In the continuously hot rolling of plural sheet bars, in order to simply and surely join the sheet bars to the back end portion of the preceding sheet bar and the front end portion of the succeeding sheet bar are prejoined by butting to each other at an entrance side of a finish rolling mill and then bitten into the finish rolling mill, during which the joining of the sheet bars are promoted to conduct the continuous rolling.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a continuous hot rolling method suitable for continuously hot rolling plural sheet bars inclusive of slabs at every several bars to several ten bars and a joining method aiming at rapid and simple joining operation therefor.
2. Description of Related Art
Heretofore, the sheet bar to be rolled has been heated, rough rolled and then finish rolled every one sheet bar to form a hot rolled sheet having a desired thickness in a hot rolling line. However, in such a rolling system, there are problems that the stop of the line is apt to be caused due to poor biting of rolling material in the finish rolling and the yield lowers due to the poor shape of front and back end portions of the rolling material. Recently, in order to avoid these problems and more improve the productivity, there is adopted a rolling system that the back end portion of the preceding sheet bar and the front end portion of the succeeding sheet bar are previously joined in the transfer line at an entrance side of a hot finish rolling line and then continuously fed into the hot finish rolling line.
As such a-continuous rolling of the sheet bar, there are mentioned techniques disclosed in Japanese Patent laid open No. 60-40601, Japanese patent laid open No. 60-244401, Japanese Patent laid open No. 61-159285, Japanese patent laid open No. 53-138960 and the like.
In the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent laid open No. 60-40601, the front end portion of the succeeding sheet bar is joined to the back end portion of the preceding sheet bar at an entrance of the rolling mill by pushing the cut face of the back end portion to the cut face of the front end portion. In this technique, however, it is necessary to give a certain strain to a joining region between the sheet bars in order to surely join the sheet bars at the entrance side of the finish rolling mill so as to be sufficiently durable to subsequent rolling. In order to push the succeeding sheet bar of giving such a strain, it is avoided to make the equipment itself large. Furthermore, the time required for the joining becomes long, so that when the joining is conducted at a state of stopping the transfer of the sheet bar, a long loop for absorbing it is required, while when the joining is conducted in synchronousness with the transfer of the sheet bar, the length of the equipment should undesirably be made long.
In the techniques disclosed in Japanese Patent laid open No. 60-244401 and Japanese Patent laid open No. 61-159285, the portion of the sheet bars to be joined are heated to a given temperature by the heating means and then pushed to each other to join them. According to this joining manner, the sheet bars can be joined to each other at a relatively small pushing force, but a great amount of power applied is undesirably required.
In the technique of Japanese Patent laid open No. 53-138960, it is required to take a complicated operation for making the end portion of the sheet bar into an optimum joining shape, so that it is not an effective manner.
As to the continuous rolling of the sheet bar in addition to the above techniques, Japanese Patent laid open No. 51-59749 discloses a method wherein the joining portion between the preceding sheet bar and the succeeding sheet bar is descaled or descaled and temperature-raised and thereafter the sheet bars are spot welded at a pushed state and gradually joined and rolled, while Japanese Patent laid open No. 51-130665 discloses a method wherein the back end of the preceding sheet bar is overlapped with the front end of the succeeding sheet bar and the overlapped joining portion is obliquely cut at a given angle with respect to the axial direction of the sheet bar over the widthwise direction.
Even when the descaling is carried out for joining the sheet bars by the method disclosed in Japanese Patent laid open No. 51-59749, the formation of scale reaches several ten micrometers for 10 seconds, so that it may be said that the joining strength is insufficient. In order to suppress such a scale, it is necessary to conduct the descaling or temperature rising just before the rolling, so that the length of the equipment becomes longer. Furthermore, the temperature rising is carried out in a non-oxidizing atmosphere, so that there is a problem that the equipment becomes large-scale.
In the method disclosed in the Japanese Patent laid open No. 51-130665, there is a problem that a long time is required at a step of overlapping the back end of the preceding sheet bar with the front end of the succeeding sheet bar and a step of cutting by oxygen gas or the like, and also the formation of scale is undesirably caused in the section cut by oxygen gas. Further, since the front end of the succeeding sheet bar is acceleratedly pushed toward the back end of the preceding sheet bar, the joint faces are not properly joined to each other.
As to the continuous rolling of the sheet bar, Japanese Patent laid open No. 61-144203 discloses a method wherein the back end portion of the preceding transferred sheet bar and the front end portion of the succeeding transferred sheet bar are butted over their full faces at the entrance side of the rolling mill and both side edge regions of the sheet bars in the widthwise direction are preliminarily joined and then the rolling is conducted at this state. In this method, however, an arc welding is mentioned as a concrete means for preliminarily joining the sheet bars, and such a means takes a time for prejoining, so that it is obliged to prolong the joining time for giving the sufficient joining strength at the prejoined portion and also it is required to elongate the joining line.
Further, Japanese Patent laid open No. 59-137106 proposes a method wherein a press forming machine is disposed at an entrance side of a rough rolling mill or a finish rolling mill and joining portions of the preceding and succeeding sheet bars are thinned into given shapes by this forming machine and both end portions of the bars are overlapped with each other and then such overlapped portion is pushed and spot welded.
However, the latter method has problems as mentioned below.
i) Time required for thinning the joining portions is long.
ii) When the joining is carried out at a state of stopping the press forming machine, a long loop is required, while when the joining is carried out during the running, a long running distance is required and the length of the equipment becomes long.

Continous hot rolling method and joining method of sheet bar


Systems and methods for predicting content performance with interest data include receiving a content selection request that includes a client identifier. One or more topical interest categories associated with the client identifier may be used as inputs to a prediction model to predict the likelihood of an online action occurring as a result of third-party content being selected. The predicted likelihood may be used to select third-party content.

The present disclosure generally relates to the selection of content for a client device. The present disclosure more particularly relates to predicting the likelihood of interactions with the selected content.
Online content may be available regarding any number of disparate topics. For example, a first website on the Internet may be devoted to the migratory habits of barn swallows and a second website may be devoted to automotive repair. In many cases, a user must proactively seek out online content of interest to the user. For example, an Internet user may utilize a search engine to search for webpages devoted to automotive repair. The user may then navigate between the webpages in the search results until the user finds the webpage that most closely matches the user's interests.

Predicting content performance with interest data


The invention is directed to a method for exercising a weaker of two opposing muscle groups of a person moving an implement, such as a golf club, so that the two muscle groups apply forces in opposite directions to the implement to assist in maintaining the implement in an ideal motion path.

Many types of activities require that an individual swing an implement in an attempt to successfully accomplish the end goal of participation in such activity. For example, when participating in any of several sporting games, an individual may be required to swing any of several different implements, each of which is unique to a particular one of the games. Examples of such implements include a bat in the games of baseball and softball, a racket used in the games of tennis and racket ball, and a club used in the game of golf. The swinging of an implement is also required in certain non-sports or work environments such as, for example, the swinging of a maul.
In any of the above-noted activities, an efficient and desired end result, achieved from the swinging of the implement, is accomplished when the implement is swung in an ideal path. The ideal path will vary depending on the individual's height, build, and flexibility. When an individual swings the implement in that individual's ideal path, various muscle groups must function together in a precise way. The need for muscular precision is particularly apparent in the game of golf, where the implement is a golf club and the individual is a golfer. If the individual is aligned properly and is swinging the implement at the proper speed along the ideal path, the end result will also be ideal.
In the game of golf, the golf club includes a metal or non-metal-composite shaft having a club head attached to one end of the shaft and a gripping material, referred to as "the grip," is attached to the shaft at the other end thereof. Another component of the game of golf is a golf ball. The general object of the game is for the golfer, by use of the club, to cause the ball to be moved typically from an earthen mound, referred to as "the tee," toward and into a small container, referred to as "the cup," which is located in a carpet of short grass, referred to as "the green," typically several hundred yards from the tee.
The golfer causes the ball to be moved generally by (1) grasping the grip of the club with both hands, (2) "addressing" the ball with the club head, which includes aligning "a sweet spot" of a front, or ball-impact, face of the club head with the ball, (3) raising the club, desirably through the ideal path, in a motion referred to as "the backswing", (4) locating the shaft of the club, upon completion of the backswing, in a transitional position behind the head of the golfer, (5) swinging the club forward from the transitional position, desirably returning through the ideal path, in a momentum-gathering motion referred to as "the downswing" and, desirably, (6) directing the sweet spot of the front face of the club head into impact-engagement with the ball to drive the ball along a desired trajectory and direction, leading to eventual placement of the ball in the cup.
The combined motions of the backswing and the downswing are referred to as "a stroke." Typically, several strokes by the golfer are required to advance the ball along a path, commonly referred to as "the fairway," between the tee and the green, and to its ultimate destination in the cup.
When the golfer addresses the ball with the ball-impacting front face of the club head (hereinafter referred to as the club face), the sweet spot of the club face is adjacent and aligned with the ball as noted above. As the golfer begins the backswing, the club head is moved, through an arc, away from the ball, but desirably maintains an initial arcing alignment between the club face and the ball. At some point during the initial segment of the backswing, there is anatomical/mechanical necessity for some degree of rotation of the club shaft such that the club face loses its arcing alignment with the ball. As the golfer swings the club through the downswing of the stroke, the golfer must effectively rotate the club in the reverse direction, preferably just before impact with the ball, to return the club face to arcing alignment with the ball.
Desirably, following movement of the club through the full stroke, the golfer should have returned the club face through the ideal path to the addressed position, with the momentum necessary to effectively strike and carry the ball in a desired trajectory and direction.
While it is a practical impossibility to accomplish a "perfect" golf swing each and every time a golfer swings the club to impact the ball, several professional golfers seem to accomplish a near "perfect" swing on a reasonably consistent basis. In attempts to bring some semblance of a near "perfect" swing to at least non-professional golfers, techniques have been developed to train the swinging muscles of a golfer, with a goal of developing muscle memory to provide a more consistent and efficient golf swing. Even so, there remains a need for a device and methods, which will better enable the golfer, or anyone swinging an implement, to swing the club or other implement along an ideal path.


