is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system ("CNS"); characterized by degeneration of the protective sheath ("myelin") that covers nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord. More than 2.5 million people in the world suffer from MS, and it is the most common neurologic, disabling disease in young adults. Diagnosis is generally made between 15 and 50 years of age, with symptoms either occurring in recurring, isolated attacks (i.e., relapsing forms) or symptoms increasing over time (i.e., progressive forms). Permanent neurological dysfunction can result from incomplete recovery from acute relapses or as a consequence of slow progression of disability.

Thiazolidinone and oxazolidinone compounds and formulations


The disclosure is directed to methods of forming edge protection on glass and in particular on glass that has been chemically strengthened by ion exchange. In one embodiment an edge protection or bumper is placed about the glass's edge(s) in a manner such that it does not cover the face(s) of the glass, and the bumper and glass are such that a cavity is formed between the glass edge(s) and the bumper. An adhesive is injected into the cavity, the air in the cavity is vented, and the adhesive is cured to firmly attach the bumper to the glass edge(s). In another embodiment a mold is placed about the glass edge(s), and the mold and glass edge(s) are such that a cavity is formed between the glass edge(s) and the mold. A polymer-forming fluid is injected into the cavity and then cured. The mold is then removed.

The disclosure relates to providing edge protection to a glass substrate that has been ion-exchanged ("IOX") at the mother sheet level and the mother sheet is either (1) (i) cut as-is into a plurality smaller glass articles for use as cover glasses or (ii) cut into a plurality of smaller glass articles followed by the application of electronic elements applied to the individual smaller glass articles to form fully integrated touch ("FIT") devices, or (2) electronic elements are applied to the ion-exchanged mother sheet followed by cutting the mother sheet having the electronic elements thereon to produce a plurality of identical FIT articles from a single mother sheet of glass.
FIG. 1a illustrates both items (1) (i) and (1) (ii) in the foregoing paragraph. For item (1) (i), a mother sheet 10 is cut (numeral 12) into a plurality of glass articles 10a-10l (illustrated) and edge protection is placed around the individual cut articles, for example article 10a, as indicated by the step of numeral 16, to form an edge protect article exemplified by 10ap (where "p" means the article is "edge protected") in which the edge protection is the heavy black line 18 circumscribing article 10ap. Alternatively, for (1) (ii), the individual glass article 10a can have electronic elements placed thereon as represented by the arrow of numeral 11 to form an individual article having electronic elements thereon as is represented by 110a in FIG. 1b. FIG. 1b illustrates approach (2), the "integrated" approach, in which a mother sheet 110 is subjected to a lithographic process to form a plurality of touch sensor elements 110a-110l on the sheet, and the sheet is then cut in step 112 to separate the individual integrated cover-glass/touch-sensors such as the illustrated article 110a, and edge protection is placed around the individual cut articles, for example article 110a, as indicated by the step of numeral 116, to form an edge protect article exemplified by 110ap in which the edge protection is the heavy black line 118 circumscribing article 110ap.
Ion-exchanged glass has an outer surface area under compressive stress ("CS") that produces a central tension ("CT") area in the interior of the glass. The problem for cover glass articles or FIT articles made by the foregoing processes is that if the exposed CT area of the articles is impacted, the articles can crack for a distance from the impact area or, if the impact force is large enough, can shatter. Several techniques have been tried to strengthen the edge of the glass. One approach has been to acid etch the glass edges to gain strength. Other methods have been described in US Patent Application Publications 2010-0285260, 2010-285277 and 2010-0221501 which include protecting the glass edge(s) using polymer overmolding, a machinable metal armor layer laid over the edge(s), polymer tapes and liquid polymers, or a shaped fiber such as a glass fiber. However, each has proven unsatisfactory for varying reasons such as they were labor intensive, were not susceptible to automation, required additional processing steps which increased costs, or the edge protection material had to be molded over the edge onto the face of the article which is undesirable from aesthetic and tactile viewpoint. This disclosure presents a method that overcomes such deficiencies.

Method for forming an edge protection element on a glass article


A downhole tool (1) for providing the dual role of cleaning and milling within a wellbore casing or liner is described. In an embodiment scraper blades (6) are mounted on a body (2) together with a milling sleeve (4). Additionally, a centralizer sleeve (3) is incorporated as is a filter and/or junk basket for collecting debris is dislodged from the casing or liner during the cleaning and milling operation. The milling sleeve (4) can be locked onto the body (2) while the cleaning members e.g. scraper blades (6) may be free floating around the tool (1).

The present invention relates to a combined milling and cleaning tool intended for use in downhole environments.
It is a common procedure during the completion of a well to line the newly drilled bore with casing or liner, the latter typically being used near the production area of the bore. Casing, which is usually made of heavy steel piping, is used to prevent collapse of newly drilled bore segments and contamination of the oil or gas reservoir contained therein. Typically the casing or liner is run into the bore from the surface and held in place by introducing cement between the external surface of the casing or liner and the internal surface of the wellbore, with each section of the bore being drilled with consecutively smaller drill bits and then lined with proportionately smaller casing or liner sections.
It will be appreciated that after cementing the casing or liner in place, it is often necessary to clean the interior of the casing or liner to remove obstructions such as burrs or lumps of cement which remain within the tubing after the cementing procedure. A commonly used cleaning tool, well known to the art, is a casing scraper which incorporates blades typically made of a resilient material such as steel. The blades are used to scrape the interior surface of the casing or liner. Milling tools are also well known in the art and are used to "dress off" the polished bore receptacle liner top in a new wellbore. Milling removes burrs, and grinds the polished bore receptacle to allow smooth and easy entry of subsequent tools through the liner. Milling tools are also commonly used to remove casing present in a wellbore if said casing is damaged in any way. Milling tools provide a cutting or grinding action and are necessarily formed from a material which is hard enough to cut or grind the liner top, which is a machine steel tube. Often, the tool is produced with carbide inserts as this material is hard enough to mill casing or liner steel.
Historically when completing a bore using a scraper and milling tool, the scraping tool is run into the wellbore on a work string to clean the interior of the casing. This first tool must then be removed or "tripped" from the bore before the milling tool can be run to tidy up or "dress off" the liner top. As a consequence, the cost and time taken to finish the bore is increased as it is necessary to perform two trips down the well.
Previous attempts to run milling tools and scrapers into a wellbore at the same time have encountered problems, as it is usual for the combined milling and scraping action to dislodge and create additional debris within the casing and liner. This is typically suspended in the well fluid in the bore and negates much of the cleaning which is carried out. It has therefore still been necessary when carrying out a combined operation to run a second trip down the well to clean the wellbore before production is commenced.
It would be very desirable to be able to run a cutting and a milling tool together in one operation, eliminating at least one trip into and out of the borehole to finish said bore, as the beginning of profitable production will not be delayed.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved tool for use when completing a downhole wellbore. In particular is an object of the present invention to provide a tool, which can carry out milling and scraping functions at the same time.

