Tube roller pumps for a medical device for extracorporeal blood treatment are disclosed. The pumps include a pump housing having a bearing surface and a rotor inside the bearing surface, wherein a tube is introduced between the bearing surface and the rotor in loop shape. Means for mounting the tubing segment are provided so the tubing segment can be pivot by pivoting a tilting element on which the tubing segment is at least partly mounted. A cover is mounted on the pump housing so that when closed upon pivoting the tubing segment toward the closed cover it constitutes a counter-bearing for the tilting element by which the tubing segment can be aligned with the pump housing. Means for automated unthreading of the tubing segment from the bearing are also included. Medical devices for extracorporeal blood treatment including the tube roller pump are also disclosed.

In medical devices for extracorporeal blood treatment (dialysis) frequently tube roller pumps are used for feeding the collected blood of the patient to a dialyser and back to the patient. The tube roller pumps function as peristaltic pumps, wherein a loop-shaped tubing segment is adjacent to an appropriately bent bearing surface of the pump housing. A rotor of the pump located inside the bearing surface then moves with its outer edges along the tubing segment, wherein it locally impresses the tube and thus enables feeding of blood through the tubing segment by the elastic material properties of the tubing segment. For this purpose, the blood is fed to the tubing segment via a first port and is discharged again via another port at the other end of the tubing segment.
The tubing segment thus forms a transfer system, as it is called, e.g. together with the feeding and discharging lines and several air traps, by which transfer system the blood of the patient is fed to a dialyser and back to the patient. Those transfer systems are preferably exchanged after each treatment and are not re-used for other patients. A used tubing segment thus has to be removed from the pump before a new transfer system is introduced into the device. For facilitating the handling during removal and rigging of the transfer system it is further known to provide a connector adapted to be connected to a feeding and discharging line, respectively, at each of the two ends of the tubing segment.
For accommodating a tube inside a roller pump the U.S. Pat. No. 8,047,819 B2, for example, describes holding means that are detachably mounted on the pump housing. So for different sizes and types of tubes different holding means can be mounted on the pump. A holding means includes a clamping device including at least one pivotable clamp jaw having a semicircular recess so that a tube can be held in the semicircular recess and in an opposed equally semicircular recess of another clamp jaw. The clamp jaws can also include plural of the recesses so that plural tubes can be simultaneously accommodated.
Moreover automatic systems are known that are intended to take over and thus facilitate threading and unthreading of the tube into the pump. Frequently, for unthreading an actuator moving the system from its therapy position into an unthreading position via a linear drive, for instance, has to be operated. For this purpose, it can be required in those systems to operate a switch/button at the medical device or to touch a software button on user interface.
Furthermore, multi-connectors are known which combine both ports for feeding and discharging lines in one component part which then can be introduced into a receiving portion of the pump housing. Via the geometric shape of such multi-connectors it is also possible to detect the presence thereof in the pump by the fact that during the inserting operation for instance a cylindrical portion of the multi-connector operates a plunger the axial position of which is queried via a light barrier. At the same time the plunger is part of an electromechanical actuator mounted in the pump housing which is adapted to eject the multi-connector via a linear drive.
In order to move a tubing segment at a tube roller pump into the respective threading and unthreading position, e.g. from JP 2008-000425 several variants of a pivoting member or rocker arm are known to which both ends of the loop-shaped tubing segment can be mounted. In a first pivoting position of the rocker arm the tubing segment then is provided in a position in which the threading operation can be started while the tubing segment can be unthreaded in a different pivoting position. The automatic threading and unthreading operation is performed by guide pins at the periphery of the rotor, the guide pins pressing the tube into or out of the pump housing upon rotation of the rotor.
During therapy and preferably also during automated threading and unthreading operations the pump is usually covered by a pivoting cover adapted to be manually closed and opened by the operator. The cover in this way constitutes a protection against intervention to prevent interventions with the pump during the motor-driven rotation of the rotor which might entail injuries and damages of the pump.

Tube roller pump including pivoting cover and medical device for extracorporeal blood treatment


A control system for a hybrid powertrain for a hybrid electric vehicle with an internal combustion engine and an electric drive system including an electric motor, a battery and a generator. The control system includes a system controller that monitors actual battery power in a closed-loop fashion and detects an error between actual battery power and a request for battery power. The engine power is corrected so that the battery is used at its intended level, thereby avoiding unnecessary charging and discharging.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a control system for a hybrid electric vehicle powertrain having an engine and an electric motor with either a parallel or a series power flow path.
2. Background Art
Powertrains for known hybrid electric vehicles include an internal combustion engine, which functions as a first power source, and a high voltage induction motor with a battery, which function as a second power source. The power sources may be part of a powertrain with parallel power flow paths or a series power flow path. In parallel hybrid powertrains, an engine, a motor, a generator and a battery, together with gearing, define a first power delivery configuration. A second power delivery configuration comprises only the motor, the generator and the battery, together with gearing.
The generator in a parallel hybrid powertrain is driven by the engine in a first mechanical power flow path that is established between the engine and the transmission torque output shaft. A second power flow path is an electrical power flow path, which distributes power from the engine to the generator, the latter driving the torque output shaft through the gearing. With the generator and the motor operating in this configuration, they together establish a continuously variable ratio, electromechanical transmission system.
A fully mechanical power flow path can be established by braking the generator as engine power is transmitted with a fixed gear ratio through the gearing.
A hybrid powertrain with a series power flow path includes an engine mechanically connected to a generator, an electric motor electrically coupled to the generator, and torque output gearing mechanically connected to the motor.
A powertrain comprising the present invention has features that are common to the features of the hybrid electric vehicle powertrain disclosed in the co-pending patent application identified above, which is assigned to the Assignee of the present invention. Reference may be made to that co-pending application for the purpose of supplementing this disclosure. The disclosure of the co-pending application is incorporated in this disclosure by reference.

Control system for a hybrid electric vehicle powertrain


A playback device includes a reading unit that reads extent blocks from a recording medium. A switching unit extracts a main-view stream and a sub-view stream from the extent blocks. Each stream is stored in a different read buffer. A decoding unit reads and decodes each stream from a corresponding read buffer. A time (t) required for the decoding unit to decode all data blocks in one extent block is greater than or equal to the sum (t1+t2+t3) of a time (t1) required for the reading unit to read the data blocks except for the top data block in the extent block, a time (t2) required for the reading unit to start to read the top of a next extent block from the time of finishing reading the tail of the extent block, and a time (t3) required for the reading unit to read the top data block in the next extent block.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technology for stereoscopic, i.e. three-dimensional (3D), video playback and especially to the allocation of a video stream on a recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, general interest in 3D video has been increasing. For example, amusement park attractions that incorporate 3D video images are popular. Furthermore, throughout the country, the number of movie theaters showing 3D movies is increasing. Along with this increased interest in 3D video, the development of technology that enables playback of 3D video images in the home has also been progressing. There is demand for this technology to store 3D video content on a portable recording medium, such as an optical disc, while maintaining the 3D video content at high image quality. Furthermore, there is demand for the recording medium to be compatible with a two-dimensional (2D) playback device. That is, it is preferable for a 2D playback device to be able to play back 2D video images and a 3D playback device to be able to play back 3D video images from the same 3D video content recorded to a conventional playback device that can only play back monoscopic video images, i.e. 2D video images, whereas a "3D playback device" refers to a playback device that can play back 3D video images. Note that in the present description, a 3D playback device is assumed to be able to also play back conventional 2D video images.
FIG. 84 is a schematic diagram illustrating the technology for ensuring the compatibility of an optical disc storing 3D video content with 2D playback devices (see Patent Literature 1). An optical disc 7601 stores two types of video stream files. One is a 2D/left-view video stream file, and the other is a right-view video stream file. A "2D/left-view video stream" represents a 2D video image to be shown to the left eye of a viewer during 3D playback, i.e. a "left-view". During 2D playback, this stream constitutes the 2D video image. A "right-view video stream" represents a 2D video image to be shown to the right eye of a viewer during 3D playback, i.e. a "right-view". The left and right video streams have the same frame rate but different presentation times shifted from each other by half a frame period. For example, when the frame rate of each video stream is 24 frames per second, the frames of the 2/D left-view video stream and the right-view video stream are alternately displayed every 1/48 seconds.
As shown in FIG. 84, the left-view and right-view video streams are divided into a plurality of extents 7602A-C and 7603A-C respectively on the optical disc 6701. Each extent contains at least one group of pictures (GOP), GOPs being read together from the optical disc. Hereinafter, the extents belonging to the 2D/left-view video stream are referred to as "2D/left-view extents", and the extents belonging to the right-view video stream are referred to as "right-view extents". The 2D/left-view extents 7602A-C and the right-view extents 7603A-C are alternately arranged on a track 7601A of the optical disc 7601. Each two contiguous extents 7602A-7603A, 7602B-7603B, and 7602C-7603C have the same length of playback time. Such an arrangement of extents is referred to as an interleaved arrangement. A group of extents recorded in an interleaved arrangement on a recording medium is used both in 3D video playback and 2D video image playback, as described below.
From among the extents recorded on the optical disc 7601, a 2D playback device 7604 causes an optical disc drive 7604A to read only the 2D/left-view extents 7602A-C sequentially from the start, skipping the reading of right-view extents 7603A-C. Furthermore, an image decoder 7604B sequentially decodes the extents read by the optical disc drive 7604A into a video frame 7606L. In this way, a display device 7607 only displays left-views, and viewers can watch normal 2D video images.
A 3D playback device 7605 causes an optical disc drive 7605A to alternately read 2D/left-view extents and right-view extents from the optical disc 7601. When expressed as codes, the extents are read in the order 7602A, 7603A, 7602B, 7603B, 7602C, and 7603C. Furthermore, from among the read extents, those belonging to the 2D/left-view video stream are supplied to a left video decoder 7605L, whereas those belonging to the right-view video stream are supplied to a right-video decoder 7605R. The video decoders 7605L and 7605R alternately decode each video stream into video frames 7606L and 7606R, respectively. As a result, left-views and right-views are alternately displayed on a display device 7608. In synchronization with the switching of the views by the display device 7608, shutter glasses 7609 cause the left and right lenses to become opaque alternately. Therefore, a viewer wearing the shutter glasses 7609 sees the views displayed by the display device 7608 as 3D video images.
When 3D video content is stored on any recording medium, not only on an optical disc, the above-described interleaved arrangement of extents is used. In this way, the recording medium can be used both for playback of 2D video images and 3D video images.