The apparatus uses retro-reflected light, having a fixed component (41) and a variable component (37) varied by a person, from a retro reflector (31) connected to a person to input data (37A) to an information system (13) and does this for each of several persons in the same time interval.

The invention uses retro-reflected light having a fixed component and a variable component varied by a person, from a retro reflector connected to a person to input data to an information system and does this for each of several persons in the same time interval.
Limits of data input via retro-reflected light—for example by Honey in U.S. Pat. No. 5,912,700 and by Stuart in U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,441—are surmounted by the discovery shown here.


The polarizing plate laminate according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a polarizer; an adhesive agent layer or a bonding agent layer provided on the polarizer; a viewing angle compensation film provided on the adhesive agent layer or the bonding agent layer; and a base film provided on the viewing angle compensation film.

A liquid crystal display device is one of the flat panel displays which have been widely used from mobile phones or portable small electronic devices to large electronic devices such as personal computers or televisions, and whose use is gradually expanding.
As the use of display devices has expanded, the places where the display devices are placed and their positions have become diversified, but the flat panel display has a problem in that a clear image cannot be obtained when viewed from another direction rather than the front of the display. In particular, a display for a vehicle has a problem in that a clear image cannot be obtained from the driver's visual field because the position of the display and the line of sight of the driver are not parallel.
Therefore, in order to solve these problems, there is a need for developing a display device capable of improving the viewing angle and the contrast ratio.

Polarizing plate laminate and display device comprising same


A phenylene ether oligomer has repeating units of the structure

Thermoset resins are materials that cure to form very hard plastics. These materials that can be used in a wide variety of consumer and industrial products. For example, thermosets are used in protective coatings, adhesives, electronic laminates (such as those used in the fabrication of computer circuit boards), flooring, and paving applications glass fiber-reinforced pipes, and automotive parts (including leaf springs, pumps, and electrical components). Relative to other types of plastics, cured thermosets are typically brittle. It would therefore be desirable to retain the good properties of thermosets and also reduce their brittleness.
Poly(arylene ether) resins, sometimes called polyphenylene ethers, have been disclosed as additives to reduce the brittleness (improve the toughness) of cured thermosets. For example, it is known to combine certain poly(arylene ether) resins with thermosets resins such as epoxies, cyanate esters, maleimides, acrylates, and benzoxazine resins. These poly(arylene ether)-containing compositions are often processed in solvents to reduce the viscosity of the curable composition and to enhance impregnation of the curable composition into fillers and/or reinforcements. When a solvent is used, it would be preferable to use a non-chlorinated hydrocarbon solvent. However, non-chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents such as N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), toluene, and xylene are not ideal for this purpose because they produce phase-separated mixtures with poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether) at room temperature. Improvements in the miscibility of poly(arylene ether)s and solvents have been obtained by processing curable compositions containing them at elevated temperatures as described, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP 06-220226 A of Katayose et al. However, it would be desirable to avoid the use of elevated temperatures because they are associated with increased solvent flammability, increased solvent emissions, and increased energy costs. It can also be desirable to use concentrated solutions of poly(phenylene ether)s to maximize the amount of poly(phenylene ether) added to a curable composition while minimizing the amount of solvent.
There is therefore a need to develop materials and methods providing stable, homogeneous phenylene ether solutions in non-halogenated solvents such as NMP and MEK. Moreover, the solutions are preferably resistant to phase separation and precipitation, and can have low solution viscosity at and below room temperature. Such compositions can be used in curable compositions to ultimately provide improved thermoset compositions.

Phenylene ether oligomer, curable composition comprising the phenylene ether oligomer, and thermoset composition derived therefrom

Abstract: and less than 30 weight percent of repeating units derived from a monohydric phenol having identical substituents in the 2- and 6-positions, wherein the phenylene ether oligomer includes a vinyl benzene ether end group, an amine end group, maleimide end group, a norbornene end group, an anhydride end group, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing. The phenylene ether oligomer can be used to provide a curable composition. The curable composition can be cured to provide a thermoset composition. Articles comprising the thermoset composition are also described.


The present disclosure provides a driving method of a display module, a driving system thereof, and a display device. The driving method of the display module includes a display panel driving process, and a backlight module driving process driven synchronously with the display panel driving process. The display panel driving process includes steps: performing a color saturation adjustment; and obtaining second color signals to drive the display panel by converting. The backlight module driving process includes steps: using the light source adjustment coefficient to adjust a first brightness value to obtain a second brightness value; determining a dominant hue light source; and driving the dominant hue light source by the second brightness value.

It should be understood that the statements herein merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and do not necessarily constitute prior art.
With the development and advancement of technology, liquid crystal displays have become mainstream products of displays because of their thin bodies, low power consumption and low radiation, and have been widely used. Conventional display apparatuses are mostly backlight display apparatuses, which includes a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel and a backlight module. Operating principle of the LCD panel is that liquid crystal (LC) molecules are disposed between two glass substrates, where the two glass substrates are parallelly disposed, and a driver voltage is applied on the two glass substrates to control rotation directions of the LC molecules, so that light of the backlight module are refracted to generate images.
A color deviation of a Large size LCD panel, especially a Vertical Alignment (VA) LCD panel, is severe.

Driving method of display module, driving system thereof, and driving device


Disclosed is a refrigerator oil composition comprising at least one base oil selected from mineral oils and synthetic oils, and at least one hydroxy-fatty acid derivative selected from (A) hydroxy-fatty acids or their condensates, (B) metal salts or amine salts of hydroxy-fatty acids or their condensates, and (C) esters of hydroxy-fatty acids. The composition has an excellent lubricating property, while specifically improving the lubricity between aluminium materials and steel materials. This is effective for preventing such materials from being seized and worn, and is suitable as a lubricating oil in refrigerators using hydrogen-containing Flon refrigerants, such as R134a, that do not cause environmental pollution.

In general, a compressor-type refrigerator comprises a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve and an evaporator, and a mixed liquid comprising a refrigerant and a lubricating oil is circulated in the closed system of the refrigerator. In the compressor-type refrigerator of that type, in general, dichlorodifluoromethane (R12), chlorodifluoromethane (R22) and the like have heretofore been used as refrigerants and various mineral oils and synthetic oils as lubricating oils.
However, since chlorofluorocarbons such as R12 and R22 mentioned above will bring about environmental pollution, as destroying the ozone layer existing in the stratosphere, their use is being severely controlled in all the world. Given the situation, new refrigerants, hydrogen-containing Flon compounds such as hydrofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons have become specifically noted. Since such hydrogen-containing Flon compounds, for example, hydrofluorocarbons such as typically R134a will not destroy the ozone layer and can be substituted for R12 and the like without almost changing or modifying the structure of conventional refrigerators, they are favorable as refrigerants for compressor-type refrigerators.
The properties of these new Flon-substituent refrigerants are different from those of the conventional Flon refrigerants; and it is known that refrigerator oils capable of being used along with these may comprise a base oil component selected from, for example, polyalkylene glycols, polyesters, polyol esters, polycarbonates and polyvinyl ethers having particular structures, and various additives to be added to said base oil component, such as antioxidants, extreme pressure agents, defoaming agents and hydrolysis inhibitors.
However, these known refrigerator oils are problematic in practical use in that, when used in the atmosphere comprising any of the above-mentioned refrigerants, their lubricating properties are poor and, in particular, they cause increased abrasion loss between aluminium materials and steel materials constituting the refrigerating parts in car air-conditioners and electric refrigerators. The sliding parts composed of such aluminium materials and steel materials are used, for example, in the combination of a piston and a piston shoe and in the combination of a swash part and its shoe part in reciprocating compressors (especially, in swash plate compressors), and in the combination of a vane and its housing part in rotary compressors, and they are important elements for lubrication.
On the other hand, various abrasion resistance improvers are known, but, at present, no means is known capable of effectively preventing the abrasion between aluminium materials and steel materials in particular conditions in such a Flon atmosphere without interfering with the stability of the parts composed of these materials.

