A switching power supply exhibits high conversion efficiency and facilitates reducing the size thereof. The switching power supply includes a half-bridge circuit including a first series circuit formed of switching devices Q1 and Q2 and connected between the output terminals of a DC power supply; and a second series circuit connecting primary inductance Lr1 of transformer T1, primary inductance Lr2 of transformer T2 and capacitor Cr in series. The second series circuit is connected between the output terminals of the half-bridge circuit, and is made to conduct a series resonance operation. The switching devices Q1 and Q2 is controlled at the ON-duties of 0.5 for reducing the breakdown voltages of rectifying diodes D1 and D2 on the secondary side of transformers T1 and T2 and for improving the conversion efficiency of the switching device.

The present invention relates to a switching power supply. Specifically, the invention relates to an isolation type DC-DC converter that obtains a DC output insulated from a commercial AC power supply.
A DC output isolated from a commercial AC power supply is obtained usually with an isolation type DC-DC converter from an intermediate DC voltage obtained by rectifying and smoothing an AC voltage. In a power supply, to which the specifications on the higher harmonic of an input current are applied, an intermediate DC voltage is obtained from an AC power supply via a boost chopper circuit.
It has been required for the switching power supply apparatuses to exhibit a high efficiency, to cause less noises, to be small in size, to be manufactured with low manufacturing costs, and to be very reliable. For meeting the demands described above, various circuit configurations have been proposed.
FIG. 5 is a block circuit diagram of a conventional switching power supply. The conventional switching power supply has a circuit configuration almost similar to the circuit configurations of the isolation type DC-DC converters described in the following Patent Documents 1 and 2.
Now the operations of the DC-DC converter shown in FIG. 5 will be described below with reference to the wave chart described in FIG. 6.
Feedback circuit FB1 shown in FIG. 5 amplifies the error caused between an output voltage Vo and the set value (reference value) of the output voltage. Control circuit Cont1 turns ON and OFF MOSFETs Q1 and Q2 alternately at a preset fixed frequency fs (=1/T) during a period excluding dead times Td1 and Td2 set for MOSFETs Q1 and Q2 respectively. At the same time, control circuit Cont 1 controls the output voltage Vo at a constant value by means of controlling the ON-duties of MOSFETs Q1 and Q2 in response to an output signal (feedback signal) VFB fed from feedback circuit FB1.
Transformers T1 and T2 are represented by the respective equivalent circuits including exciting inductance Lm1 and exciting inductance Lm2, leakage inductance Lr1 and leakage inductance Lr2, primary windings Np1 and Np2, and secondary windings Ns1 and Ns2, respectively.
Capacitor Cr cuts the DC component of the currents which flow through the primary windings of transformers T1 and T2 to prevent DC magnetization from causing.
Inductance element Lz resonates partially with capacitor Cs, when MOSFETs Q1 and Q2 conduct switching, to make MOSFETs Q1 and Q2 perform zero-voltage switching. Inductance element Lz may be omitted by employing leakage inductance Lr1 of transformer T1 and leakage inductance Lr2 of transformer T2 in substitution for inductance element Lz. In the following descriptions, inductance element Lz is omitted. Capacitor Cs may be omitted by employing the parasitic capacitance of MOSFETs Q1 and Q2 in substitution for capacitor Cs.
By setting the resonance frequency of the series circuit consisting of primary inductance (Lm1 and Lr1) of transformer T1, primary inductance (Lm2 and Lr2) of transformer T2, and capacitor Cr to be much lower than the switching frequency fs, currents IQ1 and IQ2 flowing through MOSFETs Q1 and Q2 are made to rise linearly.
In a period (t0<t<t3), for which MOSFET Q1 is ON, energy is fed from a DC power supply to the load side via transformer T1. In this period, transformer T2 works for a choke coil. In a period (t3<t<t0), for which MOSFET Q2 is ON, energy is fed from capacitor Cr to the load side via transformer T2. In this period, transformer T1 works for a choke coil.
Rectifying diode D1 becomes conductive as MOSFET Q2 shifts from the ON-state thereof to the OFF-state thereof at a time t0 and current ID1 increases at a gradient of Vo/(Lr1+Lr2). Current ID2 that flows through rectifying diode D2 decreases at a gradient of −Vo/(Lr1+Lr2) as MOSFET Q2 shifts from the ON-state thereof to the OFF-state thereof. As current ID2 becomes zero at a time t2, rectifying diode D2 shifts to the OFF-state thereof. As MOSFET Q1 shifts from the ON-state thereof to the OFF-state thereof at the time t3, current ID1 decreases at the gradient of −Vo/(Lr1+Lr2). As current ID1 becomes zero at a time t5, rectifying diode D1 shifts to the OFF-state thereof. Current ID2 that flows through rectifying diode D2 increases at the gradient of Vo/(Lr1+Lr2).
FIG. 8 is a block circuit diagram of another conventional switching power supply. The conventional switching power supply shown in FIG. 8 has a circuit configuration almost similar to the circuit configuration of the isolation type DC-DC converter described in the following Patent Document 3.
Now the operations of the DC-DC converter shown in FIG. 8 will be described below with reference to the wave chart described in FIG. 9.
Control circuit Cont1 turns ON and OFF MOSFETs Q1 and Q2 alternately at an ON-duty of 0.5 during a period excluding dead times Td1 and Td2 set for MOSFETs Q1 and Q2 respectively. At the same time, control circuit Cont1 controls the switching frequency fs of MOSFETs Q1 and Q2 in response to the output signal VFB fed from feedback circuit FB1. Thus, control circuit Cont1 controls the output voltage Vo at a constant value.
In FIG. 8, transformer T3 is represented by an equivalent circuit including exciting inductance Lm1, leakage inductance Lr, primary winding Np1, and secondary windings Ns1 and Ns2.
Capacitor Cr cuts the DC component of the current which flows through the primary winding of transformer T1 to prevent DC magnetization from causing. Capacitor Cr constitutes a resonance circuit together with exciting inductance Lm of transformer T1, leakage inductance Lr of transformer T1 and inductance element Lz.
Inductance element Lz resonates partially with capacitor Cs, when MOSFETs Q1 and Q2 conduct switching, to make MOSFETs Q1 and Q2 perform zero-voltage switching. Inductance element Lz may be omitted by employing leakage inductance Lr of transformer T1 in substitution for inductance element Lz. From the following descriptions, inductance element Lz is omitted. Capacitor Cs may be omitted by employing the parasitic capacitance of MOSFETs Q1 and Q2 in substitution for capacitor Cs.
As MOSFET Q1 shifts to the ON-state thereof, leakage inductance Lr and resonance capacitor Cs resonate, shaping currents IQ1 and ID1 with sinusoidal waveforms, respectively. As current ID1 becomes zero at the time t3, diode D1 becomes OFF and primary inductance (Lm and Lr) of transformer T1 and capacitor Cr resonate, making a current having a sinusoidal waveform, the frequency of which is low, flow through MOSFET Q1.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. Hei. 8 (1996)-228486 (FIG. 1).
Patent Document 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-74830 (FIGS. 7 and 8) corresponding to U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2007/0053210 A1.
Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent No. 2734296 (FIG. 1)
According to the Patent Document 2, the output voltage Vo from the circuit shown in FIG. 5 is described by the following equation (1) that includes a DC power supply voltage Vin, an ON-duty D and a winding ratio n (=Np1/Ns1=Np2/Ns2) in transformers T1 and T2.Vo=D·(1−D)·Vin/n  (1)
The equation (1) indicates that the output voltage Vo is controlled by controlling the ON-duty D.
Now a voltage conversion rate M is defined that M=2n·Vo/Vin. Then, the voltage conversion rate M is described by the following equation (2).M=2D·(1−D)  (2)
As described in FIG. 7, the voltage conversion rate M shows the maximum at the ON-duty D of 0.5. Since the output voltage Vo of a general forward converter is described by the following equation (3) according to the Patent Document 2, the winding ratio n of the transformers can be made to be small. As a result, the leakage inductance can be reduced, the high-frequency characteristics can be improved, and the transformers can be made to be small in size.Vo=D·Vin/n  (3)
However, when the winding ratio n is smaller, a higher reverse voltage is applied to diodes D1 and D2. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare diodes exhibiting a higher breakdown voltage, when the winding ratio n is small. Since the forward voltage drop across a diode becomes larger as the breakdown voltage of the diode becomes higher, more losses are caused in the diode, lowering the conversion efficiency of the switching power supply.
The Patent Document 3 defines the period, for which currents flow through diodes D1 and D2 in the circuit shown in FIG. 8, as an "electric-power transfer period" and the period, for which any current does not flow through diodes D1 and D2 in the circuit shown in FIG. 8, as an "electric-power interruption period". The circuit shown in FIG. 8 adjusts the ratio of the electric-power transfer period and the electric-power interruption period to control the output voltage Vo at a constant value.
Even when the load becomes heavy in the case described above, there certainly exists a period, for which the value of a synthesized current, obtained by rectifying and synthesizing the currents flowing through diodes D1 and D2, is zero. During the period described above, the effective values of the currents flowing through the transformer secondary windings and the diodes increase, lowering the conversion efficiency. Since the effective current value of smoothing capacitor Co is also large, it is necessary for smoothing capacitor Co to be large. Large smoothing capacitor Co is hazardous for reducing the size of the switching power supply.
Now another problem of the conventional switching power supply will be described below.
The voltage conversion rate M of the circuit shown in FIG. 8 shows characteristic changes as described in FIG. 10.
In FIG. 10, the vertical axis represents the normalized frequency F that is the ratio of the switching frequency Fs and the resonance frequency Fr of leakage inductance Lr and capacitor Cr. If described by an equation, F=Fs/Fr. The voltage conversion rate M exhibits dependencies on the load resistance Ro in the operation region, in which M is larger than 1 and F is smaller than 1 (M>1, F<1). Especially, the frequency, at which the voltage conversion rate M shows the maximum, changes depending on the load. At the normalized frequency F of 1, the switching frequency Fs and the resonance frequency Fr coincide with each other. At the normalized frequency F of 1, the period between t3 and t4 in FIG. 9 does not exist. At the normalized frequency F of less than 1, a resonance current due to primary inductance (Lm and Lr) of transformer T1 and capacitor Cr flows during the periods t3<t<t4 and t7<t<t0.
As the switching frequency exceeds the frequency, at which the voltage conversion rate M shows the maximum, to the lower side, the switching power supply shown in FIG. 8 operates as indicated by the waveforms described in FIG. 11. Usually, the state is called current leading mode.
As the resonance current turns from positive to negative during the ON-period of MOSFET Q1 for example, current flows through the body diode of MOSFET Q1. Even if MOSFET Q1 is turned off, the current will keep flowing through the body diode of MOSFET Q1. As MOSFET Q2 is turned on, the body diode of MOSFET Q1 conducts reverse recovery, making a large through current flow. If this state continues, MOSFET Q1 will be broken down by the heat generated therein, since the reverse recovery losses caused by the body diode of MOSFET Q1 are large.
For preventing the current leading mode from causing, it is effective to make control circuit Cont1 limit the normalized frequency F to be lower than Fmin. However, the point, at which the voltage conversion rate M shows the maximum, changes greatly depending on the load as described in FIG. 10. Therefore, it is very difficult to set the frequency Fmin, at which off-resonance is prevented from causing under all the unfavorable conditions including sudden change of the DC power supply voltage, sudden change caused in the load, and overload.
The present invention has been made to obviate the above problems in the conventional switching power supply.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.

