A battery module having a cooling plate assembly made from two non-contiguous cooling plates is provided. Each cooling plate has a side panel contiguous with a base panel, and the cooling plates are disposed opposite one another such that the base panels are coplanar and separated by a gap. An inlet duct runs along an upper edge of each side panel, and a manifold having coolant channels in fluid communication with the inlet duct is located in each side panel. The base panels have an outlet duct in fluid communication with the manifold. The cooling plate is designed to decrease friction loss as coolant flows through the inlet duct, manifold and outlet cut, and coolant channels in the manifold are designed to maintain a uniform flow rate across the manifold. Individual cells are disposed in the assembly such that the cell sides and bottoms are in heat-transfer contact with the plate side and base panels, respectively. The design of the battery module reduces operational temperature variation in the cells across the battery module and within each battery cell. Methods for reducing coolant flow friction loss, for establishing a more uniform coolant flow rate, and for reducing temperature variation are also provided.

Lithium-ion and related batteries, collectively known as a rechargeable energy storage system (RESS), continue to be considered a clean, efficient, and environmentally responsible power source for electric vehicles and various other applications. In particular RESS technologies are being used in automotive applications as a way to supplement, in the case of hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), or supplant, in the case of purely electric vehicles (EVs), conventional internal combustion engines (ICEs). The ability to passively store energy from stationary and portable sources, as well as from recaptured kinetic energy provided by the vehicle and its components, makes batteries ideal to serve as part of a propulsion system for cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles and related vehicular platforms. In the present context, a cell is a single electrochemical unit, whereas a battery pack is made up of one or more cells joined in series, parallel or both, depending on desired output voltage and capacity.
Battery temperature significantly affects the performance, safety, and life of lithium ion batteries in hybrid vehicles under differing driving conditions. Uneven temperature distribution in the battery pack can lead to electrically unbalanced modules, and consequently to lower performance and shorter battery life. As a result, thermal management for lithium ion batteries is receiving increased attention from automobile manufacturers and battery suppliers. Major thermal concerns of a battery pack are overheating and uneven heating within each individual battery cell and across the entire battery pack during operational charge/discharge cycles, which can lead to fast battery degradation and capacity reduction of battery cells. Maintaining a uniform temperature within the battery cell is difficult because of non-uniform heat generation within the battery cell. In addition, the heating and cooling systems can produce non-uniform heat transfer because of their internal thermal resistance. Battery pack designs in which battery cells operate in controlled temperature ranges are desirable.
The convection heat transfer rate of battery cooling plate surfaces and battery heat generation rate are the two major parameters that affect the temperature of battery cells. The generation of propulsive power from the RESS also produces significant thermal loads. As such, a RESS-based system preferably includes a cooling system to avoid unacceptably high levels of heat being imparted to the batteries and ancillary equipment. Keeping excess heat away from these, as well as other, thermally-sensitive components helps to promote their proper operation and long life. In one particular form, such a cooling system may include the passive or active circulation of a liquid coolant in, around or otherwise thermally adjacent to the batteries or other heat-generating components.
Li-ion high-performance batteries are used in hybrid powertrains exhibiting exceptionally high dynamics. At times of momentary peak load, e.g. when braking (recovery (recuperation) of brake energy) and accelerating (assisted acceleration (boosting)), batteries must generate a high output within a very short time. These momentary peak load periods generate powerful electrical currents, causing significant warming of the Li-ion cells due to internal resistance. At around 95 percent, charging and discharging efficiency is very high; however, the resulting waste heat cannot be ignored. Coupled with the fact that, in the warmer weather and in warmer climates in particular, the temperature of the vehicle interior can rise to well in excess of 40° C., operating Li-ion batteries without cooling is not an option.
A primary challenge to any battery module cooling system is to provide uniform heat-transfer from the cells so that temperature variation across the pack and within a cell is kept to a minimum. Various cooling systems dependent on circulating coolant via coolant channels in cooling plates which are in contact with the battery cells are known in the art. The current generation of cooling systems relies on single plates which circulate coolant in a U-shaped flow, having inlet and outlet ports on the same side of the plate. As the coolant traverses the plate, however, the heat transferred from the cells reduces the heat-transfer rate of the coolant and heat transfer is not uniform. Further, the friction losses in the inlet duct and outlet duct, and head loss due to flow separation at the approximately 90° cooling plate bend, cause the flow rates of coolant channels at the front end or inlet/outlet side to be higher than the flow rates of coolant channels at the back end, which results in non-uniform heat transfer rates from the front to the back.
Within individual cells unacceptably high temperatures may occur due to temperature variation based on cooling plate contact where cooling is insufficient or non-uniform. At high temperatures, the battery cells degrade more rapidly and their performance and capacity is reduced. As a result, cells may fail to achieve the prescribed ten-year life span. A possible alternative is to deactivate the batteries when temperatures exceed a set limit. All the advantages of the hybrid vehicle, however—electric boosting or recuperation of brake energy—would then be lost. For vehicles that run solely on electric power, this would even be impossible, since Li-ion batteries are the sole energy source.
Therefore, it is desirable to produce a battery module cooling system which reduces pressure drop and friction loss, and which maintains a substantially uniform coolant flow rate across the module, and which therefore reduces temperature variation across the battery pack as well as within individual battery cells.


Apparatus and methods for transferring heat between a heat transfer liquid and a plurality of moving containers of food product. The containers are conveyed by a perforated conveyor at least partially submerged in a pool of the heat transfer liquid and are showered at the same time with the heat transfer liquid. The pool of heat transfer liquid continuously drains and recirculates through either a heater or a chiller. A vibrator unit vibrates the pool of heat transfer liquid, the conveyor and the containers during the heat transfer operation.

In many food processing operations, such as in the processing of fruit and vegetable products, the food product must be heated and maintained at a sterilizing temperature and then cooled sufficiently to allow further packaging and transport. After proper heat sterilization, the product is either cooled and then packaged under aseptic conditions, or the product is immediately packaged in a heated, sterile condition and then cooled to a temperature sufficient for additional packaging and shipping. The product may also be packed cold in a container, and then sealed, sterilized and cooled in the container. Cooling the sterilized food product while the product is sealed within a container, such as a flexible bag, eliminates the need for filling sterile bags with cooled, sterile food product under aseptic conditions. Instead, the bag may be filled with heated, sterilized food product and sealed to ensure that the food product remains sterile. To achieve acceptable cooling times, complex cooling equipment has generally been designed to accommodate specific package types. On the other hand, simpler conveying systems that merely spray the packages with chilled liquid result in longer cooling times and, therefore, higher processing costs.
Many different systems have been proposed and used for continuously heating and/or cooling containers of food product along a moving production line. As mentioned above, some of the more complex systems include mechanisms or structure for agitating the food contents as the containers are heated or cooled by liquid or gas heat transfer media. For example, cans of liquid-based food product have been agitated back and forth or rolled as a conveyor moves the cans past nozzles that spray the cans with a heat transfer liquid. With other equipment, pouches or bags have been manipulated by rollers or rocked back and forth on specialized carriers while the pouches are conveyed through a heat transfer media.
To address various problems of the past, it would be desirable to provide apparatus and methods for heating and/or cooling product quickly and uniformly, whether the product is packaged in a rigid or flexible container.