Refrigerator oil composition comprising saturated hydroxy fatty acids and derivatives thereof


In one embodiment, there is provided a fuel cell evaluator for evaluating a characteristic of a fuel cell based on a frequency characteristic of impedance of the fuel cell. The evaluator includes: an impedance acquisition unit configured to acquire impedances of the fuel cell for a certain current value in a Tafel region by changing a measurement frequency; an extraction unit configured to extract a reaction resistance from the acquired impedances; a calculator configured to calculate the product of the reaction resistance and the certain current value; and an indicator configured to indicate the product calculated by the calculator as the frequency characteristic of the impedance of the fuel cell.

Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a fuel cell evaluator for evaluating characteristic of a fuel cell based on electrochemical measurement. Particularly, the present disclosure relates to a fuel cell evaluator using impedance as a value of characteristic evaluation.
Related Art
Electrode reaction in a fuel cell generally progresses through the three stages, i.e. (1) transportation of a reactant to an electrode surface; (2) charge transfer reaction on the electrode surface; and (3) deviation of a product from an electrode surface. To separate and analyze each stage of electrode reaction is very important for evaluation of factors of degradation in characteristic and performance of an electrode, etc. To know the dominant degree of each stage of electrode reaction is very important for evaluation of factors of degradation in characteristic and performance of an electrode, etc.
Particularly, to measure characteristics in a current region not affected by concentration overvoltage is effective for analysis of characteristic of an electrode per se, A tafel slope indicating the relation between the logarithm of current and potential is one of such characteristics. FIG. 15 shows the Tafel slope. As shown in FIG. 15, the Tafel slope varies according to regions b1 and b2. In the region b1, almost of a platinum surface is covered with adsorbed oxygen species (oxide film) so that a Tafel slope caused by reaction called Temkin-Type is observed. On the other hand, in the region b2, all oxide on the platinum surface is reduced so that a Tafel slope caused by reaction on a bare platinum surface called Langmuir-Type is observed.
As a method for separating and indicating overvoltage in a fuel cell, there is a technique disclosed in JP-A-2009-48814. According to this technique, a Tafel slope in a region of very low load (not higher than 0.01 A/cm2) in Tafel plots is obtained and an activation overvoltage is calculated. Then, a film resistance value is obtained from a zero-crossing value on the high frequency side of impedance measurement, and a resistance overvoltage is obtained. Finally, the remaining part of overvoltage is regarded as concentration overvoltage.
Moreover, to measure characteristics in a current region not affected by concentration overvoltage is effective for analyzing characteristic of an electrode per se. A Tafel slope indicating the relation between the logarithm of current and potential is one of such characteristics. There is further known a method in which the horizontal axis is expressed in the logarithm of current density and the vertical axis is expressed in cell voltage so that a fuel cell is evaluated based on the size, etc. of the linear slope (Tafel slope). (see e.g., JP-A-2009-48813)
On the other hand, impedance is a method effective for totally evaluating electrode reaction from frequency characteristic. However, the magnitude of impedance changes sensitively according to change of the current value at a measurement operating point because reaction resistance (Rct) of an electrode is inversely proportional to current (according to the Butler-Volmer equation). For this reason, it is necessary to evaluate impedance while discriminating between reaction stages of the regions b1 and b2.
There may be a case where actually measured impedance may include DC resistance (such as contact resistance, film resistance, etc.) and reaction resistance-independent impedance as in a distributed constant region indicating characteristic of a porous electrode. Because the Tafel slope is characteristic based on reaction resistance as described above, there are circumstances that the relation between the Tafel slope and impedance cannot be obtained accurately before only reaction resistance is extracted when the relation is to be acquired.
It is generally conceived that two Tafel slopes of −60 mV/dec (b1: with adsorbing process) and −120 mV/dec (b2: without adsorbing process) are present in oxygen reduction reaction. here is however a high possibility that the aforementioned region not larger than 0.01 A/cm2 will be a region b1. Accordingly, there is a possibility that activation overvoltage at actually used current density will be undervalued if the Tafel slope (b1) obtained by this technique is used. It is therefore necessary to acquire the second Tafel slope (b2) in order to evaluate activation overvoltage appropriately. There is however a possibility that the influence of concentration overvoltage cannot be ignored in the load region not smaller than 0.01 A/cm2. It is difficult to determine the place affected by concentration overvoltage and it is difficult to obtain the Tafel slope accurately in the region. In addition, because diffusion resistance varies according to the current value at the operating point, it has been heretofore difficult to evaluate diffusion resistance.
In evaluation of characteristic of a fuel cell according to the related art, particularly in evaluation of catalyst, it is necessary to acquire reproducible current-voltage characteristic (Tafel curve) for likelihood evaluation. It is however known that the Tafel curve varies according to the preprocessing condition and the environmental condition of measurement. Therefore, the preprocessing condition and the environmental condition of measurement must be trued up in order to measure the Tafel curve in a stable power generation state of the fuel cell. Accordingly, a lot of labor and man-hour is taken.

Fuel cell evaluator and fuel cell evaluation method


A balanced pressure proportioning system for injecting firefighting foam concentrate into a stream of water is provided. The system includes a primary conduit having a central and a spring-biased piston disposed immediately downstream of the restriction. Foam is supplied to the conduit from a chamber which is in communication with the conduit through a foam passageway at a point disposed immediately downstream of the restriction. The chamber is divided into a foam section and into a water section by a diaphragm or other suitable member. The water section of the chamber is maintained at the upstream water pressure by way of a water passageway which provides communication between the water section and the conduit at a point disposed upstream of the restriction. Pressure is communicated from the water section of the chamber to the foam section of the chamber by the diaphragm or other suitable movable member. Movement of the diaphragm also activates or deactivates a foam pump which supplies additional foam concentrate to the foam section of the chamber. Accurate proportioning is further achieved by the employment of an adjustable metering valve disposed between the foam chamber and the primary conduit. The geometry of the piston or check valve and the interior of the primary conduit further contributes to the accurate proportioning of the system.

The addition of foaming agents to firefighting water streams is known and is particularly useful for fighting fires in industrial factories, chemical plants, petrochemical plants and petroleum refineries. The use of firefighting foam requires that a foam concentrate be mixed and added at a constant proportion to the water stream. When the foam extinguisher solution is delivered, it generates a foam which effectively extinguishes the flames of chemical and petroleum fires as well as Class A materials which would otherwise not be effectively extinguished by the application of water alone.
It is important that the foam concentrate be added to the water stream in the appropriate proportion for the instant application. When an excessive amount of foam concentrate is added, a lower fire-extinguishing quality can result due to an increased foam viscosity which limits the flowability of the foam and the ability of the foam to be spread on the fire. Further, the addition of excessive amounts of concentrate to the water stream increases the cost of the use of the foam and the frequency at which the foam concentrate supply must be replenished at the scene. Replenishing the foam concentrate is cumbersome because the concentrate is typically contained in a pressurized vessel or reservoir. Still more important, with currently-available foam concentrates, the foam:water ratio can be less than 1:99 and may need to be controlled in precise increments of 0.2% or less. As a result, accuracy in the foam proportioning system is important.
Generally, there are two currently available types of foam proportioning systems. One such type involves the drawing of the foam-forming concentrate into the water stream by an in-line or by-pass foam eductor. Two problems are associated with such eductor devices. First, the foam to water ratio is at times fixed and/or often not accurate. Second, eductor devices create a substantial pressure drop across the eductor which limits the flow through the system and the maximum spray distance. As a result, firefighters using a separate eductor system to apply foam need to stand close to the fire, as less usable pressure is available.
The second type of system is commonly referred to as a balanced pressure proportioning system. Balanced pressure proportioning systems supply the foam concentrate to the water stream under pressure and therefore often include a pump and a control valve. As a result, the pressure drop across the eductor is reduced. However, balanced pressure proportioning systems are rather cumbersome because they require a separate foam pump and a power source for the foam pump. As a result, balanced pressure proportioning systems are also more typically expensive than the separate eductor systems.
Some balanced pressure proportioning systems do not require a separate foam pump but, instead, store the foam concentrate in a pressurized bladder tank which includes one compartment containing the foam concentrate and a second compartment for holding water. The two compartments are separated by a bladder. Or with batch mixing the water and foam concentrate can be co-mingled. The tank is connected to the water intake line and is operated under the line pressure. However, because the foam concentrate is contained within a pressurized tank, the replenishing of the foam concentrate in the tank requires that the tank be manually refilled, or depressurized and hand filled, and therefore causes a significant time loss in the event the foam concentrate needs to be replenished.
Still another disadvantage of currently-available balanced pressure proportioning systems is the difficulty in controlling these systems. Specifically, currently-available systems include a metering valve to control the rate at which foam is injected into the water stream. However, the control of the metering valve either requires the use of an electrical, mechanical or hydraulic connection between the metering valve and a control panel. As a result, a line, albeit electrical, mechanical or hydraulic, is required to connect the metering valve to the control panel. The use of this additional line, or any additional line for that matter, is cumbersome in a firefighting environment.