Specialised Petroleum Services Group Limited


A working oil chamber sealing system of a rotary vane steering gear actuator having a top end face of a respective segment of a housing that holds a segment top face horizontal seal. The segment top face horizontal seal having a sealing face which touches a rear face of a top cover. The top cover rear face holds an upper ring seal, a sealing face of which touches an outer circumferential edge of an upper end face of a rotor and also touches a sealing face inner edge of the segment top face horizontal seal and a sealing face inner edge of an upper horizontal vane seal of a rotor vane, respectively.

A rotary vane steering gear actuator 1 of a prior art is such one as shown in FIGS. 14 to 22 for example, and contains a housing 11 and a rotor 12 rotatably accommodated inside the housing 11.
The housing 11 is mounted on a foundation by bolts via a flange portion 11a provided on the bottom circumference of the housing 11, and a top cover 13 is fitted on a ring shaped top end face 11b of the housing 11 by top cover fitting bolts 11c.
The rotor 12 is supported by the housing 11 in such a manner that a lower rotor shaft 12a is supported in the radial direction by a boss portion 11d provided on the bottom of the housing 11 via a radial bearing 11e, and an upper rotor shaft 12b is supported via a radial bearing 13a in the radial direction by a ring-shaped top cover 13 arranged so as to cover the upper opening of the housing 11. Furthermore, the lower end face of the rotor 12 is supported in the axial direction by the internal base 11f of the housing 11 via a thrust bearing 11g.
The rotor 12 has a central piercing hole 12c, pierced in the axial direction, into which a rudderstock head 14a of a rudderstock 14 is set and tightly fixated. The rotor 12 protrudes rotor vanes 12d of plural number (1−n) on the outer circumference of the rotor 12 at the equal circumferential intervals. Hereinafter explanation is made for a case of n=2.
The housing 11 protrudes segments 11h of the same number as the rotor vanes 12d on the inner circumference of the housing 11 at the equal circumferential intervals. The segments 11h are fitted in such a manner that its bottom end face 11i is contacted to the internal base 11f of the housing 11, and fastened thereto by bolts 11j piercing the boss portion 11d of the bottom of the housing 11. Furthermore, the segment top end face 11k of the segment 11h is contacted to the rear face 13b of the top cover 13, and fastened thereto by bolts 11m piercing the top cover 13.
As shown in FIGS. 14 to 16, the respective rotor vane 12d of the rotor 12 that is a motion body is provided with seals at the respective slidingly moving portions that is, a vertical vane seal 12n at the portion slidingly contacting the inner circumferential face 11n of the housing 11, an upper horizontal vane seal 12g at the portion slidingly contacting the rear face 13b of the top cover 13, and a lower horizontal vane seal 12j at the portion slidingly contacting the internal base 11f of the housing 11.
The respective upper horizontal vane seal 12g is held in an upper horizontal vane slit 12f formed on a vane upper end face 12e of the respective vane 12d, the respective lower horizontal vane seal 12j is held in a lower horizontal vane slit 12i formed on a vane lower end face 12h of the rotor vane 12d, and the respective vertical vane seal 12n is held in a vertical vane slit 12m formed on a vane radial end face 12k of the rotor vane 12d.
On the other hand, with respect to the segment 11h of the housing 11 that is a stationary body, as shown in FIGS. 14 to 16, only a vertical segment seal 11o is provided at the portion slidingly contacting the outer circumferential face 120 of the rotor 12, and the respective vertical segment seal 11o is held in a vertical segment slit 11q of the segment 11h formed on a segment radial end face 11p of the segment 11h. In this connection, a segment top end face 11k of the segment 11h is fixated to the rear face 13b of the top cover 13, and a segment bottom end face 11i of the segment 11h is fixated to the internal base 11f of the housing 11, respectively oil-tight.
The rotor 12 rotates in the housing 11 under a condition that a sealing face 12ga of the upper horizontal vane seal 12g slidingly contacts the rear face 13b of the top cover 13, a sealing face 12ja of the lower horizontal vane seal 12j slidingly contacts the internal base 11f of the housing 11, a sealing face 12na of the vertical vane seal 12n slidingly contacts the inner circumferential face 11n of the housing 11, and the outer circumferential face 120 of the rotor 12 slidingly contacts a sealing face 11oa of the vertical segment seal 110 of the segment 11h of the housing 11.
Hereby, a working oil chamber space 15 formed on the outer periphery of the rotor 12 is divided into working oil chambers 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d by the rotor vanes 12d and the segments 11h. In this connection, the working oil chamber 15a and the working oil chamber 15c (and the working oil chamber 15b and the working oil chamber 15d) that sit opposite to the rotating axis of the rotor 12 are communicatively connected each other. Accordingly, when working oil is supplied to the working oil chamber 15a, for instance, by an oil pump, the working oil is also supplied to the working oil chamber 15c that sits opposite to the rotating axis, and, at the same time, the working oil is excreted from the remaining working oil chambers 15b and 15d, and returned to the oil pump side. Thus, revolution of the rotor 12 by working oil pressure is concluded.
As shown in FIGS. 15, and 17 to 19, the internal base 11f of the housing 11 has a ring-shaped lower ring slit 11r, extending over the whole circumference, on a portion opposing to an outer circumferential portion of the lower end face of the rotor 12, and a lower ring seal 11s is held in the lower ring slit 11r. A sealing face 11sb of the lower ring seal 11s slidingly contacts the outer circumferential portion of the lower end face of the rotor 12. By this constitution, oil-tightness of the respective portions of the working oil chambers 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d where the outer circumferential portion of the lower end face of the rotor 12 contacts the internal base 11f of the housing 11 is secured.
Furthermore, the rear face 13b of the top cover 13 has a ring-shaped upper ring slit 13c, extending over the whole circumference, on a portion opposing to an outer circumferential portion of the upper end face of the rotor 12, and an upper ring seal 13d is held in the upper ring slit 13c. A sealing face 13db of the upper ring seal 13d slidingly contacts the outer circumferential portion of the upper end face of the rotor 12 oil-tight.
In this connection, as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the sealing face outer edge 11sc of the sealing face 11sb of the lower ring seal 11s contacts the sealing face lower edge 11od of the sealing face 11oa of the vertical segment seal 11o of each segment 11h, and the sealing face inner edge 12jb of the sealing face 12ja of the lower horizontal vane seal 12j of each rotor vane 12d, respectively, and leakage of the working pressure oil at the respective contacting portions is prevented.
Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 17, the sealing face outer edge 13dc of the sealing face 13db of the upper ring seal 13d contacts the sealing face upper edge 11oe of the sealing face 11oa of the vertical segment seal 11o of each segment 11h, and the sealing face inner edge 12gb of the sealing face 12ga of the upper horizontal vane seal 12g of each rotor vane 12d respectively, and leakage of the working pressure oil at the respective contacting portions is prevented.
In this connection, the upper horizontal vane seal 12g, the lower horizontal vane seal 12j and the vertical vane seal 12n of the rotor vane 12d, the vertical segment seal 11o of the segment 11h, and the lower and the upper ring seals 11s, 13d are made of elastic material such as polymer, and have such cross sectional profile as shown in FIGS. 20 and 21.
The abovementioned seals of the upper horizontal vane seal 12g, the lower horizontal vane seal 12j and the vertical vane seal 12n of the rotor vane 12d of the rotor 12, the vertical segment seal 11o of the segment 11h of the housing 11, the lower ring seal 11s of the housing 11, and the upper ring seal 13d of the top cover 13 are so devised that their respective sealing faces are pushed against the respective opposite faces by force of the hydraulic pressure in order to increase sealing effect at the respective slidingly contacting portions, and, for this sake, the working pressure oil is led to the respective rear faces of the respective seals 12g, 12j, 12n, 11o, 11s, 13d from the working oil chambers 15a,15c (or 15b,15d) that have become high pressure side.