Recording medium, playback apparatus, and integrated circuit


A memory device includes a material layer associated with at least one memory cell. The material layer is alterable to change the electrical resistance of the memory cell.

One type of nonvolatile memory device known in the art relies on magnetic memory cells. Referred to as magnetic random access memory (MRAM) devices, these devices include an array of magnetic memory cells. The magnetic memory cells used in an MRAM device may be of several different types. For example, a tunneling magnetic junction (TMJ) memory cell or a giant magnetoresistive (GMR) memory cell.
A typical magnetic memory cell includes a layer of magnetic film in which the orientation of magnetization is alterable and a layer of magnetic film in which the orientation of magnetization is fixed or "pinned" in particular direction. The magnetic film having alterable orientation of magnetization may be referred to as a data storage layer and the magnetic film having an orientation of magnetization which is pinned may be referred to as a reference layer. The data storage layer and the reference layer are separated by a layer of insulating material.
In an MRAM device, conductive traces (commonly referred to as word lines and bit lines, or collectively as write lines) are routed in a matrix across a plurality of memory cells. Word lines extend along rows of the memory cell array, and bit lines extend along columns of the memory cell array. A memory cell is located at each intersection of a word line and a bit line.
Each memory cell stores a bit of information as an orientation of magnetization. Typically, the orientation of magnetization in the data storage layer aligns along an axis of the data storage layer that is commonly referred to as its easy axis. In a "parallel" orientation, the magnetic fields of the data storage layer and reference layer point in the same direction. In an "anti-parallel" orientation, the magnetic fields of the data storage layer and reference layer point in opposite directions. External magnetic fields are applied to flip the orientation of magnetization in the data storage layer along its easy axis to either a parallel or anti-parallel orientation with respect to the orientation of magnetization in the reference layer, depending on the desired logic state. The orientation of magnetization of each memory cell will thus assume one of two stable orientations at any given time. These two stable orientations parallel and anti-parallel, represent logic values of "1" and "0", respectively.
The orientation of magnetization of a selected memory cell may be changed by supplying currents to the word line and bit line intersecting at the selected memory cell. The currents in the word and bit lines create magnetic fields that, when combined, switch the orientation of magnetization of the selected memory cell from parallel to anti-parallel or vice versa. Additionally, the write lines can be used to read the logic values stored in the memory cell.
One problem which exists for MRAM devices using magnetic memory cells like those described above is the occasional presence of a defective memory cell. In particular, the insulating-layer of a memory cell may include defects which cause the nominal resistance of the affected memory cell to drop several orders of magnitude lower than the resistance of a properly functioning memory cell. The insulating layer is typically the only non-conductive material in the memory cell stack. Thus, defects such as foreign conductive material particles in the insulating layer, pin holes through the insulating layer, or a too-thin insulating layer resulting from poor material deposition processes during the formation of the memory cell, may result in a memory cell resistance which is unacceptably low.
Because data in a memory cell is written and read by passing electrical currents through the write lines that intersect the memory cell, a memory cell having a nominal resistance which differs substantially from the resistance of a properly functioning memory cell will affect the currents (and thus magnetic fields) intended to write or read data in the memory cell. The low resistance memory cell is effectively rendered unusable. In addition, in the absence of switches or diodes to isolate one memory cell from another, the low resistance memory cell appears essentially as a short circuit between the word and bit lines which intersect at the defective memory cell. As a result, all other memory cells along the word and bit line of the defective memory cell are also affected and possibly rendered unusable. This can have a significant negative impact on the storage capacity of the memory array.
Currently, in the absence of switches or diodes to isolate one memory cell from another, there is no effective way to repair a defective memory cell exhibiting low nominal resistance, or limit its detrimental effects on other memory cells sharing a common word and/or bit line in the memory array. Although switches or diodes may be added to an MRAM device to isolate one memory cell from another, such a process adds cost and complexity to the device.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


When an emergency push-button is depressed, an alarm sound output part in a portable telephone set outputs a high volume level alarm sound, and a flashlight part 8 emits light or flickered light. Furthermore, at the time of the light emission from the flashlight part 8, a camera 7 picks up an evidence photograph and causes the picked-up photograph to be automatically transmitted to a predetermined mail address of police or a guard company.

This application claims benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-011752 filed on Jan. 21, 2002, the contents of which are incorporated by the reference.
The present invention relates to portable telephone sets with crime prevention function and crime prevention adapters for portable telephone set capable of informing emergency situations.
Crime prevention bells and portable crime prevention buzzers are well known in the art as portable crime prevention device for outputting an alarm sound to inform an emergency situation in the event of attack by a molester or a thug.
As recently extremely popularized portable telephone sets, those having a crime prevention function have been considered. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-109976 discloses a portable crime prevention device with a crime prevention function, which can output an alarm sound, provided at a portable telephone set terminal.
The prior art portable telephone set terminal, however, is provided with the crime prevention function, which can output alarm sound alone, and thus can only inform an emergency situation to the surroundings. Besides, in a high ambient noise level place or a very congested place, it is sometimes difficult with the sole alarm sound to inform an emergency situation to the surroundings.
In the meantime, portable telephone sets with flashlight part are commercially available. However, the flashlight part is used only for the purpose of picking up a photograph to be attached to an electronic mail with a digital camera.

Portable telephone set with crime prevention function


Techniques for displaying sonic logging data that provide highly reliable, visual quality-control (QC) indicators. One aspect herein is directed to a display of sonic logging data corresponding to a slowness frequency analysis (SFA) projection log.