An image forming method comprising the steps of: (i) imagewise exposing a silver halide light-sensitive material comprising a support having thereon at least a light-sensitive silver halide emulsion, a hydrophilic binder and a slightly water-soluble basic metal compound; (ii) laminating the silver halide material with a processing sheet comprising a compound which forms a complex with a metal ion constituting the basic metal compound, a physical development nucleus, a solvent for a silver halide and a matting agent, after or concurrently with the imagewise exposure; and (iii) conducting heat development in the presence of a reducing agent and water to form a silver image on at least one of the light-sensitive material and the processing sheet, wherein the processing sheet comprises an uppermost layer containing the physical development nucleus; the product of the weight ratio in the uppermost layer of the amount of the physical development nucleus to that of the binder and the reciprocal of the mean size (.mu.m) of the physical development nucleus is not less than 1.5; the amount of the binder in the uppermost layer is from 0.001 g/m.sup.2 to 0.8 g/m.sup.2 ; and the uppermost layer has a contact angle with respect to water of not more than 60.degree..

Photographic methods using silver halides are excellent in photographic characteristics such as sensitivity, gradation control and resolving power, as compared with other photographic methods such as electrophotographic methods and diazo photographic methods, and therefore have previously been most widely used.
At present, image information has been largely shifted from black-and-white images to color images because of a great deal of information and expressing easiness. However, black-and-white images are still preferably used in specific fields such as the medical field. Further, in the print field, plate making materials for color images are also used as black-and-white images for each printing ink. Thus, there are still great demands for the black-and-white images mainly in the industrial use.
In recent years, systems which can readily and rapidly provide images have been developed in accordance with the shift of image formation processing using light-sensitive materials containing silver halides from conventional wet processing to instant systems containing developing solutions and further to dry heat development processing by means of heating, also in view of environmental protection. Such heat developable black-and-white light-sensitive materials are described, for example, in Shashin Kohqaku no Kiso (Higinen Shashin) (The Fundamentals of Photographic Engineering (Nonsilver Photograph)), pages 242 to 255 (1982), Corona Publishing Co. Ltd., JP-B-43-4921 (the term "JP-B" as used herein means an "examined Japanese patent publication") and JP-B-43-4924. As for commercial products of the black-and-white system, "Dry Silver" light-sensitive materials are put on the market by Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co.
In monosheet light-sensitive materials comprising a silver halide, an organic silver salt and a reducing agent, such as Dry Silver light-sensitive materials, unused silver halide and organic silver salt remain in heat-developed images. The light-sensitive materials are therefore disadvantageous in that the residual silver halides or organic silver salts are printed out to cause coloration of white backgrounds, resulting in loss of contrast, when they are exposed to strong light or stored for a long period of time. They are further disadvantageous in that the light-sensitive materials before processing have poor storability, because a reducing agent and a silver halide coexist in the same light-sensitive material.
Further, a method for obtaining black color images by dry processing is described in Research Disclosure (hereinafter abbreviated as "RD"), No. 17326, pages 49 to 51 (September, 1978). However, this system also has the same disadvantage as described above, because it is also of unfixing type containing silver and silver salts in color images.
In order to overcome these disadvantages, JP-B-3-78617 and JP-B-3-45820 are disclose methods for forming black-and-white images, in which mobile (diffusible) dyes are imagewise formed or released by heating, and then transferred to a dye fixing material containing a dye accepting material such as mordants, a heat-resistant organic polymer, etc. using various transferring solvents, thereby improving image storability. However, in these methods, transfer is conducted after heat development, so that the number of steps is increased and the processing time is prolonged.
Further, JP-A-3-260645 (the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application") discloses a heat development transfer type black-and-white image forming method utilizing a coupling reaction, including a method of conducting transfer after development and a method of conducting development and transfer at the same time. However, these methods also require a long period of time and a high temperature for processing because of the absence of a development transfer accelerator.
JP-A-62-129848 discloses that black-and-white images of transferred dye images can be formed by conducting heat development using a small amount of water. However, in order to obtain images having a transmission density of 2 or more, preferably 3 or more, which are required for most black-and-white images, by dye transfer methods within a short period of time, it is necessary to reduce the film thickness of a light-sensitive material, particularly to make the amount of a binder as small as possible, and to increase the amount of a dye-donating compound used. This raises the problems of lowered quality of the film and increased cost. Further, this introduces the problem that the use thereof is limited because of a reduction in sharpness due to transfer. Furthermore, it is difficult to synthesize black dye-donating compounds, and it is also difficult to obtain neutral gray color images by mixing yellow, magenta and cyan dye-donating compounds.
In addition, methods for forming silver images by a heat development silver salt diffusion transfer method using a silver halide light-sensitive material and a processing sheet are disclosed in JP-A-62-283332, JP-A-63-198050 and JP-A-60-194448. However, these methods are also methods utilizing transferred silver images. It is therefore difficult to obtain images having a transmission density of 2 or more, preferably 3 or more, and a high sharpness within a short period of time, and improvements have been required.
Further, it has become clarified that the introduction of a matting agent into a photographic element (particularly, a processing sheet) used in this image forming method for prevention of adhesion after coating and winding-up steps raises the problem of an increase in Dmin.
When the amount of a solvent for a silver halide is increased, or a solvent for a silver halide having a high stability constant with respect to silver are used for decreasing Dmin, Dmin is decreased, but Dmax is also decreased. This results from the occurrence of dissolution physical development in exposed areas, or an decrease in the amount of developed silver by the transfer of silver to a processing sheet.


A disposable aseptic cassette control device, for controlled dispensing and heating of flowable and semi-flowable materials includes a base, having a top portion, a bottom portion, a back portion, and a front portion. The base has a container portion, and power receiving mechanism for receiving power from a power source. A plurality of aseptic cassettes are operably mounted and positioned in the base and include a dispensing mechanism for dispensing flowable or semi-flowable material. Controls for turning the heating and dispensing device on and off, and for controlling the temperature and pressure within the plurality of aseptic cassettes are positioned on the base.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to heating elements for heating food and other products, and more particularly to a heating unit having a control center with a plurality of disposable aseptic cassettes positioned operably for the controlled heating and dispensing of food, or other flowable or semi-flowable substances.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various devices have been proposed and implemented for heating food and other flowable substances, such as glue, hot cleaners, chemicals, and the like. Although numerous devices exist for such purposes, none provide for a simple, easily controlled device for the sanitary dispensing and heating of food products such as cheese sauce, chili sauce, liquids and semi-liquids, and the like, as well as other flowable substances. The present invention provides a mechanism for rapidly heating and dispensing such items using multiple cassettes in a safe and sanitary way. If desired, the present invention may also be used to dispense cold or processed foods or other substances which it is not necessary to heat, such as ketchup, mustard, dressings, and the like.
Accordingly, it is the primary object of this invention to provide an efficient, sanitary, and conveniently used device for the controlled dispensing of heated, non-heated, or cold forms of various foods and other flowable substances.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentality""s and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
To achieve the foregoing objects, and in accordance with the purpose of the invention as embodied and broadly described herein, a disposable aseptic cassette control device is provided, for controlled dispensing heated, non- heated, or cold flowable and semi-flowable substances. The device includes a base, having a top portion, a bottom portion, a back portion, and a front portion. The base has a container portion, a air compressor mechanism, and a power receiving mechanism for receiving power from a power source. A plurality of aseptic cassettes are operably mounted and positioned on the base and include a dispensing mechanism for dispensing flowable or semi-flowable materials. Automatic or manual controls for turning the heating and dispensing device xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9coffxe2x80x9d, and for controlling the temperature within the plurality of aseptic cassettes are positioned on the base element.

Disposable aseptic cassette with control center


A solution process for the purification of calcium hydroxide, particularly from hydrated carbide lime, which is subsequently used as a feed stock for a high-value calcium product, preferably calcium carbonate. Precipitated calcium carbonate is formed by reaction of the purified calcium hydroxide solution with carbon dioxide in a plug-flow reaction system.