There are various versions in the means for introducing the working pressure oil from the working oil chambers 15a, 15c (or 15b, 15d) that have become high pressure side to the respective rear faces of the seals 12g, 12j, 12n, 11o, 13d, but the hereinafter explained is of the means that constitutes the background technology of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 22, hydraulic lines 16a are provided outside the actuator 1 so that they communicatively connect the set of the working oil chambers 15a and 15c that sit opposite to the rotating axis, and are communicatively connected each other, and the set of the working oil chambers 15b and 15d that sit opposite to the rotating axis, and are communicatively connected each other, respectively, and a pressure valve 16 is provided in the respective hydraulic line 16a so that pressure oil is extracted from the working oil chambers 15a, 15c or the working oil chambers 15b, 15d, that have become pressure side, through either pressure valve 16.
As shown in FIGS. 15 and 17, the extracted working pressure oil is communicatively connected to a rotor upper face oil groove 12p of ring-shape provided on the upper end face of the rotor 12 through an oil passage 13e penetrating the top cover 13, and at the same time, communicatively connected to the rear faces 11oc of the vertical segment seals 11o of the housing segments 11h through an oil passage 13f branched from the said oil passage 13e penetrating the top cover 13.
As shown in FIG. 17, the said upper face oil groove 12p provided on the upper end face of the rotor 12 is communicatively connected to the rear face 13da of the upper ring seal 13d through an oil groove 13g provided on an inner side face of the upper ring slit 13c of the top cover 13.
As shown in FIG. 18, a rotor lower face oil groove 12q of ring-shape provided on the lower end face of the rotor 12 is communicatively connected to the rotor upper face oil groove 12p through a balancing hole 12r piercing the rotor 12 from the upper end face to the lower end face. The rotor lower face oil groove 12q of the rotor 12 is communicatively connected to the rear face 11sa of the lower ring seal 11s through an oil groove 11t provided on an inner side face of the lower ring slit 11r of the housing 11. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 19, an oil passage 12s is provided so as to communicatively connect the said rotor upper face oil groove 12p with the rear face 12nb of the vertical vane seal 12n of the rotor vane 12d.
In this connection, such constitution is applied that the rear face 12nb of the vertical vane seal 12n is communicatively connected to the rear face 12gc of the upper horizontal vane seal 12g and the rear face 12jc of the lower horizontal vane seal 12j, respectively, in the state that the vertical vane seal 12n, the upper horizontal vane seal 12g and the lower horizontal vane seal 12j of the rotor vane 12d are assembled, and hence, the working pressure oil led to the rear face 12nb of the vertical vane seal 12n is simultaneously led to the rear face 12gc of the upper horizontal vane seal 12g and the rear face 12jc of the lower horizontal vane seal 12j.
In the abovementioned configuration, such measures are taken that an upper gland sealing device 13i is provided, as shown in FIG. 15, in order that the working pressure oil led to the oil groove 13g provided on the inner side face of the upper ring slit 13c, and the working pressure oil in the working oil chambers 15a, 15c (or 15b, 15d) that has become high pressure side that may leaks over the sealing face 13db of the upper ring seal 13d are prevented from leaking to the outside through a central penetrating hole 13h of the top cover 13 that loosely fits the upper rotor shaft 12b of the rotor 12, and similarly for the lower side, a lower gland sealing device 11v is provided, as shown in FIG. 15, in order that the working pressure oil led to the oil groove 11t provided on the inner side face of the lower ring slit 11r, and the working pressure oil in the working oil chambers of high pressure side that may leaks over the sealing face 11sb of the lower ring seal 11s are prevented from leaking to the outside through a central penetrating hole 11u of the boss portion 11d of the bottom of the housing 11 that loosely fits the lower rotor shaft 12a of the rotor 12.
In this connection, as shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, the respective rear faces 12gc, 12jc, 12nb, 11oc of the straight line seals 12g, 12j, 12n, 11o are provided with lips 17s, respectively, and the respective rear faces 13da, 11sa of the ring seals 13d, 11s are provided with lips 17r, respectively, so that the working pressure oil led to the respective rear faces 12gc, 12jc, 12nb, 11oc, 13da, 11sa may not leak to the low pressure side through the side of the respective slits 12f, 12i, 12m, 11q, 13c, 11r.
A circuit of a hydraulic system 2 that operates the abovementioned rotary vane steering gear actuator 1 is such one, for example, as shown in FIG. 22. Main components constituting the hydraulic circuit are an oil pump 21, a steering direction changeover valve 22 with a solenoid valve 23 that operates the steering direction changeover valve 22, pilot-operated non-return valves for port side and starboard side 24p, 24s, flow regulating valves for port side and starboard side 25p, 25s, an oil tank 26, a main hydraulic line for port side 27p and a main hydraulic line for starboard side 27s that connect respective outlets of the steering direction changeover valve 22 to the actuator 1. In this connection, such a system is adopted that the pilot pressure oil for operating the steering direction changeover valve 22 is produced by an independent pilot oil pump 29.
The oil pump 21 is of one way constant discharge type, and hence, changeover of operating direction of the actuator 1 to either port side or starboard side is performed by changing over the oil lines by the steering direction changeover valve 22. After operating the actuator 1, the working oil returns to the oil tank 26 through the steering direction changeover valve 22, a return line 30 and a return filter 31. Furthermore, the steering direction change-over valve 22 also performs such function, when the actuator 1 is not put into operation, as to return the discharged oil from the oil pump 21 to the oil tank 26 through the steering direction changeover valve 22.
The pilot-operated non-return valves for port side and starboard side 24p, 24s perform such function that, when the actuator 1 is put into operation namely, when discharged oil from the oil pump 21 is pressurized, the pilot-operated non-return valves for port side and starboard side 24p, 24s open the main hydraulic lines 27p, 27s, and, when the actuator 1 is not put into operation, the pilot operated non-return valves 24p, 24s act non-returning function for shutting the working oil in the working oil chambers 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d of the actuator 1, by which the rotor 12 is fixated namely, the rudderstock head 14a of the rudderstock 14 is fixated.
The flow regulating valves for port side and starboard side 25p, 25s are provided for making motion of the actuator 1 smooth by adding resistance to the flow of working oil in either main hydraulic line for port side 27p or main hydraulic line for starboard side 27s that becomes the flowing-outside from the actuator 1, namely, returning side to the oil tank 26.
Furthermore, the adjoining working oil chambers 15a and 15d (namely, the adjoining working oil chambers 15b and 15c) are connected each other, with shock absorbing valves 28p, 28s being interposed between both working oil chambers. And, such a measure is taken that, when the working oil chambers 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d are locked by the pilot operated non-return valves 24p, 24s, and, if, in such a state, abnormally large force acts on a rudder, the shock absorbing valve 28p or 28s will act so as to relieve the working pressure oil of the working oil chambers 15a, 15c or 15b, 15d that become high pressure side into the working oil chambers 15b,15d or 15a,15c that are of low pressure side.
In this connection, the aforementioned hydraulic lines 16a led to the pressure valves 16 provided outside the actuator 1 for extracting the working pressure oil from either working oil chambers 15a, 15c or working oil chambers 15b, 15d that become high pressure side for leading it to the rear faces of the respective seals are so provided as to communicatively connect to the respective entrance to the shock absorbing valves 28p, 28s.
In the rotary vane steering gear actuator 1 of the abovementioned constitution, it is necessary, in order to secure oil-tightness of the respective working oil chambers 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d, that the rotor vane 12d of the rotor 12, that is a motion body, is provided with the vertical vane seal 12n at the portion slidingly contacting with the inner circumferential face 11n of the housing 11, the upper horizontal vane seal 12g at the portion slidingly contacting with the rear face 13b of the top cover 13, and the lower horizontal vane seal 12j at the portion slidingly contacting with the internal base 11f of the housing 11.