The present disclosure relates to investigation of earth formations and, more particularly, to techniques for displaying sonic well logging information in a manner which provides for reliable quality-control (QC) indicators.
It is well known that mechanical disturbances can be used to establish acoustic waves in earth formations surrounding a borehole, and the properties of these waves can be measured to obtain important information about the formations through which the waves have propagated. Parameters of compressional, shear and Stoneley waves, such as their velocity (or its reciprocal, slowness) in the formation and in the borehole, can be indicators of formation characteristics that help in evaluation of the location and/or producibility of hydrocarbon resources. An example of some techniques which may be used for determining properties of earth formations using sonic well logging is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,614,716 to Plona et at, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
Sonic logging tools may be used to collect an array of waveforms from either monopole, dipole or quadrupole sources. Wireline logging tools typically use the monopole and dipole modes, while drilling sonic tools (LWD) use the monopole and quadrupole modes. Each of the different modes generates an array of waveforms which can be processed using a variety of techniques to obtain an estimate of formation slowness. One such technique is semblance processing, described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,594,691 to Kimball et al., herein incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. In the semblance processing technique, data is gathered and processed from an array of received waveforms from a particular source (e.g., dipole source) at one particular depth. This is illustrated, for example, in FIG. 1A.
FIGS. 1A-B show a set of model calculations for acoustic wave propagation in a circular borehole with a centralized dipole source. FIG. 1A shows an array of 6 received waveforms from a dipole source at one particular depth. In these waveforms one observes two arrivals moving across the array. The first arrival in time is a dipole compressional signal 104, and the second, later in time signal, is the arrival of the dipole flexural signal 102. In conventional semblance processing, the semblance parameter as a function of wave slowness vs. time is calculated and displayed as shown, for example, in FIG. 1B. FIG. 1B illustrates a graphical representation of the Slowness-Time-Coherence (STC), or semblance, processing of the received waveforms of FIG. 1A. As shown in the example of FIG. 1B, a compressional semblance contour 114 is located near 125 μs/ft and a shear semblance contour 112 is located near 300 μs/ft. The local peak of the semblance contour is then plotted on a sonic log as the formation parameter (i.e., slowness) at each depth. A typical sonic log is shown, for example, in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 shows an example of a conventional slowness log, illustrating, for example, a compressional slowness curve 201 (green) from a monopole source, a fast shear slowness curve 203 (red) from a dipole source, a slow shear slowness curve 205 (blue) from a dipole source, and a monopole Stoneley slowness curve 207 (purple).
For dipole flexural data, it is well-known that the low frequency limit (e.g., zero frequency) of a dipole flexural curve asymptotes to the true formation shear speed. Thus, in conventional semblance processing, it is desirable that the peak semblance calculation at each depth correspond to the low frequency limit of the dispersion curve at that depth. In this regard, various techniques have conventionally been used to help ensure that the calculated peak semblance data correspond to the low frequency limits of their respective flexural dispersion curves. However, as described in greater detail below, there are currently no mechanisms available by which to adequately quality control the accuracy of such techniques.
For example, a current technique for quality control corresponds to projecting the semblance contours onto the slowness axis to derive a one dimensional set of numbers at each depth, and then use this data to generate an estimate of shear slowness of the flexural dispersion curves across multiple depths. Such a technique is illustrated, for example, in FIGS. 3A-E of the drawings.
FIG. 3A-E illustrate a conventional procedure for constructing a Slowness-Time-Coherence (i.e., semblance) projection log which may be used for quality control analysis of sonic logs. As shown in FIGS. 3A-B, the semblance contours 302, 304 are projected onto the slowness axis to derive a one dimensional set of numbers 310. The slowness projections at each depth are rotated (FIG. 3C) and compiled to generate a log 330 of slowness projection as a function of depth, as shown, for example, in FIG. 3D. Finally, as shown in FIG. 3E, the estimated shear slowness curve (dts) 336 is plotted on top of the log projection 330.
A significant problem with quality control display of FIG. 3E, however, is that there is no way of knowing from the displayed information if the estimated dts 336 actually corresponds to the low frequency limit of the dipole flexural dispersion curve at each depth. Since the estimated dts curve 336 may be generated using a variety of mathematical algorithms and/or computer data processing techniques, errors in the calculation of the estimated dts may result in a poor quality estimated dts curve which does not correspond to the low frequency limit of the dipole flexural. Thus it will be appreciated that there exists a need to provide improved quality-control (QC) indicators for sonic logging data.

Slowness-frequency projection display and animation


A system and method for controlling a hybrid vehicle drive has a device for detecting a charging power of a heavy-duty battery for an electric motor, a device for determining at least one fuel consumption parameter for several different transmission gear positions at the detected charging power and for determining an optimized gear position in which the determined fuel consumption parameter indicates an optimized fuel consumption. The determining device controls the gear position of the transmission to the determined optimized gear position by via a transmission control device.

The present invention relates to a method and a system for controlling a hybrid vehicle drive.
Hybrid vehicle drives have been on the market for some years as a consumption-reducing and environmentally friendly alternative to the conventional internal-combustion engine. By established general definition, a hybrid vehicle drive contains at least two different energy converters and two different energy accumulators. With a few exceptions, in a practical implementation, the converters involve an internal-combustion engine and an electric motor, and the energy accumulators are a combustible fuel and a battery.
In contrast to conventional vehicles having an internal-combustion engine, a hybrid vehicle has the advantage that it can recapture the braking energy for the most part (with the exception of the loss of efficiency). The recaptured or recuperated braking energy is intermediately stored in the battery of the electric motor, with the electric motor functioning as a mechanical-electrical converter.
An intermediate storage of energy (thus, the recuperation) occurs during active braking and in a coasting phase or operation in which the internal-combustion engine is not actively driving the vehicle because the driver's foot has been removed from the accelerator. The vehicle is therefore in a passive state and is propelled only by its own inert mass, until the diverse tractive resistances gradually decelerate it to a stop. In hybrid vehicle drives, the feeding of gasoline and the ignition are switched off in the coasting phase and technical measures are taken in order to stop the engine brake of the internal-combustion engine in the coasting operation. Thereby, the kinetic energy is caused to be supplied as completely as possible to the electric motor configured as a mechanical-electrical converter.
In a load point raising operation, the internal-combustion engine supplies a portion of its torque to the output and the remaining portion as the generator torque for the electric motor in order to thereby generate electric energy for the heavy-duty battery where the energy is stored. A disadvantage of the known hybrid vehicle drives was found to be that, in certain operating conditions, the load raising operation results in excessive fuel consumption.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved method and system for controlling a hybrid vehicle drive that results in more fuel-saving during the battery charging operation.
The method according to the invention for controlling a hybrid vehicle drive and the corresponding system as hereinafter described have the advantage that the charging operation can be designed to be more flexible, and consumption advantages can therefore be achieved.
The present invention is based on the control calculating a fuel consumption parameter for the actual charging current of the battery for each gear, for example, the fuel mass flow rate, for several different gear positions of the transmission. By way of these gear-dependent fuel consumption parameters, the optimized gear with optimized fuel consumption, indicated by the respective fuel consumption parameter, such as the minimal fuel mass flow rate, is selected and is set by the transmission. Thus, the gear position is varied as a function of the operating point of the electric motor.
In the parallel hybrid—transmission line concept, during a constant travel with a constant wheel torque, the internal torque between the internal-combustion engine and the electric moment may be variable. In order to obtain an optimal operating point of the internal-combustion engine for the demanded actual charging current of the heavy-duty battery, according to the invention, in addition to the load of the internal-combustion engine and of the electric motor, the rotational speed of the assemblies is also varied by way of the gear selection.
According to a preferred further development, the fuel consumption parameter is a fuel mass flow rate. In another one of the currently preferred further developments, the determination of the least one fuel consumption parameter takes place for all gear positions of the transmission at the detected charging power.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Method and system for controlling a hybrid vehicle