Method for heating or cooling product containers


A landing gear (3) provided with first and second longitudinal bearing skids (4, 5) and with first and second transverse crossbars (6, 7). The landing gear includes at least one resilient fastener device (10) together with at least one blocking means (20) and at least one centering means (30) for each crossbar.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to skid landing gear and to an aircraft provided with such landing gear, in particular a rotorcraft.
(2) Description of Related Art
Conventionally, a rotorcraft includes landing gear via which the rotorcraft rests on the ground. More particularly, the landing gear may comprise so-called "skid" landing gear having first and second longitudinal bearing skids suitable for coming into contact with the ground and located on either side of the fuselage of the rotorcraft.
In addition, skid landing gear is usually provided with first and second transverse crossbars each connected to the first and second skids in order to connect the skids to the airframe of the aircraft.
The first crossbar is referred to as the "front" crossbar since the first crossbar connects the airframe to zones situated at the front ends of the first and second longitudinal skids. Conversely, the second crossbar is referred to as the "rear" crossbar insofar as the second crossbar connects the airframe to zones situated at the rear ends of the first and second longitudinal skids.
The landing gear is then fastened to the aircraft via its front and rear crossbars.
Such landing gear is very effective and enables a rotorcraft to land on multiple types of surface.
Nevertheless, landing on sloping ground can be difficult, in particular for an inexperienced pilot.
Using the landing procedure that is normally used when landing a helicopter on sloping ground, the pilot begins by hovering above the selected landing zone. The pilot then moves the helicopter towards the ground by reducing the collective pitch of the blades of the rotor until one skid touches the ground, which skid is referred to for convenience as the "uphill" skid.
The pilot then continues to reduce the collective pitch, while also modifying the cyclic pitch of the blades so as to keep the rotor disk substantially horizontal, i.e. perpendicular to the gravity axis.
It should be observed that if the slope of the ground is excessive, it is possible for the pilot to reach the maximum cyclic pitch of the blades, whereupon the pilot is obliged to take off in order to find some other landing zone.
When the downhill skid touches the ground in turn, the pilot verifies the quality of the trim of the helicopter on the ground by gently operating the rudder bar and the collective pitch lever. If the trim is acceptable, then the pilot ceases to act on the cyclic pitch of the blades and possibly reduces the speed of rotation of the power plant driving the rotor. In certain situations such as unloading passengers, it is advisable not to reduce the speed of rotation.
It can be understood that such a procedure requires special training for pilots.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 3,857,533 describes a helicopter provided with skid landing gear that makes it easier to land on sloping ground.
That landing gear possesses first and second skids that are connected together by front and rear crossbars. Each crossbar forms a circular arc with its concave side facing towards the ground, the concave surface of each of the crossbars including blocking catches.
The landing gear also includes guide means fastened to the helicopter airframe for co-operating with each of the crossbars, i.e. stationary wheels that allow the crossbars to move transversely when one of the skids touches the ground, with the wheels then revolving.
Finally, the landing gear includes active means for blocking the crossbars, i.e. fingers controlled by the collective pitch control of the aircraft so as to co-operate with the blocking catches of the crossbars.
Thus, when the helicopter lands on a slope, as soon as the uphill skid of the landing gear touches the ground, the reaction of the ground on the uphill skid causes the skids to move transversely. Under such circumstances, the landing gear pivots relative to the airframe of the helicopter.
Such pivoting comes to an end when the downhill skid touches the ground, in turn. Thus, the landing gear pivots to match the slope without the airframe of the helicopter tending to pivot as well, thus enabling the pilot to avoid acting on the cyclic pitch of the blades for the purpose of keeping the lift rotor horizontal.
Furthermore, by reducing the collective pitch of the blades with the collective stick lever, the pilot instructs the blocking means to engage in the blocking catches so as to prevent the airframe tilting sideways on the ground by freezing the position of the airframe relative to the landing gear.
Since the rotor is kept horizontal without acting on the cyclic pitch, landing is simplified and made safer compared with the above-described procedure.
Although effective, that landing gear requires the flight control to be coupled with the blocking means in order to block the landing gear on the ground. This results in a mechanical structure that is complicated and also in providing actuators and sensors, thereby running the risk of them failing.
Furthermore, it is found that after landing on sloping ground, the landing gear is off-center relative to the airframe of the helicopter and in particular relative to the anteroposterior plane of symmetry of the airframe. This results in unbalance of the aerodynamic drag of the landing gear during the flight undertaken after landing on sloping ground.
Furthermore, the pilot has no means for estimating the position of the landing gear relative to the airframe, and in particular the heights of the skids relative to the airframe. Under such circumstances, the pilot is in a disagreeable situation next time a landing is to be made. Furthermore, it can be understood that the pilot runs the risk of catching on an obstacle while moving in translation at very low altitude.
It should also be observed that the following documents are known: SE 118 333 C, FR 2 895 368 A1, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,173,632 A.

Skid landing gear and an aircraft provided with such landing gear


A coupling half designed to mate with an identical coupling half to form a coupling for interconnecting sections of hose or the like, has a tubular body having at one end a projecting tooth and a complementary socket arrangement constituted by a plurality of uniformly spaced arcuate connector teeth axially outstanding from the tubular body and terminating in a radially inwardly directed arcuate protrusion, a plurality of radially outwardly directed arcuate ribs circumferentially aligned with the teeth, and a plurality of tooth entrance ways located circumferentially between each of the ribs and each of the teeth, a resiliently biased detent locking device in the body biased towards an advanced position, and an annular detent unlocking ring angularly rotatable on the body and resiliently biased in one direction of rotation to an inoperative position and being angularly movable in the opposite direction to an active position wherein it engages the detent locking means to retract it away from the advanced position.

The present invention relates to a coupling half for a quick-connect coupling such as a hose coupling.
The advantages, especially for fire-fighting where time is very important, of being able quickly to connect together water carrying members has long been known and there are several designs for couplings that, with one quarter turn, or less, of two interacting coupling halves, create a watertight seal between two water carrying members such as hoses, valves, nozzles etc. Such couplings may be said to fall within one of two categories: 1) "male and female"; 2) "identical", sometimes called "sexless", couplings. Identical couplings have the advantage that any coupled end of any water carrying member may be presented for connection to any other of the same type. The present invention relates to a coupling of the identical type.
There is on the market an identical coupling sold under the name Storz, in which the coupling halves each have a cam ring which is rotatable relative to the associated hose connection piece and whose cams engage in a bayonet-type locking engagement with grooves of the cam ring of the other respective coupling half. The grooves, which are annular in form, have a slope and the turning of the cam rings causes the hose connection halves to draw together axially. An example of such coupling is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,524,997 issued to Ebert Jun. 25, 1985. Although this general type of coupling has received wide usage it poses certain disadvantages in operation, particularly the problem inherent in all quick connect couplings--that of potential unintentional de-coupling. De-coupling forces may arise as a result of water-pressure induced torque or as a result of the manouvering of hose or other fire-fighting equipment. With the Storz coupling, the cam rings are built such that when rotationally engaging the two coupling halves maximum compression of the mating seals upon the face of each coupling half is achieved when the coupling is rotated through the first part of its rotational range. Thereafter, as rotation is continued to its limit, because the grooves of the engaging cam rings are then reverse sloped, the coupling halves will move slightly away from each other axially and allow the seals to de-compress partially. The coupling will then resist de-coupling by making it necessary to both compress the seals and to rotate them in opposite directions against their compressed contact before de-coupling can take place. The disadvantage of this type of coupling is that it is difficult to rotationally engage or disengage the coupling halves and, of course, the larger the diameter of the coupling the more the force which is required to engage or disengage it. This design also has the disadvantage that because all the interlocking features are located on the face of the coupling they become hidden from view once the coupling halves are engaged and initially rotated, thus there is no visual reference to indicate whether or not any two engaged coupling halves are fully rotated or not.
A second type of coupling is marketed by the National Fire Hose Corporation of Compton, Calif. (J.M. Huber, manufacturer) under the proprietary name STAYTITE, as seen in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,459. These couplings connect with less than a quarter turn and, when fully rotated are automatically locked against rotation by the engagement of a six piece spring-assisted locking plug and locking slide assembly located in each coupling half. This design suffers from practical disadvantages; it is expensive to produce, there is a likelihood of part failure, and it is difficult to repair.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,112,850, issued on Oct. 6, 1914 to Sherer, shows a hose coupling which has sexless members with circumferentially slotted hooks for interlocking engagement with corresponding studs. Locking pins are also provided with this device to prevent the studs from being withdrawn from their corresponding hooks. The locking pins are normally urged to a protruding position by abutment against the edge of a rotatable collar of the coupling. The rotatable collar provides a series of notches which effect retraction of the locking member. This device uses a threaded and unbiased collar for the couplings, an arrangement which proves to be relatively cumbersome to operate under field conditions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,459 issued on Feb. 17, 1987 to Carson, discloses a coupling half with locking pins which are biased to extend outwardly of the coupling faces, and are retracted during coupling by a ramped end of the sidewall extensions. Further rotation of the coupling members then causes each coupling pin to fall into its corresponding receptacle. To unlock the coupling cammed circumferential slides are activated to retract the pins out of the receptacles. This arrangement proves to be difficult to operate since the locking pins of each half are not maintained in an extended position ready for rapid reattachment and locking of the halves after disconnection. Furthermore, to disconnect the coupling halves the operator must retract the locking pins in a first movement, and then in a second movement proceed to uncouple the two halves of the hose coupling by relative rotation of the one to the other, making rapid disconnection difficult.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved lock system for a quick-connect coupling. This invention is particularly directed towards the sealable engagement of conduit members which carry pressurized water and more particularly again towards engagement of conduit members of a large diameter which are difficult to maneuver and lock. No special knowledge of coupling hoses is required to use the coupling halves of the present invention. This can be particularly advantageous in field conditions where untrained volunteer fire-fighters may be used.

Coupling with auxiliary latch and release mechanism


The invention relates to a tube emitting electromagnetic radiation which is made of glass or transparent non-fluorescent quartz, and has an elongated boring able to house a radiation-emitting filament or bundle. The boring has a substantially square or rectangular cross-section, at least two opposite sides of which form dioptric convex surfaces shaped to alter the direction of the radiation emitted by the filament or axis of the bundle so as to render them parallel or substantially parallel in the solid transparent glass medium.