In contrast, for the segment 11h of the housing 11, that is a stationary body, it is necessitated to be only provided with the vertical segment seal 11o at the portion slidingly contacting with the outer circumferential face 120 of the rotor 12, and the segment top end face 11k and the segment bottom end face 11i of the segment 11h are fixated oil-tight to the rear face 13b of the top cover 13 and the internal base 11f of the housing 11, respectively, in the following manner.
The segment bottom end face 11i of the segment 11h is fixated oil-tight to the internal base 11f of the housing 11, using a bonding agent. In contrast, as for the segment top end face 11k of the segment 11h that contacts the rear face 13b of the top cover 13, such measures have been taken that oil-tightness at the said contacting face is secured by giving dense contact to the contacting faces by means of heightening preciseness of finishing touch of the contacting faces.
The reason why is that fixation by a bonding agent is impossible because it is necessary for the top cover 13 to be attachable and detachable. Furthermore, such measures are generally not adopted that a packing sheet is inserted between the segment top end face 11k of the segment 11h and the rear face 13b of the top cover 13 that contact each other because the upper face part of the housing 11 that contacts the rear face 13b of the top 10 cover 13 is complicated in shape and of large area.
In addition, the top cover 13 is a ring-shaped plate arranged so as to cover the upper opening of the housing 11, with the upper rotor shaft 12b of the rotor 12 being loosely fitted in the central portion of the top cover 13, and has such configuration that its circumferential portion is fitted to the top end face 11b of the housing 11 by the top cover fitting bolts 11c. Accordingly, when hydraulic pressure of the working oil chambers 15a to 15d functions to the rear face 13b of the top cover 13, the top cover 13 behaves itself like a ring-shaped cantilever, with the portion of the circumferentially arranged top cover fitting bolts 11c being as fulcrums.
Accordingly, when hydraulic pressure is generated in the working oil chambers 15a 15d, the top cover 13 is so deformed that its inner circumferential portion is lifted up, with the portion of the circumferentially arranged top cover fitting bolts 11c being as fulcrums. Generation of this deformation is unavoidable more or less, so long as Young's Modulus of the material is not infinite.
For this reason, it is unavoidable that a clearance is generated more or less between the top end face 11k of the segment 11h and the rear face 13b of the top cover 13, and the working pressure oil in the working oil chambers 15a, 15c (or 15b, 15d) that becomes high pressure side leaks into the working oil chambers 15b, 15d (or 15a, 15c) that becomes low pressure side through such a clearance portion.
Accordingly, such a measure has been taken so far that discharging quantity of an oil pump is increased in advance as much as the quantity of leakage of the working pressure oil can be compensated. In this connection, such a clearance is also generated at the portions between the rear face 13b of the top cover 13 and the upper end face of the rotor 12, and between the said rear face 13b and the vane upper end face 12e of the rotor vane 12d, but leakage of the working pressure oil can be prevented by virtue that the upper ring seal 13d and the upper horizontal vane seal 12g follow in the wake of the clearance.
The higher the working oil pressure becomes, the more an amount of this clearance is created. By this reason, there has been a problem that, when it is intended to heighten working oil pressure, an amount of this clearance becomes too large to cope with this only by means of increase in quantity of oil pump discharge, and there would be a case that the leakage of the high pressure working oil obstructs to create high pressure to a certain extent.
In order to repress an amount of this clearance, such various countermeasures have been considered as increasing thickness of the top cover 13, adding plenty of ribs, increasing diameter and number of the bolts 11m for fitting the segment top end face 11k to the rear face 13b of the top cover 13, etc., but any means is restrictive for practical use because of resultant too heavy construction.
Furthermore, there has been a problem that, if material of small Young's Modulus is used for the top cover 13, an amount of the said clearance becomes larger, since, even if strength is enough, strain of the material becomes large, and hence, other material than that of large Young's Modulus is unavailable.
Furthermore, there has been a problem that generation of the said clearance weakens endurability to a phenomenon of creeping in operation of a steering gear. That is, when a rudder has reached a certain demanded angle position in response to a steering order, the rudder should be sustained at the demanded angle position in such a manner that the steering direction changeover valve 22 comes to the neutral position, and the respective working oil chambers 15a-15d of the actuator 1 are locked by function of the pilot-operated non-return valves 24p, 24s. But, in this state, the working oil in the working oil chambers of high pressure side leaks into the working oil chambers of low pressure side through the said clearance more or less, and the rudder moves as much as equivalent to an amount of the leakage. This is so-called a creeping phenomenon.
When a creeping phenomenon occurs, the steering gear detects it, and acts so as to make the rudder return to the original demanded angle position again. But, when the 12 rudder has returned to the original angle position and the working oil chambers 15a-15d of the actuator 1 have been locked, a creeping phenomenon is generated again by leakage of the working oil through the said clearance, and the steering gear performs returning action to the original angle position.
There has been a problem that this repetition of the generation of a creeping phenomenon and the returning action of the steering gear actuator 1 forces the actuator 1 to ceaselessly operate, and damages its durability.
Because of the existence of the abovementioned various problems, it has been regarded that the maximum working oil pressure of rotary vane steering gears is to be 80 kg/cm2, in general, and higher pressure than it is unavailable. In order to make the working oil pressure higher than 80 kg/cm2, it is necessitated to resolve the abovementioned various problems.
Furthermore, when considering further high pressurization, there has been a further question. That is, though the segment 11h of the housing 11 is fixated in such a manner that, as aforementioned, its top end face 11k is fastened to the rear face 13b of the top cover 13 by the bolts 11m, and its bottom end face 11i is fastened to the internal base 11f of the housing 11 by the bolts 11j, the segment 11h develops a tendency to be transferred so as to be lifted upward, through the abovementioned bolts 11m at the segment top end face 11k, and opposing the tensile force of the abovementioned bolts 11j at the segment bottom end face 11i, in conjunction with the aforementioned upward transformation of the top cover 13 as a ring-shape cantilever, with the portions of the circumferentially arranged top cover fitting bolts 11c being as fulcrums, when hydraulic pressure is generated in the working oil chambers 15a-15d.
Thus there has been such a question that, depending on magnitude of the working oil pressure, a harmful clearance may be created between the bottom end face 11i of the segment 11h and the internal base 11f of the housing 11, and the working oil can leak through this clearance from the working oil chambers of high pressure side to the working oil chambers of low pressure side.
Hence there has been possibility of causing the problems similar to the problems caused by the abovementioned generation of a clearance on the top 11k of the segment 11h.
The present invention resolves the aforementioned problems and aims at offering such a working oil chamber sealing system of a rotary vane steering gear actuator as to be able to secure oil-tightness between the working oil chambers 15a, 15c (or 15b, 15d) that have become high pressure side and the working oil chambers 15b, 15d (or 15a, 15c) that have become low pressure side, in spite of unavoidable generation of a clearance, more or less, between the rear face 13b of the top cover 13 and the top end face 11k of the housing segment 11h by the hydraulic pressure generated in the working oil chambers 15a-15d of the rotary vane steering gear actuator 1, and, even if a harmful clearance has been generated, depending on magnitude of the working oil pressure, between the bottom end face 11i of the segment 11h of the housing 11 and the internal base 11f of the housing 11.