Switching power supply with pulse frequency modulation control

Fuji Electric Device Technology Co., Ltd.


Pixel locations in an addressable display are defined by metal landings on a top surface of a flexible substrate, such as by depositing a metal film and etching the film. The substrate surface may be hydrophobic so that the hydrophobic surface is exposed between the metal landings. The substrate has conductive vias that connect the metal landings to traces on a bottom surface of the substrate for connection to addressing circuitry. LED ink is then blanket-printed over the top surface and cured to electrically connect bottom electrodes of the LEDs to the metal landings. LEDs that fall between the landings are ineffective. A dielectric layer is blanket-printed which exposes the top electrodes, and a transparent conductor layer is blanket-printed over the LEDs to connect all LEDs associated with an individual pixel location in parallel. Accordingly, all printed steps can be performed without any alignment.

It is known by the Applicant's previous work to print a conductor layer over a flexible substrate, followed by printing a monolayer of microscopic vertical LEDs over the conductor layer in the desired orientation so that, after curing, the bottom electrodes of the LEDs ohmically contact the conductor layer. A dielectric layer is then printed over the conductor layer, followed by printing a transparent conductor layer to contact the top electrodes of the LEDs and connect the LEDs in parallel. A layer of phosphor may be optionally printed over the LEDs to wavelength-convert the LED light. When a sufficient voltage is applied to the conductor layers, the LEDs emit light through the transparent conductor layer. Further detail of forming a light source by printing microscopic vertical LEDs, and controlling their orientation on a substrate, can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 8,852,467, entitled, Method of Manufacturing a Printable Composition of Liquid or Gel Suspension of Diodes, assigned to the present assignee and incorporated herein by reference.
This same printing technique can be used to print pixels comprising printing individual conductive pixel landings, such as by using screen printing with a mask to print metal ink, followed by printing the LEDs over the pixel landings using a corresponding print mask. Alternatively, the metal pixel pattern can be printed over the printed LEDs using the LED print mask. Flexography can also be used for printing the patterns. Another conductor layer connects all the LEDs in each pixel in parallel, and each pixel can be individually energized using an addressing circuit. Problems with such a method for forming a display include the difficulty of achieving precise registration of the metal ink pattern and the LED ink pattern, the inherent spreading out of the inks after printing, the lower quality of a printed metal layer vs. a conventional metal film, the difficulty of providing conductive traces from all the pixels to an addressing circuit, the difficulty in patterning ink for a very large display, and the inability to print small pixels.
Thus, what is needed is a simpler and more precise technique for forming an addressable display using microscopic printed LEDs.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

LED display with patterned pixel landings and printed LEDs


A traction-driven belt for moving a load includes a plurality of tension elements extending longitudinally along a length of the belt, and a plurality of yarns interlaced with the plurality of tension elements forming a composite belt structure. A laminate material layer is affixed to at least one surface of the composite belt structure to improve one or more performance properties of the composite belt structure. A belt for suspending and/or driving an elevator car includes a plurality of tension elements extending longitudinally along a length of the belt, and a plurality of yarns interlaced with the plurality of tension elements forming a composite belt structure. A sheath encloses at least one tension element of the plurality of tension elements. The sheath is formed from a flowable material to bind the tension element to the plurality of yarns, and/or adjacent tension elements.

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to tension members such as those used in elevator systems for suspension and/or driving of the elevator car and/or counterweight.
Traction-driven belts typically include steel cord tension members that are encased in a polymer jacket that serves to maintain the proper cord spacing while preventing slippage of the cords during operation. The polymer jacket, typically an extrudable thermoplastic urethane, has a multitude of performance and manufacturing challenges. Friction, fire resistance, corrosion resistance, and other properties may need to be engineered into the jacket through the use of different polymers and additives. In order to provide the many necessary properties, there are often issues with material compatibility, mixing, settling, and other processing concerns. Further, extrusion profiles, temperatures, and production rates are all affected by these and can affect scrap rate. Such traction-driven belts may be utilized in elevator systems and other applications, such as grain elevators, hoisting and strapping applications and moving walkway systems.
Utilizing a composite type of construction, where the tension members are held in place by a yarn and a coating package or packages are then applied to the yarn and tension member assembly, can enable a construction that provides the necessary properties while mitigating some of the manufacturing challenges associated with a polymer extrusion process. Further, the use of low cost yarns and inexpensive coatings can result in a lower cost belt material. In order to maintain a low cost product, however, the yarn application process needs to use low cost materials and processes and the production rate needs to be quite fast. For this reason, commonly used processes such as knitting and weaving must be used. Further, the weft yarn spacing needs to be large enough to enable fast production to mitigate cost. This effectively limits the amount of yarn that can be used, which in turn limits the thickness and density of the belt. Wear resistance often becomes a limiting property of this type of construction in comparison to a polymer jacket structure.