The present invention relates to a tube emitting electromagnetic radiation, made of a transparent non-fluorescent material, in particular a glass-based or quartz-based material, and having a straight structure drilled from end to end by a bore elongate around an axis so as to confine a housing designed to contain a radiation-emitting filament or plasma bundle.
It also relates to a device and a method implementing such a tube.
The invention finds a particularly important, although non-exclusive, application in the field of photochemical treatment of materials by ultraviolet radiation with emitting tubes containing an ionized gas, the pressure of which gas depends on the concentration of plasma inside the tube, used for example in the sterilization field, the paper industry, textiles, the wood and plastic materials industry, the food industry, the automobile industry and the printing field, in particular for polymerization of inks or varnishes on films, for example formed by supports in the form of reels of paper or cardboard, or supports made of metallic material such as aluminium or copper foil or steel strip, or supports made from synthetic material such as plastic products, PVC, polyethylene or other, or supports made of natural, recomposed or synthetic wood, or even electronic circuitry or any other support.
Another application is in the infrared field.
The invention is not limited to the types of products to be treated. It can for example be used for drying of products in plate form, for drying of certain varnishes and adhesives, for drying of wire-based products extending elongate around an axis, or for sterilization of liquid products in the form of a sheet or of a column around an axis.
Glass tubes emitting ultraviolet or infrared rays comprising a cylindrical bore are already known. These tubes in general associated to concave reflectors of parabolic or elliptic cross sections present drawbacks. They present large dimensions, are cumbersome and are not of optimum efficiency.
Most devices of the prior art in fact essentially describe separate emitters/reflectors implementing a distribution of the radiation emitted by a bundle or a filament according to two embodiments, i.e. primary rays which are emitted from the source in a divergent flux, and secondary rays which, being emitted from the source, are reflected on a surface presenting a cross section in the form of a mathematical curve to reach the irradiated plane in a convergent or parallel flux.
In all cases, and by structural defect of the system, the primary rays therefore do not have the same optimized trajectory, and consequently the same efficiency, as the secondary rays.
The document U.S. Pat. No. 3,885,181 describes a high-pressure sodium lighting lamp designed to emit rays in the visible field. It comprises a tubular discharge enclosure, made of an alumina-charged polycrystalline material. It has a non-circular cross section for an asymmetric polar distribution of the light emitted by the lamp. The emitting source is diffused from a luminous surface, and its plasma section is imposed by the internal geometry of the enclosure. The radiating source is not pin-point and the lamp is not equipped with a reflector or a monoblock emitter/reflector. Such a lamp is used for public lighting or for traffic signals.
The document U.S. Pat. No. 2,254,962 relates to an optic device composed of a cylindrical lens having a central refraction surface and a reflector with additional elliptic reflection and refraction surfaces of the same virtual focal spot. The light source is distinct and is housed in a semi-open notch, being dissociated from the reflector, which cannot restitute the whole of the radiation. The walls of the notch are arranged in such a way as to obtain divergent fluxes in the lens when passing the dioptric planes formed by the edges forming the confines of the notch. Such a device does not constitute a longitudinal monoblock emitter/reflector able to recover the whole of the emitted radiation over 360xc2x0.
The object of the present invention is to provide a radiation-emitting tube, a device and a method implementing such a tube, meeting the requirements of practice better than those known in the prior art.
A first object of the invention is to achieve a compact tube which is not cumbersome, able to render the primary and secondary rays homogeneous, complementary, and directed in the same direction towards the irradiated product, in order to optimize the usable photochemical, photothermal and/or photoluminous radiating energy.
A second object of the invention consists in recovering the whole of the spatial radiation emitted by an electromagnetic emitting tube to increase the focusing and the energy efficiency.
The invention stems from the idea of giving the bore an appreciably square or rectangular cross section, at least two opposite sides of which are of a cross section in the form of a convex curve, so as to obtain parallel fluxes when passing the dioptric planes formed by said sides.
What must be understood here by convex is an internal convex curve whose peak is directed towards the axis of the bore.
What must be understood here by appreciably square or rectangular is a four-sided figure inscribed in a square or a rectangle, said sides being in an arc of a circle with large radii of curvature, i.e. for example R greater than 10 mm.
To do this the centre of the plasma bundle, or the irradiating filament, is arranged to be at the centre of the geometric optics of said dioptric surfaces.
Thus the convex dioptric surfaces of the bore modify the divergent radiating flux from the geometric centre of the convex curves to form a flux which is parallel or appreciably parallel, in the transparent solid medium, then parallel or even convergent towards the plane to be irradiated, in combination with the dioptric output surface of the tube and/or a reflecting surface of the emitted rays situated on the side walls, on each side, for example symmetrically with respect to the axial plane of the bore.
The tube according to the invention is characterized in that the bore is of appreciably square or rectangular shaped cross section at least two opposite sides of which are in the shape of convex curves, said sides forming dioptric surfaces arranged to modify the direction of the rays emitted from the filament or from the axis of the emitting bundle to make them parallel or appreciably parallel in the transparent solid medium of the glass.
By obtaining parallel rays in the transparent medium, subsequent treatment of the rays is rendered considerably easier. Proliferation of the rays is also reduced achieving in particular an excellent power density in the case of focusing, and enabling limiting of the divergent rays to be achieved in the case of parallel flux irradiation.
In an advantageous case, the sides of the bore are respectively symmetrical with respect to the planes of symmetry of the square or of the rectangle, the direction of the rays being appreciably parallel to that of a plane of symmetry of the square or of the rectangle of the bore.
In the embodiments more particularly described, the present invention implements a straight emitting tube whose geometric centre of emission is merged with and identical to the focal spot of a corresponding reflector, which is also straight and of at least partially flat or appreciably flat cross section to treat flat surfaces, or of at least partially inverted parabolic cross section to focus the radiation, the generating line at the peak of the curve of the reflector being parallel to the axis which is merged with and identical to the focal line, and the end edges of the straight or inverted parabolic portions being situated below the axis of the bore, on the other side of the latter with respect to said generating line at the peak.
By inverted parabola we mean the reflection curve which transforms the parallel flux into a convergent flux focused on a line.
More precisely the ultraviolet, and/or visible, and/or infrared radiation emitters of the invention more particularly described here are tubes comprising electrodes at very high temperature (greater than 1000xc2x0 C.) called hot electrodes generating a plasma arc with continuous or discontinuous photon emission.
The electric arc generated by the two electrodes, respectively situated on each side of the transparent non-fluorescent tube, generates a luminous cylinder of constant cross section generally formed by one or more metallic iodides in the plasma state, or by xenon or a mercury/xenon mixture or other gases or rare earths.
The luminous cylinder presents a total length constituted by the distance between the two electrodes, for example comprised between a few mm for short arc emitters and more generally between 30 mm and 2500 mm, or even several meters, for example ten or fifteen meters, and also presents a cross section of the luminous zone with high plasma concentration smaller than the internal cross section of the transparent tube which contains it.
A voltage between electrodes comprised between 20 volts/cm and 150 volts/cm, for example 30 volts/cm or 100 volts/cm results in fact in an extremely reduced appreciably cylindrical bundle cross section forming a luminous pencil beam appearing as being completely away from the walls of the bore, creating a space of a relative vacuum which generates a reduced pressure appreciably equal to atmospheric pressure at the level of the internal wall of the cylindrical tube or of the monoblock emitter/reflector tube.
Moreover, the plasma concentration fosters an electronic and plasmatic gaseous vacuum in the vicinity of the internal walls which slows down the heat transfer to the outside, resulting in colder enclosure walls.
The metallic iodide(s) can originate from pure metals or alloys that is to say and for example a pure mercury, a pure iron, a pure gallium, an iron/cobalt (mixture), a gallium/lead (mixture), a mercury/gallium (mixture), etc.
The gas(es) used can be pure (for example xenon) or in mixture form (for example mercury/xenon), subjected as is known to frequencies other than 50 Hz, either of alternating current or of pulsed current or not, of constant polarity and variable intensity.
The list of mixtures of metals, rare earths and/or gases mentioned above is naturally not exhaustive. Moreover their respective proportions, and the choice of frequency, pulsing or modulation, are determined according to the specific wavelengths of the rays.
In advantageous embodiments recourse is more or less had to one and/or the other of the following arrangements:
the sides of the bore are arranged to form dioptric surfaces so as, in combination with the output dioptric surface of the tube or with a reflecting surface associated with the output dioptric surface of the tube, to direct the rays in a parallel or convergent flux towards a surface or a line to be irradiated;
the four sides of the bore are of convex shape, for example the opposite sides being identical two by two;
the convex shape of the internal walls of the bore is a portion of a circle whose radius of curvature is determined by a conventional calculation of the radius of curvature of thick biconvex lenses. For example, the radius of the circle R1 of value 10 mm is, for a distance from the opposite convex surfaces of 12.6 mm to focus the rays at the virtual focal spot Fxe2x80x2, at a distance of 50 mm from the external surface of the bottom wall.
the tube comprises an upper external wall, called the upper face, of external surface arranged to reflect the emitted rays back towards the axis of the bore, said external wall being covered with a reflecting material to function in a form called inverted radiation.
The external surface is symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axial plane of the bore, vertical or perpendicular to the plane to be irradiated, and for example in an arc of a circle or flat;
the tube comprises a reflecting surface securedly united to said tube;
it comprises a reflecting surface for reflection of the emitted rays situated on one side of said tube, a surface comprising two longitudinal side wings symmetrical with respect to an axial plane of the bore, the portion of dioptric or metallic reflecting surface of said side wings being inscribed in a surface of straight or inverted parabolic or appreciably straight or inverted parabolic cross section;
the reflecting surface is formed at least partly by the internal faces of the wings, by dioptric refraction;
the reflecting surface is formed at least partly by a reflecting material;
the tube comprises a bottom external face joining the wings, situated on the opposite side from the generating line at the peak of the tube with respect to the bore.
The face is convex at the centre and appreciably straight at the ends, according to a curve symmetrical with respect to the axial plane containing the generating line at the peak, so as to direct the emitted rays towards a focalization line situated on the irradiation plane.
In the case where the reflecting surface is formed at least partly by two planes symmetrical with respect to the vertical axial plane of the bore, the generating line is replaced by the intersecting line of the flat faces inscribed in a xe2x80x9cchinese hatxe2x80x9d whose upper edge is said intersecting line;
the tube is symmetrical with respect to an axial plane of the bore parallel to the irradiation plane;
the irradiation plane is in general a surface perpendicular to the longitudinal axial plane of symmetry of the tube;
the external wall, or upper face, of the tube is partially cylindrical on the side where the generating line at the peak of the tube is located between the external faces of the side wings;
the upper face of the tube is truncated forming a flat external face between the external faces of the side wings;
the tube is of appreciably cylindrical shape and comprises two added-on glass wings symmetrical or not with respect to the axial plane of the bore perpendicular to the irradiation plane.
In this case, the tube and wings are adjoined, for example simply in contact, or stuck together by a synthetic or ceramic glue, or welded by melting of the quartz, or mechanically fixed to one another;
the bore is formed by four radially distributed glass quarters adjoined via their ends and engaging in a peripheral glass cylinder or a cylindrical bore made in the tube;
the tube comprises a second, cylindrical, tube internal to the bore and designed to contain the plasma bundle and/or containing an emitting filament;
the space between the external tube and the internal tube, adjoined or not to the external tube, can be favourably used for flow of a gaseous or liquid coolant;
the second, cylindrical, tube can be in contact with the generating line at the peak of the convex internal surfaces;
the cylindrical second tube may not be in contact with the convex internal surfaces in so far as the buoyancy created by the internal space of the enclosure bathing in a liquid medium is equal or appreciably equal to the weight of the enclosure, the cylindrical second tube, supported at both ends, then centring itself over its whole length;
the bore comprises an upper surface of concave cross section.
In other words, the top side of the cross section of the bore is concave, i.e. presenting a radius of curvature whose centre is situated on the side of the bore or the peak in the opposite direction to the latter;
the bore is arranged to contain a gas normally ionized under medium or high pressure, the emitted rays being ultraviolet, and/or visible, and/or infrared rays.
By medium or high pressure we mean absolute gas pressures greater than 2 kg/cm2, for example 3 kg/cm2 for a medium pressure and greater than 5 kg/cm2 for a high pressure, able for example to go up to 15 kg/cm2.
the tube comprises electrode chambers of internal section greater than or equal to the internal section of the radiating emitting part of the tube;
the tube comprises an infrared radiation-emitting filament.
A third object of the invention is to achieve an emitter/reflector device implementing one or more tubes as described previously.
Advantageously the device comprises, situated at the focal plane of concentration of the emitted rays, a blade with parallel or appreciably parallel side faces in the form of a funnel, comprising a dioptric radiation input surface able to transform the convergent rays received into a parallel radiation flux.
In an advantageous embodiment, the device comprises reflecting surfaces separated from the tube and constituted by reflecting plates able to be advantageously flat.
A fourth object of the invention also relates to a method for application of rays to a product in sheet form or disposed on a flat or curved surface. It consists in irradiating the product with a radiation-emitting element (plasma bundle or electric filament) presenting a very small cylindrical or appreciably cylindrical cross section, i.e. with a diameter smaller than about 10 mm, for example of about 4 mm, about 2 mm, or even down to 1 mm, and even 0.5 mm (by xe2x80x98aboutxe2x80x99, it must be understood xc2x11 mm and/or 10 to 15%), centred in the bore of a straight glass tube elongate around an axis, said bore being of appreciably square or rectangular shaped cross section at least two opposite sides of which are in the form of convex curves, said sides forming dioptric surfaces arranged to modify the direction of the rays emitted from the axis of the bore to make them parallel or appreciably parallel in the transparent solid medium of the glass, before being diverted to the product by metallic or dioptric reflecting surfaces.
In an advantageous embodiment, the bore comprises four convex sides, the opposite sides being identical two by two.
Advantageously, the emitting element is a tubular plasma bundle emitting ultraviolet and/or visible and/or infrared photon rays.
The tubular plasma bundle of ultraviolet rays preferably has a cross section presenting a maximum radial dimension smaller than or equal to about 4 mm.
The emitting element can be formed by an electric filament, emitting infrared rays.
In an advantageous embodiment, two irradiation planes situated symmetrically on each side of said emitting tube are irradiated with a single tube.