In order to resolve the aforementioned problems, the present invention of a working oil chamber sealing system of a rotary vane steering gear actuator is constituted so that: in a rotary vane steering gear actuator that is composed of a rotor, into which a rudderstock is fitted, a housing that accommodates the rotor and forms space for working oil chambers in the circumferences of the rotor, and a ring-shaped top cover arranged at an upper opening of the housing, with its circumferential edge portion being fixated to a housing top face circumferential edge portion by bolts, extending over the whole circumference and is so constituted that the rotor has plural vanes arranged protrusively on the outer periphery at equal intervals along the circumferential direction, the housing has plural segments arranged protrusively on the inner periphery at equal intervals along the circumferential direction, the aforementioned space for working oil chambers is divided into plural working oil chambers by the vanes and the segments, the top cover has a ring-shaped upper ring slit on the top cover rear face at the portion opposing to the outer circumferential edge of the upper end face of the rotor, and an upper ring seal that touches the upper end face of the rotor is held in the upper ring slit, the housing has a ring-shaped lower ring slit on the housing internal base at the portion opposing to the outer circumferential edge of the lower end face of the rotor, and a lower ring seal that touches the lower end face of the rotor is held in the lower ring slit, the respective vane of the rotor has an upper horizontal vane slit, extending in the radial direction, on the vane upper end face opposing to the rear face of the top cover, and an upper horizontal vane seal that touches the rear face of the top cover is held in the upper horizontal vane slit, the respective vane of the rotor has a lower horizontal vane slit, extending in the radial direction, on the vane lower end face opposing to the internal base of the housing; and a lower horizontal vane seal that touches the internal base of the housing is held in the lower horizontal vane slit, and the respective vane of the rotor has a vertical vane slit, extending in the axial 15 direction, on the vane radial end face opposing to the inner circumferential face of the housing, and a vertical vane seal that touches the inner circumferential face of the housing is held in the vertical vane slit, with the upper end face of the vertical vane seal touching the rear face of the upper horizontal vane seal, and the lower end face of the vertical vane seal touching the rear face of the lower horizontal vane seal and the respective segment of the housing has a vertical segment slit, extending in the axial direction, on the segment radial end face opposing to the outer circumferential face of the rotor, and a vertical segment seal that touches the outer circumferential face of the rotor is held in the vertical segment slit, with its top end face being pressure contacted to the rear face of the top cover, and its bottom end face being pressure contacted to the internal base of the housing the respective segment of the housing has a segment top face horizontal slit, that is continuatively connected with the vertical segment slit, and extends in the radial direction, on the segment top end face opposing to the rear face of the top cover, and a segment top face horizontal seal that touches the rear face of the top cover is held in the segment top face horizontal slit, with the upper end face of the vertical segment seal being contacted to the rear face of the segment top face horizontal seal, the segment top face horizontal seal has the same cross sectional profile as that of the vertical segment seal, space of the rear face of the vertical segment seal and space of the rear face of the segment top face horizontal seal are communicatively connected each other at the connected portion between the segment top face horizontal seal and the upper end of the vertical segment seal, the top cover has a ring-shaped upper outer ring slit on the top cover rear face in the outer circumferential side in concentricity with the aforementioned upper ring slit at the portion opposing to the inner circumferential edge of the top end face of the housing, and an upper outer ring seal that touches the top end face of the housing is held in the upper outer ring slit, the sealing face inner edge of the segment top face horizontal seal contacts the ring sealing face outer edge of the aforementioned upper ring seal, and the sealing face outer edge of the segment top face horizontal seal contacts the ring sealing face inner edge of the upper outer ring seal, with the ring sealing face inner edge of the upper outer ring seal simultaneously also touching the sealing face outer edge of the upper horizontal vane seal and the respective rear faces of the aforementioned each seal are applied with the pressure oil led from the working oil chambers that become high pressure side, and the respective sealing faces and the sealing face edges are pushed against the respective mate faces and the mate edges by the hydraulic pressure.
Furthermore, the following is added to the constitution of a working oil chamber sealing system of a rotary vane steering gear actuator in accordance with the present invention.
Namely, the respective segment of the housing has a segment bottom face horizontal slit, that is continuatively connected with the vertical segment slit, and extends in the radial direction, on the segment bottom end face opposing to the internal base of the housing, and a segment bottom face horizontal seal is held in the segment bottom face horizontal slit, the segment bottom face horizontal seal has the same cross sectional profile as that of the vertical segment seal, space of the rear face of the vertical segment seal and space of the rear face of the segment bottom face horizontal seal are communicatively connected each other at the connected portion between the segment bottom face horizontal seal and the lower end of the vertical segment seal, a sealing face of the segment bottom face horizontal seal touches the internal base of the housing, a rear face of the segment bottom face horizontal seal touches the lower end face of the vertical segment seal, an inner edge of the sealing face of the segment bottom face horizontal seal contacts the outer edge of the ring sealing face of the lower ring seal, an outer end face of the segment bottom face horizontal seal contacts the inner circumferential face of the housing and the rear face of the segment bottom face horizontal seal is applied with the pressure oil led from the working oil chambers that become high pressure side, and the sealing face and the inner edge of the sealing face of the segment bottom face horizontal seal are pushed against the mate face and the mate edge, respectively, by the hydraulic pressure.
Thanks to the aforementioned constitution in accordance with the present invention, a rotary vane steering gear actuator can be prevented, in spite of creation of a clearance between the top end face of the housing segment and the top cover rear face by force of hydraulic pressure generated in the working oil chambers, from leakage of the working oil through the said clearance, and oil-tightness between the working oil chambers can be secured, by virtue of the function of the segment top face horizontal seal, the upper ring seal and the upper outer ring seal. Accordingly, it becomes possible to heighten the working oil pressure of a rotary vane steering gear, and furthermore, it becomes possible to heighten steering gear durability by virtue of increased endurability against a creeping phenomenon in steering gear operation.
In the rotary vane steering gears in accordance with the present invention, it is further possible to heighten the working oil pressure to higher than 160 kg/cm2, in contrast with the rotary vane steering gears of 2-segment type and 3-segment type of a prior art, in which the working oil pressure maximum has been 80 kg/cm2.
Furthermore, it becomes possible to employ such top cover constitution as to use material of low Young's Modulus, such as steel plate welded construction, etc., as an amount of generation of the said clearance does not come to be influential.
Furthermore, in the rotary vane steering gears in accordance with the present invention, it becomes unnecessary to make an oil pump discharge an extra amount, coping with the said leaking amount, since, in spite of generation of a clearance between the top end face of the housing segment and the rear face of the top cover, leakage of the working oil through the said clearance comes to be null.
Furthermore, even if a harmful clearance is generated between the bottom end face of the housing segment and the internal base of the housing, depending on magnitude of the working oil pressure, similar effect can be exhibited, by virtue that leakage of the working oil between the working oil chambers through the said clearance can be prevented, to that brought by the countermeasure against the generation of a clearance at the top end face of the housing segment.