Dr. Ing. h.c.F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft


Disclosed is a method of producing, with good productivity, information recording materials such as a thermal recording material and an inkjet recording material excellent in coating properties and excellent in various properties. The method comprises forming a coating composition film made of a plurality of coating color layers on a substrate by curtain coating and drying the coating composition film to form part or all of layers for forming an information recording material, and either (1) adjusting the viscosity of each of the coating colors for a plurality of the coating color layers to at least 100 mPaxc2x7s and controlling the surface tension of the coating color for a lowermost layer to 18 to 45 mN/m, or (2) controlling the density of the coating color for a layer to be positioned above not to exceed 140% of the density of the coating color for an adjacent layer to be positioned below. The present invention has been completed on the basis of the above findings.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of producing an information recording material, particularly to a method of producing, with good productivity, an information recording material such as a thermal recording material and an inkjet recording material excellent in various properties and excellent in coating qualities in particular.
2. Related Art Statement
Information recording materials having an information-recording layer formed on a substrate are used in broad fields. A variety of recording materials such as a pressure-sensitive recording material, a thermal recording material, a thermal transfer recording material, an inkjet recording material, etc., are practically used as such information recording materials. In recent years, information recording materials having two or more layers formed on a substrate are also used due to demands for higher functions and higher performances.
A thermal recording material is generally a material in which a heat-sensitive recording layer containing a thermally color-formable material is formed on a substrate. An image is formed by heating it with a thermal head, a thermal pen, laser light, or the like. The thermal recording material is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publications Nos. 43-4160, 45-14039 and the like.
The above thermal recording material is advantageous in that a recording can be obtained with a relatively simple unit, that maintenance is easy and that no noise is made, so that it is widely used in the fields of measuring recorders, facsimile machines, computer terminals, labels, automatic vending machines of tickets, etc. In recent years, further, for attaining superior color density and sensitivity, image stability and tones of a plurality of colors, there is practically used a thermal recording material prepared by applying a protective layer, an undercoat layer and two or more heat-sensitive recording layers, in addition to a thermal recording material having a single heat-sensitive recording layer alone.
An inkjet recording method is a method in which fine globules of an ink are ejected from an inkjet recording device and allowed to adhere to an inkjet recording material to form an image or letters. As the above inkjet recording material, a material having no ink receptor layer such as a non-coated paper is sometimes used. However, a material prepared by forming an ink receptor layer on a substrate is used when printing is made on a synthetic resin film having no ink-reception properties or when it is intended to obtain a finer image. With diversification in use, color imaging or higher performances such as faster printing in recent years, a larger amount of an ink is ejected, and a higher-capacity ink absorption and a higher print density come to be required. Since no sufficient performances for the above requirements can be obtained with any conventional single ink receptor layer, an inkjet recording material having two or more ink receptor layers are practically used as well.
In a conventional information recording material having two or more layers laminated on a substrate, each layer is independently formed by application and drying to form the laminated layers, and the application is carried out by a method such as an air knife coating method, a blade coating method, a rod coating method or a reverse roll coating method. However, an information recording material prepared by any one of the above methods has problems that its coating quality is poor, that an upper layer has pin holes caused by infiltration of an upper layer coating color into a lower layer and repellency during application to form the upper layer and that the quality varies due to continuous coating for a long period of time. Moreover, there are problems in a limit to application at a high rate and a decrease in productivity due to application procedures to be carried out a plurality of times.
As compared with these methods, the curtain coating method disclosed in Japanese Patent Publications Nos. 49-24133 and 49-35447 is an application method in which a free-fall curtain of a coating color is formed and allowed to collide with a substrate, and it is known that the curtain coating method is suitable for application at a high rate. Further, since a plurality of layers can be simultaneously formed by forming a coating composition film made of a plurality of coating color layers, the productivity in multi-layer application can be improved to a great extent. In the simultaneous multi-layer application using a curtain coating method, the coating composition film made of a plurality of coating color layers is formed on a substrate, and thereafter, it is required to dry the coating composition film to solidness without disordering the layer structure thereof. In the field of conventional photographic photosensitive materials prepared by simultaneous multi-layer application using a curtain coating method, each coating color contains gelatin as a binder, and coating composition layers are cooled immediately after coating composition solutions are transferred onto a substrate, so that the gelatin in the coating colors gelled and that the coating composition solution are immobilized, whereby no intermingling of the layers takes place.
Under the circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of producing an information recording material having at least two layers laminated on a substrate, with good productivity, in which pinholes in an upper layer and the variability in coating qualities, caused by the infiltration of a coating color for the upper layer into a lower layer and repellency during application for forming the upper layer, are inhibited and the information recording material is excellent in coating qualities and are excellent in various properties.
The present inventors have therefore made diligent studies for achieving the above object, and as a result, it has been found that the above object can be achieved by forming a coating composition film made of a plurality of coating color layers on a substrate by curtain coating and drying the coating composition film to form part or all of layers for forming an information recording material, and either (1) by adjusting the viscosity of each of the coating colors for a plurality of the coating color layers to a certain value or above and controlling the surface tension of the coating color for a lowermost layer so as to bring it into a specific range or (2) by controlling the density of the coating color for each layer for forming a plurality of the coating color layers. The present invention has been completed on the basis of the above findings.
That is, (1) according to the present invention, there is provided a method of producing an information recording material having at least two layers laminated on a substrate, which comprises forming a coating composition film made of a plurality of coating color layers on a substrate by curtain coating and drying the coating composition film, to form part or all of layers for forming the information recording material, wherein the coating colors for a plurality of the coating color layers during application have a viscosity of at least 100 mPaxc2x7s and the coating color for a lowermost layer of a plurality of the coating color layers has a surface tension of 18 to 45 mN/m (to be referred to as xe2x80x9cProduction method I of the present inventionxe2x80x9d hereinafter).
(2) According to the present invention, there is also provided a method of producing an information recording material having at least two layers laminated on a substrate, which comprises forming a coating composition film made of a plurality of coating color layers on a substrate by curtain coating and drying the coating composition film, to form part or all of layers for forming the information recording material, wherein a coating color for a layer to be positioned above has a density which does not exceed 140% of the density of a coating color for a layer to be positioned below and adjacent thereto (to be referred to as xe2x80x9cProduction method II of the present inventionxe2x80x9d hereinafter).
The method of producing an information recording material according to the present invention includes two modes. The Production method I of the present invention will be explained first.
In the Production method I, part or all of the layers for forming an information recording material are formed by forming a coating composition film made of a plurality of coating color layers on a substrate by a curtain coating and drying the coating composition film.
Production method I is suitably used for producing a thermal recording material as an information recording material. While the layers formed by curtain coating are not specially limited in kind, the layers include an undercoat layer, a heat-sensitive recording layer, a protective layer, etc., and a series of these adjacent layers are simultaneously applied in the form of multi-layers by curtain coating. Specific examples of the combination of layers to be formed by simultaneous application in the form of multi-layers include a combination of an undercoat layer and a heat-sensitive recording layer, a combination of a heat-sensitive recording layer and a protective layer, a combination of an undercoat layer, a heat-sensitive recording layer and a protective layer, and some other combination. Further, these combinations include a combination of undercoat layers of two or more different kinds, a combination of heat-sensitive recording layers of two or more different kinds, a combination of protective layers of two or more different kinds, etc., although these combinations are not critical.
In Production method I of the present invention, coating colors for the above layers are adjusted to a viscosity of at least 100 mPaxc2x7s for preventing intermingling of layers during the curtain coating. The viscosity of each coating color refers to a value measured with a Brookfield viscometer at a temperature during the application. When coating colors adjusted to the above viscosity are simultaneously applied in the form of multi-layers by a curtain coating method, intermingling of layers is decreased, and there can be formed layers each of which has excellent coating qualities such as a uniform thickness and freedom from occurrence of pinholes, as compared with a case where the layers are formed one by one by a conventional method such as an air knife coating method, a blade coating method, a rod coating method or a reverse roll coating method and dried to form a laminate. When the viscosity of the coating colors is less than 100 mPaxc2x7s, intermingling of layers is liable to take place when the coating composition film in the form of a curtain collides with a substrate or during the drying of the coating composition film transferred onto the substrate. After the coating composition film is dried, inter-layer separation or the laminated state of the layers is poor, so that the functions of the layers cannot be sufficiently exhibited. Further, the infiltration of a layer into the substrate or a layer which is formed below the layers to be formed by curtain coating increases, so that the inter-layer separation or the laminated state of the layers is deteriorated. With an increase in the viscosity of each coating color, intermingling of layers decreases so that the inter-layer separation comes to be superior. When the viscosity of each coating color is too high, the viscous force is too high, a point where the coating composition film arrives onto a substrate shifts toward a downstream side with regard to the running direction of the substrate, and an air layer enters between the substrate and the coating composition film, so that the state of application is destabilized in some cases. Particularly preferably, the viscosity of each coating colors is at least 100 mPaxc2x7s and does not exceed 2,000 mPaxc2x7s. Further, intermingling of layers is decreased as the viscosity difference between/among the coating colors to be applied by curtain coating for forming the layers decreases, and preferably, the viscosity difference between/among the coating colors is 100 mPaxc2x7s or less.
In the Production method I, further, the surface tension of the coating color for the lowermost layer of the layers to be applied by curtain coating is adjusted to 18 to 45 mN/m. The surface tension of the lowermost layer has an influence on easiness in transfer of the coating composition film onto a substrate. This surface tension of a coating color refers to a value measured with a tensiometer using a platinum ring at a temperature of the coating color during its application. With a decrease in the surface tension of the coating color for the lowermost layer, the coating composition film is more easily transferred onto a substrate, and the coating composition film can be applied at a higher rate. When the above surface tension is smaller than 18 mN/m, the infiltration into a substrate or a layer formed below the layer to be applied by curtain coating increases, which may deteriorate a layer-separated and laminated state. When the surface tension is greater than 45 mN/m, it is difficult to transfer the coating composition film onto a substrate, so that the application may be impossible, or that, even if the application is possible, no information recording material having good coating quality cannot be obtained in some cases. When the surface tension of the coating color for the lowermost layer is adjusted to 20 to 45 mN/m, desirably, the easiness in the transfer of the coating composition film onto a substrate and the difficulty in infiltration of the lowermost layer into the substrate are well balanced. This surface tension is preferably in the range of 20 to 40 mN/m.
It is particularly preferred to arrange the surface tensions of the coating colors such that layer(s) for forming upper layer(s) have a smaller surface tension than layer(s) for forming lower layer(s), since an information recording material having superior coating quality can be obtained. When a coating color for forming a lower layer has a smaller surface tension than a coating color for forming an upper layer, there is caused a phenomenon that the coating color forming the upper layer is repelled on the coating color forming the lower layer, no uniform coating composition film is formed, and an information recording material is poor in coating quality. When three or more layers are applied simultaneously, it is preferred to arrange the surface tensions of the layers such that the surface tensions gradually decrease from the lowermost layer, i.e., the layer closest to a substrate to the uppermost layer farthest from the substrate.
Although not specially limited, an applicator machine for forming the coating composition film made of a plurality of coating color layers and transferring it onto a substrate includes an extrusion hopper type curtain coater and a slide hopper type curtain coater. The slide hopper type curtain coater disclosed in Japanese patent Publication No. 49-24133, which is used with a photographic photosensitive material, etc., is particularly preferably used. This slide hopper type curtain coater makes it easier to carry out simultaneous multi-layer application.
The viscosities of the coating colors can be adjusted to ranges specified in the present invention, for example, by a method in which a water-soluble polymer such as polyvinyl alcohol, starch or carboxymethyl cellulose or a thickener such as an acrylic emulsion is mixed with a coating color to increase its viscosity, a method in which a solid content in a coating color is increased to increase its viscosity, or a method in which a coating color is diluted to decrease its viscosity.