Tube, with bore having convex sides, for emitting electromagnetic radiation, and method thereof

7, Impasse des Aravis, Les Pxc3xa9rouses


An airbag base fabric having a warp direction energy absorption characteristic defined by formula (1) is 30 to 50 and a weft direction energy absorption characteristic defined by formula (2) is 30 to 50:Warp Direction Energy Absorption Characteristic=Warp Direction Energy Absorption Amount/Warp Yarn Cover Factor  (1)wherein the warp direction energy absorption amount is a value of integral of stress applied, in measurement of the warp direction tensile strength and elongation at break, from a start of the measurement until the sample breaks; andWeft Direction Energy Absorption Characteristic=Weft Direction Energy Absorption Amount/Weft Yarn Cover Factor  (2)wherein the weft direction energy absorption amount is a value of the integral of stress applied, in measurement of the weft direction tensile strength and elongation at break, from the start of the measurement until the sample breaks.

In recent years, various types of airbags have been developed and put into practical use to ensure occupant safety from motor vehicle accidents. An airbag inflate and deploy in an extremely short time from a moment of a vehicle collision, receives an occupant, and absorbs an impact to protect the occupant. Base fabric for airbag needs to have excellent mechanical properties to inflate and deploy. For example, a side airbag, which is stored in a seat and protects the waist and chest of an occupant during a lateral collision accident, needs to have not only a function as a barrier preventing a deformed door and other things from hitting the occupant, but also a function to receive motion of the waist and chest of the occupant due to a reaction force of a collision, at the same time.
To meet performance requirements for an airbag base fabric, for example, WO 2012/026455 A1 suggests an airbag base fabric intended to have a higher airtight performance with reduced air permeability, a faster deployment speed, and improved impact absorption for protecting an occupant. Also, JP 2002-266161 A suggests a fabric airbag intended to have low air permeability, high flexibility, and excellent compactness and also have high shock-absorbing ability, using a raw yarn having flexibility and high toughness. In addition, JP 2011-202340 A suggests a fabric for an airbag intended to provide a light-weighted airbag module developing without loss of a gas.
In recent years, the demand for better shock absorption property of airbag base fabric has been increasing to cope with various types of collisions and a high-speed collision. Especially in an accident involving severe deformation of a vehicle body and to protect a heavyweight occupant, airbag base fabric needs to absorb large collision energy more efficiently. However, the airbag base fabrics described in WO '455, JP '161 and JP '340 may not absorb such large energy sufficiently. It could therefore be helpful to provide an airbag base fabric capable of absorbing collision energy sufficiently, an airbag and a method of manufacturing the airbag base fabric.

Airbag base fabric, airbag and method of manufacturing airbag base fabric


A crimp type cable shield bonding device for electrical connection to the shield of a sheathed and shielded cable having an outer insulating sheath and an underlying conducting shield which encloses a bundle of conductors. A U-shaped clip having opposed wings and a fastener for holding the wings together when crimped on the cable sheath and shield. A spring plate positioned between said wings overlying one of the wings and having a section bowed outward toward the other of the wings to provide a spring pressure engagement with the shield when the cable sheath and shield are crimped therein. A terminal on the spring plate positioned within a terminal on the clip for attaching to a ground conductor or the like. An integral tab carried on the clip for holding the clip in the crimped position.