In the currently practiced processes for making acetylene, calcium carbide is charged to a tank containing water. The carbide is dropped onto the surface of the water where it is allowed to react spontaneously. Acetylene gas is withdrawn from the top of the tank while calcium hydroxide and other impurities settle to the bottom of the tank.
The calcium hydroxide product, along with impurities, is discharged, stockpiled and disposed of as a secondary, low-value by-product Ca(OH).sub.2, also known as hydrated carbide lime. In the current acetylene processes, disposal of the hydrated carbide lime by product, which actually weighs more than the calcium carbide imported into the plant, is becoming increasingly difficult to dispose of because of environmental regulations. The most common usage of hydrated carbide lime is to neutralize industrial acid streams for pH control. Hydrated carbide lime is also used for pH control in sewage treatment facilities. Such applications are of low value and transportation over very large distances becomes prohibitively expensive.
According to the Compressed Gas Association, Inc. (publication #CGA-1.5-1991) other applications of hydrated carbide lime are dehalogenation, metallurgical extractions, gas scrubbing, desulphurization, gas manufacture, masonry additives and as a reagent for manufacture of calcium hypochlorite (a bleach) and calcium magnesium acetate (a deicing agent). Except for these latter two commodities which gain much of their value from the importation of reagents (Cl.sub.2 and Mg.sup.+2 /acetic acid, respectively), all of these uses are low value, probably less than about $50/ton in 1995 dollars.
There are many calcium products currently being marketed, most of which are the inorganic or organic salt of a corresponding acid. Calcium salts currently being marketed derive their calcium from some source other than hydrated carbide lime. This is due in large part to the impurities in the hydrated carbide lime, such as metals, slag, minerals and carbon which come from the coal, coke and limestone used in the calcium carbide manufacturing process. These impurities have heretofore rendered hydrated carbide lime unsuitable as a feed stock for the manufacture of many purified calcium products.
One finished calcium product of particular interest is purified precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC), which is salable in a growing market at high value. A process for manufacture of PCC from hydrated carbide lime would enjoy market, environmental and economic advantages over currently practiced technology.

Apparatus and process for purifying highly impure calcium hydroxide and for producing high-value precipitated calcium carbonate and other calcium products


A method of operating a memory device that includes a plurality of stages each having a plurality of page buffers. The method including performing a verify operation of a first program loop from among a plurality of program loops, the verify operation of the first program loop including, performing a first off-cell counting operation on a first stage of the plurality of stages based on a first sampling rate to generate a first off-cell counting result; selectively changing the first sampling rate based on the first off-cell counting result to generate a changed first sampling rate; and performing a second off-cell counting operation on a second stage of the plurality of stages based on one of the first sampling rate and the changed first sampling rate to generate a second off-cell counting result.

Example embodiments of the inventive concepts relate to a memory device including a massbit counter. For example, at least some example embodiments relate to a memory device including a massbit counter for precisely or roughly counting the number of off-cells according to a memory operation and/or a method of operating the memory device.
A semiconductor memory device is a memory device embodied by using a semiconductor such as silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), gallium arsenide (GaAs), or indium phosphide (InP). Semiconductor memory devices may be roughly classified into volatile memory devices and nonvolatile memory devices.
In particular, nonvolatile memory devices such as flash memory devices are used in various fields due to their high operating speed, low power consumption, low noise, and high capacity. In order to determine the program states of memory cells, a nonvolatile memory device may count the number of off-cells (or on-cells) from among the memory cells by using a desired (or, alternatively, a predetermined) verify voltage. A threshold voltage distribution shape of the memory cells and characteristics of the memory cells may be determined by using the counted number of the off-cells, and the nonvolatile memory device may perform a memory operation such as a program operation or a read operation based on the determined threshold voltage distribution shape and characteristics of the memory cells.
However, conventionally it may be difficult to vary the preciseness of the measurement of the threshold voltage distribution shape and characteristics of memory cells based on the specific memory operation.

Memory device including massbit counter and method of operating the same


A device for signal path control in a motor vehicle permits the reception or the transmission of signals from or to a multiplicity of electronic units via a cable with a small number of line conductors. The device is universally applicable and is suitable for both on-board and off-board applications. Its robustness makes it suitable also for diagnostic systems in motor vehicles.

The present invention relates to a device for signal path control for use in a motor vehicle and, more particularly, to a device which can be operated universally and bidirectionally with respect to signal paths and which permits a freely selectable change of input and output path assignments.
DE-A1-37 31 836 discloses an error diagnosis system for electronic units of a motor vehicle designed to receive error signals from electronic units and to display them. In this system, a vehicle contains at least one electronic unit, and preferably a plurality of electronic units, having self-diagnostic functions. Diagnostic outputs of the individual electronic units are connected to a plug-in connection to which a diagnostic tester can be connected. The data transmission from the plug-in connection to the diagnostic tester is made via lines connected in parallel. From each electronic unit capable of self-diagnosis, there is therefore a line connected via the plug-in connection to the diagnostic tester. In this known system, a undirectional data transmission is essentially provided.
If a large number of electronic units are to be monitored in a system as described in DE-A1-37 31 836 and a diagnosis device cannot be arranged near to the plug-in connection because, for example, it is to be served and read outside the vehicle, a multichannel connection from a vehicle interface to the diagnostic tester proves disadvantageous, for several reasons. When mechanically loaded, a correspondingly multiconductor cable tends to experience line breaks. In addition, cross-talk interference between different channels can occur. As a result, the advantages of such a device are greatly reduced.
DE-OS 33 33 333 discloses a method and a device for signal transmission in motor vehicle diagnostic devices. Measurement cables are fed to a peripheral which is protected against interference radiation. After amplification of the corresponding signals, they are preferably passed on to the diagnostic devices on a single optical path. No influencing of the signal assignment which can be controlled by at least one diagnosis device in a freely selectable way is provided.
DE-AS 11 48 763 discloses a compensation plotter for recording a multiplicity of measurement variable in which one of a multiplicity of measurement signals can be fed to the plotting amplifier of the compensation plotter via a two-stage arrangement of group switches. For this purpose, the corresponding switches are mechanically actuated at the input in accordance with the measurement value which is to be plotted at that moment.
DE-AS 25 04 102 discloses an arrangement for time-division-multiplex transmission of parallel analog measurement values and digital reports. This arrangement is suitable for a cyclical design of a serial data from corresponding to a multiplicity of signals present in each case in parallel. At the same time, individual groups of input lines are connected as appropriate, one after the other, to a parallel-serial converter by an executive sequencing control.
An object of the present invention is to provide a universal device for signal path control for use in a motor vehicle. The device of the present invention can be operated universally and bidirectionally with respect to signal paths and permits, in the course of the signal flow, a freely selectable change of the assignment of input to output path.
This object has been achieved in a device according to the present invention for signal path control having multi-gang switching components which are individually electrically driveable for switch actuation via p inputs, and single-gang switching components are individually electrically driveable via q further inputs. The device is assigned a drive circuit which comprises a shift register serially loadable via a loading input and having a transfer control input and an at least p+1 bit-wide parallel output; a bank of (p+q) latches having a common transfer input, in which bank the contents of (p+q) storage cells of the shift register can be loaded when the transfer input of the parallel output of the shift register is driven, and a logic unit connected upstream which is connected on the input side to a selection control line and to a transfer control line and whose output is connected to the transfer control input of the shift register, to the loading input of the shift register and to the transfer input of the bank of latches. The outputs of the latches are operatively connected to corresponding control terminals of the multi-gang switching components and single-gang switching components.
The device according to the invention for signal path control functions as a device for connecting a multiplicity of lines with serially provided signals to a single line, for example of a data cable, or vice versa.
In an advantageous manner, the selection of the signal path occurs by way of a serial path signal which is converted into a parallel drive bit pattern which corresponds to the desired signal path. A multiplicity of storage cells matched to the bit length of the serial signal permits the stationary signal path to be maintained until the signal path is correspondingly changed by the reception of a new serial path signal. In this manner, a cable with a minimum number of conductors is required between a data entry interface or data distribution interface and a data-receiving or data-transmitting system. At the same time, a high degree of interference signal suppression between different data channels is achieved.
Further advantages are provided by the present invention: For example, the device can accordingly be used both in a vehicle and also outside a vehicle. It is also particularly suitable as a component of an off-board diagnosis system.