The surface tensions of the coating colors can be adjusted to the ranges specified in the present invention, for example, by a method in which a coating color is mixed with a proper amount of an anionic surfactant such as a carboxylic acid salt, a sulfonic acid salt, a sulfate or a phosphate, a nonionic surfactant such an ether type, an ether ester type, an ester type or a nitrogen-containing nonionic surfactant or an amphoteric surfactant such as betaine, an aminocarboxylic acid salt or an imidazoline derivative.
In the coating composition film made of a plurality of coating color layers applied onto a substrate with a curtain coater in the Production method I of the present invention, preferably, the density of the coating color for a layer to be positioned above does not exceed 140% of the density of the coating color for a layer to be positioned below and adjacent thereto. The density refers to a value at a temperature of the coating color during the application thereof. The layer to be positioned above and the layer to be positioned below are under on condition in a drying step following the curtain coating of the coating composition film on a substrate.
The coating composition film formed on a substrate by curtain coating gradually proceeds with intermingling of layers immediately after its application. When a coating color for a layer to be positioned above has a larger density than a coating color for an adjacent layer to be positioned below, the coating color for a layer to be positioned above infiltrates the adjacent layer to be positioned below, so that the intermingling of layers is promoted. In particular, when the density of the coating color for a layer to be positioned above exceeds 140% of the density of the coating color for an adjacent layer to be positioned below, the intermingling of layers takes place to an extreme extent, and the functions of the layers constituting an information recording material may be lost in some cases.
When the density of the coating color for a layer to be positioned above exceeds 100% of the density of the coating color for an adjacent layer to be positioned below but does not exceed 140% thereof, the intermingling of layers is promoted to some extent, but sufficient functions of the layers constituting an information recording material can be obtained. Further, when the density of the coating color for a layer to be positioned above is 100% of the density of the coating color for an adjacent layer to be positioned below, desirably, no intermingling of layers caused by a density difference between coating colors takes place. Further, when the density of the coating color for a layer to be positioned above is less than 100% of the density of the coating color for an adjacent layer to be positioned below, particularly desirably, the action of preventing the intermingling of layers is exhibited.
The method of adjusting the density of the coating color for each layer as described above is not specially limited. Specific examples include a method in which the concentration of a coating color is adjusted, a method in which a component having a high density is incorporated into a coating color and a method in which a liquid component which is volatilized in a drying step following the application is incorporated into a coating color.
In the relationship of a substrate with a layer to be positioned above and a layer to be positioned below of a plurality of the coating color layers, a layer closer to the substrate is taken as a layer to be positioned below, and a layer farther from the substrate is taken as a layer to be positioned above. In this case, the coating composition film can be dried in a state where the coating composition film is positioned on an upper side of the substrate, so that an information recording material can be more easily produced. Due to some limitation to the coating color of a layer to be applied, it is difficult to take a layer closer to the substrate as a layer to be positioned below and to take a layer farther from the substrate as a layer to be positioned above in some cases. In such cases, the coating composition film may be dried in a state where the coating composition film is on the lower side of the substrate such that a layer closer to the substrate is a layer to be positioned above and that a layer farther from the substrate is a layer to be positioned below.
In the Production method I of the present invention, preferably, the coating composition film made of a plurality of the coating color layers formed on a substrate with a curtain coater is dried within 2 minutes after its application. The term xe2x80x9cdryingxe2x80x9d means that water or an organic solvent contained in coating colors forming the coating composition film is evaporated so that the fluidity of the coating colors is substantially removed. In the coating composition film formed on a substrate by curtain coating, intermingling of layers gradually proceeds immediately after its application. If it takes a longer time to dry the coating composition film after its application, the intermingling of layers takes to a great extent, and when the drying takes more than 2 minutes after the application, it is difficult to obtain an information recording material excellent in various properties in some cases. For example, in a thermal recording material, an undercoat layer and a heat-sensitive recording layer are simultaneously applied in the form of multi-layers by curtain coating, and if the drying takes more than 2 minutes, there may be caused a state where the undercoat layer and the heat-sensitive recording layer are intermingled, so that the color density may be low. Further, a heat-sensitive recording layer and a protective layer are simultaneously applied in the form of multi-layers by curtain coating, and if the drying takes more than 2 minutes, there may be caused a state where the heat-sensitive recording layer and the protective layer are intermingled so that there may be caused a problem that the barrier properties of the protective layer are low or that defective printing occurs. In an inkjet recording material, intermingling of a plurality of recording layers causes a decrease in color density and a decrease in ink absorption and absorption rate. When the drying takes more than 2 minutes after the application, intermingling of layers is liable to take place, and the function of each layer may not be fully exhibited. When the drying is completed within 2 minutes after the application, the intermingling of layers rarely takes place, the function of each layer can be fully exhibited, and there can be obtained an information recording material excellent in various properties. As the time period required for completion of the drying decreases, there can be obtained an information recording material more excellent in various properties.
The drying method is not critical. Specifically, the drying method includes a method in which hot air is blown, a method in which dehumidified air is blown, a method in which infrared rays are used for irradiation and a method in which microwaves are used for irradiation. Some of these methods may be used in combination.
Of the above drying methods, in the method using hot air blowing or a dehumidified air blowing, the layer structure of the coating color layers forming the coating composition film may be disordered due to an impact of air blown thereto, so that it is preferred to decrease the impact of air blowing so as to make it as small as possible. For decreasing the impact of air blowing, and for completing the drying for a short period of time after the application, essentially, air is heated to a sufficiently high temperature when hot air is used, and water is fully removed from dehumidified air when dehumidified air is used.
Of the above drying methods, the method using infrared rays for irradiation and the method using microwaves for irradiation are preferably used since no impact is exerted on an applied coating composition film. The method using hot air blowing, the method using dehumidified air blowing and the method using irradiation with infrared rays are disadvantageous to some extent in view of maintaining the stability of layer structure of the coating color layers forming the coating composition film, since the drying of a coating composition film surface proceeds earlier than the drying of the interior thereof. The method using irradiation with microwaves is particularly preferred since both the surface and the interior of the coating composition film can be wholly simultaneously dried so that the layer structure of the coating color layers forming the coating composition film is hardly disordered.
In Production method I of the present invention, preferably, the coating composition film made of a plurality of coating color layers formed on a substrate with a curtain coater is dried in a state where an angle formed by the substrate and a horizontal plane is 45 degrees or less. The above angle formed by the substrate and a horizontal plane refers to a gradient of the substrate to the horizontal plane. 0 Degree shows that the substrate is in parallel with the horizontal plane, and 90 degrees shows that the substrate exists in a plane perpendicular to the horizontal plane. In this case, it is not critical whether the coating composition film is formed on the upper side or lower side of the substrate.
In the coating composition film formed on a substrate by curtain coating, intermingling of layers gradually proceeds immediately after its application until the drying is completed, as already described. It is therefore required to carry out the drying in a state where the intermingling of layers hardly proceeds immediately after the application until completion of the drying. When a substrate is inclined with regard to the horizontal plane, the coating composition film applied onto the substrate is liable to flow toward a lower side along the substrate in parallel with the substrate due to gravity. When the coating composition film made of a plurality of coating color layers flows along a substrate, the flow rate may differ from one layer to another due to a viscosity difference among layers, the flow rate of a layer closer to the substrate may differ from the flow rate of a layer father from the substrate due to a friction with the substrate, and the layer structure of the coating composition film may be therefore disordered, so that the intermingling of layers may occur. In the drying method using hot air blowing, the drying proceeds earlier on the coating composition film surface, and there is therefore caused a large difference in the viscosity distribution in the coating composition film, so that a large difference is caused in flow rates and that the intermingling of layers is promoted. It is therefore difficult to obtain an information recording material excellent in various properties. For example, in a thermal recording material, an undercoat layer and a heat-sensitive recording layer are simultaneously applied in the form of multi-layers by curtain coating, and if the undercoat layer and the heat-sensitive recording layer are intermingled, the color density is low. A heat-sensitive layer and a protective layer are simultaneously applied in the form of multi-layers by curtain coating, and if the heat-sensitive recording layer and the protective layer are intermingled, the barrier properties of the protective layer are low or that defective printing occurs. In an inkjet recording material, intermingling of a plurality of ink receptor layers causes a decrease in color density and a decrease in ink absorption and absorption rate. When layers are intermingled as described above, it is difficult to allow each layer to exhibit its full functions.
The above intermingling of layers caused by the flow of coating composition film increases with an increase in the gradient of the substrate, so that the intermingling of the layers can be prevented by drying the coating composition film in a state where the substrate is so positioned as to be as horizontal as possible. When the coating composition film is dried in a state where the angle formed by the substrate and the horizontal plane is 45 degrees or less, the intermingling of layers can be prevented to such an extent that the properties of an information recording material are not impaired. Further, when the coating composition film is dried in a state where the angle formed by the substrate and the horizontal plane is 20 degrees or less, particularly preferably, there can be obtained an information recording material nearly as excellent in properties as that obtained by carrying out the drying in a state where the substrate is in a completely horizontal state.
The method of the above drying is not critical. Specifically, the drying method includes a method in which hot air is blown, a method in which dehumidified air is blown, a method in which infrared rays are used for irradiation and a method in which microwaves are used for irradiation. Some of these methods may be used in combination.
Production method II of the present invention will be explained hereinafter.
In Production method II of the present invention, part or all of the layers for forming an information recording material are formed by forming a coating composition film made of a plurality of coating color layers on a substrate by a curtain coating and drying the coating composition film.
Production method II is suitably used for producing a thermal recording material or an inkjet recording material as an information recording material. The layers to be formed by curtain coating are not specially limited. For example, the layers for a thermal recording material include an undercoat layer, a heat-sensitive recording layer and a protective layer. The layers for an inkjet recording material include a plurality of ink receptor layers. A series of these adjacent layers are simultaneously applied in the form of multi-layers by curtain coating. Specific examples of the combination of layers to be formed by simultaneous application in the form of multi-layers include a combination of an undercoat layer and a heat-sensitive recording layer, a combination of a heat-sensitive recording layer and a protective layer, a combination of an undercoat layer, a heat-sensitive recording layer and a protective layer, and some other combination. Further, these combinations include a combination of undercoat layers of two or more different kinds, a combination of heat-sensitive recording layers of two or more different kinds, a combination of protective layers of two or more different kinds, etc. The combination in an inkjet recording material includes a combination of a plurality of ink receptor layers. These combinations are not critical.
The curtain coater for forming the coating composition film made of a plurality of coating color layers on a substrate by curtain coating can be selected from those explained with regard to Production method I of the present invention.
In the coating composition film made of a plurality of coating color layers applied onto a substrate with a curtain coater in the Production method II of the present invention, the density of the coating color for a layer to be positioned above does not exceed 140% of the density of the coating color for a layer to be positioned below and adjacent thereto. The above density refers to a value at a temperature of the coating color during the application thereof. The layer to be positioned above and the layer to be positioned below have the same meanings as those explained in Production method I.
The coating composition film formed on a substrate by curtain coating gradually proceeds with intermingling of layers immediately after its application. When a coating color for a layer to be positioned above has a larger density than a coating color for an adjacent layer to be positioned below, the coating color for a layer to be positioned above infiltrates the adjacent layer to be positioned below, so that the intermingling of layers is promoted. In particular, when the density of the coating color for a layer to be positioned above exceeds 140% of the density of the coating color for an adjacent layer to be positioned below, the intermingling of layers takes place to an extreme extent, and the functions of the layers constituting an information recording material may be lost. When the density of the coating color for a layer to be positioned above exceeds 100% of the density of the coating color for an adjacent layer to be positioned below but does not exceed 140% thereof, the intermingling of layers is promoted to some extent, but sufficient functions of the layers constituting an information recording material can be obtained. Further, when the density of the coating color for a layer to be positioned above is 100% of the density of the coating color for an adjacent layer to be positioned below, desirably, no intermingling of layers caused by a density difference between coating colors takes place. Further, when the density of the coating color for a layer to be positioned above is less than 100% of the density of the coating color for an adjacent layer to be positioned below, particularly desirably, the action of preventing the intermingling of layers is exhibited.