This invention relates to cable shield bonding devices which provide for making an electrical connection, usually a ground connection, to the electrically conducting shield of a cable.
A typical cable includes a bundle of insulated conductors enclosed within an electrical conducting shield which in turn is covered by an electrical insulating protective sheath.
At the end of a cable where the conductors are terminated at a terminal board or are spliced to the conductors of another cable or otherwise, continuity needs to be provided for the shield, as by connecting to the shield of another cable or to ground or otherwise as desired.
A variety of configurations have been provided for making connections to the shield of a cable. Two such devices are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,915,540 and 3,963,299. A crimp type cable shield bonding device is shown in the co-pending application of Mangrobang et al., Ser. No. 066,780, filed Aug. 14, 1979 and assigned to the same assignee as the present application. Another crimp type bonding device presently in use has a first relatively thick U-shaped clip with a second relatively thin U-shaped clip riveted therein. The inner clip has inwardly directed teeth at the outer edges thereof. The device is utilized by placing the cable sheath and shield within the clips and then compressing or crimping the outer clip together to clamp the cable sheath and shield therein.
The crimp type bonding device is less expensive and easier to use than the earlier bolted type devices. However there are certain disadvantages with the existing crimp type devices. The clamping force is achieved by the bending of the outer clip and in order to be assured of maintaining the clamping force, the outer clip must be made of relatively heavy material, hence increasing its cost. Also, the outer clip sometimes tends to relax its clamping force, thereby creating possiblities of poor ground connection. Also, since the outer protective sheath is formed of plastic or other electrical insulating material which tends to exhibit cold flow, an initially tight electrical connection formed during the crimping operation sometimes tends to loosen with the flow of the plastic resulting in a poor or inadequate ground.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved crimp type cable shield bonding device which is inexpensive and easy to manufacture and install. A further object is to provide such a bonding device which can be permanently attached in the clamping position. Another object is to provide a bonding device incorporating a spring member which will continue to exert a shield engaging force after crimping in place and after cold flow of the insulating sheath. An additional object is to provide such a bonding device with terminals for the outer clip and inner spring plate which are attached at a single point to the ground or other conductor.
Other objects, advantages, features and results will more fully appear in the course of the following description.


A device and method to aid in lapping a spherical washer to a steam turbine component are provided. The device includes a drive head, the drive head made up of a drive cap and a hollow cylindrical portion projecting from the drive cap. The drive cap abuts a surface of the spherical washer. The cylindrical portion fits within and is concentric to an inner diameter of the spherical washer. The device also includes an expanding gasket including an outer diameter having a contour configured to fit a contour of an inner diameter of the spherical washer and an inner diameter slides onto the cylindrical portion such that the gasket and cylindrical portion are concentric. The drive head attaches to a drive unit which imparts a torque to lap the spherical washer with respect to a steam turbine component. The expanding gasket expands and holds the spherical washer during the lapping.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to a device to aid a lapping process of two components, and more particularly, to a device to aid in lapping a spherical washer to another steam turbine component.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional steam turbine includes a higher pressure turbine and at least one lower pressure turbine coupled to a single shaft. Steam enters the turbine at the high pressure turbine through a stop valve and a control valve. The thermal energy of the steam is converted to mechanical energy in the higher pressure turbine, and the steam is exhausted to reheaters. In each reheater, the steam is dried, reheated, and superheated prior to its entry into the lower pressure turbine. The superheated steam is routed through the stop valve as it travels from the reheater to the lower pressure turbine. Energy conversion occurs again in the lower pressure turbine as the steam expands into the vacuum of the main condenser.
A spherical washer is part of the stop valve assembly that seals off the steam and helps to align the steam turbine shaft. In the stop valve assembly, the spherical washer seats against the shaft shoulder on the flat side and against a casing bushing on the spherical side, the casing bushing disposed concentrically with and surrounding the shaft. Each time the stop valve is inspected during periodic maintenance, the stop valve is removed from the steam turbine, and the spherical washer is replaced with a new one. In order to ensure that the spherical washer will seal properly, the new washer is lapped against its mating counterpart, the casing bushing, in the valve casing and the shaft shoulder. Lapping two components is a machining process which involves rubbing the two mating surfaces of the two components together with an abrasive, or lapping compound, between them.
Holding the spherical washer from the inside in order to lap its spherical seat to the spherical mating surface of the casing bushing has proven to be difficult. For example, the spherical washer, in its assembled location within the stop valve, is in a fairly confined area. A field technician working within the valve to lap the spherical washer will find the working space cramped and difficult to maneuver. A variety of methods have been used by field technicians to lap the spherical washer. As an example, a block of wood has been used to hold the spherical washer by its inner diameter and rotated by hand as the technician manually applies the lapping compound onto the outer diameter surface of the spherical washer. The drawback to this approach is that it very labor intensive.
Consequently, a tool that allows a technician to firmly hold the spherical washer while the washer is being lapped to the casing bushing within the reheat valve assembly is desired.

Clapper style stop valve spherical washer lapping tool


A closure (10) that can be used to seal containers for various vehicle oils is described. The closure (10) has a main portion adapted to seal with the neck of the top (11) of the main closure. The cup (30) is connected to the top portion (11) of this main closure through a number of frangible bridges (34) such that any removal of the cap (30) from the main portion of the closure can be readily determined by a potential purchaser or user of the contents of the container (15).

Like the manufacturers of foodstuffs and beverages, the manufacturers of motor vehicle oils, such as engine and transmission oil, have become concerned to ensure that the product sold to consumers has not suffered tamper prior to its use by the consumer. To provide a greater indication of attempted or successful tamper, tamper evident bands that at least partially fracture from the closure on removal of the closure from the container have been used.
Because of the increase in recent years of self-service petrol stations and the sale of vehicle products, including oil, from convenience and department stores, it has now become common for the general public to both check their vehicle's various oil levels and top up the level as required. In order to ensure a minimum of fuss and mess, oil is now sometimes sold in containers in which instead of having to remove the closure, a tube is pre-positioned through an aperture in the top of the closure. The tube can be extended by the consumer without removing the closure to allow more precise pouring of the oil where required and so lessen the likelihood of mess.
While the provision of a tube through an aperture in the closure has a number of advantages, it does have the disadvantage of providing an alternative means of accessing and tampering with the contents of the container to the later detriment of the consumer of the product.


A mount system for mounting a first component of a vehicle to a second component of the vehicle can include a tube portion and a shaft portion. The tube portion can include a first outer magnet support portion provided with an inwardly facing magnet that is parallel to a centerline; and a second outer magnet support portion provided with an inwardly facing magnet set that includes magnets oblique to the centerline. The shaft portion can include a first inner magnet support portion, oriented about the centerline, provided with an outwardly facing magnet that is parallel to the centerline; and a second inner magnet support portion provided with an outwardly facing magnet set that includes magnets oblique to the centerline.

Current typical technology for engine mount construction is to use rubber connections to hold powertrain position and to limit vibration transfer from a powertrain component to the frame or body of the vehicle. In some known cases, hydraulic fluid can be used to generate damping forces. In particular, hydraulic fluid, forced through orifices, can be utilized to generate damping characteristics.
However, known systems are lacking in various ways including the degree to which known systems isolate vibration transfer from the powertrain of the vehicle to the frame of the vehicle.

Systems and methods for magnetic engine mount


An alignment insensitive optical position sensor produces a signal indicative of the position of an element in respect to a monitoring point. The position sensor (50, 100, 120, 180, 200) includes a light source (56, 126) that provides a test light and a reference light of different wavelengths. The test light and reference light are conveyed through an optical fiber (68, 128) and collimated by a lens (70, 110, 144) along a path toward an encoded track or surface (72, 102, 138, 152, 204, 206). The encoded track or surface includes a plurality of metallic dots (74, 104, 140, 154) that are of varying size and/or density to produce a variable reflectivity. The encoded surface also includes an interference filter (76, 106) that reflects the reference light, but transmits the test light, due to the differences in their wavelengths. The reflected test light and reference light are conveyed to a light detector (84, 148, 162) that determines the ratio of the intensity of reflected test light to the intensity of reflected reference light. This ratio is indicative of the relative position of the encoded surface. In several of the embodiments of the alignment insensitive position sensor, the test light and reference light are split along two paths and directed toward separate encoded surfaces that include metallic dots applied in symmetrically inverse relationship in respect to density and/or size. The sum of the ratios of the intensities of reflected test light and reference light for each of these two encoded surfaces should thus be proportional to a constant value, unless a fault has occurred in the position sensor. A processor (168) determines the ratio of the intensities of reflected test light and reference light from each of the encoded surfaces, and determines the sum of the two ratios in order to detect any failure of the position sensor.