Hybrid fabric-laminated belt for elevator system


A series of hydraulic jack units are mounted on the frame of a vehicle. Each jack unit is controlled from a central controller inside the vehicle and includes electrical means for activating the jack, automatic means for locking the jack in the extended position, and selectively activatable means for releasing the jack and returning it to its retracted position. As a result of this arrangement, any portion of the vehicle may be raised to facilitate maintenance, or to provide security against theft.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to lift systems for vehicles and more particularly, to a self-contained lift system for use on a vehicle incorporating hydraulic jacking units operable from a central controller located inside the vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art.
Self-contained vehicle lift systems featuring hydraulic jacks are known in the prior art; however, these typically are large, complicated units, expensive to install and operate, and prone to malfunction. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,235,542 discloses a hydraulic lift unit adapted to be mounted on a vehicle wherein a hydraulic motor, hydraulic pump and valve assembly are mounted inside the jack's cylinder. This unit because of its relatively large bulk must include additional means for rotating the jack assembly about a pivot support to an unused position.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,635,904 discloses a self-contained vehicle lift system wherein the jacking units are activated by a complex motor-driven gear arrangement. Here again, the relatively large jacking unit is pivotally mounted on the vehicle frame and includes means for rotating the unit from a vertical to a horizontal position.
Other lifting devices have been proposed for stowage aboard a vehicle. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,542,882, an inflatable bag is disclosed having a fitting connected to the exhaust pipe of a vehicle. It is apparent, however, that this device may be used only with the vehicle engine running, a situation which can be dangerous to the vehicle operator.
Finally, portable jacking units are known for use with vehicles, which are capable of being stowed on the vehicle. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,549,722 and 4,690,378 disclose examples of the latter type. It is apparent, however, that the operator must get out of the vehicle to operate such units, thereby presenting an inconvenience and possible danger from passing vehicles.


A hearing health micronutrient formulation is provided and the formulation comprises dietary antioxidants and endogenous antioxidants, and the dietary antioxidants are selected from a group consisting essentially of Vitamin A (Palmitate), Vitamin E, Vitamin C (Calcium Ascorbate), Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol), B Vitamins, Biotin, Pantothenic Acid (as D-Calcium Pantothenate), Calcium Citrate, Magnesium Citrate, Zinc Glycinate, Selenium (Seleno-L-Methionine), Chromium (as Chromium Picolinate), Mixed Carotenoids and mixtures thereof, and the endogenous antioxidants are selected from a group consisting essentially of N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC), Coenzyme Q10, R-alpha Lipoic Acid, L-Carnitine and mixtures thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hearing health micronutrient formulations and systems which focus on unique composition combinations and related methods of manufacture. In one embodiment, the hearing health micronutrient formulation comprises: dietary antioxidants and endogenous antioxidants, and the dietary antioxidants are selected from a group consisting essentially of Vitamin A (Palmitate), Vitamin E, Vitamin C (Calcium Ascorbate), Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol), B Vitamins, Biotin, Pantothenic Acid (as D-Calcium Pantothenate), Calcium Citrate, Magnesium Citrate, Zinc Glycinate, Selenium (Seleno-L-Methionine), Chromium (as Chromium Picolinate), Mixed Carotenoids and mixtures thereof, and the endogenous antioxidants are selected from a group consisting essentially of N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC), Coenzyme Q10, R-alpha Lipoic Acid, L-Carnitine and mixtures thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the beginning, the earth's atmosphere had no oxygen. Anaerobic organisms, which can live without oxygen, were thriving. About 2.5 million years ago, blue-green algae in the ocean acquired the ability to split water into hydrogen and oxygen and this chemical reaction initiated the release of oxygen into the atmosphere. The increased levels of atmospheric oxygen caused the extinction of many anaerobic organisms owing to oxygen's toxicity. This important biological event also led to the evolution of multicellular organisms, including humans, who utilize oxygen for survival. The content of oxygen in the air gradually increased to the current amounts of about 21 percent in dry air and about 34 percent in water. The use of oxygen by any organism generates free radicals that are toxic. Therefore, during this period of atmospheric oxygenation, organisms must have struggled to survive the sudden exposure to oxygen toxicity. There must have been enormous rearranging of nucleotides in genes to produce specific proteins that could protect organisms against the damage produced by free radicals.
This process eventually led to the production of three antioxidant enzymes. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) requires manganese, copper, or zinc for its biological activity. Mn-SOD is present in mitochondria, whereas Cu-SOD and Zn-SOD are present in the cytoplasm and nucleus of the cell. All three can destroy free radicals and hydrogen peroxide. Another enzyme, catalase, requires iron for its biological activity and it destroys water in cells. Human tissue also contains glutathione peroxidase which requires selenium for its biological activity. It is also responsible for removing hydrogen peroxide.
Although, iron, copper and manganese are essential for the activities of antioxidant enzymes, a slight excess of free iron, copper, or manganese can increase the production of free radicals, and subsequently enhance the risk of various chronic diseases. In addition, organisms, including mammals, consume certain antioxidants that are needed for growth and survival from plants sources. These antioxidants include carotenoids, vitamins A, C, and E, flavonoids, polyphenols, and herbal antioxidants.
Currently, the doses of the antioxidants for the greatest benefit to human health are not well established. Nevertheless, increasing numbers of people are taking some form of supplements in the hope that it will optimize their health. Unfortunately, at present, they rely on advice from health-related magazines, books, advertising, radio and television reports or vitamin store salespeople. In fact, the majority of vitamin/mineral preparations have not given adequate attention to the doses, type, and chemical form of antioxidants, and appropriate minerals and other micronutrients.

Micronutrient formulations for hearing health


A merchandising display device having an upright tubular housing and a removable decorative covering is disclosed. The housing has an open top for permitting access to merchandise contained in the housing. The covering is of a deflatably air-inflated sleeve structure and is disposed around the housing so as to cover the outside surface of the housing. The covering includes an outer wall which defines the outer perimeter of the sleeve structure. The covering is formed of air-impervious flexible sheet material such that the outer wall is bulged outwardly due to internal pressure of the covering to provide a contour different from the contour of the housing.

The present invention relates generally to merchandising display devices and, more particularly, to a barrel-type display device having a removable or changeable decorative covering of an air-inflatable construction.
A variety of devices are known for use as merchandising displays. Such displays are located in retail establishments to present products in such a manner as to attract attention of a potential purchaser. One type of display known as a barrel-type display cooler comprises a bin-like or tub-like structure into which the retail product is loaded and then removed for purchase from the top of the display. Such a display often utilizes a waterproof internal compartment, and may be used for the merchandising of single-serving cans and bottles of beverages. The compartment is partially filled with ice, with the beverage containers being placed into the ice to maintain the product in a cold condition. Examples of such devices may be found, or example, by reference to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,946,032 and 5,048,171.
Another type of merchandising display is known as a barrel-type refrigerator which uses an electrically operated refrigerating system instead of ice to refrigerate or freeze a food product in an internal food compartment. An example of such a refrigerator is disclosed for example in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/373,962 filed Jan. 16, 1995 and owned by the assignee of the present invention.
Barrel-type display coolers and refrigerators frequently have applied to the external surface thereof some sort of attractive graphics representation in order to catch the attention of a prospective purchaser of the displayed product. Typically, such graphics are applied to the exterior of the display device in the form of a label, decal, panel or other essentially semi-permanent and/or virtually flat form. Where the graphics representation is a product specific label such as the one adhered to the display device and featuring the brand name of a particular beverage, the display device is limited in its use in that it cannot be used for a variety of products. Some of the graphics are changeable. However, those changeable require the display device to have certain retaining means such as a bracket for slidably engaging a graphics panel to removably retain the same on the exterior of the device. Further, these changeable graphics panels can vary the appearance of the device only graphically; they are not capable of changing the shape or contour of the device.
What is needed, therefore, is an easily removable and/or changeable decorative covering which can be used on and in association with the barrel-type display cooler or refrigerator.

Merchandising display device having inflatable decorative covering


A crystal comprising the collagen binding domain of human GPVI is provided and defined by structural atomic coordinates. Employing computer modeling based on the crystal structure, including methods for identifying inhibitors of GPVI collagen binding activity, methods for screening libraries of compounds for potential to bind to the GPVI collagen binding domain, and methods of identifying a compound useful for the treatment of a GPVI-mediated disorder, are also provided.