The method of adjusting the density of the coating color for each layer as described above includes those methods explained in Production method I.
In the relationship of a substrate with a layer to be positioned above and a layer to be positioned below of a plurality of the coating color layers, a layer closer to the substrate is taken as a layer to be positioned below, and a layer farther from the substrate is taken as a layer to be positioned above. In this case, the coating composition film can be dried in a state where the coating composition film is positioned on an upper side of the substrate, so that an information recording material can be more easily produced. Due to some limitation to the coating color of a layer to be applied, it is difficult to take a layer closer to the substrate as a layer to be positioned below and to take a layer farther from the substrate as a layer to be positioned above in some cases. In such cases, the coating composition film may be dried in a state where the coating composition film is on the lower side of the substrate such that a layer closer to the substrate is a layer to be positioned above and that a layer farther from the substrate is a layer to be positioned below.
In Production method II of the present invention, preferably, coating colors for the above layers are adjusted to a viscosity of at least 100 mPaxc2x7s for preventing intermingling of layers during the curtain coating. The viscosity of each coating color refers to a value measured with a Brookfield viscometer at a temperature during the application. When coating colors adjusted to the above viscosity are simultaneously applied in the form of multi-layers by a curtain coating method, intermingling of layers is decreased, and there can be formed layers each of which has excellent coating qualities such as a uniform thickness and freedom from occurrence of pinholes, as compared with a case where the layers are formed one by one by a conventional method such as an air knife coating method, a blade coating method, a rod coating method or a reverse roll coating method and dried to form a laminate. When the viscosity of the coating colors is less than 100 mPaxc2x7s, intermingling of layers is liable to take place when the coating composition film in the form of a curtain collides with a substrate or during the drying of the coating composition film transferred onto the substrate. After the coating composition film is dried, inter-layer separation or the laminated state of the layers is poor, so that the functions of the layers cannot be sufficiently exhibited. Further, the infiltration of a layer into the substrate or a layer which is formed below the layers to be formed by curtain coating increases, so that the inter-layer separation or the laminated state of the layers may be deteriorated. With an increase in the viscosity of each coating color, intermingling of layers decreases so that the inter-layer separation comes to be superior. When the viscosity of each coating color is too high, the viscous force is too high, a point where the coating composition film arrives onto a substrate shifts toward a downstream side with regard to the running direction of the substrate, and an air layer enters between the substrate and the coating composition film, so that the state of application is destabilized in some cases. Particularly preferably, the viscosity of each coating colors is at least 100 mPaxc2x7s and does not exceed 2,000 mPaxc2x7s. Further, intermingling of layers is decreased as the viscosity difference between/among the coating colors to be applied by curtain coating for forming the layers decreases, and preferably, the viscosity difference between/among the coating colors is 100 mPaxc2x7s or less.
In the Production method II, further, the surface tension of the coating color for the lowermost layer of the layers to be applied by curtain coating is preferably adjusted to 18 to 45 mN/m. The surface tension of the lowermost layer has an influence on easiness in transfer of the coating composition film onto a substrate. This surface tension of a coating color refers to a value measured with a tensiometer using a platinum ring at a temperature of the coating color during its application. With a decrease in the surface tension of the coating color for the lowermost layer, the coating composition film is more easily transferred onto a substrate, and the coating composition film can be applied at a higher rate. When the above surface tension is smaller than 18 mN/m, the infiltration into a substrate or a layer formed below the layer to be applied by curtain coating increases, which may deteriorate a layer-separated and laminated state. When the surface tension is greater than 45 mN/m, it is difficult to transfer the coating composition film onto a substrate, so that the application may be impossible, or that, even if the application is possible, no information recording material having good coating quality cannot be obtained in some cases. When the surface tension of the coating color for the lowermost layer is adjusted to 20 to 45 mN/m, more desirably, the easiness in the transfer of the coating composition film onto a substrate and the difficulty in infiltration of the lowermost layer into the substrate are well balanced. This surface tension is preferably in the range of 20 to 40 mN/m.
It is particularly preferred to arrange the surface tensions of the coating colors such that layer(s) to be positioned above have a smaller surface tension than layer(s) to be positioned below, since an information recording material having superior coating quality can be obtained. When a coating color for a layer to be positioned below has a smaller surface tension than a coating color for a layer to be positioned above, there is caused a phenomenon that the coating color layer forming the layer to be positioned above is repelled on the coating color layer forming the layer to be positioned below, no uniform coating composition film is formed, and an information recording material is poor in coating quality. When three or more layers are applied simultaneously, it is preferred to arrange the surface tensions of the layers such that the surface tensions gradually decrease from the lowermost layer, i.e., the layer closest to a substrate to the uppermost layer farthest from the substrate.
The viscosities and surface tensions of the coating colors are adjusted as explained in Production method I.
In the Production method II of the present invention, preferably, the coating composition film made of a plurality of coating color layers formed on a substrate with a curtain coater is dried within 2 minutes after its application like Production method I. The drying is carried out by the method explained in Production process I.
In the Production method II of the present invention, preferably, the coating composition film made of a plurality of coating color layers formed on a substrate with a curtain coater is dried in a state where an angle formed by the substrate and a horizontal plane is 45 degrees or less, like Production method I. The drying is carried out by the method explained in Production method I.
The most preferred embodiment of the method of producing an information recording material, provided by the present invention, satisfies the following requirements (1) to (4) when part or all of the layers for forming an information recording material are formed by forming a coating composition film made of a plurality of coating color layers on a substrate by a curtain coating and drying the coating composition film.
(1) The coating colors for a plurality of the above coating color layers have a viscosity of at least 100 mPaxc2x7s during application, and the coating color for the lowermost layer of a plurality of the coating color layers has a surface tension of 18 to 45 mN/m.
(2) The coating color for a layer for forming an upper layer of a plurality of the coating color layers has a density which does not exceed 140% of the density of the coating color for a layer for forming an adjacent lower layer.
(3) The coating composition film made of a plurality of the coating color layers is dried within 2 minutes after it is formed on a substrate.
(4) The coating composition film made of a plurality of the coating color layers is dried in a state where the angle formed by the substrate and a horizontal plane is 45 degrees or less.
In the Production methods (I and II) of the present invention, the coating colors of a plurality of the coating color layers forming the coating composition film to be formed on a substrate may contain additives as required. The additives include a pigment dispersing agent, a thickener, a fluidity improver, an anti-foaming agent, a foaming preventing agent, a release agent, a foaming agent, a penetrating agent, a coloring dye, a coloring pigment, a fluorescent brightener, an antioxidant, an antiseptic, a preservative, a water resistance imparting agent, a wet strength agent and a dry strength agent.
Each of the layers of the information recording material produced by the production method of the present invention may contain a binder as required. Specific examples of the binder include starches, hydroxyethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, carboxylmethyl cellulose, gelatin, casein, polyvinyl alcohol, modified polyvinyl alcohol, polyacrylic acid, polymethacrylic acid, polyacrylic ester, polymethacrylic ester, sodium polyacrylate, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, chlorinated polyether, an allyl resin, a furan resin, a ketone resin, oxybenzoyl polyester, polyacetal, polyether ether ketone, polyether sulfone, polyimide, polyamide, polyamideimide, polyaminobismaleimide, polymethyl pentene, polyphenylene ether, polyphenylene sulfide, polyphenylene sulfone, polysulfone, polyallylate, polyallyl sulfone, polybutadiene, polycarbonate, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polyvinyl acetate, polyurethane, a phenolic resin, a urea resin, a melamine resin, a melamine-formalin resin, a benzoguanamine resin, a bismaleimide triazine resin, an alkyd resin, an amino resin, an epoxy resin, an unsaturated polyester resin, a styrene/butadiene copolymer, an acrylonitrile/butadiene copolymer, a methyl acrylate/butadiene copolymer, an ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer, an acrylic amide/acrylic ester copolymer, an acrylic amide/acrylic ester/methacrylic acid terpolymer, an alkali salt of a styrene/maleic anhydride copolymer, an alkali salt or ammonium salt of an ethylene/maleic anhydride copolymer, and other polyolefin-containing resin. These binders may be used alone or in combination.
The substrate for the information recording material to be produced by the method of producing an information recording material, provided by the present invention, may be transparent, semi-transparent or non-transparent. The substrate includes paper, various non-woven fabrics, woven fabrics, a synthetic resin film, a synthetic resin laminated paper, a synthetic paper, a metal foil, a seramic paper, a glass sheet and composite sheets prepared by combining these, although the substrate shall not be limited thereto. These substrates are used depending upon purposes.
In the information recording material produced by the method of producing an information recording material, provided by the present invention, any layer thereof may contain inorganic and organic pigments such as diatomaceous earth, talc, kaolin, calcined kaolin, calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, titanium oxide, zinc oxide, silicon oxide, aluminum hydroxide and a urea-formalin resin; higher fatty acid metal salts such as zinc stearate and calcium stearate; waxes such as paraffin, paraffin oxide, polyethylene, polyethylene oxide, stearic acid amide and castor wax, a dispersing agents such as sodium dioctylsulfosuccinate; a surfactant; and a fluorescent dye.
For improving the information recording material in light resistance, an antioxidant and an ultraviolet absorbent may be incorporated. Examples of the antioxidant include a hindered-amine-containing antioxidant, a hindered-phenol-containing antioxidant and a sulfide-containing antioxidant, although the antioxidant shall not be limited thereto. Examples of the ultraviolet absorbent include organic ultraviolet absorbents such as a benzotriazole-containing ultraviolet absorbent, a salicylic-acid-containing ultraviolet absorbent and a benzophenone-containing ultraviolet absorbent, and inorganic ultraviolet absorbents such as zinc oxide, titanium oxide and cerium oxide, although the ultraviolet absorbent shall not be limited thereto.
A thermal recording material produced according to the method of producing an information recording material, provided by the present invention, contains components which form a color under heat. These components are not critical. For example, the components include a combination of a generally colorless or light-colored electron-donating dye precursor with an electron-accepting compound, a combination of an aromatic isocyanate compound with an imino compound, a combination of a generally colorless or light-colored electron-donating dye precursor with an aromatic isocyanate compound, a combination of a metallic compound with a coordination compound and a combination of a diazonium salt with a coupler. In view of excellence in various properties such as color formability and image stability, it is particularly preferred to use a combination of a generally colorless or light-colored electron-donating dye precursor with an electron-accepting compound, a combination of an aromatic isocyanate compound with an imino compound or a combination of a generally colorless or light-colored electron-donating dye precursor with an aromatic isocyanate compound.
In the thermal recording material produced by the method of producing an information recording material, provided by the present invention, any layer of the thermal recording material may contain a material capable of electrically, magnetically or optically recording information. A surface provided with a heat-sensitive recording layer or a surface opposite thereto may be imparted with the capability of receiving an inkjet recording ink. Further, a surface opposite to a surface provided with a heat-sensitive recording layer may be provided with a back-coating layer for preventing curling or electrostatic charge, and further, this surface may be processed to impart it with adhesiveness. Further, printing with a UV ink, etc., may be carried out on the surface of a heat-sensitive recording layer.
In the thermal recording material produced according to the method of producing an information recording material, provided by the present invention, any layer of the thermal recording material and its substrate may contain a light-heat converting material for printing with laser light.
In an inkjet recording material produced according to the method of producing an information recording material, provided by the present invention, any layer of the inkjet recording material may contain a material capable of electrically, magnetically or optically recording information. Further, a surface opposite to a surface provided with a ink receptor layer may be provided with a back-coating layer for preventing curling or electrostatic charge, and further, this surface may be processed to impart it with adhesiveness.
According to the present invention, infiltration of a coating color for an upper layer into a lower layer, a pinhole caused in an upper layer due to repellency during the application of a coating color for the upper layer and the variability in coating qualities are prevented when an information recording material having at least two layers laminated on a substrate is produced. An information recording material, such as a thermal recording material or an inkjet recording material, which is excellent in coating qualities and excellent in various properties, can be produced.