Although a variety of electrical and electronic sensors are known for determining the position of a mechanical element, such devices generally suffer from susceptibility to natural and man-made electromagnetic noise and other environmental effects that can degrade their performance. For this reason, electrically passive optical position sensors offer a clear advantage for use in extreme environments and in applications where very high reliability is important. For example, optical sensors will soon be employed on aircraft for sensing the position of control surfaces and may be incorporated into a servo system in which the position command and the position feedback information are generated by two similar optical sensors.
Either digital or analog encoding techniques can be used in an optical position sensing system to precisely determine the position or monitor movement of a ratary shaft or linear actuator. In these systems, light signals are usually conveyed to and from the sensors by optical fibers. Typically, light propagating through an optical fiber from a remote source is modulated by an encoded track on a mechanical element that rotates or moves linearly. The modulated light signal is conveyed to a light sensor that determines the position of the mechanical element based on the modulated intensity of the light signal.
Both the reflective and transmissive properties of an encoded track have been used in prior art devices for analog modulation of a light signal to sense position. In the case of transmissive modulation, the density of the encoded track varies as a function of its position relative to the light beam passing through it. Alternatively, the reflectivity of the encoded track can be varied with the position of the element relative to the incident light beam so that the intensity of light reflected from the encoded surface determines the surface position. In either case, the optical fiber that conveys the modulated light signal from the light sensor is disposed so that the light modulated by the encoded track is directed into it.
Since the intensity of light reaching the remote light sensor is determinative of the position of the mechanical element, any variation in light intensity not caused by the reflectivity or transmissivity of the encoded track represents an error in this determination. For example, instability in the light source intensity or in the sensitivity of the light sensor, variable light losses in the optical fiber interconnections, or contamination of the exposed optical surfaces of the position sensor can introduce a variation in the light intensity perceived at the light sensor, and can thus contribute a significant error in the position determined by the sensor. Furthermore, any such error occurring after the position sensor is calibrated is not readily detectable.
An analog optical position-indicating sensor is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,769,536 that attempts to compensate for this type of error. In this sensor, light at three different wavelengths is conveyed through a common optical fiber and directed through an encoded track disposed on a movable element. The encoded track is completely transparent to light at two of the wavelengths, but its transmissivity with respect to the third wavelength varies with the position of the encoded track. Light transmitted through the encoded track is conveyed through another optical fiber to two optical couplers disposed adjacent to three light sensors. The optical couplers divide the light into three separate beams, each comprising light at one of the three wavelengths, and direct these beams to the light sensors, which determine the relative intensities of the light at each wavelength. By monitoring the ratio of the various light beam intensities at the light sensors, modulation of light intensity at the third wavelength by the encoded track, and thus, the position of the element can be determined independently of any spurious variations in light intensity that occur in the system. However, since wavelength discrimination occurs at the encoded track, any variation in its transparency with respect to the two wavelengths that it is not intended to modulate (e.g., due to contamination by dirt) causes an error in the position measured by this device. Because the area of the encoded track is typically relatively small, it is more susceptible to the effects of contamination than a larger encoded area would be. A further disadvantage of this optical position sensor is its relative complexity.
In a commonly assigned U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 574,203, filed on Aug. 28, 1990, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,068,528, an encoded surface position sensor is disclosed that compensates for variations in the intensity of light signals propagating through the sensor system due, for example, to contamination of optical surfaces in the sensor or variations in the source. This position sensor uses light at a reference wavelength and at a test wavelength that propagate along a common optical path until separated by an interference filter. A test beam comprising light at the test wavelength is transmitted through the interference filter toward an encoded surface. The encoded surface reflects a portion and transmits another portion of the test beam. The transmitted portion of the test beam is then reflected by a mirror, which is disposed adjacent to a surface of a rotatable disk or a linear encoder opposite from that on which the encoded surface is applied. The mirror reflects the transmitted portion of the test beam along a first optical path, while the portion of the test beam that is reflected by the encoded surface travels along a second optical path. The relative transmissivity/reflectivity of the encoded surface varies with its position in respect to the point on the surface at which the test beam is incident, thereby varying the intensity of the reflected and transmitted portions of the test beam in a predefined manner. A reference beam comprising light at the reference wavelength is reflected by the interference filter along a reference path and is then split by a beam splitter. A portion of the reference beam is transmitted toward a mirror, which reflects it back toward the interference filter. The interference filter reflects this portion of the reference beam along the first optical path. The portion of the reference beam reflected by the beam splitter is also reflected by the interference filter so that it travels along the second optical path with the portion of the test beam reflected by the encoded surface. Light traveling along the first and the second optical paths is conveyed by optical fibers to a sensor assembly that determines the relative intensities of the transmitted and the reflected portions of the test and reference beams to define the position of the encoded surface, thereby compensating for light losses in the optical fibers and other parts of the system.
One of the problems with the optical position sensor just described is its sensitivity to differences in the optical losses occurring in the test and reference light paths. Since both the reference and test light beams are split apart and then recombined, the elements of the optical system that define their paths must be precisely aligned. Although optical trimming elements can be employed to correct minor alignment problems that arise during the manufacture of the sensor, use of such corrective measures complicates the assembly process and increases its cost.
It is also desirable to incorporate some form of self-monitoring to determine if an optical sensor is operating properly. This type of fault detection can be accomplished, for example, by monitoring the sum of the transmitted and reflected light from the sensor to determine if the sum of these two components remains substantially constant. In a reflective-only encoder configuration, this self-monitoring function can be implemented by providing two encoded tracks with complementary characteristics. A further object of at least one embodiment of this invention is to provide a determination of whether the optical sensor is functioning properly, where such determination is generally independent of slight misalignment of the paths that are followed by the test and reference beams. These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the attached drawings and the Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment that follows.

Alignment insensitive optical position sensor


Provided is an integrity verification method for a user device includes verifying integrity of a first verification target on a basis of a first integrity verification scheme during executing a boot-loader, uncompressing a kernel image according to the integrity verification result for the first verification target and verifying integrity of a second verification target on a basis of a second integrity verification scheme while the kernel image is uncompressed, and driving an operating system according to the integrity verification result for the second verification target and verifying integrity of a third verification target on a basis of a third integrity verification scheme while the operating system is driven.

The present disclosure herein relates to a mobile system, and more particularly, to a user device and an integrity verification method of the same.
Mobile terminals such as a smartphone and table PC are used by many users due to their extendibility and portability. In these mobile terminals, various applications may be installed according to user selection. The mobile terminals may perform various data processing operations such as move, edit, copy, delete, or the like on the basis of the installed applications. However, a degree of freedom for data processing of the above-described mobile terminal may provide various attack chances to hackers. In particular, in a case of mobile terminal operated based on an open source such as Android, the above-described issues may seriously occur.
In detail, a typical mobile platform is difficult to determine whether each application is reliable and accordingly, treats all applications as an identical target. In particular, an open source-based operating system such as Android may structurally change the platform in an arbitrary way. Due to this, a security device and security means included in a user terminal may be arbitrarily changed. As an example, in an Android-based user terminal, all applications may be executed by a Dalvik Virtual machine. However, a typical integrity verification program considers a virtual machine as an execution file and does not perform verification on a state of a system resource, which is internally executed by the virtual machine.
In addition, a mobile terminal, in which some of important system components thereof are damaged, may be used as a main tool for financial accident and social threat according to illegal acquisition of personal information. Accordingly, a user or service provider requires a means for reliably verifying a mobile terminal.
Furthermore, the mobile terminal has a resource-limited characteristic unlike a typical desktop PC. Recently, with the development of electronic techniques such as a multi-core and large-scale flash memory, limitations on use of resources are somewhat resolved. However, in order to support more rapid calculation ability and input/output speed, high clock frequency-based processors and memories operate and recently developed applications require rapid computational cycles and large-scale storage spaces. Due to these requirements, an issue of increase in power consumption occurs in the mobile terminal.
Typical integrity verification methods provide all-time security monitoring but operate based on a short period in order to improve security reliability. Since the short period-based verification operation acts as a main cause of performance degradation and acceleration in power consumption of the mobile terminal, it is improper to verify a reliable state of a mobile terminal platform. In addition, an existing Trusted Platform Module (TPM) or Mobile Trusted Module (MTM) specification has very high complexity in realization with software to cause relatively lots of power consumption in the mobile terminal.