Thrombus formation in the arterial vasculature is a process initiated by the interaction of several platelet receptors with collagen and collagen-associated proteins at the site of vascular injury. Investigators have determined that, initially, platelets are tethered transiently to exposed collagen when the receptor GPIbα interacts with collagen-bound von Willebrand factor (vWF) (Ruggeri et al. 2002). For stable platelet adhesion to occur, the immunoglobulin (Ig)-like receptor GPVI must bind to collagen, triggering the activation of a signaling cascade (Moroi et al. Thromb Res. 2004), and Kahn et al. Semin Thromb Hemost. 2004). GPVI signaling leads to inside-out activation of the platelet integrins α2β1 and α11bβ3 (Nieswandt et al. EMBO J. 2001, and Chen et al. Mol Cell Biol. 2003). Activated α2β1 binds tightly to a specific sequence in collagen to allow firm adhesion of the platelets to the site of injury and activated α11bβ3 mediates platelet aggregation (Bennett et al. J Clin Invest. 2005). In addition, GPVI signaling stimulates secretion of platelet granule contents to activate nearby circulating platelets and propagate thrombus formation. In humans, GPVI deficiency causes a loss of platelet activation in response to collagen, and GPVI polymorphisms have been linked to increased risk of myocardial infarction. Remarkably, loss or inhibition of GPVI prevents arterial thrombus formation in animal models but causes only mildly prolonged bleeding times in mice and humans, suggesting that GPVI could be a prime therapeutic target for prevention of arterial thrombotic diseases such as heart attack and stroke.
The gene for GPVI is found in the leukocyte receptor cluster (LRC) on human chromosome 19. The sequence of the GPVI ectodomain was predicted to form two Ig-like domains comprising the collagen-binding domain followed by a heavily O-glycosylated stalk. Like other LRC receptors, GPVI associates with the FcR γ-chain co-receptor, and signaling is mediated both indirectly through the γ-chain and directly through the GPVI cytoplasmic domain. The quaternary structure of fibrous collagen is required for GPVI activation, although GPVI can also be activated by a synthetic collagen-related peptide (CRP) containing crosslinked strands of the repeating tripeptide (POG)n, where P is proline, O is hydroxyproline, and G is glycine (Farndale et al. J Thromb Haemost. 2004). Recently, GPVI has been shown to interact with the ectodomain of GPIbα on the surface of platelets (Arthur et al. Thromb Haemost. 2005) and to bind to laminin, a matrix protein exposed at sites of vascular injury (Inoue et al. Blood. 2005). Multimeric snake venom proteins such as convulxin can also strongly activate GPVI (Lu et al. Toxicon. 2005), suggesting that clustering of GPVI receptors through multiple binding events leads to activation. To better understand the molecular basis for collagen activation of platelets by GPVI, determining the crystal structure of the collagen-binding domain (CBD) of human GPVI and characterizing its interaction with CRP is highly desirable.

Crystal of human glycoprotein VI collagen binding domain


The invention relates to a circuit configuration for equalizing different voltages on line runs in integrated semiconductor circuits, where the bit line and the plate line have a voltage equalization transistor provided between them which, in normal operation of the semiconductor circuit, can be switched to low impedance by a control signal in order to equalize the different voltages on the lines.

The invention relates to a circuit configuration for equalizing a difference between a high-level bit line voltage on a bit line and a high-level plate line voltage on the plate line of a ferroelectric RAM storage device.
To date, the write voltage and the read voltage on a plate line and a bit line of a ferroelectric RAM storage device are produced by a generator system which supplies the plate line and the bit line to the same components.
If such a voltage generator produces a single output voltage, there is a high likelihood that the voltages distributed to a plurality of memory banks or segments via the isolated bit lines and plate lines will have different levels at particular points or in particular operating states of the memory circuit. These different levels can to be detected in the test mode, for example.
Published German Patent DE 691 19 679 T2 describes an output circuit in a sense amplifier for a semiconductor memory. In this case, the output signal from the semiconductor memory is briefly held stable at a defined level, specifically even when equalization pulses, that is to say signal uncertainties, occur.
For this purpose, the known output circuit has a transfer gate connected between two output signal lines in antiphase. The transfer gate is turned on during the brief time. The two aforementioned output signal lines of the known output circuits otherwise always carry, in principle, opposite potentials produced by two complementarily connected differential amplifiers. Accordingly, the known output circuit is not for equalizing two nominally equal voltage levels which may have a certain difference, but rather for briefly producing a mean potential between two output signals in antiphase.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a simple circuit configuration for equalizing different voltages on line runs in integrated semiconductor circuits, particularly the high-level bit line voltage and the high-level plate line voltage in a ferroelectric RAM storage device, such that the different voltages (particularly write voltage and read voltage) can be equalized in normal operation and also can be assessed independently of one another in the test mode.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, an equalization transistor connected between the bit line and the plate line of a ferroelectric RAM storage device of a semiconductor circuit. In normal operation of the semiconductor circuit, while the write or read voltage on the bit line and the plate line are at a high level together, the equalization transistor can be switched to low impedance by a control signal in order to equalize the voltage difference between the bit line and the plate line.
The voltage equalization transistor compensates for the different voltage levels in a ferroelectric RAM memory on the plate line and the bit line and can be switched to a high impedance in the test mode, which means that the plate and the bit line voltages can then be detected separately.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the voltage equalization transistor is preferably an MOS transistor whose source and drain connections are respectively connected to the bit line and to the plate line and whose gate connection can have the control signal, i.e. the inverted test mode signal in normal operation, applied to it.
In this way, the voltage equalization transistor can be switched to high impedance in the test mode, which means that the plate and bit line voltages are isolated in the test mode. This permits better characterization of the ferroelectric memory cell in a ferroelectric RAM storage device.
In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, the RAM storage device has a test mode in which a true test mode signal is produced; the test mode is invoked when the normal operating mode is not invoked; and the voltage equalization transistor has a high impedance state and is switched to the high impedance state by the true test mode signal when the RAM storage device is in the test mode.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in circuit configuration for equalizing different voltages on line runs in integrated semiconductor circuits, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.

Circuit configuration for equalizing different voltages on line runs in integrated semiconductor circuits


An electrical control module has electrical components on a circuit board inside of a box which is open on a side opposite of its bottom. A molding section is mounted to one side wall of the box. This molding has the same cross-sectional configuration as a molding which is installed on the edge of the side wall of a mobile storage unit. The side wall molding has a gap in it. The end wall of the storage unit is composed of two parallel upstanding panel members which are spaced apart from each other. The molding extends up to the gap from below and down to the gap from above. The control module slides into the gap and into the space between the panels. The section of molding on the module becomes flush with the molding on the storage unit when the module is inserted in the gap. Means are provided for releasably locking the module in the end wall of the storage unit.

The invention disclosed herein relates to the construction of an electrical control module and a procedure for mounting the module in a mobile storage unit.
Movable storage systems comprise a series of storage units which have shelves or bins, for example, and are movable on tracks to create an access aisle between two of the units and to establish the others in close side-by-side relationship to minimize the amount of floor space required for the units. Usually several mobile storage units are arranged to be movable between stationary storage units. Typically, the mobile units are supported on carriages which have wheels. There is a reversible electric motor mounted on each mobile carriage. The motor is mechanically coupled to the axle for a pair of the wheels for driving the storage units bidirectionally on the tracks. Typically, there are push buttons mounted on the upright end walls of each mobile storage unit. When a person desires to open an aisle between a particular pair of storage units, the person will press a push button which is mounted on an end wall of the storage unit adjacent the aisle which is to be opened. An electrical control module responds to a signal produced by the push button by energizing the motors which will drive the carriages of the storage units in the proper directions for opening of an aisle.
Customarily, the electric control modules were mounted in the mobile storage units in a place which made them difficult to access for inspection, maintenance or replacement. These conditions not only increased the amount of time required for performing maintenance operations due to disassembly of parts of the unit but also created uncomfortable working conditions for the maintenance technician.

Electrical control module for mobile storage apparatus


A method for the incineration of a fluid or fluidizable material by use of a pulsed plasma is disclosed. The plasma is produced by a confined discharge in a closed chamber having an exit port and containing an ablating material. The method comprises the following steps: a) introducing the material into the chamber; and b) generating a plasma by ignition within the chamber thereby producing a flow of the plasma which incinerates the fluid material. Further described are a process for the detoxification of waste materials and a method for cracking a first compound in order to form a second compound using the method of the invention. A plasma incinerator is also described.