Method of producing information recording material


A remote manipulator of a tool has a body provided with a fixed jaw and a slide provided with a mobile jaw able to be displaced linearly, actuators located at a distance and coupled to the tool via a cable integral with a side of the slide and sliding inside a flexible sheath having one end integral with the body. The actuators have two arms each associated respectively to a handle and able to be separated angularly from each other by rotation about an axis by a value such that the distance between their free ends is at least equal to the maximum linear displacement of the slide bearing the mobile jaw, when the two handles are brought close to one another.

It has been known for a long time that in order to maintain coupling seals between the hose and pipe, it is not possible to use for example rigid collars with screws, giving rise to the interest of elastic clamping collars referred to in what follows as elastic collars. Such collars are conventionally manufactured using a metal strip formed according to a generally circular ring. Said ring is naturally able to be deformed by separation of the two ends thereof which create an elastic restoring torque used as clamping.
It is also known that in order to create this type of collar, the two ends of a spring strip are overlapped. Said two ends are provided with rectangular drive lugs obtained by simple folding of the extreme portions thereof towards the exterior of the collar. As such, using a pair of pliers provided with jaws, the two drive lugs can easily be brought closer together in order to enlarge the diameter of the collar causing when the torque is released the elastic restoring required for the clamping.
Many tools for the assembly and the disassembly of elastic collars are available to users, and most of these tools, manual or automatic, operate on very simple lever systems such as for example X-shaped pliers.
As such, a system for remotely manipulating a tool disclosed in patent application EP 0946337 is already known. Said system for remote manipulating comprises a fixed jaw and a mobile jaw able to be displaced linearly in relation to a fixed jaw thanks to means of actuating located at a distance and coupled to said tools by the intermediary of a cable connected on one side to the mobile jaw and sliding inside an advantageously flexible sheath of which one end comes to abut against the fixed jaw in order to allow the cable to slide. This system for remote manipulating is such that the means for actuating thereof comprise two arms which are articulated on the same axis in such a way that they can be separated angularly by a value such that the distance between the free end thereof is at least equal to the maximum linear displacement of the mobile jaw, when two handles are brought close together respectively integral with the two arms, the free end of one of the arms used as a stop for the other end of the sheath tout while still allowing the cable which passes through it and which is connected to the free end of the other arm to slide freely.
The major disadvantage with this type of tool for elastic collars resides in the fact that the assembly and the maintenance of the sheath-cable unit are delicate and complicated. Indeed, with this type of tool, the cable which passes through one of the arms then is fixed to the free end of the other arm, does not make possible a rapid and reliable replacement of the cable and/or of the sheath when they are damaged. In addition, this configuration also does not make it possible to market prefabricated sheath-cable units that are easily interchangeable, as with this type of tool it is necessary to intervene on the cable in order to set up the sheath-cable unit on said tools.