Universally and bidirectionally operable device for signal path control in a motor vehicle diagnostic system


A disc brake pad assembly includes a pad and a shim plate. The shim plate includes locking pieces which are bent from a main body portion towards a pressure plate. The locking pieces are brought into abutment with circumferential edge portions of the pressure plate so as to be displaced in a rotating direction of a rotor. Projecting portions are formed at portions of the circumferential edge portion which are brought into abutment with one surface of each of the locking pieces. A circumferential central portion of a part of each of the projecting portions which faces the one surface projects further than both circumferential end portions thereof. The circumferential edge portion and the one surface of each of the locking pieces are spaced apart from each other at portions of the one surface which lie close to both circumferential end portions thereof.

In disc brakes used to brake a motor vehicle, a pair of pads are disposed so as to sandwich a rotor which rotates together with a wheel, and when the brakes are applied, both the pads are pressed against both axial side surfaces of the rotor. There are two types of basic constructions for such disc brakes: one is a construction with a floating caliper, and the other is a construction with an opposed-piston fixed caliper. In the case of either of the constructions, the rotor which rotates together with the wheel is strongly sandwiched from both axial sides thereof by the pair of pads when the brakes are applied. In both the pads, a lining is additionally attached to a front surface of a pressure plate which has sufficient rigidity. Then, when the brakes are applied, a back surface of the pressure plate is pressed, whereby a front surface of the lining is brought into frictional contact with both axial side surfaces of the rotor. When referred to in this description and the claims, axial direction, circumferential direction and radial direction mean an axial direction, circumferential direction and radial direction of a rotor, respectively, in such a state that a disc brake pad assembly is assembled to a disc brake unless otherwise described. In addition, a circumferential edge portion means an inward circumferential edge portion or an outward circumferential edge portion with respect to the radial direction of the rotor.
When the brakes are applied, an abutment portion where the axial side surfaces of the rotor and the front surfaces of the linings of the pads are brought into abutment with each other and which constitutes a portion where a frictional force is exerted is offset axially from an abutment portion where the pressure plates and supports or a caliper are brought into abutment with each other and which constitutes an anchor portion which bears brake torque which is exerted on both the pads by at least an amount equaling a total thickness of the linings of both the pads (the frictional portion is offset from the brake torque bearing portion). Then, a moment is exerted on both the pads in a direction in which a leading side of the rotor approaches (falls towards) both the pads based on the offset equaling the thickness of the linings, and this easily makes the orientations of both the pads unstable. In case the orientations of both the pads become unstable when the brakes are applied, it becomes difficult that both the pads behave smoothly, and these pads are caused to vibrate, whereby noise referred to as a "brake squeal" is easily generated or the degree of partial wear of the linings easily becomes remarkable.
In order to mitigate the brake noise or the partial wear described above, it is conventional and widely accepted practice to sandwich a shim plate between a back surface of a pressure plate which makes up a pad and a distal end face of a piston which constitutes a pressing surface which presses the back surface or an inner surface of a caliper claw portion. In a shim plate like this, although a single-plate configuration is adopted in which only a single shim plate is used, in order to improve the effect of suppressing the brake squeal or the partial wear, a double-plate configuration is also widely adopted in which an inner shim plate and an outer shim plate are fittingly superposed on each other. Whether the single-plate configuration or the double-plate configuration is adopted, it is practiced that locking pieces which are formed at a plurality of locations on inward and outward circumferential edge portions of a shim plate are brought into engagement with inward and outward circumferential edge portions of the pressure plate, whereby the shim plate is supported on a back side of the pressure plate so as to slide slightly in a circumferential direction in such a state that the shim plate is prevented from being dislocated radially from the pressure plate.
Patent Literature 1 describes a construction as shown in FIGS. 13 to 15 as a disc brake pad assembly which has the function described above. In the disc brake pad assembly of the conventional construction, a combined shim plate 5 which is made up of an inner shim plate 3 and an outer shim plate 4 is mounted on a back surface of a pressure plate 2 which makes up a pad 1. In the pad 1, a lining 6 is additionally attached and fixed to a front surface of the pressure plate 2 (which is a surface which faces a side surface of a rotor (not shown) when assembled to a disc brake) with a large fastening force so as not to be forced to deviate by brake torque exerted when the brakes are applied. The inner shim plate 3 is made of a metallic plate which is a stainless steel plate, a rubber-coated stainless steel plate or the like and includes a flat plate-shaped inner main body portion 7 and a plurality of inner locking pieces 8a, 8b, 8c. Additionally, a plurality of through holes 9, 9 are formed in the inner main body portion 7 so as to hold a grease therein. In addition, of radially inward and outward circumferential edge portions of the pressure plate 2, a locking recess portion 10 is formed in a circumferential central portion of the radially outward edge portion, and a pair of step portions 11, 11 are formed at portions of the radially inward edge portion which lie close to circumferential ends thereof. In the inner locking pieces 8a, 8b, 8c of the inner shim plate 3, the radially outward inner locking piece 8a is brought into engagement with the locking recess portion 10, while the radially inward inner locking pieces 8b, 8c are brought into engagement with the step portions 11, 11, whereby the pressure plate 2 is held from both radial sides thereof by the inner locking pieces 8a, 8b, 8c. In this state, the inner shim plate 3 is attached to a back surface side of the pressure plate 2 in such a state that circumferential and radial displacements thereof are restricted (actually prevented).
In addition, the outer shim plate 4 is made of a metallic plate which is a stainless steel plate or the like and includes a flat plate-shaped outer main body portion 12 and a plurality of outer locking pieces 13a, 13b, 13c. In the outer shim plate 4 described above, the outer main body portion 12 is fittingly superposed on the inner main body portion 7 with the outer locking pieces 13a, 13b, 13c fittingly superposed on the inner locking pieces 8a, 8b, 8b, respectively. In this state, the outer shim plate 4 is assembled to the inner shim plate 3 so as to be displaced in a circumferential direction. Because of this, a circumferential widthwise dimension of the outer locking piece 13a is made smaller than circumferential widthwise dimensions of the locking recess portion 10 and the inner locking piece 8a, and a distance between circumferential outer edges of the outer locking pieces 13b, 13c is made smaller than a distance between the step portions 11, 11.
In the case of the conventional construction having the configuration described above, the inner locking pieces 8a, 8b, 8c which are provided on the inner shim plate 3 are brought into abutment with the circumferential edge portions of the pressure plate 2. Then, the outer locking pieces 13a, 13b, 13c are brought into abutment with the inner locking pieces 8a, 8b, 8c, respectively, so as to slide circumferentially. The outer locking pieces 13a, 13b, 13c which are provided on the outer shim plate 4 which is displaced circumferentially relative to the pressure plate 2 when the brakes are applied and released never slide relative to the circumferential edge portions of the pressure plate 2. Consequently, the sliding properties of the outer locking pieces 13a, 13b, 13c relative to the circumferential edge portions of the pressure plate 2 do not have to be taken into consideration.
In the case of the conventional construction described above, since the inner locking pieces 8a, 8b, 8c are fittingly superposed on the outer locking pieces 13a, 13b, 13c, respectively, the projecting amount of the outer locking pieces 13a, 13b, 13c from the circumferential edges of the pressure plate 2 is increased. As a result of this, the prevention of interference of the outer locking pieces 13a, 13b, 13c with other constituent members of the disc brake, for example, a caliper needs to taken into consideration. Although the installation space of the disc brake is limited, the constituent members including the caliper and the like are required to have a large magnitude of rigidity. Because of this, the fact that the prevention of the interference needs to be taken into consideration becomes disadvantageous from the viewpoint of ensuring the degree of freedom in designing the disc brake.
In order to suppress the projecting amount of the portions of the shim plate from the circumferential edges of the pressure plate to a low level, it is considered that the locking pieces which are formed on the shim plate (for example, the outer shim plate 4 in the conventional construction described above) are brought into direct engagement with the circumferential edges of the pressure plate. However, when the locking pieces are simply brought into direct engagement with the circumferential edge portions, circumferential end edges of the locking pieces bite into the circumferential edge portions, and a smooth circumferential displacement of the shim plate relative to the pressure plate is interrupted. Particularly, the surface of the pressure plate including the circumferential edge portions is covered with a coated film for rust prevention, as well as ensuring the appearance thereof. Since the hardness of the coated film is far lower than the hardness of the locking pieces, the circumferential end edges of the locking pieces are easy to bite into the coated film as the shim plate is displaced circumferentially relative to the pressure plate. Additionally, when the circumferential end edges of the locking pieces bite into the coated film, the smooth circumferential displacement of the shim plate is interrupted, and additionally, the coated film is stripped off, leading to a problem with rust prevention.
As a construction which deals with these situations, Patent Literature 2 describes a construction in which a spherical projecting portion is formed on a portion of a locking piece which corresponds to a circumferential edge portion of a pressure plate. According to the construction described therein, it is possible to prevent the locking piece from biting into the circumferential portion of the pressure plate. However, it is difficult to form a spherical projecting portion on a shim plate made of hard metal such as stainless spring steel, and the yield of spherical projecting portions is deteriorated by the generation of cracks or the like. Thus, it is considered that a significant increase in production costs cannot be avoided. Additionally, even though a spherical projecting portion can be formed, a step of forming the locking pieces by bending a material such as the hard metallic plate and a step of forming the spherical projecting portions on the locking pieces need to be separated, which inevitably increases the production costs.