Working oil chamber sealing system of rotary vane steering gear actuator


An optical communication system (200) for transmitting light between a first housing (102) and a second housing (104) of a device (100) is provided. The first housing and the second housing are adapted to move relative to one another between a plurality of usage positions. The optical communication system includes a first optical communication element (202), a second optical communication element (204), and an optical waveguide (206). The first optical communication element is capable of emitting light and can be coupled to one of the first and second housing. The second optical communication element is capable of receiving the light and can be coupled to the housing to which the first optical communication element is not coupled. The optical waveguide is capable of conveying the light emitted by the first to the second optical communication element. The second optical communication element can substantially encompass a locus of the output light.

In recent times, the use of active elements in a communication device the need to communicate with one another has substantially increased. Examples of the active elements include, but are not limited to, a camera, a display, and a fingerprint sensor. The active elements need to be physically linked and/or communicatively coupled to other elements in the communication device. Examples of the communication device include, but are not limited to, a mobile phone, a radio telephone, a music playback device (i.e. an MP3 player), a pager, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, and a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). In at least one commonly used configuration, the communication device can include a first housing and a second housing, which can be adapted to move relative to one another. A sufficiently large number of the active elements, which need to communicate with one another are coupled to alternative ones of the first housing and/or the second housing of the communication device. This results in a substantial amount of data, such as video content and audio content, that needs to be transmitted between the first housing and the second housing.
In one of the known methods for transmitting data between the first housing and the second housing, the data is routed via a multi-layer electric flex circuit. The multi-layer electric flex circuit generally includes multiple layers of high-density conductive traces interleaved with an insulating material. The multi-layer electric flex circuit passes through a restricted space between the first and the second housing. However, the multi-layer electric flex circuit can be mechanically unreliable and can cause greater radio-frequency interference when a greater number of signals and/or signals having higher data rates are routed via the flex circuit through the restricted space. In another known method, the data is serialized before transmission. This can highly simplify the multi-layer electric flex circuit and improve the mechanical reliability and cost associated with the multi-layer electric flex circuit. However, this does not always result in the reduction of radio-frequency interference to a level at or below a desired level, as the data rates often need to increase to accommodate the fewer number of communication paths.
In light of the above mentioned discussion, there is a need for a communication system for data transmission between the multiple housings of a communication device which can limit the radio-frequency interference. The communication system should be capable of transmitting an increased amount of data without increasing the radio-frequency interference. Further, the communication system should enable relatively high-speed data transmission between the multiple housings.

Optical communication system adapted for receiving an optical signal at a plurality of different positions


In a first secondary-side bobbin 50A, a roll surface of a winding section SA2 is located outward in radial direction with respect to a roll surface of a winding section SA1 in the vicinity of a groove 55A, while a roll surface of a winding section SA3 is located outward in radial direction with respect to the roll surface of the winding section SA2 in the vicinity of a groove 56A. Furthermore, the two winding sections SA2, SA3 cross each other so that the respective roll surfaces have substantially oval-coin-shaped cross sections and the respective major axis lines on the cross sections of the respective roll surfaces cross each other when viewed from the Y-axis direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a high-voltage transformer mounted on a circuit board of various types of electronic device, and more particularly, to a high-voltage transformer suitable for use in a DC/AC inverter circuit which causes a plurality of cold-cathode discharge lamps (CCFL) for a backlight of various types of liquid crystal display panel used for a notebook personal computer or the like to discharge and turn on.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, as a technique for providing insulation between windings of a high-voltage secondary winding of a high-voltage transformer used for an inverter circuit, a technique of forming a plurality of partition flanges on an outer surface of a secondary-side roll to divide a winding area of the roll into a plurality of winding sections to thereby reduce a potential difference between windings in each winding section is known.
A conventional high-voltage transformer to which such a technique is applied is constructed in such a way that a top layer of a secondary winding wound around one winding section is substantially flush with a top layer of a secondary winding of the neighboring winding section on both sides of a partition flange. Furthermore, since a groove is formed in the partition flange to pass the secondary winding whose winding around one winding section has been completed to the next winding section, the top layer of the secondary winding wound around the one winding section is designed to be located extremely close to the top layer of the secondary winding of the neighboring winding section with respect to the location of the groove. In such a structure, increasing the number of windings of the secondary winding in each winding section causes a voltage difference between neighboring winding sections to increase, raising the likelihood of dielectric breakdown at the location of the groove, which results in a circumstance in which restrictions must be placed on the number of windings of the secondary winding of each winding section, hence a problem that it is difficult to reduce the size of the transformer.
As a high-voltage transformer capable of solving such a problem, the applicant of the present invention proposes a high-voltage transformer (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-179587) designed in such a way that in the vicinity of a groove formed in a partition flange, a difference is made between the positions of roll surfaces of neighboring winding sections such that the roll surface of the winding section on the high-voltage side is located outward in radial direction with respect to the roll surface of the winding section on the low-voltage side adjacent to the high-voltage side across the partition flange.
According to this high-voltage transformer, it is possible to place the secondary winding of the top layer of the winding section on the low-voltage side apart from the secondary winding of the top layer of the winding section on the high-voltage side in the vicinity of the groove formed in the partition flange (particularly it is possible to prevent the secondary winding passed from the winding section on the low-voltage side from contacting the secondary winding of the top layer of the winding section on the high-voltage side), and therefore even when the number of windings of the secondary winding of each winding section is increased, dielectric breakdown hardly occurs between the neighboring winding sections. For this reason, it is possible to reduce the total number of winding sections, reduce the size of the high-voltage transformer and at the same time prevent dielectric breakdown from occurring between neighboring winding sections.
In the field of manufacturing electronic devices for which miniaturization processes are being carried forward in short cycles, there is a demand for a further reduction in size of a high-voltage transformer mounted on a circuit board in recent years. Such a demand for downsizing can be roughly divided into two categories; one intended to mainly reduce the mounting area of the high-voltage transformer on a circuit board and the other intended to mainly realize a low-profile high-voltage transformer (reduce the length in direction perpendicular to the surface of the circuit board). Recently, there are an increasing number of cases where the overall volume of the high-voltage transformer is required to be reduced while balancing between a length to width ratio of the mounting area and a low-profile rate.
The high-voltage transformer in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-179587 above has a tendency that when the direction of the roll is assumed to be lateral direction, the length in this lateral direction is greater than lengths in longitudinal direction (width) or height direction. Therefore, methods for reducing the total number of winding sections or reducing the total length of a roll to reduce the overall size while balancing between length, width and height or the like have been explored. However, to reduce the total number of winding sections while securing a predetermined output voltage, the number of windings of the secondary winding of each winding section cannot help but be increased and this increase in the number of windings in each winding section directly results in an increased diameter of the secondary winding in each winding section. Moreover, in order to provide a sufficient function to prevent dielectric breakdown between neighboring winding sections, it is necessary to increase an amount of displacement in surface positions of respective rolls of the neighboring winding sections by the amount of increase in the diameter of winding of secondary windings of the respective winding sections. Furthermore, when a core (magnetic core) is inserted into the roll, it is also necessary to increase the diameter of the roll itself as the amount of displacement in surface positions of respective rolls to secure the space for the insertion of this core.
The invention disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-179587 above assumes that a direction parallel to the surface of the circuit board or a direction perpendicular to the surface of the circuit board is mainly the direction in which a difference is made between the positions of the roll surfaces of the neighboring winding sections. For this reason, the influence of increasing the diameter of the roll itself of each winding section or the winding diameter of the secondary winding to be wound directly results in an increase in the size in the direction in which the difference is made between the positions of roll surfaces. That is, when the displacement direction is parallel to the surface of the circuit board, the mounting area of the high-voltage transformer increases significantly, whereas when the displacement direction is perpendicular to the surface of the circuit board, the high-voltage transformer has a significantly high profile. Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult to reduce the size of the transformer with balanced length, width and height while preventing dielectric breakdown between neighboring winding sections.