User device and integrity verification method of the same

ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE


A process for producing manganese dioxide comprising the steps of:. (1) reacting manganese oxide with a molar excess of an aqueous chloric acid solution in a reaction zone to form a reaction mixture in said zone comprising chlorine gas, a solid phase containing manganese dioxide, and a liquid phase containing chloric acid and water; the concentration of chloric acid in said liquid phase is greater than about 5% by weight of said liquid phase upon leaving the reaction zone;. (2) separating said chlorine gas from said solid phase and said liquid phase;. (3) separating said solid phase containing manganese dioxide from liquid phase containing chloric acid and water;. (4) removing water from said separated liquid phase to concentrate said chloric acid in said separated liquid phase; and. (5) returning said separated and concentrated liquid phase back to said reaction zone for further reaction with manganese oxide.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process of producing solid manganese dioxide by the oxidation of manganese oxide with a chloric acid solution.
2. Brief Description of the Art
Manganese dioxide (MnO.sub.2) (also known as manganese binoxide, manganese peroxide; manganese superoxide; and black manganese) is a strong oxidizer and is used in the manufacture of manganese steel; in alkaline batteries (dry cells); for making amethyst glass or decolorizing glass; and painting on porcelain, faience, and majolica. It is also used in electrotechnics, pigments, browning gun barrels, drier for paints and varnishes, printing; dyeing textiles; and making potassium permanganate. It is characterized as follows: has a molecular weight of 86.94; when ignited, evolves oxygen and leaves Mn.sub.3 O.sub.4 ; insoluble in water, nitric acid, or cold sulfuric acid; slowly dissolves in cold HCl with evolution of Cl.sub.2 ; in the presence of hydrogen peroxide or oxalic acid, it dissolves in dilute H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 or HNO.sub.3.
Manganese dioxide is a naturally occurring substance; it occurs in nature as the mineral pyrolusite. It is also made artificially by various processes.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,640,683, which issued to Miyazaki et al. on Feb. 8, 1972, teaches several processes for making manganese dioxide:
(1) thermal decomposition of manganese nitrate (MnNO.sub.3) to manganese dioxide and NO gas;
(2) oxidation of manganese hydroxide [Mn(OH).sub.2 ] particles with air or an oxidizing agent or oxygen or ozone to form manganese dioxide;
(3) oxidation of manganese sulfate (MNSO.sub.4) with an oxidizing agent (e.g., chlorate, hypochlorite, permanganate, or peroxide) to form manganese dioxide and by-product salts and gases;
(4) disproportion of a manganese suboxide (Mn.sub.2 O.sub.3) with sulfuric acid to form manganese dioxide and a manganese sulfate by-product;
(5) thermal decomposition of manganese chloride; and
(6) roasting a naturally occurring, but crude, manganese dioxide-containing ore with air or oxygen; then reacting the roasted ore with a hot aqueous solution of chlorate salt and sulfuric acid; separating the formed needle-like manganese dioxide particles from the hot aqueous solution and then washing the separated manganese dioxide with water.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,402,931, which issued to Tanabe et at. on Sep. 6, 1983, teaches a process of producing manganese dioxide by (1) heating and decomposing a solution of ammonio complex of manganese (manganese ammonium carbamate) at a temperature of 68.degree.-80.degree. C.; (2) then optionally roasting the resulting manganese carbonate in air containing 15-85% steam; (3) roasting the manganese carbonate at a temperature of 275.degree.-375.degree. C. in oxygen containing 15-85% steam; and (4) treating the resulting manganese dioxide by heating it in either (a) a diluted sulfuric acid, (b) a solution of sulfuric acid and chlorate, or (c) a solution of sulfuric acid, manganese carbonate and chlorate.
In the commercial process for producing manganese dioxide by chemical oxidation that involves an acidic solution made by sulfuric acid and sodium chlorate salt, the oxidation reaction consumes chlorate and releases chlorine (Cl.sub.2) and chlorine dioxide (ClO.sub.2) gases as well as producing sodium ions, sulfate ions, sulfuric acid, and chlorate ions as by-products which must be purged from the system. The chlorine (Cl.sub.2) and chlorine dioxide (ClO.sub.2) gases may be hazardous if large concentrations are formed. These gases and the by-products require neutralization, which may involved large quantities of a base. Accordingly, such processes have important commercial limitations.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/987,503, which was filed Dec. 7, 1992 with Leslie Ward and David Cawlfield as the named inventors and has been allowed as U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,743, teaches a process of separating zinc and manganese oxide by (1) reacting said oxide mixture with a chloric acid solution to form a mixture having a solid phase containing manganese dioxide and a liquid phase containing chloric acid solution and dissolved zinc ions contained therein and (2) then separating the solid and liquid phases. This reference further teaches mixing the separated solid phase with a second chloric acid solution to dissolve remaining zinc oxide in the manganese dioxide and then separating that second chloric acid solution containing additional zinc ions from a substantially pure solid manganese dioxide product.
While the teachings of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/987,503, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,743, represent a significant commercial advance over the preexisting oxidation routes for making manganese dioxide, the problem of recovering the valuable chloric acid after separation of the solid manganese dioxide exists. The present invention is a solution to that problem. Furthermore, the invention of patent application Ser. No. 07/987,503, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,743, is limited to a process of separating zinc and manganese oxides with chloric acid. It has now been found that an extension of that invention is also acceptable to producing manganese dioxide from quantities of manganese oxide not contaminated with zinc oxide and also allows for the recovery of valuable chloric acid.

Process for producing solid manganese dioxide


In a facsimile communication system, a user's terminal facsimile apparatus stores a plurality of character strings each composed of instruction words and data to be sent to a host apparatus for identifying one of communication services offered from the host apparatus. Accordingly, when one of the stored character strings is selected and executed, the corresponding communication service is offered from the host apparatus to the user's terminal facsimile apparatus. The character string may be produced by actually communicating with the host apparatus so that a transmission timing of the data in the character string can be precisely matched with what is required by the host apparatus.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a facsimile communication system, wherein an information offerer stores information or data in a store-and-forward switching apparatus (hereinafter referred to as "the host") for exclusive use in a facsimile communication service while an information user picks up desired information from among the stored information using a terminal facsimile apparatus.
2. Description Prior Art
Recently, the facsimile communication services have been widely available. In the facsimile communication services, the information offerers store a great amount of information to be offered in the store-and-forward switching apparatuses or hosts, respectively, which are for exclusive use in the facsimile communication services, and the users can freely pick up the desired information from among the stored information by operating their terminal facsimile apparatuses, respectively.
Hereinbelow, an operation of a conventional user's terminal facsimile apparatus in the facsimile communication service will be described with reference to FIGS. 24 and 25.
In an operation A, the user first makes a call to the host. In case the user takes advantage of the information to be offered by this host on a frequent basis, the user may record a telephone number of this host in the user's facsimile apparatus for the abbreviated dialing so as to make a call using the abbreviated dialing.
When a telephone line is closed, an audio guidance 1 is sent from the host. The audio guidance 1 is, for example, "Please send a service number of a service to be utilized." In response to this audio guidance 1, when the user wants a service of "requesting trial examination result" to be offered, the user dials a service number "1234" representative of the service of "requesting trial examination result" in an operation B.
After sending the service number, an audio guidance 2 is sent from the host. The audio guidance 2 is, for example, "Please send an examinee's number." In response to this audio guidance 2, the user dials a desired examinee's number, for example, "12345678" in an operation C.
After sending the examinee's number, an audio guidance 3 is sent from the host. The audio guidance 3 is, for example, "Please push a facsimile start button." In response to this audio guidance 3, the user pushes the facsimile start button in an operation D. Accordingly, a CED signal which is a called terminal identification signal is sent to the host from the user's facsimile apparatus.
Subsequently, a facsimile communication is started between the host and the user's facsimile apparatus as in the known manner so that the required information on the trial examination result for the designated examinee's number is sent from the host to the user's facsimile apparatus as image or picture data.
According to the foregoing conventional structure, it is fully convenient for a beginner to take advantage of the facsimile communication service since the terminal facsimile apparatus can be operated according to the audio guidances from the host. On the other hand, it is burdensome for a user experienced even in some degree to follow the audio guidances one by one since such an experienced user knows what to do next and further since the same series of the operations is required every time the user requires the information. Specifically, when the user requires the information of the same kind on a frequent or sequential basis, it is burdensome to repeat the same series of the operations every time the user requires such information. For example, in the foregoing example of the operations, although only the operation C should change among the operations A to D so as to obtain the information of, such as, the trial examination results for the respective examinee's numbers sequentially, the user should repeat the series of the operations A to D every time the user requires such information.
This raises a serious problem particularly when a frequency of utilizing the facsimile communication service is high, for example, to a degree that the telephone number of the host is recorded for the abbreviated dialing.

Matsushita Graphic Communication Systems, Inc.


A hermetic compressor having an upper portion 12 and a lower portion 16 is provided with a motor 20 in its upper portion with a vertical crankshaft 22 extending down into the lower portion and driving a plurality of pistons 28, 30 in cylinders 24, 26 arranged radially around the crankshaft, each cylinder having a cylinder head 38 radially outwardly of the discharge valve 36, and at least the lowermost cylinder head 38 being provided with a spring-loaded drain valve 44 which opens upon the differential pressure between the inside of the cylinder head and the suction space in the compressor dropping below a given value during periods of non-operation of the compressor to drain an accumulation of liquids in the cylinder head.

This invention pertains to the general art of hermetic refrigerant compressors and particularly to multi-cylinder compressors of this type which have the cylinders arranged radially about a vertical crankshaft.
In compressors of this type a condition occasionally arises in which oil and/or liquid refrigerant collect in the lowermost cylinder heads during extended shutdowns. The accumulation of the liquid can be the result of any of several different conditions such as excessive oil in the refrigerant system or excessive liquid refrigerant in the oil, for example. A small quantity of liquid in the cylinder head space of the type of compressor with which this invention deals is not particularly detrimental, since it will be blown out through the discharge pipe at the top of the cylinder head. However, if there is a significant quantity of liquid in the cylinder head space it is unable to get out through the discharge pipe quickly enough upon start-up and may cause damage to the cylinder head or gasket or valves or connecting rods or piston rings. The possibility of damage with a liquid accumulation is more likely with larger compressors which use large three-phase motors with significant starting torque. With smaller compressors of the type such as typically use permanent slit capacitor motors, the likelihood of such damage is not as great since there is relatively less starting torque. However the application of the invention to such smaller compressors can also function to promote more rapid equalization of pressures between the high side and the low side so that easier starting is promoted.
It is an aim of this invention to provide a hermetic refrigerant compressor with an arrangement which avoids the problems which arise if liquid collects in any of the cylinder heads.