A proportional magnet valve is provided with which manufacturing tolerances can be equalized and balanced by having an armature with an adjustment member axially adjustable. Consequently it is made possible to adjust every magnet valve that is mass produced so that a predetermined coil current corresponds to a predetermined magnet force and with that corresponding to a predetermined working pressure of a magnet valve. Because of adjustment capability of the armature, no close or narrow manufacturing tolerances must be maintained to permit cost advantageous production of the magnet valve. Also, an exchange of a magnet valve upon wear or damaging thereof is possible in a simple and straight forward manner because the novel magnet valve can be adjusted exactly without difficulty. Consequently, a predetermined pressure-current-characterizing line is maintained so that, independently of tolerance position of the magnetic force and the tolerances of hydraulically effective diameter of the structural parts, always the same pressure-current-characterizing line can be attained.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a proportional magnetic valve for generation of a pressure proportional to applied current, with an axis, which is connected with an armature, which is surrounded by at least one coil, which during current flow therewith in connection with the armature produces a magnetic force, which is directed counter to a closure force effective upon the axis.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With such magnetic valves, hydraulic medium is supplied through a pressure pipe of a working line or conduit. The pressure building-up here is dependent thereon with which closure force the axis of the magnetic valve is held in a closure position, in which the magnetic valve closes-off a tank return line for the hydraulic medium. If the pressure in the working line or conduit exceeds the closure force produced by a pressure spring, the axis is pushed back against this closure force, so that the hydraulic medium can come into the tank return line. In order now to be able to adjust or set different working pressures, the coil has current flow fed thereto whereby a magnetic force results directed counter to the closure force effective upon the axis. Thereby the axis is pushed back already with small or nominal working pressures. With the production or manufacture of such magnetic valves, a problem arises whereby as a consequence of tolerances with the same or identical current values there cannot be set or adjusted the same or identical working pressures.
For this reason, the individual parts of the magnetic valve during manufacture or production must be produced in various narrow, tight or close tolerances, which makes the manufacture or production of such a magnetic valve more expensive.

Hydraulik-Ring Antriebs- und Steuerungstechnik GmbH


A pulse generator comprises a stator coupled to a housing and a rotor that is rotatably disposed within the housing. An annulus is formed between the rotor and the stator. An inner bore is formed through the rotor. One or more outer flow ports provide fluid communication between the annulus and the inner bore. A retrievable valve assembly is rotationally coupled to the rotor and at least partially disposed within the inner bore. The retrievable valve assembly includes a rotary valve member having one or more primary flow ports. A fluid flow path is periodically formed by the one or more outer flow ports, the annulus, and the one or more primary flow ports as the rotor rotates.

This disclosure relates generally to methods and apparatus for generating vibrations or fluid pulses with a downhole tool. More specifically, this disclosure relates to methods and apparatus that enable a downhole pulse generating device to generate pulses at a variety of frequencies and amplitudes.
Downhole pulse generating devices are used to create fluctuations in fluid pressure that create vibrations in the drill string. The vibrations or pulses can help prevent the build-up of solid materials around the drill string, which can reduce friction and prevent the drill string from becoming stuck in the well. Thus, the use of pulse generating devices can be useful in extending the operating range of drilling assemblies.
Thus, there is a continuing need in the art for methods and apparatus for generating downhole pulses that overcome these and other limitations of the prior art.


Embodiments of this application provide a screen display method and a device after face unlock, and relate to the field of electronic device technologies, so that a lock screen and a desktop can be intuitively displayed after face unlock, to improve interaction efficiency and user experience. Specific solutions are as follows: After head information is successfully verified, an electronic device displays a lock screen and a desktop in a superimposition manner, and when a preset condition is met, displays the desktop or a screen corresponding to a control on the desktop or the lock screen. The embodiments of this application are used to display an unlocked screen.

Currently, screens on increasingly more electronic devices such as mobile phones are unlocked by using a facial information recognition technology such as facial recognition or iris recognition. The facial information recognition technology may usually be used to complete unlocking in a process in which a user lifts an electronic device such as a mobile phone. Therefore, how to display a screen after facial information is successfully recognized to better reduce unnecessary interaction, improve interaction efficiency, and improve user experience is one of important problems currently faced.


Traffic for a mobile device is queued in one of a plurality of class of service queues for the mobile device. An association of the class of service queues for the mobile device is altered from a first sector to a second sector in response to at least a sector change for the mobile device. Post-sector-change packets for the mobile device are held until pre-sector-change packets have been emptied from the class of service queues.

Wireline and wireless Internet protocol (IP) networks have traditionally supported a best effort delivery of all traffic. To support enhanced services, multiple types, or classes, of services have been established and assigned certain quality of service (QoS) parameters that manage queues for each service type. The QoS parameters include delay, jitter, error rates, and throughput. The QoS parameters can be provisioned on a per IP connection or per flow basis through mechanisms such as resource reservation protocol (RSVP) or can be provisioned on aggregate flows which are classified into service classes. Internet service providers (ISPs) can utilize the service classes, their associated QoS behavior and QoS provisioning to provide tiered service offerings to their business and consumer customers.
The IP QoS architecture provides tools for marking IP flows, controlling and shaping the traffic of various IP flows, and managing various IP queues in each sector in order to ensure QoS behavior for each class of service. Queue management algorithms include head-drop, tail-drop, first in first out (FIFO) and random early detect (RED). The queue management in a sector may be on individual microflows or on aggregate flows which are treated with similar QoS behavior.
As mobile devices move across sectors, packets for the devices are requeued and redirected to the current sector, which can cause out of order delivery, packet drops, and other problems.

Method and system for service flow mobility in a wireless network


Thin cast strip is produced in a twin roll caster by delivering molten steel between the rolls to form a casting pool confined between the rolls by a pair of side dams adjacent the ends of the casting rolls. Steel strip is delivered downwardly to the nip through a metal delivery system having a tundish and core nozzles. One or more of the refractory components, including the tundish, core nozzles and side dams, or portions thereof, are replaced by first preheating the refractory component(s) being replaced at a removed location, and then rapidly transferring the preheated component(s) from the preheating position and installing the same in the operating position by a transfer device. The desired refractory component is rapidly removed and the preheated replacement refractory component rapidly transferred and installed in the operating position in an amount of time that avoids thermal shock to the refractories that are not replaced.