Incineration and decomposition of chemicals by plasma have been known for over 50 years. For example, during the 1950's ethylene was produced by the cracking of hydrocarbons with plasma. Subsequently, the technology was practically abandoned by the chemical industry for a few decades.
During the past 15 years the plasma incineration of hazardous materials has once again become popular due to several factors. First of all, recent environmental concerns have raised emission standards for the destruction of hazardous materials. These standards can be followed by conventional incinerators only with great difficulty and at relatively high expense. Furthermore, there exists a wide class of organic wastes, such as halo-organic compounds, whose incineration in the presence of air can result in the production of compounds even more hazardous than the starting materials, such as phosgene, dioxins, furans and other extremely toxic gaseous substances. The treatment of such wastes by conventional pyrolysis is extremely expensive.
Furthermore, the temperature level which can be reached in combustion is limited by the adiabatic flame temperature. Since most conventional incinerators operate at 1200.degree. C., total destruction of waste requires high retention time, post-combustion and fast quenching time, complex gas cleaning, etc. Due to all of the above factors, the use of plasma incinerators has become commercially acceptable and sometimes even the sole treatment method. By using plasma one can achieve temperatures as high as 2000-3000.degree. C. in the treated bed so that the cracking of molecules is done faster and more efficiently. Another important aspect is that there is no need to add an oxidant agent to enable pyrolysis. This fact is important for example, for halo-organic compounds where the presence of oxygen can produce toxic substances.
Conventional plasma incinerators are generally operated in a continuous mode which will be referred to as continuous plasma incineration (CPI). The plasma is produced by a discharge in a carrier gas such as air, oxygen, nitrogen or argon so that the plasma has a very low density. Therefore, although the plasma can reach a high temperature, the effective temperature in the treated bed is in the range of 2000-3000.degree. C. Conventional CPI incinerators are operated at a power level of a few MW.
Plasma can also be generated by pulsed-plasma incineration (PPI) in a pulsed form by confined high pressure discharge, as described for example in A. Loeb and Z. Kaplan, IEEE Transaction on Magnetics, Vol. 25, No. 1, 342 (1989), incorporated by reference. PPI has a basically different mode of operation than that of CPI devices. This method of generation very efficiently couples a large amount of electrically stored energy into the formation of a hot plasma jet. Pulses of a duration of several milliseconds and at a power level of up to 1GW can be-produced.
Furthermore, following the ignition of the discharge in a confined volume, the plasma begins to ablate the surrounding wall material. This has several important consequences. Firstly, the plasma density is greatly increased, usually up to 10.sup.-3 g/cc, due to ablated mass being added to the plasma without the need of any carrier gas. Secondly, the ablated matter cools the plasma down to 1-3 eV, and subsequently increases the device's electrical impedance. If the plasma is allowed to escape from the confined volume through an exit nozzle, steady state plasma production operation conditions can result for a steady voltage/current supply to the discharge.
Furthermore, the high density plasma jet which carries a mass in the order of 100 mg per pulse travels at a velocity in the range of 10-20 km/s. Hence, the jet carries a very high momentum.
In the CPI case, on the other hand, the plasma radiation is. absorbed by a very small amount of the treated matter or by the gases in the reactor due to the low density and the low jet momentum. Thus, the remainder of the treated bed is heated mainly by conduction and convection heat transfer mechanisms. The energy is evenly distributed to all the degrees of freedom in the treated bed. In the PPI mode the dominant mechanism is radiative heat transfer (RHT). This mechanism is generally ineffective. However, in PPI the RHT is increased by several orders of magnitude due to the propagation of the high-velocity jet in the treated bed. This is due to the fact that the surface area exposed to the radiation is substantially increased by the Rayleigh-Taylor and Kelvin-Helmholtz hydrodynamic instabilities occurring on the jet-fluid interface. This effect is described experimentally in A. Arensburg, S. Wald and S. Goldsmith, J. Appl. Phys. 73 (5) (1993), incorporated by reference.
The outcome of this effect is that a major part of the radiation directly excites specific chemical bonds within the treated materials as compared to the global excitation in the CPI case. The photon wavelength distribution is similar to that of a black body. For a typical PPI plasma most of the photons are in the range of 100-200 nm. This is in the range most relevant for the cracking of many important chemical bonds, such as halogen-carbon bonds in halo-organic compounds. Therefore, the effect of the plasma jet is more similar to photolysis processes usually carried out by UV lamps or by high intensity lasers. Laser (and UV) decomposition is well known, but it is difficult and expensive to produce a laser pulse of several milliseconds in the power range of 100 MW, which is, however, easily obtained by PPI. Furthermore, there is no plasma jet effect leading to an increase in RHT.
The incineration of chemical wastes by using pulsed plasma has been previously described in a number of publications.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,494,974 describes the pyrolysis of 1,2-dichlorotetrafluoroethane in a plasma jet to produce trifluromethane. The plasma torch in this patent is a conventional one: low-density, low power and not produced by a confined discharge. The pulsing mode is used in this patent only as a result of the sequential character of the process for the production of trifluromethane. It is therefore in truth more comparable to a CPI process.
In a recent publication by H. Kohno et.al. "Destruction of Volatile Organic Compounds Used in the Semiconductor Industry by a Capillary Tube Discharge Reactor", IEEE Trans. on Ind. Appl. (1995) pp. 1445-1452, confined discharge is used for plasma production. However, the discharge is done in a gaseous environment without the presence of any ablating material. No ablation mechanism occurs, the plasma density is low and no jet-flow momentum effects take place.

State of Israel Atomic Energy Commission Soreq Nuclear Research Center


The present invention discloses an apparatus for the rotation of, for example, workpieces to be machined, on a carrier which can be set in rotation by a pinion shaft with toothed strips via a rack, the rack being arranged perpendicularly to an axis of the pinion shaft in a cylinder bore of a housing slidably between covers closing the cylinder bore, pistons provided on the rack at each end forming with a respective cover a chamber which can be subjected to pressure medium, and the toothed strips of the pinion shaft meshing with the toothing of the rack between the two pistons, wherein the spacing of the toothing and pinion shaft or toothed strips is variable.

The invention relates to an apparatus for the rotation of, for example, workpieces to be machined, on a carrier which can be set in rotation by a pinion shaft with toothed strips via a rack, the rack being arranged perpendicularly to an axis of the pinion shaft in a cylinder bore of a housing slidably between covers closing the cylinder bore, pistons provided on the rack at each end forming with a respective cover a chamber which can be subjected to pressure medium, and the toothed strips of the pinion shaft meshing with the toothing of the rack between the two pistons.
Rotary units of this type are known and are predominantly used for generating rotational movements, the rotational movements taking place only within a limited angle With rotary units of this type, in most. versions the rotational movements are generated as a result of the interaction of a rack and a pinion shaft. Preferably, a rack is guided between two pistons which form respectively between them and each of the covers closing the housing a chamber which can be subjected to a pressure medium. The pressure medium is controlled, for example, via proximity switches, by means of which the direction of rotation of the particular rotational movement is determined.
Since high dimensional accuracies are required for the machining of workpieces, it is necessary that a corresponding rotational movement be adjustable exactly in terms of the rotary angle. To guarantee such dimensional accuracy, most rotary units are equipped with corresponding devices determining the spacing between the toothed strip and the meshing pinion shaft. Thus, for example, there are known devices which by the use of two racks compensate a play which occurs under particular circumstances. Other devices provide under the rack a support bearing which is supported against the pinion shaft by means of appropriate spring devices or the like and which thereby compensates any play which occurs. The disadvantage of this device is that it either involves a high outlay or is exposed to increased wear as a result of the pressure force of the two toothing parts against one another.
Furthermore, in rotary units of this type, it is important that the end positions be reached in a damped manner. An abrupt break of the rotational movement leads to increased wear at those toothing points which are in engagement in the end positions, and because of the inertia of the workpiece it could result in the displacement of the latter, thus necessarily leading to an incorrect machining of this workpiece. To obtain such damped end positions, shock absorbers are introduced into the rotary units laterally in covers closing the pressure chambers and respectively damp the linear movement of the pistons in the region of the end positions.
The disadvantage of shock absorbers fastened in this way is that they can be sealed off only with great difficulty, and this repeatedly leads to pressure-reducing consequences within the chambers which can be subjected to pressure medium. Since the end positions of the rotational movement have to be varied according to the particular mode of machining of a workpiece, shock absorbers of this type cannot be installed unreleasably in the housing. A further problem is also presented by the size of such a rotary unit necessitated by the provision of such shock absorbers. Because the shock-absorber sleeves project on both sides, a rotary unit of this type often attains an undesirable constructional length.
Likewise, it is often shown to be a disadvantage of rotary units of this type that no intermediate position can be obtained between the end positions. But this is often necessary or would prove cost-effective in machining of a workpiece in which two work steps are required for the machining. With an appropriate intermediate position or within an appropriate intermediate stop, the two operations could be executed within one rotational movement.