Hermetic compressor having a valve to drain liquid accumulations from its cylinder head


Apparatus adapted to be attached to the boom arms of a conventional tractor supported front end loader for use in engaging, lifting, unrolling and performing other handling requirements of a large rolled round bale of hay. The apparatus includes frame elements designed to be operatively and removably secured to the boom arms of a front end loader to provide operating support for a pair of horizontally spaced and adjustable bale clamping arms, with an actuator operatively connected to the bale clamping arms and operable of effecting adjustment of the bale clamping arms between a closed bale clamping position and an open bale release and receiving position. A pair of disk elements are coaxially and rotatably mounted on the extended ends of the bale clamping arms and detailed to include bale engaging projections whereby a bale can be engaged and rotatably supported by the disk elements between the clamping arms. Conventional adjustment of the boom arms will permit the bale to be elevated in loading and other bale handling operations.

The recent trends in handling hay in a cattle feeding operation is to process, by rolling and compressing, the hay into very large rolls. These large rolls will allow one single roll of hay to contain an amount equal to many small bales and will thus reduce the amount of labor required to effectively handle the hay during gathering, hauling, storing and feeding. Further, these large rolls of hay can be more effectively stored in the open air with a reduced loss of product due to spoiled or damaged hay.
One problem that develops due to the creation of these large rolls of hay is the provision of effective equipment for handling the large hay rolls, since their size will prevent individuals from handling the large rolls of hay.
A number of attempts have been made to develop apparatus which can be used in the handling of large hay rolls. However, the prior art apparatus require special vehicle means or require considerable modification to existing equipment.
Certain of the prior art apparatus is designed to elevate and load the large hay rolls onto vehicle transport means, with additional apparatus required for unrolling the bales in a cattle feeding operation.
Further, the prior art apparatus is complex in construction, expensive to manufacture, and often unreliable in operation.


This invention concerns a new class of compositions for the sizing of paper and the method of treating paper using such compositions. Such new compositions comprise the reaction products of glyoxal and a hydrophobe which contains at least one hydroxyl group. Such compositions can be used either for internal or surface sizing.

Paper is sized to resist the penetration of liquids. This invention is concerned with the sizing of paper to resist penetration by water and aqueous solutions.
Paper can either be surface sized or it can be sized internally. Internal sizing is accomplished by the application of a sizing agent to the pulp slurry prior to formation of the paper sheet. Surface sizing, on the other hand, entails application of the sizing agent to the surface of a formed paper sheet. Internal and surface sizing are discussed in J. P. Casey, Pulp & Paper, Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Second Edition, Volume II, Interscience Publishers, Inc., New York, 1960.
For well over a century, internal sizing operations have employed rosin in combination with alum. Various improvements in the rosin-alum treatment have been made.
More recent internal sizing agents include wax emulsions, stearates, alkylketene dimers and alkenyl succinic anhydrides. Most of these new sizes are described in TAPPI Monograph Series 33, "Internal Sizing of Paper and Paperboard," Mack Printing Company/Easton, PA, 1971.
Current commercial internal sizing agents have important individual drawbacks. For example, rosin requires alum and an acid pH in papermaking. Alkylketene dimers give best performance in a non-acid system. Alkenyl succinic anhydrides cannot be produced as stable emulsions and require special emulsification at the site of use. Some other sizes are less efficient or have other particular drawbacks.

Alkoxylated dioxolanes as paper sizing agents


A trench MOSFET comprising a plurality of transistor cells with a plurality of wide trenched floating gates as termination region is disclosed. The trenched floating gates have trench depth equal to or deeper than body junction depth of body regions in termination area. Each body region between two adjacent said trenched floating gates has floating voltage.

Typical structures of trench MOSFETs having trenched floating gates as termination in prior arts are encountering technical problems. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,462,376, a trench MOSFET was disclosed with n+ source region disposed in termination area comprising a plurality of trenched floating gates, as shown in FIG. 1A. In termination area, n+ source region 120 is disposed between two adjacent trenched floating gates 111. This kind of structure will cause heavily leakage current between drain region and source region as result of the channel is turned on in termination area due to floating P body regions 108 and the trenched floating gates 111 are not shorted together with source regions at drain/source reversed bias. An electrical current will flow from drain through channel region of the trenched floating gate and n+ source region 120 between two adjacent trenched floating gates 111 in termination area to the source region 120 in active area.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,511,339 disclosed another trench MOSFET structure without having n+ source region in termination area but with depth of trenched gates 110 shallower than depth of floating deep P body regions 130, as shown in FIG. 1B. However, from experimental results of the relationship between breakdown voltage (BV) and difference between depth of trenched floating gates (TFd) and depth of body region (Pd) in FIG. 2, we can see that, the breakdown voltage is significantly degraded when depth of trenched floating gate is shallower than deep body region, thus causing low breakdown voltage in termination area due to poor isolation between drain region and source region by the shallower trenched floating gates in termination area. The floating deep P body 130 regions are electrically connected together by charge depletion of the floating P body regions at drain-source reversed bias because the trenched floating gates is shallower than the floating P body. Therefore, an electrical current will directly flow from edge of the termination area to source region in active area without blocking by the shallower trenched floating gates in the termination.
Therefore, there is still a need in the art of the semiconductor device fabrication, particularly for trench MOSFET design and fabrication, to provide a novel cell structure, device configuration and fabrication process that would resolve these difficulties and design limitations. Specifically, it is desirable to maintain low breakdown voltage in termination area of a trench MOSFET.

Trench MOSFET with trenched floating gates as termination


A sensing system (22) for a device (34) contains a light absorbing or scattering object (44). An illumination device (50,72) generating and emitting an illumination beam into the object (44). A first light filter (85) has at least one associated light spectrum filtering frequency. A first light sensor (60,80) is coupled to the first light filter (85), receives a first object-emitted portion of the illumination beam, and generates a first signal in response to the first portion. A second light filter (88) has at least one associated light spectrum filtering frequency. A second light sensor (62,82) is coupled to the second light filter (88), receives a second objected-emitted portion of the illumination beam, and generates a second signal in response to the second portion. A controller (54) generates a parameter signal, associated with a characteristic of the object, in response to the first signal and the second signal.

Anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs), such as crash test dummies, are used as human surrogates to assess crash injuries. Several different systems and apparatuses have been introduced as an attempt to measure penetration, displacement, force, velocity, and acceleration on an ATD in the abdominal area. Although these systems and apparatuses have been somewhat successful in providing information related to one or more of the stated parameters, each of which have associated disadvantages and limitations.
One known apparatus for indicating ATD abdomen displacement resulting from belt loading is referred to as the "frangible abdomen". The frangible abdomen is a dynamically tuned biofidelic insert. The insert is formed of a crushable Styrofoam®. The crush of the foam is used to determine the amount of "submarining" and to quantify the injury risk associated therewith. The term "submarining" refers to when a lap belt rises up over the pelvic bone of a vehicle occupant.
Although the frangible abdomen has been referred to as a biofidelic insert, it only provides some level of biofidelity. The term "biofidelic" refers to the biomechanical aspects of a device or the ability of a device to be loaded and to respond to such loading in a human like fashion. In general, a system that is biofidelic has similar static and dynamic characteristics as that of a human. The frangible abdomen is a one time or single use device that is formed of a load-sensitive foam. Since the frangible abdomen is completely formed of foam, it does not provide the other static and dynamic characteristics of a human abdomen, which is primarily filled with bodily fluids. For example, the frangible abdomen or portions thereof do not disperse, move, flex, react, or perform in response to collision interactions with objects as would a human abdomen. The objects, for example, may be a seat belt, a steering wheel, an air bag, or parts of an ATD, such as the ribs of a ribcage. Thus, the frangible abdomen is limited in its ability to provide information that can be used to assess the interactions therewith.
In addition, the frangible abdomen is not instrumented. In not being instrumented, the frangible abdomen is incapable of providing time-based information. As such, abdominal interaction and abdominal insert performance during a collision event cannot be determined.
There have been a number of systems to produce an instrumented abdominal region or an instrumented abdominal insert. Some of these systems have included string potentiometers, strain gauges, and telescoping rods. These systems have also been directed to belt interaction and have used deflection, force, fluid pressure, or contact switch signals to indicate an injury level. Although the systems have provided some indication of belt interaction or abdominal displacement, the systems do not provide or have minimal biofidelic and rate sensitive characteristics, and all of which have there own associated disadvantages or drawbacks.
There are several techniques that have been proposed to define an abdominal injury criteria for assessing injury risk. The most promising criterion is the viscous criterion. The viscous criterion refers to the value determined by multiplying the maximum velocity V(t) experienced by the normalized compression C(t) of an abdomen during a collision event. As such, it is desirable for an abdominal sensing system to provide velocity and/or compression information for a device over time.
Thus, there exists a need for an improved abdominal sensing system that is biofidelic that overcomes the above-stated disadvantages and limitations, and that provides the desired information needed for determining injury risk.

Biofidelic displacement measuring system for an anthropomorphic testing device