This invention relates to continuous casting of thin steel strip in a strip caster, particularly a twin roll caster.
In a twin roll caster, molten metal is introduced between a pair of contra-rotated horizontal casting rolls which are internally cooled so that metal shells solidify on the moving roll surfaces and are brought together at the nip between them to produce a thin cast strip product, delivered downwardly from the nip between the casting rolls. The term "nip" is used herein to refer to the general region at which the casting rolls are closest together.
The molten metal may be poured from a ladle through a metal delivery system comprised of a tundish and a core nozzle located above the nip, to form a casting pool of molten metal supported on the casting surfaces of the rolls above the nip and extending along the length of the nip. This casting pool is usually confined between refractory side plates or dams held in sliding engagement with the end surfaces of the rolls so as to dam the two ends of the casting pool against outflow.
When casting steel strip in a twin roll caster, the thin cast strip leaves the nip at very high temperatures, of the order of 1400° C. If exposed to normal atmosphere, it will suffer very rapid scaling due to oxidation at such high temperatures. A sealed enclosure is therefore provided beneath the casting rolls to receive the hot cast strip, and through which the strip passes away from the strip caster, which contains an atmosphere that inhibits oxidation of the strip. The oxidation inhibiting atmosphere may be created by injecting a non-oxidizing gas, for example, an inert gas such as argon or nitrogen, or combustion exhaust reducing gases. Alternatively, the enclosure may be sealed against ingress of an ambient oxygen-containing atmosphere during operation of the strip caster, and the oxygen content of the atmosphere within the enclosure reduced, during an initial phase of casting, by allowing oxidation of the strip to extract oxygen from the scaled enclosure as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,762,126 and 5,960,855.
The length of the casting campaign has been generally determined in the past by the wear cycle on the core nozzle, tundish and side dams. Multi-ladle sequences can be continued so long as the source of hot metal supplies ladles of molten steel, by use of a turret on which multiple ladles can be transferred to operating position. Therefore, the focus of attention in the casting campaign has been extending the life cycle of the core nozzle, tundish and side dams. When a nozzle, tundish or side dam would wear to the point that it had to be replaced, the casting campaign would have to be stopped, and the worn out component replaced. This would generally require removing unworn components as well since otherwise the length of the next campaign would be limited by the remaining useful life of the worn but not replaced refractory components, with attendant waste of useful life of refractories and increased cost of casting steel. Further, all of the refractory components, both replaced and continued components, would have to be preheated the same as starting the original casting campaign before the next casting could be done. Graphitized alumina, boron nitride and boron nitride-zirconia composites are examples of suitable refractory materials for this purpose. Since the core nozzle, tundish and side dams all have to be preheated to very high temperatures approaching that of the molten steel to withstand contact with the molten steel over long periods, considerable waste of casting time between campaigns resulted. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,184,668 and 5,277,243.
The disclosed apparatus and method limits down time in changes of worn refractory components, decreases waste of useful life of refractory components, reduces energy needs in casting, and increases casting capacity of the caster. Useful life of refractories can be increased, and reheating of unreplaced refractory components can be avoided or minimized. The core nozzle must be put in place before the tundish, and conversely the tundish must be removed before core nozzle can be replaced, and both of these refractory components wear independently of each other. Similarly, the side dams wear independently of the core nozzles and tundish, and independently of each other, because the side dams must initially be urged against the ends of the casting rolls under applied forces, and "bedded in" by wear so as to ensure adequate sealing against outflow of molten steel from the casting pool. The forces applied to the side dams may be reduced after an initial bedding-in period, but will always be such that there is significant wear of the side dams throughout the casting operation. For this reason, the core nozzle and tundish in the metal delivery system can have a longer life than the side dams, and can normally continue to be operated through several more ladles of molten steel supplied in a campaign. Nevertheless, the duration of a casting campaign is often determined by the rate of wear of the side dams because tundish and core nozzle, which still have useful life, are often changed when the side dams are changed to increase casting capacity of the caster. No matter which refractory component wears out first, a casting run will need to be terminated to replace the worn out component. Since the cost of thin cast strip production is directly related to the length of the casting time, unworn components in the metal delivery system are generally replaced before the end of their useful life as a precaution to avoid further disruption of the next casting campaign, with attendant waste of useful life of refractory components.
By the disclosed apparatus and method, it is possible to replace in a minimal period of time anyone or more of the refractory components, for example, the core nozzle, tundish and/or side dams, without replacing any of the other refractory components, to avoid the need for reheating the unreplaced refractory components, and in turn, to extend casting campaign lengths, reduce waste of refractory components, and reduce operating costs and increase casting time.
The second tundish and/or second side dam or dams, or portions thereof, are generally preheated and replaced as singular refractory components, and the core nozzle is generally preheated and replaced as a singular or two part refractory component, but in particular embodiments these refractory components may be preheated and replaced in parts or pieces as desired. In any event, the refractory component or portion thereof may be preheated to a temperature near the temperature of molten steel in the casting pool. Typically, the preheat temperature is greater than about 1200° C. The preheating of rapidly transferring of the second core nozzle may be done for at least about 2 hours before transfer to the operating position, the preheating of rapidly transferring of the second tundish may be done for at least about 2 hours before transfer to the operating position, and the preheating of rapidly transferring of the second side dams may be done for at least about 0.5 hours before transfer to the operating position. If only a portion of one of these refractory components is to be replaced, the preheating of that portion of the component will normally be done for the same time period as for the preheating of the entire refractory component unless that portion is such that it can be preheated to the desired preheat temperature in less time. The preheat temperature is also normally the same if more than one core nozzle, one tundish or two side dams is used in the particular embodiment.
An apparatus for producing thin cast strip by continuous casting may be comprised of:
a) a pair of casting rolls having a nip therebetween;
b) a metal delivery system comprising a first core nozzle and a first tundish for delivering molten metal into a casting pool between the casting rolls above the nip, and first side dams adjacent the ends of the nip to confine said casting pool;
c) a casting roll drive capable of counter-rotating the casting rolls to form solidified metal shells on casting surfaces of the casting rolls and to cast solidified thin steel strip through the nip between the casting rolls from said solidified shells;
d) a plurality of preheating chambers removed from an operating position for casting capable of preheating at least a portion of at least one refractory component selected from the group consisting of a second core nozzle, a second tundish and at least one second side dam to a temperature to avoid thermal shock when contacted by molten steel while casting continues;
e) a gate capable of interrupting the flow of molten metal to the casting pool, and capable of resuming flow of molten steel to reform the casting pool;
f) a first transfer device capable of removing from an operating position at least portions of at least one component selected from the group consisting of at least a portion of the first core nozzle, the first tundish and at least one of said first side dams desired to be replaced while leaving other components in an operating position; and
g) a second transfer device capable of rapidly transferring at least portions of at least one preheated component selected from the group consisting of the second core nozzle, the second tundish and at least one second side dam for replacement from the preheating chamber to the operating position for casting while leaving other components in an operating position.
Again, in the apparatus, the second tundish and/or second side dam or dams, or portions thereof, are generally preheated and replaced as singular refractory components, and the core nozzle is generally preheated and replaced as a singular or two part refractory component, but in particular embodiments these refractory components may be preheated and replaced in parts or pieces as desired. In any event, at least one component from the group consisting of the second core nozzle, the second tundish or the second side dams may be preheated to a temperature near the temperature of molten steel in the casting pool. Again, typically the component or components, or portion thereof, to be replaced is/are preheated to 1200° C. The preheating of the second core nozzle may be done for at least about 2 hours before transfer to the operating position, the preheating of rapidly transferring of the second tundish may be done for at least about 2 hours before transfer to the operating position, and the preheating of rapidly transferring of the second side dams may be done for at least about 0.5 hours before transfer to the operating position. Again, if only a portion of one of these refractory components is to be replaced, the preheating of that portion of the refractory component will normally be done for the same time period as for the preheating of the entire refractory component unless that portion is such that it can be preheated to the desired preheat temperature in less time. The preheat temperature is also normally the same if more than one core nozzle, one tundish or two side dams is used in the particular embodiment.
The apparatus may further comprise a sensor, such as an optical sensor or an electrical sensor, to monitor the wear of the first core nozzle, the first tundish and/or the first side dams. The method may further comprise the step of monitoring the wear of at least a portion of one refractory component from the group consisting of the first core nozzle, the first tundish and the first side dams. The first core nozzle, first tundish or first side dams may be removed one at a time, or in pieces, when the sensor reveals that the refractory component is worn to a specified limit. Note again that when a refractory component is replaced in parts as worn, a separate sensor will normally be provided for each piece of the refractory component to be replaced as worn.
The apparatus may also be automated by including in addition a control system, typically including a computerized circuit, so that, when a given level of wear is detected by the sensor(s) in a particular worn first core nozzle, first tundish and/or first side dames), or portion thereof, the worn refractory component or portion thereof is automatically replaced. Note that when a refractory component is replaced in parts as worn, a separate sensor will normally be provided for each portion of the refractory component to be replaced as worn.
Alternatively, the apparatus may have a preheating chamber or chambers removed from an operating position for casting thin cast strip capable of preheating one or both of the second side dams, or portions thereof, to a temperature to avoid thermal shock when contacted by molten steel. In this embodiment, the core nozzle or the tundish, or both, (or a part thereof) may be replaced independently of the side dams. It should be noted that the apparatus can be embodied if more than two side dams are desired to be utilized in a particular embodiment.
The molten steel may be introduced between the casting rolls through a metal delivery system comprising a tundish and a core nozzle, in one or more pieces, disposed above the nip, and the interruption of the flow of molten steel to the casting pool may be achieved by interrupting flow to the metal delivery system by closing the slide gate. The preheating of the replacement side dams in the preheat chamber(s) is initiated while continuing casting of the strip. The wear of the side dams may be monitored by a sensor or sensors, and the removal and replacement of the side dams may be accomplished when the sensor indicates that the dams or portion thereof is (are) worn to specified limits.
In order to ensure the components in the metal delivery system do not suffer thermal shock on resumption of casting and also to ensure that steel does not solidify within the flow passages of the metal delivery system, it is desirable that the time interval between interrupting and resuming the flow of molten steel in either the method or the apparatus be less than about 15 minutes. The change time will depend on the number and nature of the component or components being replaced, and typically will be less than about 5 minutes.
More specifically, the replacement of the replacement one or more side dams, tundish and/or core nozzles, or portions thereof, may be carried out so that this time interval is about 5 minutes or less, or about 2 minutes or less.
It should be noted that the tundish here that is replaced is a replaceable tundish above the core nozzle, and may be sometimes called the transition piece or delivery vessel.
There may be another tundish above the replaceable tundish, which is also part of the metal delivery system that is not replaced in the disclosed method and apparatus as discussed below.