The presently disclosed subject matter includes a mobile electronic comprising an integrated camera, comprising a Wide camera unit comprising a Wide lens unit, and a Telephoto camera unit comprising a telephoto lens unit, the telephoto lens unit and the wide lens unit having respectively TTL/EFL ratios smaller and larger than 1 and defining separate telephoto and wide optical paths.

Digital camera modules are currently being incorporated into a variety of portable electronic devices. Such devices include for example mobile phones (e.g. smartphones), personal data assistants (PDAs), computers, and so forth. Digital camera modules for use in portable devices have to meet certain requirements such as good quality imaging, small footprint, as well as low weight.
Several techniques for small digital camera modules providing good quality imaging are described in WO14083489 and WO14199338, both assigned to the assignee of the present application.
According to the technique described in WO14083489, a multi-aperture imaging system comprises a first camera with a first sensor that captures a first image and a second camera with a second sensor that captures a second image. The two cameras have either identical or different FOVs. Either image may be chosen to be a primary or an auxiliary image, based on a zoom factor. An output image with a point of view determined by the primary image is obtained by registering the auxiliary image to the primary image.
The technique described in WO14199338 relates to a dual-aperture zoom digital camera operable in both still and video modes. The camera includes Wide and Tele imaging sections with respective lens/sensor combinations and image signal processors and a camera controller operatively coupled to the Wide and Tele imaging sections. The controller is configured to combine in still mode at least some of the Wide and Tele image data to provide a fused output image from a particular point of view, and to provide, without fusion, continuous zoom video mode output images, each output image having a given output resolution. The video mode output images are provided with a smooth transition when switching between a lower zoom factor (ZF) value and a higher ZF value or vice versa. At the lower ZF the output resolution is determined by the Wide sensor, while at the higher ZF value the output resolution is determined by the Tele sensor.
General Description
There is a need in the art for a novel camera module for use in modern portable electronic devices, such as smart phones, laptops, notepads, etc.
As noted above, the requirements for the camera modules for use in such devices are related to the size, weight and image quality of the camera. Moreover, these requirements become more essential when the camera module is to be installed within the portable device, unlike other external camera units attachable to the portable device. In the case of an internal (integral) camera unit, the dimensions of the camera optics should be as small as possible in order to be suitable to operate with commonly used detectors and to fit the thickness of the device in which the camera is installed (preferably without protruding from the device's casing), while the trend in such devices is to reduce the thickness as much as possible.
This problem is even more crucial when using, in a portable device, a lens with a long length with a fixed and relatively high zooming effect. Considering for example the dual-aperture zoom digital camera described in above-indicated publications WO014083489 and WO014199338 mentioned above, it utilizes Wide and Tele imaging channels which provide advanced imaging capabilities such as zoom and image quality by image fusion between the two channels.
One of the problems with dual-aperture zoom cameras relates to the dimensions (heights) of Wide and Tele cameras along the optical axis. Such dimensions depend on total track lengths (TTLs) of the Tele and Wide lenses used in the respective imaging channels.
As schematically illustrated in FIG. 1B, the TTL is typically defined as the maximal distance between the object-side surface of the lens module and an image plane IP defined by such a lens module (where the sensing surface of a camera detector is placed). In most miniature lenses, the TTL is larger than the effective focal length (EFL) of the lens module, which is equal to the distance between the effective principal plane of the lens and its focal plane (which substantially coincides with image plane IP).
With regard to the term effective principal plane, the following should be understood. Generally, the lens (or lens module) has front and rear principal planes, which have the property that a ray emerging from the lens appears to have crossed the rear principal plane at the same distance from the axis that that ray appeared to cross the front principal plane, as viewed from the front of the lens. This means that the lens can be treated as if all of the refraction occurred at the principal planes. The principal planes are crucial in defining the optical properties of the system, since it is the distance of the object and image from the front and rear principal planes that determine the magnification of the system. The principal points are the points where the principal planes cross the optical axis.
Considering dual-aperture optical zoom in a mobile phone (e.g. a smartphone) with the typically used lenses, i.e. typical TTL/EFL ratio of about 1.3, the Wide and Tele lenses would have TTLs of about 4.55 mm and 9.1 mm, respectively. This will result in undesirably long camera modules for use in such a smartphone device.
Further, the difference in the TTLs of the Wide and Tele lens modules can cause shadowing and light-blocking problems. Reference is made to FIG. 1A schematically illustrating that part of incoming light incident on the "higher" lens does not reach the "shorter" lens. In this connection, one should keep in mind that a distance between the Tele and Wide lens modules should be as small as possible to meet the overlapping/common FOVs as well as footprint requirements for the camera unit in a portable device.
Another part of the presently disclosed subject matter is associated with the implementation of standard optical image stabilization (OIS) in a dual-aperture zoom camera. Standard OIS compensates for camera tilt ("CT") by a parallel-to-the image sensor (exemplarily in the X-Y plane) lens movement ("LMV"). Camera tilt causes image blur. The amount of LMV (in mm) needed to counter a given camera tilt depends on the cameras lens EFL, according to the relation LMV=CT*EFL where "CT" is in radians and EFL is in mm. Since, as shown above, a dual-aperture zoom camera may include two lenses with significantly different EFLs, it is impossible to move both lenses together and achieve optimal tilt compensation for both Tele and Wide cameras. That is, since the tilt is the same for both cameras, a movement that will cancel the tilt for the Wide camera will be insufficient to cancel the tilt for the Tele camera. Similarly, a movement that will cancel the tilt for the Tele camera will over-compensate the tilt cancellation for the Wide camera. Assigning a separate OIS actuator to each camera can achieve simultaneous tilt compensation, but at the expense of a complicated and costly camera system.
Thus, for both a single-aperture or multi-aperture (dual) camera unit, the use of a telephoto lens would be advantageous, as such a telephoto lens provides reduced TTL while enabling to maintain the relatively high EFL required for the Tele lens, i.e. for telephoto lens TTL<EFL. However, the dimensions of conventional lenses in which the telephoto condition is satisfied do not allow them to be used as integral lenses fully embedded in a thin portable device. The telephoto lens module, in order to be used as an integral lens in a modern portable device, has to satisfy the telephoto condition (i.e. TTL<EFL) while the lens module is to be as short as possible (along the optical path of light passing through it) allowing it to be fully fitted within the portable device casing.
Accordingly, a miniature telephoto lens module is disclosed which is designed with the desired dimensions to enable its integration within a portable device. According to some examples of the presently disclosed subject matter, the miniature telephoto lens module (or telephoto lens unit) is designed to be completely integrated within the casing of a conventional Smartphone, i.e. without protruding therefrom. The disclosed telephoto lens module has a total track lens (TTL) smaller than an effective focal lens (EFL) thereof, and is configured such that its dimension along the optical axis is desirably small, i.e. about 4-15 mm or less (e.g. suitable to be fitted in a portable device having a casing as small as 4 mm).
The telephoto lens unit comprises multiple lens elements made of at least two different polymer materials having different Abbe numbers. The multiple lens elements comprise a first group of at least three lens elements being a telephoto lens assembly, and a second group of at least two lens elements being a field lens assembly.
The first group of lens elements comprises, in order from the object plane to the image plane along an optical axis of the telephoto lens unit: a first lens having positive optical power and a pair of second and third lenses having together negative optical power such that said telephoto lens assembly provides a telephoto optical effect of said telephoto lens unit and wherein said second and third lenses are each made of one of said at least two different polymer materials having a different Abbe number, for reducing chromatic aberrations of said telephoto lens. The second group of lens elements is configured to correct field curvature of said telephoto lens assembly, and said field lens module comprises two or more of said lens elements made of the different polymer materials respectively having different Abbe numbers, and configured to compensate for residual chromatic aberrations of said telephoto lens assembly dispersed during light passage through an effective gap located between the telephoto and field lens assemblies. The effective gap is larger than ⅕ of the TTL of the telephoto lens unit, thereby allowing sufficient field separation for reducing chromatic aberration.