Curable compositions capable of giving a cured article excellent in weatherability and flam retardancy. (1) One of the curable compositions comprises an organic polymer having at least one crosslinkable hydrolysable silyl group and phyllosilicate. It has enhanced weatherability due to incorporation of the phyllosilicate, and has further enhanced weatherability because the bleeding of an ultraviolet absober and a light stabilizer is inhibited. (2) The other composition comprises 100 parts by weight of a urethane resin, epoxy resin, and/or modified polysulfide resin and 0.1 to 100 parts of weight of a phyllosilicate. It has enhanced weatherability due to incorporation of phyllosilicate, and has further enhanced weatherability because the bleeding of an ultraviolet absorber and a light stabilizer is inhibited.

A sealing material composition which comprises, as a base, an organic polymer having a reactive silyl group and is excellent in weatherability is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 5-287186. In the sealing material composition described in this prior art, 0.3 to 3 parts by weight of each of a benzotriazole type ultraviolet absorber and a hindered phenol type antioxidant are blended per 100 parts by weight of an organic polymer having a reactive silyl group.
However, about the weatherability obtained by curing the sealing material composition, the limit value thereof is about 2,000 hours as a value measured with a sunshine weatherometer. Accordingly, in the case that the sealing material is used in outdoor-exposed portions, such as roof structures or outer wall structures, a sufficient weatherability cannot be obtained.
With a rise in the performance of housing, flame retardancy is more intensely desired in sealing materials, for example, sealing materials used in joints of outer walls. In the case that a halogen type flame retardant which is ordinarily used is incorporated into a sealing material, the flame retardancy thereof is enhanced but contamination may be generated by the bleeding-out of the flame retardant or harmful gas may be generated when a fire breaks out.
There is known a method of incorporating, into a sealing material, a compound containing crystal water in the molecular structure thereof, such as magnesium hydroxide, as a flame retardant. However, the incorporated amount thereof is restrictive from the viewpoint of workability. Accordingly, a sufficient flame retardancy cannot be exhibited.
Hitherto, about curable compositions used in sealing materials or the like, a curable composition having a sufficient adhesiveness to an adhesion-undergoing article which cannot be easily adhered, such as a vinyl chloride steel plate or a fluorine-containing resin steel plate, has been intensely desired.

Curable compositions, sealing material, and adhesive


A selective hydrogenation catalyst composition comprises a rhodium component present in an amount such that the catalyst composition comprises less than 3.0% of rhodium by weight of the total catalyst composition; and an indium component present in an amount such that the catalyst composition comprises at least 0.3% and less than 5.0% of indium by weight of the total catalyst composition.

Light olefins, such as ethylene, propylene and butylenes, can be produced using various processes such as steam cracking, fluid catalytic cracking, conversion of methanol to olefins, paraffin dehydrogenation, alcohol dehydration, methane coupling and Fischer Tropsch reactions. However, these processes often produce varying levels of acetylenic or diene by-products, such as acetylene, methyl acetylene (MA), propadiene (PD), butyne and butadiene. These by-products must be removed from the light olefin streams because they can act as poisons to the downstream processing catalysts, such as polymerization catalysts. The preferred method of removing these by-products is by selective hydrogenation in which, for example, the acetylenes are converted to ethylene, methyl acetylene and propadiene are converted to propylene, and the butyne and butadiene are converted to butylenes.
Currently, the commercial catalysts used for this selective hydrogenation comprise nickel or palladium, such as palladium and silver, on an alumina support. However, in addition to producing the desired olefin products, these catalysts tend to generate significant quantities of saturates (for example, ethane, propane and butanes) as a result of over-hydrogenation and green oil (olefin oligomers) as a result of competing oligomerization reactions. Both of these by-products are undesirable in that they reduce the selectivity to the required light olefins. However, the green oil is particularly problematic in that it decreases the life of the hydrogenation catalyst.
There is therefore a need for an improved catalyst for the selective hydrogenation of alkynes and diolefins, wherein the catalyst exhibits increased olefin selectivity and reduced selectivity to saturates and oligomers, such as green oil, while retaining high hydrogenation activity.
U.S patent application Publication No. 2002/0068843 discloses a catalyst for selectively hydrogenating acetylenic and diolefinic compounds with low green oil formation, the catalyst comprising the following active components loaded on a porous inorganic support: (1) at least one of platinum, palladium, nickel, ruthenium, cobalt, and rhodium; (2) at least one of silver, copper, zinc, potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, beryllium, tin, lead, strontium, barium, radium, iron, manganese, zirconium, molybdenum, and germanium; (3) at least one rare earth metal selected from scandium, yttrium and Lanthanides in Group IIIB of Periodic Table of Elements; and (4) bismuth. Preferably, component (1) is platinum or palladium component (2) is silver, potassium or sodium and component (3) is lanthanum or neodymium.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,255,548 discloses a method for selectively hydrogenating a feed comprising an acetylenic compound and/or a diolefin in the presence of a catalyst comprising at least one support, at least one Group VIII metal selected from nickel, palladium, platinum, rhodium, ruthenium and iridium and at least one additional element M selected from germanium, tin, lead, rhenium, gallium, indium, thallium, gold, and silver, wherein the catalyst is formed by introducing said additional element M into an aqueous solvent in the form of at least one water-soluble organometallic compound comprising at least one carbon-M bond. The preferred Group VIII metals are nickel, palladium and platinum and the preferred additional elements M are germanium, tin, gold, and silver. There is no specific disclosure of a catalyst comprising rhodium and indium and no indication is given as to the molar ratio of the Group VIII metal to the additional element M, especially if the Group VIII metal is rhodium and/or M is indium.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,877,363 discloses a process for the removal of acetylenes and 1,2-butadiene from a C4 aliphatic hydrocarbon stream by contacting the hydrocarbon stream with hydrogen in a distillation column reactor containing a bed of hydrogenation catalyst comprising a GroupVIII metal selected from platinum, palladium, rhodium or mixtures thereof; optionally in combination with a Group IB or Group VIB metal, and fractionally distilling the reaction mixture to remove a heavier fraction and removing a fraction overhead comprising substantially all of the C4 compounds having reduced acetylenes and 1,2-butadiene content. The preferred hydrogenation catalyst is palladium.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,356,851 and 5,364,998 disclose a catalyst and a process for the selective hydrogenation of unsaturated compounds, wherein the catalyst contains 0.1 to 10%, preferably 0.2 to 5%, of at least one Group VIII metal selected from nickel, palladium, platinum, rhodium and ruthenium and 0.01 to 10%, preferably 0.1 to 5%, of at least one Group IIIA metal selected from gallium and indium. The molar ratio of Group IIIA metal to Group VIII metal is between 0.2 and 5, preferably between 0.3 and 2. The metals are deposited on a catalyst support, such as silica, alumina or silica-alumina, by (a) impregnating the support with a solution of a Group IIIA metal compound precursor, then (b) impregnating the product of (a) with a solution of a Group VIII metal compound and then (c) calcining the product of (b) at 110 to 600° C. The preferred Group VIII metals are nickel, palladium and platinum. There is no specific disclosure of a catalyst comprising rhodium and indium.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,070 a catalyst for the hydrogenation of a diolefin is disclosed in which palladium or a compound thereof and at least one co-catalyst component selected from ruthenium, rhodium, cobalt, and rhenium are supported each in the form of an elemental metal or a metal compound on a non-acidic support.
A rhodium catalyst is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,420,420 in which active rhodium metal is supported on a silica type or titania type support, optionally together with one or more co-catalysts including alkaline earth metals, such as calcium, magnesium, barium and the like, noble metals, such as platinum, palladium, iridium, ruthenium, gold and the like, iron, nickel, cobalt, cerium and manganese.