The invention provides a rechargeable electronic timepiece that restarts the operation of a clock circuit by inputting a power source, thereby securely confirming the clock operation. The electronic timepiece includes a first power source (2), a clock circuit (8) connected to the first power source, a power source input detecting circuit (86) for detecting an input of a second power source (3), a switch circuit (7, 9) for connecting the first power source and the second power source, and a control circuit (87) for controlling the switch circuit to connect the first power source and the second power source so that the first power source is charged by the second power source thereby operating the clock circuit when the power source input detecting circuit detects an input of the second power source.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic timepiece having a control circuit for a power source switch. Particularly, the present invention relates to an electronic timepiece capable of quickly starting a clock circuit when power is supplied, during inspection, in the middle of an assembly process.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electronic timepiece, particularly a rechargeable electronic timepiece, can use a small-capacity capacitor and a large-capacity capacitor in some cases. In this case, the small-capacity capacitor is used to operate a clock circuit of the electronic timepiece until the large-capacity capacitor is charged to a level at which the large-capacity capacitor can normally operate the clock circuit of the electronic timepiece. When a voltage detecting circuit detects that the large-capacity capacitor is sufficiently charged, the power source, to supply power to the electronic timepiece is switched from the small-capacity capacitor to the large-capacity capacitor. When a voltage of the large-capacity capacitor drops, the power source for supplying power to the electronic timepiece is switched from the large-capacity capacitor to the small-capacity capacitor (refer to Japanese Patent Application Unexamined Publication No. 4-81754, FIG. 1 on page 5).
In general, this type of rechargeable electronic timepiece has a solar cell or the like as a power source, and charges the large-capacity capacitor and the small-capacity capacitor using this solar cell as the power source. However, during the assembly process in a plant or during the disassembly and cleaning at a retail shop, it is often necessary to confirm the operation of the clock circuit before the solar cell before the power source is built into or restored to the electronic timepiece. In this case, the large-capacity capacitor (usually a secondary cell) not connected to the solar cell is built into the electronic timepiece, thereby operating the clock circuit by using the power charged in this large-capacity capacitor.
A conventional technique is explained below with reference to FIG. 15. FIG. 15 is a block diagram of a conventional rechargeable electronic timepiece. In FIG. 15, a reference numeral 1 denotes power generating means, which is a solar cell according to the present conventional example. A reference numeral 2 denotes first storage means that stores energy of the power generating means 1, and operates a clock circuit. A capacitor is used for the first storage means, according to the present conventional example. A reference numeral 3 denotes second storage means that stores energy of the first power generating means 1, and discharges energy to the first storage means 2 when the power generating means 1 is not generating power. A secondary cell is used for the second storage means, according to the present conventional example. In general, a cell having a smaller capacity than that of the secondary cell 3 is used for the capacitor 2.
Reference numerals 4 and 5 denote backflow preventing diodes that prevent a backflow of the energy stored in the first storage means 2 and the second storage means 3 to the power generating means 1, when the power generating means 1 is not generating power, or when the power generating means 1 is not generating electromotive force. A reference numeral 6 denotes a switch for turning on so as to charge power generation energy of the power generating means 1 to the second storage means 3. This switch 6 consists of an N-channel transistor 61, according to the present conventional example. A reference numeral 7 denotes a switch to connect the first storage means 2 and the second storage means 3, in parallel, when the second storage means 3 is sufficiently charged. According to the present conventional example, the switch 7 consists of a backward N-channel transistor 71 and a forward N-channel transistor 72.
A reference numeral 8 denotes a clock circuit. The clock circuit 8 includes: an oscillating circuit 81; an oscillation halt detecting circuit 82 that detects whether the oscillating circuit 81 is oscillating; a frequency-dividing circuit 83 that divides a frequency of a signal of the oscillating circuit 81; a waveform shaping circuit 84 that generates a desired signal using a signal of the frequency-dividing circuit 83; and a cell voltage detecting circuit 85 that detects a voltage of the second storage means 3. The clock circuit 8 also includes a digital frequency controlling circuit and a motor driving circuit, which are omitted from the present explanation.
The operation of the conventional rechargeable electronic timepiece shown in the block diagram in FIG. 15 is explained next. When the second storage means 3 is not sufficiently charged, the cell voltage detecting circuit 85 detects that the voltage of the second storage means 3 is low, and turns off the switch 7. The waveform shaping circuit 84 controls the switch 6 to be repeatedly turned on and off every second. While the switch 6 is off, the power generation energy of the power generating means 1 is charged to the first storage means 2. While the switch 6 is on, the power generation energy of the power generating means 1 is charged to the second storage means 3.
When the voltage of the second storage means 3 rises after the second storage means is charged by the power generating means 1 when the second storage means 3 is not sufficiently charged, the cell voltage detecting circuit 85 detects the rise of the voltage of the second storage means 3, and turns on the switch 7. As a result, the first storage means 2 and the second storage means 3 are connected in parallel. Therefore, the power generating means 1 simultaneously charges the first storage means 2 and the second storage means 3, regardless of whether the switch 6 is on or off. In the state that the first storage means 2 and the second storage means 3 are connected in parallel, the second storage means 3 replenishes energy to the first storage means 2 even when the power generating means 1 does not generate power. Therefore, the clock circuit 8 can continue in operation.
When a state that the power generating means 1 does not generate power continues, the energy stored in the second storage means 3 decreases. Then, the cell voltage detecting circuit 85 detects a reduction in the voltage of the second storage means 3, and turns off the switch 7. As a result, the power source of the clock circuit 8 is switched to the first storage means 2. When the state that the power generating means 1 does not generate power further continues, the energy stored in the first storage means 2 is consumed, which lowers the voltage, and halts the operation of the oscillating circuit 81. At the same time, the waveform shaping circuit 84 halts the operation, and the switch 6 is turned off.
When the state that the power generating means 1 does not generate power further continues, the energy stored in the first storage means 2 further decreases due to a leakage inside the clock circuit 8 or the like, and the voltage of the first storage means 2 comes close to 0 volt (GND). Then, there is a risk that a potential of an L level, that the waveform shaping circuit 84 and the cell voltage detecting circuit 85 are outputting to turn off the switch 6 and the switch 7, is recognized as an H level, and the switch 6 and the switch 7 are turned on. In order to avoid this risk, the waveform shaping circuit 84 and the cell voltage detecting circuit 85 are configured to output the L level of a bulk potential of respective N-channel transistors, thereby turning off the switches, while the oscillation halt detecting circuit 82 is detecting the oscillation halt.
As explained above, when the clock circuit 8 has halted the operation, the switch 7 is in the off state, and the power source of the clock circuit is set to the first storage means 2. Therefore, the clock circuit 8 starts operating again when energy is stored in the first storage means 2, that is, when the power generating means 1 starts power generation. Because the switch 6 and the switch 7 are in the off state, when the power generating means 1 starts generating power, the power energy generated by the power generating means 1 is stored into the first storage means 2. When the voltage of the first storage means 2 exceeds the operating voltage of the oscillating circuit 81, the oscillating circuit 81 starts operating, and the switch 6 and the switch 7 can be controlled.
The above explains the operations of the power generating means 1 and the first and the second storage means 2 and 3, in the state that the power generating means (i.e., the solar cell) 1 is connected to the circuit. However, as explained above, it is often necessary to confirm the operation of the clock circuit before the power generating means 1 is connected to the first storage means 2 or the second storage means 3 in the middle of the assembly process in the plant.
In this case, at the beginning, the second storage means 3 that is charged to some extent beforehand is put into the electronic timepiece (i.e., connected to or built in the circuit of the electronic timepiece). Before the power generating means 1 is connected to the circuit, the clock circuit 8 is in a non-driven state as a matter of course. When the second storage means 3 is input to the electronic timepiece, it becomes possible to charge the first storage means 2. However, because the clock circuit 8 is not operating, the cell voltage detecting circuit 85 is in the non-driven state. Therefore, the first storage means 2 as the power source of the clock circuit 8 is separated from the second storage means 3. To overcome this difficulty, both sides of the switch 7 are connected with a conductive pin to compulsively charge the first storage means 2, thereby driving the clock circuit 8. As an alternative method, it is necessary to take the trouble of connecting the power generating means (i.e., the solar cell) 1 to the circuit to secure a power source, thereby driving the clock circuit 8. According to the above method, when the voltage of the first storage means 2 becomes equal to or higher than a constant voltage, the clock circuit 8 starts operating. Thereafter, the operation of the clock circuit is confirmed. For example, the power consumption is checked.
As described above, the conventional chargeable electronic timepiece has the following problems.
When the cell voltage of the first storage means 2 is insufficient, the first storage means 2 must be charged to operate the clock circuit 8. For example, in order to confirm whether the clock circuit 8 operates in the middle of the assembly process of the production line in the plant, it is necessary to (1) compulsively charge the first storage means 2 by putting the second storage means 3 into the electronic timepiece, or (2) charge the first storage means 2 by connecting the power generating unit (i.e., the solar cell) 1 to the circuit.
Particularly at the time of measuring power consumption of the clock circuit 8 in the production line, an ammeter is usually connected to a terminal of the second storage means 3. However, the clock circuit 8 does not operate until when the first storage means 2 as the power source of the clock circuit 8 is charged. Therefore, it is necessary to take the trouble to compulsively charge the first storage means 2. To take time in charging the first storage means 2 in this way is very troublesome. This point similarly applies to the disassembly and repair of the electronic timepiece.