Various examples disclosed herein include an optical lens unit comprising, in order from an object side to an image side: a first lens element with positive refractive power having a convex object-side surface, a second lens element with negative refractive power having a thickness d2 on an optical axis and separated from the first lens element by a first air gap, a third lens element with negative refractive power and separated from the second lens element by a second air gap, a fourth lens element having a positive refractive power and separated from the third lens element by an effective third air gap, and a fifth lens element having negative refractive power, separated from the fourth lens element by an effective fourth air gap, the fifth lens element having a thickness d5 on the optical axis.
An optical lens unit may further include a stop, positioned before the first lens element, a glass window disposed between the image-side surface of the fifth lens element and an image sensor with an image plane on which an image of the object is formed.
Each lens element has two surfaces, each surface having a respective diameter. The largest diameter among all lens elements is defined as an "optical diameter" of the lens assembly.
As disclosed herein, TTL is defined as the distance on an optical axis between the object-side surface of the first lens element and an image plane where the image sensor is placed. "EFL" has its regular meaning, as mentioned above. In all embodiments, TTL is smaller than the EFL, i.e. the TTL/EFL ratio is smaller than 1.0. In some embodiments, the TTL/EFL ratio is smaller than 0.9. In an embodiment, the TTL/EFL ratio is about 0.85. According to some examples the lens assembly has an F number F#<3.2.
According to an example disclosed herein, the focal length of the first lens element f1 is smaller than TTL/2, the first, third and fifth lens elements have each an Abbe number ("Vd") greater than 50, the second and fourth lens elements have each an Abbe number smaller than 30, the first air gap is smaller than d2/2, the effective third air gap is greater than TTL/5 and the effective fourth air gap is smaller than 1.5d5TTL/50. In some embodiments, the surfaces of the lens elements may be aspheric.
In the optical lens unit mentioned above, the first lens element with positive refractive power allows the TTL of the lens unit to be favorably reduced. The combined design of the first, second and third lens elements plus the relative short distances between them enable a long EFL and a short TTL. The same combination, together with the high dispersion (low Vd) for the second lens element and low dispersion (high Vd) for the first and third lens elements, also helps to reduce chromatic aberration. In particular, the ratio TTL/EFL<1.0 and minimal chromatic aberration are obtained by fulfilling the relationship 1.2×|f3|>|f2|>1.5×f1, where "f" indicates the lens element effective focal length and the numerals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 indicate the lens element number.
The relatively large effective gap between the third and the fourth lens elements plus the combined design of the fourth and fifth lens elements assist in bringing all fields' focal points to the image plane. Also, because the fourth and fifth lens elements have different dispersions and have respectively positive and negative power, they help in minimizing chromatic aberration.
The telephoto lens module disclosed herein may be advantageously adapted to be incorporated in a mobile phone camera that uses a typical ¼′ or ⅓′ image sensor. For example, to be competitive with known mobile phone cameras with ¼′ image sensors, it would be advantageous for the TTL of the telephoto lens module to be smaller than 5.5 mm and the largest lens diameter to be smaller than 4 mm. To be competitive with known mobile phone cameras with ⅓′ image sensors, it would be advantageous for the TTL of the telephoto lens module to be smaller than 6.5 mm and the largest lens diameter to be smaller than 5 mm.
Accordingly to an example of the presently disclosed subject matter there is provided an optical lens unit configured to provide an image on an entire area of a ¼″ image sensor, the lens unit comprising five lens elements and having a TTL smaller than 5.5 mm, an EFL larger than 5.9 mm, and an optical diameter smaller than 4 mm.
Accordingly in another example of the presently disclosed subject matter there is provided an optical lens unit operative to provide an image on an entire area of a ⅓″ image sensor, the lens unit comprising five lens elements and having a TTL smaller than 6.2 mm, an EFL larger than 6.8 mm, and an optical diameter smaller than 5 mm.
Also, as mentioned above, according to the presently disclosed subject matter it is suggested to have all lens elements made of polymer material such as plastic. While lenses made of polymer material are advantageous for reducing the price tag of the telephoto lens module as well as its weight, there are very few polymer materials which are suitable for this purpose. This is different to glass lenses which can be made of a variety of different glass materials, each characterized by a different Abbe number. The scarcity in polymer materials presents a challenge when designing lenses for a telephoto lens module. This challenge is at least partly due to the limitation in possible combinations of different lenses with different Abbe numbers which can be used for the purpose of correcting field curvature and compensating for chromatic aberrations.
Thus, according to one aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter there is provided a mobile electronic device comprising an integrated camera, wherein the camera comprises a Wide camera unit comprising a Wide lens unit, and a Telephoto camera unit comprising a telephoto lens unit, the telephoto lens unit and the wide lens unit having respectively TTL/EFL ratios smaller and larger than 1 and defining separate telephoto and wide optical paths.
In addition to the above features, the mobile electronic device according to this aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter can optionally comprise one or more of features (i) to (xvi) below, in any desired combination or permutation:
(i). wherein light receiving outer surfaces of the Wide and Telephoto lens units are located substantially in the same plane, thereby reducing shadowing and light blocking effects therebetween.
(ii). wherein the Wide and Telephoto camera units are mounted on separate printed circuit boards.
(iii). wherein the printed circuit boards are located in different spaced-apart substantially parallel planes.
(iv). wherein the Wide and Telephoto camera units are mounted directly on a single printed circuit board.
(v). wherein the Wide and Telephoto camera units are spaced from one another a distance d of about 1 mm.
(vi). wherein the telephoto lens unit is made of at least two polymer materials.
(vii). wherein the telephoto lens has a total track lens (TTL) not exceeding 15 mm.
(viii). wherein the telephoto lens has TTL less than 10 mm.
(ix). wherein the telephoto lens unit comprises multiple lens elements made of at least two different polymer materials having different Abbe numbers, the multiple lens elements comprise a first group of at least three lens elements configured to form a telephoto lens assembly, and a second group of at least two lens elements configured to form a field lens assembly, wherein the field lens assembly is spaced from the telephoto lens assembly by a predetermined effective gap.
(x). wherein said at least two different polymer materials comprise at least one plastic material with the Abbe number larger than 50, and at least one plastic material with the Abbe number smaller than 30.
(xi). wherein the first group of lens elements comprises, in order from an object plane to an image plane along an optical axis of the telephoto lens unit: a first lens having positive optical power and a pair of second and third lenses having together negative optical power such that said telephoto lens assembly provides telephoto optical effect of said telephoto lens unit, and said second and third lenses are each made of one of said at least two different polymer materials having a different Abbe number, for reducing chromatic aberrations of said telephoto lens; and
the second group of lens elements is configured to correct field curvature of said telephoto lens assembly, and comprises two or more of said lens elements made of the different polymer materials respectively having different Abbe numbers, and configured to compensate for residual chromatic aberrations of said telephoto lens assembly dispersed during light passage through said effective gap between the telephoto and field lens assemblies.
(xii). wherein the first, third and fifth lens elements have each an Abbe number greater than 50, and the second and fourth lens elements have each an Abbe number smaller than 30.
(xiii). wherein the predetermined effective gap is equal to or larger than ⅕ of the TTL of the telephoto lens unit.
(xiv). wherein the lens elements of the field lens assembly are spaced from one another an effective air gap smaller than 1/50 of the TTL of the telephoto lens unit.
(xv). wherein the telephoto lens unit has a TTL smaller than 5.5 mm, an effective focal length (EFL) larger than 5.9 mm, and an optical diameter smaller than 4 mm, thereby enabling to provide an image on an entire area of a ¼″ image sensor.
(xvi). wherein the telephoto lens unit has a TTL smaller than 6.2 mm, an effective focal length (EFL) larger than 6.8 mm, and an optical diameter smaller than 5 mm, thereby enabling to provide an image on an entire area of a ⅓″ image sensor.
According to another aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter there is provided a camera for integrating in a mobile electronic device, the camera comprising a Wide camera unit and a Telephoto camera unit comprising respectively a wide lens unit and a telephoto lens unit having TTL/EFL ratios larger and smaller than 1, respectively, and defining wide and telephoto optical paths.
Wherein according to some examples the lens elements of at least the telephoto lens unit are made of one or more polymer materials.