Catalyst and process for selective hydrogenation


A method and apparatus for indicating an inconsistency. An apparatus comprises a platform, a location system, a transducer system, a projector system, and a data processing system. The platform is configured to move on a surface of an object. The location system is configured to generate location information for the platform on the surface of the object. The transducer system is configured to send signals into the object and receive a response to the signals. The projector system is configured to project an image onto the surface of the object. The data processing system is configured to generate the image using the response. An indication of an inconsistency in the image projected onto the surface of the object corresponds to a location of the inconsistency in the object. The data processing system is configured to control the projector system to project the image onto the surface of the object.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to inspecting objects and, in particular, to identifying inconsistencies in objects. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for projecting an image of an inconsistency on the surface of an object in a location corresponding to the location of the inconsistency using a projector mounted on the end effector of the inspection device that does not rely on global coordinate systems.
2. Background
Nondestructive inspection involves different analysis techniques used to evaluate the properties of an object without causing damage to the object. Nondestructive inspection may be performed in a number of different ways. For example, nondestructive inspection may include ultrasonic testing. Ultrasonic testing involves using sound waves to inspect objects. The object tested may be comprised of different types of materials. For example, the materials may be one of steel, metals, alloys, concrete, wood, composite materials, and other types of materials.
With ultrasonic testing, transducers send first sound waves (pulses) into an object. Second sound waves (echoes) are received as a response to the first sound waves sent into the object. The response is analyzed for a number of different purposes. For example, the analysis may be used to characterize materials in the object, identify inconsistencies, and for other purposes.
Determining whether inconsistencies are present may be performed at different times during the life cycle of an object. For example, a nondestructive inspection may be made on an object after manufacturing the object, while the object is in use, during maintenance, and at other suitable times. The inspections often involve "C-scan" or spatial maps showing signal responses of interest in context of the structure. The C-scan may be displayed as images on a display device.
For example, ultrasonic inspection may be used to determine whether an inconsistency is present on an aircraft part. The aircraft part may be one that has been manufactured or is in use. Once an inconsistency is identified in the aircraft part, a determination may be made whether to rework the object, replace the object, or discard the object. Marking the location of the inconsistency is performed to assist in evaluation and rework.
With currently used ultrasonic inspection systems, marking the location of an inconsistency on the surface of the object may be more difficult than desired. Currently used sensor systems require the operator to accurately transfer the inconsistency shown in the external C-scan image to the surface of the object. The manual operations performed by the operator to transfer the location of the inconsistency for rework may take longer than desired and may not be as accurate as desired.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a method and apparatus that takes into account one or more of the issues discussed above as well as possibly other issues.

Surface visualization system for indicating inconsistencies


A camera module includes a gradient index lens on a spacer plate attached over an array of pixel sensors and associated micro lenses. The spacer plate and gradient index lens can be formed at the wafer level during the manufacture of multiple camera modules. A process for manufacturing the camera modules thus provides tolerances and yields provided by wafer processing techniques rather than mechanical assembly.

The small size and low cost of CMOS image sensors are increasingly leading to their use instead of CCDs in imaging applications. These advantages of CMOS image sensors may further make imaging practical in several new applications such as in portable communication and computing systems. In particular, as wireless networks expand their ability to carry more data in shorter times, imaging systems may become standard on portable telephones and PDAs to permit users to capture images and transmit the images to remote storage. Such integration of imaging systems requires the image sensors to be low cost, small, and compatible with the manufacturing process of the telephones or other systems containing the image sensors.
Current camera modules containing CMOS image sensors generally include a semiconductor die with microelectronic packaging including a traditional plastic or glass lens that forms an image on the CMOS image sensors on the die. These camera modules make the addition of a complete electronic imaging system a simple operation during manufacture of a telephone or PDA. No lens focusing or other precision optical assembly or testing is required during manufacture of the telephone or PDA because the camera modules come with lenses properly aligned and focused.
The manufacturing of camera modules presents several challenges. In particular, the manufacturing of each module requires several mechanical assembly process steps for centering and aligning one or more far-field lenses. The combined or total tolerances of the mechanical assembly process steps can exceed the allowable maximums that reasonable optical designs dictate. Additionally, the cost of the assembly and particularly the yield loss associated with the mechanical tolerances and contamination during assembly can be high.
Another concern for current camera modules is that the lenses and packaging materials are not compatible with the high solder reflow temperatures associated with lead-free assembly. Accordingly, to satisfy manufacturers' and consumers' desire for lead-free manufacturing and devices, an additional structure such as a flexible circuit or a lead tape is required to keep the module away from the high temperature reflow. Such structures increase the size and cost of camera modules.
Structures and methods are sought for decreasing the manufacturing cost of camera modules containing CMOS imaging sensors and for making camera modules more compact and more compatible with assembly techniques such as high temperature solder reflow processes.

CMOS image sensor using gradient index chip scale lenses