Miniature telephoto lens module and a camera utilizing such a lens module


An electrophotographic image forming apparatus on the main body of which a process cartridge is detachably mountable and for forming an image on a detachably mountable and for forming an image on a recording medium includes (a) a mounting device for detachably mounting the process cartridge having an electrophotographic photosensitive member, a process device for acting on the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and a cartridge radio communication device having a memory element for storing therein information necessary for the image forming operation performed by the process cartridge when the process device is caused to act on the electrophotographic photosensitive member to thereby form an image on the recording medium, and radio-communicating to the main body the information stored in the memory element, (b) a main body radio communication device having a controlling portion for effecting the reading and writing of the information to the memory element of the cartridge radio communication device, and radio-communicating to the cartridge radio communication device the information for the controlling portion to effect reading and writing to the memory element, and (c) a main body control device using the information stored and held in advance under a predetermined condition to make the image forming operation by the process cartridge possible when interference occurs with the radio communication by the cartridge radio communication device and the main body radio communication device.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium and on which a process cartridge is detachably mountable.
Here, the electrophotographic image forming apparatus is an apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium by the use of the electrophotographic image forming method. Examples of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus include, for example, an electrophotographic copier, an electrophotographic printer (such as a laser printer or an LED printer), a facsimile apparatus and a word processor.
Also, the term xe2x80x9cprocess cartridgexe2x80x9d refers to charging means, developing means or cleaning means as process means and an electrophotographic photosensitive member integrally made into a cartridge that is detachably mountable to the main body of the image forming apparatus. Or at least one of charging means, developing means and cleaning means as process means and an electrophotographic photosensitive member that are integrally made into a cartridge that is detachably mountable to the main body of the image forming apparatus. Further, the term xe2x80x9cprocess cartridgexe2x80x9d also refers to at least developing means as process means and an electrophotographic photosensitive member integrally made into a cartridge that is detachably mountable to the main body of the image forming apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
In an electrophotographic image forming apparatus using the electrophotographic image forming process, there has heretofore been adopted a process-cartridge system in which an electrophotographic photosensitive member and process means for acting on this electrophotographic photosensitive member are integrally made into a cartridge that is made detachably mountable to the main body of the image forming apparatus. According to this process cartridge system, the maintenance of the apparatus can be done by a user himself without resorting to a serviceman and therefore, operability could be markedly improved. So, this process-cartridge system is widely used in image forming apparatuses.
In such an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, a memory unit is provided in the process cartridge and information necessary for the image forming operation (printing operation) of forming an image on a recording medium by the process cartridge is stored and held in that memory unit. The main body of the image forming apparatus is provided with a transmitting and receiving unit for communicating with the memory unit and reading information necessary for the image forming operation. In starting the printing operation, various parameters necessary for the printing operation stored and held in advance in the memory unit are read through the transmitting and receiving unit, and the printing operation is performed while the control of each portion is effected in accordance with the parameters. In this case, when for some reason or other, communication with the memory unit cannot be effected, it is judged to be trouble and the printing operation is stopped.
The present invention is the further development of the above-described conventional art.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrophotographic image forming apparatus that can perform the image forming operation by a process cartridge even when interference occurs with the communication of information necessary for the image forming operation that is stored and held on the process-cartridge side.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an electrophotographic image forming apparatus that uses pre-stored information under a predetermined condition to make the image forming operation with a process cartridge possible when interference occurs to the radio (wireless) communication between cartridge radio-communication means and main-body-radio-communication means.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon consideration of the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS COMPRISING A MAIN BODY CONTROL MEANS USING INFORMATION STORED AND HELD IN ADVANCE UNDER A PREDETERMINED CONDITION TO MAKE AN IMAGE FORMING OPERATION BY A PROCESS CARTRIDGE POSSIBLE WHEN INTERFERENCE OCCURS TO CARTRIDGE-APPARATUS COMMUNICATION OR A CONTROLLER FOR CONTROLLING AN IMAGE FORMING OPERATION ON THE BASIS OF MAIN BODY INFORMATION STORED IN ADVANCE


A Conduit Tile Hook is disclosed for supporting a conduit above a roof. The Conduit Tile Hook simply slides under an existing roof tile, without cut-outs or removing any nails, and allows the conduit to sit 1.5″ off of the roof surface to decrease the effects of heating caused by solar irradiance.

When installing solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on tilted rooftops, there is a portion of the project that lacked in aesthetics and integrity. The method of installing the conduit to house the conductors that run from the solar PV modules down to the electrical panel seemed a bit rudimentary. In particular, the process involves gluing sawed-off pieces of 2×4 wood studs to the tile and mounting the electrical conduit to these studs. This method was not the most efficient as wood is not a typical item found in most electrical warehouses and requires a separate trip to a home improvement store, or lumber yard. The time it takes to transport, cut, and glue pieces of wood to the tile also slows down the installation, as this must be done prior to the actual installation of the conduit so that the glue can dry. The intent of the wood pieces was to give the conduit a flat surface so that it can be screwed down without penetrating the roof or tile, while at the same time giving sufficient physical space between the roof surface and conduit. The 1½″ gap between the roof and conduit diminishes the heat effects of the sun shining on a roof. Per NEC 2014 Table 310.15(B)(3)(c), conduits that have at least 1½″ space above the roof, rather than being mounted flush on the roof, reduce the overall temperature of the conductors by 20 degrees. This is significant when determining the size of the conductors and efficiency of the overall system. With this in mind, there is a need for a better, easier and overall more aesthetically pleasing method of installing conduit on tile roofs.


A turbine stator vane or turbine rotor vane has a body, a channel being adapted for leading a cooling fluid through the body, and a flow adaption feature protruding from the body to the channel in such a manner as to reduce a cross-sectional area of the channel.

Turbine vanes, such as turbine stator vanes or rotor vanes, the latter being also known as turbine blades, are subjected during operation in a gas or steam turbine to hot gas or steam. Thus, they need an active cooling, which is achieved by passing a cooling fluid such as air through internal passages of the vanes known as cooling channels.
The pressure drop and flow-rate of the cooling fluid is determined inter alia by the internal geometry of each vane and in particular of its cooling channels, and may vary depending on manufacturing tolerances affecting for example the cross-sectional areas of the cooling channels. Further, the same type of vane may be used in different types or versions of turbines, and further in different fields of operation, which may result in different firing temperatures and/or different life requirements. Thus, varying demands regarding the flow of the cooling fluid may exist.
In view of these varying requirements, the vanes are typically manufactured to match the highest cooling demands and/or worse-case manufacturing tolerances related to a desired cooling flow. For example, cross-sectional areas of the cooling channels are determined to be sufficiently large for guaranteeing a sufficient flow of cooling fluid even under the hottest firing temperatures to be expected. This, however, results in a loss of performance, since on the one hand cooling fluid and in particular cooling air mixes, when leaving the turbine vane, to the hot gas in the turbine and thus reduces its energy level. On the other hand, cooling air is drawn from the compressor, thereby reducing pressure and energy of the compressed air.
Accordingly, there is a need for providing turbine stator and/or rotor vanes having a better efficiency, improving the performance and power output of different types of turbines under varying, pre-specified conditions, while on the other hand meeting given life requirements.

Turbine stator vane and/or turbine rotor vane with a cooling flow adjustment feature and corresponding method of adapting a vane


A device for holding two fishing rods simultaneously comprising a vertically positionably post, the post having a lower end insertable into the ground, the post having an upper end with an extent formed at an acute angle with respect to the vertical and a horizontal component at the upper end of the upper extent adapted to be held by the person fishing, the post having an intermediate extent to orient the upper extent at an elevation to locate the lower portion of a fishing rod at a convenient height for the person fishing; a pair of tubes secured to the post adjacent to the upper extent thereof to orient the tubes with the axes at a common acute angle from the vertical with the axes of the tubes being rotationally displaced at an acute angle whereby two fishing rods supported by the tubes will extend at a proper angular orientation with respect to the horizontal and at a proper angular orientation with respect to each other.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fishing rod holders and more particularly pertains to devices which may be used to simultaneously hold two fishing rods.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of fishing rod holders is known in the prior art. More specifically, the fishing rod holders heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of holding a fishing rod are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
The prior art discloses various devices for holding fishing rods while fishing. Most, however, require a large number of moving parts in a complex configuration increasing costs and complexity. Note McKinsey U.S. Pat. No. 4,197,668; Banta U.S. Pat. No. 3,205,606; Gibbons U.S. Pat. No. 3,453,765. Simpler devices for supporting fishing rods are disclosed in Phillips U.S. Pat. No. 4,156,982 and Mack U.S. Pat. No. 4,157,803. These two disclosures relate to simplified supports but are specifically configured for coupling to the gunwale of a boat. None relates to inserting the supporting device into the ground and for holding two fishing rods.
In this respect, the fishing rod holder according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of holding plural fishing rods at a proper angle.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for new and improved fishing rod holders which can be used to hold two rods at proper orientations. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.